By Charlotte Horsfield, Rebecca Weigler, Georgia Wells and Steph Carroll
From airport novels to sandy books on the beach, summer is the perfect time to crack open a new read. So, as the days get a little warmer, what should you keep your eye out for?
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
23 May, Picador
Readers can at last reunite with the much-loved heroine of Brooklyn, Eilis, as readers can meet again now that the much-anticipated sequel is here. At first glance, Eilis’s life on Long Island appears to be one of American domestic bliss where she has a nice house, two lovely teenage children, as well as a successful accounting career and a twenty-year marriage with her husband Tony.
Eilis’s entire life is built around her family life on Long Island until a chance encounter with a strange man who knocks on her door causes Eilis to think of Ireland and what it means to her once again. Eilis assumed that from the moment she chose Tony and Brooklyn all those years ago, there would be no room for Ireland in her life. Yet she finds herself acting on her wish to return to the country of her birth once more.
Have the people that Eilis loved in Enniscorthy forgotten her? Or is there still a way that Eilis can live the life in Ireland that she could have had all those years ago? In Long Island, Tóibín examines how our choices as young people define the lives that we live years later, or do they? This novel is special in that it shows us there is a way to go back and find happiness again in ways that were never thought possible since it is not too late after all.
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
25 May, Putnam
In this delightful sequel to the bestselling novel The Guncle Abroad, Patrick O’Hara returns to the lives of his beloved niece and nephew, Grant and Maisie. Following their mother’s passing, Patrick stepped up to the plate to be their caretaker, and as they affectionately called him, their GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick). Now, turning fifty and pursuing a career he is passionate about, Patrick finds himself back in the whirlwind of his family as his brother invites them all to his second wedding in Italy.
Determined to reclaim his throne as Grant’s and Maisie’s favourite relative in their new family structure, Patrick navigates the introduction of new competitors in the mix, his feelings about turning fifty, as well as his heartfelt connection to the two people who have helped him rediscover himself.
Steven Rowley’s writing is both moving and humorous, full of family love and always an enjoyable read. For fans of the first novel in the series, this is a much-awaited second book that will be just as difficult to put down as the last one.
Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell
28 May, Dutton
In the hot summer of 1999, Sawyer juggles her assistant role in New York’s publishing scene, her aspirations of becoming a writer, and her impending wedding to her college sweetheart. However, her fiancé’s growing closeness to a female colleague, Kendra, leaves her feeling isolated.
When Kendra’s boyfriend, Nick, reaches out to Sawyer to discuss their suspicions, an unexpected friendship blossoms. Together, Sawyer and Nick embark on a tradition of exploring the city every Friday, from the Staten Island Ferry to Coney Island, sparking a deep connection. As they navigate the complexities of friendship and desire, they both find themselves drawn out of their comfort zones.
Summer Fridays tells the tale of youthful uncertainty and the magic of newfound connections in the vibrant backdrop of New York City, capturing the essence of a bygone era when the internet was just beginning to shape relationships.
Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver
4 June, Little, Brown Book Group
Leather and Lark will be book two in the Ruinous Love trilogy. This follows the publication of the first book, Butcher and Blackbird, which has become an international sensation. Once again, Weaver has put a dark spin on the romantic comedy genre by bringing us the dark and dangerous but still packed with the heat of the romance books with the story of Lark and Lachlan.
Broody assassin Lark wants out of the underworld but one botched job for a big client takes away the freedom and escape he so craves… or so he thinks. Enter Lark, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ singer-songwriter, or so she wants you to believe. But we all have secrets lurking in the shadows. She enlists Lachlan to help her hunt down a killer in exchange for finding a way to help him escape the underworld.
Entering into a fake marriage with someone she so desperately wants to hate might not be at the top of Lark’s bucket list, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes with her family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line. But as the line blurs between real and fake where their ‘marriage’ is concerned, a phantom is hiding in the dark world they are trying to navigate, and this one is out for blood.
The second book in this deliciously dark trilogy is not to be missed.
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