3.09. We Read It for the Plot (and the Horns)

Welcome back to My Sister’s TBR! We’re here with our mid-month catch-up, chatting about the July releases that have caught our eye, sharing the bookish news we’ve sleuthed out, and diving into what books we’re currently reading.Think of this as our virtual coffee date where we talk about all our favorite things…books, duh!So pour yourself a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let’s catch up!Release Radar: What We're Eyeing This Month* The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a multi-generational horror fantasyRelease: July 15, 2025As a grad student researching horror literature, Minerva digs into the life of Beatrice Tremblay, a forgotten author whose most famous novel was inspired by a real-life disappearance in the 1930s. But as Minerva investigates, strange echoes from her great-grandmother’s tales of witches in 1900s Mexico begin to resurface—suggesting the same dark force that haunted Tremblay may now be stalking her across the halls of her 1990s Massachusetts campus.* Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson is a mystery thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder.Release: July 22, 2025After a brutal Halloween attack leaves Jet Mason with a ticking time bomb in her brain, she’s told she has just seven days to live. With her memory fading and suspects all around—family, exes, even old friends—Jet teams up with her childhood companion Billy to solve one final mystery: who wants her dead… before time runs out.* A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna is a whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her life back on track.Release: July 15, 2025Once a powerful witch, Sera Swan now runs a chaotic enchanted inn with her undead aunt and a snarky talking fox. Stripped of her magic and exiled from her Guild, she’s resigned to her new life—until a mysterious spell and an even more mysterious (and annoyingly handsome) magical historian, Luke Larsen, offer her a chance to reclaim what she lost. But with the Guild watching and feelings brewing, Sera might just find that the greatest magic is the family—and future—she never expected.* The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is the first in a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy duology, Dearly Beloathed. Release: July 8, 2025He’s an assassin in need of healing. She’s a scientist who loathes everything he stands for. When Osric bribes Aurienne into saving his life, their uneasy alliance sparks chemistry neither of them wants to admit. But as they race to cure a deadly pox, hatred turns to heat—and enemies may become something much more dangerous: lovers.* Rose in Chains by Julie Soto is the first in an all new romantasy trilogy, The Evermore Trilogy.Release: July 8, 2025The war is lost, the chosen hero is dead, and Briony Rosewood—stripped of her magic—is sold at auction to the enemy. Her captor? Toven Hearst, a powerful Bomardsun and the man she once secretly loved. As Briony navigates a world ruled by darkness and political cruelty, she must decide whether to play the pawn… or become something far more dangerous.* Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava is a new romantic comedy by the author of The Truth According to Ember.Release: July 22, 2025After a scandal leaves Native pop star Avery Fox disgraced and directionless, she retreats to her estranged grandmother’s ranch on the rez—only to clash hard with brooding horse trainer Lucas Iron Eyes. He thinks she’s everything wrong with the world; she’s determined to prove she’s more than a headline. When the ranch’s future is threatened, the two strike a deal: she'll help save it, and he’ll teach her what it really means to come home. No strings, no sparks… yeah, right.* Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter is a new romantic comedy of a millionaire and a house cleaner, a match maid in heaven.Release: July 15, 2025When overworked cleaner Abi secretly crashes at the penthouse she tidies, she never expects to be mistaken for the owner’s girlfriend—especially by his parents. Declan, a career-obsessed exec, is horrified… until he realizes fake-dating Abi could solve both their problems. One week, one deal, zero feelings. Totally professional… until it’s not.* Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge is Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this debut enemies-to-lovers, YA romantasy.Release: July 15, 2025On an island of ash and flame, phoenix racing is everything—deadly, lucrative, and fiercely competitive. Kel Varra and her underdog team need a win, and teaming up with cocky rival Coup might be their only shot. But when Kel’s home is destroyed and a shadowy tech mogul takes interest in her phoenix, she’s pulled into a conspiracy that could burn her entire world to the ground—including the boy she’s starting to fall for.The Bookish GrapevineWhile July's new releases have been blessing our TBRs, the book world has been just as spicy off the page as it is on it. Here's everything we talked about in this episode that's lighting up the bookternet right now.🔥 Freida McFadden’s The Tenant is Heading to the ScreenEven though both of us DNF’d this one (oops?), it’s still big news that Amazon MGM Studios has picked it up for a screen adaptation. Not the Freida book we would’ve chosen, but hey, good for her! 🌞 The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Drops This MonthMark your calendars, because Belly and the brothers are back July 16. The new season is supposedly going off-book with a major twist… and now we're nervously side-eyeing our favorite brother. Weekly episodes though? The audacity.🕵️‍♀️ Lisa Jewell's None of This Is True Is Becoming a MovieWe didn’t even realize this was happening until it popped up on our feeds, but apparently a movie adaptation is in the works! One of us already owns the book, so I guess it’s officially moving up the stack. 👀🎓 My Oxford Year Is Coming to NetflixComing August 1, this swoony novel is being adapted into a Netflix film starring Sofia Carson (Purple Hearts). It’s about a political rising star who gets derailed by a hot professor with a secret… yes please. Bonus points for the dreamy UK setting and the promise of tears.🐉 Fourth Wing Series Faces a Shake-UpHere’s the tea: original showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett (Anne with an E, Breaking Bad) has exited the Fourth Wing TV adaptation. But Amazon is reportedly in talks with Jack Schaefer (WandaVision, Agatha All Along) to take the reins. If that happens, production might finally start moving… though we probably won’t see anything until 2027. Let that sink in. We’ll just be here, aging gracefully and re-reading.🏖️ Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Is Headed to the ScreenThis one's officially getting adapted too! The showrunner from Amazon’s The Wilds, Amy B. Harris, is now helming the project after a creative shake-up. We know this is old news, but it’s new to us, so colored us intrigued! Especially since one of us just finished the book (and couldn't stop reading).✈️ People We Meet on Vacation Gets a Netflix Release DateEmily Henry stans, rejoice! The adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation is hitting Netflix on January 9, 2026. Yes, it hasn’t even started filming yet, but a release date is a release date. Cast has been announced, we’ve talked about that before, and honestly, we’re just thrilled the Emily Henry Cinematic Universe is expanding!What’s On Our NightstandsNo judgment here, we’ve got more open books than emotional stability this month. Here’s what’s currently keeping us company at 2 a.m. when we swore we were going to bed early:Stace’s Stack:* Bourbon & Lies by Victoria WilderSmall-town secrets, cursed families, and one extremely tempting ex-cop. There’s a lot of bourbon and even more tension… and yes, someone definitely skinny dips in a horse trough.* Wild Eyes by Elsie SilverOne single dad, one emotionally exhausted country star, and more small-town swoon than we were emotionally prepared for. Elsie Silver is out here writing men that simply shouldn’t exist, and yet…* Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. NascostaYep. That one. It won our book club's Most Unhinged TBR prompt for July, and listen... it’s actually weirdly wholesome for a monster romance about minotaur milking. I said what I said.Reb’s Stack:* With Any Luck by Ashley Poston A short-but-sweet gem from the Improbable Meet Cute series. Audrey’s cursed to be the girl before the soulmate (ouch), but when her bestie vanishes right before his wedding, she retraces the night with the best man. Enemies to lovers? Kinda. Chaotic energy? Absolutely.* Beach Read by Emily HenryFinally diving into the OG of Emily Henry heartbreak. Augustus kills his characters, January believes in happily ever after, and they’re both stuck next door for the summer. Writer’s block? Gone. Feelings? Unavoidable.Featured Read of the Month:Our featured read for this month is Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily HenryYes, we’re still deep in our Emily Henry era, and no we’re not even a little bit sorry about it. This marks our third time featuring her on the pod, and honestly? She earns it every single time.Want to revisit our past episodes featuring Emily Henry? * Season 1: Happy Place* Season 2: Funny StoryGreat Big Beautiful Life is already hitting differently. We’re not diving into full spoilers just yet (you’ll have to wait for our end-of-month episode for that juicy breakdown), but let’s just say: the vibes, the voice, the characters… we’re obsessed. Again. Emily writes places and people that feel so real it’s like bookish déjà vu, and this story is no exception.Sprinkle in a little longing, a little heartache, and the kind of magic that makes you nostalgic for a life you’ve never lived, and you’ve got a story we can’t stop annotating.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to our podcast on whatever platform you’re using, and pop over to our Instagram @mysisterstbr.Thanks for tuning in! Get full access to My Sister's TBR at www.mysisterstbr.com/subscribe