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The Buzziest Books of June | 2025

The Buzziest Books of June | 2025

June is when the world feels wide open—warm nights, golden mornings, and stories that dare you to dream bigger. ✨ These books are perfect companions for the season: rich with discovery, alive with emotion, and unforgettable in their ambition. From buzzworthy debuts to gripping sagas, these are June’s must-reads.



Ghosts & Gowns (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

Lucinda Race

Release Date: June 3, 2025

She didn’t want to talk to ghosts or investigate a murder. Designer and reluctant ghost whisperer Claudia Grant has moved to the picturesque small town of Drakes Bay to reopen her late uncle’s dress shop. To her surprise, Uncle Herman didn’t die of natural causes, and an even bigger surprise, his ghost has taken up residence in her shop.

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Nemesis 06

by E. R. Torre

Release Date: May 18, 2025

At the dawn of World War II, a remote military base in the Arizona desert is scheduled for shutdown. The man in charge has vastly different ideas. In the present, a vacationing couple exploring a forgotten ghost town uncovers a brutal thing lost to time. This thing hunts its prey ruthlessly. It has found its new target. It will not be stopped.

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Delivered

by James Mondesir

Release Date: May 15, 2025

Jean Valeur is a straightlaced NYU graduate student who finds himself on the wrong side of the law after a night with friends goes horribly wrong. Freed during the Rikers Early Release Program, he finds himself in Covid-ravaged New York City where he must survive the challenges of a changed world, learn to forgive the friend who ruined his life and embrace an uncertain future.

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Smuggler's Rebellion: Dawn of Defiance (Wild Frontier Chronicles Book 1)

by Daniel P. Douglas

Release Date: May 29, 2025

A jaded smuggler. A princess with everything to fight for. And a soccer robot who kicks more than just balls. The fate of the galaxy rests in their unlikely hands.

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Cybersecurity Checklist for Business Owners

by William Clements

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Cybercriminals never rest—and small businesses are their preferred targets. Many business owners assume they're too small to attract hackers or trust that their IT provider has everything covered. But assumptions like these put your business at severe risk.

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Murder on Morgue Street (The Detective Jericho Series Book 10)

by Walter Marks

Release Date: May 15, 2025

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is the first fictional detective novel. A community theater's production of this story results in a real murder: the death of the lead actress. The eerie parallels to Poe's tale make this investigation a real challenge for Detective Jericho. A second murder makes for a shocking ending to this book.

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Deep Orange Cover: The Allegiance

by Joel W. Barrows

Release Date: June 9, 2025

A weapons shipment is hijacked, the driver executed in a way that sends a message. A rolling gun battle between rival motorcycle gangs ensues, leaving carnage strewn across Interstate 35. When Allegiance MC President Sonny Baumer is sentenced, he gets more than he bargained for. ATF undercover legend David Ward is pulled into the darkness.

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Dodging Mr. Right (Hooked In Series Book 2)

by Anastasia Alexander

Release Date: May 21, 2025

Tiffany Woodland is focused on success—until a business trip to India with her boss’s nephew throws her plans into chaos, where she confronts mischievous monkeys, chaotic traffic, and her sister’s well-meaning interference with a love potion at exactly the wrong time.

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Archer's Moon (Legends of Ansu Book 1)

by J.W. Webb

Release Date: June 10, 2025

Sorcery, vengeance, passion, and war! As a deity, Argonwui knows she can have it all. Watching the green world spinning below, she ventures down to explore and learn about the lesser beings dwelling amongst that swirling gas. A quick visit to relieve the monotony up there among the floating clouds. What could go wrong?

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The Girl Who Wouldn't Die

by Jeff Abugov

Release Date: June 7, 2025

She's of our time, but she doesn’t age. Our epic tale follows the immortal woman through many lifetimes—past, present, and future—her struggle to keep her secret; her remorse in leaving loved ones when it's time to move on; and her hardships slipping into her next identity. Violence, sex, adventure, and romance abound, but one thing’s for sure...eternal youth ain’t all it's cracked up to be.

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Darkness, Light, and Fire (The Life And Times Of Gunnery Sergeant Jackson Mason Book 2)

by Mark Jordan

Release Date: June 15, 2025

In “Darkness, Light, and Fire,” the galaxy faces an unprecedented threat as an ancient, dark, and menacing enemy threatens to launch a relentless invasion, shaking the foundations of the galactic community. Heroes must rise to confront the growing threat, leading a desperate fight to turn the tide before the galaxy is consumed by darkness.

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Salmon Swimming Upstream and Homebound

by Stephen Johnson

Release Date: May 23, 2025

"Salmon Swimming Upstream and Homebound" is a heartfelt, nostalgic memoir capturing the essence of growing up in rural America during the 1960s. The story reflects on childhood adventures, family traditions, and the rhythms of farm life in the Pacific Northwest, offering a glimpse into the joys, challenges, and transformative moments of youth.

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Messenger for the Dead (Mathieu James Thriller Book 2)

by Matthew Fults

Release Date: June 17, 2025

ADVANCE READERS AGREE: "An intense, riveting, gripping, raw read." "Relentless." "Well written, highly recommend." "Feels like you're in a movie." Messenger for the Dead is the sequel to the award-winning The Scotland Project. Mathieu James leads an international manhunt for the world's most-wanted terrorist. Vengeance belongs to the departed.

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Heartstrings and Helmets (Hearts in Hawthorne Book 1)

by Alexa Aston

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Hawthorne, Texas-where couples are drawn to their hometown’s slower pace, finding lasting love and happiness. A man who’s gained fortune and fame. A woman who’s known heartbreak and despair. A second chance for a couple who went their separate ways years ago. Will a second chance at finding lasting happiness be in store for West and Kelby?

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Under Caution

by Lori Zoss

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Daisy Kray, a fearless stock car driver, faces sabotage at the Tennessee 400 and a vengeful ex-driver bent on destroying her. With danger closing in and her relationship with rival Jackson Wyatt heating up, Daisy must outpace her enemies and confront the deadly risks that could cost her everything. Under Caution—thrills, passion, and survival.

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Editorial License

by Ellis Johnson M.D.

Release Date: June 17, 2025

The long journey back from tragedy follows no timeline, and the road is never a straight path. It winds its way through a vast wilderness between sanity and madness, and the border between the two is not always clear.

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Gralmar's Staff (The Focus and the Whisper Book 2)

by Christopher D. Williamst

Release Date: June 9, 2025

In the magical world, Gralmar's Staff is a legend. One of the most powerful Focai ever created, even a piece of it conveys power that anyone would fight to have. Now Meilianna has one. And a ruthless sorceress, backed by an army of mechanical beasts and dark magic, is hot on her trail.

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Begin Again: The Wild, Love, & Space Between

by D.F. Maddox

Release Date: June 8, 2025

Bjorn wakes alone in the wild, memories fractured. Something follows—echoing him. Em races to save him through Project Theseus, risking unleashing something far darker. Begin Again is a haunting thriller of love, consciousness, and what it means to rebuild a life.

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Billionaire's Last Resort (Manhattan's Most Eligible)

by Thea Roman

Release Date: April 16, 2025

When a gorgeous man walked into my family's hotel, not only did he fix the plumbing, but he also intoxicated me. I was drawn to him like my hunkie romance magnet is drawn to my decades-old refrigerator. But now I know he’s the infamous resort mogul. He’s not getting his greedy developer hands on my grandmother’s inn. Nope, no way. Oh, but his grin...

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The Day I Left Leona (Heartache in the Southern Hills Book 6)

by Jenny Marie Bee

Release Date: June 9, 2025

A widow shares the juicy details of her first love and why it failed with her granddaughter. Kismet bestows a chance for two fairytale endings, if they can survive a headstrong grandma and a vengeful ex-girlfriend. Quirky mingles with timeless in this romance, sprinkled with elements of women’s fiction to prove that a true love story never ends.

Buy on Amazon


The Me I Left Behind (Tuckaway Bay Book 4)

by Madeleine Jaimes

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Maggie Oliver has everything—beautiful children, a lovely home, and financial security—but she’s losing herself. When she discovers her husband has a secret family in another country, her life starts to unravel. Then a family tragedy changes everything, and her path to finding herself takes an unexpected turn.

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Space Vault: The Seed Eclipse (Sci-Fi Galaxy series Book 2)

by Jeremy Clift

Release Date: June 16, 2025

Space Vault: The Seed Eclipse is the gripping second book in Jeremy Clift’s Sci-Fi Galaxy series. As Earth collapses, a mother must protect her bioengineered daughter—humanity’s last hope—from AIs, aliens, and corporations racing to control the future of life itself.

Buy on Amazon


From the Ashes

by Jonathan Walson

Release Date: May 6, 2025

From the Ashes is a compelling romantic suspense novel that intertwines love, mystery, and self-discovery against a backdrop of danger and secrets. At its heart, the story explores the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love when it emerges from the most unexpected—and often painful—circumstances.

Buy on Amazon


Mastering Business Storytelling (The Business Storytelling Blueprint Book 1)

by Taty Fittipaldi

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Packed with insights from neuroscience, practical strategies, and real-world examples, this book is your ultimate guide to mastering the art of business storytelling. Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders, leading multicultural teams, or influencing key decisions, you’ll learn how to engage, persuade, and lead like never before.

Buy on Amazon


Who’s Watching Whom? 6 Mysteries and Thrillers with Razor-Wire Tension

Who’s Watching Whom? 6 Mysteries and Thrillers with Razor-Wire Tension

Private eyes. Fake friends. Surveillance tapes that never tell the whole story. These mysteries and thrillers blur the lines between hunter and hunted, as secrets unravel and the watchers become the watched. Every character has something to hide, and every revelation leads to a darker one. These books will keep you second-guessing everything until the final, brutal truth drops.



Every Little Thing (Hart's Ridge Book 12)

by Kay Bratt

Release Date: May 5, 2025

A fairytale wedding in Mexico. An exclusive resort. A black-tie ceremony overlooking the sea. Everything is supposed to be perfect. But when the bride goes missing the morning after her wedding, paradise turns into a nightmare. Her new husband is frantic, her father is desperate, and the celebration is thrust into a whirlwind of fear and suspicion.

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Happy Wife

by Meredith Lavender & Kendall Shores

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Nora Davies doesn’t exactly fit in to Winter Park, Florida, where old-guard Floridians mix with the tax-fleeing coastal elite. Twenty-eight and barely making ends meet working at a country club, Nora feels like she’s going nowhere fast. Enter Will Somerset: a prominent forty-six-year-old lawyer, father to a teenage daughter, and recently divorced. The two set Winter Park’s social scene agog when they fall in love and marry after a whirlwind Cinderella-style courtship.

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Don't Let Him In

by Lisa Jewell

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Nina Swann is intrigued when she receives a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

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A Happy Marriage

by A. R. Torre

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah Marino may have a complicated relationship with her family, but her psychiatrist husband, Joe, makes her feel safe, secure, and happy. She couldn’t want for a more loving or trusting man. But throughout their ten-year marriage, she’s been keeping a secret from him—a secret she’d take to the grave.

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The President's Shadow

by James Patterson & Richard DiLallo

Release Date: June 24, 2025

For over 150 years, Lamont Cranston, and his alter ego, The Shadow, have possessed an array of mental and physical powers: scientific skills, shape-shifting ability, and mind control. When a series of deadly natural disasters strike the planet, immediately set out to identify who’s responsible…

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The Alpha's Seer

by Sadie Sears

Release Date: May 28, 2025

Chelsea Reed has always had the gift of seeing the future. It’s a gift—and a curse. When she foresees the deadly fate of Dr. North Fowler, a brilliant surgeon and powerful wolf shifter, she knows she must warn him. But North, a man of logic and reason, dismisses her warning, skeptical of her visions and their supernatural nature.

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Lead or Be Left Behind: Bold Business Books That Deliver

Lead or Be Left Behind: Bold Business Books That Deliver

Whether you’re navigating rapid growth, launching something new, or rethinking your leadership style, these books help you take control. With insight from trailblazing founders, strategists, and disruptors, they’re your blueprint for staying relevant and ahead.



Not About Golf: The Life-Changing Joy of Playing The Game

by Mike Berland

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Not About Golf is a handbook for the golf curious that can inspire you to enhance your business connections, fall in love, and build a unique and fun community.

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Mastering Business Storytelling (The Business Storytelling Blueprint Book 1)

by Taty Fittipaldi

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Packed with insights from neuroscience, practical strategies, and real-world examples, this book is your ultimate guide to mastering the art of business storytelling. Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders, leading multicultural teams, or influencing key decisions, you’ll learn how to engage, persuade, and lead like never before.

Buy on Amazon


Complete Living Trusts Blueprint

by Ellis Whitmore

Release Date: May 27, 2025

What happens to everything you have worked for when you're gone? This book guides you through the process and helps you decide if you can DIY or need an attorney. Probate could tie up your assets for months. Your family might fight over money instead of grieving together. Taxes might get the bulk of your estate. Don't let this happen.

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LAUNCH Your Book! An Entrepreneur's Guide to Reviews That Drive Revenue

by Robbie Samuels

Release Date: June 19, 2025

Too many books fade into obscurity—not because they’re poorly written, but because the author didn’t have a clear strategy for what happens after publication. A well-crafted book deserves more than a quiet release. Without a book launch team strategy, it won’t reach the people it’s meant to help—or generate the results you hoped for.

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The Wisdom Collection: Stories That Transform How We Live, Connect, and Lead

by Ann Sheybani and More

Release Date: June 14, 2025

This anthology brings together diverse voices united by their commitment to authentic transformation. Within these pages, you'll discover personal narratives of reinvention, the courage to forgive, the freedom found in imperfection, and the subtle power of listening to your body's wisdom. You'll learn how calculated risks differ from reckless gambles, why standing for something matters more than ever in today's marketplace, and how to navigate financial conversations with curiosity rather than fear.

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Let's Retire Retirement: How to Enjoy Life to the Fullest—Now and Later

by Derek Coburn & Sara Stibitz

Release Date: June 3, 2025

In Let's Retire Retirement, financial advisor Derek Coburn challenges the traditional concept of retirement and offers a compelling vision for a more fulfilling life. He explores the origins of retirement, debunking outdated myths and presenting a new approach that aligns with modern realities. Through relatable anecdotes and thought-provoking insights, he guides readers to rethink their long-term goals and embrace a life of continuous growth and satisfaction.

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Magic Is Dangerous: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books That Break the Mold

Magic Is Dangerous: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books That Break the Mold

If you’re drawn to alternate universes, time travel dilemmas, and twisted realities, these books are built for you. Whether it’s one decision splintering timelines or magic folding space, each story explores how fragile the rules of time and identity really are.



Space Vault: The Seed Eclipse (Sci-Fi Galaxy Series Book 2)

by Jeremy Clift

Release Date: June 16, 2025

Space Vault: The Seed Eclipse is the gripping second book in Jeremy Clift’s Sci-Fi Galaxy series. As Earth collapses, a mother must protect her bioengineered daughter—humanity’s last hope—from AIs, aliens, and corporations racing to control the future of life itself.

Buy on Amazon


From the Ashes

by Jonathan Walson

Release Date: May 6, 2025

From the Ashes is a compelling romantic suspense novel that intertwines love, mystery, and self-discovery against a backdrop of danger and secrets. At its heart, the story explores the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love when it emerges from the most unexpected—and often painful—circumstances.

Buy on Amazon


Shadows and Black in the Light

by Amy van Rijthoven

Release Date: May 27, 2025

This masterfully written book takes readers on a disturbing and intensely emotional journey through mental illness, bereavement, and the elusive realities that both unite and divide families. You think, feel, and most importantly, have a somewhat different perspective on the world after reading this kind of story, for fans of speculative fiction.

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Court of Lies and Deceit (Flame and Thorns Book 3)

by Marion Blackwood

Release Date: June 23, 2025

A desperate mission takes Selena and her friends to the Unseelie Court. But making deals with the cunning fae of that realm is dangerous. When the Unseelie King forces them into a bargain in exchange for the help they so sorely need, they are pulled into a lethal scheme. To survive it, they must beat the Unseelie King at his own game.

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Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

by V. E. Schwab

Release Date: June 10, 2025

A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

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Corvak's Challenge (Ice Planet Clones Book 4)

by Ruby Dixon

Release Date: June 19, 2025

When the clone pods were abandoned on the ice planet, two of them opened before the others. Corvak, a gladiator and a splice, ran into the snows. He carried Aidy, a confused human woman. They're on the run, determined not to get caught. Aidy has no idea what's going on or why she's been dumped in the icy mountains. Corvak, however, is convinced this is all one big gladiator game, and one he's determined to win. To do that, they'll have to avoid all the others and survive by any means possible

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Books That Don’t Flinch: Real, Raw, Unforgiving Literary Fiction

Books That Don’t Flinch: Real, Raw, Unforgiving Literary Fiction

Unvarnished, unfiltered, unforgettable. These novels refuse easy answers, delving into trauma, identity, and all the things polite stories leave out. For readers who want to feel cracked open, not comforted.



The Me I Left Behind (Tuckaway Bay Book 4)

by Madeleine Jaimes

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Maggie Oliver has everything—beautiful children, a lovely home, and financial security—but she’s losing herself. When she discovers her husband has a secret family in another country, her life starts to unravel. Then a family tragedy changes everything, and her path to finding herself takes an unexpected turn.

Buy on Amazon


Finding Scarlet

by Kirsten Pursell

Release Date: May 1, 2025

Blending romance and deeper emotional themes, follow Scarlet as she starts over after divorce: friendships, love, and a place to call home. A divorced woman's book club was supposed to be like-minded women, but things aren't that easy in a small town. *Note: This is the same content as The Scarlet D but with a new title and cover.

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Forever, Cedar Key (Michael Presley Bobbitt's Cedar Key Trilogy Book 2)

by Michael Presley Bobbitt

Release Date: June 7, 2025

A year has passed since the old world ended in a terrible flash. Just as the island of Cedar Key is settling into a new way of living, a figure from its past arrives on the horizon, commanding a fleet of sailing ships. A dark chapter from Cedar Key's history is reopened in the devastated present, and now war is coming, inexorable as the tides.

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The Compound

by Aisling Rawle

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Lily—a bored, beautiful twenty-something—wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.

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Bug Hollow

by Michelle Huneven

Release Date: June 17, 2025

When Sally Samuelson was eight years old, her golden boy brother Ellis went missing the summer he graduated high school. Ellis finally turned up at the bucolic Bug Hollow, a last gasp of the beautiful Northern California counterculture in the seventies. He had found joy in the communal life there, but died in a freak accident weeks later.

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Atmosphere

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Release Date: June 3, 2025

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

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Letters, Longing & Lost Time: Romances That Catch You Off Guard

Letters, Longing & Lost Time: Romances That Catch You Off Guard

What happens when love is interrupted by distance, time, or heartbreak? These beautifully crafted romances explore reconnection, forgiveness, and the ache of what might’ve been. If you believe in timing, fate, and finding your way back, this list is for you.



Billionaire's Last Resort (Manhattan's Most Eligible)

by Thea Roman

Release Date: April 16, 2025

When a gorgeous man walked into my family's hotel, not only did he fix the plumbing, but he also intoxicated me. I was drawn to him like my hunkie romance magnet is drawn to my decades-old refrigerator. But now I know he’s the infamous resort mogul. He’s not getting his greedy developer hands on my grandmother’s inn. Nope, no way. Oh, but his grin...

Buy on Amazon


Hate Wrecked

by J. R. Rogue

Release Date: June 24, 2025

"They had to get lost to find each other." Celebrity bodyguard Rowan Finn never expected to be stranded on a remote island with Riley Williams—the wild woman who once broke his heart. As survival forces them closer, old sparks reignite. But when they uncover a deadly secret, their second chance at love may cost them everything.

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The Day I Left Leona (Heartache in the Southern Hills Book 6)

by Jenny Marie Bee

Release Date: June 9, 2025

A widow shares the juicy details of her first love and why it failed with her granddaughter. Kismet bestows a chance for two fairytale endings, if they can survive a headstrong grandma and a vengeful ex-girlfriend. Quirky mingles with timeless in this romance, sprinkled with elements of women’s fiction to prove that a true love story never ends.

Buy on Amazon


Severed Heart (Ravenhood Legacy Book 2)

by Kate Stewart

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Once upon a time there lived an ambitious boy determined to become a man before his time. And there lived a woman, one who believed herself past the point of redemption. Her scars mild in comparison to the secrets she holds. Intent on his quest, Tyler enlists the only person who can help him—his best friend’s volatile aunt, Delphine. A woman twelve years his senior, and one he can’t seem to stop fantasizing about.

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The Overtime Kiss (Love and Hockey Book 5)

by Lauren Blakely

Release Date: June 18, 2025

Tyler Falcon is protective, flirtatious…and frustratingly responsible. We almost did something reckless when he found me alone in my wedding dress, and I blurted out all the things I’d never truly experienced. Now, the sexy single dad is saving me again with a job I desperately need—and a promise to never mention The Night of 1001 Confessions.

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The Wrong Ride Home (Wildflower Canyon Book 1)

by Maya Alden

Release Date: June 23, 2025

I left Wildflower Canyon and Wilder Ranch ten years ago, away from my father and Elena—the girl I loved before I found out she was the daughter of my father’s mistress. Now my father is gone, and he’s left the ranch to me. I come back ready to sell it off piece by piece, to destroy his so-called legacy, and finally get revenge on the land that failed my mother.

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Interview with Amy van Rijthoven, Author of Shadows and Black in the Light

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Shadows and Black in the Light?

Similar to Millie, I'm a bit of a daydreamer. Like little movie scenes playing in my head, ideas would come to me that I had to piece together. Sometimes I would just get the title of a chapter and then have to work around that. The first snippet came to me many years ago when I was 19 or 20. It was Millie in the car with a stranger on the way to his place with rows of flowers in the distance that I knew were to be used for drugs. I wrote it all down and thought nothing of it. Then, many years later, I picked it up again and just couldn't stop writing until I had completed a whole book.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Shadows and Black in the Light, what would they be?

Here is a personal playlist of mine with songs that I feel relate in some way to my book, including the four already mentioned within it. Cemetery-Coin, Searching for the Light-VHS Collection, Ordinary Human-One Republic, I'm in Love with Everybody- Laureline, Parallell Universe-Transviolet, Dare You to Move-Switchfoot, Wate of Emotion-ELIO, In My Head-Aaron Taos Carter Ace, Ok-The Runaway Club, Jump Into the Fog-The Wombats, Power and Passion-Midnight Oil, Ride This Feeling-Kate Miller-Heideke, The Nosebleed Section-Hilltop Hoods.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

My favourite genre is anything supernatural or paranormal. Though even as a 35-year-old adult, I’ve only really read young adult fantasies. Anything with angels or mystical beings also really intrigues me.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Mostly new age and self-help books. We need your art. Words that hurt, words that heal, and Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty are amongst them.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Smoke in mirrors. My dad helped me a little with this one. He gave me his ideas on how to perform a high-speed car chase that I mixed with my own. Then he said something about watching the smoke in the rear-view mirror, and I said, "Dad, you're a genius." After that, it all came out so quickly, and I realise there are pacing issues with my book, but I just had to get it out.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I like to sit in my egg chair upstairs by the window. I feel like there’s a great channel of energy there above me, to write.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I like " never regret anything because at the time it was exactly what you wanted.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I feel like I can have two because I had two narratives going on. One is that through questioning the reality of the story, readers also stop to question the reality we exist in. The other is live for the moment. Don't think, just do.

 

Amy van Rijthoven is the author of the new book Shadows and Black in the Light

Connect with Amy van Rijthoven

Author Site

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Interview with Kirsten Pursell, Author of Finding Scarlet

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Finding Scarlet?

Women in their fifties are so often overlooked as relevant protagonists in books, especially those who choose themselves, get divorced, and take risks. I originally published Finding Scarlet as The Scarlet D. It won some awards, but the reviews made me think this was more than a romance. So I created a new cover and renamed it Finding Scarlet. I felt it better addressed the themes of self-discovery, second chance romance, and friendships when starting over later in life. I like writing about strong women who defy societal stereotypes and attempt to move forward with conviction. It’s sometimes messy, but it’s real. As someone who went through a divorce, I like having that voice and perspective.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Finding Scarlet, what would they be?

I have two original songs for this book! Thanks to the magic of AI, I was able to turn Stuck and Shattered Pieces into music. They’re on SoundCloud.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. I love it when authors have the creative license to use history as a backdrop for their storytelling. I plan to write in that genre one of these days. And, of course, I love a good romance.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I am finishing "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas. It's not my usual genre, but I was curious about the whole romantasy genre. "All the Colors of the Dark" is next.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I had so much fun writing this book. It's hard to pick just one scene. I loved how Scarlet's friendship with Missy evolved. Their interactions were fun and authentic. But the fundraiser event was a beautiful moment, but also potentially catastrophic. Balancing that was fun. (I am currently writing Missy's story!)

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I do not. I have a few habits when it comes to writing. No rituals. I will send myself emails if inspiration strikes when I'm away from my computer.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Be true to yourself by being unapologetically you.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I want readers to walk away cheering for love and second chances, regardless of age. Being open to possibility, even when you're older, is a gift. Ultimately, I hope readers will enjoy the story for what it is: a story.

 

Kirsten Pursell is the author of the new book Finding Scarlet

Connect with Kirsten Pursell

Author Site

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Interview with Jenny Marie Bee, Author of The Day I Left Leona

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Day I Left Leona?

Even though this is the sixth and final book in the Heartache in the Southern Hills Series, it’s the idea that inspired me to begin my writing journey. When my grandmother passed in 2003, I started thinking about how much life she didn’t get to live. A few weeks later, I participated in a work event where each person wrote one hundred things they wanted to be, do, or have. One of my things to do was to write a book.

I spent some time thinking about how I would write about the life my grandmother didn’t get to live, and I decided to title it in her honor. When it came time to put the thoughts onto paper, my heart couldn’t do it for some time, so I wrote other books about other ancestors. Last year, my aunt showed me Leona’s real diary from her teenage years, which was the inspiration for the unfolding of 'The Day I Left Leona.'

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Day I Left Leona, what would they be?

Leona's song would have to be "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley, and for Eddie, I think, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Janie's theme song would be "Don't Waste My Time" by Little Big Town, while Edward's would be "Somebody Like You" by Keith Urban.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I adore all types of romance, including historical and women's fiction, and yes, I love writing in those genres.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

"Sing Me Home to Carolina" by Joy Callahan, "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout, "In Five Years" by Rebecca Serle, and at least a hundred more.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene to write was the one where Leona and Eddie become reacquainted after 45 years. I wished so badly, no matter how impossible, that it could've worked out that way.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

My quirky writing habits are having a thermos of coffee and absolute quiet around 5 am almost every morning. I prefer my ‘Eat, Sleep, Write’ mug, but will write without it.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I have too many mottos I think I live by, but my solid go-tos are “If you don’t have time to do what matters, quit doing things that don’t.” –anonymous, and “I just wanna live before I die.”

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

If I could choose only one thing for people to remember after reading my book, I would love for it to be some of Leona’s advice: "When you give your heart away, promise me it will be to a man you choose for yourself. If you learn anything from your granny, let it be this: Don’t settle when it comes to your heart.”

 

Jenny Marie Bee is the author of the new book The Day I Left Leona

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