What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Katherine Center returns this summer with a story set at an elementary school in Texas. Librarian Samantha Casey is initially surprised to learn that Duncan Carpenter will be stepping into the role of principal. They’d known each other years ago, and Sam’s always harbored secret feelings for him. Unfortunately, the man she once knew seems to have been replaced by someone serious, strict, and with plans for changing the school that she can’t get behind. Having lost her family, Sam views the school as more than a job, it’s her home, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to save it.

Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson

One of our buzziest historical fiction reads of 2020 is hitting shelves this month! Alaya Dawn Johnson’s latest transports readers to an alternate and magic-tinged New York in the late 1930s. It follows the ways the lives of assassin Phyllis LeBlank, police informant Dev Patil, and clairvoyant Tamara are intertwined through their work at Russian mob boss Victor’s club. Mobsters, magic, and more await readers in Trouble the Saints.

He Started It by Samantha Downing

Readers looking to dive into a thriller this summer can pick up Samantha Downing’s latest. When their grandfather dies, siblings Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan are tasked with recreating a cross-country road trip from their childhood to secure their inheritance. The initial trip as children drove a rift between them, and now 20 years later, they aren’t sure if they’ll all make it out of this one unscathed. Each of them is hiding a secret, and it’s only a matter of time before they all come spilling out.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Alexis Henderson’s debut received rave reviews on NetGalley, and new readers will soon be able to find out why. The Year of the Witching follows a woman living in a puritanical society who suddenly discovers the incredible power she possesses. Immanuelle Moore does what she can to keep her head down and follow Holy Protocol, but everything changes when she is given her late mother’s journal. Within its pages, she discovers things she never could’ve imagined, including the truth about the Church and her community.

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite

Historical romance readers will be elated to know the second installment in Olivia Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series is almost here! When Agatha Griffin’s printing business is threatened by a colony of bees in her warehouse, she requests the help of beekeeper Penelope Flood. As Penelope helps Agatha with her bee problem, she’s startled to discover she’s losing her heart in the process. The arrival of her Peneople’s husband, who she owes a great deal to, complicates matters further and she finds herself caught between her growing affection towards Agatha and her loyalty to a man who once saved her.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Fairytale fans, you’re in luck: This month Kalynn Bayron is delivering a queer YA “Cinderella” reimagining that is sure to please! Two hundred years after Cinderella and her prince danced at the ball, the girls of her kingdom attend the Annual Ball to meet their match. No one knows what happens to the girls who fail to make one, and 16-year-old Sophia isn’t keen to find out. She attempts to escape and instead runs into Constance, Cinderella’s last known descendant. The two agree that the kingdom is in need of a change, and make a plan that could alter the world they know forever.

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Cherie Dimaline’s novel draws inspiration from the Canadian Métis legend of the Rogarou. Joan’s husband Victor went missing a year ago after a terrible fight, and she’s never stopped looking for him. When she finally discovers him, he claims to not recognize her. He introduces himself as Eugene Wolff, a reverend sent to share Jesus’ message. Joan knows something has gone terribly wrong, and she reaches out to a member of her Métis community for help. Together, they work to uncover who the reverend truly is.

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang

Earlier this season, Lydia Kang shared the book at the top of her summer TBR with us and it’s no surprise that hers is at the top of ours. Set in New York City in 1899, this historical mystery follows Tillie Pembroke, who is on the hunt for her sister’s killer. Tillie is reluctant to believe the strange rumors that her sister’s death was the work of a vampire, and she sets out on a mission to uncover the truth and stop whoever it is before they strike again.

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

High school rivals find common ground in this contemporary YA novel from Rachel Lynn Solomon. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have battled it out for years over grades, student government elections, and more. When Neil snags the title of valedictorian, Rowan’s last chance to best him is through a city-wide game held for seniors. When she learns that a group of classmates is aiming to take both her and Neil down, she agrees to team up with her rival until they’re the last two standing.

A Reunion of Rivals by Reese Ryan

Reese Ryan is back this month with the fourth book in the Bourbon Brothers series. Thirteen years ago, Max Abbott and Quinn Bazemore shared an intense romance while Max was interning at the Bazemore farm. He broke her heart when he left, and now the partnership between their families has forced him back into her life. The two team up on marketing strategy, and it isn’t long before the chemistry they once had resurfaces. Readers who love a second chance at love romance won’t want to miss this.