Happy Pride Month, friends! This month is slightly quieter than May for me with new releases that I’m super excited about, but I didn’t ever get around to sharing a May TBR so my sincere apologies if you were looking for that. I’m behind on blogging for sure. Anyway, I’m really excited about reading right now. I’ve had two months of reading 30 books (or more in the case of May) and I don’t know how long this energy for reading is going to last, but I’m going to take advantage of it while it’s here. I’m participating in The Amazing Readathon hosted by Bri from Four Paws and a Book and The Tarot Readathon hosted by Daijah and Noelle, both of which I’m really looking forward to! I really love readathons most of the time, but sometimes my mood reading goes a little too hard. We’re going to hope that with my very extensive pile of possibilities I don’t have that problem in June. I also need to get a new phone, which means I need to read the audio review copies I have from Netgalley that are archived because I didn’t read and review them in a timely fashion because they’re downloaded onto my phone and I won’t be able to re-download them. -_- As usual, my procrastination is a problem. So there’s lots and lots of reading to do, to say the least. Anyway, let’s talk about the books hitting shelves in June, shall we?
ARC Copies
The Brave and the Fearless by Dilan Dyer is coming out on June 9, 2026 and is the follow up to The Brave and the Reckless, which I read and really enjoyed last year. This installment features two musicians who haven’t talked in quite some time but need to have a fake engagement for romance reasons concerning the fact that Brooks needs to look stable for a custody battle with his daughter’s maternal grandparents. It sounds like the perfect book for me and I’m so excited to read it!
You Had Me at Heist by Christina Britton is going to be my first book by Britton, but I’ve heard great things about her work. This one hits shelves on June 16, 2026 and follows a widow who had her botanical work stolen and suddenly she’s intrigued by the thief’s bodyguard? Or something. I’ll give a much better synopsis once I’ve read it.
Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti is coming out on June 23, 2026 and is about a smuggler and a debutante who has fled London. It sounds like the smuggler crew is posing as staff in this estate where the owner (a princess) is absent and then Ruby crashes. I’m very intrigued and am definitely looking forward to giving this a shot. I really like Vasti’s writing. Her historical romances tend to be quick reads that are quite fun.
The River She Became by Emily Varga is going to be my first book from Varga and is the first book in a new YA romantasy series releasing on June 30, 2026. The heroine in this one is an academic but also she’s trying to restore magic to her homeland or something. But she and this other guy (a fae?) need the same artifact to save their respective families. Listen, I don’t know but this sentence had me wanting to read it: Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.
Big Stick Energy by Sarina Bowen is the follow up to Thrown for a Loop, which admittedly, I haven’t read, but that’s the great thing about interconnected standalones! I have so many Bowen’s on my TBR and it’s been too long since I picked one up. I just couldn’t resist this one, which is about a bubbly NHL team admin and the team captain who fake date their way through wedding season after Darcy accidentally sends a NSFW DM to Eric. I just love fake dating. Anyway, this hits shelves on June 30, 2026.
Dearest Beast by Felicia Grossman is the third book in her Once Upon the East End series, of which I’ve read and enjoyed book one and own (and have an e-ARC) of book two. I am hoping Dearest Beast will encourage me to read both, but this book is a SINGLE FATHER romance, which y’all know has been my obsession for over a year now. Why? I have no idea. Anyway, this book hits shelves on June 30, 2026.
Bonus Information: I have already read my ARC of Good at Being Alive by Elizabeth O’Roarke, which is about a couple who get fake married to try and save the company she inherited and he co-owns after tragedy strikes and results in the loss of her entire family. It is a grief novel, but it’s also on the lighter end of grief novels. There are a lot of Harry Potter references, so please avoid this book if that’s something you would rather not experience. I will have a full review posted hopefully soon.
New Releases I’m Excited About
Okay, in fairness, I will probably read a fraction of these books, but they are the ones at the top of my radar that I don’t have copies of already so I wanted to give you a little more information about these than the rapid cover sharing that I’ll do for the “other new releases” section.
Girl’s Girl by Sonia Feldman will hit bookstores on June 2nd and it’s definitely not in my comfort zone and yet, I find the cover irresistible and so I can’t help but want it and the description DOES sound like something I would like! It’s about three best friends and the summer that changed so many things when they were fifteen. It’s queer and I really, really want to read it. I didn’t accept an ARC copy because I just KNOW that I would have put it off for a century, but I am still really excited to try and get myself to read this eventually.
The Missed Connection by Tia Williams is apparently lighter than her last two books, though still has depth, and is giving 90s rom com and if that doesn’t describe a book I need in my hands ASAP, I’m not sure what does. It hits bookstores on June 9, 2026.
The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest is one that I have on preorder and I’m really looking forward to it making its way to me on June 9th. This is a fake relationship book, which you know I’m all in on, and have you seen the cover? It’s stunning. I’m really looking forward to this one!
Tropesick by Lauren Okie comes out on June 16th and the things that I’ve seen from ARC readers has me intrigued. I’ve also heard incredible things about her debut from last year, so this book is definitely toward the top of my list. This is about childhood neighbors who haven’t talked since Katie’s older brother died from an overdose. Tyler was her brother’s best friend. But now they’re teaming up to co-write a love story for a reclusive author and I am definitely looking forward to trying this one eventually!
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi is a debut that comes out on June 16th as well and it has an intriguing cover and an even more intriguing sounding blurb. Basically, Simran’s new boyfriend, Leo, accidentally crashes her cousin’s engagement party and now she and some of her allies have to convince her aunt that Leo is both the best and therefore she should want him around, but also that Leo and Simran have never met, let alone are in a relationship. I’m not really sure why they have to do that, but I’m really excited to find out. It just sounds like a fun time.
Chase Me if You Can by Heather Francis is a debut contemporary romance that sounds really fun. It’s about frenemies who are both trying to win this photography competition thing related to tornadoes and Sloane winds up helping Wes after he gets injured or something. I’m looking forward to giving this one a shot when it comes out on June 23rd.
Other New Releases
Honestly, I’m intrigued by so many books in these 21 books I pulled to share with you, but there are so many books! Are any of these books that you’ve already read or are really excited about? Let me know!
Closing Thoughts
That was a lot of books! I definitely have ones that I know that I’ll be getting to, but there are books that I’m really intrigued by and hope that I’ll get to eventually. Please share with me the ones that you’re looking forward to!
xx
firewhiskeyreader 