*This post is sponsored by Harlequin. I received compensation and/or promotional items in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Summer is the perfect time to relax with a good book. There’s nothing quite like stretching out in the warm sun, an ice cold glass of lemonade or tea in hand, soaking in the words on the page along with the sunshine. This summer, you’re going to want to check out Heather Gudenkauf’s latest novel,  Little Mercies, which released June 24th.

You can check out an excerpt of Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf HERE. (And since I know you’ll be intrigued and want to finish the book, you can grab a copy of your own HERE.)

Many moms spend the summer encouraging their children to read. We dutifully take them to the library and sign them up for summer reading programs. But, how many of us set aside a bit of our time to read? Not only will summer reading set a great example for your children – it’s also one of my all-time favorite ways to RELAX. (I know…I know…That’s not a word very many moms know!) It’s time to enjoy the summer and escape into a great story. When I allow myself the time to read (and yes, let the dishes or the laundry wait), I find a joy unlike anything else. I wrap myself up in a great story. As a child, I read nearly all summer long – setting up reading forts and staying up late, armed with a flashlight under my covers. With a stack of great books next to my bed, I have a feeling I will once again have a summer of reading. I hope you will too! I have five summer “must-reads” for you.

1. The Fault In Our Stars by John GreenTFIOS-poster

The movie was incredible, BUT, the book was better!!! This book is raw and honest – a real look at pain, love, and growing up.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

girlboo2. The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

If you’re hungry for a great thriller this summer, you’re going to want to check out The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey. This book is receiving outstanding reviews, and has me piqued with just a few sentences. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end. Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.
 When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.
Melanie is a very special girl.
I am so excited to read this book! Landline is chick lit with a wonderful twist. This is anything but your average love story.

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply—but that almost seems beside the point now.
Maybe that was always beside the point. Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her. When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. . . .

I’m not sure how you can read that synopsis and not be eager to turn those pages!

orange4. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

It’s the runaway Netflix hit we all love to binge-watch. BUT, if you haven’t read the book the show is based on, I HIGHLY encourage you to. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll love diving into the book and figuring out who is who (the names have been changed on the show), and finding out the truth behind some of your favorite characters. While Piper’s story on the tv show is gripping and racy – you may enjoy discovering the differences.

With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.

14_162_LittleMercies_brochure.indd5. Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

I have been itching to start this book since it arrived on my doorstep last week. This is a story that will stir your soul and keep you turning the pages, as you become enveloped in the story.

Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity—the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children’s advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for. 

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends’ couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen’s and Jenny’s lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another. 

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

OFFICIAL LINKS

·         Visit Little Mercies page on Goodreads

One lucky Chasing Supermom reader is going to win a fantastic summer reads prize pack. You will receive a Heather Gudenkauf book bundle including Little Mercies, The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden. Thank you for entering and good luck!

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