Reader's Corner: Books We Can’t Wait to Read in July 2026
Book Club Murders, Ponzi-scheme Paybacks, and Romantic Resurrections
Hello, Protagonists!
Welcome to July. Here are some of this month’s new releases we feel pretty excited about—the ones that we instantly added to our TBR, sent to our group chats, or did a happy dance about reading soon!
💕, Joanna & Evelyn
Note: We don’t receive affiliate commissions or payment for these mentions. We haven’t read these yet; these are genuine picks based on love of the author, intriguing premises, or early buzz that feels promising.
📚 July’s Most Anticipated New Releases
Love You More by Emily Griffin (July 7th release)
When Billie accepts a romantic marriage proposal from Dean, the partner she finally found after years of moving on, a sudden phone call from Mick, her high-school sweetheart, pulls her back to Wisconsin and the love she thought she'd left behind. Love You More is an emotionally powerful novel about the choices that shape us and the many forms love can take, perfect for readers who want a story that proves life's biggest plot twists can change everything.
Hustle, Baby by Priya Guns (July 14th release)
When teenage Dilo's family of Tamil refugees faces imminent eviction in turn-of-the-millennium America, a swaggering day-trader named Mark appears with promises of impossible returns, and the family becomes his most devoted recruiters, until they discover what really fuels his generosity. Hustle, Baby is a fearless and feral novel about one family's fight to survive a rigged system and what happens when people with nothing are pushed past their breaking point.
The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren (July 14th release)
When scientist Emery Finch loses her charming husband Luca in a tragic accident, she breaks every rule. She uses her own classified technology to bring him back, only to discover that the man she revived remembers nothing of their life together. From New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren, this is a speculative twist on romance about a woman given an extraordinary do-over and determined not to waste her one shot at reviving true love.
The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza (July 14th release)
In present-day Paris, struggling artist Emma takes a cleaning job for the Swanson family and falls into their dazzling, dangerous world, eventually agreeing to mastermind a daring heist inside the Musée d'Orsay. At the same time, in the late 1800s, young widow Jo van Gogh stakes everything on proving the genius of the worthless paintings she inherited from her brother-in-law, Vincent. This propulsive dual-timeline mystery weaves together two women determined to refuse erasure in a story drenched in art-world intrigue, family secrets, and betrayal.
The Devoted by Catherine Cho (July 14th release)
When Eunha's young son is kidnapped, the carefully respectable life she built to escape her father's world as a Triad Dragon Head shatters, casting her into Hong Kong's criminal underground and back into the orbit of Kai, her childhood companion turned Dragon Head himself. The Devoted is a sweeping family drama and an account of forbidden love about a woman determined to choose her own destiny, even as she wonders whether her future was fated all along.
Stay tuned - Catherine Cho will be on our podcast this month!
The Masala Chai Mystery Club by MJ Soni (July 21st release)
When retired librarian Neeti Shah discovers her despised neighbor Rohit dead at the bottom of a staircase with an Agatha Christie novel nearby, she realizes the killer's MO eerily echoes her book club's latest read and resolves to catch the culprit herself. Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, this cozy mystery follows Neeti and her chai-loving Masala Chai Mystery Club as they race to unmask a killer before more bodies, and they themselves, end up in hot water.
Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 28th release)
When supply runner Marin sails into the capital on a routine trip and finds a revolution underway with her friend Dax in the line of fire, a daring rescue turns into a fake-dating bargain: he joins her crew if he poses as her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home. Sea of Charms is a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and yourself, perfect for readers who love friends-to-lovers stories, magical creatures, and a charming sea serpent for a crewmate.
🥰 Your Turn: What Are You Looking Forward To?
What has been your favorite beach read so far?
What new releases are you most excited about this month?
Leave a comment below — we’d all love to grow our TBRs together.
Right now, I'm reading THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE BY Rebecca Raisin (Hello, 2015?) I know I'm late to that party, but I love books that feel cozy in this world that feels crazy. Looking for some warm & fuzzy contemp novels with a smidge of magic. Any recommendations?