June 2023 Book Releases: 19 Summer road trip Ready Reads
Who’s ready to head out for a picnic as the beginnings of summer start creeping in? I’m not sure there’s anything better than snagging a good book and reading under a big tree as the breeze rolls by! While I’m most looking forward to a few contemporary romances being released, I’m also pleasantly surprised by a few of the fantasy June 2023 book releases!
Sci-Fi & Fantasy June 2023 Releases
- The Surviving Sky by Kritika Rao – Book Release June 13th, 2023 – Part one of Rao’s new Rages Trilogy! (Plus – this cover art is beautiful and I stand by the fact that cover artists do not get enough credit for their gorgeous work!)
- The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson – Book Releasing June 13th, 2023 – A dark tale centered around a World War I era circus with a darker dazzling magical spin!
Mythology Retellings Released June 2023
I know, technically mythology retellings are part of the fantasy genre – BUT – in the last few years they’ve really taken on a life of their own. Many readers prefer them over typical fantasy-style reads. Books like Ariadne, Circe, and Song of Achilles have made their rounds on social media, and readers want more. There are so many new mythology retellings releasing in 2023!
- Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara – Book Release June 13th, 2023 – A rebellious young goddess named Psyche becomes skilled in the arts of war, and angers Aphrodite, the Goddess of beauty. In her wrath, Aphrodite sends Eros to seduce Psyche with dangerous consequences.
Contemporary Romance Novel Releases in June 2023
- Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monoghan – Book Releasing June 6th, 2023 – A mature woman’s second chance romance and choices about her new life and the life she left behind.
- Reckless (Chesnut Springs Book #4) by Elsie Silver – Book Release June 9th, 2023 – # Four of the massively BookTok and Bookstagram famous small town romance Chesnut Springs series! Will be available on Kindle Unlimited!
- Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood – Book Released June 13th, 2023 – As a long-time Ali Hazelwood fan, I’m very excited about this one and have it preordered! Rumor is that Hazelwood’s writing style is switching up in Love Theoretically. We’re getting an all-new type of self-confident heroine and I couldn’t be more excited!
- The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand – Book Release June 13th, 2023: Hilderbrand has written a massive amount of romance novels over the years. Beloved by many, The Five-Star Weekend would be the perfect book to add to your summer beach bag.
- Crimson River (The Edens #5) by Devney Perry – Book Release June 15th, 2023. The Edens is another highly popular romance series famous in the Booktok circles. If you’re looking for those easy summer romances with a touch more tear-jerker moments, this is the series for you!
- Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder – Book Released June 27th, 2023 — I’m reading an advanced reader copy of this one and it’s surprisingly good! I always like reading about the less glamorous sides of Hollywood!
Historical Fiction June 2023 Book Releases
- Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See – Book Release June 6th, 2023. A perfect choice for your next AAPI (Asian American & Pacific Islander) read! A tale of breaking free from the restrictions that 15th-century Chinese women were figuratively and literally bound by.
- The Spectacular by Fiona Davis – Book Release June 13th, 2023. Written by the same author as The Magnolia Palace, Davis is wowing historical fiction lovers everywhere with her new book. Picture the 1950s, the Rockettes, mobsters, and a terrorist bombing plot!
- A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales – Book Release June 27th, 2023. I received an advanced reader copy of this one and rated it 3.5/5 stars. A fun murder-mystery take on a Pride and Prejudice-style Victorian Era read!
Thriller & Mystery Novel Releases June 2023
A genre I’ve become more and more intrigued by is the thriller genre! Over the years, I’ve always read more romance so I’m excited for thriller and mystery novel releases in June 2023. Two of these I was fortunate enough to receive advanced reader copies of!
A Few I’ve Already Read
I was fortunate enough to receive a few advance reader copies this month of some pretty great thrillers from authors I hadn’t heard of yet! You Can Trust Me and
- You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard – Book Release June 13th, 2023. I just finished my advanced reader copy of this book, and it’s SO good! When two gorgeous con artists decide to team up together, they start off on a five-year adventure. When Leo’s mark, a self-made billionaire, starts to return her affections, things start to feel strange. Then Leo goes missing, and Summer realizes that Leo may have had more secrets than a normal California-bound runaway.
- Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez – Book Release June 27th, 2023 — I received an advanced reader copy of this one. Can’t wait to share my thoughts!
Upcoming Thriller Releases I Haven’t Read Yet
I haven’t read these yet but many of these come highly recommended by friends who did receive advanced reader copies or are mega-hit authors!
- The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding – Book Release June 13th, 2023. Coming highly recommended by a fellow reader friend who received an advanced reader copy! The Drowing Woman is a tale of twisted female friendships and how far someone would go to disappear.
- She Started It by Sian Gilbert – Book Release June 13th, 2023. When a bachelorette party in the Caribbean takes a deadly turn… petty jealousy.. or very real problems..?
- Zero Days by Ruth Ware – Book Release June 20th, 2023. From the same author as best seller The It Girl! Did you love Mr. and Mrs. Smith? That movie with Angelina Jolie was a personal favorite of mine for a long time! Zero Days follows a couple who specialize in hacking security systems and showcasing their weaknesses. When one partner ends up dead, and the other is framed for the murder…
- What The Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman – Book Release June 20th, 2023. Do you love novels that revolve around the ugly lies behind pretty neighborhoods? The answer is yes because I’m pretty sure everyone does! In What The Neighbors Saw, a new family moves to town and the wife and a recently widowed neighbor become fast friends. But who really are our neighbors and how can we trust the people we barely know?
- Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie – Book Release June 27th, 2023. Coming highly recommended by the author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Have You Seen Her promises to be an epic summer read. Set against the backdrop of Yosemite National Park, three women’s lives intersect at the point of a decade-old crime.
June 2023 CONTEMPORARY FICTION BOOK RELEASES
- Carrie Soto is Back (Paperback) by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Book Release June 6th, 2023 – This highly popular #meToo style contemporary fiction book has been available as a hardback for a while – but the paperback releases in June!
Hope you found your next great read! Save this post on Pinterest for later, and follow me on Instagram @Southern.Lady.Reads for more reading recs and book reviews!!!
