Releasing on August 26th 2025, read on to discover the synopsis and the cover, PLUS we have the first chapter too for you to take a peek at! You can pre-order your copy here.

Accepted to the prestigious summer ballet intensive at Allegra Academy on scholarship, sixteen-year-old Mars Chang is thrust into the world of wealthy—and she’s determined to stay.

Mars’s annoyingly attractive roommate, Alex Bechler, has everything: she’s effortlessly cool and easily one of the best dancers in the school. Her big pharma family founded the academy and they’re on the verge of launching a new supplement, APL, to make them even richer. So when the head of the academy tasks Mars to secretly switch Alex’s supplements with APL in exchange for a chance at year-round enrollment, Mars agrees.

Since Mars already knows nothing at the academy is fair, she decides to help a fellow scholarship student by giving her some APL supplements. At first pills give the girl an instant edge in class, but when they also produce terrifying side effects, Mars suspects that APL might not be safe and that the Bechler’s might not have Alex’s best interests at heart.

But how can Mars convince Alex that her leading role in the recital might literally kill her?

Chapter One

The smell of summer roses lingered long after I’d left the Oliver Bechler II Memorial Garden. I hurried through clusters of girls walking in groups of two and three along the stone paths, staring at the text message Ethan had sent me over an hour ago.

need to talk asap. call me when you can

I couldn’t find cell reception anywhere. A circle of giant silver statues loomed above me, their hands outstretched toward the bright blue cloudless sky, while a water fountain bubbled and frothed in intervals between their perfect metal bodies.

This academy certainly didn’t skimp when it came to decadence.

I had zero bars by the pond. White swans drifted across the tranquil water, side-eyeing me like proper mean girls while I strode past them, waving my phone around wildly like maybe that would help with my terrible signal.

Horrible scenarios played out in my mind. What if Ethan had gotten into an accident? Or what if something bad had happened to Mom? She’d dropped me off at Allegra Academy only a few hours ago. The highway back to Clarksville was terrible, especially since it also funneled city traffic.

I’d jumped out of the minivan without so much as saying goodbye to her, immediately checking in with a dance instructor instead. But what if Mom got into a car crash or something? What if it happened partly because of our fight on the way to campus? About how much makeup I was wearing.

Of all things to die over.

I knew it was easier to get riled up than to calm down. I breathed in and out, taking in my serene surroundings. Relax, I told myself.

The silver statues’ smiles remained perfectly placid. Birds trilled from pink flowering trees. Gleaming white steps led up to pristinely polished glass doors. Everything was in the right place. Well ordered.

Nothing bad could happen in a place like this. I knew this was going to be the perfect summer . . . just as soon as I confirmed with Ethan that no one back home had died or anything like that.

I finally found some signal once I got through the imposingly large doors of the main facility. The entrance bore the school crest—a white snake coiled above a red-and-white-patterned shield, flanked by black antelopes on their hind legs, with a banner below with the words PER ARDUA AD ALTA.

Through effort to higher things.

I fixed my posture reflexively, even though no one was watching me. A steady stream of air-conditioning cooled my flushed cheeks. My steps echoed against the floor, louder than I intended.

I felt severely underdressed in my simple floral-patterned shirt and matching skirt, even though there was no dress code outside of studio hours. The brochure encouraged us to “come as you are,” but apparently what that meant varied. Wildly.

I’d seen girls here with tennis bracelets and bags that probably cost more than our monthly rent. They were already posted by the reflecting pool, sunbathing on white beach towels. Some of them were even openly drinking wine.

They could afford to break the rules, but I couldn’t. So I snuck into the bathroom down the main hall. Once I was sure I was alone, I finally called Ethan back.

One ring. Then two. He finally picked up on the third.

“I’m not supposed to be on my phone,” I whispered. “Is everything okay?”

His voice was muffled and distracted. Like it had been for the past few weeks. He sounded further away than ever. “Yeah,” he said, after a beat of silence. “Things are going great, actually.”

I knew he’d been busy between summer tutoring and working on his start-up. I had no idea what his business plan was, but he seemed confident in the idea of an app connecting students to whatever “virtual mentors” were supposed to be. And he was passionate about it, so I wasn’t going to prod too much.

“You’ve been a great girlfriend, Mars,” he continued. “Supportive and gorgeous. One of the hottest girls I’ve ever seen.”

“Well, yeah.” Then I frowned. “What do you mean, one of the hottest?”

A loud bang outside the door. Fuck. Someone else was coming into the bathroom. My brief respite of privacy was shattered.

I scrambled into the nearest stall, listening to Ethan tell me about how life was a lot more complicated than he expected. The other person who’d come into the bathroom was also busy talking on the phone. Not a dance instructor coming to reprimand me, thankfully—but whoever it was sure was loud.

“It’s just six weeks,” I heard her argue. “We can make it work, Harper. I’ll be back in August.”

“Mars?” Ethan’s voice was a little hesitant. “So do you think you could give me your blessing?”

“What?” I’d totally missed what he’d said previously because of the sudden interruption.

“I want to stay friends with you,” he said solemnly. “You’re a good person.”

A horrible premonition was sneaking up on me. But it was hard to comprehend what Ethan was saying, especially with all the arguing coming from the other stall. I muted myself and tried to crane my head to see who the other person was, but the wall between us was too high.

“Could you please shut up?” I snapped. “I got here first.”

“Fuck off,” the other girl shot back. “I’m in the middle of an important call. It’s my girlfriend.”

“Well, I’m on a call with my boyfriend,” I said, before the realization set in.

I want to stay friends. Ethan was breaking up with me.

I unmuted. “What the hell?” I asked, exasperated. “Why?”

Through the unsteady connection, his sigh was tinny and irritated. I could picture him pacing his room, tapping his second-favorite ballpoint pen—Pilot G2, 0.7mm, because the Montblanc was an heirloom, just for display—against his desk like he did whenever he got annoyed. “I already told you why. Were you not listening at all? Madison and I have been getting really close these past few weeks. You’re both great girls, but I have to follow this connection and try something new.”

My mind drew a blank. I couldn’t think of a single Madison from our grade. In fact, there was only one person named Madison that I’d even heard of, and that was from Ethan himself. He’d mentioned her so casually that she didn’t even register until this moment.

“Wait, you’re breaking up with me to date the freshman you were tutoring?”

“Please don’t make me the bad guy here, Mars. We’ve known each other for too long to stoop to these silly games, right? I know this might be hard for you initially, but at least you’re away for the summer. I could even set you up with a mentor that specializes in processing relationship breakups. We’re actually starting to look for beta test—”

I hung up. Then I screamed into my own palm.

The other girl swore. “Damn. Could you be quieter, please?”

She hadn’t made a single concession for my call, so there was no reason for me to be courteous to her. As soon as I left the stall, I splashed my face with cold water from the bathroom sink and swiped a new layer of pink gloss across my lips.

The girl in the mirror looked good enough. One of the hottest, allegedly, if one could believe the words of a cheater. I was a little red-eyed, but I could always blame summer allergies if anyone asked.

I walked back through the long corridor, straightening my spine as I passed the bronze busts bearing the names of generous alumni. Here was a titan of industry, there was a philanthropist and lover of the arts. My steps were lighter this time around, befitting this hallowed institution.

It wasn’t until I got outside that my shoulders finally slumped forward. I blinked back humiliated tears. I knew I was in no condition to make small talk at the afternoon welcome tea, even though it was probably my best chance of making friends with any of the girls.

My boyfriend had just broken up with me. My mom was mad at me. And I’d probably already made one enemy at Allegra Academy, thanks to my outburst in the bathroom.

Maybe college admissions officers would be impressed by how fast I could ruin everything. Not only was I decent at taking tests, but I also excelled at alienating everyone around me. I played varsity when it came to talking back to my elders. I was the president of getting dumped. If I put the right spin on my situation—maybe I could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with girls whose mothers were on the board of trustees and whose family names were emblazoned across well-known institutions all over the world, from art museums and concert halls to, of course, banks.

Though if my experience at Allegra Academy so far was any indication, I knew I’d be on the outside looking in. Wishing, wanting, fuming.

Maybe I could pretend a little bit. I knew I could match these girls inside the studio, so why not on the outside as well? They didn’t have to know I was only here because of a scholarship.

And I would be damned if I let Ethan ruin my whole summer.

I did not flip off the hissing swans in the pond, although I was sorely tempted to. I followed the map an instructor had handed us during orientation, over a stone bridge, past the yellow daffodil hill, and into a greenhouse decorated with twinkling fairy lights.

Lush greenery everywhere. There were multitiered trays of tiny tea sandwiches, but no one was eating. Was eating considered gauche or something?

Someone—probably a music school student doing the summer gig routine—was playing early classical music on a harp. There were dark circles under her eyes and a coffee stain on her white collared shirt.

“Enjoying yourself?” a woman asked me warmly.

I’d been immediately spotted by a dance instructor. Her gauzy black dress billowed like a dark cloud around her. Despite the flowing fabric, it was clear she was wafer-thin.

“It can be overwhelming at first, but I’m sure you’ll settle in nicely, especially when you meet some of the other girls from your floor,” she told me.

I hated feeling so exposed. “How did you know I’ve never been here before?” 

The woman sidestepped my question, but her eyes lingered on my clothes. Immediately, I made a mental note to never wear this particular outfit again.

I did not eat any of the tiny cucumber or egg sandwiches offered to me. I sipped tea gingerly and lingered on the outskirts of a few groups of girls. I excused myself whenever anyone used the word summering. To my knowledge, summer had always been a season, not a verb.

Pressure was mounting inside my chest. I tried to hold onto the initial feeling of ripping open the acceptance letter. That bright, irrepressible bloom of I finally made it. Dancing around the kitchen like a total freak while Mom called all our relatives abroad to brag on me. My daughter is going to Allegra Academy. What an incredible opportunity; what amazing odds. A Bechler Fellow, to boot. All expenses paid.

I was finally going places.

And right now, that place was definitely away from the welcome tea. I needed breathing room, badly. I ghosted the greenhouse without saying goodbye to anyone. Not that these girls would miss me.

I roamed through the expansive grounds, watching the light bounce off the side of the main facility’s long glass windows until dusk cloaked everything in indigo-blue. The hours seemed to pass more quickly—and painlessly—when I was alone.

I finally walked back toward the residential hall, anticipating a relaxing evening of painting my nails and falling asleep early to ambient music. I knew that tomorrow the camp would begin in earnest. I had to save up all the energy I could muster.

I climbed the four flights of stairs, feeling a small ache in my calves already and knowing it’d be nothing compared to the pain of pointe class. Ornate carpet squished under my feet. The whole place smelt faintly of cigarettes, which were strictly prohibited, and yet.

I wondered which of the girls didn’t mind bending the rules. Surely not anyone like me, from Nowhere, USA. Not when we’d finally made it here.

At least tonight, I could relax a little. I was grateful to have my own room at the end of the hall. I’d rather eat glue than be stuck with a roommate who summered.

But the door to the room was wide open. Someone was already in it, playing loud music. I strode over to her briskly.

“Excuse me,” I told the girl, as pleasantly as I could manage. “But this is my room.”

She looked up from the other twin bed and lowered the volume on the speakers she’d propped onto the shelf in the corner, but only marginally. Her ears were both studded with silver rings. Heavy black boots rested against the side of the wall. My side of the wall.

“I got moved,” she said wryly. “My friend Naomi decided—practically last minute—that she needed a single. No idea why, but yeah. Here I am.”

I forced myself to smile. “Nice to meet you, then. I’m Marianne—Mars Chang.”

“We met earlier, actually. Well, not met, exactly. But I saw you leaving right when I was coming out of the bathroom.”

It was just my luck that I’d be rooming with someone I’d already gotten into a fight with. “Great.”

“Yeah.” She stared up at the ceiling. “This isn’t what I wanted either, but Naomi needed her own space. She’s been having a hard summer, so they moved me here.”

“Do you have a name, by the way? Or should I just refer to you as Harper’s girlfriend?”

“So you do remember me!” Her voice was cheerfully deadpan. “I’m guessing you’d rather go by Mars than Ethan’s ex? Also, ouch. He broke up with you for a freshman?”

Six weeks, I reminded myself. I’d be living with this person for six weeks, so I had to reign in the bickering.

“I’m Alex,” she finally said. “And I really am sorry. That call sounded rough, even from the other side of the wall.”

She didn’t dress like most of the other girls here. No tennis bracelet or preppy co-ords in sight. Just a whole lot of black everywhere. Big black bag and big black boots.

“Thanks. Do you happen to have a last name, or are you aiming for more of a Zendaya moment?”

The side of her cheek twitched. Her black eyes flared, almost defiantly. “Bechler. I’m Alex Bechler, but I’d prefer just Alex, okay?”

My fight-or-flight mode instantly activated. Both options seemed pretty good right now, but I just stood there, trying to disguise how unsettled and uncomfortable I felt.

It was thanks to her family that I was even able to participate in this summer program. A scholarship student and a Bechler, rooming together. Lovely. Certainly I would not develop any
hangups or resentments because of this.

“Sure thing,” I said, lying out of the side of my mouth. “I’ll remember to think of you as Just Alex then.”

“I’m not—” she started. Cheeks flushing. But whatever she wasn’t, she couldn’t seem to articulate to me. And I knew one thing she certainly was: a Bechler.

A Bechler who’d already taken up more than half of the room and could definitely get me kicked out if I so much as annoyed her. All she had to do was whisper one word to one of the dance instructors, and I’d be gone. Just like that.

So I made my bed, climbed in, and avoided saying another word to her. I couldn’t afford to get on her bad side.

Cover designed by Rosie Stewart and illustrated by Clémence Gouy

About The Author
Catherine Yu writes dark speculative fiction. She is the author of Direwood and Helga, and her short fiction has appeared in Fantasy Magazine and the Death in the Mouth horror anthology. She was born in Nanjing and is now based in New York.

The post Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Devil’s In The Dancers by Catherine Yu appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hello second half of 2022 and hello to all the incredible upcoming book releases we can look forward to!

In this round up, we take a look at some of the most exciting titles to be released between the months of July and December with releases from the likes of Sarah Gailey, Ruth Ware, Alexis Hall, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Courtney Summers, and many more, along with delightful debuts from new authors you should keep on your radar!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite July to December 2022 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! 

JULY

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
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A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
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Just Like Home is a darkly gothic thriller from nationally bestselling author Sarah Gailey, perfect for fans of Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House as well as HBO’s true crime masterpiece I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.

The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson
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Rival photographers are forced to collaborate on a body-positive lingerie campaign, but they might have to readjust their focus when sparks fly.

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
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The masterful story of a lifelong friendship between two very different women with shared histories and buried secrets, tested in the twilight of their lives, set across the arc of the 20th century.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
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The It Girl by Ruth Ware
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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.

Youngblood by Sasha Laurens
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For fans of Vampire Diaries and dark academia, two queer teen bloodsuckers at an elite vampire-only boarding school must go up against all of Vampirdom when they uncover a frightening conspiracy on campus.

Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore
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From Margarita Montimore, the author of GMA Book Club pick and national bestseller Oona Out of Order, Acts of Violet is a dazzling and twisty new novel about a famous magician who disappears, leaving her sister to figure out what really happened.

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
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Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in the tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there? Told from her own perspective, The Book of Gothel is a lush, historical retelling filled with dark magic, crumbling towers, mysterious woods, and evil princes. This is the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it.

What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix by Tasha Suri
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What Souls Are Made Of, British Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri’s masterful new take on Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and fourth book in the Remixed Classics, will leave readers breathless.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
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New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard is unabashedly romantic, laugh-out-loud funny, and the perfect summer read.

AUGUST

Husband Material by Alexis Hall
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Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall
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The Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out in a bid for an inheritance that will leave Helen Vaughan either rich…or dead.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
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New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
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Sunyi Dean’s The Book Eaters is “a darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A delicious modern fairy tale.”― Christopher Buehlman, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary athlete attempts a comeback when the world considers her past her prime—from the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising.

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim
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A new heartfelt novel about the power of loneliness and the strength of love that overcomes it by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
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With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu
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A “superb fantasy saga” (Helene Wecker) of martial arts and magic, about what happens when a prophesied hero is not the chosen one after all—but has to work with a band of unlikely allies to save the kingdom anyway, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lives of Tao

You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
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What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
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From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.

Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
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They have a second chance at love, but there are some rough seas ahead in the new contemporary romance from the acclaimed author of Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships.

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi
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A thrilling new take on Epic Fantasy, inspired by the many culturally divergent stops along a fantastical Silk Road, that follows a storyteller and a singer on the run from their old lives and secrets. 

SEPTEMBER

I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers
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Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne
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From USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game Sally Thorne comes something a little unexpected… a historical rom-com that imagines Victor Frankenstein’s sheltered younger sister, and her attempts to create the perfect man.

Ithaca by Claire North
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This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca’s shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women—and their goddesses—that will change the course of the world.

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
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From New York Times Bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family.

Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo
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From the author of To Kill a Kingdom comes Princess of Souls, a Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied.

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
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Tamsyn Muir’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Locked Tomb Series continues with Nona …the Ninth?

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror
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Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
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From New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young comes a deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams
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From an author with “a flair for storytelling that appears effortlessly authentic” (Time), People Person is a vibrant and charming celebration of discovering family as an adult.

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
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Full of court intrigue, queer romance, and terrifying monsters—this gothic epic fantasy will appeal to fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.

Direwood by Catherine Yu
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In this velvet-clad 1990s gothic horror, Aja encounters a charming vampire who wants to lure her into the woods―just like her missing sister.

OCTOBER

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra
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In Rati Mehrotra’s Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove, a young guardswoman struggles with her unwitting role as a major pawn in the deadly games between two kingdoms in a monster-infested alternate medieval India.

Sign Here by Claudia Lux
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A darkly humorous, surprisingly poignant, and utterly gripping debut novel about a guy who works in Hell (literally) and is on the cusp of a big promotion if only he can get one more member of the wealthy Harrison family to sell their soul.

A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young
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Space is the last thing an event planner and an astronaut need in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
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From the author of Twice Shy comes a sprightly Christmas novel, a rollicking romp through the absurdity of family holidays and the hope of new love.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
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From the number one bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, a deeply suspenseful and heartrending novel about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear.

The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal
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From International Latino Book Award-winning author Ann Dávila Cardinal comes a gorgeously written family saga about a Puerto Rican teenager who finds herself gifted (or cursed?) with a strange ability.

Dead Man’s Hand by James J. Butcher
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In the tradition of his renowned father, James J. Butcher’s debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor.

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
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Award-winning author Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful coming-of-queer-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage. And almost sixty years after the end of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Lo’s new novel also offers a glimpse into Lily and Kath’s lives since 1955.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
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Amateur detective Mallory Viridian’s talent for solving murders ruined her life on Earth and drove her to live on an alien space station, but her problems still follow her in this witty, self-aware novel that puts a speculative spin on murder mysteries, from the Hugo-nominated author of Six Wakes.

Jackal by Erin E. Adams
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A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she’s not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen
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A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

Strike the Zither by Joan He
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A dazzling new fantasy from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, Strike the Zither is a powerful, inventive, and sweeping fantasy that reimagines the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms.

NOVEMBER

The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix
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Love and duty collide in this richly imagined, atmospheric young adult debut about a witch whose dark powers put her at the center of a brewing war between the only family she’s ever known and the enemy who makes her question everything.

She’s Gone by David Bell
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When 17-year-old Hunter Gifford wakes in the hospital on the night of homecoming, he’s shocked to learn he and his girlfriend, Chloe Summers, have been in a terrible car accident. Hunter has no memory of the crash, and his shock turns to horror when he is told Chloe’s blood has been found in the car—but she has disappeared.

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
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After All the Feels and Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade once again delivers a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand—and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again…

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
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From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy, about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest, and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth
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White Horse is a gritty, vibrant debut from Erika T. Wurth about an Indigenous woman who must face her past when she discovers a bracelet haunted by her mother’s spirit.

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
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The author of the “swoon-worthy debut” (Harper’s Bazaar) The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord…only to fall for his sister.

Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga by Lindy Ryan and Christina Henry
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A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by the Baba Yaga. Featuring Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Monique Snyman, Donna Lynch, Lisa Quigley, and R. J. Joseph, with a foreword by Christina Henry.

Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
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A stunning and witty debut novel about a young woman’s emotional journey through unimaginable loss, pulled along by her tight-knit Nigerian family, a posse of new friends, and the love and laughter she shared with her husband. Onyi Nwabineli is a fresh new voice for fans of Yaa Gyasi, Queenie and I May Destroy You.

The Cloisters by Katy Hays
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The Secret History meets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel following a circle of researchers as they uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.

Wait For Me by Sara Shepard
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Dating New York socialite Marcus Coleman, Casey has had trouble recognizing herself lately. But things only get stranger when she begins to hear a voice in her head: one that warns her of danger and leads her to the sleepy town of Avon, where she recognizes people and places she couldn’t possibly know, including a beguiling local boy who seems important to her past—and her present.

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
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Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
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A rich, eccentric family. A time-honored tradition. Or a lethal game of survival? One woman is about to find out if she has what it takes to join her husband’s family in this riveting, must-read thriller from the author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act.

DECEMBER

Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair
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Queen becomes conqueror in this powerful follow-up to King of Battle and Blood where Queen Isolde de Lara has come into her own as the newly coronated queen of Cordova.  She and her mate, the vampire King Adrian, battle insurrection from the Nine Kingdoms…and a mysterious plague that turns humans to monsters. But hell hath no fury like Isolde’s wrath when she discovers that one of the vassal kings has enslaved her mother’s people.

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
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Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time‘s Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
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A girl enters a reality dating competition to get revenge on her cheating, royal-adjacent ex-boyfriend, and ends up falling for another girl on the show—in fact, the girl he cheated on her with.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey
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A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey’s stunning new Black Harbor mystery, The Widowmaker.

A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
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Sometimes two cooks in the kitchen are better than one in this swoony romantic comedy from the author of I’m So (Not) Over You.

The Last Invitation by Darby Kane
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Darby Kane, the author of the critically acclaimed and #1 International Bestseller Pretty Little Wife, has crafted another gripping and twisty suspense about an invitation to an exclusive club that comes with deadly consequences.

Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor
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This delightfully tropey teen romance perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Lyla Lee follows a queer teen actor navigating their gender identity—while pretending to date their co-star.  

All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato
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A savage murder rocks a quiet Massachusetts suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends and setting two women – one with a traumatic past, the other a Boston police detective – on a hunt for truth in this stylish debut thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena…

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
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For readers of Station Eleven and Where the Crawdads Sing comes a hopeful, sweeping story of survival and resilience spanning one extraordinary woman’s lifetime as she navigates the uncertainty, brutality, and arresting beauty of a rapidly changing world.

The Key to My Heart: A Novel by Lia Louis
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A heartwarming novel about hope after loss as a young widow receives mysterious messages of love from the “must-buy author” (Jodi Picoult) of Eight Perfect Hours.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
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My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.

Witcha Gonna Do by Avery Flynn
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An unlucky witch and her know-it-all nemesis must team up in the first of a new, spicy romantic comedy series from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

What July to December releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2022 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.