As the summer heat begins to make its presence known, the search for the ultimate beach read ramps up—and Jenna Bush Hager appears to have uncovered a gem.
Following the announcement of her May book club selection, the Today co-host turned to social media to laud another novel that she’s dubbing “the book of the summer.”
“JUNE BABY, the remarkable novel Elin Hilderbrand hailed as ‘the book of the summer,’ is now available everywhere!” she exclaimed in her post, referencing Elin Hilderbrand, a prominent American author known for her beach reads.
“June Baby,” penned by Shannon Garvey, has been commended by Bush Hager as “the ideal beach read.”
“Immersive, heartfelt, and contemplative, it’s precisely the kind of book you’ll want to dive into this summer,” she added in the caption, accompanied by snapshots of herself with Garvey on the morning show.
“Set against a backdrop of a transformative summer on Block Island, JUNE BABY follows Ruth, a young woman grappling with the loss of her mother. Unable to cope with her grief, her father sends her to the island to locate a woman she’s never met, someone who knew her mother. Block Island becomes the focal point of Ruth’s entire year, drawing her back every June. And naturally, like any captivating beach read, there’s a love story at its core…” Bush Hager’s caption concluded.
Garvey’s debut novel officially hit shelves for readers to enjoy on May 12, 2026, courtesy of Hager’s Thousand Voices publishing imprint, established in collaboration with Random House Publishing Group.
The objective of Bush Hager’s imprint is to spotlight books from emerging and diverse writers whose work may go unnoticed in the fiercely competitive and political landscape of the publishing industry.
Regarding Garvey’s novel, she shared with the network about the protagonist Ruth, “She’s incredibly raw and deep in grief, and her father is incapable of handling that, so he sends her to Block Island to work as an assistant for an artist named Diana. We catch a glimpse of how vital this place and its people are going to be to her.”
Garvey also disclosed that she previously worked as a housekeeper at an inn on Block Island, where she wrapped up the second draft of the novel, noting that her experience “really enriched the book.”
In an industry-exclusive move, the model selected by entertainment insiders Reese Witherspoon for May’s book club pick: ‘Too Good Not to Share’.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.