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July is going to be an incredible month for books and 7 is definitely a lucky number this month with quite a few amazing books releasing on 7/7. With all the books scheduled to release this July, we’re helping you narrow down your TBR a bit with a list of 10 must-read books coming out this month. Every book listed can be read as a standalone. ~Yvette & Michelle
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Kristen Proby is an automatic one-click for me because I know her books are guaranteed to be sexy and sweet with characters you can’t help but love. Easy Charm is the second standalone novel in her Boudreaux series, following Rhys and Gabby’s story – two characters previously introduced in Easy Love. I’m a huge fan of this series because, like with the author’s With Me in Seattle series, it follows a tight-knit family of siblings and lets us be a part of their personal and romantic lives. Rhys and Gabby are sure to provide another entertaining, page-turning narrative. Related books: Easy Love
Releases: July 7th
Gabrielle Boudreaux, the youngest of the Boudreaux clan, is a single mother of her young son, Sam. Running a Bed and Breakfast at the family plantation house at the edge of the Mississippi River, Gabby loves her inn, her boy and her family. She meets new people every day, and takes pride in the house and land that has been in her family for more than five generations. Blessed beyond measure, she’s also lonely, although she would never admit that to anyone. Until Rhys O’Shaughnessy walks through her door, brooding and wounded and the sexiest thing she’s ever laid eyes on.
Rhys has been at the top of his game as a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs for more than ten years. Baseball is in his blood. But when he tears his rotator cuff and has to sit a season out, he retreats to Inn Boudreaux at the recommendation of his cousin, Kate, to heal and work toward building his shoulder back to perfect shape with only one goal in mind: to return to the game he loves. But he didn’t plan on being utterly charmed by a devastatingly beautiful woman and her baseball-loving son.
When Rhys’ shoulder has healed and he’s given the chance to return to his team, will he leave the family he’s come to love behind, or will he stay with Gabby and Sam?
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Chasing River is the third book in the Burying Water series and follows Jesse's sister Amber all the way to Ireland where she meets a charming, heroic pub owner. A huge K.A. Tucker fan, I am a firm believer that you can never go wrong with a book that has her name on the cover. Books in this series don't just deliver a sweet and sexy romance, they also bring a bit of suspense that keeps you on your toes. If you are in the market for a story with a bit more meat to it and a super swoony hero with an accent, Chasing River is not to be missed. Link to my review. Related books: Burying Water, Becoming Rain & Surviving Ice (pre-order)
Releases: July 7th
A suspense-driven New Adult romance novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water.
Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.
Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also can’t be identified at the scene—so, he fled. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Pushing her away would be the smart move.
Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.
And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.
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“Malcolm Saint is absolute Sin, and I've become a hopeless Sinner.” From the woman who brought us Remy Tate comes the second book in the Manwhore series, returning to Malcolm and Rachel after the nail-biting cliffhanger ending of Manwhore. If you’re a fan of steamy, sultry romances with a commanding Alpha male, I highly recommend giving this series a chance. Related books: Manwhore & Ms. Manwhore (pre-order)
Manwhore +1 by Katy Evans
Releases: July 7th
The unexpected love story that began in MANWHORE continues heating up the pages in MANWHORE +1 by New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans...
Billionaire playboy? Check.
Ruthless businessman? Check.
Absolutely sinful? Check.
Malcolm Saint was an assignment. A story. A beautiful, difficult man I was supposed to uncover for a racy exposé.
I intended to reveal him, his secrets, his lifestyle--not let him reveal me. But my head was overtaken by my heart and suddenly nothing could stop me from falling. I fell for him, and I fell hard.
Malcolm Saint is absolute Sin, and I've become a hopeless Sinner.
Now that the assignment is over, Saint wants something from me--something unexpected--and I want this wicked playboy's heart. But how can I prove to the man who trusts no one that I'm worthy of becoming his plus one?
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I have been an avid fan of Aly Martinez from the first few words of her first book, Changing Course, but I have to say I was absolutely blown away by the first book in the On The Ropes series, Fighting Silence. I always wait with bated breath for an Aly Martinez book to release, but this sequel to one of my favorite books of the year featuring Till Page's brother, Flint, in the aftermath of the tragic events at the end of that first book, is on a whole other level. Forced to deal with the end of his fighting career, his paralysis, and a love that will never be reciprocated, Flint is sure to tug at your heart strings and make you shed a tear or two. Related books: Fighting Silence
Fighting Shadows by Aly Martinez
Releases: July 7th
I come from a family of fighters. I always thought I’d follow in their shadows, becoming unstoppable in the ring. That changed the day I saved the life of a woman I loved, but could never have.
My brother hailed me as a hero, and my reward was a wheelchair.
Paralyzed, my life became an inescapable nightmare.
Until I met her.
Ash Mabie had a heart-stopping smile and a laugh that numbed the rage and resentment brewing inside of me. She showed me that even the darkest night still had stars, and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.
I was a jaded asshole who fell for a girl with a knack for running away. I couldn’t even walk but I would have spent a lifetime chasing her.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting the shadows of our past.
Fighting to reclaim my future.
Fighting for her.
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I was browsing Amazon when I came across the blurb for Not You It’s Me by Julie Johnson. There was a video that went viral a while back showing a girl whose boyfriend ignored her on a kiss cam so she turned to the guy next to her and just went for it. The concept is similar for Not You It’s Me and I’m fascinated to find out what happens after the kiss.
Not You It’s Me by Julie Johnson
Releases: July 7th
Gemma Summers is unlucky in love.
She’s known it since third grade, when her first crush blew a spitball into her hair, and a decade-long string of bad dates, boring sex, and abysmal morning-afters has done nothing to improve her prospects.
But when a random radio call-in contest lands her courtside tickets to the hottest playoff game of the season, Gemma’s luck may finally be on the upswing — even if it doesn’t exactly seem like it when the dreaded jumbotron kiss-cam lands on her and her date, who’s too busy ignoring her to notice…
Chase Croft doesn’t date.
Despite ample opportunity as Boston’s most eligible bachelor, the reformed bad-boy would rather put his energy into taking over the family business than weed through a world of gold-diggers to find an honest woman.
But when the beautiful girl in the seat next to him becomes a courtside spectacle at the hands of her loser boyfriend, he can’t help but step in and save the day.
One kiss. Two strangers. No strings attached.
The only problem is, Chase is used to getting whatever he wants. And after kissing Gemma once, he knows one thing…
He wants more.
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Pepper Winters is one of those authors that I will drop everything to read a new work. Ruin and Rule, the story of a ruthless MC president who is hell bent on revenge and a woman struggling to find the truth, will be no different. An expert storyteller and a true master of the anti-hero, a new Pepper Winters novel is virtually guaranteed to delight. Related books: Sin & Suffer (pre-order)
Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters
Releases: July 7th
"We met in a nightmare. The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . ."
RUIN & RULE
She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she's lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . .
He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.
Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?
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I don’t make it a point to read too many mafia romances but when the characters are college-aged whose love lives provide just as much drama as their high-stakes, dangerous jobs, like with Rachel Van Dyken’s Eagle Elite series, you can bet I’ll be eagerly awaiting each new release in the series. Elude is the latest standalone installment in the series, following Sergio and Andi’s story, which was teased in Ember. Elude is sure to be packed with action and suspense and may or may not call for readers to have tissues on hand. The best part? It’s available to pre-order for the ridiculously low price of 99 cents! Related books: Enchant, Elite, Enforce, Elect, Entice, Elicit, Bang Bang & Ember
Elude by Rachel Van Dyken
Releases: July 9th
Twenty-Four hours before we were to be married--I offered to shoot her.
Ten hours before our wedding--I made a mockery of her dying wish.
Five hours before we were going to say our vows--I promised I'd never love her.
One hour before I said I do--I vowed I'd never shed a tear over her death.
But the minute we were pronounced man and wife--I knew.
I'd only use my gun to protect her.
I'd give my life for hers.
I'd cry.
And I would, most definitely, lose my heart, to a dying girl---a girl who by all accounts should have never been mine in the first place.
I always believed the mafia would be my end game--where I'd lose my heart, while it claimed my soul. I could have never imagined. It would be my redemption.
Or the beginning of something beautiful.
The beginning of her.
The end of us.
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I have been waiting for over a year for the release of Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti! This is the final book in the author’s Maverick Montana series with Entangled Brazen and I am SO excited to read Dawn and Hawk’s story. This romance has been teased from early on in the series, introducing the best friend’s little sister, forbidden romance element. I can’t wait for them to finally act on their mutual attraction. The anticipation is killing me! Related books: Against the Wall, Under the Covers & Rising Assets
Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti
Releases: July 21st
A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...
This kind of temptation is worth the risk...
Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it. It's understandable?the man is total hotness. That tall, lean body. Intense dark eyes. And always one foot out the door. Now he's on leave for exactly one week. And this time, he's made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing. Her.
Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.
And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...
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Penny Reid is a recent obsession of mine because her books are filled with intelligent, quick-witted heroines, swoon-worthy heroes and, most importantly, a good dose of humor. The Winston Brothers series is a spinoff of my favorite book in the Knitting in the City series, Beauty and the Mustache, and I’m beyond excited to return to this fun-loving family of strapping hunky men (and Ashley), starting with Duane. Related books: Beauty and the Mustache
Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
Releases: July 23rd
Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!
Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level-headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…
But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.
Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?
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I absolutely loved Karina Halle’s steady road trip romance, Where Sea Meets Sky, and I was thrilled to find out that one of the minor characters, Amber, would be getting her own book. The book follows Amber to Italy where she finds herself crossing paths with an ex-motorcycle racer. Did I mention he’s Italian? If Racing the Sun is anything like Where Sea Meets Sky, I have no doubt it will be filled with rich descriptions of a gorgeous locale and a sexy romance with a hint of angst. Related books: Where Sea Meets Sky
Racing the Sun by Karina Halle
Releases: July 28th
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky comes a new adult novel about a young woman who becomes a nanny in Capri and falls for her charges’ bad-boy brother.
It’s time for twenty-four-year-old Amber MacLean to face the music. After a frivolous six months of backpacking through New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia, she finds herself broke on the Mediterranean without enough money for a plane ticket home to California. There are worse places to be stuck than the gorgeous coastline of southern Italy, but the only job she manages to secure involves teaching English to two of the brattiest children she’s ever met.
It doesn’t help that the children are under the care of their brooding older brother, Italian ex-motorcycle racer Desiderio Larosa. Darkly handsome and oh-so-mysterious, Derio tests Amber’s patience and will at every turn—not to mention her hormones.
But when her position as teacher turns into one as full-time nanny at the crumbling old villa, Amber finds herself growing closer to the enigmatic recluse and soon has to choose between the safety of her life back in the States and the uncertainty of Derio’s closely guarded heart.
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I could not be a bigger fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I'm not even really that big on PNR, so when I heard about J.R. Ward releasing the first book of an all new CONTEMPORARY series, I was excited. Ok, excited may be putting it a bit lightly. I was ecstatic, like jumping up and down, giddy with excitement, freaking my kids out elated. If J.R. Ward brings half of the magic that is the BDB series to this new intriguing series about an affluent family laced with secrets and lies, The Bourbon Kings is sure to be a new favorite.
The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward
Releases: July 28th
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal....
For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.
For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.
As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.
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Check out June's 10 Must-Read Books