Everything I Read in June 2025
June has felt like a surprisingly long month, and I got through way more books than I expected to — 15 in total this month! There were a lot of gems this month, including new releases from Ali Hazelwood and Taylor Jenkins Reid — Problematic Summer Romance and Atmosphere respectively. Beyond these new releases, I was really moved by The Testaments by Margaret Atwood — a must-read if you were a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale show — and I enjoyed a few great rom coms and romance reads, like Battle of the Bookstores and a few fun Elsie Silver reads. Read on for my thoughts and book reviews on each!
(Please note: I have denoted books that are currently available with Kindle Unlimited with an * after the title below)
Of the 15 books I read this month, here are my top 5 favorites:
- Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
- Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
- Wild Side by Elsie Silver
Table of Contents:
- Romance & Contemporary Fiction
- Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
- One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
- Wild Side by Elsie Silver*
- Off to the Races by Elsie Silver*
- A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver*
- Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
- Hawaiian Holiday by Elle Jordan*
- In a Pinch by Elle Jordan*
- Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver
- Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
- Fantasy & Alternate Reality
- Historical Fiction
- Non-Fiction & Memoir
June 2025 In Books
Romance & Contemporary Fiction
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
5/5 Stars
If you haven’t read Problematic Summer Romance, I have two things to say: (1) you absolutely should and (2) you should read Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood first, if you haven’t already. Not in Love’s protagonists and even minor characters feature prominently in Problematic Summer Romance and, while you can read them separately, I wish I had gone in order.
The characters all travel to Italy for the protagonist’s brother’s wedding (the couple from Not in Love — reviewed below). This puts Maya in direct contact with her brother’s best friend, Conor, a man she’s been trying to avoid. He’s older, attractive, and successful, but has all but ghosted Maya after they developed a close relationship when she was at a low point in college.
Basically, like all of Ali Hazelwood’s books I’ve read, I could not put this one down. There’s witty banter, clever plotting, funny dog moments, and poignant moments that lingered after I closed the book. Plus, it partially takes place in Scotland which was a fun surprise for me!
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
5/5 Stars
A sweet summer romance, One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is at once nostalgic and whimsical, witty and poignant, as the thirty-something protagonists try to figure out their ways forward after break-ups and family heart ache. I particularly enjoyed the female protagonist, Alice’s, grappling with her creative side — both as a personal passion and as a career — as she works on her photography. The characters are dynamic and believable, with faults and strengths that are illustrated throughout. If you want something that is both lighthearted and thoughtful, One Golden Summer is a great choice.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Wild Side by Elsie Silver (Rose Hill Series Book 3)*
5/5 Stars
This enemies-to-lovers story picks up right after the second book in this series and was strikingly emotional. I expected a lighthearted romance read and was surprised by how poignant this story was! The protagonists wind up in a marriage of convenience because of a complicated guardianship issue with the female protagonist’s nephew. It is complicated and messy as the pair tries to navigate their reluctant relationship, while putting her nephew’s interest first. Definitely my favorite of this series so far!
Wild Side by Elsie Silver is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Off to the Races by Elsie Silver (Gold Rush Ranch Series Book 1)*
4/5 Stars
The first book in Elsie Silver’s Gold Rush Ranch series, Off to the Races follows a dedicated-yet-stubborn horse trainer, Billie, who is seeking to make a name for herself away from her family’s tumultuous past. Billie clashes with her new boss, who is trying to save his family’s ranch after his grandfather’s scandal. I was a little confused about the different motives of the protagonists — I wish the book had opened with some more details about what Billie was running away from and what Vaughn’s grandfather did. We learn more throughout, but I was a little confused for a while. Either way, this was an engaging and exciting read, with a few heartwarming moments for all animal lovers as Billie bonds with the difficult horse she’s training.
Off to the Races by Elsie Silver is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver (Gold Rush Ranch Series Book 2)*
4.5/5 Stars
Following Off to the Races, A Photo Finish is all about Violet and Cole, two characters we meet in the first book. Violet is a promising new jockey and Cole is the troubled brother of the male love interest in book one. Turns out, the pair know each other from an anonymous online fling, so when they unexpectedly meet in real life, everything is thrown for a loop. Cole is dealing with his own demons when, suddenly, he finds himself hosting Violet after a riding injury. Witty banter and brooding ensues.
A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
5/5 Stars
I listened to Not in Love after finishing Problematic Summer Romance without realizing that these two books go hand-in-hand. If you haven’t read either yet, start with this one, though you will still enjoy them out of order.
This book is all about Rue and Eli (Eli being the brother of Problematic Summer Romance’s protagonist, Maya), who match on a dating app. Rue isn’t looking for anything serious, and Eli is ok with that, but circumstances change when the pair are thrown together by a twist of fate at their respective jobs. As their feelings for one another grow, guilt takes hold as Rue realizes that her boss and mentor will be hurt by Eli and his business partners, who are taking over her company. However, Rue isn’t the only one keeping a secret, and the novel twists and turns in dramatic and entertaining ways. Ali Hazelwood is just the best.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Hawaiian Holiday by Elle Jordan (Love Island Duology Book 1)*
3.5/5 Stars
I downloaded both books in this series from Kindle Unlimited after watching a fun IG Live with the author and a bookish buddy of mine. The novel was fun and entertaining, a classic rom com set primarily in picturesque Hawaii. The protagonist love interests meet on a plane and wind up reconnecting on the island where they’re staying. It’s a predictable but satisfying book, though I think it could have benefitted from some polishing and editing.
Hawaiian Holiday by Elle Jordan is available from Amazon here.
In a Pinch by Elle Jordan (Love Island Duology Book 2)*
3.5/5 Stars
Picking up right where Hawaiian Holiday ends, In a Pinch is an enemies-to-lovers sort of story featuring Addie and Sam. Addie is the best friend of Hawaiian Holiday‘s female lead, and Sam is the brother of the first book’s male lead. They aren’t really enemies, truly, but they clash, mostly because Addie’s best friend doesn’t trust Sam, the black sheep of the family. When thrown together in a cooking class, though, Addie and Sam start to bond and feelings grow from there. In all, it was a cute story and entertaining.
In a Pinch by Elle Jordan is available from Amazon here.
Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver
1/5 Stars
This was so close to a DNF for me. It has some rave reviews online, but it just didn’t do it for me. The story was too outlandish for me, and the main character got on my nerves. Basically, someone wrote a book that they wanted to publish but didn’t want to put their name on. So, instead of using a pen name, they decide to hire an actor to be the face of the book — and that’s where the protagonist, Kate, comes in. Kate starts acting like the author and waxes poetic about how proud she is to be a part of the book, but it’s not like she actually had anything to do with it? Anyway, when it inevitably gets out that she’s not the author, chaos ensues, and Kate makes some interesting choices that make no real sense.
Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
5/5 Stars
A fun rivals-to-romance read, this book follows two feuding bookstore managers who are put into competition when their stores are bought and planned to be combined. Only one manager can stay on, so whoever’s shop is the most successful at the end of the summer will get the job. However, the pair have unwittingly struck up an anonymous online friendship through a book forum, and things get complicated when they begin to put two-and-two together. In all, it is a thoughtful, clever story with good banter and strong character development. The miscommunication trope kind of comes into play, which isn’t my favorite, but I still wound up loving the book.
Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Fantasy & Alternate Reality
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale book 2)
4.5/5 Stars
I picked this up after The Handmaid’s Tale series wrapped up, and I totally wish I had read it earlier. This book picks up about 15 years after the original book (and show, I suppose) and is written as a series of testimonies and journal entries from three women: two young women who have grown up around the first generation of Gilead, and Aunt Lydia. The story is disjointed by design, and there are lots of thrilling twists and turns, especially with Aunt Lydia’s character. Definitely pick this up before the series based on it comes out!
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
4/5 Stars
An engrossing story with magical realism and fantasy elements, The Unmaking of June Farrow is complicated and confusing in all the best ways. The protagonist, June, is plagued by a family curse that she hardly understands, and is thrown into the depths of the curse after her grandmother’s death. June finds herself falling through time, meeting the women in her family at different times of their lives, while trying to figure out if she can get home — or if she even wants to. The world building rules about how often the Farrow women can pass through time were convoluted and didn’t make sense to me (mathematically, I mean, even while employing suspension of disbelief), but I guess that’s part of the point.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Historical Fiction
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5/5 Stars
A moving story about some of the first female astronauts for NASA in the 1980’s, Atmosphere was the talk of bookstagram for good reason. With a slow build, Atmosphere shows protagonist Joan Goodwin’s start at NASA through flashbacks, as she grapples with competitive women, misogynistic superiors, and family drama of her own. Everything changes for Joan, though, when a mission goes wrong, and the astronauts — her friends and more — find themselves in grave peril. Let’s just say, I could not put this book down, and I cried so hard at the end — cannot recommend it enough!
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Non-Fiction & Memoir
Everything I KNow About Love by Dolly Alderton*
4/5 Stars
This book came super highly recommended to me, and after loving the author’s latest release — Good Material — I thought it was time to give it a shot. A memoir that is laid out in short chapters that range from lists to narratives to even some recipes, Everything I Know About Love is a great work of contemporary nostalgia. I didn’t fully relate to the narrator, but there were a number of points that I thought perfectly encapsulated womanhood in the 2010’s and 2020’s.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle
3/5 Stars
This book was a bit of a slog for me to get through, which was a bummer because the premise sounded really good. A joint effort from three authors, the book tries to answer questions that we all grapple with — specifically things like: “Why am I like this? How do I figure out what I want? How do I know what to do? Why can’t I be happy? Am I doing this right?” Basically, personal insecurities and self doubt. In all, there was some good advice and some moving stories, but it felt really disjointed and a bit too out there for me. I might have liked this more if I didn’t listen to it as an audiobook (they kept saying their names after each segment and it got convoluted and annoying).
We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle is available from Amazon here and Bookshop.org here.
Curious about the Kindle Unlimited subscription? Want to know if it’s worth the monthly fee?
(Spoiler alert: yes, it certainly is!)
Check out my complete guide to the e-book subscription service here!
Shop the Books Featured In This Post
Still searching for your next favorite read?
Check out last month’s reading journal for more great titles for your TBR!
Bookish Essentials for Readers
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
*Some of the novels featured here were gifted to me as part of various book review programs in which Cats & Coffee participates.
I read ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Atwood last year and absolutely loved it! As far as sequels go, I have to say this one was great. It sticks to the original storyline and finishes it with a flourish, without being boring. Atwood is, as always, an amazing author. I definitely recommend ‘Cat’s Eye’ and ‘The Blind Assassin’ by Atwood as well.