Hey book-lovers! June is upon us and we've got three amazing books lined up for you. Get ready to indulge in some summer escapism with our featured book picks for this month, available as either subscription box choices or as a one-off treat for yourself!

Local Voices: Mrs Hart's Marriage Bureau, by Sheena Wilkinson

What's the craic?

They'll find you love even if they can't find it for themselves. April McVey hasn't a romantic bone in her body. So how has she found herself at the door of Mrs Hart's Marriage Bureau, job application in hand? Matchmaker Martha hopes the lively Irish girl will breathe fresh air into a business struggling to keep with the times amid the tumult of 1930s Britain.

So when lonely widower Fabian arrives at the bureau, the pair's matchmaking skills - and professionalism - meet their first true test. Mrs Hart's Marriage Bureau is a charming and witty romantic comedy about friendship, loneliness, and the unexpected places where we find fulfilment.

Paperback Down says...

The perfect summer reading choice, Mrs Hart's Marriage Bureau by Sheena Wilkinson is an absolute joy and delight that you'll just not want to put down. The story flows beautifully and April McVey feels like an old friend you're having a natter with. There's a real authenticity to this book - both in the characters and in the world around them - as well as a sense of a society that hasn't yet shaken off the shadows of one war but is already feeling an encroaching uncertainty for the future. Just wonderful!

Science Fiction & Fantasy: The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, by Shauna Lawless

What's the craic?

They think they've killed the last of us...

981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son - and herself - but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret.

She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world - like the Tuatha De Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians.

Fodla is one of the Tuatha De Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. Fodla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war - a war she is desperate to stop.

However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise...

Paperback Down says...

We're really spoiling you for choice this month! The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by County Down author, Shauna Lawless, could just as easily have been our local voices pick for this month - it was a toss-up on just which box to put this amazing book into! A stunning debut that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history in a way that is all-too believable - you'll have to constantly remind yourself that it is actually a fantasy novel. Vividly written, atmospheric and utterly compelling!

Bucket List Books: We Have Always Lived In The Castle, by Shirley Jackson

What's the craic?

Living in the Blackwood family home with only her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian for company, Merricat just wants to preserve their delicate way of life..

But ever since Constance was acquitted of murdering the rest of the family, the world isn't leaving the Blackwoods alone. And when Cousin Charles arrives, armed with overtures of friendship and a desperate need to get into the safe, Merricat must do everything in her power to protect the remaining family. 

Paperback Down says...

This 1962 novel by Shirley Jackson is a darkly humorous story of small-town jealousy and greed. Each character is intricately and masterfully brought to life through the internal monologue of Merricat Blackwood and there's a pervasive, claustrophobic sense of otherness throughout. And as a fairly short novel, it's the perfect choice for ticking another literary classic book off the bucket list this summer!

Which will you choose?

Subscribe today to guarantee you get first dibs each month on our featured picks, along with locally-made gifts and treats all carefully chosen to help you relax and unwind with your new favourite book - just click here to get started.