June 2026 Reads
I fear my intros may have become the “skip to the recipe” section of food blogs, and if so, I both apologize and completely understand.
So I’ll take a different approach this month and only give you one update: I need to re-stain my deck in a few weeks, but my HOA doesn’t allow pressure washers. So your girl has been speckled with mud and grime every night for the last week (yes, in this heat wave nonetheless) as I manually scrub every piece of wood… but look at how much better it looks!
I hadn’t done the spindles/railings as of taking this photo, but the main deck part is looking way better.
All right, I digress. Here’s everything I read in June.
*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.
Little One by Olivia Muenter
LITTLE ONE by Olivia Muenter
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: From the outside, Catharine West’s childhood sounds idyllic—balmy days spent running barefoot through the gardens, plucking ripe tomatoes straight from the vine as sunlight warmed her skin. Her parents built a life that was simple and community-focused, an ethos that soon attracted others in need of a change. For a time, Catharine’s magnetic father was enough to keep the farm thriving, and temptation outside its gates. But as she grew older, the farm and family she was raised to love faded into something darker, forcing Catharine to evolve with it. It’s now been a decade since Catharine abandoned the farm and has done her best to reinvent her life, until an email from a charismatic journalist interrupts her peace. Her first instinct is to ignore the stranger’s prying questions—whether she knew about a mysterious “cult” in central Florida, whether she is the same “Catharine-with-an-A” who lived there for a time. But when she realizes the journalist knows far more than he’s letting on, she reconsiders. If Catharine can stay one step ahead of him, she may be able to find the one thing she never wanted to leave behind—her sister, Linna—and make sure her own secrets remain buried too.
My Thoughts: Okay, if there’s one thing I’m fascinated by, it’s cults. I can’t explain why, but give me a good cult-based docuseries, and I am hooked. So naturally, I had high hopes going into this book. Unfortunately, I have to admit it wasn’t quite as juicy as I wanted it to be. Catharine West escaped her father’s cult ten years ago and has managed to build a relatively normal life. There are still some toxic behaviors, particularly around food, that surface from time to time, but for the most part, she’s put those dark years behind her. That all changes when a journalist reaches out asking for an interview, something she’s successfully avoided up until now. But when he reveals he has a source who claims to know Catharine personally, she begins to wonder if it could be her estranged sister. From the very beginning, this book did a great job of holding my attention. It alternates between the present, where Catharine is grappling with how much of her past she’s willing to expose, and the past, where we slowly get a glimpse into what life inside the cult was really like. I appreciated that the author didn’t lean too heavily into shock value. While the story explores the psychological manipulation and control you'd expect from a cult, it avoids incorporating sexual assault or some of the more gruesome content that often comes with books like this. That said, I found the ending a liiiittle anti-climactic. The tension builds steadily throughout the novel, but as soon as it reached its peak, I was like, "...that’s it?" Overall, if you’re looking for a mildly suspenseful story about a cult that doesn’t venture too far into disturbing territory, I think this would be a good one to pick up. Just don’t go in expecting a wildly intense or twist-heavy thriller.
Silvercloak by L.K. Steven
SILVERCLOAK by L.K. Steven (The Silvercloak Saga #1)
Rating: 3.25/5 stars
Summary: Two decades ago, the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffron Killoran’s parents, destroying her idyllic childhood. Hell-bent on revenge, she lies her way into Silvercloak Academy—the training ground for her city’s elite order of detectives—with a single goal: to bring the Bloodmoons to justice. But when Saff’s deception is exposed, rather than being cast out, she’s given a rare opportunity: to go undercover and tear the Bloodmoons down from the inside. Descending into a world where pleasure and pain are the most powerful currencies, Saff must commit some truly heinous deeds to keep her cover—and her life. Not only are there rival gangs and sinister smuggling rings to contend with, but there’s also her growing feelings for the kingpin’s tortured son, with his vicious pet fallowwolf, his dark past, and the curious prophecy foretelling his death at Saffron’s hand. With each day testing her loyalties further, Saff finds her web of lies becoming harder to spin. And when one false step could destroy everything and everyone she’s ever loved . . . the detective who’s dedicated her life to vengeance just might die for it.
My Thoughts: Ugh, okay. So this book has been getting a lot of hype lately, and while I did enjoy it overall, I also feel like it kind of fell short of my expectations. Twenty years ago, Saffron Killoran witnessed her parents’ murder at the hands of the Bloodmoons. Ever since, her life’s goal has been to become a Silvercloak and avenge them by killing the Bloodmoons’ leader. The only caveat to making it through the Silvercloak academy is that magic doesn’t work on her. Which wouldn’t be a huge issue, except that it’s completely unheard of and could make her a major threat to the entire magical community. As a result, she has to constantly find ways around unavoidable situations to convince everyone she’s just as affected by magic as they are. When her deception comes to light, the Silvercloaks give her an ultimatum that lands her undercover among the Bloodmoons. The biggest challenge is that she reports directly to the Kingpin’s son, Levan, and has to fight the growing urge to see him as anything other than evil. Listen, the premise was interesting, the pacing was solid, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between Saffron and Levan. However, I was getting increasingly frustrated with Saffron’s character arc because it felt like a non-starter. Every time I thought she was about to have a breakthrough and stop being soooo naive about the people she’s trusted for so long, she would quickly backtrack to her original judgments and never actually grow as a person. She does become more empathetic toward Levan, and there’s definitely some development surrounding the powers she possesses, but on a personal level, I found myself getting tired of Saffron by the end of the book. That being said, the ending took an interesting turn, and I’m definitely curious to see where it leaves her in the next installment. I’m almost wondering if I would’ve liked this one more had I read it on my Kindle instead of listening to the audiobook.
This Book Made Me Think Of You by Libby Page
THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago… The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him. Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?
My Thoughts: I’M NOT CRYING. YOU’RE CRYING. 🥹 Omg this book was so freaking heartwarming. Tilly Nightingale lost her zest for reading when her husband Joe got sick, and although he died six months ago, she still hasn’t been able to crack open a new novel. Deep in her grief and just going through the motions of life, she receives a phone call on January 2nd from the local bookstore saying they have an order for her to pick up. Confused, she goes in to learn before her husband passed away, he worked out a gift for her with the local bookstore owner, Alfie. Since this is the first full year without him, Joe has chosen a book for Tilly to receive each month. Y’all. This story was so freaking sweet. It had so many layers to it as Tilly collects the new month’s book, and each one has a small note from Joe in it with the inspiration behind his pick. What starts as a small gift, becomes a year full of new experiences, adventures, and opportunities Tilly never even imagined for herself. I loved watching her grow through her grief into someone so full of life. Not to mention, the supportive community she develops along the way. If you’re looking for something that strikes the perfect balance of sad and reflective with sweet and heartwarming, you have to give this one a read.
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Summary: My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive. Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it. Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.
My Thoughts: I had to marinate on this book for a while before I could sit down and write a review for it. It is 10,000% worth the hype. The story follows Natalie, a homesteading influencer who appears to have the perfect life with her little family on their Yesteryear farm. In the prologue, everything seems to be exactly as Natalie has presented it to the world. But then you get a glimpse behind the curtain and discover she has two full-time nannies helping care for her five children, a production assistant making sure her content is picture-perfect, and an entire team helping her husband keep their crops thriving. Then the book begins...and Natalie wakes up in the 1800s. Listen, this literary experience was every bit as brilliant as it was unsettling. While you're trying to solve the mystery of how Natalie time traveled 200 years, you're also given glimpses into her life leading up to becoming the wildly successful influencer thousands of WASPy Christian tradwives aspire to be. Natalie is not a likable character, and I don't think she's supposed to be. It was hard to have much empathy for her when she clearly lacks the capacity to show empathy for anyone else. But honestly, I think that's part of what makes this book work so well. There is so much clever commentary woven throughout the story on issues that are especially relevant right now: the influence of religion on politics, women's roles within the family, the way social media success can distort an influencer's identity, and so much more. The only reason I couldn't give it a full five stars is because I wish the "aha" moment had come just a touch sooner. The opening had its hooks in me immediately, but by the time the big reveal arrived, I could feel those hooks starting to loosen a bit. Otherwise, I thought this was fantastic and HIGHLY recommend it.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion VOL 1 by Beth Brower
THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS OF EMMA M. LION: VOL. 1 by Beth Brower
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: “I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.” The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.
My Thoughts: This was quirky, and fun, and such a quick read! I can’t remember who recommended this to me, but it’s a whole series of journal entries from Emma M. Lion as she returns home after spending the last three years as a companion to her intimidating aunt. She learns the house and fortune she is promised when she turns 21 has not been taken care of by her cousin Archibald while she’s been away. Although there are a couple of serious tones in here, I’d say it’s mostly a quick-witted stream of thought from our girl Emma. I am for sure going to continue on with the rest of this series!
Kin by Tayari Jones
KIN by Tayari Jones
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood, but are fated to live starkly different lives. Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother’s death, Vernice leaves Atlanta at eighteen for Spelman College, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and marries into an affluent family. Annie, abandoned by her dissolute mother as a child, and fixated on the idea of finding her and filling the bottomless hole left by her absence, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, and culminate in a battle for her life.
My Thoughts: I’ve seen several people talking about this book on my Insta feed, so I was excited to see the audiobook available on Libby. For the most part, this was a beautifully written coming-of-age story about two childhood best friends, Vernice and Annie, whose lives take them down very different paths. Annie sets out to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby and is rumored to be living in Memphis. The journey there is filled to the brim with adversity, and the struggles she faces only continue once she arrives. Vernice, on the other hand, heads to Spelman College in Atlanta. Known her entire life as the girl who witnessed her father murder her mother, college gives her the fresh start she desperately needs to shed that identity. Despite developing a romantic relationship with her dorm roommate, Vernice ultimately marries into an extremely well-connected, affluent family where everything is unfamiliar to her. The one constant throughout both of their lives is the deeply rooted friendship they've shared since childhood. Although I was invested in both of their stories, I have to admit Annie's determination to find her mother started getting a little old for me. It was like finding her became her entire personality. Even the side characters around her seemed exhausted by hearing about it all the time. I completely understand that the abandonment she experienced was foundational to her character, but it honestly got to the point where I found myself wondering how much longer the author was going to keep dragging that thread out. This book takes you through a wide range of emotions, and the ending is no exception. Overall, I would recommend this one, but I'd also suggest checking the trigger warnings before diving in
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
INTO THE BLUE by Emma Brodie
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for SNL; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her Massachusetts small town and large family. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word. Seven years later in New York City, AJ is shocked to find herself cast in the same intergalactic TV production as Noah, by then a well-known Hollywood heartthrob. As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin to blur. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.
My Thoughts: This is probably going to end up in my top three, if not my absolute favorite, romance of the year. The writing didn’t feel like a typical romance novel. There was so much depth to it, and I loved how intimately it made me feel like I knew these characters. If you’re a big fan of SNL or comedy and improv, this is going to be right up your alley. In the summer of 2000, Noah and AJ undergo intense training as acting partners under the mentorship of Noah’s aunt, Eudora, a famous actress from the cult-classic comedy show The Astronauticals. Their bond as improv partners grows almost as strong as the undercurrent of feelings developing between them...until one day Noah disappears without saying goodbye. Seven years later, they find themselves cast on the same new TV show, and everything that was left unsaid all those years ago comes bubbling back to the surface. From there, their relationship is touch-and-go, but somehow they always find their way back to each other. YOU GUYS. 😩 This book put me through such a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I was grinning at their quick wit and banter, and the next I wanted to scream at my Kindle because their stubbornness just kept getting in their own way. One of my favorite things about this book was how each stage of their lives almost felt like its own story. It was like getting three books in one: the beginning had the feel of a YA novel, the middle read almost like recent historical fiction set in Hollywood, and the final section became this deeply emotional romance that completely wrecked me. Honestly, I kind of want to reread it as an audiobook just so it feels like a brand-new experience. I loved this book so much. I cried a little, but the tears were absolutely worth it. 🥲 I genuinely cannot recommend this one enough.
The Divorce by Freida McFadden
THE DIVORCE by Freida McFadden
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: What is a happily ever after really worth? Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family… Then―he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something. It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life. Except, why should she? Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession―and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger. But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?
My Thoughts: Y’all. The one thing I appreciate about Ms. McFadden is that she’s got a reliable formula so that you kind of know what to expect going into one of her new books, but she’s also just chaotic enough to include some new unhinged shit she hasn’t exposed you to before lol. So it doesn’t feel like the same story over and over again. However, if the main character/narrator says she loves her husband, just know you’re about to enter a whole dysfunctional shit storm. I don’t want to say too much about this plot without giving anything away, but I’m FOR SURE lowkey embarrassed I didn’t pick up on who you could really trust until I was almost 70% of the way into the book. 😅 Did I think find the ending groundbreaking? No. Was this a quick and easy read that scratched the mystery/thriller itch for me? Absolutely. If you’ve enjoyed Freida McFadden books in the past, I’d say this is worth a try.
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston
ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI by Ashley Elston
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Summary: Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price. Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move. Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in. Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek. Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.
My Thoughts: Ashley Elston wrote First Lie Wins, which was one of my absolute favorite books of 2024. So when I saw she had a new one out, I was excited, to say the least. Although this story didn’t completely blow me away the way First Lie Wins did, it still had all the elements that made me fall in love with Elston’s writing. Camille Bayliss is married to Ben, a powerful and highly successful lawyer. She’s wanted a divorce for quite some time and knows he’s been hiding something. The challenge is getting him off her trail long enough to figure out exactly what that "something" is and use it as leverage against the ironclad prenup standing in her way. Through a series of connected clues, Camille recruits Aubrey Price to essentially "play" her a few towns over while Camille secretly puts her own plan into motion to spy on Ben. Things get even more tangled when we learn Aubrey believes Ben knows something about the hit-and-run that killed her parents ten years earlier. Then one morning, Ben is found murdered in cold blood in his office, launching an investigation into who could have killed him. As more people become involved and more secrets come to light, it gets harder and harder to know who can actually be trusted. Listen, while I don’t think this one was quite as clever as First Lie Wins, I was absolutely invested in figuring out who killed Ben and how he was connected to Aubrey’s parents’ case. It was a super quick listen and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. If you’re looking for a mystery thriller that keeps you guessing without being overly anxiety-inducing, I definitely recommend giving this one a read!
That’s it for June!
Hopefully, you’ve found some titles worth adding to your summer reading list! Speaking of which, I’d love to hear any recommendations for the perfect reading-by-the-pool books.
2026 Book Count: 59
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