Here at Once Upon a Book Club, a fresh list of releases can be totally dangerous! One minute we’re just browsing, and the next our TBR list has grown by at least 6 books, and our coffee is ice cold. Then we find ourselves trying to justify why we absolutely must have another story involving hidden secrets, the odd, complicated romance, or, in one case, a shirtless fictional cowboy appearing on a sofa.

As always, just a quick reminder that these are the June new releases we’re excited about, but they won’t necessarily appear in our Once Upon a Book Club boxes. But if you love stories that captivate you completely, our book box subscriptions are always ready to add a little bit of OUABC magic!

 

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

Release Date: June 2nd, 2026

Set in Hollywood’s glamorous Chateau Marmont, The Chateau on Sunset follows Aria Jones, a newly orphaned girl sent to live with her aunt, a fading star hiding away inside the infamous hotel. As Aria grows up in its glittering but shadowy halls, she learns that staying invisible might be the safest way to survive.

But when reclusive rockstar Theo Winchester buys the hotel, Aria’s carefully planned escape begins to unravel. This feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre promises secrets, romance, and the delicious question of whether hiding from life is really living at all.

Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood

Release Date: June 16th, 2026

Gertie Bickerstaff writes happily-ever-afters for a living, or at least she did before her own love life fell apart and her writer’s block arrived with a vengeance. With her deadline looming, the last thing she needs is more drama.

Naturally, that is exactly what she gets when River Oakley, the villain from her unfinished novel, appears on her sofa. He wants to go home. She wants her life back. But as River becomes more than just the bad guy, Gertie may have to rethink the ending she thought she wanted.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Release Date: June 2nd, 2026

Anne of Brittany is facing an impossible future. Her country has been invaded, her father is dead, and she is being ordered to marry the King of France, a marriage that would mean the annexation of Brittany.

Determined to save her country, Anne secretly betroths herself to France’s greatest enemy and leads her court into a legendary forest under the cover of a unicorn hunt. But when a real unicorn appears, Anne is pulled into a world of myth, magic, and dangerous possibility.

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

Release Date: June 23rd, 2026

A lost dog, a missing teenage girl, and a mysterious house with a dark past? Yes, Lisa Jewell is clearly here to make sure we don’t sleep peacefully.

When Jane Trevally finds a small white dog on her estate, she decides to return him to his registered owner in London. But the house she arrives at is one she knows all too well, and it may hold the key to the missing girl, the lost dog, and secrets that should perhaps have stayed buried.

When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams

Release Date: June 23rd, 2026

Young widow Lucy Cooper returns to her late father’s New England estate with her daughter, only to find the property in debt and the legend of buried pirate treasure still lingering over her family.

Then Ben Ressler returns, the boy Lucy once loved and the last person to see her father alive. As Lucy uncovers her father’s final research, past and present begin to tangle in a story of treasure, heartbreak, second chances, and long-buried secrets.

This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint

Release Date: June 9th, 2026

This Immortal Heart places Aphrodite at the centre of an epic story of love, power, and divine tension. From the moment she rises from the sea, Aphrodite is beautiful, powerful, passionate, and impossible to ignore.

Then she meets Ares, the hot-tempered god of war, and despite being complete opposites, they are drawn to each other. As their love spans mortal lifetimes, Aphrodite begins questioning the gods’ games, her purpose, and whether love can survive in a kingdom ruled by Zeus.

 

Daughters of The Sun and Moon by Lisa See

Release Date: June 9th, 2026

Set in 1870 Los Angeles, Daughters of The Sun and Moon follows three Chinese women, Dove, Petal, and Moon, each carrying her own hopes, hardships, and desires. Dove wants love, Petal wants freedom, and Moon seeks justice.

Together, they face a society filled with hostility and anti-Chinese sentiment, leading to the Night of Horrors. Through hardship, courage, and friendship, these women must discover their voices and fight for freedom, dignity, and connection.

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher

Release Date: June 9th, 2026

Briar always dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy, an elite boarding school long rumored to be magical. But when Briar’s best friend Sebastian gets in, and Briar does not, everything changes.

Years later, Briar finds a way into Temple through a temp job sorting magical junk in the attic. There, Briar discovers that Sebastian, once quiet and sensitive, has become the villain. Dark academia, magical secrets, and school walls hiding ugly truths? We are intrigued.

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

Release Date: June 2nd, 2026

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are estranged sisters who could not be more different. But after their mother’s death, they inherit a painting that may be worth millions, if it is real.

To uncover the truth, they must travel to Ireland, explore their family roots, and investigate a mysterious crime from years ago. Expect family tension, twisty lanes, charming villages, local pubs, handsome men, and a road trip that sounds anything but peaceful.

Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi

Release Date: June 9th, 2026

Josie Pinova does not believe in fate until she loses her job and finds herself working in the last magical apothecary in Tressport. Aufidius Reid, the grumpy apothecarist, is not exactly thrilled by her arrival.

In the shop, they clash. Though through anonymous letters as fellow Institute hopefuls, they fall for each other without knowing it. With the apothecary under threat and anti-magic sentiment rising, Josie and Reid must fight for the shop, their futures, and perhaps each other.

Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim

Release Date: June 2nd, 2026

Sublimation introduces a world where immigration splits a person in two: one version crosses the border, while the other stays behind. Soyoung Rose Kang left Korea at ten and never spoke to her other self again.

Years later, Rose returns to Korea for her grandfather’s funeral, called home by her Korean instincts. What she does not know is that Soyoung plans to steal her body and her life. Thrilling, unsettling, and packed with big questions, this debut sounds impossible to ignore.

Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

Release Date: June 16th, 2026

Hayden Harlow was once Hades, god of the Underworld. Now he is a grumpy funeral director stuck on Earth, running Harlow and Sons Funeral Home and desperately searching for a loophole back to immortality.

Then Levi Wilder, a warm and charming florist, enters his life. Hayden is shadows and restraint, Levi is sunshine and heart, and when their worlds collide over funeral flowers, Hayden may have to decide whether the life he lost is really the one he wants back.

It’s a Wrap

June is jam-packed with new releases we can’t wait to start reading. Our only real problem is deciding where to start, and let’s be honest, we really don’t mind those kinds of problems! Speaking of jam-packed, have you checked out our adorable Reading is My Jam Tee? 

If June’s new releases haven’t quite ticked all your boxes, or if, like us, you just can’t help yourself, take a peek at our latest blog about which books have been keeping us up at night. Here’s to never-ending TBR lists, happy reading from the OUABC team!

Explore our book box subscriptions, ready-to-ship options, and our exciting OUABC Lite Box! The book boxes that keep on giving!