June’s Best New Fiction

The Perfect Couple, by Elin Hilderbrand
Hilderbrand’s latest combines her signature Nantucket beach fun with a page-turning mystery. When the maid of honor’s body is found (by the bride, no less) hours before a lavish wedding ceremony is set to begin, the festivities grind to a halt while the remaining members of the wedding party are interrogated. The island-set whodunit includes much-loved characters from Hilderbrand’s previous novels, but newcomers needn’t be familiar with them to enjoy this summer brainteaser. 

All We Ever Wanted, by Emily Giffin
Two families in Nashville—one wealthy and privileged, and one struggling financially and emotionally—collide when their teenage children become entangled in a scandal. Well-to-do Nina is forced to question the true natures of her husband and son when a troubling photo featuring a high school sophomore surfaces, throwing a private school into chaos. Who took the picture? And who’s trying to use their money and influence to make the controversy go away? Wanted appears to be a relevant, thoughtful, and complex drama that supplies no easy answers.

Us Against You, by Fredrik Backman
In the critically acclaimed Beartown, Backman introduced readers to a small forest town in Sweden convinced that a junior ice hockey team held the key to “fixing” their troubled community. In this follow-up story, the denizens of Beartown face off against those of nearby Hed, where many of the Beartown hockey players have defected. Adding tension to the rivalry is the fact that Beartown’s entire league may soon be disbanded. Hope arrives in the form of a new coach, but when the anger between the teams escalates to the point of murder, can their once-pure love of the sport ever return? 

How Hard Can it Be?, by Allison Pearson
In this sequel to Pearson’s bestselling 2003 novel, I Don’t Know How She Does It, we drop back into supermom Kate Reddy’s life a decade and a half later, as she rounds the corner toward fifty. Having spent seven of the intervening years as a stay-at-home mom (quite a change from her frenetic former job running a hedge fund), Londoner Kate prepares to reenter the workforce after her husband is laid off. Expect a lot of humor in this menopause-while-raising-teenage-hellions dramedy.

There There, by Tommy Orange
A powerhouse debut likely to earn a spot on countless best of the year lists, There There chronicles the coming together of twelve modern-day, urban Native American people at the inaugural Oakland, California, Powwow. Disparate in their ages, goals, hopes, and dreams, some of the twelve hope to connect with their history and/or long-lost family members; some desire to perform traditional dance; and others plan to take advantage of the event for their own purposes. Set aside some time to delve deep into this must-read novel.

A Place for Us, by Fatima Farheen Mirza
An Indian American Muslim family of five living in California come together for the eldest daughter’s wedding, an event that forces them to reevaluate their lives together and apart over the past few decades. In particular, youngest son Amar, who has become estranged from his parents and siblings, is reluctant to make peace with his past. Tension between the traditional Muslim culture practiced by parents Rafiq and Layla and the contemporary attitudes of their adult children infuses this highly anticipated debut with plenty of emotion and heart.

Florida, Lauren Groff
Not every story in this collection of shorts—Groff’s first since Delicate Edible Birds—takes place in Florida, but they all depict a darkly comedic Floridian state of mind, filled with “dread and heat.” Of the eleven narratives, a handful depict the same tough-as-nails mom, a novelist drowning in booze as well as love for her children.

Before and Again, by Barbara Delinsky
Having survived the car crash death of her young daughter, for which she was accidentally responsible, Mackenzie Cooper changes her name and starts a new life in a new town. As Maggie Reid, she works as a makeup artist beautifying others while never losing sight of the literal and metaphorical scars she’s hiding. When a friend’s teenage son finds himself in trouble with the law, Maggie knows she should back away—her probation prohibits fraternizing with criminals—but helping out another troubled soul may provide Maggie a modicum of peace in her own life.

When Life Gives You Lululemons, by Lauren Weisberger
In this fabulous follow-up to The Devil Wears Prada and Revenge Wears Prada, first assistant-turned-image consultant Emily Charlton, who stole scenes left and right in book and movie form (where she was portrayed by Emily Blunt), is thrown to the yummy mummy wolves of suburban Connecticut. Tasked with fixing the public’s view of a politician’s DUI-ruined wife, she joins forces with some old friends—including one Miranda Priestly. Pour the cocktails and start the party!

Dreams of Falling, by Karen White
The best beach reads of 2018 take place in Lowcountry, South Carolina, and Dreams will show you why. When Larkin’s mother, Ivy, is badly injured under mysterious circumstances, Ivy is compelled to leave New York and return to her hometown after a nine-year absence. As she tentatively reaches out to old friends and studies the past to better understand her mother’s predicament, secrets dating back decades will be revealed in this multigenerational drama featuring female friendships and a hint of romance.