If you are in a book club, I think this month’s book reviews include a few good options to pick from. Whether you lean towards more serious topics or need a fun romance, I hope you find your next perfect read below.
This post contains affiliate links. Please see affiliate disclaimer here.
Published Date: July 2024
Genre: Historical Fiction
How I Read: Kindle
The story follows two best friends over many decades.
When Ellie’s father dies, she and her mother move from their large house and elevated status to a much lower-class neighborhood. She eventually makes a friend, Homa, at school, and the two are inseparable. Both girls are excellent academically. Ellie loves being around Homa’s family because Homa has siblings and the family cooks together but Homa’s father is a communist.
Eventually, Ellie’s mom gives in to Ellie’s uncle and they move into a nice neighborhood. Ellie transfers schools and the two friends drift apart. Ellie becomes a little superficial, caring about fashion, hair, parties, and being beautiful.
Then one day Homa shows up at Ellie’s school. Can everything go back to normal with their friendship? Will Iran’s extreme politics fracture their relationship over time? How will their careers, relationships, children, and parents be affected by Iran’s changing government and policies against women?
It’s an excellent book. I knew the history of the 1979 Iranian Revolution but to have it be told through the viewpoints of two different Iranian women was humanizing and heartbreaking. This would be a great pick for book club. The story isn’t too graphic or violent but obviously terrible, sad events occur.
Published Date: May 2026
Genre: Dystopian
How I Read: Kindle
Although not as good as book 1, I still devoured this story and the twists just kept on coming. I wish there had been more spice but the pace was consistent and it left me dying for book 3, which doesn’t even have a publishing date yet.
Wren is safe at the Dagger and Xavier is with her. She is being trained to harness her inciting power. The authority is a group of five leaders, including Gray, who she thought was dead. I don’t want to give too much away, but there will be romance ups and downs, secret abilities that come to light, missions that go wrong, and allegiances aren’t always black and white. Everyone has a different idea of who should be in power and how the continent should be ruled.
I’m really enjoying this series.
Published Date: March 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
How I Read: Audio
Cinderella as it’s never been told before. The story is told entirely from the stepmother’s point of view. We first learn her backstory, including her first love and how he introduced her to falconry. But this love cost her an important relationship with the future queen.
When he died, she married Ellen’s father, not as a love match, but to keep her two daughters from being married off at a young age. When Lady Tremaine’s second husband died, leaving the women in a ton of debt, it was up to her to figure it out. She let go of most of the servants, sold many of their possessions, sold apples, hunted with her bird for meat, etc.
When the household found out the Prince was going to have a ball and only Ellen was invited, Lady Tremaine had to go to the Queen to ask her to reconsider to also invite her two daughters.
In this version, the stepmother is manipulative but it is a means of survival and Ellen is more of a spoiled brat. It’s not a fairytale ending but I don’t want to give too much away.
Published Date: June 2026
Genre: Romance
How I Read: Paper
It was fun to read a soccer romance right after the World Cup. I liked that it was a little messy.
Abby has just been through a horrible breakup and moves across the pond to take a job with a soccer (football) team – a sport she knows very little about. She’s lonely and depressed but her social media marketing job has her bonding with the players, one in particular. Unfortunately, he’s married but his wife is still in Spain and doesn’t seem to have any intentions of moving back to England anytime soon.
Are you cheering for the wrong person – maybe? But the book explains all the aspects so well. I hope this author writes more books soon!
Published Date: August 2024
Genre: Historical Fiction
How I Read: Paper
A dual timeline story. I liked the historical part a lot but I could have done without the modern storyline.
Melina is a playwright who has been given feedback from a well-known critic in college that messes with her head. Now she’s found out that her ancestor was the first published female poet in England and possibly wrote some of Shakespeare’s plays. She writes a play based on her ancestor but to get her play produced, Melina pretends a man wrote it.
The historical part is the ancestor’s storyline including being sold as a courtesan to a wealthy older man, writing plays, falling in love, and becoming poor again in a devastating situation. I hate poetry and there is some sprinkled throughout.
This book has now convinced me that Shakespeare was just an actor and did not write any of his plays.
Published Date: September 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
How I Read: Audio
This was pretty slow for me, there are much better options along the same storyline.
Fable was in a shipwreck that killed her mother and her father left her on an island alone to fend for herself. He is a well-known trader with many ships and Fable is never to tell anyone that she is his daughter.
Now, a couple of years later, she has the money and skill to gain passage on a ship and make her way to the island where her father lives to claim her inheritance and work for him.
Events happen and she must board a ship immediately. The crew is not happy to have her and Fable is turning out to be a bad luck charm. Secrets are revealed and the captain of the ship must work with Fable for survival and to get out of debt.
I won’t be reading book 2 despite the cliffhanger.
Published Date: June 2026
Genre: Fiction
How I Read: Paper
The characters were too unlikeable in this story for me. It’s messy.
It’s about a woman who has a famous mother who is an author. Caroline is 28 and takes a writing fellowship in Greenhead, Massachusetts after quiting her job in publishing.
Caroline starts dating a man who is very into the environment. His friend group has been together since high school and is not very welcoming of new members. Then he reveals his friend is pregnant from their most recent hookup from before he started dating Caroline.
Marriages are tested when secrets are revealed. Problems with finances, kids, drugs/drinking, etc. get especially messy when the issues don’t stay behind closed doors.
Published Date: January 2026
Genre: Fiction
How I Read: Kindle
No, this is not the next Daisy Jones, unfortunately. It’s super depressing and the love story felt absent or not complete; I guess it didn’t even start?
A band is sent the label’s “fixer”. Ever since their manager died, the lead singer has been spiraling and with good reason since the manager was her sister.
On the day the fixer arrives, the band sings a new song and it’s incredible, totally different from their old sound. The band might just be worth saving after all if they don’t implode from drinking and emotions first. It doesn’t help that the lead singer sees and talks to her dead sister on the regular instead of a therapist.
Want to check out more book recommendations? Take a look at my June book reviews!
When it came to picking a theme for my daughter's birthday party, we thought about…
This recipe is a crowd-pleaser. Make it for your family during the week if you…
A great month with a few excellent reads! Plus, I read the buzzy book of…
I think I read more books in May than any other month thus far. Looking…
There is a book in this month's book reviews that I know will already make…
A few scary, mysterious books started my reading this month but of course, I had…