3.5 stars

I really enjoy cozy reads with lots of atmosphere and magic thrown into the mix, and this one was just that. I loved the small town setting, the richly layered characters and the steady plot pacing that kept the story moving.

I will say that some elements of the story were left hanging at times, and this was a bit of a distraction for me.

All in all, an entertaining read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Evocative prose pairs with magical realism for a unique look at what it means to be a family.

Fourteen-year-old July has been orphaned. A social worker locates her late adoptive mother's closest living relative. An estranged cousin Anita who has no experience with children. July arrives in a little (fictional) island town called Ebey's End located in the Pacific northwest. Small town life is a culture shock. She also has to adjust to living with Anita who is single and calls the tiny apartment over the grocery store that she runs home. Is Anita prepared? No, but when it comes to parenthood, who is? July has a gift for knowing what people need. A magazine here, a pie there, and a novel for a friend each sound like small gestures. These particular actions have reverberations that are deeply felt. Her gift while paranormal in nature isn't shoved in the readers face. The author handled it with a graceful touch. It was used enough to push the narrative forward without becoming the focus. People, relationships, secrets, and forgiveness are at the center. Despite her gift July is a teenager in a lot of emotional pain and so having lost one mother she begins to show an interest in locating her birth mother or really any biological family through a DNA test. No one can foresee the can of worms this becomes.

A heartwarming story with small town vibes and an interesting twist on found family. I enjoyed many of the characters and how everyone was experiencing growth or acceptance. The teenage characters July and Malcolm were heartbreaking and uplifting. They bond over having deceased moms a club no kid wants to belong to. The kindness they showed others despite the pain each carried made them easy to care about.

The town might have a few secrets the local gossips haven't latched onto yet.

When it all comes out in the wash, who is going to have a little dirt on their hands?

Thank you to Penguin Group | Dutton for providing an Advance Reading Copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

On a remote Puget Sound island with sporadic ferry service, Anita is unprepared and totally unsure when the daughter of her cousin arrives for Anita to raise. July brings the unexpected with her not only for Anita but all the quirky residents of the island. Hopeful, with a bit of magic, readers will be drawn to this community and this found family.

atmospheric and gorgeously written novel with a wonderful sense of setting and of plotting. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This was a cute small town book with quirky characters. I found it a bit slow but did enjoy the characters. I lived in a small town and trust me, people in small towns do not keep to themselves lol. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Really delightful with well-spun characters and setting, full of small town quirks and charms and full of heart. Some really great descriptions.

A few notes from along the way:

Giving me The Secret Life of Bees vibe. Remember the three Boatwright sisters were named May, June and August? I always wondered, why not July? Now here we have (from a different author, and you) a character named July who arrives in Ebey's End at fourteen with a heart filled with loss, a weighing down of guilt and the gift (or burden) of sight. 


"But what they packed in mutual understanding, they made up for in politeness, which was all anyone really needed to get along in the world." - chapter ten


Also reminds me a bit (though it has been so long since I read it) of Song of the Seals by Christy Yorke.

I adored everything about this book - from the setting to the seemingly dismal life of everyone on the island to the spark July brought to all of their lives. It was hard to put down and I certainly didn't want it to end!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review..

July, a 14 year old with the gift and curse of siight, goes to live on a remote-ish island with a cousin she didn't know after the death of her mother. Jully changes everyone's life for the better just by being herself.

The Peculiar Gift of July snuck up on me in the best way! I went in expecting a quirky, maybe even light-hearted story, but what I got was something far more thoughtful and emotionally layered.

From the start, I connected with the main character. She's not flashy or dramatic—just real in a way that made me feel like I knew her. Watching her navigate life’s unexpected turns—especially the ones that make her question everything she thought she knew—was both heartbreaking and hopeful.

The writing is subtle and rich, never rushing the story but also never losing momentum. And even though the plot isn’t packed with action, it didn’t need to be... the emotional journey was more than enough to keep me turning the pages. If I’m being honest, I wished for just a bit more depth in some of the supporting characters.

This book may not shout for your attention, but it absolutely deserves it! Thank you, NetGalley!

3.5/5 ⭐️
Here’s a thoughtful 3.5/5 star review for The Peculiar Gift of July:

⸻

3.5/5 stars

The Peculiar Gift of July is a charming, whimsical novel that balances heartwarming moments with a touch of magic and a big dose of quirky small-town life. The setting of Ebey’s End is wonderfully vivid—remote, slightly eccentric, and filled with colorful characters you can’t help but root for. Anita’s reluctant journey into guardianship, and July’s mysterious ability to offer people exactly what they need, gives the story a gentle but meaningful emotional arc.

That said, the pacing can feel slow at times, and some of the more magical elements are left vague rather than fully explored. While the tone is mostly light, the book does skim the surface of deeper themes like grief, forgiveness, and loneliness without always diving in as deeply as it could.

Still, it’s a cozy, uplifting read perfect for fans of character-driven stories with a bit of magical realism. July’s quiet impact on the town leaves a lasting impression—and a reminder that the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference

Anita lives in the same small-town apartment above the same grocery store she’s always known. It’s the kind of place where everybody knows everybody—and all their business too. Her life hums along in familiar comfort… until July shows up. July is an orphaned, distant relative, and even though Anita doesn’t exactly see herself as mother material, she can’t bear the thought of sending the girl to foster care.

As it turns out, July isn’t your average kid—she has a mysterious gift for knowing things she shouldn’t, and that little touch of magic gives this cozy small-town story a special spark.

I really enjoyed the characters and the heartfelt premise. That said, I could’ve done without some of the blasphemous language—it pulled me out of the charm a bit. But if that doesn’t bother you and you’re into slightly magical, feel-good small-town tales, this one’s worth checking out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a quick, enjoyable read! I really enjoyed the small town atmosphere and descriptive work on this. I did find the town dynamics to be a bit unrealistic and therefore it was hard for me to fully dial in and relate. July’s gift was so sweet and it really does tug at the heart strings. Found family is one of my favorites and this was done well. I found myself wanting more focus on July versus the other side characters which just felt less important for me. Overall, I did enjoy the read it just fell a bit short for me in the end!

The Peculiar Gift of July was definitely peculiar. The setting is a small island NW of the state of Washington. It’s inhabited by a small number of people with few conveniences. However, the people don’t seem to be [emotionally] close at all, but rather keep “themselves to themselves” as the British would say. Nothing about this social scene seems at all real to me. I can’t help but wonder if the author has ever lived in a small town.

I read almost half the book before putting it down. It was not for me, but I hope others will enjoy it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Dutton, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved The Peculiar Gifts Of July!
The cozy, small town atmosphere was on point with the intermingled story lines with an overactive gossip train, full of secrets, subtle humor, and surprises.
I adored the characters and their quirky personalities. The multiple POV's was perfect and really amplified the story from the different perspectives.
July, was a great character with just enough magnetism to captivate. I really enjoyed that her gifts were a subtle undercurrent of the plot guiding the story and the characters.
The heartwarming story was about the town as a whole, and their secrets intertwined for a surprise ending.

Ebey’s End is a small town on an island off the Pacific coast. It’s a comfortable, familiar life for its resident grocer Anita Odom. That is, until fourteen-year-old July shows up on her doorstep. Anita decides to take her in.

I love all the characters and the magical world. It was a nice quick read that will leave you smiling.

If you like:

Magic
Small town characters
Humor

This book is for you! So many twists and secrets! You’ll definitely want to check this book out!

Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and Ashley for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨
Publication Date: July 1st 2025

#ThePeculiarGiftofJuly #NetGalley

The Peculiar Gift of July by Ashley Ream ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Penguin Group Dutton
Pub Date: 7-1-25

Thank you @netgalley, @duttonbooks, and @a.ream.writer for the opportunity to read this eARC.

A small island town full of secrets and quirky characters? I'm all in! I loved the relationship between Anita and July, as well as the friendship that develops between Anita and Carol. A sweet story of family—in all its forms.

"July spent all of her time trying not to bother Anita, who was family— at least to her mother— but felt to her like a stranger with an extra bed. July knew she was a thing that had happened to Anita. She’d fallen on her like something pushed out a window. And the same was true for July. All of this had fallen on her, too. Not one thing but many things."

"She wanted a place where she fit. She wanted that click when a puzzle piece slides into the right spot, not the pressing and smacking of trying to force it. She wanted that thing she’d seen the first time she’d gone to Mack’s with Anita, when July had looked from one to the other and known they belonged to each other."

This book was nothing I expected. By the description, I thought it would be a lighthearted, funny read. It ended up having a lot of depth and heart , and was funny yet serious as well. I got drawn in from the beginning and was engaged throughout. Lots of interesting characters and several overlapping storylines. I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read the advance copy. I definitely recommend!

When July arrives in Eden’s End a charming island town many things begin to happen . she’s 14 years old and comes to live with her cousin Anita the town grocer. This book is charming and emotional .Every character is a delight to know . You will not want to leave this magical world and these fantastic characters. This is one of the best books books I’ve read this year . Absolutely delightful

Ebey's End, a small island off the coast of Washington State, reached only by ferry (if the weather holds and it's not Tuesday), filled with quirky, small-town characters. Their world is shaken up when Anita, the owner of the grocery store, finds out she is the closest sort-of relative of July, a fourteen-year-old orphan. When July arrives, the news spreads quickly. Anita has no idea what to do with a teenager, or any child for that matter. As July learns to help out at the grocery store, she seems to have a magic touch for knowing what each shopper might need, a Martha Stewart magazine for the aloof older banker, a pie for the pastor. July is befriended by Malcolm, the pastor's son who is also a loner. We meet overworked people, unfaithful couples, the liars, the shiftless, the families who are struggling to put food on their tables.
July's intuition as to what each person needs spreads across the small community, with surprising results for many people. July is determined to find her birth mother and this opens up a whole set of issues involving many in the community, but allows the book to end on a positive note.

The Peculiar Gift of July is a heartwarming and utterly enchanting novel that stole my heart from the very first page. With its hopeful tone and a cast of fabulous, multi-dimensional characters, this story is an absolute delight. Elements of magical realism were present, but weren't integral to the story. I absolutely loved this book. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you long after the last page is turned. The Peculiar Gift of July is a must-read. Trust me, you won’t regret it!