13 Swoon-Worthy Summer Book Covers
Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover!
We’ve all heard the saying plenty of times: “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. But what if the cover is stunning and deserves all the praise and love? Here are 13 books with beautiful covers that are perfect to feature on bookstagram or pose with at the pool. And don’t worry, the stories themselves are also pretty spectacular.
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1. Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore
Almost ten years ago, Violet Volk vanished in the middle of her magic act and hasn’t been seen since. The trick is regarded as her greatest ever and her hold on the public hasn’t faltered. Sasha, Violet’s sister, created a much quieter life for her and her daughter, Quinn, but can’t escape the thoughts of her unresolved relationship with her sister. Podcaster Cameron Frank’s job is relying on an exclusive interview with Sasha, and he’s determined to get it. Quinn has always admired her aunt and is doing her own research into her mother’s secrets. When pushed to her emotional limit, Sasha is forced to acknowledge the truths about Violet and herself.
Click here to buy Acts of Violet!
2. The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings
When Josephine was 14, her mother disappeared, and Jo has heard every single possible theory behind it. The one that concerns her most is that her mother was a witch because witches exist in this world and women, especially Black women-, can be put on trial for odd behavior. Now 28, Jo is ready to leave the past behind, but the State requires all women to marry by 30 or give up their autonomy. Jo is uncertain about marriage, and with her say in her future possibly being ripped away, she feels as if she understands her mother more than ever. Jo sets off to fulfill a final request from her mother’s will in this powerful, dystopian novel.
Click here to buy The Women Could Fly!
3. On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster
Everleigh “Lee” Farrow seems to have it all. When her fiancé Roland whisks Lee away to a beachside hotel on Gin Lane that he bought for her, things seem perfect. But internally, Lee struggles with her dark past, where she grew up at the Plaza, taking care of her mentally ill mother. Lee attempts to ignore the flashbacks, but on the hotel’s opening weekend, tragedy strikes, and Lee’s seemingly perfect world begins to fall apart. Lee must decide if this life is truly what she wants, and if she even knows who she truly is.
Click here to buy On Gin Lane!
4. Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim
Sophie Go has returned to Toronto as a new professional matchmaker, but when the truth comes out that she never actually graduated from matchmaking school, her reputation is ruined. Desperate for clients, Sophie tries to find love for seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors. But these men prove to be more of a challenge than she ever expected. This heartfelt novel explores the depths of loneliness and heartbreak, and the love that can overpower both.
Click here to buy Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club!
5. The T Room by Victoria Lilienthal
Vera is a single mother to her teenage daughter, India, and she has been publicly chosen as her mentor Ernesto’s professional partner. But she’s having an affair with him. And he took the promotion from his wife Jean and offered it to Vera instead. When she’s drawn into the dark mischiefs of Ernesto and Jean, it takes India, a powerhouse client named Grace, and the Tibetan Goddess of compassion to set Vera on the path of self-authority.
6. Finding Grace by Maren Cooper
Charles Booker is eager to start married life with Caroline, his ambitious ornithologist wife who is focused on her career. But when he finds out Caroline does not plan on having kids, Charles tricks her into a pregnancy. He promises to be the parent without asking Caroline for help, and they are able to travel and follow the birds. But this arrangement has dire effects on their daughter, Grace. She grows up feeling abandoned by her mother and suffocated in love by her father, leading to struggles with her mental health. Told from the perspectives of all three characters, this is a coming-of-age journey for Grace, Charles, and Caroline.
Click here to buy Finding Grace!
7. Midnight on the Marne by Sarah Adlahka
Marcelle is a nurse and a spy in France during World War I. She meets George Mountcastle and there’s an instant connection. George is an American soldier who stops his best friend from sacrificing himself in an act that could have won the Second Battle of the Marne. After Germany’s victory, George and Marcelle flee and navigate life in occupied France, experiencing oppression, loss, love, and joy. Years later when tragedy strikes, George is given the chance to change the past and alter their fate.
Click here to buy Midnight on the Marne!
8. Seton Girls by Charlene Thomas
Seton Academic High’s football team holds an impressive conference win streak, and the players attribute their success to Seton’s girls. No one truly knows what that means though. The quarterback has his eyes set on a bigger prize, a state championship, before the first black QB has the chance to take over. But when the secrets of the team’s success leak to a few girls, they realize that they have the chance to change things.
9. You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
After Amaya receives an invitation to her former best friend Kaavi’s wedding in Sri Lanka, she’s surprised after years of silence. When she discovers that the groom is none other than Amaya’s ex-boyfriend, she’s determined to stop the wedding. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, Amaya is the main suspect. However, as each wedding guest’s dark secrets and hidden agendas come to light, it’s clear that Amaya is not the only one with a score to settle against the bride.
Click here to buy You're Invited!
10. Hello, Goodbye by Kate Stollenwerck
Hailey Roger’s summer plans are ruined when she’s forced to spend a few days each week with her grandmother, Gigi, who is practically a stranger to her. But Gigi ends up being a lot different than expected, and with the gorgeous boy down the street, it might be the best summer yet. But tragedy strikes and secrets and lies are brought to light. After discovering a clue-filled letter from her great-grandfather, Hailey sets off on a road trip to solve a family mystery.
Click here to buy Hello, Goodbye!
11. Corinne by Rebecca Morrow
Corrine Callahan has left behind the fundamentalist church and family she grew up with and built a good life for herself. While Corrine is free from the things and people that hurt her, she can’t help but miss the love she walked away from. Enoch Miller has always held a piece of her heart, and Corrine will never be truly free of him. An intimate story spanning over fifteen years, Corrine jeopardizes everything she’s created for the one man she knows she can never have.
12. The Year Without a Summer by Arlene Mark
Eighth-grader Jamie Fulton thinks volcanic eruptions are really cool. He can’t imagine how incredible it would’ve been to be alive in 1815 when it snowed in June because of an eruption on the other side of the world. Clara Montalvo is shocked at Jamie’s excitement for what she sees as a disaster. Having moved to Jamie’s town from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, she is passionate about environmental issues. The two clash during a debate but ultimately realize they both have hidden family worries that they bond over. Jamie and Clara learn more about life and themselves from each other, and their growth empowers the community around them.
Click here to buy The Year Without a Summer!
13. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
When Grace’s mom was dying, her absentee millionaire father refused her pleas for help. Grace wants to get revenge against him and his family, so she kills each of them one by one, the nature of the kill varying from brutal to calm. She’s always found it sad that nobody will ever know how truly brilliant she was to successfully complete this operation. But now, she’s in prison for a murder she actually didn’t commit. This novel is darkly humorous and compelling, filled with themes of class, family, love, and murder, of course.
Click here to buy How to Kill Your Family!
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Which of these covers is most compelling to you?
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