Summer means sunshine, vacations, long evenings, and the perfect excuse to add even more books to your TBR. From swoony romances and pulse-pounding thrillers to transporting historical fiction and stunning literary reads, these are our most anticipated books of summer 2026.

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (5/5)

Artie Dam is a good man with a good life. A guy who seems to have it all—weekends on his sailboat in the bay, respect at his teaching job, good relationships. But beneath this “life is good” exterior lies a deep loneliness. Elizabeth Strout brings her trademark emotional precision to a story about a man at a turning point, forced to reconsider the life he’s built and what it might still become.

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Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen (5/5)

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a sweet coming-of-age love story about Finley, a woman meeting her extended family for the first time. After a breakup throws her life into chaos, she finds refuge in these new family connections—along with a new romantic interest—and begins to reconsider what truly matters.

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The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung (5/5)

Chinese-American journalist Ellie Chang’s plane is shot down, stranding her in 1950 North Korea. Things seem dire, but she meets a Korean woman, Emma, who protects her by claiming Ellie is her long-lost daughter. The two women share hope—one to find her lost child, and one to return to freedom. Their journey explores the bonds between women—even in the worst of times.

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Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister (5/5)

How far would you go to save your child? When Simone wakes up on vacation in Texas to find her teenage daughter Lucy missing—and a ransom demand in her place—she’s told not to involve the police. Simone follows the kidnappers’ orders into the remote desert, only to discover they don’t want money—they want something far more devastating. Now, she faces a moral dilemma that will test how far she’s willing to go to protect her daughter.

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The Shippers by Katherine Center (5/19)

At her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship, JoJo Burton is determined to finally deal with her love life—by seducing the divorced wedding guest who was also her very first kiss. Closure, right? But her plan gets complicated when her childhood best friend and biggest heartbreak, Cooper Watts, unexpectedly shows up and agrees to play wingman. Packed with fake flirting, forced proximity, and plenty of swoony tension, this charming rom-com is the perfect summer escape.

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Take Me with You by Steven Rowley (5/19)

Bestselling author of The Guncle Steven Rowley delivers a heartfelt and witty story about what it means to stay when everything else disappears. Thirty years into their relationship, Jesse watches his husband, Norman, walk into their backyard, step into a mysterious beam of light—and vanish. Left behind and completely unmoored, Jesse is forced to confront life alone for the first time in decades. And as he searches for answers, strange neighbors, family drama, and growing suspicions only make things more complicated.

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The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham (6/2)

In this YA queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Cindy Pham takes us on a journey to a kingdom that is a shadow of its former self. One hundred years after the last heir of Gyldan fell into an eternal slumber, Corin, a cynical thief, is searching for her younger sister, Elly, who disappeared into a lush dreamworld of ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans. But as the sisters reunite and explore this strange paradise, Corin begins to suspect that something far darker is hidden beneath its perfect surface.

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Whistler by Ann Patchett (6/2)

Daphne runs into her former stepfather—of one year—by chance, over 40 years later. Their one year as family still connects them, and now they have an opportunity to reflect and reconnect. Written by New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett, this evocative story of redemption shows how being truly known by someone, even for a short time, can change everything.

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Land by Maggie O’Farrell (6/2)

A father-son duo, a loyal dog, and a buried treasure—this is the kind of story that feels like pure magic on the page. Set in 1865 Ireland, in the aftermath of the Great Hunger, this spellbinding tale follows ten-year-old Liam and his father Tomás as they set off on an unforgettable journey shaped by the land, their shared history, and the hope of something more.

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Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See (6/2)

New York Times bestselling author Lisa See brings to life the intertwined stories of three Chinese women in 1870s Los Angeles—Dove, Petal, and Moon. Each arrives under vastly different circumstances, but hardship and survival quickly bind them together in unexpected friendship. As they navigate a world shaped by prejudice and danger, the three women lean on one another in their fight to carve out safety, dignity, and a brighter future.

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Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi (6/9)

Stevie is bored of LA and tired of living in the orbit of her out-of-work actress mother, Moon. Both women are struggling, but neither can afford to live apart. When Adam—Moon’s former tv son and Stevie’s longtime crush—reenters their lives, and things get messy fast. In a story about the complexity of family in Hollywood, these two women grapple with what it means to grow up and get older in the—often false—glamour and glitz of the film industry.

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The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (6/9)

Sasha Cruz knows how to spot a type—but not how to keep one. On a flight to Paris, she meets the man of her dreams in the seat next to her—only to lose him before they can exchange a single detail. Determined not to let him go, she accidentally sparks an international search for “Seat F,” turning her love life into a global manhunt. As Sasha races to track him down—with a smoldering private investigator unexpectedly along for the ride—she discovers that finding love might not exactly follow the itinerary.

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The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (6/30)

Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, Massachusetts, and quickly falls for Van Whittaker, a carefree local still tight with his childhood friends—including his ex Bailey. Caroline joins the group, their days filled with beach hangs and houseboat parties. But when Bailey discovers she’s pregnant with Van’s baby, the group begins to unravel. As Caroline is pushed out of the circle, her next move sends shockwaves through the town—and exposes secrets no one saw coming.

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Helpless by Jessica Knoll (7/7)

Twelve years after walking away from her first love, Faye Heron seems to have built the perfect life—until a funeral brings Henry Spalding back into her orbit. What begins as a tentative reunion quickly turns into obsession, captivity, and the unraveling of long-buried secrets. This dark, seductive thriller from a New York Times bestseller twists desire, memory, and power into a shocking story with a mind-bending ending.

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An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton (7/7)

When astronaut Joe Mitchell disappears in 1968, the world moves on—but his wife, Vivian, cannot. From New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton comes a sweeping, emotional story of love, loss, and determination set against the backdrop of America’s race to the Moon. As Vivian revisits their romance and the life they built together, she refuses to accept easy answers and begins a search that could uncover the truth behind Joe’s disappearance.

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Crash Into Me by Robinne Lee (7/7)

Cecilia Chen is struggling to find herself beneath her many roles—wife, mother, artist, daughter. When she quite literally crashes into Anouk Ferrand—twenty years after their brief, electric encounter in Mexico—her carefully constructed life is thrown off balance. As old desire resurfaces, Cecilia is forced to confront who she really is—and what she’s willing to risk to find out.

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Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle (7/7)

Bestselling author Chuck Tingle delivers a wild supernatural romp where glam, gore, and chaos collide. Poppy Stringer is an aspiring influencer with a very unglamorous side hustle—grave robbing in Palm Springs. When she’s hired to retrieve her rockstar idol’s body, the job goes off the rails fast—especially when the dead man wakes up.

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The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (7/14)

In 1940s Veracruz, Mexico, Ulises is a charming con man with his sights set on a wealthy widow’s fortune. But when the perceptive Inés begins to unravel his scheme, what starts as a con quickly spirals into something far more dangerous. From New York Times bestselling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this noir-tinged story blends lust, greed, and dark humor in a world where no one’s heart—or wallet—is safe.

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Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (7/21)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead comes the final volume in his Harlem trilogy, set in 1980s New York. Ray Carney has one last score to settle—along with an aging partner, lingering guilt over his friend Freddie’s death, and Freddie’s son in need of saving. As the past closes in, Carney is pulled into a final, high-stakes heist in a city that never lets anyone go clean.

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Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (8/25)

In her first-ever sequel, Liane Moriarty returns to the world of Big Little Lies with all the wit, chaos, and emotional bite fans love. Ten years later, the kids are in high school and the stakes are higher than ever. When a shocking discovery rocks the school community, old secrets resurface—and these women are pulled right back into each other’s complicated orbit.

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