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The Best New Reads to Add to Your Summer 2019 TBR

by  | May 2

The year started out with so many incredible books, but there are even more hitting the shelves this summer! Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, psychological thrillers, or a juicy real-life story of a sexual awakening…our team has a selection for you. These stories will transport you to another time and place, so even if you don’t have any big vacation plans for the season, you can take a BookCation with these reads.

Working in the publishing industry allows us the perk of being surrounded by great books all the time, so we’ll totally understand if you have a hard time picking which one to dig into first! We hope you enjoy this list, and we’ll share even more of our most anticipated reads that are publishing later in the year! Let us know which book(s) you are most excited to read by tagging us on social! #GetLit

The Southern Side of Paradise

The Southern Side of Paradise

by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Heather’s Pick #1

Whether your next beach day is on the horizon or you simply wish it were, Kristy Woodson Harvey’s The Southern Side of Paradise will hit the spot. Set in the charming southern town of Peachtree Bluff, the novel follows a close-knit family of four—Ansley Murphy and her daughters Sloane, Caroline, and Emerson—as they navigate what happens with the revelation of secrets that could tear them apart...or bring them even closer together. Sweet romance and juicy family drama? You can’t ask for better in a summer read!

Releasing May 7, 2019

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The Bride Test

The Bride Test

by Helen Hoang

Emily Pick #1

The Kiss Quotient was one of my absolute favorite books of 2018, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Bride Test. And when I found myself with an early copy, this book completely solidified my love for anything written by Helen Hoang. Khai and Esme are thrown together by Khai’s mother, who is determined to find him a wife. But despite their differences, they may just be perfect for each other. This book was so swoony and delightful, I might need to reread it now!

Releasing May 7, 2019

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The Unhoneymooners

The Unhoneymooners

by Christina Lauren

Jess’s Pick #1

So, I’m a sucker for a good, beachy fun Christina Lauren read. The Unhoneymooners is FULL of sexual tension and quick one-liners. I fell in love with our two leading protagonists, Olive and Ethan, immediately upon meeting them. It’s an enthralling enemies-turn-lovers story line that you definitely won’t be able to put down while lying out in the sun.

Releasing May 14, 2019

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The Obsoletes

The Obsoletes

by Simeon Mills

Cara’s Pick

The Obsoletes is everything I love about genre-bending novels right now, the perfect blend of a literary coming-of-age story with a funny and intense sci-fi twist. Darryl and Kanga, twin brothers, are robots pretending to be human, trying to take care of themselves and remain undetected. But as Kanga joins the basketball team and Darryl is left scrambling to keep both his brother and himself out of the limelight, everything becomes much more precarious. Funny, intimate, and heartwarming, The Obsoletes is one you have to add to your list!

Releasing May 14, 2019

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There's Something about Sweetie

There's Something about Sweetie

by Sandhya Menon

Emily’s Pick #2

When Dimple Met Rishi was such a cute rom-com, so I was excited to hear that Rishi’s brother Ashish is the love interest in this one. When the handsome Ashish meets Sweetie, a confident fat athlete, sparks fly in the most adorable of ways! Now I kind of wish my parents would set me up with the perfect boy…

Releasing May 14, 2019

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Into the Jungle

Into the Jungle

by Erica Ferencik

Sienna’s Pick #1

PSA: If you are scared of snakes and spiders, you should not read this book! Lily has been living in a small town in Bolivia, working at a hostel and hanging with her crew of expats who are experiencing the backpacker life to escape from the demands of the real world. She meets Omar, a handsome and somewhat mysterious local man, who has left his remote village in the jungle for the city. When Omar has to go home after a tragic death in his family, Lily decides to move back with him and try to acclimate to a world filled with ruthless poachers, a tribe living in primitive conditions (no running water, flushing toilets, electricity, or Wi-Fi), and mystical shamans.

Releasing May 28, 2019

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Ask Again, Yes

Ask Again, Yes

by Mary Beth Keane

Heather’s Pick #2

As the daughter of cops myself, I was immediately drawn to this touching novel about two NYPD officers, Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, whose families end up living next door to each other. As the years pass and their children grow up together, the two families’ lives become inextricably linked, for better and for worse, in ways they never could have predicted. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that this book will take you on an emotional journey you won’t soon forget. If you enjoy shows like This Is Us and Parenthood, you need Ask Again, Yes in your life.

Releasing May 28, 2019

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Mine

Mine

by Courtney Cole

Anabel’s Pick

This book was definitely my guilty pleasure this month! Right from the start it took me on a fast and suspenseful roller-coaster ride. It begins when wife and mother of three, Tessa, finds out that her husband has been cheating on her. And by pretending to be him through texts, she lures his mistress to their home during a hurricane. I will not spoil the rest, but I couldn’t put this book down! If you’re looking for a quick read that’ll have you at the edge of your seat, waiting to find out how it all ends, check out Courtney Cole’s Mine!

Releasing May 28, 2019

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Mrs. Everything

Mrs. Everything

by Jennifer Weiner

Ariele’s Pick

I can say without a doubt that Mrs. Everything is Jennifer Weiner’s most powerful, emotionally resonant, and timely work to date. I’ve formed a theory: the novels that really strike a chord are those in which readers see their own lives reflected and validated—some form of a story about people who feel like them, look like them, or have faced similar hurdles, experiences, and triumphs. Mrs. Everything is all that and more. It’s an exploration of women’s rights, sexual freedom, and the changing landscape of American politics. It’s the perfect mix of poignancy and levity—what you’d expect from a Jennifer Weiner novel, but on emotional and socio-political steroids. This is a big, juicy page-turner, infused with characters who will engage you and social issues that will illuminate the world into which it’s being published.

Releasing June 11, 2019

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Man of the Year

Man of the Year

by Caroline Louise Walker

Jess’s Pick #2

If you’re craving some unreliable male narration upon finishing the hit Netflix show YOU (I’m not going to lie, this narrator gave me some SERIOUS Joe Goldberg vibes), Caroline Louise Walker gives you precisely that. Dr. Robert Hart has just won the prestigious title of “Man of the Year.” However, everyone has skeletons in their closet, even the Man of the Year.

Releasing June 11, 2019

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The Last House Guest

The Last House Guest

by Megan Miranda

Sienna’s Pick #2

Megan Miranda is back! If you’re a fan of All The Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger, then get ready for The Last House Guest. I’ve read A LOT of thrillers, and I often feel like I can see the ending coming a mile away. Well, I have to tell you The Last House Guest threw me for a loop. This novel is set in a seaside town in Maine called Littleport where the year-round residents and the wealthy owners of the summer homes have a tenuous co-existence. The year-round residents are in service to their wealthy, seasonal neighbors because their local economy is fueled by tourism, and their relationships are solely transactional. Friendships between “townies” and summer residents are frowned upon, but visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer have been inseparable for almost ten years. They are the best of friends every summer until Sadie is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Sadie’s death was eventually ruled a suicide, but Avery feels there is a cloud of suspicion surrounding her as a local detective keeps poking around trying to find out what really happened that night—as does Sadie’s brother, Parker, who appears to blame Avery for his sister’s death.

Releasing June 18, 2019

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The Stationery Shop

The Stationery Shop

by Marjan Kamali

Carrie’s Pick

I’m so excited for everyone to read The Stationery Shop. In 1953 Tehran, Roya meets her perfect match, Bahman, at the stationery shop and bookstore where the two bookworms have made their sanctuaries. Just before they’re married, the two plan to meet, but as violence breaks out in the town square, Bahman doesn’t show, and Roya loses all faith in her love story. This bittersweet romance is also a fascinating coming-of-age story about a young woman who seeks to make her place in the world, despite her broken heart. I loved seeing Roya’s personal story woven seamlessly into historical events, and the symbolism that made this story fit together perfectly. You’ll love this beautiful book.

Releasing June 18, 2019

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Temper

Temper

by Layne Fargo

Tara’s Pick

A cat and mouse game between an ambitious, sexually charged actress and the sidelined female co-founder of a prestigious theater company forms the central plot of Layne Fargo’s debut thriller, Temper. With prose that is as lovely as it is provocative, the story follows the two women as they engage in a psychological battle for superiority in the eyes of the mercurial, dominant lead actor and artistic director of the company, Malcom. The line between acting and violence becomes dangerously thin, and when the line is crossed, there is no going back. Perfect for fans of The Lying Game and Luckiest Girl Alive with a theatrical twist, this dramatic page-turner will set your summer on fire.

Releasing July 2, 2019

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Pretty Revenge

Pretty Revenge

by Emily Liebert

Mackenzie’s Pick

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Kerrie O’Malley believes she’s been scorned the worst of all by the gorgeous and successful Jordana Pierson. When Jordana advertises for an assistant for her flourishing wedding planning company, Kerrie leaps at the opportunity to get back into Jordana’s life, and goes to scary extremes to exact her revenge. This story is like popcorn: just one page and you won’t be able to stop gobbling it up. Pretty Revenge is the perfect read for fans who loved the drama of Gossip Girl and the suspense of The Wife Between Us.

Releasing July 2, 2019

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Her Deadly Secrets

Her Deadly Secrets

by Laura Griffin

Abby’s Pick #1

Imagine you’re a private investigator, delivering what should be a routine report to your boss…except your boss just got shot on his doorstep, along with his biggest client—and now someone’s shooting at YOU. Laura Griffin’s new stand-alone romantic suspense novel starts off with a bang (well, a gunshot) and the pace doesn’t let up from there. PI Kira Vance finds herself in need of protection, but she doesn’t trust the cops; whether she likes it or not, she’s going to need help from the elite private security team that worked for the dead client. Hope they do a better job for Kira…

Releasing July 2, 2019

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The Need

The Need

by Helen Phillips

Sienna’s Pick #3

The Need is an unsettling, yet captivating story of one woman’s tenuous hold on keeping her head above water as she juggles work, motherhood, and family. Molly is a paleobotanist who spends her days working at a fossil quarry and has recently unearthed a controversial Bible that has attracted media and tourist attention. At night, she’s struggling to take care of her two children, four-year-old Viv and one-year-old Ben—while her husband is away on a musical tour. One night, she discovers an intruder in her house, wearing an eerie deer mask. After confronting the masked figure, she discovers the person in the deer mask knows everything about Molly and her family. When Molly learns who the trespasser really is, she begins questioning her grip on reality.

Releasing July 9, 2019

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Breathe In, Cash Out

Breathe In, Cash Out

by Madeleine Henry

Isabel’s Pick #1

The Devil Wears Prada and Opening Belle fans, listen up! This is a total summer read about Allegra, a young woman who’s stuck working at the top investment bank in NYC. She’s secretly planning on quitting to pursue her yoga career, but it turns out that her escape plan isn’t as perfect as the exotic yoga photos she sees on Instagram. Written by a former Goldman Sachs banking analyst turned novelist and yogi, there’s no one else who could write this novel like Madeleine did. It’s fun, sharp, and perfect for anyone who hated—but very much needed—their first job after college.

Releasing July 9, 2019

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Three Women

Three Women

by Lisa Taddeo

Shefali’s Pick #1

Three Women is a profound—and true!—exploration of female desire in a world and era that still (shockingly) has a hard time talking about it. Journalist Lisa Taddeo has spent nearly a decade following Lina, Maggie, and Sloane on their erotic adventures. For Lina, that meant suffering through a passionless marriage—until an opportunity for something else, and something outside that relationship, presented itself. For Maggie, it meant a clandestine affair with an authority figure in her life. And for Sloane, it meant confronting her seemingly perfect marriage and understanding whether she was truly fulfilled. Detailing the ins and outs of these three women’s interactions and sex lives, Lisa shows us erotic desire as we’ve never seen it before (or at least I haven’t!).

Releasing July 9, 2019

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Turbulence

Turbulence

by David Szalay

Shefali’s Pick #2

David Szalay, author of the Man Booker Prize–shortlisted All That Man Is (sorry, had to flex), is back with a new book that could be read as separate—but related—short stories, or a larger novel about people who are interconnected.

Turbulence follows twelve people—mostly strangers—and the surprising manner in which they effect one another’s lives as they travel around the world. From London to Madrid, from Dakar to São Paulo, to Toronto to Delhi to Doha, and so on, on their way to see family, lovers, or nobody at all, one character meets another, briefly, and independently, in a moment of transit, and a seemingly small interaction changes everything. All the vignettes take place in or near airports, with each chapter named with an airport route.

These stories are about the brief, electrifying interactions that can shape our lives, and the beauty of the human condition—especially in this global era where people are more connected, but somehow more disconnected, than ever.

Releasing July 16, 2019

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The Helpline

The Helpline

by Katherine Collette

Isabel’s Pick #2

I know people compare novels to it all the time now, but this is seriously the next book for people who loved Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine! Our well-meaning but often off-putting heroine, Germaine Johnson, is great with numbers but not so great with people until she starts working at a Senior Citizen Hotline and slowly begins to let the callers into her life. Filled with an eccentric and (occasionally) cranky cast of characters you can’t help but love, The Helpline is a feel-good debut that will make you reexamine what it means to lead a happy life.

Releasing July 23, 2019

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The Arrangement

The Arrangement

by Robyn Harding

Saimah’s Pick

Fans of Caroline Kepnes’s YOU won't want to miss this book. Like Beck, Natalie is a college student living in New York City, struggling to pay the bills. She works part-time as a bartender, but it’s not quite enough to make ends meet. One of her classmates suggests becoming a sugar baby (sexual favors optional) to help with her financial problems.

Troubles with her roommates lead her to sign up for a site through which she meets Gabe, a handsome corporate finance attorney who is 30 years older than her. Gabe is charming and protective, and Natalie quickly falls for him. But what starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement turns into an obsession and soon a body is found outside Gabe’s posh Manhattan apartment…

Releasing July 30, 2019

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Love at First Like

Love at First Like

by Hannah Orenstein

Isabel’s Pick #3

You may remember Hannah Orenstein from her debut novel, Playing with Matches, aka my favorite rom-com of Summer 2018, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that she’s back with another delicious novel for the beach. In Love at First Like, Eliza, a young jewelry shop owner, accidentally leads her 100k Instagram followers to believe that she’s engaged by posting a big, sparkly ring on that finger. When her follow count goes nuts and the sales roll in, Eliza learns that her personal life is good for business, but a fake fiancé and a wedding are needed to complete the ruse. Can she pull it off? Guess you’ll have to read it to find out!

Releasing August 6, 2019

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All the Water in the World

All the Water in the World

by Karen Raney

Daniela’s Pick

I am constantly craving wholesome but complicated mother/daughter stories. All the Water in the World is a debut novel that speaks to the intensity of this special relationship. Maddy is trying to do all the normal things that a sixteen-year-old girl does, like hang out with her friends, make art, do well in school, and kiss boys. Here’s the catch: Maddy has cancer. Maddy may be sick, but she is fierce. She trudges headfirst into a project with her crush, Jack. As they work closely, Maddy and Jack begin to fall in love. Jack bears witness to all the messy parts that comes with being ill, but he loves and supports Maddy steadfastly.

Maddy’s mother raised her with the help of her grandparents after her father chose a career rather than staying with her pregnant mother. Maddy is determined to get in contact with the father she’s never met. All the Water in the World is a poignant family story that examines what we do when we lose the things we never thought we had in the first place, and how we deal with the unthinkable.

Releasing August 6, 2019

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We Are All Good People Here

We Are All Good People Here

by Susan Rebecca White

Isabel’s Pick #4

This stunning novel grew out of the author’s fascination for, as she calls it, “debutantes who become underground feminist radicals.” (Need I say more? I will anyway.) Following the lives of two friends, Eve and Daniella, who meet their first day of college in the still deeply traditional South, the story explores the complex relationship between two very different women amid the political awakenings of the 60s and the secrets that pass on to their daughters. It’s perfect for readers of The Girls by Emma Cline and The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon, and it definitely has notes of Little Fires Everywhere in the mother-daughter relationships. Also, if you look carefully, there’s actually two faces on the cover, not one (hint: it’s an optical illusion). See it??

Releasing August 6, 2019

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The Turn of the Key

The Turn of the Key

by Ruth Ware

Ke’s Pick

All of Ruth Ware’s books have been creepy and deeply mysterious, in other words…awesome! But I think this might be her best one yet: let me explain. Initially attracted by the generous perks, Rowan was lured into becoming a family nanny in the middle of nowhere Scotland. The house looks very Victorian, but it’s filled with the newest and most advanced technology available. Rowan loves the gig, until the tech slowly starts to turn against her. When the book opens, one of the kids is already dead and Rowan is sitting in jail, accused of being the killer. The whole story is then told in a long letter that Rowan writes as she attempts to prove her innocence.

Releasing August 6, 2019

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The Winemaker's Wife

The Winemaker's Wife

by Kristin Harmel

Abby’s Pick #2

Readers who’ve already raced through Martha Hall Kelly’s Lost Roses and Pam Jenoff’s The Lost Girls of Paris will be happy for this late-summer addition to the list of WW2 women’s fiction. This book shows a part of the war that’s not as frequently covered as the Paris occupation or the German camps; it’s set in France’s northeastern Champagne region, at a champagne house called Maison Chauveau. We follow the lives of two women deeply involved with the winery as it comes under scrutiny from the invading German forces—did you know Hitler had a weinfuhrer to raid the best bottles from all the wineries around?—and discover how a series of fateful decisions in wartime lead to secrets not disclosed for generations. Told in historical and present-day story lines, the book is emotional and gripping and has an uplifting ending to balance its dark moments. Plus, you’ll want to drink champagne the entire time you’re reading!

Releasing August 13, 2019

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Blood Truth

Blood Truth

by J.R. Ward

Tara’s Pick #2

In Blood Truth, the next book in #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward’s The Black Dagger Legacy series, a vampire soldier meets his match. No one writes the perfect combination of snark, angst, mystery, and sizzle better than this author does, and Boone’s story is no exception! He’s tasked with hunting down a serial killer and meets Helaine in the process—but will they trust each other enough to get the job done without anyone innocent getting caught in the crossfire?

Releasing August 13, 2019

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The Swallows

The Swallows

by Lisa Lutz

Taylor’s Pick #1

This is the must-read for anyone who loves psychological suspense and/or campus novels. The Swallows is an amazing revenge story for modern times that shows us what can happen when an army of girls stand up and say “enough.” Liza Lutz, the bestselling author of the Spellman Files series and The Passenger, delivers an utterly propulsive tale filled with powerful characters and sense of place.

Releasing August 13, 2019

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Tidelands

Tidelands

by Philippa Gregory

Isabel’s Pick #5

Philippa Gregory, aka legend, aka New York Times bestselling historical fiction queen, is back with a whole new series. In this first book, Philippa steps out from behind the palace walls to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, who cannot bear to conform to the life that lies before her in 17th century England. But this is during England’s civil war and the country is deeply divided. Neighbors are turning against neighbors, quick to be suspicious of anyone who doesn’t fit in. And Alinor's ambition and determination mark her out from her peers at a time when it is very dangerous for a woman to be different. I’ll leave it at that except to say that, as per usual, Philippa Gregory is a master, and this is a book to get lost in.

Releasing August 20, 2019

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The Beekeeper of Aleppo

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

by Christy Lefteri

Taylor’s Pick #2

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is an unforgettable novel of a beekeeper, his wife, and the triumph of spirit when the world becomes unrecognizable. This novel is also a beautiful lesson in empathy, and it puts human faces on the Syrian refugee crisis in a way that no newspaper ever could. It belongs on the shelf right next to books like The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, and Little Bee by Chris Cleave. It’s really that special.

Releasing August 27, 2019

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Photo Credit // Artem Bali on Unsplash

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