Margot’s Got Money Troubles

Rufi Thorpe

It seems like this book is the answer to the first app hint.

Synopsis: A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

Repeat Author

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books

Kirsten Miller

Synopsis: The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of The Change, brings us a bracing, wildly entertaining satire about a small Southern town, a pitched battle over banned books, and a little lending library that changes everything.

Repeat Author

Honey

Isabel Banta

I believe that this book is the answer to this month’s third hint.

Synopsis: A coming-of-age story that follows the meteoric rise of singer Amber Young as she navigates fame in the late-90s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardom. With the captivating style of Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter and the raw honesty of Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died, Isabel Banta’s debut novel, Honey, redefines the narratives of some of the most famous pop icons of the ’90s and 2000s. It reimagines the superstars we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, and gives them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.

Debut

Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life

Helen Fisher

Synopsis: A thoroughly uplifting novel about a neurodivergent young man who unexpectedly builds a community and saves a friend in need by following—in a way only he can—his mother’s words of wisdom.

Debut

Same As It Ever Was

Claire Lombardo

I debated whether or not to include Same As It Ever Was since the author’s debut was not a BOTM pick. I ended up deciding to include it, because I feel like BOTM has changed it picks a bit to whatever will sell the most.

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.

Sandwich

Catherine Newman

Synopsis: From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go. This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

Jackpot Summer

Elyssa Friedland

Since Elyssa Friedland’s previous two books have been BOTM selections, I figured that it was a solid assumption to include her newest June release.

Synopsis: After the Jacobson siblings win a life-changing fortune in the lottery, they assume their messy lives will transform into sleek, storybook perfection–but they couldn’t be more wrong. It’s not long before the Jacobsons start to realize that they’ll never feel rich unless they can pull their family back together. 

Repeat Author

Swan Song

Elin Hilderbrand

BOTM freaking loves Elin Hilderbrand, but so do its members. I am doing my part in reminding you that she is not a good person and has come after book influencers in the past.

Synopsis: The beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish: when rich strangers move to the island, social mayhem and a possible murder follow. Can Nantucket’s best locals save the day, and their way of life?

Repeat Author

Swift River

Essie Chambers

Synopsis: It’s the summer of 1987 in Swift River, and Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Ever since her Pop disappeared seven years ago, she and her mother hitchhike everywhere they go. But that’s not the only reason Diamond stands out: she’s teased relentlessly about her weight, and since Pop’s been gone, she is the only Black person in all of Swift River. This summer, Ma is determined to declare Pop legally dead so that they can collect his life insurance money, get their house back from the bank, and finally move on. But when Diamond receives a letter from a relative she’s never met, key elements of Pop’s life are uncovered, and she is introduced to two generations of African American Newberry women, whose lives span the 20th century and reveal a much larger picture of prejudice and abandonment, of love and devotion.

Debut

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye

Briony Cameron

Synopsis: This epic, dazzling tale based on true events illuminates a woman of color’s rise to power as one of the few purported female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean, and the forbidden love story that will shape the course of history. An unforgettable tale told in three parts, The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is a thrilling, buccaneering escapade filled with siege and battle, and is also a tender exploration of friendship, love, and the search for freedom and home.

Debut

The Safekeep

Yael Van Der Wouden

Synopsis: An exhilarating, twisted tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past. Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is a brilliantly plotted and provocative debut novel you won’t soon forget.

Debut

The Glassmaker

Tracy Chevalier

Synopsis: From the bestselling historical novelist, a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to the present day. Chevalier is a master of her own craft, and The Glassmaker is as inventive as it is spellbinding: a mesmerizing portrait of a woman, a family, and a city as everlasting as their glass.

Jackie

Dawn Tripp

Synopsis: In this mesmerizing novel about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, acclaimed author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss and reinvention. This vivid, exquisitely written novel is at once a captivating work of the imagination and a window into the world of a woman who led many lives: Jackie, Jacks, Jacqueline, Miss Bouvier, Mrs. Kennedy, Jackie O.

The Rom-Commers

Katherine Center

Katherine Center is a much repeated BOTM author who consistently publishes a great romance every summer.

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center’s next laugh out loud, feel good rom-com about writing your own story. Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Repeat Author

Leather & Lark

Brynne Weaver

Since BOTM featured the first book in this series and heavily advertised it, I think it is a good bet that Leather & Lark will be among this month’s selections.

Synopsis: From the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird comes the second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy―a hate-to-love dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat.

Repeat Author

Just Some Stupid Love Story

Katelyn Doyle

This debut novel is recommended to fans of Emily Henry and pretty highly anticipated. I am just skeptical that there will be more than 2 romance novels among the picks.

Synopsis: A debut about a rom-com screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love and a divorce attorney who does, forced together at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup. Wickedly funny, sexy, and brimming with laughs and heart like the best romantic comedies, Just Some Stupid Love Story is for everyone who believes in soulmates―even if they would never admit it.

Debut

Birding with Benefits

Sarah T. Dubb

This debut novel is suggested for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood, both repeat BOTM authors.

Synopsis: Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, cliches be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple.

Debut

Isabella and the Rogue

Liana De La Rosa

The first book in the Luna Sisters series was a BOTM selection. However, I am no longer confident that BOTM will carry subsequent books in a series.

Synopsis: Isabel Luna Valdés has long since resigned herself to being the “forgotten” Luna sister. But thanks to familial connections to the Mexican ambassador in London, wallflower Isabel is poised to unearth any British intelligence hidden by the ton that might aid Mexico during the French Occupation. Though she slips easily from crowded ballrooms into libraries and private studies, Isabel’s search is hampered by trysting couples and prowling rogues—including the rakish Captain Sirius Dawson.

Repeat Author

We Used to Live Here

Marcus Kliewer

This debut novel has already been picked up by Netflix as an original movie starring Blake Lively. I think this makes it even more likely that it will be BOTM pick.

Synopsis: Get Out meets Parasite in this eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house’s previous residents unexpectedly visit. As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. 

Debut

Knife River

Justine Champine

Knife River is a late-May release with a strong premise and Mare of Easttown vibes.

Synopsis: When Jess was thirteen, her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister, Liz, never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother had done: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning, fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance, she gets the call she’s been bracing for: Her mother’s remains have been found. Knife River is a tense, intimate, and heartrending portrayal of how deeply and imperfectly women love one another: in romantic relationships, in friendships, and especially as sisters.

Debut

A Talent for Murder

Peter Swanson

I believe this is the book hinted at in the second app hint.

Synopsis: A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married is a murderer in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.

Repeat Author

Burn It All

Maggie Auffarth

This debut novel is suggested for fans of Andrea Bartz and Rachel Hawkins, both past BOTM authors.

Synopsis: Marley Henderson is having the worst year of her life. First, a drunken mistake costs her everything, including her engagement and her closest friend, Thea. Then, a series of cruel rumors make her an outcast in the small Georgia community she calls home. Finally, a string of vicious arsons rip through town, leaving unchecked destruction—and Thea’s body—in their wake. Told in alternating POVs and dual timelines, this propulsive debut psychological thriller set in small-town Georgia explores rage, redemption, and the many layers of toxic friendship.

Debut

One of Our Kind

Nicola Yoon

Synopsis: A hotly-anticipated and endlessly provocative new thriller of race and privilege set in an all-Black gated community from #1 New York Times best-selling author Nicola Yoon. Thrilling with insightful social commentary, One of Our Kind explores the ways in which freedom is complicated by the presumptions we make about ourselves and each other.

The Midnight Feast

Lucy Foley

Synopsis: It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered. It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at…The Midnight Feast.

Repeat Author

Middle of the Night

Riley Sager

I think it is a toss up whether or not we will see Middle of the Night among this month’s or next month’s picks.

Synopsis: In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

Repeat Author

The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands

Sarah Brooks

Synopsis: For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscape. There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train’s last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train’s secrets.

Debut

The Lost Story

Meg Shaffer

Synopsis: As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived. Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

Repeat Author | Early Release

The Pecan Children

Quinn Connors

Synopsis: For fans of The Midnight Library and Demon Copperhead comes a breathtaking story of magical realism about two sisters, deeply tied to their small Southern town, fighting to break free of the darkness swallowing the land–and its endless cycle of pecan harvests–whole. A story of the love between sisters, and an allegory of decay in small-town America, The Pecan Children walks the line between beauty and horror.

In the Hour of Crows

Dana Elmendorf

Synopsis: In a small town in Appalachia, people paint their doorways blue to keep spirits away. Black ferns grow where death will follow. And Weatherly Opal Wilder is a Death Talker. Imbued with magic, witchery, and suspense, Dana Elmendorf’s In the Hour of Crows is a thrilling tale of friendship, identity, and love.

The Wren in the Holly Library

K.A. Linde

Synopsis: Can you love the dark when you know what it hides? Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination. Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight. In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts. But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

Malas

Marcela Fuentes

Synopsis: A story full of passion and revenge, following one family living on the Texas Mexico border and a curse that reverberates across generations–“Fuentes has achieved something rare and indelible with this story of complex women.” Rich with cinematic details–from dusty rodeos to the excitement of a Selena concert and the comfort of conjunto ballads played at family gatherings–this memorable debut is a love letter to the Tejano culture and community that sustain both of these women as they discover what family means.

Debut

Summer Fridays

Suzanne Rindell

Synopsis: You’ve Got Mail for a new generation, set in the days of AOL and instant messenger banter, about a freshly engaged editorial assistant who winds up spending her “summer Fridays” with the person she least expects. Summer Fridays is a witty and emotional love letter to New York City that also captures the feeling of being young and starting out, uncertain what to do on your summer Friday. It’s also perfect for readers who remember when “going online” meant tying up the phone line, and the timeless thrill of seeing a certain someone’s name in your inbox.

Kissing Girls on Shabbat: Memoir

Dr. Sara Glass

Synopsis: A moving coming-of-age memoir in the vein of Unorthodox and Educated, about one young woman’s desperate attempt to protect her children and family while also embracing her queer identity in a controlling Hasidic community. Kissing Girls on Shabbat is not only a love letter to Glass’s children, herself, and her family—it is an unflinching window into the world of ultra-conservative Orthodox Jewish communities and an inspiring celebration of learning to love yourself.

Debut

A Product of Genetics (and Day Drinking): A Never Coming of Age Story

Jess H. Gutierrez

Synopsis: A frank, raucous, and bawdy collection of essays about coming of age through the oddest jobs, misadventures in queer love, and endearing parenting fails. Jess shares relatable tales of a woman who feels like a dumpster fire even with a seemingly ideal set up with a fire-captain wife, three kids, and a mortgage. Highlights include roller-derby catastrophes, a disastrous first night on the job at a lesbian bar, narrow escapes from wild animals, and fond memories of sending printed thirst-trap photos via mail to the lover in Australia she met on the early Internet. Readers will soon cheerfully discover that Jess’s voice is infectious, her stories are off-the-wall, and her references are deeply and delightfully millennial.

Debut

Ambition Monster: Memoir

Jennifer Romolini

Synopsis: A deeply personal memoir about workaholism, the addictive nature of ambition, and the humbling process of picking yourself up when the world lets you down—an anti-girlboss tale for our times for readers of Drinking: A Love Story and Uncanny Valley. Written with self-deprecation and wit, Ambition Monster is a gutsy and powerful look at workaholism and the addictive nature of achievement, the lingering effect of childhood trauma, and the failures of our modern rat race. With its timely and resonant deconstructing of the American Dream, Ambition Monster is a singular excavation of selfhood, an essential interrogation about the way we work, and an inspiring and affirming call to always bet on yourself.

Repeat Author