Must Read New Books By Genre: June 2025
Discover which books you should add to your reading list that are being published in June 2025! It’s the start of summer reading season and you’ll find plenty of books to add to your vacation lists!
I sorted my list by genre so you can easily find a new book you’ll love. There are options in romance, mysteries/thrillers, and fantasy this month.
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June Romance New Releases
Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver
Josie can be a bit of a hit or miss author for me. I adored her first few romance novels, but DNFd a more recent one. I’m hoping she can get back to her usual magic with Slow Burn Summer. With a unique spin on a common trope, this one features an acting job of convenience that’s mutually beneficial for two divorcees rather than a marriage of convenience!
Slow Burn Summer follows Kate Elliott, a former actress in her forties seeking a fresh start. When she reconnects with her late agent’s son, Charlie, who is now running the talent agency, he offers her an unusual role. He needs someone to pose as the author of a romance novel since the actual writer wishes to remain anonymous. This job feels like a lifeline for Kate, so she eagerly accepts the job and sets off on a summer book tour.
Along the way, she must balance the demands of maintaining the ruse while navigating her evolving connection to Charlie. I typically enjoy books set in the publishing industry and know lots of other readers find that behind the scenes aspect interesting, so we’ve got that going for us in her newest novel! I’m also thrilled to see a romance book featuring a middle aged female main character! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
If you like romance books about musicians, this is the June new book release for you! A band reunion on a themed cruise ship gives two musicians a second chance at love!
In Never Been Shipped, we meet Micah and John, former band members who experienced soaring fame and an even quicker downfall. Micah led her band to tremendous success as a teenager, but knows she made mistakes with her heart and her music back then. When she agrees to reunite with the band for a special performance on a themed cruise, she’s determined not to repeat past mistakes. So she’ll keep herself guarded, even though she has to admit she’s starting to see her bandmate John in a new light.
John also wishes he would have made different decisions back then – being more aggressive in his pursuit of a bigger role in the band and in pursuit of Micah. He’s given a second chance during this reunion and plans to finally do something about this emotions he’s felt for so long. With only five days at sea, they must decide whether their renewed connection is only a summer fling or if it’s the start of a life changing love. The cruise ship setting makes this perfect for summer! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Winging It With You by Chip Pons
Since Chip is a pretty famous bookstagrammer, I’ve seen this novel all over Instagram lately! It’s neat to see someone who started as a huge fan of books turn into an actual author. An airport meet cute is always a favorite of mine too! We need more of those in romance books, please!
Asher is drowning his sorrows in mozzarella sticks at the airport TGI Fridays after a disastrous day. Not only was he dumped at the airport by his boyfriend, he’s also now lost his partner for the worldwide travel reality show they were supposed to do together. In a much needed stroke of luck, who sits down next to him but a grounded pilot who’s looking for a new adventure.
After being forced to take time off work to prove he has a “healthy work-life balance”, Theo sees this opportunity as a chance to prove to his airline he’s not unhealthily obsessed with his job. Asher and Theo agree to fake date while participating in this reality show so they can each get what they want. They set off on a whirlwind adventure, navigating both the challenges and their growing attraction to each other.
This is definitely giving off The Amazing Race vibes, which is such a fun setting for a blossoming romance! I’m so excited to see what these two endure together while also getting to know each other. | Buy From Amazon
This is the second book in the dark romance series that took the book world by storm!! I finally read Book 1, Lights Out, a few months ago and absolutely loved it! It is definitely spicy and dark, but also extremely funny and charming. A wild combination but it just works! So naturally, I’ve been eager for Caught Up to be released. Book 2 focuses on a side character from Lights Out, Nico (who goes by Junior). It seems like this story is pretty self-contained, so you don’t necessarily have to read Lights Out first but it’s so good that you should anyway!
Junior has known Lauren since she was a shy, but sweet bookish girl in high school and she’s always been off limits. In a moment of weakness though (and we’ve all been there), he looks her up online. He discovers she’s now a confident, stunning woman who isn’t afraid to share seductive pictures of herself online and has a connection to a local sex play club. He starts to develop an obsession, tracking her wherever she goes and messaging her online.
Lauren has no idea who this stranger is who keeps chatting with her online and starts showing up to her club. She’s flirty at first, but begins opening up to him and unexpectedly starts forming a deeper bond. Once he reveals who he is though, will his violent family and dark history scare her away? | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Mystery/Thriller New Releases
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Nick Radcliffe is a charming man who is just what Nina Swann needed in her life after her husband’s unexpected death. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…
Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.
Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in.
I gave this book 4.5 stars! It was fascinating that the book revolves around one man who has created multiple different identities and worked his way through multiple different wives. As the reader we get a glimpse into the different situations he’s manipulating right off the bat, but we don’t know just how sinister he really is. The snappy writing and the jumps between characters and times keep the narrative fast paced, so I’m flying through it. | Buy From Amazon
With A Vengeance by Riley Sager
A new Riley Sager is always going to top my list of the most anticipated new books of the year! I like that this one has a historical aspect as well and it sounds more fast-paced than his last novel. In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.
Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. She’s hoping to confront the people involved, get them to confess and hand them over the the authorities.
But Anna’s plan changes when a passenger is murdered. Someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead. With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk. | Buy From Amazon
Fantasy New Releases
Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Get ready for a sapphic vampire fantasy! V.E. Schwab is known for her intricate, magical tales and this story of female vampires and their legacy across multiple timelines seems fascinating. This was just selected as a Book of the Month option, so you can grab it for only $5 with my link!
This story begins in 1532. A young girl grows up wild, but her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice.
300 years later, a young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow―but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.
In 2019, Alice moved halfway across the world for a chance at being someone new. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge. This is a story about life – how it ends, and how it starts. I get chills just from reading that! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
According to the Library Journal, there was a bidding war among publishers for this manuscript, making this one of the most sought after fantasies of the year! A former dancer in a King’s court is offered a chance to become a spy for him, changing the course of her life.
Vasalie has spent the past two years of her life in the dungeons after King Illian framed her for murder. Barely hanging on, the young dancer is given an opportunity to become a spy for him instead of rotting away. She agrees, but finds her assignments are far more dangerous and deadly than she expected. Her latest task is to gain the trust of the King’s younger brother to infiltrate his private circle, but Vasalie discovers Anton might be her only hope in fighting against the monster that King Illian has become.
She finds herself caught right in the middle of a political nightmare as the rivalry between the two brothers escalates. When her own past comes to light, Vasalie must decide who to trust and who is forth fighting for. This is a tension-filled fantasy with plenty of political intrigue and a dash of romance! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
General Fiction New Releases
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid writing a novel about the space program!? I couldn’t be more excited for this. I’m sometimes hit or miss on her novels, but I know most people absolutely adore her and the topic of this one is particularly interesting for me so I’ll definitely be giving it a try!
In the 1980’s, a physics professor is chosen as one of the first women scientists to enter NASA’s space shuttle program. Joan finds herself living out a dream as she meets the other astronauts and diving into the world of NASA. The group comes from a wide variety of backgrounds and contains a range of personalities, but they form a bond as they train together.
Joan finds a new passion for life and a new love that she never expected. But in December 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant. I’m dying to know more about what happens to these astronauts! It feels like the description is leaving us on a crazy cliffhanger, so I have no doubt this will be another unputdownable read from TJR. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Let me know in the comments which one you’re most looking forward to reading!