From thrillers to romance, there are so many amazing books coming out this summer – and a ton of them just happen to be written by women. We’re not surprised. With Wonder Woman dominating theaters, girls seem to be kicking ass everywhere we look these days. Which is why it’s the perfect time to curl up with a great female-centric read.
Here are five awesome books coming out this summer written by (and about!) women:
The Duchess, Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press, June 27, 2017)
Steel is the master of the thought-provoking romance, usually featuring a strong and interesting woman at the center of her stories. The Duchess is no exception. Set in the 1800s, it tells the story of a wealthy girl who loses everything after the death of her father. The daughter of a Duke, Angélique Latham is cast out of her home by her scheming brothers after he dies. With little resources, she establishes herself as the madam of a pleasure house in Paris, where her impeccable manors and breeding make her an instant sensation. But her past won’t stay hidden for long, and soon Angélique will have to face the life she was forced to leave behind – and decide what she ultimately wants for her future.
The Marsh King’s Daughter, Karen Dionne (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, June 13, 2017)
What happens to the survivors of an unspeakable crime? It’s a question at the heart of The Marsh King’s Daughter, a novel about a woman with a secret. Helena Pelletier grew up in the marshes of Michigan, thinking that she had a fairly normal childhood. It wasn’t until later that she realized the truth: her father had brutally abducted her mother, and Helena, born two years later, grew up in captivity. Now Helena has a life completely separate from her past, and no one knows what she went through as a child. But when her father breaks out of prison and takes to the marshes that only they know well, she realizes that she’ll have to face her past in order to finally bury it for good.
Things That Happened Before the Earthquake, Chiara Barzini (Doubleday, August 15, 2017)
California meets Italy in this lush debut about Eugenia, a privileged Italian teenager whose parents move her to the suburbs of L.A. right after the 1992 riots. It’s there that she becomes immersed in American culture, makes friends and tries to find her place in a new society. But when the 1994 earthquake hits, it threatens to destroy everything Eugenia has built for herself. Things That Happened Before the Earthquake is a unique coming of age tale that dives deep into teenage culture, shifting family dynamics, and what happens when everything falls apart.
Until You Loved Me, Brenda Novak (MIRA, August 1, 2017)
For those summer days when you just want to be swept away by a good romance, look to Novak’s latest about a one-night stand that leads to so much more. After having her heart broken, uptight Ellie Fisher is ready to let loose – in the form of a passionate night with professional football player Hudson King. But when their fling leads to an accidental pregnancy, Ellie and Hudson find themselves wrapped up in each other’s lives in ways they never could have predicted. The famous Hudson is suspicious of Ellie’s motives, while she’s just trying to figure out what comes next. And with a baby on the way, they don’t have much time to figure out their futures, or their hearts.
The Waking Land, Callie Bates (Del Rey, June 27, 2017)
Magic comes alive in Bates’ breathtaking debut about a young woman and her connection to the earth. Lady Elanna of Caeris grows up in the Eren court, hiding her natural magic and growing close to the king. But when he dies, she’s forced to give up the only life she knows and return to her homeland. Since magic is forbidden, she has no idea of the depths of her power, or the way she can manipulate the earth around her. She quickly learns that all is not as it seems, with Eren, with her adopted family, or with the estranged birth father she’s never truly known. Soon she finds herself caught between two worlds, as she must decide what she’s willing to fight for and where her loyalties lie. A coming-of-age tale wrapped up in romance and fantasy, this is one new summer book that you will not want to miss.
