Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey, which releases on May 5th 2026.

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

EXCERPT

TILLEY – A FEELING

Growing up, Tilley believed that Dogwood would always keep her safe. She had been brought home from the hospital to this stretch of land, the peninsula surrounded by the sea on one side, the Intracoastal Waterway on the other, with marsh in the middle, laid to sleep her first night in the same crib, in the same nursery as her father, her grandfather, and great-grandfather. Her family took pride in maintaining the sanctity of their “homeplace,” a word she and her sister Elizabeth once found terribly old-fashioned and even a little embarrassing. They were children of the ’60s, teenagers of the ’70s. There was nothing old-fashioned about them back then.

Except, well, the fact that neither of them could bear to leave the acres on which they grew up, the sprawling historic home with the screened doors that creaked and slammed with summer freedom, the widow’s walk that had views all the way to the Cape Lookout lighthouse and, during the sunrise, seemed to reach all the way to heaven. She used to imagine herself as one of the barnacles on the pilings of the dock, the ones that grew coarse and that her daddy and uncles tried to pry off with shovels to attract the sheepshead while fishing.

Her sister Elizabeth married a farmer who wanted to stay right there on that land. But Robert, the man that Tilley loved, had loved since high school, had his own family land, his own vast acreage of cotton that ran as deep and thick in his veins as the saltwater outside Tilley’s door, the oysters she could harvest from her own shoreline.

Sometimes, in moments like now, all these years later when Tilley, nearly sixty years old and still inhabiting the east wing of Dogwood, haunting it like a ghost even though she was very much alive, she wonders if Robert’s death was her fault. Not in a physical way, of course. No, Tilley did not have the power to stop a cotton baler. But in a metaphysical way, did the wild incantations of her heart, the powerful wantings of things that marriage to him could never give her, kill him?

Sipping her tea, looking out over this same stretch of marsh she had seen her entire life, the sunrise growing orange and then pink and then, all at once, bursting into a sky of blue, Tilley whispered good morning to the love she lost. Tilley sat in the same family pew of the Episcopal church down the road every single Sunday morning. As such, she did not believe in past lives or reincarnation. Even still, there was this certain egret that stood every morning, watchful and waiting, staring at her as she, as it felt sometimes, called the morning into being. She would never say it out loud. No. Everyone would only believe it to be another of her nonsensical musings. A spell. A delusion. Poor crazy Tilley believes the man who has been dead for decades is a bird.

She was delusional sometimes. She was well aware of that. She was finally, after all these years, trying to take control of that, to stay in the here and now. But as she stared down at that regal and elegant bird, as he lifted one leg and peered at her, his feathers fluttering in the soft breeze, his long beak pointing up toward the balcony where she stood, she could swear, as she did every morning, that it was him. Her Robert.

Her three-year-old twin great-nephew and -niece, George and Greer, whom she lived with, raced out onto her balcony, calling, “Aunt Tilley! Aunt Tilley!” The brightness of the two of them was transforming her, little by little. She held out her arms and kissed two sandy-blond heads as she embraced them.

Her niece, Amelia, George and Greer’s mother, appeared on the balcony too. “Guys, let’s let Aunt Tilley have a little peace and quiet to start her day, please.”

Tilley shook her head. “No, no. I don’t need peace and quiet.”

She looked back toward the bird. He was gone. Her past had flown away; her present had sprinted in. Maybe this was the way it should be. “Can you take us to school, Aunt Tilley?” George asked, peering up at her.

“Please! Please!” Greer interjected, her tutu bouncing as she jumped up and down.

She took one of their hands in each of hers. “I can’t think of anything I’d like so much.”

The affection and attention of children was earned, and it flattered Tilley that George and Greer wanted to be with her.

Amelia winked at her. “Aunt Tilley, those blueberry muffins were delicious,” she said.

“Aunt Tilley!” Greer said breathlessly. “A bird ran into the window while we were eating, and Daddy had to go out and check on it! But it got up and flew away.”

Not to be outdone, George said, “And, Aunt Tilley, there was a spider on the porch yesterday, and it made a big web.”

“Quite a time for wildlife on the peninsula,” Tilley said, searching for her egret, her Robert. A feeling washed over her, a good one, one she hadn’t had in quite a while. Tilley couldn’t say how. Not just yet. But today was going to be a magnificent day. Today, she felt in the marrow of her bones, was going to change everything.

Excerpted from SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Copyright © 2026 Reprinted by permission of Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LCC.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Summer State of Mind’ by Kristy Woodson Harvey appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Beach House Rules, which is out May 27th 2025.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

Excerpted from Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery Books, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

The thing about my daughter was that, while so much of what she said was overdramatic, even when I pretended to brush her off, what she said stuck. Did Alice really have three dead husbands? Was that how she had gotten this house? And, even if that was true, could she actually have killed them? The minute Iris said that it all came flooding back to me. That was what I had heard about Alice. That was what Juniper Shores Socialite had meant by “the Black Widow’s fourth victim.” She meant it literally. I couldn’t shake my very, very unsettled feeling.

But for the moment, we were here. Worst-case scenario, we could pack our bags tomorrow. Since we had next to no stuff, it wouldn’t take long. Or maybe we could at least wait until I found a job? I had sent out a dozen or so résumés to investment firms in New York and North Carolina while I was in Chapel Hill, and, as I expected, crickets. No one was really thrilled about hiring a woman whose husband was in jail for suspected wire fraud, one who, sure, had been a rising star at one point, but who hadn’t worked in fourteen years. Tomorrow I would start making phone calls. It was harder to turn someone down voice to voice when you were old friends. Alice was looking out the window, onto the pool deck. Three little girls were splashing around with an older one watching them. I turned back toward the kitchen. A woman who looked vaguely familiar walked down the steps barefoot, in a pair of fitted pants that just skimmed her ankles and a sleeveless gauze top half-tucked in the way chic Instagrammers did but I could never quite—“Oh my gosh!” I said, recognizing her. “You’re Growing with Grace! That’s why you can do the cool Instagram Mom half-tuck!”

I put my hand to my mouth, immediately embarrassed. Iris was glaring at me, as well she should. That was not my finest moment. But Grace just laughed. “I think you’ll find I’m decidedly less cool than I appear on Instagram.”

I scrunched my nose. “But certainly cooler than I am. Forgive me. I lived in New York for years and never once accosted a celebrity.”

“Grace,” Alice said, saving me from myself, “this is Charlotte Sitterly and her daughter, Iris. They are going to be staying with us for a while.”

Grace shook our hands. “I can’t wait to get to know you both.” She walked over to the kitchen island and pulled a pan out of the drawer.

Trying to add some levity to the situation, I said, “And I will pretend that I don’t already know everything about you.”

She laughed. “Oh, you’ll have plenty to learn. I’ve mastered the art of showing people what they want online while very skillfully avoiding anything real.”

Grace opened the fridge and started removing ingredients, and I wondered if I was like that in my regular life, if maybe we were all a little like that.

“Grace is the most incredible vegan chef, and she has taken it upon herself to become our mommune cook,” Alice said.

“So that part is real!” I said almost gleefully. I couldn’t figure out why I was so excited. Wasn’t I cooler than this? But I loved Growing with Grace. I watched her content every single night. Had I ever tried one of her recipes? No. But she seemed to have everything so together in a way I never would. Maybe she didn’t have it as together as I thought, though. She was living at the mommune, after all. “Well, of course it’s real,” I amended. “I bought your book.”

Grace turned back to the stovetop, which was in the island and made it easy for her to interact with everyone in the house coming and going as she cooked. “The cooking part is as real as the butternut squash risotto with leeks and spinach I’m about to make,” she said. “That’s just too good to be true!” I was loving this situation more by the moment. I absolutely despised cooking.

Grace nodded. “Sure, but you repay me in football pickup or something.”

“I wasn’t vegan before Grace,” Alice said. “But I feel so fantastic, I doubt I’ll ever go back to bacon.”

I laughed, but I had to wonder again what Grace was doing here. I didn’t know her situation with her ex, but I was 100 percent sure that she was popular enough that she could support her family on her career alone. “That’s great,” I said, already (unlike Alice) missing bacon and being 99 percent sure I was still going to eat cheeseburgers outside the house. Iris was glaring at me again. That girl loved a chicken nugget. I gave her a you’re fine look.

“You’ll love it here,” Grace said, pouring olive oil out of a chic bottle with a silver spout with the same flourish I had seen her use about a million times on Growing with Grace. “I didn’t want to raise my children alone, and Alice and Julie have been such a godsend.” Grace and Alice shared a look I couldn’t quite decipher.

“I can’t wait for you to meet my kids. Emma is twelve and Merit is sixteen.”

Iris stopped, the smile frozen on her face. “Like, Merit McDonald?”

“The very one,” Grace said, winking at me.

“Oh, wow,” she said.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet Julie,” I said.

“Oh, I’m sure you have,” Grace said. “At least at school.”

At that moment, three soaking-wet girls, and the older one, who I now assumed was Emma, came tearing through the house. “Mommy’s home! We heard the garage door!”

I heard footsteps up the stairs from the garage and mudroom, and a woman in a dark suit didn’t flinch as those drenched children practically attacked her on the landing right below the kitchen.

I was smiling at how sweet the whole scene was, missing for a moment the exuberance of Iris’s youth. I loved Iris’s current stage, but sometimes I missed having a little one who ran to me with relief and excitement.

Julie looked up and caught my eye, and I froze. The Julie in question was none other than Julie Dartmouth, the Julie who had seemed to absolutely revel in writing about Bill’s arrest, our fall from grace, everything salacious she could get her hands on. I refused to talk to her for her articles for the Juniper Shores Sun, obviously, and I soothed myself with the notion that it was a paper in a town of ten thousand people. How much damage could it do? But still. That woman was not who I wanted to live with.

Julie walked up the few stairs into the kitchen. “Charlotte Sitterly?” she asked, confused. She pointed toward what I assumed was a private room and said, “If you want to talk, we can—”

“Julie!” Alice interrupted her. “Charlotte and her daughter, Iris, are going to be staying with us for a while.”

Julie’s face lit up, and I started to feel sick. “That is amazing news! Welcome to the mommune!”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t stay here with her. After all the things she had written about Bill, about my family, after how relentlessly she’d badgered me to talk to her for her articles . . .

“Hi, Iris,” Julie said.

“Hi, Mrs. Dartmouth,” Iris said back. Julie knew my daughter?

I wasn’t sure I could stay here, that I could put myself and my daughter in the situation of living with the local reporter who seemed hell-bent on making our lives harder. I needed some quiet; I needed to think.

“All right, girls,” Alice said. “Let’s go get your things put away and get some laundry started. I’m sure you have plenty.”

“Great,” I said. My usually quick mind felt stuck, unmoving. It was unsettling.

For the second time today, I followed Alice. I had plenty of reasons not to trust her. But for tonight, my daughter and I had a place to stay. And for that small mercy I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and The Peachtree Bluff series. Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her books have received numerous accolades, including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom, Beth Woodson, on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Beach House Rules’ by Kristy Woodson Harvey appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

About Until Next Summer: Two former best friends each find love at an adults-only summer camp in this romantic and nostalgic novel that proves “once a camp person, always a camp person.”

If you can’t tell by our author photo above, Ali Brady is actually two people! In addition to being co-authors, we’re also BFFs—so it probably isn’t a surprise that we LOVE books that feature strong female friendships. 

While our books fall into the beach read and romance category, they all have strong elements of sisterhood and friendship, including our latest novel, UNTIL NEXT SUMMER. It tells the story of Jessie and Hillary, former camp best friends who come together to help save their beloved camp, and their friendship (both finding love along the way).  

Here are a few of our favorite books that really capture the power of strong female friendships. 

Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez 

While this romance novel focuses on the story of Emma and Justin (Toilet King, forever!) there is a second strong love story in the novel: the friendship between the leading lady and her BFF Maddy. These two women are more like sisters than friends, and the way they support each other through the ups and downs of love and life is so beautiful, it may have made us shed a tear or two!

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley 

A twenty-something woman who’s down on her luck and an octagenarian whose nudgy daughter insists she gets live-in help after a fall—you wouldn’t think these two would have much in common. But when the two take off on a cross-country road trip running from the law, a beautiful, unlikely friendship is born. We loved this multi-generational story of how these two women help each other face their pasts and figure out their futures. 

Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

This story follows three best friends who grew up attending the same summer camp. When they learn that their beloved Camp Holly might have to close, they band together to save it–and come together as friends, too. We love how this story captures the complexity of decades-long friendships and how important they are. And obviously, we’re here for the summer camp vibes! 

The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan 

While we love second-chance love stories, there’s a special place in our heart for stories about second-chance friendships—including this one! BFFs Laura and Casey had a falling out 17 years ago, and when life brings them back together, they get pulled into a nostalgic scavenger hunt like the ones they did every summer growing up. As the game brings the two back together, the clues unravel a shocking secret that threatens to tear them apart again… 

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer

Another summer camp novel, this one follows thirtysomething Clara, who is struggling with career burnout, as she gathers with her friends for what might be the very last camp reunion. Clara has immediate sparks with her old camp nemesis/crush, Mack, but one of the most beautiful relationships in the story is between Clara and her very pregnant friend Sam. It’s a beautiful reminder that our strongest childhood friendships can grow with us during the ups and downs of adulthood. 

We hope this can help you find the perfect read featuring strong female friendships to enjoy this summer. Each one would make a great buddy read for you and your BFF. Happy reading!

The post Five Books Featuring Strong Female Friendships appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Kristy Woodson Harvey’s A Happier Life, which is out June 25th 2024.

Present Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. Keaton’s grandparents died in a tragic car accident before she was born, so she’s eager to learn more about the family she never met. But even though she has help from her charming next-door-neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton soon finds that she has more questions than answers.

1976: After meeting her adoring husband Townsend, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James abandoned the life she knew and never looked back. Forty years later, she’s made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations. For fans of Summer of ‘69 and The Notebook , Last Summer on Sunset Lane explores the power of family, the bonds of friendship, and the boundless nature of love.

I will get this promotion or something better,” I whisper as I walk down the gleaming, glass-walled hall of All Welcome, the lifestyle brand I have been working for since I was a college intern twelve years ago. Allison, our CEO—and, well, my hero—is big on the phrase. She claims she has used it to manifest her massive success over the last thirteen years, when she started this brand as a recent college grad. Who am I to doubt her? If I’m going to manifest something, now seems like a good time to start.

Casey, one of our interns, winks at me as she passes me in the hallway and crosses her fingers. Her encouragement boosts me as my stomach rolls with the reminder that Jonathan, the head of HR and my ex, is going to be in this meeting about my “future with All Welcome” too. We broke up about a month ago, after eighteen months of dating, but I still haven’t told my family. I can almost hear my mother’s voice in my head: I don’t like to interfere, but, darling, the man still works for his ex-wife’s company. And you work for him. It is unsavory at best, a recipe for disaster at worst.

Despite my mother’s concerns, I had always felt proud that Jonathan—who was not my superior when we started dating, I might add—Allison, and I have always been able to work together so seamlessly. Allison and Jonathan used to say it was because their relationship was ancient history. And now, so was ours. Because after we moved in together six months ago, Jonathan and I realized that the single thing we had in common was work. Now the three of us are back to being just coworkers. Coworkers with weird personal histories, to be sure, but just coworkers all the same.

I walk to the end of the hall to the smallest conference room. It is the only one that has solid, soundproof walls instead of glass, so it’s the most private. And it’s where most promotion meetings take place. Allison is already there, as I assumed she would be. Punctuality is one of her core values. The others, as I well know, are transparency, honesty, innovation, and excellence. She is a motivational speaker who gets paid in the high five digits each time she flies off to inspire companies and their employees to reach their full potential. She has a huge conference—All-Fest—each year that literally fills an arena, a line of journals and goal-setting notebooks, and has penned four New York Times bestsellers. We even decided to publish her last book in-house. We were nervous, but it went so well that we’re publishing a handful of other meaningful titles this year by other authors in the space.

It’s very exciting. It is also very on-brand for Allison, someone who many, many women aspire to be like. As I open the door, I see that right now—aspirationally—she is walking on the quiet, non-motorized treadmill in the corner of the room. She has exercise equipment in every conference room and her office because she doesn’t have time for regular workouts, but this ensures she can still honor her body and spirit each day—her words, not mine. She is such a badass. I feel the tiniest twinge of guilt that I can’t remember the last time I actually exercised myself.

“Oh, hi!” I say as I spot Jonathan shifting a stack of papers at the head of the table. I thought the breakup would be harder, but since we have had to work together every day since, it already sort of feels like we’re back to just coworkers. Even at thirty-seven, he still has ashy blond hair and big puppy-dog brown eyes. He’s a good guy. Not my guy anymore. But a good guy all the same. He has been letting me stay in the town house we shared while I frantically look for another apartment. Something decent in my price range in New York City is, evidently, hard to come by. And our breakup made me realize I don’t have so much as a friend’s couch to crash on. My parents’ place is a last resort that I hope I don’t need.

Excerpted from A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery Books, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘A Happier Life’ by Kristy Woodson Harvey appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

With new releases from Josh Malerman, Lucy Foley, Nicola Yoon, Claudia Gray, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and many more, there are plenty of new June 2024 book releases to get excited about this month!

Read on to discover a few picks hitting shelves this month from rich historicals to thrillers, and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any!

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A chilling horror novel about a haunting told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,” from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box

Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Dropout meets Inventing Anna in this cinematic and page-turning summer read! A ripped-from-the-headlines story set in the glossy offices of Silicon Valley startups and NYC new media, Anna Bright Is Hiding Something explores our fascination with female founders breaking barriers—and sometimes behaving badly in the process.

Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What’s a reformed hit man to do?

In A Dark Mirror by Kat Davis

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A decade-old crime unites its devoted fans in a haunting novel about delusions in the dark and the dangerous games children play.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin… The deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A modern-day writer and a Harlem Renaissance artist are connected by a painting with a deadly secret in this gripping dual-timeline gothic thriller. 

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom—reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.

One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A hotly-anticipated and endlessly provocative new thriller of race and privilege set in an all-Black gated community from #1 New York Times best-selling author Nicola Yoon

The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the glamorous world of D.C. Intelligence to the sultry shores of the Straits of Florida, The Last Twelve Miles is based on the true story of two women masterminds trying to outwit each other in a dangerous and fascinating high stakes game.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that “hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel” (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl).

The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The third book in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series, which finds the amateur sleuths facing their most daunting challenge yet: preventing the murder of the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A woman’s ambitions clash with familial expectations in a captivating novel about generational secrets and self-discovery by the bestselling author of The Candid Life of Meena Dave.

The Secret Keeper of Main Street by Trisha R. Thomas

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Acclaimed author Trisha R. Thomas delivers a masterful new tale of scandal and intuition. In 1950s oil-rich Oklahoma, Bailey Dowery, a dressmaker with the gift of “second sight,” reluctantly reveals the true loves and intentions of her socialite clients, making her a silent witness to a shocking crime.

Bear by Julia Phillips

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A mesmerizing novel of two sisters whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor—a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods, by the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth.

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The gripping follow up to the “smart, stylish, and savage” (People) New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick The Club—a twisty mystery involving a cursed wealthy family and a Surrealist painting which holds the key to three suspicious deaths over the course of a century.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in the new ensemble comedy from New York Times-bestselling author Clare Pooley.

The Pecan Children by Quinn Connor

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For fans of The Midnight Library and Demon Copperhead comes a breathtaking story of magical realism about two sisters, deeply tied to their small Southern town, fighting to break free of the darkness swallowing the land―and its endless cycle of pecan harvests―whole.

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
This epic, dazzling tale based on true events illuminates a woman of color’s rise to power as one of the few purported female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean, and the forbidden love story that will shape the course of history.

What June books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 20 New Fiction Books To Pick Up In June 2024 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hello second half of 2023 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 Rachel Lynn Solomon, Temi Oh, Chuck Wendig, VE Schwab, Cassandra Clare, Rebecca Yarros, Christina Henry, 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 2023 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! Looking for our January to June releases? Check them out here.

JULY

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk.

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Immortal Longings is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.

Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Darrow returns as Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling Red Rising series continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Age.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

An exhilarating and expansive new novel about fathers and sons, faith and friendship from Caleb Azumah Nelson, the no.1 bestselling, award-winning author of Open Water.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center comes Hello, Stranger, a novel about finding love, confronting a haunting past, and figuring out what, and who, really matters…

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett comes a heartwarming story of found family, love, and making connections through books set against the bombing of London during WWII.

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A fugitive queen strikes a bargain with her greatest enemy that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever in this unmissable Egyptian-inspired epic fantasy debut. 

AUGUST

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend…in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Some friends–and friendships–are worth killing for in this dark, twisty suspense novel by national bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang’s The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

Accidentally in Love by Danielle Jackson
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A delightful rom-com where grumpy-meets-sunshine collides with enemies-to-lovers in this perfect summer novel, written for fans of Kate Stayman-London, Olivia Dade, and Denise Williams.

Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The New York Times bestselling YA author of the beloved Gallagher Girls series bursts onto the adult scene with a fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she’s the identical twin sister of a rogue spy… and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

More Perfect by Temi Oh
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A reimagining of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, for fans of Becky Chambers and William Gibson by Alex Award–winning author Temi Oh.

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Push meets The Silent Patient in a gripping thriller that follows a woman convinced a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens—while the men in her life refuse to believe a word she says.

Actually Super by Adi Alsaid
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A globetrotting novel that takes a determined teen from Japan to Australia and to Argentina and Mexico on a quest to prove that humanity is more good than bad from the author of Let’s Get Lost and Before Takeoff.

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

SEPTEMBER

This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Fake dating gets a magical twist in this enchanting queer romantic comedy where a witch worries that the real feelings brewing between her and her crush were sparked by an accidental love potion, and the only way out of the disastrous spell is a healthy dose of the truth–drink up, witches.

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, opens another door to a new fantasy series set in the dazzling world of Shades of Magic.

Dreambound by Dan Frey
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must uncover the secret magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter, who has seemingly disappeared into the fictional universe of her favorite fantasy series.

The September House by Carissa Orlando
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A hotheaded hacker must outwit the AI at the heart of a rogue warship–turned–penal colony if she and her crew of con women want to escape with their lives in this electrifying sci-fi thriller from the acclaimed author of Bonds of Brass.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A small town is transformed by dark magic when a strange tree begins bearing magical apples in this new masterpiece of horror from the bestselling author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A spellbinding YA fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.

The Long Game by Elena Armas
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this smalltown love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer —from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception.

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The first adventure in the Mirror Realm Cycle, a Spanish Inquisition-era fantasy trilogy inspired by Jewish folklore, with echoes of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden.

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown – the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker – exploring mermaids like we’ve never seen them before!

Fly With Me by Andie Burke
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A sparkling and steamy opposites-attract romance, Fly with Me by Andie Burke is filled with sharp banter and that sweet, swooping feeling of finding “the one” when and where you least expect it.

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake is back with an epic duology starter that follows a young woman training to join a fabled order as she attempts to lead a hero to his critical first victory. A must-read for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Victoria Aveyard.

OCTOBER

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The National Book Award-winning author of  Felix Ever After  delivers a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen—perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.

Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself

Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the critically acclaimed author of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and The Last Housewife comes a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts—the preacher’s daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks—hold the key to uncovering the truth.

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The adult debut of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco, Throne of the Fallen is a seductive new standalone novel set within her fan-favorite Kingdom of the Wicked world, perfect for readers of fantasy, romance, and mystery alike.

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Two outcasts find themselves caught in a web of forbidden love, dangerous magic, and dark secrets that could change the world forever in the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The latest in the TikTok sensation and deliciously “swoonworthy” (Elena Armas, New York Times bestselling author) Maple Hills series follows two summer camp counselors who reconnect after a sizzling one-night stand.

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New from the author of The Keeper of Night comes a YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Bestselling authors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.

Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds in this stunning Jewish historical horror novel from the award-winning author of The City Beautiful.

The Intern by Michele Campbell
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Juniper’s Christmas by Eoin Colfer
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From acclaimed, mega-bestselling author Eoin Colfer comes a Christmas classic-in-the-making–a beautifully illustrated novel about an eleven-year-old girl’s wild adventure to find her mother, protect a public park, and save Christmas.

NOVEMBER

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Amara’s journey has taken her far; from a slave in Pompeii’s wolf den to a high-powered courtesan in Rome… though her story is not over yet. While Amara plays for power in Rome’s imperial palace, those dearest to her remain in Pompeii. But it is AD 79, and mighty Mount Vesuvius is about to make itself known…

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A sharp-edged, supremely twisty thriller about three women who find themselves trapped inside stories they know aren’t their own, from the author of Alice and Near the Bone.

The Future by Naomi Alderman
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Power comes a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going.

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares – Publication has now changed to February 20, 2024
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rumor has it on the streets of sixteenth-century New Spain, there’s a new vigilante in town serving justice. This reimagining of Zorro–featuring a heroic warrior sorceress–weaves Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history two decades after the Spanish conquest into a swashbuckling, historical debut fantasy with magic, intrigue, treachery, and romance.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Master storyteller and internationally bestselling author Christopher Paolini returns to the World of Eragon in this stunning epic fantasy set a year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle. Join Dragon Rider—and fan favorite—Murtagh and his dragon as they confront a perilous new enemy!

Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A hilariously fresh and romantic send-up to You’ve Got Mail about a gamer girl with a secret identity and the online bestie she’s never met IRL until she unwittingly transfers to his school, from the bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties, The Obsession, and Well, That Was Unexpected.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez’s lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Yellowjackets meets She Is a Haunting in this debut speculative thriller that follows a disgraced teen idol who comes face-to-face with the demons of her past in a glittering, cutthroat K-pop competition.

The Fascination by Essie Fox
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The estranged grandson of a wealthy collector of human curiosities becomes fascinated with teenaged twin sisters, leading them into a web of dark obsessions. A dazzlingly dark gothic novel from the bestselling author of  The Somnambulist.

Emmett by L. C. Rosen
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A modern-day gay YA Emma, with the spikey social critique of Austen plus the lush over-the-top romance of Bridgerton.

DECEMBER

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.

The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The stunning conclusion to the instant New York Times bestselling quartet that began with The Beautiful.

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all-new Golden Court romantasy trilogy–A River of Golden Bones begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save her sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse.

Perfect Little Lives: A Novel by Amber and Danielle Brown
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Abigail Johnson draws a searing and lyrical portrait of grief, forgiveness, and the kind of love that blooms in the aftermath.

Second Chances in New Port Stephen by T.J. Alexander
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A trans man returns to his Florida hometown for Christmas after his career goes up in flames, only to cross paths with his high school ex in this charming rom-com about family and second chances from the author of the “delectable” (Time) Chef’s Kiss.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A woman learns to follow her own road in this heartwarming novel inspired by The Wizard of Oz by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

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

The post Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2023 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Kristy Woodson Harvey’s The Summer of Songbirds, which is out July 11th.

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

Songbirds,

I am giving you the day off. My day is blissfully devoid of hard things. Off to sever heads for both of you.

Sending love and cannot wait to see you at Mary Stuart’s WEDDING!

Fair winds and following seas, Daphne

As I type the word wedding, my stomach rolls. It makes me think of Huff, my ex and, incidentally, Lanier’s brother. Huff and I haven’t seen each other much since our breakup seven years ago, but since he moved back to the area from Baltimore last month, we keep running into each other. And those run-ins keep getting longer   And I know all the reasons we cannot be together and yet, I cannot. Stop. Thinking. About. Him. I am dying to know if he is going to Mary Stuart’s wedding. I could just ask Mary Stuart if she invited him, but I haven’t told her Huff and I are back in touch. I’m not sure how Lanier will feel about it, and it doesn’t seem fair to tell Mary Stuart and not Lanier.

I pick up my phone. Then I put it back down. Then I pick it back up. I’m being dumb. So I text:

Going to MS’s wedding tomorrow?

He must have his phone in his hand because three bubbles appear immediately and a few seconds later he replies: Why? Hoping my killer dance moves might rub off on you?

I laugh. Huff is a truly terrible dancer. I think you meant to ask, “Am I afraid your dance moves might kill me?”

No bubbles. Was I too mean?

But then a ridiculous dancing dog GIF appears followed by Unfortunately, I’m on call tomorrow night. So I’ll have to give you dance lessons some other time.

Huff is a surgeon, so of course his work comes first. But my heart is simultaneously falling that he won’t be there and pounding at the idea of “some other time.” Finn walks back into my office. “Hey,” he says, “Smoking-hot baby daddy is on line one.” I smile at the embarrassment of quality men today and roll my eyes at Finn.

Finn can’t quite understand why I can’t make things work with Henry’s dad, Steven, and takes every opportunity to remind me how hot he is. As if I didn’t know. Five years ago, I decided to take surf lessons to celebrate two years of sobriety. Steven was the charming, hilarious instructor I randomly chose on Google. By the second lesson, he had taken me to dinner, by the fourth we were practically inseparable, and then, well, Henry happened. Steven was only twenty-three when I got pregnant, two years younger than I was, and we weren’t at a place to consider marriage or a real, true future. But I considered the pregnancy a huge—albeit slightly scary—gift. While I wouldn’t say I’d been worried about my sobriety sticking before that, every now and then I missed relaxing with a glass (okay, bottle) of rosé or the focus (and sleep!) the pills I abused had given me. Henry washed all those urges away. I would read years later that all trauma is a result of separation and that healing is sometimes found in connection. I know that doesn’t help everyone, my own mother included. But I credit my son, my ultimate attachment, with truly healing me.

As a bonus, Steven, whom I had expected absolutely nothing from, turned out to be a fabulous co-parent. He spent his weekends with Henry at my house in Cape Carolina so I wouldn’t have to miss my son, and he, a free spirit who had never held a baby, wouldn’t be fully responsible on his own. It was a great system. Growing up with a totally absent father—even the almost three years I lived with him I barely saw the man—I think I just expected Steven to want an out. He decidedly did not. Sometimes I wanted to squeeze Henry’s face and say, You have no idea how lucky you are to have a father who loves you this much! I mean, I didn’t, obviously. He was only four, and that would be weird.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Summer of Songbirds’ by Kristy Woodson Harvey appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

It’s that magical time of year—October—when Christmas starts its convivial seep into our daily lives. Ornaments and pine boughs appear at Target, Hallmark Channel starts teasing their holiday movie line-up, and ambitious decorators string up lights while the weather is still warm (is that only me?). It’s also the time of year when holiday novels decorate bookstore tables for readers to stockpile in anticipation of cozy bookish nights by the light of the Christmas tree. 

THE HOLIDAY SWITCH by Tif Marcelo

THE HOLIDAY SWITCH taps into some of my favorite tropes—holiday romance, forced proximity due to weather, hate to love, romantic moments involving holiday activities like ice skating and sledding, and coming of age. Marcelo makes sure to add modern twists on the familiar ideas, keeping it as fresh as new fallen snow!

A MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Want more steam in your Christmas cocoa? Here it is! An adult film star and former boy-band member star in a wholesome holiday movie, but things get hotter than a roaring yule log off screen. Sassy, saucy, and fun, A MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE is a sexy, fresh take on holiday reading!

IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren plays with time in this fantastic holiday gem. After a car accident and a Christmas wish, Mae relives the same days over and over, disaster after disaster. Yuletide magic, swoony romance, and snowy mountains will make you want to snuggle up under a blanket until you read the last page!

LET IT SNOW by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle

One blizzard, three stories, infinite holiday swoons. LET IT SNOW seamlessly weaves three short stories by three authors that follows multiple teens over the course of one snowy night. While this is an older book, I promise it will make your heart warm and cozy!

 

CHRISTMAS IN PEACHTREE BLUFF by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Return to Peachtree Bluff with the beloved strong women from Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Peachtree Bluff series. A hurricane and the holidays are approaching, forcing the women to confront family secrets as they prepare for the fierce weather. Southern charm, familial drama, and holiday charm make this the perfect holiday read. 

BONUS—TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

On Christmas Eve, my family always reads Twas the Night Before Christmas as the last thing before we go to bed, even now that the kids are in their teens. It’s the perfect tale to get sugar plums dancing in your head. 

The post Five Cozy Reads for a Cool Yule appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Kristy Woodson Harvey about her latest novel The Wedding Veil, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!

Hi, Kristy! We last spoke a year ago. How has the last 12 months been for you?

Great, actually! Under the Southern Sky, which released in April, and Christmas in Peachtree Bluff, which released in October, were my first two New York Times Bestsellers, so that was super exciting. My Peachtree Bluff Series is in development with NBC, Friends & Fiction, the weekly webshow and podcast I co-host with Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry has grown to more than 65,000 members, and we got a new puppy! What could be better?

Your new novel, The Wedding Veil, is out March 29^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Family heirloom influences four generations.

What can readers expect?

This is my first historical/contemporary novel. There is a present-day storyline between a granddaughter who leaves her fiancé at the altar and her grandmother who runs into an old flame while attempting to start over after the death of her husband. And, in the past, Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt, the first mistress and daughter of Biltmore Estate, attempt to rebuild their lives—and save their family home—after the untimely death of George Vanderbilt. Edith’s missing family veil at the center of the book binds these two stories together.

Where did the inspiration for The Wedding Veil come from?

I was putting a veil on my cousin’s head—the veil that I had worn, many members of my husband’s family had worn, and several friends had worn as well—before her wedding, and it occurred to me how the veil connected the many women who had worn it. As I so often do, I thought, That’s a book! And here we are!

What was your research process like for The Wedding Veil?

Different than I thought it would be! I got off of tour March 9, 2020 and was getting ready to start researching The Wedding Veil. I imagined long hours in library stacks and many tours of Biltmore, but, of course, the world had different plans. I was very lucky to have several Biltmore experts assist me with this book, as well as librarians, books and a newspapers.com account that I about burned up! I did eventually get to visit Biltmore again (I had been many times in the past!), and it was perfect timing because that visit helped me fill in my last-minute holes and questions.

Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

Lack of focus—which I very rarely struggle with—was a huge challenge. It was the beginning of the pandemic, when we were in true lockdown, and I was beginning my first entirely virtual book tour for Feels Like Falling. In addition to the obvious worry about the state of the world and our health, I was worried about losing my career. Fortunately, Mary Kay Andrews had a plan for our Friends & Fiction crew. Kristin, Patti, and I began every morning, seven days a week, with a 7 am text from Mary Kay asking for our writing goals that day. We all circled back when we had met them. Knowing I had someone to be accountable to was hugely helpful, as was knowing we were all digging into our work together.

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Oh, man, all of them! These are such vastly different women. Fictionalizing Edith and Cornelia while trying to imagine their real lives as closely as possible was just fascinating. Babs, the present day grandmother, was so inspiring to me. And I think we’ve all been at Julia’s place, where we just can’t quite figure out our next step. Each of these women worked her way into my heart in a different way, and I’m oh so very excited to share all four of them with readers!

What’s next for you?

I just signed a deal for my 2023 novel (yay!) and am working to put the finishing touches on the pilot for Peachtree Bluff. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year!

Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?

Absolutely! The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews, Gilt by Jamie Brenner, and The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn (a debut!) are all books I’ve had the pleasure of reading early and would highly recommend!

Will you be picking up The Wedding Veil? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kristy Woodson Harvey, Author of ‘The Wedding Veil’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We chat with author Kristy Woodson Harvey about her latest novel Under the Southern Sky, writing, book recommendations, and more!

Hi, Kristy! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m Kristy Woodson Harvey, the author of seven novels including Feels Like Falling, The Peachtree Bluff Series, and Under the Southern Sky, which releases TODAY! Three cheers! I live on the North Carolina coast with my husband and son and have a site called Design Chic where I blog to more than 550,000 readers every day. I’m also the co-founder and co-host of Friends & Fiction, a weekly webshow and podcast (more on that below). What else? I love the beach. And chocolate. And rosé. And reading, of course! And, maybe most of all, hearing from my readers.

How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?

Haha! I love this question. It is going SO well. I even get to do a few in-person events for the Under the Southern Sky launch! I’m over the moon about it. Honestly, 2020 was rough, but it was super productive. I got tons of writing done—Christmas in Peachtree Bluff releases in October—and co-founded Friends & Fiction, a weekly webshow and podcast, with Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe. That group really carried me through the craziness—both the authors and group members!

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

Dr. Cat was the first book I read completely by myself, and I remember the first time I did it. It was magic! I think all the books made me want to become an author, really. There wasn’t one in particular, but just the act of reading itself. One I can’t stop thinking about lately is The Love Proof by Madeleine Henry. I loved it!

When did you first discover your love for writing?

When I was seventeen and I got my first newspaper column at my hometown newspaper, The Salisbury Post! Fast forward eighteen years, and my Parade.com columns are still reprinted there on Sundays.

Your novel, Under the Southern Sky, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Heart-warming, coastal Southern family drama.

What can readers expect?

It’s the story of Amelia, an investigative journalist, who inadvertently discovers that a cluster of embryos belonging to her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer have been deemed “abandoned.” Parker is then put in the position to have to decide what to do with the last remaining piece of the woman he loved so much. The story is told from the perspectives of Parker, the father, his late wife Greer’s journal entries, Amelia, and Amelia’s good Southern meddling mama, Elizabeth. Each character has a secret and, as those secrets are revealed, they determine what will ultimately happen to the embryos.

Where did the inspiration for Under the Southern Sky come from?

A friend came to me and said she and her husband were having a hard time deciding what to do with their leftover frozen embryos. She said so many couples would be facing this—and I should write a book about it. I knew right away that I would!

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

Our house was seriously damaged during Hurricane Florence, so we were out of it, moving around, for more than 18 months. We moved eleven times while I wrote UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY, which was more than a little distracting! But it also lent real authenticity to the feeling of being untethered that these characters face in this book—and gave me some really fun setting inspiration.

If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Aunt Tilley! She is Amelia’s aunt and Elizabeth’s sister. She’s a little off the wall but totally amazing. I knew she would hold the key to this story and finding out what that key was was so fun!

What do you hope readers will take away from Under the Southern Sky?

That there are endless ways to become a family and finding the one that works for you is a journey.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

Worst: You have to have a writing group. That’s actually really good advice for some people, but it was bad for me because I was insecure and listened to everyone else’s opinions about my writing and story when I should have been listening to myself.

Best: FINISH THE FIRST DRAFT. At all costs. No matter what. No matter how awful it is or how much you have to edit. There is something psychically satisfying about knowing you have a complete book!

What’s next for you?

We’re going back to Peachtree Bluff! Christmas in Peachtree Bluff is coming October 26. I can’t wait to continue the Murphy women’s stories with all of you!

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

I loved Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan. If you’re a historical fiction fan, check it out!

Will you be picking up Under the Southern Sky? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kristy Woodson Harvey, Author of ‘Under the Southern Sky’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.