Six of my anticipated July and August romances

Featuring the librarian representation we deserve?

The cavalcade of summer romance releases continues and although I have yet to catch up on all my shiny new spring and summer titles, today I’m rounding up some July and August releases that I can’t wait to get to. Although it’s not a romance, I also have to mention one of my most anticipated releases of the year (second only to the new Louise Erdrich): The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman, which comes out July 16th. I love Arthurian retellings and Grossman’s The Magicians trilogy is one of my lifetime favorites, so I’m eagerly awaiting his take on Camelot.

I also wanted to chat a little about how I’m balancing reading backlist and frontlist and the two strategies that have helped me so far this month. First, although I haven’t set a strict TBR for July, I did go through my shelves and pull out a stack of titles I might want to read this month, with a focus on books I’ve had for a while. That stack is currently sitting next to my couch, ready to be perused whenever I finish a book and decide what I want to pick up next. I’ve also been trying to read 50% frontlist/50% backlist and deliberately pick up a book published before 2024 after reading a buzzy new release or two. One of my favorite things about reading is the joy of discovery, whether that comes from a staff rec in one of my favorite independent bookstores, a library browsing session, or the depths of my own shelves and I’m hoping for a few more moments of spontaneous readerly joy in the next few weeks.

Let me know your most anticipated releases and favorite backlist strategies in the comments!

Here’s a handful of mine:

1. The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez (July 9th)

   Three cheers for librarian romance! This debut about two heartbroken people who decide to get over their first loves with a no-strings-attached fling sounds messy in the best possible way. Early reader reviews suggest that this one is funny, steamy, and has great plus-size representation.

2. The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (July 16th)

   Joyce’s debut, You, With a View, was one of my top 20 romances of last year and I’m really excited for her sophomore novel about estranged exes who have to team up to salvage their mutual best friend’s Napa Valley wedding. I love a wedding-centered romance, a California-set romance, and a suitably angsty second-chance romance.

3. Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (July 23rd)

   I still haven’t read Vasti’s Halifax Hellions novellas, because they’re digital only and I strongly prefer reading on paper, but her debut novel looks like it might fill the Tessa Dare-shaped hole in my heart? A scandalous duke and a heroine who secretly runs an erotic lending library is historical romance perfection.

4. The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (August 6th)

   Another debut featuring another gloriously messy heroine about a Chickasaw woman whose white lie to land a job winds up spiraling out of control. I’ve been craving more mess in my romance lately and am also so intrigued by the secret workplace romance element.

5. Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca (August 13th)

   I’m so curious about DeLuca’s first venture into paranormal romance, after enjoying her Ren Faire-set contemporary romance series and the cozy small town atmosphere she conjures. I love a seaside setting and a haunted seaside town sounds like the perfect transition from late summer into fall.

6. Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma (August 27th)

   I’m always here for a Shakespeare retelling and this friends-to-lovers spin on Twelfth Night that promises the perfect combination of swoon, spice, and thoughtful takes on family and identity immediately got my attention. And who can resist an accidental wedding trope? Certainly not me.

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Currently reading: Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, speaking of titles that have been languishing on my shelves. If you’ve been reading for a while, you probably know that I’m a Below Deck fan and so I had to pick up this romance about a yacht stewardess and chef.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• I bought last-minute tickets to go see Swan Lake at Lincoln Center last weekend and had forgotten how much I love the ballet? It was honestly magical. (If you’re looking for a ballet romance, I’d highly recommend Chloe Angyal’s Pas de Don’t and Pointe of Pride.)

• Deleting the Instagram app off my phone. I’ve had it deleted for about a month and a half now and although I do occasionally check it on my desktop, I’ve found that I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on anything. We’ll see how long it lasts but for now, I’m enjoying the break.

• The Outsiders on Broadway, which a friend and I went to see on Wednesday. The young cast is dynamic, the staging is incredibly striking, and the theater is small enough that you’ll have a good view even if you sit in the back row like we did.