What I Read July 2025

In today’s blog post I’m sharing what I read this month.

Even though I didn’t get much reading done this month, I still wanted to share a quick update on what I did finish in July. I found myself in a bit of a reading slump – nothing I picked up really pulled me in, which meant I often chose other things over reading. I’m hoping to shake things up in August and find some books that I just can’t put down. That said, I did finish two books (both with a summery theme) and started a third, so here’s a peek at what I’ve been reading lately.

I didn’t get much reading done this month. I was in a reading slump the last few weeks. Nothing I read really grabbed me, which meant that if I had the choice of reading or doing something else, I’d pick something else. I’m hoping I’m able to turn it around in August thought.

The Summer Wives

The first book I finished in July was The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams. This was my favorite book I read this month. While I liked the main character, Miranda, I found her step-sister, Isobel, obnoxious. I was annoyed by everything she did and said and just didn’t like her at all. Hopefully I’m in the minority though and others didn’t dislike her as much as I did.

I did like the plot of The Summer Wives though, I just wish the author had written the Isobel character differently. I did figure out one thing before it was revealed, but overall I thought the pacing was pretty good.

I’ve read other books by Beatriz Williams and enjoyed them, so I’m going to assume that this book is an outlier. It’s currently only $1.99 on Kindle, so if you have one and are looking for a book set during the summer, try this one out.

Summerland

I might have a summer theme going on. The second, and last book I finished reading this month was Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand. I had bought it awhile ago at a book sale fundraiser for the Cochrane Humane Society. They put on book sales twice a year – in the spring and fall – and all the books are priced at $2. I’m huge fan of Elin Hilderbrand, so when I saw Summerland there and I hadn’t read it yet, I knew I wanted to get it.

The weekend of high school graduation on Nantucket, a car driven by a teen with three other teens as passengers crashes. The driver dies, but her boyfriend, twin brother, and friend survive the crash. The book follows the three survivors of the car accident as well as their parents during the summer. Injuries slowly heal, secrets are revealed, and coping strategies are used that aren’t healthy for the people using them.

While I usually really enjoy Elin Hilderbrand books, this one failed to pull me in. I don’t know what it was, but I just couldn’t get into this book like I usually do. Maybe it was because this one focused so much on teens instead of adults, but I didn’t look forward to reading it.

Elin Hilderbrand has a new books coming out his fall. It’s set at a New England boarding school. While it sounds like it’ll be a bit different from her Nantucket books, I’m really excited out it. I can’t wait to read it!

The Royal Nanny

I’m almost half way thought The Royal Nanny by by Karen Harper. This one has been slow going so far. I’m hoping it’ll pick up in the second half, and I’ll share a full review of it next month. Has anyone else read it? Does it get better towards the end? Let me know in the comments below.

While July didn’t end up being the strongest reading month for me, I’m glad I still got through a couple books and discovered some new-to-me stories. I’m crossing my fingers that August brings more engaging reads that help me get out of this slump. If you’ve read anything amazing lately, I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments!

Looking for more of my reading recaps? Be sure to check out June’s Reading Wrap Up and My Favorite Books of 2021 for even more bookish content.