School has officially ended for summer break, and the relaxation can finally start. During summer, there is nothing quite like reading a good book under the sun, especially one that isn’t a homework assignment. Check out these six YA new releases hitting the shelves in July 2025!
The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Another YA fantasy that includes vampires is The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang. As an international and USA bestselling author, Chang writes a fantasy romance that will have readers hooked. This story is not a standalone, but a second book has not been announced yet. The Nightblood Prince is set to be released on July 1st.
Fei, a young girl with a Prophecy to rule over all Empresses, was taken from her home as a young child to live with one of the Kingdoms. In a world where two major Kingdoms are rivals, whoever marries her will be the most powerful. However, Fei has never felt more alone in this life. During a hunting trip for a special tiger, Fei runs into the prince from the rival kingdom, Yexue. He can command vampires, and Fei seized this opportunity for freedom; however, feeling torn between two princes, Fei realizes her fate may be more inescapable than she thought.
Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson
Release Date: July 1, 2025
This YA fantasy romance, Den of Liars, is going to be released on July 1st. Jessica S. Olson, a New York Times bestseller, plans to make this series a duology, but the updates on a second book are not yet out. This is unlike any story you have read and will be the perfect summer read.
Young Lola was taken from her father at a young age because he lost in a popular game called Liar’s Dice Tournament, a tournament where you must bet with your deepest secret, and that was her. A man by the name of Thief, the head of a feared guild, stole her away for protection; as a special bond formed between them over the years, they soon could feel each other’s emotions. That wasn’t the end for Lola, though. She got older and wants nothing more than to prove herself to the guild. That is, until she is tasked with participating in the Liar’s Dice Tournament, which is run by the Thief’s brother. Lola realizes that she can’t fight her feelings for Thief’s brother, and because of it, the stakes are higher. Lola’s lies and secrets start to catch up.
All for the Game by Heather Buchta
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Heather Buchta, a YA mystery author, has a new book releasing on July 1st called All for the Game. This mystery involves all the bases from romance to sports and even murder. Heather Buchta offers us a chilling narrative that will keep us enthralled.
All for the Game follows a young football player, Finn Geringer, who transferred to his dream. He thinks he has got everything he wants, but his girlfriend Megan has noticed something weird. Rival teammates are going missing, and as Megan digs for answers, she uncovers dark secrets that could change everything. On another note, Finn’s cousin, Brit, is the school’s cheer captain and bathes in the popularity she gets from it. But when a football player is murdered, she realizes that the people around her are not what they seem. Finn must choose between his dream and finding out the truth about the mysteries going on at this high school.
Codebreaker by Jay Martel
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Another YA thriller coming out in July is Codebreaker by Jay Martel. This standalone story is going to be released on July 22nd. Jay Martel is a new thriller author, with this being his debut novel. This story is beyond your average mystery with a sprinkle of romance, it’s interactive.
Codebreaker follows the story of a young seventeen-year-old girl named Mia. One night, all her plans are upended when the government accuses her father of theft. Now, her mother is dead and her father is gone. No more coffee shop jobs, no more Harvard applications. Then, on her birthday, she meets a man named Logan and a romance blossoms between them, but Mia can’t ever have something good for once. Her father leaves a voicemail explaining everything that happened that night, sending her on a mission. Together, Mia and Logan travel around historic sites in America, finding encrypted messages to find the truth about her family and stop an attack. As the reader, you will decode each message and help Mia and Logan along their mission. This interactive story will be impossible to put down.
Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Content Warning: This entry contains spoilers for The Inheritance Games series.
Glorious Rivals, a YA thriller, is the anticipated sequel to The Grandest Game. Written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a New York Times bestselling young adult author, Glorious Rivals is being released on July 29th, almost an exact year from when The Grandest Game was released. While it is a spin-off series, it is highly recommended to read the first four books in The Inheritance Games.
The spin-off series takes place during the second annual Grandest Games, where Avery, with her new wealth and status, is now working with the Hawthorne brothers to run this year’s competition. The series follows many people, some familiar like Avery and the Hawthorne Brothers, and new people such as Lyra and Rohan. Everyone has their agenda, from helping their families to discovering a murder with Avery as the suspect. While the first book of this new series ends on a cliffhanger, with secrets involving Lyra and Avery revealed, there is almost nothing in the second book. As we await the deadline, we hope to get more details on the story.
Soul and Shadow by Emma Noyes
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Emma Noyes’s Forbes 2025 30 Under 30, her next YA fantasy book, Soul and Shadow, is being released on July 29th. This Norse mythology-influenced story is the first in a series, with the second one set to release in March of 2026. With a dash of romance and vampires, this book is a must on your shelf.
The story follows a girl named Charlie Hudson. After the death of her twin sister, she stopped caring about anything. Going through the motions of life as if nothing matters. However, things change when someone she knows goes missing, and strange carvings are left in their wake. As a new man, Elias Everhart arrives in town and things get weirder, but Charlie can’t help but fall. As the romance grows, so does the mystery, and Charlie enters a path she can’t come back from, discovering worlds full of magic and gods that she can’t forget. With powerful secrets from Elias, Charlie’s life gets all the more dangerous.
Whether you like romance, fantasy, or mystery, many YA books are coming out this July for you to pick up and relax. Escape to worlds you never thought possible or solve codes this summer as these anticipated books hit the shelves, and remember to pick up a copy!
Looking for some more YA book recommendations? Check out our Bookshop YA List!
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