The air shimmering with heat, the pavements crowded with tables of people, the heavy scent of freshly mown grass… If you’re not going away this summer – or not yet, at least – a novel that transports you to warmer climes is the antidote to wanderlust. All four novels chosen by the GH VIP reader panel evoke the scents and scenes of summer, from the light on the lakes of Northern Italy to the sun-filled streets of Hamburg.
Whether you’re reading these books on the sofa or a lounger, we hope they bring sunshine to your life – just add a 99 Flake!
Discover which four paperbacks have earned a place in our Good Books July Collection, chosen by our panel of VIP Members and expert judges
Good Books July 26 Collection Winner 
Good Housekeeping UK
Love, After All by Ewald Arenz, translated by Rachel Ward (Orenda Books)
Our panel fell head-over-heels for this affecting age-gap love story about widower Clara and actor Elias.
‘It was a beautiful book to read and held my interest completely. I read it in three days but was sad to finish it,’ said one reviewer.
Good Books July 26 Collection Reader Favourite
Good Housekeeping UK
Three Summers by Karen Swan (Transworld)
VIPs praised the strong characters that peopled this sweeping romance set on the sun-drenched coast of 1950s Italy.
‘The characters were very real to me – such descriptive language you could see them vividly,’ said one reader. ‘I particularly enjoyed the ending.’
Good Housekeeping UK
What Happened That Night by Nicci French (Simon & Schuster Fiction)
A man accused of murdering his university friend on a fateful summer’s day narrates this thriller that gripped our reviewers from page one.
‘I loved how the book blended psychological realism, strong character interplay, and that signature steady tightening of suspense Nicci French books do so well,’ said a VIP
Good Housekeeping UK
Ripeness by Sarah Moss (Macmillan)
Told in alternating strands, 70-something Edith takes stock her life and the summer she spent in Italy as a 17-year-old in helping her older sister prepare for the birth of her first child and the impact it had on both their lives.
‘I loved the style of writing, the deep reflections, the way the characters unfolded and were so real. This is a book I want to read again as the descriptions deserve savouring and lingering over,’ said one.
How to buy the books
Look out for the Good Books logo in all good bookshops. All the books are available from Bookshop.org (via your local bookshop) with a 10% discount using the code LOVEBOOKSHOPS.
Join our VIP panel
VIP Members can sign up at ghmembers.co.uk to receive free books to review – and help us choose the next Collection of books!