🔥What I Read In July 2026

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Warrior Princess Assassin, Written By Brigid Kemmerer

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜

This was my Chapter 25 Chapter a day readalong pick for the month. I have had the ebook on my Kindle for a while, so I was delighted to finally dive into it. 

This book is told from the POV of three different characters - the Warrior, Ky, the Princess, Jory and the Assassin, Asher. 

Asher and Jory have been friends since they were young children. He is the son of her mother's maid, and after her tragic death, Asher was expelled from the castle. Jory's brother, Dane, has arranged for a marriage between her and a King of a nearby nation, Maddox Kyronan. She is determined to stop the match, but when things take a turn, she, Ky and Asher end up heading to his home nation with his entourage. 

Along the way, they encounter many problems and have a few brutal fights. There are betrayals, a test of loyalties and all the while, the relationship between the three starts to take a turn.

It's quite spicy, and I love the relationship between Jory, Asher and Ky. They go through all the emotions together, from animosity, curiosity, love, desire, distrust, to hatred. 

The sequel, Captive Traitor King, is released on the 5th November 2026, and I can't wait.

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Yesteryear, Written By Caro Claire Burke, Audiobook Read By Rebecca Lowman

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 

I didn't think I would get to read this book in June as I had a huge tbr list to get through that month. I got the ebook on Libby; the time was ticking down, and the number of people waiting was going up, so I thought I'd better get into this, or I'd have to wait 'til who knows when to get the book again. I have the audiobook on Libro.fm, but I wanted to immerse myself in reading it. 

I really didn't know what to expect when I started this book. The whole concept sounded a bit wacky - Natalie is living a tradlife. She and her husband Caleb live on a ranch with their large gaggle of children. She has a huge following on Instagram where she portrays herself as a traditional woman living a very old-fashioned life with her husband out working the ranch, looking after the animals, etc while she is indoors looking after the house and kids. But she is lying to her millions of followers, as they have ranch hands, nannies, and producers helping them run the ranch, the house, and Natalie's ever-growing social media presence. 

Then, one morning, her whole world is changed when she wakes up in a place she doesn't recognise. It's similar, but different. She is horrified to discover she is living in 1855. She is living on the same ranch, but without any modern amenities. Her children are different, with different names, but she recognises her husband instantly, although she refers to him as old Caleb. 

The story is told in two different time periods - modern times as she is trying to grow her online business while dealing with many career- and marriage-ending circumstances, and her life in 1855, when she tries desperately to get used to this new world she is in, with a new/old husband and different children. 

Natalie is not a nice person. She only had children because she thought it was the thing women did. She is very self-involved and is obsessed with the 'angry women' as she calls them, who are the women online who comment on her posts. She is determined to portray herself as this perfect tradwife, when in truth she is anything but. 

It's quite slow-moving at the start, and I almost dnf'd it a couple of times. I am so glad I stuck with it though, as the final 250 pages or so are a rollercoaster. Those pages got this book to 5 💜 for me. I was not expecting that ending at all. Highly recommend. 

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The Witch Collector, Written By Charissa Weaks

My Rating: DNF

My dnf-ing this book has nothing against the book; it's just too much of the same thing at the time, and something needed to go. I am definitely going to pick this up again at some point, as the story's premise is very interesting. 

 

 

The Everlasting, Written By Alix E Harrow

My Rating: DNF

I just could not get into this story at all. I don't know if it's the way the story is being told, or the story itself, but I struggled with it. I was immersive reading the ebook with the audiobook, which tends to help me finish books I'm struggling with, but it didn't work in this case. This is the first book I have read from Alix E Harrow, and I have the paperback for The Starling House, which I will get to at some stage. Hoping it's just this book I don't love and not the author, but I'm curious to find out 

 

How To Kill Men & Get Away With It, Written By Katy Brent

My Rating: DNF

I have been reading a lot of fantasy and romantasy books recently with high drama and intrigue, so I needed a palate cleanser. This is the first book in the Kitty Collins book series, and I have had it on my tbr list for a while. I also have the ARC for the third book, so it's a perfect opportunity to read something a little light and, eventually, tick another ARC book off my list. 

Unfortunately, I ended up DNF'ing it. Nothing against the book; I will probably go back to reading it at some stage, but I just couldn't get into the book. I only picked it because it was light and was on Kindle Unlimited. Sometimes that works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. On this occasion, it didn't. 

 

Trial of the Sun Queen, Written By Nisha J Tuli

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

I had so much fun reading this book. It has magic, fae, strong FMC, trials, and a wee bit of spice. If you love The Hunger Games, then I think you'll love this. 

We meet Lor, a young woman who has been living in a prison with her two best friends under very harsh conditions. She has been there for many years and is known as loyal, but also feisty and will get into a fight when someone she loves has been wronged. She loathes the Aurora King, who is responsible for her being in this prison system, and whom she plans to make accountable for his actions. 

One morning, she wakes up to find herself at the grand home of the Sun King, and soon she is being prepped to take part in trials to win the heart of the Sun King and ensure her spot as the Sun Queen. 

But she doesn't understand why she is here. The other competitors have been training for these trials for a long time, whereas she has been dropped into this world with no idea what is happening. 

She resolves to win the trials; otherwise she will be sent back to the prison, if she is lucky enough to survive. 

This book is a brilliant romantasy tale. The trials are very inventive, and I love the FMC Lor. Highly recommend. 

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The Woman In The Villa, Written By Helen Cooper

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. 

I ate this book up. It was so difficult to put down. It starts with the drama right from the beginning and constantly builds the tension throughout, right up to the final page. My heart was pounding as I read it. There are mainly short chapters in the book, which I love in books like this. It's beautifully paced so that you always want to read just one more chapter.

In this book, we meet Lola, who is spending two weeks in Italy with her husband Tom and her in-laws for a big family celebration. But not all is as it seems. Lola is hiding a huge secret, one that will change her life and her husband's forever.

Things take a turn when Lola meets Carmen, the woman staying in the villa next to Lola and her family. The two women hit it off, until the next day when Carmen disappears. What could have happened? Where is Carmen? Can Lola stop her secret from getting out? What secrets are being hidden by Lola's in-laws?

This book has all the twists and turns you could possibly want with a mystery thriller. I thought I knew where the story was going, and then we took a hard left.

If you love thrillers that are impossible to put down, with all the twists of a rollercoaster, you are going to love this book. Highly recommend.

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Willie, Willie, Harry and Stee, Written By Charlie Higson, Audiobook Read By Charlie Higson

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜

Thank you to HarperCollins UK - Non-Fiction & Audio/Mudlark for granting me access to the ARCs for the ebook and audiobook. 

This is such a fun and yet well-detailed history of kings and queens throughout British history. It's a very engaging read, and I always love to learn new things about our well-known historical figures. I love that he goes through each king/queen in turn and tells stories about them and the way of the world at that time, and dispels some of the weird and sometimes hysterical stories about the people involved. 

The audiobook is beautifully and hysterically read by the author Charlie Higson, which really adds to the fun of this book. I love the way he gets frustrated by the kings and queens with the same name, i.e., lots of King Henry, William, and Eleanor. 

If you are a history lover, this book is definitely for you. Highly recommend the audiobook as it's a great book to listen to while going for a walk, or completing tasks. 

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Don't Call It Art, Written By Austin Kleon

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Press UK - Allen Lane, Particular, Pelican & Penguin Classics for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. 

This is such a cute and sweet book. I love the design, the graphics and the photos. There are lots of fantastic pieces of advice, and there will be something inspirational for everyone in its pages. 

If you are a creative person, this will be a wonderful addition to your library. It's a book you can grab and look through whenever your creativity is a bit lacking. 

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Kiss Slay Replay, Written By Rachel Harrison - Publishes on Tuesday 8th September 2026

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. 

This is the perfect Summerween or Halloween read. It's like Groundhog Day mixed with Friday the 13th. The descriptions of the injuries can be rather graphic, so if that isn't your thing, then this book may not be for you.

In this book, we meet Willa, who is attending the wedding of her two friends at an outdoor lakeside venue. She's meeting up with some friends there. She is stunned to find out that her ex-fiancé is there with a new girlfriend. But she is delighted to meet a hot new friend, Danny, who seems to be quite taken with her. 

The wedding turns to disaster when they are attacked by a masked killer who is terrorising the wedding attendees. Willa is seconds from losing her life when suddenly she finds herself waking up in her own bed on the morning of the wedding. Did she just have a horrible nightmare? She gets to the wedding venue; she has lots of deja vu moments as so many things are very familiar. When a terrifying event happens, Willas starts to fear that she is stuck in a weird time loop that she can't figure out how to get out of. 

I loved this book. It's a classic horror book but with a big twist. I couldn't wait to find out what horror would meet Willa and her friends each day on their return to the wedding venue. The horrors that happen at the wedding are very unique, and I couldn't put the book down. I loved the banter between the friends and the bit of spice between Willa and Danny. 

The only irksome part of this book is the regular name changes, especially with Cass/Cassie. It took me out of the story a few times, especially at the start. 

If you enjoy horror books that are unique and will keep you reading right up to the final page, then this is the book for you. 

Pre-order on Amazon

Sweetpea, Written By C.J Skuse,  Audiobook Read By Georgia Maguire

My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜

I had a large stack of knitting and crocheting I wanted to do, and one of my favourite activities while knitting and crocheting is to listen to an audiobook with my earbuds in. I can knit or crochet away and listening to an audiobook freed up my hands. Win win. I also want to watch the tv show and prefer to read the book beforehand, as it's always better. 

My favourite knit/crochet listens are thrillers, murder mysteries and autobiographies. I have a few on my tbr list, but none of them screamed at me. I've been wanting to read this book for ages, so I thought this was the perfect time. This was a hard audiobook to press stop on. 

In this book we meet Rhiannon, a young woman who works as an admin assistant for a newspaper where she is constantly overlooked for promotion. She lives with her boyfriend Craig, who is cheating on her with a colleague, and her beloved dog Tink. 

Rhiannon went through a traumatic experience as a young girl that made her well known around the world. She has since tried to distance herself from that version of herself and establish herself as an adult in control on her life. But she is hiding a huge secret - she's a serial killer. At the start of every chapter she writes out who is on her kill list. Some are just people who annoy her on the day. Others repeat on her list regularly. 

This is such a funny book. The narrator of this book series, Georgia Maguire, does an exceptional job with the different characters. Even though she's a serial killer you can't help loving her. She's been through a horrible experience as a kid, her parents aren't around, and her sister lives in another country and only communicates with her when she has to.

This is the first book in a series of five, and I will definitely be continuing with the audiobook series. 

If you like Dexter and the like, then I think you'll love this book. Highly recommend the audiobook.  

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So that's my list for July. Lots of good books started, and I discovered more series that I want to explore more of. Unfortunately, I had a few DNFs, but hopefully I will read some of those again in the future. 

What did you read last month? Any recommendations? Did you read any of the same books as above? Did you enjoy them?

Until next time.