Welcome to my July 2026 Favorite Books post! This monthly post is where I share the 5 star books I’ve read so far each month. You can see the first half of my June reading here and I will share the rest of my July reads next week, on Thursday for the Share Your Shelf link up. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: Ungodly Rich
Author: Katharine McGee
Genre: Contemporary / Mythological
Publisher: Crown, 7/7/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Ungodly Rich is such a unique and creative story that places the ancient Greek gods in modern times, passing as super rich and powerful people. The main character is human Julia, who is in a relationship with Harry, who is actually Ares.
“When Julia Dodds meets Harry Adams, love hits her like a lightning bolt. He’s adventurous, charismatic, and impossibly handsome. Little does Julia know that her boyfriend has left out a few key details. His name isn’t Harry: it’s Ares, as in the ancient god of war. His mother is Hera, and his father is Zeus. Soon, Julia is caught up in a world of wealth and privilege as she joins Harry at a lavish family reunion. Except these billionaires don’t just have wealth—they have divine powers. And the moment she steps onto their private island, Julia becomes their latest target. It’s no secret that the Gods love to meddle, and when it comes to Julia, Harry’s immortal relatives each have their own agenda. Harry’s mother, Hera, will do anything to protect her own. Harry’s sister-in-law Aphrodite has a deeply personal reason for hating Julia, and tasks Hermes, keeper of family secrets, with digging up dirt. Meanwhile, Hades has spent years trying to upend Zeus’s power—and now he finally sees an opportunity to strike.”
Told from multiple perspectives, I loved how the gods and goddesses were depicted, allowing me to see them in new ways, and to appreciate their mythology like I never have before. This book needs a sequel asap!
Title: Down With the Shipmans
Author: Meg Mitchell Moore
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: William Morrow, 6/2/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I’ve enjoyed reading Meg Mitchell Moore’s books over the past few summers and I loved Down With the Shipmans, which is about sisters Jordan, Natalie, and Mae, their father, and his new wife, as their mom has passed away.
“It’s the week after Fourth of July, and the Shipman sisters are returning to their picturesque summer home on the New Hampshire coast for what they believe is a family reunion, the first without their late mother. However, their tranquil setting quickly becomes a stage for drama when their father, Calvin, drops the bombshell news that he plans to sell the cherished beach house. Mae, the youngest daughter, who has a newfound penchant for attracting trouble, is distraught, already dealing with her own emotional scars and a problematic rescue dog. Natalie, the middle sister and social media darling known for her seemingly idyllic life as a tradwife, is equally anxious, especially since her flawless public image is on the verge of imploding. Meanwhile, Jordan, the eldest, a high-powered crisis communications expert, is ready to be rid of the house so she can tend to her own professional disaster. As old memories are stirred up and the sisters navigate both the packing of the house and their personal crises, the arrival of Calvin’s new wife pushes Jordan, Natalie, and Mae to decide how far they’re willing to go to preserve the Shipman bond.“
Each of the sisters is going through something from marriage issues to money issues. The story is about their relationships with each other and with their dad.
Title: The Half Life
Author: Rachel Beanland
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 7/14/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
The Half Life by Rachel Beanland was a long book with short chapters that kept me hooked and immersed in the story of Eileen, who as a young married woman, moves with her husband Paul to the island of La Maddalena in Italy. Paul is in the Navy and works with nuclear submarines. Eileen begins to meet local island residents and see the effects the nuclear program has on them.
“When twenty-three-year-old Eileen O’Malley meets charismatic naval officer Paul Archer in a Charleston department store, she doesn’t expect to fall so hard, so fast. But Paul is funny and ambitious, and soon, Eileen’s got a ring on her finger and is following him to the tiny, sun-drenched Mediterranean island of La Maddalena, where Paul will be heading up Radiological Controls aboard a submarine tender. In La Maddalena, Eileen joins a makeshift community of navy wives who are hell-bent on making the island feel a little more like home. But for Eileen, whose brother died in Vietnam, home is a loaded word, and as she settles into life on the island—taking Italian lessons and learning to make culurgiones—she begins to love the place for all the ways it is not like where she comes from. Still, it doesn’t take long for Eileen to be confronted with the complexities of being an American abroad. The decision to send nuclear-powered subs into the La Maddalena Archipelago was a contentious one, and the U.S. government is doing whatever it can to ensure that the island—not to mention all of Italy—doesn’t go communist in the next election. When Italian activists and scientists begin to sound the alarm about possible nuclear contamination in the water, the island erupts in a series of protests, made worse by the ongoing mishaps of the U.S. Navy. Soon, Eileen’s marriage falters and her loyalties begin to shift as she is drawn into a web of secrets—and to a local journalist who forces her to imagine a life beyond the one she’s been handed.”
This was a coming of age story for Eileen as well as a story about international politics in the 1970s. This book does contain infidelity. Eileen is telling someone her story and I liked finding out who she was talking to in the end.
Title: In Every Possible Way
Author: Alicia Thompson
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 6/23/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoy Alicia Thompson’s books and In Every Possible Way was no exception. Yes, you may have to suspend disbelief as this does have magical realism in it! This is about Jess, who goes on a bad date made even worse by the mugging that follows. She falls and hits her head, waking up in Ireland! There she meets Eamonn, who shows her around his city and country and they quickly fall for each other.
“After yet another disastrous date where Jess is too awkward, too earnest, too whatever, she’s ready to put her romantic daydreams aside. Other than an enchanting Irish accent, her latest date is no prince charming. Then the night goes from bad to worse when she’s mugged in the parking lot and hits her head. Hard. Hard enough that when Jess wakes up, she’s in Ireland. The first person she meets is Eamonn, a quiet, gruff mechanic. Since Jess is stranded with no passport, cell phone, or way to get home, Eamonn becomes her reluctant knight in shining armor. Over the next forty-eight hours, they meander through the cobblestone streets of Dublin and explore the Irish countryside, sharing their deepest fears, quiet hopes, and softest aches. It’s a connection that is as electrifying as it is terrifying, because what if Jess falls asleep and Eamonn vanishes like a dream? But a love like this—touched by magic and a little bit of luck—is never quite as it seems.”
This book felt magical and sweet. It did have insta love which I don’t usually enjoy, but maybe this happened on purpose with the story being about dreams and the right to have and follow them. I liked the addition of fairies and the description of Jess’s art. The book also has a unique part of Eamonn’s past – that he has a criminal record – and is a reverse age gap romance.
Title: Wish
Author: Barbara O’Connor
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers, 8/30/16
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
A companion novel to Wish by Barbara O’Connor is coming out soon and I wanted to read this one first! This is about Charlie, who moves in with her aunt and uncle when her parents can’t take care of her. She doesn’t want to be there and lets everyone know it, but she still manages to make a friend and take in a stray dog as her own. Everyday, she finds something to wish on and although we don’t find out until later what her wish is, she is sure to make her wish as often as possible.
“Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.”
I loved this sweet book about how to be a friend and a family. I think Charlie’s aunt and uncle were great examples of good parents as well. There is disability representation here as well. I recommend this middle grade book to kids and those who love them!
Title: Roxie In Color
Author: Diane Debrovner & Stacy Cervenka
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 6/2/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Roxie in Color by Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka was such a good middle grade book about Roxie who is the daughter of two blind parents. Roxie starts at a new school where she wants to be known for who she is, not for who her parents are. She makes new friends there, but her fears become real when her parents’ ability to care for Roxie and her brother is questioned, even though the kids are just being kids.
“Roxie loves her parents, but other people can’t seem to see past the fact that they’re blind—and they don’t really see Roxie, either. To them, she’s just “the girl with the blind parents.” So when her family moves to a new town and Roxie starts seventh grade at a new school, she’s determined to be known for the other parts of who she is: an artist, an animal lover, and the kind of person who bakes cookies for people she cares about for no special reason. But that means keeping her parents’ blindness a secret from the kids at school and definitely not telling anyone that she might inherit the eye condition that caused her mother’s vision loss—at least until they get to know her. For a while, Roxie is happier than she’s ever been. But when her lies and omissions lead to a visit from Child Protective Services, will Roxie find the courage to be fully honest with her friends, her parents, and herself? This heartfelt depiction of a girl establishing her own identity, with some chapters told from the perspective of her mother’s loyal guide dog, is an authentic portrayal of the joys, challenges, and everyday ordinariness of being raised by parents who have a disability.”
This was a book that offered a look at a family with disabilities. I don’t often read books like this and I really enjoyed it. I learned about a genetic eye disease that I never knew about. I loved that some of the chapters were told by Roxie’s mom’s guide dog as well. This would be such a great book for young readers to learn about what it’s like to have blind parents!
Title: Chase Me If You Can
Author: Heather Frances
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 6/23/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I loved Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances, a romance about storm chaser Sloane, who is a photographer who spends tornado season chasing storms. She has always thought fellow storm chaser Wes to be arrogant but when they end up chasing the storms together, she realizes she may have misjudged him.
“Wedding photographer Sloane Michaels spends most of her year running after brides, but she lives for the six weeks each spring she chases tornadoes instead. When the prestigious magazine Nature Shots announces a storm cover contest, Sloane knows that winning could be her best opportunity to establish herself in landscape photography. The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of reckless ‘Wild Wes’ Talbot. A legend among storm chasers, he’s been Sloane’s close, personal frenemy for the last decade and is the man to beat for the cover contest. Sloane isn’t surprised when Wes gets in an accident that jeopardizes his chances. But with an active weather pattern emerging, she doubles down on her need to beat Wes fair and square, and begrudgingly invites him to join her for the remainder of the season. As they race through hail, high winds, and stormy skies, Sloane realizes that Wes might be more than the rich, flirty, Texas wildcard she thought she knew — and that the feelings blooming between them are more charged and dangerous than the storms they’re chasing.”
I loved the tension and chemistry between Sloane and Wes and I loved that I could imagine the stormy scenes and the photos described. Crazily enough, this book almost made me want to photograph storms! I appreciated the way the chasers pitched in to help when a storm hit a small town, as the book didn’t hide that storms are still dangerous and destructive.
Title: Dolly All The Time
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: GP Putnam’s Sons, 5/26/26
Source: Swap
Why I Read It: TBR List
My Rating: 5 Stars
Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan was as good as everyone says. Even though it’s longer than her previous books, I read the whole thing in a day and couldn’t put it down, while still not wanting it to end. It is about Dolly, who is in her hometown helping out her father when she meets Stewart, who is part of a wealthy family who their town is named for. They begin fake dating, because Dolly needs money to fix her father’s roof, and Stewart wants to show he is able to have a relationship while also becoming the CEO of his family’s company.
“Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home. So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield—annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family—with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it’s in her nature to help. But Stewart’s proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high-society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She’s never relied on anyone besides herself—can she really start now?”
I loved the characters in this book, especially Dolly’s son Gus and brother Christopher and even Stewart’s mom. The love story was wonderful and I also enjoyed Dolly’s relationship with her sister. My only complaint was possibly the long third act breakup. Both Dolly and Stewart had a hard time asking for help. This book made me cry!
Come back next week for the rest of my July reads and the Share Your Shelf link up!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?
