Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol


<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/6129A9OCuML._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Face Off by Chelsea Curto</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>Still experiencing some serious post-<em>Off Campus</em> blues? Puts hand up. This should most definitely fill the Garrett Graham shaped void in your life. Hockey romance <em>Face Off</em> follows Emerson “Emmy” Hartwell, a fiercely driven left-winger who joins the struggling D.C. Stars hockey team, and Maverick Miller, the team’s star captain who initially clashes with her. Think a friends with benefits arrangement and LOTS of spice. It’s the perfect beach read.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/71hhTWQYT6L._SL1500_.jpg" alt="summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>If you haven’t heard the hype around this tradwife social media influencer thriller, where have you been hiding? It’s practically had every book club around the country in a chokehold since its release in April, centring around the deeply religious, complex character of Natalie Heller Mills, who, after becoming famous online for her idyllic family ranch life, wakes up to the harsh reality of 1855, where she faces what it really means to live the trad life. But before <em>Yesteryear</em> even got released, Hollywood already had its eyes on the prize. In fact, there was a fierce four-studio bidding war to secure the film rights, with Amazon MGM Studios coming up trumps, spearheaded by Anne Hathaway, who is set to produce and star. Buckle in for a wild ride. It’s brilliant.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/81zVu7TK1NL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>It’s a chunky one, but if you’re a sucker for a big book to sink your chops into, <em>The Calamity Club</em> – Kathryn Stockett’s first book since <em>The Help</em> was released 18 years ago – is utterly fantastic. The book is set in 1930s Mississippi, following several of the most badass women as they try to navigate life during the Great Depression. It’s a proper uplifting read and made me absolutely laugh out loud – an epic testament to resilience, friendship, and fierce, funny women.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/71wWKareurL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>A love story for the ages. Embark on one of the most gorgeous summer-drenched adventures which begins its journey in Paris. When Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, it initiates the very start of a lifelong relationship that spans cities, decades and heartbreaks, with fate bringing them within touching distance again and again. It gives me all the <em>One Day</em> vibes. Tissues recommended.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/71pw2eKXVwL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>For something hilariously relatable, try <em>Sunday Times</em> Bestseller Bryony Gordon’s <em>People Pleaser</em>. Olivia Greenwood has spent her life trying to please everyone. But one crazy night out and a single blue hallucinogenic gummy changes all that. The next day, the mother of all hangovers aside, it just so happens she’s no longer able to please anyone but herself. Heartfelt, funny, and importantly, incredibly easy to read in between pool dips and getting your Aperol order in.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/71B6LgRyB8L._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>Pack this one in your beach bag. Eighty-one-year-old Mabel Fitzpatrick is not your average little old lady. Once known as “Mad Mabel” after becoming the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, she’s spent decades trying to outrun her past. But when a suspicious death rocks her quiet suburban street, old secrets come rattling out of the cupboard. Sally Hepworth’s <em>Mad Mabel</em> is a deliciously twisty mix of mystery, dark humour and heart, perfect for those who can’t resist a character-driven, clever thriller</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/81tYyCarjaL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>Currently binging <em>Every Year After</em> on Prime right now? Carley Fortune is the mastermind behind the teen drama, with her latest release promising more of the same yearning, sun-drenched setting, and, ermm, sexiness. <em>Our Perfect Storm</em> whisks readers to a windswept island where old flames, unresolved heartbreak and forced proximity create the perfect conditions for romance. Fortune has a knack for writing chemistry so palpable it practically crackles off the page. This one’s no different. Emotional tension, nostalgic summer vibes and simmering escapism – it has it all.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/71FKxAuIzCL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Trad Wife by Sarah Langan</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>A horror is perhaps not your usual beach read, but if you’ve already ticked <em>Yesteryear</em> off the list, dive into this by Sarah Langan. It’s another book that centres around trad wife culture, skewering the fantasy of domestic bliss with wit, intelligence and a healthy dose of menace. As the cracks begin to appear in an apparently idyllic community, what starts as social satire gradually morphs into a compulsive, page-turning thriller. Darkly funny, provocative and impossible to categorise, pick it up if you enjoy your summer fiction slightly unhinged.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/713nYOfi0L._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>I tore through this book in a matter of days. At the heart of <em>This Story Might Save Your Life</em> are Benny and Joy, best friends and co-hosts of a wildly successful podcast dedicated to extraordinary survival stories. But when Joy suddenly disappears and Benny finds himself under suspicion, the pair’s carefully curated public narrative begins to unravel. Part mystery, part love story and part exploration of friendship, fame and control, Tiffany Crum’s debut novel is a corker.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/06/81TmUE3BBIL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Summer reads" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>It’s the fantasy everyone’s talking about right now. We’d all by lying if we said we’d not once or twice fantasised about waking up in some of our favorite fictional worlds. Well, that’s exactly what Maggie does. It doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. The only thing that’s going to help her survive is her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters’ ambitions and fates. I’m utterly obsessed.</p></div></div></div></div>



<p><em>Support local! Find your nearest indie bookstore below:</em></p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://baileyhillbookshop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bailey Hill Bookshop</a>, Castle Cary</li>



<li><a href="https://www.booksonthehill.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Books on the Hill</a>, Clevedon</li>



<li><a href="https://brendonbooks.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brendon Books</a>, Taunton</li>



<li><a href="https://gloucesterroadbooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gloucester Road Books</a>, Bristol</li>



<li><a href="https://www.booksandvinyl.co.uk/about-our-shops" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gullivers</a>, Wimborne</li>



<li><a href="https://shop.winstonebooks.co.uk/pages/winstones-hunting-raven-frome" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hunting Raven Books</a>, Frome</li>



<li><a href="https://www.lymebookshop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lyme Regis Books</a>, Lyme Regis</li>



<li><a href="https://mrbsemporium.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mr B’s Emporium</a>, Bath</li>



<li><a href="https://sherlockandpages.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sherlock &amp; Pages</a>, Frome</li>



<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/stripyduckbookshopcafe/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stripy Duck</a>, Bruton</li>



<li><a href="https://www.dorsetbooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Bookshop</a>, Bridport</li>



<li><a href="https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Topping &amp; Company</a>, Bath</li>



<li><a href="https://www.booksandvinyl.co.uk/about-our-shops" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Westbourne Books,</a> Westbourne, Bournemouth</li>



<li><a href="https://shop.winstonebooks.co.uk/pages/winstones-sherborne" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Winstone’s</a> Sherborne</li>
</ul>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/literary-travel-reading-retreats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Literary travel: the wellness breaks everyone’s booking right now</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/feel-good-summer-movie-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boy summer? Not on our watch! Your feel-good summer movie guide</a></li>



<li><a href="https://dorsetsomerset.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/whats-on-locally-this-weekend-dorset-somerset-bristol-bath/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What’s on this weekend in Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol</a></li>
</ul>



<p></p>


Beach please! 10 holiday reads you need this summer

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