Top Ten Tuesday: My Summer TBR List

I recently discovered the Top Ten Tuesday meme at The Broke and The Bookish and after reading their past and future themes, I wanted to play too! Bookishy people love lists… maybe it’s the words. Today we’re talking about the top ten books on our summer reading lists.  Now, to me, my summer reading is no different than my reading any other time of the year. I just read. I would read in the SHOWER if I could figure out how to do so! When you consider additionally that I haven’t been on a vacation in ten years, ironically enough given today’s meme, you can see that summer really holds no special place in my reader’s heart… other than to make sure all my reading is done INDOORS in the AIR CONDITIONING. So, I’m tweaking it just a tad and talking about the top ten new/upcoming releases I’m most looking forward to reading this summer! (These are in no particular order…)

1. A Gentleman’s Kiss Romance Collection by Ginny Aiken, Kristin Billerbeck, et. al. (Barbour, June 1, 448 pp., $14.99) – Nine stories of modern women who are forced to slow down and take a new look at dating and romance when new men enter their lives. Delight in discovering how chivalry is not dead despite the stresses of today’s world. Okay, so to be honest, my main reason for wanting to read this book is the COVER! Isn’t it just dreamy?? But also, I’m excited to read it because most of these authors are brand new to me and I always love discovering more faves. Because, clearly I need more. LOL! 🙂

2. A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House, June 2, 352 pp., $14.99) – A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?  Karen Witemeyer is one of my absolute favorite historical romcom authors! Her books are always full of fun & spunky characters, swoon-worthy romance, delightful plots, and just the right amount of faith.

3. Married Til Monday by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson, June 9, 320 pp., $12.99) – With a big anniversary party in the works for his ex-wife’s parents, Ryan has just one weekend to play Abby’s husband . . . and win back the woman of his dreams.  I cannot say enough good things about Denise Hunter’s books! Her romances make me forget to breathe, and her characters always feel like friends. I hate to say goodbye to Chapel Springs with this book, but I’ve been dying to read Ryan’s story since the very first book so that makes it easier lol.

4. The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd (Thomas Nelson, July 7, 352 pp., $15.99) – Caught at the intersection of blessings and curses, greed and deceit, two determined souls must unite to protect what they hold dear. But when a passion that shines far brighter than any gem is ignited, they will have to decide how much they are willing to risk for their future, love, and happiness. Sarah Ladd’s previous Whispers on the Moors series was just beautiful, which is why I’m so anticipating this first book in her brand new Treasures of Surrey series!

5. In Good Company by Jen Turano (Bethany House, July 7, 352 pp., $14.99) – Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren’t always well-received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position. Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare off every nanny he hires. At wit’s end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance–with each other. Jen Turano is another of my favorite historical romcom authors.  Like Karen Witemeyer’s books, I have inhaled each of Jen’s books as soon as they are available… and then promptly choked from laughing at her characters’ antics! This one looks to be no exception!

6. Lady Maybe by Julie Klassen (Berkley, July 7, 390 pp., $16.00) – In the new novel by the three-time Christy Award-winning author of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, a woman’s startling secrets lead her into unexpected danger and romance in Regency England… If you are a Jane Austen-ite and have a thing for Mr. Darcy to rival Elizabeth Bennet’s, you need to be reading Julie Klassen.  She is one of only a few authors (really, I can count them on one hand) that I consider go-to’s for Regency romance. She’s consistently good, and I am just about giddy at the enjoyment potential for this book!

7. Not by Sight by Kate Breslin (Bethany House, July 28, 400 pp., $14.99) – “Downton Abbey meets The Scarlet Pimpernel in Kate Breslin’s wonderful historical novel set amidst the drama of England’s World War I home front.” –award-winning author Elizabeth Camden  Kate Breslin’s debut novel For Such A Time is one of my all-time favorite books, uniquely combining the Holocaust with a retelling of the Biblical book of Esther. I was already excited to read her sophomore novel…and then I read the description. World War 1. Britain. A sister loyal to her brother who is at the front lines. A young able-bodied heir who refuses to fight. One single action of pique that sets off a volatile chain reaction of danger and betrayal. Ummm… yes please!!!

8. The Innocent by Ann H. Gabhart (Revell, June 30, 401 pp., $14.99) – Carlyn Kearney has spent two lonely years not knowing whether to mourn or to hope after she receives word from the Union Army that her husband is missing. When the war ends without further word, Carlyn finds herself penniless, in debt, and forced from her home. With nowhere else to go, she seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill. The Shakers profess peace through simple living, but to Carlyn, the Shaker life seems anything but simple. When mysterious deaths disturb the peace of the village, Carlyn falls under intense scrutiny. Can a kind sheriff help her expose the true culprit? I have so enjoyed all of the Harmony Hill books by Ann Gabhart, especially as I live a stone’s throw away from the Shaker Village on which Harmony Hill is based. Looking forward to all the intriguing possibilities of Carlyn’s story!

9. An Amish Harvest by Patricia Davids (Love Inspired, July 1, 224 pp., $5.99) – When Amish carpenter Samuel Bowman is injured in an accident, he fears he’ll never see again. He’s always provided for his family—and now that it’s harvest season, the Bowmans are needed in the fields, not at his bedside. So when a young Amish widow becomes his nurse, Samuel expects Rebecca Miller to make his life easier. But his caregiver is bossy, outspoken and challenges him to move on with his life. Though Samuel’s sight is in question, he can plainly see the woman he’s come to care for won’t let herself love again. Now it’s Samuel’s turn to heal her heart. This is the first in Patricia Davids’ new series Amish Bachelors.  I’ve read all her other books, and while they are admittedly a fast read there is nothing fluffy about them. Delicious sweet romance, captivating characters, and heartwarming plots can be counted on in every book. I’ve had this one on my TBR list for a while now, waiting anxiously for its release!

10. Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray et. al. (Thomas Nelson, July 14, 384 pp., $12.99) – In the most turbulent decade of our nation’s history, four Southern women–destinies forged by birth, hearts steeled by war–face near impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.  First – the COVER! I have a major case of cover love for this book.  Second – the AUTHORS! I may hyperventilate at just the thought of all of them in the same collection. Tamera Alexander. Shelley Gray. Dorothy Love. Elizabeth Musser. These four authors have firmly established places on my favorites shelf, and they are all together in one book. I don’t even need to know the plots of their novellas.  I would read their rewritings of a technical manual and probably swoon. And then if Benedict Cumberbatch were to read that manual… Never mind. That’s a whole ‘nother topic. One I’m safer to stay away from. 😉

Soooooooooo… what about you? What’s on your Top Ten TBR list for the summer?