It’s July and no matter where you live, it is definitely hot out. If you’re tired of poolside or beach reading, take a break indoors to cool off with some great books publishing this month. We’re sure you’ll find something here to love, whether you’re in the mood to read thriller, rom-com, mystery or non-fiction! Here are our selections for July reads.
Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less by April Dávila
July 7, 2026
Full disclosure, I ordered this book for myself. As a writer and as someone seeking mindfulness, this book stood out for me. If you’re in need of mindful inspiration and present-moment awareness (and who isn’t these days?), you’ll want to check out Sit Write Here. You’ll find relatable anecdotes and practical exercises to help you further explore mindfulness in your writing. And you don’t necessarily have to be a writer to gain insight from this book, you just have to have an open mind and an interest in getting your thoughts out of your head and onto the page.
Helpless by Jessica Knoll
July 7, 2026
Jessica Knoll is an auto-buy for me, ever since she shot to the bestseller lists with The Luckiest Girl alive back in 2015. My copy of Helpless just arrived, and the end of the first paragraph solidified it for me — the hype is real and this is one book I’m going to savor while reading! Faye and her college boyfriend have been broken up for twelve years, and they’ve both settled into their separately planned lives. When Faye returns to campus for the funeral of a beloved professor, she sees Henry and is immediately hit with a flood of memories. A heartfelt apology from Henry for past discretions and an offer for a hotel drink leads to a drugging and a kidnapping. When Faye awakens in Henry’s remote cabin, she is there as his captive and is pulled back into his world. Online mentions of this book state that this has an ending that will blow your mind, and I am so here for this!
The Forest Becomes Her by Julie Carrick Dalton
July 14, 2026
Put Julie Carrick Dalton’s The Forest Becomes Her on your book club list! This is a gorgeous and hopeful novel about three women navigating the complexities of life through their connections to nature. In Massachusetts, a forest has been decimated to make room for an eco-friendly housing development. While the locals are devastated and angry, newcomers are excited about the possibility of living in a guilt-free new home of their own. When Hazel Stoddard moves in and experiences a tragedy, she is unmoored yet feels strangely connected to the lost forest. Neighbors Stella Flint and teen environmentalist Polly Bauer also experience trauma that draws them to the land. The three women from different generations come together to save the last standing oak tree and experience the power of human connection and the beautiful mysteries of our natural world.
The Great Game by Arvind Ethan David
July 14, 2026
Be prepared for a fresh new take on the Sherlock Holmes canon with The Great Game by award-winning writer and producer Arvind Ethan David. Set in London 1905, this thriller reimagines turn-of-the-century literary icons as architects in a violent modern world. Balvinder “Bunny” dev Singh is a law student and military veteran funding his education through an extralegal partnership with the gentleman thief A.J. Raffles. When an imperialist general is brutally murdered, Bal and Raffles find themselves entangled in a widening conspiracy that draws the attention of Scotland Yard and an aging Sherlock Holmes, as they’re pulled into a cat-and-mouse dance between the agents of imperialism and those who would be free.
The Sins of Summer Daughters by Lo Patrick
July 14, 2026
Meg Gregory returns to her small Georgia hometown after a divorce that left her worse for wear. Years later, she watches as her daughter and granddaughter navigate their lives through the same dirt roads that Meg has tried to forget. She had skipped town for a reason, and it’s a very deep reason. When granddaughter Lucy is charged for murder of her boyfriend, Meg knows that Lucy is innocent. Because she’s seen this happen before when, years ago, under the same summer heat, something similar happened. As Meg fights to prove Lucy’s innocence, she remembers a different summer when a different boy was murdered.
Not that Kind of Proposal by Victoria Lavine
July 21, 2026
If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers rom-coms, add Not That Kind of Proposal by Victoria Lavine to your must-read list. Gracie is a wedding planner at Larkwood, a Rhode Island estate where she lives on-site in the staff cottage. When her beloved boss dies and the divorce-lawyer grandson inherits Larkwood, he’s all too ready to sell the place. However, his grandmother left the staff cottage to Gracie, which will be problematic in a sale. Gracie and Jude come to an agreement. They’ll do one event together — Gracie’s ex-boyfriend who is having a shotgun wedding. If Gracie can convince Jude that the estate is worth saving by the wedding day, he’ll agree to keep Larkwood. If not, Gracie will sell her cottage to him. What could possibly go wrong!?
