Monday, June 25, 2018

Must-Have July Releases


It’s July already? How is that possible? But, I can’t really complain, because there are SO many fantastic books coming out this month! I think this is my longest list this year, and that is always a happy thing because I love finding out about new books that I can read. So I hope that you can find something from this list that piques your interest!

The Fashion Designer by Nancy Moser
The Fashion Designer is the second book in Nancy’s The Pattern Artist series, coming after The Pattern Artist.


The American Dream thrives in 1912 New York City.
Annie Wood, the housemaid-turned-pattern designer in The Pattern Artist, jumps at the chance to design her own clothing line when a wealthy New York couple offer to finance her endeavor. Joining the project is Annie’s new husband, Sean Culver, her best friend at Butterick, Maude Nascato, and a mother figure, Edna Holmquist.
Annie and her colleagues give up their careers, risking everything to follow a shared passion: clothes that are both fashionable and functional for modern, busy women in 1912.
Personal and financial setbacks threaten to keep the business from ever selling a single dress and test old relationships and new romances. No one said it would be easy, but the promise of the American Dream holds a deep hope for those who work hard, trust God, and never give up.

The Best of Intentions by Susan Anne Mason
The Best of Intentions is the first novel in Susan’s Canadian Crossings series.


She swore to protect her nephew at any cost. But what if that price is a chance at love?
In the aftermath of WWI, Grace Abernathy is determined to reunite her family, crossing an ocean to convince her widowed sister to return home to England. Yet, in Toronto she discovers more tragedy—her nephew Christian in the custody of his paternal relatives, the formidable Easton family, who rejected Grace’s sister because of her low social status.
Unconvinced the Eastons can be fitting caretakers, Grace uses an assumed name to secure the position of Christian’s nanny and moves into the Easton estate. There she can observe the family up close, while ensuring Christian’s well-being. In the course of her new role, she is shocked to find herself falling in love with Andrew Easton, the boy’s guardian. Unfortunately, Andrew is promised to a spoiled socialite who is sure to make a terrible stepmother for Christian. Will Grace be able to protect her nephew…and her heart?

Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano
Caught by Surprise is the third book in Jen’s Apart from the Crowd series, coming after Behind the Scenes and Out of the Ordinary.


After years of hiding her true nature, Miss Temperance Flowerdew is finally enjoying freedom outside of the shadow of her relations, so the last thing she expected on her way to work was to be grabbed off the street by a stranger and put on a train bound for Chicago.
When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend, Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind her abduction, they’re spotted alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk.
Even though Gilbert is willing to propose marriage, Temperance is determined not to lose her newfound independence. But when the misunderstanding in Chicago escalates into a threat on her life, accepting Gilbert’s help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.

The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham
The Hope of Azure Springs is a stand-alone novel.


Alone in a strange town, can she find healing for her new home…and herself?
Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won’t be able to do it alone.
For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He’s determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn’t expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble
The House at Saltwater Point is the second book in Colleen’s Lavender Tides series, coming after The View from Rainshadow Bay.


After her husband, Jack, dies in a climbing incident, Shauna has only her five-year-old son and her helicopter charter business to live for. Every day is a struggle to make ends meet and she lives in constant fear of losing even more than she already has.
When her business partner is murdered, his final words convince Shauna that she’s in danger too. But where can she turn? Zach Bannister was her husband’s best friend and is the person she blames for his death. She’s barely spoken to him since. But right now he seems her only hope for protecting her son.
Zach is only too happy to assuage his guilt over Jack’s death by helping Shauna any way he can. But there are secrets involved dating back to Shauna’s childhood that more than one person would prefer to stay hidden.

In Dreams Forgotten by Tracie Peterson
In Dreams Forgotten is the second book in Tracie’s Golden Gate Secrets series, coming after In Places Hidden.


Finding her family could cost her everything.
Judith Gladstone came to San Francisco after her parents died to find her last living relative, an aunt she never knew she had. Instead she has fallen head over heels in love with Caleb Coulter, her friend’s brother. Caleb has promised to help Judith find her aunt, but she can tell he thinks of her only as a friend, and she struggles to hide her feelings whenever she is with him.
When Caleb traces Judith’s aunt to the wealthy Whitley family, Judith is united with her long-lost relatives. The truths she learns about her past and her parents are shocking and overwhelming, however, and the more she gets to know her new family, the more danger she uncovers. Someone feels threatened by Judith’s appearance in the Whitley’s lives, and they will do whatever it takes to get rid of her.

Minding the Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Minding the Light is the second book in Suzanne’s Nantucket Legacy series, coming after Phoebe’s Light.


“How could I have expected so much? How could I have given her so little in return?”
Six long years ago, Captain Reynolds Macy sailed away from his bride, looking forward to the day when he would return to Nantucket Island with a ship’s hold full of whale oil. But when that momentous day finally arrives, Ren soon discovers that everything has changed in his absence. Everything.
Unlike most islanders, bold and spirited Daphne Coffin doesn’t defer to Ren as an authoritative whalemaster, but sees through his aloofness to the aching heart beneath. She encourages him to return to his Quaker roots and “mind the Light,” finding solace in God and community. As Ren becomes the man she believes him to be—honorable, wise, faithful—she finds herself falling in love with him.
But how can she, when her heart is spoken for?

River to Redemption by Ann H. Gabhart
River to Redemption is a stand-alone novel.


One young woman must stand up for freedom—and perhaps find her own in the process.
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions.
Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She’s determined to find a way to buy Louis’s freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she’ll need all of the courage and strength she possesses—and more.

Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof
Sons of Blackbird Mountain is the first book in Joanne’s Blackbird Mountain series.


A tale of family, brotherhood, and the healing power of love.
After the tragic death of her husband, Aven Norgaard is beckoned to give up her life in Norway to become a housekeeper in the rugged hills of Nineteenth-Century Appalachia. Upon arrival, she finds herself in the home of her late husband’s cousins—three brothers who make a living by brewing hard cider on their three-hundred acre farm. Yet even as a stranger in a foreign land, Aven has hope to build a new life in this tight-knit family.
But her unassuming beauty disrupts the bond between the brothers. The youngest two both desire her hand, and Aven is caught in the middle, unsure where—and whether—to offer her affection. While Haakon is bold and passionate, it is Thor who casts the greatest spell upon her. Though Deaf, must, and dependent on hard drink to cope with his silent pain, Thor possesses a sobering strength.
As autumn ushers in the apple harvest, the rift between Thor and Haakon deepens and Aven faces a choice that risks hearts. Will two brothers’ longing for her quiet spirit tear apart a family? Can she find a tender belonging in this remote, rugged, and unfamiliar world?

When Through Deep Waters by Rachelle Dekker
When Through Deep Waters is a stand-alone novel.


A gentle tap pressed against the back of her right shoulder, and simultaneously the giggling changed to a single voice.
Alicen.
Alicen whipped her head to the right to find nothing.
Alicen, do you hear us?
Alicen McCoffrey finally has the life her mother always dreamed for her: beautiful home in Santa Monica, successful husband, adorable daughter. Then tragedy blows her carefully assembled façade to pieces. Worse yet—Alicen feels solely responsible. At rock bottom, she decides to accompany a childhood friend back to Red Lodge, Montana, where they spent summers together as kids.
The peaceful mountain landscape, accented with lush forests and small-town charm, brings back happy memories of time spent with her beloved, eccentric Grandma Josephine. Alicen starts to hope that perhaps things could be different here. Perhaps the oppressive guilt will lift—if only for a moment.
But when Alicen starts hearing voices and seeing mysterious figures near the river in the woods, she begins to fear she’s completely lost her sanity, as it’s rumored her grandmother did. Might there be more to Red Lodge than meets the eye? Could the voices and visions be real—and her only means of finding the healing she so desperately needs? Or will they prove to be her final undoing?

Miss Serena’s Secret by Carolyn Miller
Miss Serena’s Secret is the second book in Carolyn’s Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope series, coming after Winning Miss Winthrop.


With devastating scars in her past, Serena Winthrop is sure no man can be trusted—especially not a man like the too-smooth Viscount Carmichael. His reputation as a flirt and a gambler is everything she despises. And the young artist makes sure that this disreputable heir to an earldom knows of her deep disapproval whenever they encounter one another.
Henry, Lord Carmichael, is perfectly aware of his charms. He’s gambled with plenty of ladies’ hearts as easily as he has with their husbands’ money. But lately he’s wondered if there’s more to life—and if his actions might prove unworthy of an admirable wife such as his friends have found.
When Serena’s guardian asks his best friend to protect his young ward, Henry promises to be on his best behavior and not to woo her. But the more he learns of her, the more he realizes she might be his best reason for changing his character.
Then the lady’s painting leads her to London infamy. Now Henry must choose between the life mapped out for him as the earl apparent and the love of his life. And Serena’s secret may mean the end of his titled family line.

The Lady of Tarpon Springs by Judith Miller
The Lady of Tarpon Springs is a stand-alone novel.


In 1950 Tarpon Springs, Florida, Zanna Krykos values the independence her career as a lawyer gives her from her very traditional Greek family and the pressure they put on her to find a husband. When a friend inherits a sponging business, Zanna finds herself agreeing to run it for her…even though she doubts her legal skills make her qualified.
When offered the chance to lead a team of sponge divers to the United States, experienced Greek diver Nico Kalos can’t imagine a better opportunity. But his excitement quickly quells when their team arrives only to discover that a young woman with no experience will be their boss. For the sake of his men and the families they support, he can’t let the business fail.
But when both the business and the lives of the employees are threatened, can Zanna and Nico set aside their pride and come together to save what matters most?

A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano
A Rumored Fortune is a stand-alone novel.


Welcome to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England.
Tressa Harlowe’s father kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Now Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it.
It doesn’t take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they’re really up to. She’ll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father’s fortune—before someone else finds it first.

A Simple Singing by Leslie Gould
A Simple Singing is the second book in Leslie’s Sisters of Lancaster County series, coming after A Plain Leaving.


How will she choose between the life she’s always envisioned and one she never imagined?
For years, Marie Bachmann thought of herself as the “good” daughter. She was the most loving to their mother and the most dedicated to their Amish way of life. But when a Mennonite farmhand, Gordon Martin, shows interest in her, she can’t help but be flattered—until her mother sends her off to Florida. While there, Marie begins spending time with rebellious Elijah Jacobs, the bishop’s son from back home.
When Gordon shows up in Florida to volunteer at a homeless shelter, her life becomes even more complicated. At the same time, her aunt begins telling her about the uncommon bravery of one of Marie’s Civil War-era ancestors…a story that begins to work at Marie’s heart.
Marie hopes returning home may simplify life, but Elijah soon follows. As she grapples with whether she should court Elijah or leave the church for Gordon, the story of Annie Bachmann shines a light on what God has for Marie’s future.

Those are my must-have releases for the month of July! How about you? What are you looking forward to reading this summer?
Happy July!




To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopses goes to each author and their respective publishers.

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