Another summer, another new novel from Emily Henry. For the fifth year in a row, Henry heats up beach season with a heartfelt romance set in a dreamy locale featuring an unlikely pair. Daphne’s fiancé dumps her for his childhood best friend, Petra. Daphne decides to move in with Petra’s jilted ex, Miles, fake-dating each other to make the new couple jealous—but it quickly turns into something more. Henry’s knack for writing relatable characters while balancing romantic love with relationships between friends and siblings adds even more joy to this beautiful story. Julia Whelan delivers another flawless performance, bringing the unforgettable cast of Funny Story to life. I think this one might be Henry’s best yet! —Margaret H.

I’m not always a romance listener, but I’ll drop everything for a new Casey McQuiston. I’ve had access to this manuscript for a while, but summoned all my self-control to hold out for the audio just on a hunch that it would be something special. Okay, more like an evidence-based assumption predicated on the delightful listening experiences that were Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop. The wait paid off: Emma Galvin and Max Meyers (with bonus appearances by Casey!) are indeed as delightful as they come in this BFFs-to-lovers-to-strangers-to-hookup-rivals-to-maybe-lovers-again romp. I am unfortunately not jaunting off on a three-week European food and wine tour this summer, but this 14-hour listen should make my round trip between St. Louis and New Jersey feel a little more dreamy. —Sam D.

You know the concept of frequency illusion? Like when you have a friend who gets a Subaru and then all of a sudden you see Subarus everywhere? That’s what’s been happening to me with All Fours. It seems like the world around me knew the moment I started listening to it. I think I’ve had four conversations now with complete strangers about it. I’ve seen a handful of people reading it on the subway. I was even stopped in traffic on my bike the other day and heard Miranda July’s narration coming out of the window from the car stopped next to me. And as someone who is often years late to getting to the “It book” of any given moment, it was easy to be right on time with this one because within the first five minutes I was fully charmed by how funny and smart July’s writing is. If you see me out in the wild, come talk to me about it. —Aaron S.

Carley Fortune writes a vacation romance like no other. In This Summer Will Be Different, she transports us to Prince Edward Island, the beautiful backdrop to a forbidden love story between Lucy and her best friend’s brother, Felix. AJ Bridel’s tender performance perfectly complements this heartfelt story. Alternating between present day and flashbacks to the summers the couple clandestinely spent together beneath the soaring red cliffs and golden sun of PEI, we become deeply invested not only in their sexy romance, but also the special relationship Lucy has with her friend Bridget. I listened to this story while on vacation and nearly devoured it in one sitting. I can’t recommend this one enough for your next trip to the beach, the pool, or even the grocery store, for a truly satisfying escape. —M.H.

I had a little getaway in June, and I pressed play on Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies. It was funny, propulsive, and simply everything I love in a vacay listen. Eleanor, a successful mystery author, is on a book tour in Italy with an entourage of people related to her books when their very own murder mystery starts to unfold. Performed by Elizabeth Evans, Eleanor talks to the listener directly throughout the story, leaving clues, cracking jokes, and asking if we’ve solved it yet (I hadn’t). The ensemble around Eleanor is great and fully realized, and the Italian setting was so perfect for my wanderlust-filled summertime soul. And bonus, the listen kicks off the start of a new series called the Vacation Mysteries, which has me craving both the next crime to solve and my next getaway. —Katie O.

The best horror stories surprise and subvert as they scare—and there’s only so much I can say about Chuck Tingle’s latest novel without giving the thrill of that experience away. I’ll say this: If you love campy stories that still have heart, have been in your glory in this age of whip-smart, socially conscious horror, or have ever yelled, “Just kiss already!” at a clearly queer-coded duo on your TV screen, this one is for you. I adored Tingle’s 2023 horror debut, Camp Damascus, but as a queer film & TV geek, Bury Your Gays, with its nods to pop culture and meta moments, spoke to my soul. Perfectly paced to induce that creeping dread we horror weirdos crave, it’s a little bit Jordan Peele, a little It Follows, a little X Files—and 100 percent Chuck. André Santana’s lively, earnest performance is reason enough to listen to this one, but there’s another special treat: cameos from Mara Wilson (Camp Damascus), Georgia Bird (many, many Tinglers), as well as a slew of SFF writers (Charlie Jane Anders, TJ Klune, Stephen Graham Jones, to name a few). —S.D.

Lev Grossman has thrown himself headfirst into the legend of King Arthur, and he’s come up with a retelling of the many-faceted story that feels both earnest and tongue-in-cheek. The rub is that the story starts after Arthur has died and Camelot is in shambles—what happens next? Collum, our impassioned, naïve hero, shows up a little too late to become a knight of the glorious Round Table. But fear not! There are plenty of adventures to be had for the despondent leftover knights. Replete with Grossman’s signature critical eye toward tropes and accepted truths, and juxtaposed with narrator Nicholas Guy Smith’s classical British storyteller vibe, The Bright Sword is the King Arthur legend for the questioning masses of today. —Melissa B.

I have a confession: Swan Song is the first Elin Hilderbrand novel I’ve ever listened to. It certainly won’t be my last—but it is the author’s last (“for now,” she says in her author’s note). I thoroughly enjoyed this glittery, gossipy, and glamorous story with its delightful setting and intriguing cast of characters. The premise for Swan Song couldn’t be more fitting for Hilderbrand’s final novel. Nantucket’s police chief is just days away from sailing off into retirement when, on the same night, one of the island’s most luxurious homes burns down under suspicious circumstances and a young woman goes missing. The investigation moves forward in parallel with riveting stories of family, friendship, and love among the island’s swanky residents, and you won’t want to hit pause until the end (the final chapter is performed by the author herself). As Hilderbrand’s long-time narrator, Erin Bennett knows just how to transport you to the heart of Nantucket to bring these characters and storylines to life. I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last we hear from the “queen of beach reads,” but in the meantime, I’ll be happily digging into her backlist of summertime staples. —M.H.

I’ve been on a rom-com kick this year (every year?), but no matter what my listening mood, Christina Lauren is always an auto-download for me. This time, the best friend writing duo takes us to a private resort in Indonesia, where the setting serves as a luxurious backdrop to a fake-relationship plot, layered with complex family dynamics, corporate greed, and artistic ambitions. The love story is, of course, swoon-worthy, but I really appreciated our heroine Anna’s journey to trusting both her own voice and talents. Patti Murin and Jon Root perform their third CLo collaboration, giving voice to Anna and Liam in a dual POV, and I’m already hoping the whole gang reunites on a sequel featuring some of the other characters. I recently got to interview the authors, and their passion reinforced both my love of them and of the genre. There is something so special about HEAs and the authors that get us there. —K.O.

As a long-time Elena Armas fan, I have been waiting for The Fiancé Dilemma since I finished listening to the beautiful HEA from The Long Game, and found out there was more coming in the series. The story, which can be listened to as a standalone, follows Josie, who after four engagements has sworn off men, and Matthew, who is having one hell of a bad day. When a mix-up leaves the two announcing their fake engagement, both play along—agreeing that no matter what, they won’t end up married. As their chemistry becomes more undeniable, both Josie and Matthew begin to find that the promise won’t be so easy to keep. From the cameos from my Long Game favorites to the alluring performances by beloved narrators Brittany Pressley and Zachary Webber, I adored everything about this story, and will be recommending it for the entire summer, and beyond. —P.R.

I’ve been a huge fan of Liz Moore since her memorable novel Long Bright River wowed me in 2020. It also kept me up all night, speed-listening until I finished the last chapter. When I heard Moore was releasing a new novel, not only did I know that The God of the Woods would be an auto-download, I was also prepared for another sleepless night. And sleep I did not. This haunting and heartbreaking story centers on a 13-year-old camper who goes missing 14 years after her older brother vanished in the same Adirondack woods. Alternating between present day and flashback, Saskia Maarleveld’s narration is captivating, echoing the story’s eerie atmospheric tension and rich complex characters. Her ability to convey deep emotions and suspense enriches this thrilling journey through one family’s troubled legacy that builds to a dramatic final act. I would gladly forgo another night of sleep to go back and listen to this one from the beginning again. —M.H.

Our patience has been rewarded, because they’re finally here: summer, and I Was a Teenage Slasher! The bloodlust is real for Stephen Graham Jones’s new novel, an extra personal work based on the horror legend’s West Texas upbringing and a love letter to outcasts and slasher films. Our antihero is 17-year-old Tolly Driver, who lives with a plot-pertinent peanut allergy in the podunk town of Lamesa, Texas, and is about to go on a murder spree that will see six of his classmates dead in the summer of 1989. (That’s no spoiler: Driver, typing out his memoir years in the future, says so at the outset.) The trick is how Graham Jones unspools the story, drawing you into Tolly’s voice and his world of hair metal, Dr. Pepper, bullies, unrequited love, tragedy, and a surprisingly sweet friendship you’ll root for. Texan native Michael Crouch is the PERFECT narrator for the story, which goes down like a gory yet heartbreaking coming-of-age—and don’t miss the blood-red cherry on top when the author reads his acknowledgments at the end. —Kat J.