LifeSavvy | July 6, 2022

As we head towards the peak of summer, it’s never been a better time to chill out in the A/C or poolside with a good book. Whether you’re looking for a breezy summer romance, a thoughtful novel spanning generations, or a fresh perspective on a true story, July’s book releases have plenty to offer every reader. Here’s what we’ve got on our TBR list this month.

The Force of Such Beauty: A Novel

Becoming royalty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Inspired by tales of real-life women who married into royal families, only to find their lives strictly controlled, Barbara Bourland’s novel follows a former Olympian whose career ends with a single, devastating accident. She meets and falls in love with a charming prince, but she soon discovers the cracks beneath the surface in his tiny, hyper-controlled, glamorous-on-the-surface principality. Release date: July 19

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CrimeReads | July 6, 2022

The CrimeReads editors select the month’s best new fiction in crime, mystery, and thrillers.

Barbara Bourland, The Force of Such Beauty (Dutton)

I’d describe this one as “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” if it was written from the perspective of Grace Kelly or Lady Di. A former Olympic athlete, body broken from overtraining, meets the handsome heir to a small kingdom and becomes his blushing bride. Soon, her nuptial bliss turns to waking nightmare, as her husband and her mother-in-law conspire to control every dollar in the kingdom and every moment of the new princess’s life.–MO

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Hasty Book List | July 1, 2022

Caroline, a former marathon runner who dropped out of school at fourteen to pursue an Olympic medal, was the perfect candidate for a tiara: shapely, disciplined, accustomed to public attention, and utterly uneducated.

After she meets Finn, the handsome prince of a small European kingdom, her fate is sealed. With a collar of pearls locked around her throat and a rope of diamonds leashing her to a balcony, Caroline uses her once-powerful body to smile, wave, and produce children with perfect grace.

But once she begins to open her eyes to the world around her—and examine her own reflection—Caroline discovers that she may have entered a bargain that cannot be undone.

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The Times | June 22, 2022

Andrea Oliver, who featured in Karin Slaughter’s recent Netflix series Pieces of Her, has no sooner qualified as a US marshal than she gets a high-profile assignment protecting a judge targeted with death threats. But the job’s not as straightforward as that.

The forgotten girl is the judge’s teenage daughter, Emily, who was pregnant (father uncertain) when she was battered to death on prom night 40 years ago. No one caught the killer. And no one knows that Andrea’s father is an infamous psychopath now in prison. He just happens to have grown up in Longbill Beach, where Andrea finds herself, and to have been close friends with Emily. Girl, Forgotten neatly braids together events from 1982, when Emily and her clique took acid, with Andrea’s probing of small-town past and present.

Helped by her new mentor, the splendidly named Catfish Bible, she uncovers more bodies of women, as patterns of violence that have long been concealed begin to reveal themselves. Slaughter relies less on real surprises to hold the attention than she does on page-turning qualities, which this effortlessly accomplished thriller has in keen-edged spadefuls.

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Good Housekeeping | June 27, 2022

During the publication of my first two novels, I believed I was old enough, and had done enough therapy to understand what it meant to submit yourself for a performance review in public. Naturally, I was wrong: instead of responding with grace, I observed, with horror, as my standard for regular, go-about-your-day-self-worth became "ecstatic praise from others." Anything less was a catastrophe, one that left me feeling trapped in the double-bind of resenting myself for failing and for feeling like a failure, too. When your minimum for “OK” becomes “be the best,” it’s impossible to have a healthy relationship to anything, or anyone. Most of all, I felt like I'd lost my sense of joy. And I wanted it back.

I initially tried to manage this with the obvious: talk therapy. CBT. CBD. Meditation. Running. Drinking. Not drinking. All of these things worked until they didn’t; they were fine Band-Aids, until they fell off. The deeper problem — that my sense of self was fused to my ambitions — couldn’t be solved by breathing exercises, so I did the only other thing I know how to do: I wrote about it.

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Parade | June 23, 2022

Buzzy books! Spicy romances! Race-against-the-clock thrillers! No matter your preferences, there's a new book on this list you won’t want to put down. So pull up a beach chair, grab a poolside seat or lounge under the stars (or patio lights) this season and get to reading.

The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland

After a failed escape attempt, the princess of a tiny European kingdom begins to reevaluate her life in Barbara Bourland’s The Force of Such Beauty. July 19, Dutton

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Library Journal | June 17, 2022

Slaughter’s (False Witness) 22nd book, the second in the “Andrea Oliver” series (following Pieces of Her), begins two years after Andrea learned that her mother was in witness protection and that her childhood was built on lies. Andrea is no longer the timid woman whose life was turned upside down in the series’ first installment. Now she’s a newly deputized United States Marshal, eager to take control and start life on her terms. Her first official assignment takes her to the small Delaware town of Longbill Beach to protect federal judge Esther Vaughn. She is also asked, unofficially, to investigate the 1982 murder of Judge Vaughn’s daughter Emily, who was pregnant and a high school senior at the time. This assignment is personal—the prime suspect in Emily Vaughn’s murder is Andrea’s currently imprisoned father, who might be paroled sooner than she or Judge Vaughn is comfortable with. The plot of Slaughter’s thriller unfolds over a dual timeline—the contrasts between the novel’s 1982 and 2022 United States cannot be ignored—as Andrea uncovers a truth that has been hidden for 40 years.

VERDICT Slaughter skillfully leads readers on a thrilling journey into the past to solve the murder that a small town wants to forget, yet is still haunted by. Will appeal to fans of Michael Koryta, Joe Lansdale, and Jennifer Hillier.

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Publishers Weekly | June 8, 2022

Bourland (Fake Like Me) draws inspiration from real-life princesses for her deliciously scandalous latest. In 2000, 21-year-old Caroline Muller from Johannesburg sets the record for the women’s marathon. A year and a half later, she falls during the Athens marathon, shattering her hip and suffering a cheekbone fracture. After five surgeries at an American hospital, where she meets Prince Ferdinand Fieschi of Lucomo, who’s recovering after a car accident in which his fiancée was killed, her reconstructed face radiates with a new beauty. A relationship develops between Caroline and Ferdinand, and she hopes for a fairy tale marriage (“The force of such beauty is meant to destabilize a person. I was no exception”). The match turns out to be anything but happy, as she is soon confronted by the ridiculous demands of producing heirs and respecting etiquette. Indeed, the life of a princess is far lonelier and more dangerous than she imagined. Though a plot involving the royals’ shady business practices feels anticlimactic, Bourland offers a smart critique of a corrupt world’s disenchanting effects on a naive young woman. The result is satisfyingly dark and twisted.

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Today | June 1, 2022

From a witty romance to a gripping true story, you'll want to add these picks to your summer reading list.

To help you sort through your summer reading list, bestselling author John Searles, whose latest novel is "Her Last Affair," stopped by the 3rd hour of TODAY to talk about what you should be reading for the beach season. Whether you're looking for a lighthearted romance or heart-wrenching memoir, Searles has a list of reads you won't want to put down. Plus a book recommendation that would make a perfect Father's Day gift.

Best summer thriller read

"My Summer Darlings," by May Cobb

"It's about three women living in the same East Texas neighborhood, when a very handsome stranger moves onto their street, they all become very obsessed with him — and a wee bit competitive for his attention too," Searles said. "As it turns out, this guy has got a secret, well, lots of secrets. So what starts out as a playful page turner, ultimately turns into a twisty thriller about obsession and murder. Still it never gets too dark, at moments, is quite steamy — making it a perfect beach read."

Watch the video here! Follow the link above to learn more.

Austin American-Statesman | May 30, 2022

The calendar is finally catching up to our summer temperatures, and it’s time to contemplate your (local) summer book plans. All the authors listed below have some link to Austin, either as a resident or through an upcoming event. Read on, mark your calendars, and enjoy dipping into literary worlds both familiar and new.

May Cobb, 'My Summer Darlings'

Women who do what they want – no matter the cost – populate Austinite May Cobb’s dishy, twisty thrillers, and “My Summer Darlings” (Berkley, $27) is no exception. Cobb sets her sultry new tale in East Texas, where a trio of friends grapples with their relationships with each other and their children. The arrival of swoony (very) bad boy Will Harding stretches their sometimes-tenuous bonds to a breaking point.  

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Bookstr | May 27, 2022

What could be better than sitting by the pool with a good book? If you’re looking for your next poolside read, here are 10 recommendations.

Summertime is almost upon us, folks. The warm air, the cool nights, the sunshine…I love it all. And what’s a better way to take it all in than sitting by the pool and reading a good book? Choosing a perfect book for your summertime tan session could be a difficult feat. There’s just so much to choose from! So, while everyone’s taste is a little different, here are 10 books I think would make a great poolside companion.

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb

Jen, Kittie and Cynthia are approaching forty, but they’re still friends, there is just a lot more wine and gossiping now. When Will Harding, a mysterious stranger moves into the neighborhood the women become fascinated. The summer quickly becomes full of intrigue, obsession, manipulation, and maybe even murder. 

Reasons to Read: This book is a refreshing, shocking, and steamy thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

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Deep South Magazine | May 27, 2022

21 of the best beach reads, mysteries, essays and debut fiction from down South.

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb

Having known each other their whole lives, it only makes sense for Jen Hansen, Kittie Spears and Cynthia Nichols to brace for the onset of their forties together. The trio passes their days by gossiping, drinking wine and reflecting on their disappointing children—until the lavish Will Harding moves into the neighborhood and takes over their lives. Jen, Kittie and Cynthia quickly find themselves in over their heads in this riveting thriller of a beach read.

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Kirkus | May 25, 2022

The arrival of a new girl creates drama at a riding stable.

Drama is the last thing Victoria needs: She arrives at Edgewood Stables from rival Waverly Stables following a blowup with former best friend Taylor that leaves her shaken. Taylor has her own horse and takes riding and showing very seriously. Victoria is a good rider, but she understands that her accountant mom will never be able to buy her a horse, and she wants to have time for other things, like watching her favorite science-fiction show, Beyond the Galaxy. Despite a rocky start at Edgewood, she develops friendships with the other middle schoolers in the barn: uber-extrovert Norrie, quiet Hazel, and Sam, who is the only boy. Her new friends are not only Beyond the Galaxy fans, they also help her regain her own confidence in herself and around horses. The story is told from both Victoria’s and Norrie’s points of view, with flashbacks to Victoria’s friendship with Taylor. The emotional arc is realistic and finely developed, with the underlying message, emphasized by illustrations depicting riders with a broad range of skin tones and body types, that there are many ways to be a rider. Norrie is cued as South Asian; Sam reads as Black, and the other main characters appear White. The horses are well done, too. The clean, jewel-toned artwork is especially strong at portraying emotions through facial expressions and body language.

Combines sensitive character exploration with horses: a blue-ribbon winner.

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Great Day Connecticut/WFSB | May 24, 2022

Authors Krista Wells and Nicole Moleti talk about their new book "An Imperfect Plan” in this video.

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CrimeReads | May 24, 2022

It may be the fact that this CrimeReads editor moved back to Texas, but did anyone else feel like summer started months ago?!? Or maybe I just felt that way because I started reading for the summer preview back in February, to make sure I dedicated plenty of time to picking out the cleverest, twistiest, most puzzling and pulse-pounding mysteries I could find for your poolside consumption over the next few months. Let’s see which is higher—this year’s record temperatures, or the number of books on your to-read list after scrolling through the following. (Also because this preview was assembled by a former bookseller, the old joke about booksellers recommending emotionally devastating titles as beach reads does apply but only for, like, a third of the titles on this list.)

May Cobb, My Summer Darlings
(Berkley)

A stranger comes to town, in Cobb’s exhilarating new thriller. In this case the town is in East Texas, home to three women who keep each other sane with daily drinks and conversation, the latter of which begins to focus on a man newly arrived in the neighborhood. And of course, it turns out he has secrets. My Summer Darlings is a smart, fun thriller about obsession and friendship.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Comic-Con | May 18, 2022

Comic-Con is proud to announce the nominees for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2022. The nominations are for works published between January 1 and December 31, 2021 and were chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges.

Once again, this year’s nominees in 32 categories reflect the wide range of material being published in the U.S. today in comics and graphic novel media, representing over 150 print and online titles from some 65 publishers, produced by creators from all over the world.

Among projects with 2 nominations are Not All Robots (AWA Upshot), Superman: Red & Blue (DC), Popeye: The EC Seger Sundays (Fantagraphics), Bubble (First Second/Macmillan), You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife (Iron Circus), Alison Bechdel’s The Secret of Superhuman Strength (Mariner Books), Will McPhail’s In (Mariner Books), Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man 1962–1964 (TASCHEN), Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection (VIZ Media), and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (VIZ Media).

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Goodreads | May 17, 2022

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day.

To create our list, we focused on the books Goodreads members can't wait to read, which we measure by how many times a book has been added to Want to Read shelves. All these top titles are now available in the United States! Which ones catch your eye?

My Summer Darlings
by May Cobb
You should read this book if you like: Thrillers, lifelong wine-drinking friends, sexy strangers who move to town, manipulation, obsession, murder, The Hunting Wives

Follow the link above to learn more.

Writer's Digest | May 17, 2022

Author May Cobb discusses offering readers a summer of mayhem with her new novel, My Summer Darlings.

May Cobb earned her MA in literature from San Francisco State University, and her essays and interviews have appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Edible Austin, and Austin Monthly. Her previous novel is The Hunting Wives. A Texas native, she lives in Austin with her family.

In this post, May discusses offering readers a summer of mayhem with her new novel, My Summer Darlings, her advice for other writers, and more!

Follow the link above to learn more.