June Baby

by Shannon Garvey

Some summers never leave you.

In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.

At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie. 

Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?

Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming Of Age, Grief

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 19, 2026

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book that deals with love and loss as it's both heartwarming and heartbreaking! Ruth goes to Block Island after her artist friend, Diana dies. She's tasked with cleaning out her studio But then she discovers her old boyfriend is engaged and she realizes she hasn't done much with her own life. The island is somehow magical as she begins to realize her own mistakes and the fact that life is never perfect, but she can control her responses to it!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Brittany Burrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow. This debut novel was incredibly well written, emotionally relatable, attention sucking, heartbreaking, hopeful, depressing, realistic. I absolutely loved it. I just know this one is going to be a huge hit in 2026.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Elizabeth Ann Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually don't know how I am going to be able to put my thoughts in an orderly fashion but let's try! Thank you Net Galley, Shannon Garvey, and Random House for this advanced readers copy of June Baby. I don't say this lightly but this may have been added to my top 10 books ever and for sure a great kick off to 2026. June Baby is a beautiful, bittersweet, realistic story of navigating life through the mess of love, loss, confusion, and grief.

We meet Ruth, a typical, at least in my experience 28 year old, grappling with what life means, where she is going, and everything she doesn't have at almost 30. We begin the novel, at 17, Ruth has just lost her mom to cancer, and with her dad seeing no way to help, he ships her off to Block Island with nothing but a name and a phone number. That summer she spends with Dianne, an artist, and friend of her later mother, and Charlie, Dianne's nephew changes her mind, body, and spirit.

Now, 10 years later facing the loss of Dianne, Ruth is forced to sit in the truth and deal with complicated feelings she's been running from the past decade of her life. This novel tugged at my heart strings in a million different ways. The characters, flaws and all, drew me in from the prologue, we watch Ruth navigate the complications of life, and a jam packed summer full of huge life altering decisions. The rawness and realness of the characters is something that really drew me in, but the novel being set in block island is every summer persons dream, life myself. Last, but most definitely not least, the words, the emotions, the writings of Shanon Garvey blew me away, so beautiful and so rich.

There were so many important take aways from this novel, but the way we discover grief in every form and every way was so relatable; grief in the textbook term, but also grieving your mistakes, your friendships, your relationships, your many different pathways you could take in life, those are all a huge part of coming of age, in your teens and twenties, and so on. This novel will stick with me for a very long time, and is a 6 star in my eyes. Thank you again Net Galley and Random House!

[Cristina De lamar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was beautifully written,. The language was very rich and descriptive. I felt like I was with Ruth on Block Island. “June Baby” is the story of a young girl named Ruth who is struggling to find her way after losing her mother at a young age and then losing her good friend, Diana, years later. After Ruth’s mother died, her father didn’t know how to handle his grief and hers. He sent her to spend the next few summers with Diana, her mother’s friend. Ruth had many rich experiences on Block Island and met her first love, Charlie.

Years later, Diana died and Ruth goes to her funeral. Ruth hadn’t spoken to Diana for some time and never knew she was sick. She discovers that still has feelings for Charlie after all this time. A series of events take place that help Ruth grow out of the funk she is in. Along the way she discovers things about Diana and her mother, her parents’ marriage, and her own life.

It is a well-paced, exquisitely detailed story of love, growth, and grief. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Please read June Baby when it is released in May 2026.

[Jane Perron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Perfect by the ocean this summer. I felt like I was on Block Island. The author captured some of the idiosyncrasies of island life.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing and even the storyline - up to about the one-half mark of this novel.

But after a while, I felt that the main character was fatally self-focussed. Very few of the supporting cast of characters get fleshed out or felt real to me. I was locked inside young Ruth's head and after a while I wanted to tell Ruth to snap out of it (where is Cher's Moonstruck character when you need her?!!)



At first I was captivated by the juvenile "back and forth/will they or won't they" between Ruth and Charlie... up until it threatened to evolve into a Fifty Shades of Grey "obsessive fascination" type of drama.



"She loves me, she loves me not" - poor Charlie must have felt like a yo-yo! Run, Charlie, run, I wanted to shout at one point. The middle and end portions of this novel felt very much like a romantic melodrama: all that simmering, unresolved sexual tension and angst....



After a while, I began to share a bit of Diana's frustration. Diana tried to help Ruth gain a foothold in the publishing industry, but Ruth preferred to take waitressing jobs rather than work her way up the low-paying literary/publishing ladder after college. This said a lot to me about where Ruth's priorities were. In fact, right up until the very end, when Ruth is given another gift from Diana - yet another break of a lifetime - Ruth still can't make up her mind: about Charlie, about where she will live, or whether she should stay on Block Island after all... Good grief!



What more could Diana have done for Ruth? Even after her death, Diana had asked an editor friend to allow Ruth to write Diana's memorial article for her magazine - and Ruth once again makes the article all about - well, Ruth and her experiences of living with Diana....

This novel started off strongly, but Ruth can't get beyond her own roiling emotions. At twenty-seven, Ruth still has a lot of growing up to do, and hopefully Diana's final gift will help Ruth mature into the author Diana believed she could be....

I'm rating this a 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[she_loves_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Net Galley!
**this review contains spoilers

The story started off slow and full of tropes - I considered putting it back on the (digital) shelf. I am glad I stuck it out because I really loved how the main character ended up in a reality parallel to her mother’s past. They both find themselves in the same corporeal predicament, unsure if she should go with the person they are in love with, or the man who is in love with them. A quote that took my breath away came from a flashback when Ruth, the main character, is asking her mom for advice: “One day, you’ll have your first love and it will end and it will hurt. You’ll see them move on, get married, become a stranger, and you’ll be sad, but it’ll be okay. You will be okay.” (Chapter 10)

Ruth is an anti-hero. She is aimless, selfish, fully woe-is-me, does not appreciate what others do for her, has no sympathy for other people suffering from loss, sleeps with someone who is engaged , and treats the guy who actually likes her like a toy. Eventually, she does admit she needs to grow up and the reader comes to realize Ruth is most likely uber depressed. However, it is hard to feel bad for her when she does nothing to help herself and hurts the people who care about her. Who wastes away a free, open shot to write a major article for Vogue?! Props to Garvey for penning such a complex character cause, in the end, I still wanted her to be happy.
The love interest? He lacks redeeming characteristics, leads more than one person on at a time, and I don’t know what Ruth sees in present-day him.

Another emotional barrier I identified has to do with Diana’s death. The book opens with her death and people gathering for her funeral, and then explores their relationships. One of the connecting strings is how the characters loved Diana. The readers meet her mainly through the existing characters’ stories and memories. I think it would be much more emotionally engaging for the reader if there were more scenes to get to know Diana on our own so we could relate to the character on our own terms.

I am rating this book three stars because the setting and character relations mirrored each other well, and the story kept me emotionally engaged, both rage and curiosity. The ending is satisfying and most characters get what they seemingly deserve.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to receive an early copy of June Baby, another Thousand Voices novel—and for a debut, this is genuinely impressive. I was honestly surprised by how quickly I became immersed in the story. From the start, I found myself turning pages faster than expected, even when the plot veered into territory I could see coming. Ruth is not an easy character to love—she’s often selfish, impulsive, and frustratingly childlike in her thinking—but that complexity kept me engaged rather than pushing me away.

The 2013 setting in the beginning didn’t feel fully convincing to me. Some plot elements, particularly the lack of curiosity or basic research on Ruth’s part, and the conveniently broken phone, felt a bit outdated for a seventeen-year-old, even allowing for grief. That said, the emotional context does help explain some of those choices, and once I settled into the story, those details mattered less than the journey itself.

Garvey’s writing is undeniably beautiful, though at times it leans a little too heavily into description. I occasionally found myself skimming longer passages that could have benefited from more dialogue or action to keep the pacing tight. Still, there’s a lyrical quality to the prose that will work especially well for readers who enjoy being fully immersed in mood and atmosphere.

One of the biggest surprises for me was the romantic element. While it isn’t marketed as a romance, it easily could be, and that thread added a layer of warmth and emotional pull I wasn’t expecting.

I flew through this book, even though Part Three didn’t fully land for me. Ruth, and several of the side characters, became harder to connect with as the story progressed. Even so, the choices these characters make lingered with me, and I found myself thinking about the book long after I finished. I can easily see June Baby becoming a strong book club pick, with plenty to unpack and discuss.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the early copy.

[Kristina O’Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read and review June Baby before its publication date. This tale of grief, love, growth, and renewal is intriguing and lovely.

When teenage Ruth’s mother passes from cancer, grief overtakes Ruth’s life. In a last ditch effort to help his daughter, Ruth’s father sends her to Block Island to live with a woman named Diana. Diana, a famous photographer, takes Ruth under her wing, encouraging her to explore her talents in writing as her assistant. Years later, when Diana passes, Ruth finds herself at the crossroads of grief once again, this time learning more than she ever anticipated about herself, Diana, and her mother.

Overall, I loved the premise of this story. I loved the setting, the details of Diana’s life as told through her home and belongings. I loved the imagery in the photographs that helped build the parts of the story. I loved the underlying themes of art that heals, and growth through grief.

However, I felt the character development in this book could have been stronger. I wish the reader had been able to feel Diana’s feelings rather than being told what she was feeling or what decision she was going to make next. With so many different important relationships happening at once between herself, her dad, Diana, her mom, Charlie, Louis, Lucy, and even Lynn, it was hard to feel deeply about any one. I found myself wishing this was written in the first person so I could understand Ruth better - to feel her pain, her love, and her growth. Instead, I felt little connection to her and found myself always wanting a bit more on the emotional side as a reader.

Overall, this was a strong debut novel, with an interesting story, and I feel it will do very well once published. Thank you again for the opportunity to read this story and give feedback!

[Rachel Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Shannon Garvey, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an advance copy of June Baby! This debut novel was thoughtful, evocative, and at its best when tenderly exploring the characters and setting.

June Baby delivers a rich emotional atmosphere, anchored in Ruth’s story of love, loss, and self-discovery among the golden dunes and salty breezes of Block Island. The writing often feels lyrical and evocative, drawing you into both the physical setting and Ruth’s inner world with a gentle, reflective pace. I love books that transport you to coastal New England through their words, and this book is no exception.

What stands out here is not just the coming-of-age elements, but the way Garvey handles grief and the choices that shape a life. Ruth’s yearning for connection, with the place that feels like home, with the people she’s loved, and with her own creative aspirations, gives the book a grounded emotional core. It’s a book that rewards readers who enjoy stories about personal growth and the sometimes messy, but very human, navigation of heartbreak and hope.

That said, there were moments where the pacing felt a bit uneven for me. Parts of the narrative lingered a touch too long in introspection, and some plot beats didn’t land. Still, these are relatively small quibbles in the context of a debut that clearly showcases Garvey’s strengths as a writer.

In the end, June Baby is a warm, thoughtful read with beautiful moments of insight and plenty of heart. I’d happily recommend it to readers who appreciate character-driven fiction and seaside settings that feel almost like another character in the story itself.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review on Rosepoint Publishing.

Ruth returns to Block Island following the death of Diana Beckett. She had been sent to live with Diana following the death of her mother and her father, lacking the ability to deal with his own grief, fell short of supporting his daughter.

It’s on Block Island that first summer that she meets Charlie. Ten years later, now at the age of twenty-seven, she returns to clean up Diana’s home and studio but finds herself lost and no more capable now than when she left.

She learns that Charlie is engaged, which throws her into another tail spin. She exhibits obsession and intense longing for Charlie while fending off the suitor who loves her with the same intensity she exhibits for Charlie.

I hate what she does with Charlie and later, when presented with opportunities cannot decide on a direction. The writer builds tension, but even with morbid curiosity to see if she’ll prevail, might be too late to care.

The whole novel begs the question: Can she ever move forward? Will she try to write again or continue waitressing the rest of her life?

If you appreciate slow-moving, deeply angst ridden novels of lost persons, you’ll understand better where this book shines.

This was an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and the publisher and I appreciate their providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

"June Baby" started out slowly. Too slowly. I was about 20 percent in, and the book still hadn't caught my interest. I nearly gave up. Instead, I pushed on and discovered a book that many describe as a coming-of-age story of a young woman reeling from grief.

Ruth loses her mother to cancer. Her father, unable to handle her grief, sends her to live on an island with a woman she has never met but who, apparently, was a good friend of her mother's. Another death, 10 years later, sends her spiraling deeper into her grief.

Grief is personal. I get it. Still, Ruth seemed to wallow.

Once the story finally got moving, I found myself caring about the choices and decisions Ruth made. Should she pursue the young man she has loved since she first came to the island as a 17-year-old, or should she consider the guy who has just been a good time and a friend? Should she take advantage of the opportunities presented to establish a career for herself or just continue serving food at diners on the island in the summers and on the mainland during winters?

I received a copy of this book prior to publication, thanks to Netgalley. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. It was a perfectly fine read. It just didn't set my world on fire.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. After losing her mother at seventeen, Ruth is sent to Block Island, where photographer Diana gives her refuge—and where Ruth discovers creativity, belonging, and first love with Diana’s nephew, Charlie. Ten years later, Ruth is still pulled to the island, spending her summers among its wealthy visitors while barely scraping by the rest of the year, unable to let go of the place that once saved her. A new tragedy strikes and Ruth turns to Charlie. Then long-buried truths emerge through a box Diana left behind, Ruth must confront what she believes about her past and her future.

This book thoroughly covers all ranges of emotions, from loss and grief, to hope and family. It is a perfect mix of all aspects of the human experience. The book had a great lesson to teach, which was we cannot change the past or what happens in our lives, but we can control how we respond. Kudos also to the great summer setting - it felt like I was on the island in those hot summer days.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

settle in and allow shannon garvey’s debut novel to transport you right onto block island. set in the present day with trips back a decade, we watch ruth go from a broken seventeen year old girl to a young woman who is doing exactly what we all are doing - trying her best to figure it out. mourning the loss of her mother and hesitantly moving onto the island to stay with a woman named diana that she’s never met before, ruth is at a low point. her relationship with her father is strained and she hasn’t started to process her grief. she’s floating through life like an untethered anchor. enter charlie - diana’s nephew who visits the island each summer. their connection is instant. fast forward ten years and ruth is still a bit of a wild card. we witness her experience young love, loss, confusion, lust, big life decisions, and, ultimately, growth. i found myself rooting for ruth even on her toughest of days.
i devoured this book because of the idyllic setting but ruth’s story kept me engaged throughout the entire duration.

thank you to random house publishing for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

[Madae · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Ruth was 17 her mom passed away. Her dad didn't know how to handle her grief so he dropped her off at Diana's house, an old friend of Ruth's mom who she's never heard of or met. Ruth spends the summer with Diana on Block Island, where she meets and bonds with Diana's nephew, Charlie. The teen summers on Block Island are skimmed over and soon it's 10 years later, and Diana is dying. She leaves Ruth a box that reveals some long hidden secrets.

After reading the description of June Baby, I thought it'd be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me. Ruth was so unlikeable. She was negative and constantly hurt people/cut them off when they disagreed with her or tried to help her. She self sabotaged and romanticized her time as a teen/young adult on Block Island and is stuck in that mindset. The writer is extremely verbose and some of her sentences and descriptions could easily be edited. The book was slow paced and while there was redeeming ending, I found it was too little too late.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Candie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one has “gotten “ Rhode Island so well since
John Casey’s Spartina. Ruth is sent to an unknown family friend to live for the summer after her mother dies of cancer. Diana is a famous wealthy photographer who tells Ruth that she her mother one summer when she worked on Block Island. Diana encourages Ruth to pursue her academic dreams which she does to an extent but then unresolved grief stalls her out and Ruth becomes a seasonal bartender. She summers on Block Island in a shared cottage and winters at a seaside town in Maine working at a dive bar there. When tragedy strikes her life again, Diana heads to Block Island determined to put her life on track only to find that she needs to rethink everything she thought she knew. Fantastic accurate descriptions of Block Island and the transient lifestyle of the seasonal workers who make it a playground for the wealthy. I’m a South County RIer who works in a library- this book is fantastic!
So happy to have finished it at 12:02 1/1/26 making it my first book of the New Year. Very high bar indeed!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!!!

[Ramona Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruth, a seventeen year old girl, is sent to an island for the summer after her mother dies from cancer. She has been unable to cope with her grief, and her father, who is also grieving does not know how to help her. He sends her to the island--a summer retreat for the wealthy--with only a note to find Donna. I did not enjoy the characters--Ruth makes some poor decisions, partly because she is not grown up enough for the freedoms she experiences, and partly because neither her father nor Donna, who was supposed to help her with grief, are there to give her the emotional support she actually needs. She has a summertime romance, and never get it is able to let go of it, It is not until years later that she understands why her father sent her to the island in the first place. Emotional trauma in teenagers can follow your whole life if not properly dealt with, At the end of the book, I wasn't sure if Ruth had really dealt with hers. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc with no pressure for a positive review..

[Mindee Bacon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novel full of sadness, abandonment and incredibly bad decisions.

When Ruth is a teenager, she loses her mother to cancer and her father abandons her by dropping her off on Block Island with a note with the name of a woman that Ruth has never met. Ruth ends up living with this lady, who becomes her guardian and mentor. As Ruth becomes an adult, she is still obsessed with Block Island and the teenage love that got away. Not able to go forward in life, Ruth is very stuck in the past, living her late twenties just like she did as a teenager. When her young love finally comes back to the island, Ruth makes bad decision after bad decision.

The author is a fantastic writer weaving the heartbreaking story among each character, but I was very irritated and angry at the main character and how she did not seem to want to change her life. This book left me rooting for other characters to go far away from Ruth.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was released May 12, 2026. #NetGalley #JuneBaby

[Lee Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing her mother, Maggie to cancer, seventeen year old Ruth is grieving and depressed. Her father is at a loss and is not sure how to help her, so he ships her off to Block Island to spend the summer with a woman by the name of Diana. Ruth is led to believe that Diana knew Maggie when they were younger, but they were not that close. Diana is a well known photographer, but asks Ruth to help with her writing. She sees such potential in Ruth and over the years encourages to do something with her life. For the past ten years, Ruth has returned to Block Island to work the summers in a restaurant. Now she is returning after another loss and finds comfort in her long lost love of Diane's nephew, Charlie. Charlie gives Ruth a box that will change what she thought she knew about her mother and Diana. Now Ruth is left with choices that will impact her future. This is a wonderful debut that is full of love, loss and embracing change.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC of this debut novel.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Set on the background of one summer on Block Island, Ruth, back after another devastating loss struggles with her past, present and future. 10 years ago she was shipped off in the wake of her grief after the death of her mother to a seemingly random person on Block Island to help for the summer. Ten years worth of returning to the beach with those that became family and a first love collide at a funeral and she is eventually forced to confront her grief, her choices and decide where life goes from here. While I didn’t always agree with Ruth’s choices and didn’t necessarily love any of the side characters, though they all played important parts - I was still able to get in and enjoy the story. I also enjoyed the ending and it left me hopeful for Ruth. A good summer read, especially if you’re visiting Block Island and want something less fluffy more serious/coming of age.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I'd like to thank Random House publishers and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. The current publication date is in June, 2026. Keep your eyes open for it, you do not want to be at the end of the checkout line at your public library. You'd be likely run out and buy it!
Shannon has incredible knack for creating and developing. I could practically hear their voices and visualized them as I got deeper into their story. She did not fall into the trap of making all the females beautiful and all the men handsome. The protagonist is Ruth. She is 19 years old and is dealing with loss and dramatic changes in her life. Ruth has a vision for her life and she works hard to realize that vision. Time, commitment, and lack of resources all contribute to the obstacles of her vision. Readers, like me, root for Ruth throughout the story, even when she makes a choice that we don't like. I think I am going to back and reread it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite novels are the quiet novels where it's a slice of life moment and the characters are just driving the story. June Baby, is the story of Ruth who lost her mom at 17 and is consumed by grief. Unable to help her, her dad ships her to stay with an artist, Diana, on Block Island for the summer. Ruth and Diana and her nephew Charlie spend every summer together for many years.

It's ten years later, and Ruth still spends her summers on Block Island. She's drifting and struggling. She and Charlie haven't seen each other in a while and Diana passes away. She leaves behind items and a letter for Ruth. Secrets that change Ruth's life and shift her perspective.

This is a novel about found family, love, secrets, sacrifices and how and if we can ever pick up the pieces of our life after a monumental loss. It's beautiful and touching.

with gratitude to netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Ella Ibañez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the reader through Ruth's emotional journey navigating grief, romance, friendships, career and figuring out her life purpose. Ruth loses her mother at 17 due to cancer and her father sends her to Block Island to her mother's friend to help her grieve. At the island she falls in love and creates lasting friendships. Ten years later, Ruth is still on Block Island but is mourning the loss of her mother's friend and also her first love's engagement to someone new. The author completely immerses the reader in Ruth's emotions and I truly felt like I was experiencing her life and everything she was going through. Ruth experiences a lot of the things people in their 20's experience which makes this book extra relatable to everyone. Also, it's always fun to have a book set at a cute island.

I found this book a bit slow for me at the start but as I got going, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this one!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

June Baby by Shannon Garvey

June Baby is the story of Ruth, a 27-year-old woman who is struggling with the big, universal questions of adulthood: What should she be doing with her life? Is she searching for love, a baby, a career—or something else entirely? As Ruth begins to confront these questions, she slowly starts to fill in the missing pieces of her life and discover what truly matters to her.

I absolutely loved this story. The writing is thoughtful and engaging, and the characters feel genuine and relatable. Ruth’s journey is honest, emotional, and deeply human, making it easy to connect with her from the very beginning. This book stayed with me long after I finished it, and I found myself rooting for Ruth every step of the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

[Arden Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

“june baby” is shannon garvey’s debut novel covering love, loss, grief, friendship, and everything that comes with growing up and realizing you might not be where you thought you’d be in life.

while i would say that this book was extremely well written and got the emotions across to the reader, i didn’t really enjoy reading it. the second i put it down, i didn’t think about picking it up again until i caught sight of my kindle. i also just didn’t like ruth. i know she was going through a lot, but she was pretty insufferable. although, in hindsight, that might’ve been part of the point…

overall, if you’re ready to work for it, i do think the pay off of this book was worth it (loved the ending!), but it just wasn’t a fun read.

thank you to random house for the eARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s amazing that this is a debut author. The writing is really well done. It flowed naturally and was very much showing and not telling. The characters had great depth and the dialogue felt natural. It was a great coming of age story. It was a bit slow at times and the FMC was a bit annoying. She made some choices that I thought were selfish, but that just points to her being a flawed human. Overall I liked this book and it definitely has its audience. I’m rounding up from a 3.5.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy to review.

** spoilers**


I think I was really hoping in a different ending here. It's so tough with reading because we all have certain endings we picture and that does not mean it is how it should be or how the writer envisioned it. Part of the trouble I had was the wrap up of loose ends all happened in the last 40 or less minutes of the book, with most in the last 15. I would have loved to have more of a picture of her life in NY at the new apartment to help the reader know that things would turn around for the character. Not an bad book by any means but I do wish it felt less rushed at the end.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I am very impressed that this is a debut novel!!! It was well written and the editing was on point. I will admit, it started slow for me. I found Ruth to be an annoying 20 something year old that did not have the gumption to "get a real job" or move on with her life. I'm glad I did not give up! The novel went on to be very engaging, and although I still found Ruth's lack of initiative to be trying at times, the author did a good job of letting the story play out so all became more evident and understanding. I would definitely recommend this book and hope to read more from Shannon Garvey.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this debut “June Baby”
Anyone summer person will resonate with this book.
Those of us who worked and played hard every summer near the beach. The relationships you form will come and go as you grow.
Fast forward to the breathtaking Block Island and meet Ruth who is shipped off by her grieving father to Diana, her deceased mother’s friend.
This moving story follows Ruth’s struggling on her own, and with the help of Diana to get through the rough teenage years.
Highly recommend this debut novel! Enjoy the transport to Block Island and cheer on Ruth as she navigates life.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spoke to me in a way not many do. The author dealt with several sensitive issues with grace and understanding. I noticed three main threads throughout the story. The main overarching theme of the book is grief. Grieving the loss of a loved one, grieving the loss of innocence, and grieving the what could have beens. As an end of life doula I know that grief is not linear, it ebbs and flows which this suthor did a masterful job of weaving throughout the story in nuanced ways.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.