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First For Women
FIRST Book Club Recommends ‘The Husbands,’ ‘Not in Love’ and More Must-Read Titles for July 19 to August 1
18 days ago
Books always provide excellent company — it’s a fact! Whether your upcoming weekend plans include a long travel day, a sunny beach trip, or just a weekend spent relaxing in the shade with a cold glass of lemonade, a good book is sure to deliver top-notch entertainment. Here, FIRST Book Club (aka FFW Book Club) has gathered a variety of recommendations for the week of July 19 to August 1. From historical romance to family saga, magical realism and more, we have something for everyone.
FIRST is especially excited about The Husbands by Holly Gramazio, which bestselling author Claire Lombardo described as “very, very funny.” If you’re more of a fantasy lover , Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland offers up an exciting romantasy world that left FIRST Digital Associate Editor Courtney Shapiro “reeling.” For the Bridgerton fans among us, Jenny Holiday's Earls Trip invites readers on a fun, romantic adventure set during the Regency era. Prefer your love stories set in modern times? Try Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. It's a rivals to lovers workplace romance that's as steamy as it is swoon-worthy.
Keep scrolling for all of the FFW Book Club must-read book recommendations for the week of July 19 to August 1!
“ Bridgerton is one of my favorite shows on Netflix, but I binge-watched the new season too quickly,” laughs Lauren Stachiw , FIRST Beauty Director. “To fill the void, I dove into this Regency-era romance.” Archibald (Archie) Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt, looks forward to his yearly trip with his childhood friends Simon and Effie. But this year’s trip is turned upside down when Archie receives a letter begging him to rescue old friends Olive and Clementine Morgan from a scandal. While Archie has always been platonic with the Morgan sisters, will he end up being more than just friends with one of them? Says Lauren, “Idyllic settings, flirty banter, romance…this book had it all.” ( Kensington, 2024 )
“On a recent girls’ trip, my friend told me I would love this funny debut novel,” says Kate Arcell, FIRST Associate Editor. Lauren returns home and is greeted by her doting husband, Michael. Except…Lauren is single and has no memory of meeting, let alone marrying, Michael. But there are photos of the couple saved in her phone, and yes, that is a framed wedding photo of them above the mantel. The bigger twist? Each time her husband goes into the attic, he’s replaced by a new man, and a new life for her. Now, Lauren must decide when to stop switching husbands and start living her life. Says Kate, “Despite the outlandish plot, Lauren’s struggles — like trying to decide what path is right — were so relatable!” ( Doubleday, 2024 )
“BookTok sensation Ali Hazelwood is beloved for her novel The Love Hypothesis — and very few romance authors capture on-page pining and attraction quite as well as she does,” says Melissa D’Agnese , FIRST Senior Editor. “In her newest book, sparks fly between the two main characters from the start!” Rue Siebert has a small but steady group of friends, a great career as a biotech engineer at Kline, a start-up in the field of food science, and a stable daily routine. That is, until there’s a company takeover led by a devastatingly handsome man named Eli. To make matters worse, Rue and Eli met on a dating app and hit it off before the takeover. Now, Rue tries to ignore Eli and team up with her colleagues to somehow beat this new company at their own game. But when Rue and Eli start a secret no-strings-attached affair, the fiery feelings between them prove that sometimes love is found in the most unexpected places. Cheers Melissa, “A very fun, very steamy romance that’s balanced with rich emotion and vulnerability.” ( Berkley, 2024 )
“When I heard this new novel compared to A.J. Hackwith’s Library of the Unwritten, I swiped it up,” says Sienna Sullivan, FIRST Editorial Assistant. “And it was just as inventive!” Novelist Alma Cruz is burdened by the weight of unfinished manuscripts, so she lays them to rest in a “cemetery.” However, the characters from these abandoned stories begin to plague Alma. Says Sienna, “This emotional story blends historical fiction and magical realism to ask the question, ‘Whose stories get to be told, and whose are destined to be buried?’” ( Algonquin, 2024 )
“I just love stepping into a new romantasy world — and this one swept me away ,” says Courtney Shapiro, FIRST Digital Associate Editor. This story is told by five different characters who all want the King of Yusan dead. They formulate a plan to murder him — but that’s the only thing they agree on. In a world full of lies and deception, it’s hard to guess who will be betrayed next. Says Courtney, “I was reeling from the plot twists and fascinated with the tension between the character pairings.” (Red Tower, 2024)
“I’ve always loved how Emily Giffin creates realistic, flawed, but likeable, characters, so when I saw she had a new novel, I dove in,” says Patty Bontekoe , FIRST Executive Editor. Summer, Tyson, Lainey and Hannah meet in college and become inseparable. When tragedy strikes, the group makes a pact that they’ll always be there for each other. Ten years later, Hannah needs her friends, and they gather once again, rediscovering their bond. “I got totally lost in this compelling story of friendship, grief and hope,” says Patty. ( Ballantine, 2024 )
“Family secrets are at the heart of this twisty read,” says Carissa Mosness , FIRST Assistant Digital Editor. Tita Ramírez’s debut novel follows Monica Campo, a pregnant Cuban American whose mother reveals that the man who raised Monica isn’t actually her father. When Monica digs into her family’s past, nothing could have prepared her for what she finds. “Monica’s journey was complex, funny and inspiring — it made me want to know more about my own family history,” says Carissa. ( S&S/Marysue Rucci, 2024 )
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