August is finally here and that means books! We have some new faces here at the site, which equates to even more releases to discuss. Though we hope you enjoy our picks, here are a few more books that you may be looking to read:
- Ruth Ware has a new creepy mystery: The Turn of the Key ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
- Don’t forget the continuation to R.F. Kuang’s Opium Wars series: The Dragon Republic ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
- Handle with Care by Helena Hunting ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is out this month!
- J.R. Ward fans will be waiting for Blood Truth ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) to hit their e-readers.
- Discretion by Karina Halle ( A ) is the first book in a new contemporary romance series!
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Chasing Sunset
Author: Missouri Vaun
Released: August 13, 2019 by Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceTaylor Finn aspires to be a stunt driver, but driving a limo is what pays the bills. When she finds herself chauffeuring a drunk guy harassing his date, she leaves him stranded and is sure she’s going to get fired. Maybe it’s finally time to pursue her dream.
Iris Fleming’s flight to Atlanta was a scene from a disaster movie, the scariest landing ever. She’d desperately wanted a part on a new sci-fi series, until the director made a pass at her. Now Iris doesn’t want the role and has no intention of getting back on a plane.
Making their escape from Atlanta, Iris and Finn end up at Hideaway Haven, in neighboring cabins. Iris isn’t sure what’s scarier, sexy Taylor Finn or woodland nighttime noises. But maybe they can help each other out. There are schools for stunt drivers in LA, and Iris needs a ride. Wrong turns and roadside hijinks ensue as Iris and Finn set off on a road trip, chasing the sunset and falling for each other along the way.
Tara: Roadtrip book with an actress + aspiring stunt driver? Oh yes.
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Party of Three
Author: Sandy Lowe
Released: August 13, 2019 by Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Erotica/Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceThree friends are in for a wild night at billionaire heiress Eleanor McGregor’s twenty-fifth birthday party. Love, lust, and doing the right thing, even when it hurts, turn the evening into one that will change their lives forever.
Sarah Donovan just wants to have fun. After a failed relationship and a string of bad first dates leave her moping into her cosmo, a hot and steamy one-night stand with a perfect stranger is just what she needs to feel desirable again.
Avery Anders can’t seem to forget the long-ago accidental kiss with the one woman she couldn’t have, her friend’s little sister. When they meet again, the flame is hotter than ever, and temptation may be too much to resist.
Kaitlyn Forrester was a hopeless romantic until the love of her life walked out on her. Can she learn to forgive when her high school sweetheart returns to town looking to mend her broken heart?
Tara: This is Sandy Lowe’s first full-length novel and I’m pretty excited because I enjoyed short stories from her before.
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Love in an Undead Age
Author: A.M. Geever
Released: August 1, 2019
Genre: Horror, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Love in an Undead Age #1Surviving the zombie apocalypse was hard but saving the human race might be fatal.
Ten years after the zombie apocalypse a good man is still hard to find… just ask Miranda Tucci. Most are ill-equipped to breach Miranda’s emotional defenses, and even in San Jose, California, the most technologically advanced outpost of civilization left on the planet, there’s no app for mending a broken heart. But when Connor MacGuire turns up at nearby Santa Clara University, even Miranda begins to wonder if she has finally found someone she can trust.
The Jesuit priests who lead the community at Santa Clara University are the only counter-balance to the ruthless City Council that rules Silicon Valley. They have hatched a scheme to break the monopoly on a vaccine for the zombie virus that the Council and its powerful ally, Mario Santorello, control.
As the Jesuits’ plan approaches a critical stage and Miranda is recruited to join their mission, the ghosts of her past collide with the present, plunging her into territory both strange and familiar. Will corruption continue to spread and the vaccine be used for political advantage, or can Miranda survive long enough to usher in a new age of civilization? It’s only the fate of humanity that’s suddenly resting on her shoulders. If she can bring her love life back from the dead, how tough can saving the world be?
LOVE IN AN UNDEAD AGE is a post-apocalyptic romance wrapped inside an adventure that explores universal themes: love and loss, betrayal and redemption. What choices do we make in order to survive, what do they cost us, and are they worth it in the end? Are some breaches of trust too damaging to forgive, or can the healing power of love truly conquer all?
Lara Diane: Post-apocalyptic adventure romance! It’s hitting all the high notes for me. I, too, wonder how to find love when zombies are at the gate…
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Ellie and the Harpmaker
Author: Hazel Prior
Released: August 6, 2019 by Berkley
Genre: Literary Fiction, RomanceIn the rolling hills of beautiful Exmoor, there’s a barn. And in that barn, you’ll find Dan. He’s a maker of exquisite harps – but not a great maker of conversation. He’s content in his own company, quietly working and away from social situations that he doesn’t always get right.
But one day, a cherry-socked woman stumbles across his barn and the conversation flows a little more easily than usual. She says her name’s Ellie, a housewife, alone, out on her daily walk and, though she doesn’t say this, she looks sad. He wants to make her feel better, so he gives her one of his harps, made of cherry wood.
And before they know it, this simple act of kindness puts them on the path to friendship, big secrets, pet pheasants and, most importantly, true love.
Lara Diane: This promises to be the kind of toe-curlingly warm romance that will keep me warm in this southern hemisphere winter. I mean, who doesn’t love a harp!? I’m swooning already.
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House of Salt and Sorrows
Author: Erin Craig
Released: August 6, 2019 by Delacorte Press
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young AdultGet swept away in Erin A. Craig’s mesmerizing House of Salt and Sorrows. As one by one her beautiful sisters mysteriously die on their isolated island estate, Annaleigh must unravel the curse that haunts her family. Be careful who you dance with. . . .
Four of Annaleigh Thaumas’s eleven sisters have returned to the Salt, the brackish water that surrounds their lonely island home, their lives cut short, each more tragically than the last. Whispers throughout the Highmoor estate say the girls have been cursed by the gods.
When Annaleigh finds out that her sisters have been sneaking out to attend glittering midnight balls and dance until dawn, she’s not sure whether to stop them–or join them. And when she begins to see a series of horrific, ghostly visions and more sisters die, she realizes she must solve the mystery–with the help of Cassius, a sea captain who knows much more about her than he should–and unravel the Thaumas curse before she descends into madness or . . . it claims her next.
Ellen: I don’t generally read a whole lot of YA but I cannot resist a good fairy tale retelling and The Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favorite fairy tales!
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A Little Light Mischief
Author: Cat Sebastian
Released: August 6, 2019 by Avon Impulse
Genre: Historical: European, LGBTQIA, Novella, Romance
Series: The Turner Series #3.5A seductive thief
Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly?
Finds her own heart
For the first time in her life, Alice Stapleton has absolutely nothing to do. The only thing that seems to occupy her thoughts is a lady’s maid with a sharp tongue and a beautiful mouth. Her determination to know Molly’s secrets has her behaving in ways she never imagined as she begins to fall for the impertinent woman.
Has been stolen
When an unwelcome specter from Alice’s past shows up unexpectedly at a house party, Molly volunteers to help the only way she knows how: with a little bit of mischief.
Tara’s pick!
Aarya: Disclaimer: I’m friendly with the author but I am very excited for this book as I’m a sucker for (ex) thieving protagonists. Also, I’m really happy that Avon is continuing to publish more f/f historicals because I love them.
Ellen: F/F Cat Sebastian!? Sign me up all day long.
Susan: “Rogues trying to right wrongs” is one of my favourite tropes, and I’m so excited to see Cat Sebastian writing more of it!
Shana: Working class love stories are my jam and I’m curious to see Sebastian handle a f/f story .
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My Place Among Men
Author: Kris Millgate
Released: August 6, 2019 by Inkshares
Genre: NonfictionAs a young girl, Kris Millgate was afraid of everything and everyone, but especially strangers with beards. She grew up hiking Utah’s Wasatch Mountains with her father—endless wanders through peppercorn speckled granite crawling up one canyon and red-brown blend spilling down another. Every trek was a lesson in endurance and persistence, two traits that have propelled her journey as a trailblazing wildlife journalist both behind the desk and in the field. Through her career as a voice for the outdoors, she spent countless days in the uncomfortable, challenging—and at times, unbearable—wilderness, learning to overcome all that had held her back.
In her memoir, Millgate offers an authoritative and balanced look at history-making environmental stories while lending emotional insight into an industry dominated by men in a time when the shift toward outdoor exploration for all is catching fire. My Place Among Men is the story of how one young woman, brought up in the schoolhouse of the wild, becomes an ultimate force to be reckoned with—a mother, a wife, a journalist whose work leads her to the ultimate discovery: finding her place among men is truly about finding her place in the wild.
Sneezy: The recollections of an environmental journalist who has to figure out how to do her job with dudes and patriarchy clogging things up. It’s a story many of us can relate to. I want to hear hers.
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The Right Swipe
Author: Alisha Rai
Released: July 2, 2019 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Modern Love #1Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.
Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:
– Nude pics are by invitation only
– If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice
– Protect your heart
Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears.
Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…
Elyse: Rai is one of my favorite authors, hands down.
Sarah: I have zero chill about this book. Exactly none.
Sneezy: Alisha Rai wrote it.
Aarya: The heroine has a connection to the Forbidden Hearts series, and I’m always fascinated by any romance that incorporates dating apps. I foresee this trend becoming more popular in the future.
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The Third Mrs. Durst
Author: Ann Aguirre
Released: August 8, 2019 by Midnight Ink
Genre: Mystery/ThrillerSome people just need killing.
Marlena Altizer Durst lives in her husband’s shadow. He controls her every move—what she wears, the food she eats, and the friends she’s allowed to make. If she disobeys, there are…consequences. And he has all the power.
To outsiders, it seems that she leads a fairy-tale life. But nobody ever wonders if Cinderella was happy after she married the prince. Marlena has traded freedom and safety for luxurious imprisonment, and most days, that seems like a bad bargain. Death may be the only exit she’s allowed. Just like his first wife. And his second. Unless she flips the script.
Some people just need killing.
Amanda: Always here for women getting revenge.
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The Bewildered Bride
Author: Vanessa Riley
Released: August 12, 2019 by Entangled: Amara
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Advertisements for Love #4Ruth Croome, a Blackamoor heiress, was supposed to get married in a gorgeous wedding gown, made from her father’s exquisite fabrics. Instead, they eloped to Gretna Green and upon returning, their carriage was beset by highwaymen and she witnessed the murder of her new husband. Now, four years later, with a child, she wants to move on with her life. A marriage of convenience will do. Ruth already had a love for the ages.
Adam Wilky is really the heir to the Wycliff barony—which he never told Ruth. Too much danger. So many secrets. When he was nearly beaten to death and sold into impressment, he thought Ruth had died, too. Ready for revenge, he finally returns and discovers Ruth alive—with a son who could only be his—and she is furious to discover he lied to her. Now it’ll take more than remembered passion if he hopes to win his reluctant wife back…
Susan: Sometimes what I really want is absolute melodrama, and this seems to have it all. There are secret children, secret nobility, fake deaths…I really want it to be good.
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One Day to Fall
Author: Therese Beharrie
Released: August 12, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: One Day to Forever #2Of all the taxis in all of Cape Town, Sophia Roux had to stumble into his.
She should be at her “perfect” sister’s bedside, awaiting the arrival of the newest member of her family. But the thought of spending hours at the hospital with her suffocating relatives has Sophia hailing the first taxi she sees. Only to realise too late that the man at the wheel of her getaway car is the most unpleasant one she’s ever had the misfortune to meet.
Parker Jones, the handsome yet surly driver in question, is used to dealing with baggage of the family variety. And it just so happens he’s in need of temporary escape from his own. Witty banter with a beautiful—if exasperating—woman while chauffeuring her around the city on a gorgeous spring day makes for an ideal break from reality.
But a lot can happen in twenty-four hours: babies can be born, family can reconnect. And maybe the most unlikely pair can fall in love.
Aarya: The premise is that the entire romance occurs in twenty four hours, which intrigues me. So is this insta-love? I’m excited to find out.
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Playing House
Author: Ruby Lang
Released: August 12, 2019 by Carina
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella, Romance
Series: Uptown #1Romance blossoms between two city planners posing as newlyweds in this first in a bright new series by acclaimed author Ruby Lang
The last thing Oliver Huang expects to see on the historic Mount Morris home tour is longtime acquaintance Fay Liu bustling up and kissing him hello. He’s happy to playact being a couple to save her from a pushy admirer. Fay’s beautiful, successful and smart, and if he’s being honest, Oliver has always had a bit of a thing for her.
Maybe more than a bit.
Geeking out over architectural details is Oliver and Fay’s shared love language, and soon they’re touring pricey real estate across Upper Manhattan as the terribly faux but terribly charming couple Darling and Olly.
For the first time since being laid off from the job he loved, Oliver has something to look forward to. And for the first time since her divorce, Fay’s having fun.
Somewhere between the light-filled living rooms and spacious closets they’ve explored, this faux relationship just may have sparked some very real feelings. For Oliver and Fay, home truly is where their hearts are.
Sarah: This is a fake relationship story with a lot of real estate pr0n, and I’m extremely curious!
Aarya: I watch a lot of HGTV so this is perfectly tailored to my interests.
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The Wallflower Wager
Author: Tessa Dare
Released: August 13, 2019 by Avon
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Girl Meets Duke #3They call him the Duke of Ruin.
To an undaunted wallflower, he’s just the beast next door.
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?
And a two-legged dog.
And a foul-mouthed parrot.
And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
Not if he ruins her first.
Sneezy: I am so ready for all the fluffies. ALL OF THEM. Not to mention the hero sounds like a real asshole. Can’t wait to see how his ass gets handed to him.
Aarya: I adore this series, and this is confirmed to be a Slytherin/Hufflepuff matchup. Also: goats. Sign me up.
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When You Were Mine
Author: Lisa Swift
Released: August 14, 2019 by Hera
Genre: Chick LitLife is a love song when you find the right notes
Maggie and Ibby make up a happy – if unconventional – family. After meeting at university, they now live in the village of Applecroft on the beautiful West Country coast.
Okay, so Ibby’s gay and prone to disastrous dates, while couples’ counsellor Maggie spends her days helping people with their relationship problems despite having no sex life of her own. Nevertheless, they’re devoted to bringing up teenage daughter Amelia – the result of a drunken one-night stand when they were students – in a stable and loving family.
Until a face from the past – in the form of hard-partying rock star Jordan Nash – disrupts their quiet lives. As Jordan struggles with his personal demons and old secrets are revealed, can Maggie and Ibby stay strong? Or will bringing back the past threaten all that they’ve built in the present?
A feel good, heart-warming novel about about first loves and second chances. Fans of Holly Martin, Dani Atkins and Heidi Swain will be captivated.
Sneezy: Looks like this book will be Swift’s debut. The premise sounds like one dash of crazy sauce plus two dollops of nuance. Sounds like my jaaaam.
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All the Reasons I Need
Author: Jaime Clevenger
Released: August 20, 2019 by Bella Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Paradise Series #2Kate Owens has kept her attraction to her best friend Mo Calloway a carefully guarded secret for years. But some secrets you can’t hide forever and she’s worried that Mo is beginning to suspect her feelings.
It’s harder than ever to pretend there’s nothing going on when a reservation mistake on a trip to Mexico leads to Kate sharing Mo’s bed for five long nights.
One fateful vacation could change everything. But are Kate and Mo ready to risk their friendship for a chance at love?
Tara: Not part of a series, but it’s a friends-to-lovers romance that follows the two best friend side characters from Three Reasons to Say Yes. I liked that one a lot, so I’m excited to see Kate and Mo’s story.
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Sparrowhawk
Author: Delilah Dawson
Released: August 20, 2019 by BOOM! Studios
Genre: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Sparrowhawk #1-5After a young woman is kidnapped by an evil Faerie Queen and trapped in a far off realm, she must survive teen Victorian fairy fight club in order to get back home.
As the illegitimate daughter of a Naval Captain, Artemisia has never fit in with her father’s family, nor the high class world to which they belong. However, when she is targeted by the Faerie Queen and pulled into another realm, she has no choice but to fight her way back home, amongst evil fairies who want her head, and untrustworthy allies that claim solidarity but have ulterior motives. New York Times bestselling author Delilah S. Dawson (Ladycastle, Star Wars: Phasma) and illustrator Matias Basla (The Claw and Fang) present a gripping dark fantasy tale of a young woman claiming her time and her agency.
Ellen: I’ve been anticipating the release of this trade all year. They got me at “teen Victorian fairy fight club,” but I’m also intrigued by the art style.
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Tidelands
Author: Philippa Gregory
Released: August 20, 2019 by Atria Books
Genre: Historical: European, Literary Fiction
Series: The Fairmile #1Midsummer’s Eve, 1648, England is in the grip of a civil war between renegade king and rebellious parliament. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even the remote tidelands —the marshy landscape of the south coast.
Alinor, a descendant of wisewomen, trapped in poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband. Instead, she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that she is leading disaster into the heart of her life.
Suspected of possessing dark secrets in superstitious times, Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her out from her neighbors. This is the time of witch mania, and Alinor, a woman without a husband, skilled with herbs, suddenly enriched, arouses envy in her rivals and fear among the villagers, who are ready to take lethal action into their own hands.
It is dangerous for a woman to be different.
Elyse: I have mixed feelings about Gregory, but this book is a departure from the Tudors so I want to give it a shot.
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The Vagina Bible
Author: Jennifer Gunter
Released: August 27, 2019 by Citadel Press
Genre: NonfictionDoes eating sugar cause yeast infections? Does pubic hair have a function?
Should you have a vulvovaginal care regimen?
Will your vagina shrivel up if you go without sex?
What’s the truth about the HPV vaccine?So many important questions, so much convincing, confusing, contradictory misinformation! In this age of click bait, pseudoscience, and celebrity-endorsed products, it’s easy to be overwhelmed–whether it’s websites, advice from well-meaning friends, uneducated partners, and even healthcare providers. So how do you separate facts from fiction? OB-GYN Jen Gunter, an expert on women’s health–and the internet’s most popular go-to doc—comes to the rescue with a book that debunks the myths and educates and empowers women. From reproductive health to the impact of antibiotics and probiotics, and the latest trends, including vaginal steaming, vaginal marijuana products, and jade eggs, Gunter takes us on a factual, fun-filled journey.
Discover the truth about:
– The vaginal microbiome
– Genital hygiene, lubricants, and hormone myths and fallacies
– How diet impacts vaginal health
– Stem cells and the vagina
– Cosmetic vaginal surgery
– What changes to expect during pregnancy, after childbirth, and through menopause
– How medicine fails women by dismissing symptomsPlus:
– Thongs vs. lace: the best underwear for vaginal health
– How to select a tampon
– The full glory of the clitoris and the myth of the G Spot…And so much more. Whether you’re a twenty-six-year-old worried that her labia are “uncool” or a sixty-six-year-old dealing with painful sex, this comprehensive guide is sure to become a lifelong trusted resource.
Sarah: Nonfiction all about the vagina, obvs. I’ve read a few books that are similar (What’s Up Down There? for example) but I always learn something from books like these.
Tara: Jen Gunter is my internet hero, so I’m excited to see that much of her wisdom, experience, and commentary on the research, all in one place.
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Dalliances & Devotion
Author: Felicia Grossman
Released: August 26, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Historical: American, Romance
Series: The Truitts #2A change in course can be refreshing…when it’s done together.
1871
After two disastrous marriages, beauty columnist Amalia Truitt’s life is finally her own—well, it will be if she can get herself back to Delaware and demand access to her share of the Truitt family fortune. After all, the charity she’s organized for women who can’t afford their own divorces won’t fund itself.
However, not everyone wants her to reach her destination. When her family learns she’s been receiving anonymous death threats, a solo journey is out of the question.
Enter David Zisskind, the ragtag-peddler-turned-soldier whose heart Amalia broke years ago. He’s a Pinkerton now, and the promotion he craves depends on protecting his long-lost love on the unexpectedly treacherous journey across Pennsylvania.
That their physical connection has endured the test of time (and then some) is problematic, to say the least.
In very close quarters, with danger lurking around every curve, with each kiss and illicit touch, the wrongs of the past are righted. But David can’t weather another rejection, especially with his career in jeopardy. And Amalia can’t possibly take a lover, never mind another husband…not with so much depending on her repaired reputation. Not when she’s hurt David—her David—so badly before.
Claudia: Jewish main characters, second-chance romance with elements of suspense set in the 1870s. Twice-divorced heroine has a charity to fund poor women’s divorces. I’m interested in the unusual setting.
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The Aussie Next Door
Author: Stefanie London
Released: August 27, 2019 by Entangled: Amara
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Patterson's Bluff #1American Angie Donovan has never wanted much. When you grow up getting bounced from foster home to foster home, you learn not to become attached to anything, anyone, or any place. But it only took her two days to fall in love with Australia. With her visa clock ticking, surely she can fall in love with an Australian—and get hitched—in two months. Especially if he’s as hot and funny as her next-door neighbor…
Jace Walters has never wanted much––except a bathroom he didn’t have to share. The last cookie all to himself. And solitude. But when you grow up in a family of seven, you can kiss those things goodbye. He’s finally living alone and working on his syndicated comic strip in privacy. Sure, his American neighbor is distractingly sexy and annoyingly nosy, but she’ll be gone in a few months…
Except now she’s determined to find her perfect match by checking out every eligible male in the town, and her choices are even more distracting. He doesn’t want to, but he’s going to have to intervene and help her if he ever hopes to get back to his quiet life.
Amanda: I really enjoyed London’s Bachelor series, so I’m looking forward to reading what she writes next!
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The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice
Author: Donna Kauffman
Released: August 27, 2019 by Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceEvery autumn, Moonbright, Maine, is the picture of charm with its piles of crisp leaves, flickering jack-o’-lanterns … and a touch of the sweetest kind of enchantment.
Witches, goblins, the occasional ghost—they’re all sure to be spotted at the annual Halloween parade, where adults and children alike dress in costume to celebrate Moonbright’s favorite holiday. And no place has more seasonal spirit than Bellaluna’s Bakeshop, a family business steeped in traditional recipes, welcoming warmth—and, legend has it, truly spellbinding, heart-melting treats …Between good-natured Halloween tricks, frothy pumpkin lattes, and some very special baked goods, for three Moonbright residents looking for love—whether they know it or not—the spookiest thing will be how magical romance can suddenly be…
Shana: A holiday romance with baking references? Sweet.
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The Blacksmith Queen
Author: G.A. Aiken
Released: August 27, 2019 by Kensington
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: The Scarred Earth Saga #1When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.
The Old King Is Dead
With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned…
Amanda: Okay first – THAT COVER. Also, it’s G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston writing fantasy romance. Come on!
Sarah: It’s G.A. Aiken, it’s fantasy with centaurs and a blacksmith who is also a queen, and obviously I’m going to read it.
Lara Diane: This book has me at the “where-is-my-inhaler” level of excitement.
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Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author: Mara Rutherford
Released: August 27, 2019 by Inkyard Press
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl #1For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…
Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.
Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.
In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie
Amanda: I’ve been seeing this book everywhere and my curiosity is on high alert.
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Deceived by Desire
Author: Marie Force
Released: August 27, 2019 by Zebra Books
Genre: Historical: American, Romance
Series: Gilded #2From New York Times bestselling author Marie Force comes a glittering tale of star-crossed romance set amid the lavish mansions and decadant lifestyles of early 20th century Newport, Rhode Island. But even in an age of great fortune, the heart has its own idea of true riches …
Wealthy American industrialist Aubrey Nelson has invited the Duke and Duchess of Westbrook to visit his family’s Newport seaside “cottage” for the summer. With his parents’ departure from New York delayed, Aubrey’s mother sends him ahead to oversee preparations for their guests. But when he arrives, he’s surprised to find the house and staff in disarray …With much to do and little time, Aubrey comes to rely on the housekeeper, a lovely young Irish woman named Maeve Brown. And when he also finds himself confiding in Maeve about more personal matters, he tells himself it’s merely their close proximity that draws him to the compassionate, hard-working beauty. Yet when he suspects Maeve is in danger, Aubrey realizes his feelings for her have grown much deeper than they should have. For what will his mother, who dreams of a society match for her only son, have to say when she arrives to discover he’s lost his heart to a girl of the working class?
Elyse: I’m intrigued that this book is set in the Gilded Age.
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How to Catch a Wicked Viscount
Author: Amy Rose Bennett
Released: August 27, 2019 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: The Disreputable Debutantes #1A young lady’s tarnished reputation might cost her everything in this first book in the Disreputable Debutantes series.
Shy, bookish Sophie Brightwell is expected to make an advantageous match to improve her family’s fortunes. However, Sophie’s plans to make a spectacular debut go horribly awry when she and her three closest friends are expelled from a young ladies’ academy for unbecoming conduct. Since the ton will be sure to close their doors on these disgraced debutantes, they determine that unconventional means need to be employed in the husband-hunting market. Rakehells—the beau monde’s wickedest members—might be the only men willing to overlook a young lady’s besmirched reputation.
But how does one catch a rake?
Nate Hastings, the devil-may-care Viscount Malverne, is the older brother of Sophie’s best friend, fellow disgraced debutante Lady Charlotte. When a terribly foxed Nate accidentally compromises Sophie, Charlotte strikes a wicked bargain: in order to avoid a scandal and the parson’s mousetrap, Nate must help Sophie snare a husband. But as Nate fulfills his obligation and begins to instruct the lovely Sophie in the art of luring rakes, he soon finds himself battling his own fierce attraction to her.
Amanda: I read the words “shy” and “bookish” and that’s all I needed to see.
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How to Love a Duke in Ten Days
Author: Kerrigan Byrne
Released: August 27, 2019 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Devil You Know #1These men are dark, bold, and brave. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees…
Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.
LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.
Amanda: I was on the fence about picking this one up, but then I read some really encouraging pre-pub reviews and I was swayed!
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The Lady Travelers Guide to Happily Ever After
Author: Victoria Alexander
Released: August 27, 2019 by HQN Books
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: The Lady Travelers #4For the past seven years, Viola Branham has enjoyed the luxury of traveling the world as an independent woman, and confining her awkward past to a distant, if painful, memory. But now she has been summoned home to England over a stipulation in the will of her late uncle, the Earl of Ellsworth, one that decrees she lose everything unless she reconciles with the man who broke her heart and ruined her life—her husband.
Sneezy: A lady who flounced about the world in a time when that Isn’t Done, and a second chance romance. I always love stories where we see characters grow and are put in situations that helps them recognize their own growth. I do have some reservations for this book, but I’m also excited to see where it goes!
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Man vs. Durian
Author: Jackie Lau
Released: August 27, 2019 by Jackie Lau Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Baldwin Village #3The first time I meet Valerie Chow, she spills durian ice cream all over me.
Now, durian is my nemesis. We have a long, painful history. In my opinion, the spiky fruit smells like natural gas and rotten onions with eau de vomit. Bleh.
But despite her love for durian, Valerie is beautiful and delightfully prickly and stares at me when I take off my soiled shirt. When I ask her out, she shoots me down…and asks me to be her fake boyfriend instead. She’s apparently invented a boyfriend to get her mother off her back about her love life and needs a guy to meet her family. This supposed boyfriend is a pediatric resident, but no big deal, right? My job’s in landscaping, but I can pretend to be a doctor. Easy-peasy.
Yes, I’ll charm Valerie’s family, and I’ll figure out why she’s scared of relationships and gave up her career in software development. I’ll even take her to a durian dessert shop. And if I do a great job at being her fake boyfriend, maybe she’ll want me to be her real one…
Aarya: I’m really protective of durian. I grew up with it in Singapore and love it, so I generally get annoyed when people make condescending remarks about the taste or smell. So while I’m side-eyeing the hero in the blurb, the book’s concept makes me laugh and I hope that durian’s good side is also shown.
Shana: I adore Jackie Lau and this storyline has so much for potential for durian-related groveling from the hero.
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Nothing to Fear
Author: Juno Rushdan
Released: August 27, 2019 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Romance
Series: Final Hour #2The clock is ticking
Fearsome Gray Box operative Gideon Stone is devoted to his work and his team. He’s never given reason to doubt his loyalty…until he’s tasked with investigating Willow Harper, a beguiling cryptologist suspected of selling deadly bio-agents on the black market.
He knows she’s innocent. He knows she’s being framed. And he knows that without him, Willow will be dead before sunrise.
Thrust into the crossfire of an insidious international conspiracy, Gideon will do anything to keep Willow safe…even if that means waging war against his own. With time running out, an unlikely bond pushes limits―and forges loyalties. Every move they make counts. And the real traitor is always watching…
Elyse: A cryptologist heroine!
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The Passengers
Author: John Marrs
Released: August 27, 2019 by Berkley
Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasyou’re riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then, a mysterious voice tells you, “You are going to die”.
Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.
From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, “Which of these people should we save?…And who should we kill first?”
Amanda: I talked with several people about this book at BEA and it sounds wonderfully fucked up.
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Sapphire Flames
Author: Ilona Andrews
Released: August 27, 2019 by Avon
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Series: Hidden Legacy #4From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…
In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.
But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.
To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.
Aarya: Hi, my name is Aarya and I’m a Hidden Legacy fangirl who is in need of a support group. I wish I were joking. I love this series so much (don’t ask me how many times I’ve reread it) and this is my most anticipated read of the year.
Ellen: Hidden Legacy is my favorite Ilona Andrews series by far and I’m VERY excited to see where we go with a new couple!!
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Wild Savage Stars
Author: Kristina Perez
Released: August 27, 2019 by Imprint
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Sweet Black Waves #2Inspired by the legend of Tristan and Iseult, Wild Savage Stars is the spellbinding sequel to Sweet Black Waves.
Branwen has a secret powerful enough to destroy two kingdoms.
Her ancient magic led to a terrible betrayal by both her best friend, the princess Essy, and her first love, Tristan. Now this same magic is changing Branwen. Adrift in a rival court, Branwen must hide the truth from the enemy king by protecting the lovers who broke her heart―and finds herself considering a darker path.
Not everyone wants the alliance with Branwen’s kingdom to succeed―peace is balanced on a knife’s edge, and her only chance may be to embrace the darkness within…
Elyse: I read the first book in this trilogy based on Tristan and Isolde, and it left me on quite the cliffhanger.
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– RETICENCE by Gail Carriger (Aug 6) – the last in the Custard Protocol series, all about Percival!
I’m so excited!
The Therese Beharrie book made my list because it was described as TWO grumpy people falling in love.
The only other new release I have this month is THE MEMORY POLICE by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Snyder):
On an unnamed island off an unnamed coast, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses—until things become much more serious. Most of the island’s inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few imbued with the power to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten.
When a young woman who is struggling to maintain her career as a novelist discovers that her editor is in danger from the Memory Police, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards. As fear and loss close in around them, they cling to her wiring as the last way of preserving the past.
Argh. Does the whole blurb for The Blacksmith Queen really use the verb “prophesy” where it wants the noun “prophecy”? If so … is the entire book guilty of failed editing?
Sorry, but that was actually painful to read early in the morning.
A Highlander Walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham came out on the 30th of July and looks cute.
Isabel Buchanan is fiery, funny, and never at a loss for words. But she is struck speechless when her mother returns from a trip to Scotland with a six-foot-tall, very handsome souvenir. Izzy’s mother is so infatuated by the fellow that Izzy has to plan their annual Highland Games all by herself. Well, not completely by herself. The Highlander’s strapping young nephew has come looking for his uncle…
Alasdair Blackmoor has never seen a place as friendly as this small Georgia town—or a girl as brilliant and beguiling as Izzy. Instead of saving his uncle, who seems to be having a lovely time, Alasdair decides he’d rather help Izzy with the Highland Games. Show her how to dance like a Highlander. Drink like a Highlander. And maybe, just maybe, fall in love with a Highlander. But when the games are over, where do they go from here?
I have the new Louise Penny book on preorder, and just picked The Turn of the Key and Things you save in a fire from Book of the Month. That Pumpkin and Spice book is having me crave pumpkin spice lattes even though it’s 90 degrees. Might have to do another preorder.
@Amy!: Although it’s unlikely she wrote that blurb, G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston is guilty of many, many crimes against grammar. For me, the violently gleeful and gleefully violent energy of her books more than makes up for the flaws. There are some I’ve reread many times because when you need this particular hit, nothing else will do.
arghhh. Too many good books! I was going to complain that you left Sherry Thomas’ The Magnolia Sword off your list since it was SUPPOSED to come out this month, but I just checked and it’s been moved back to September. DRAT!
Here I am thinking Alisha Rai, a new Strange Practice installment and a Molly O’Keefe short were most of what I had to look forward to. That’s quite a list you’ve given us with plenty of choices I would never have noticed otherwise. Dancing princesses redux? Yes, please. G.A. Aiken writing centaurs? The book I never knew I wanted. Hot Aussie neighbor? I wish.
The book I’m really, really, really getting grabby hands for is Joshlyn Jackson’s Never Have I Ever:
“Amy Whey is proud of her ordinary life and the simple pleasures that come with it–teaching diving lessons, baking cookies for new neighbors, helping her best friend, Charlotte, run their local book club. Her greatest joy is her family: her devoted professor husband, her spirited fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, her adorable infant son. And, of course, the steadfast and supportive Charlotte. But Amy’s sweet, uncomplicated life begins to unravel when the mysterious and alluring Angelica Roux arrives on her doorstep one book club night.
Sultry and magnetic, Roux beguiles the group with her feral charm. She keeps the wine flowing and lures them into a game of spilling secrets. Everyone thinks it’s naughty, harmless fun. Only Amy knows better. Something wicked has come her way–a she-devil in a pricey red sports car who seems to know the terrible truth about who she is and what she once did.”
Jackson wrote one of my all time favorite books, Someone Else’s Love Story and many other completely enjoyable reads, so the eighth can’t come soon enough.
My list for August (that sound you hear is the change jar being raided):
CLAIMING HIS ONE-NIGHT CHILD by Jackie Ashenden. Obviously a secret baby HP.
A KISS TO KEEP by Willow Winters. A dark romance, sequel to an earlier book (A KISS TO TELL) which seemed to give the couple an HEA—but apparently there’s more angst and drama ahead.
HARD TO LOVE also by Willow Winters. Another dark romance with a different couple but set in the same world as A KISS TO KEEP.
ONE LAST CHANCE by Molly O’Keefe. Set in the same world as the King Family books, but a new couple.
SONATA by Skye Warren. The third and final book in her series about a violin prodigy who falls in love with her guardian The first book (OVERTURE) was extremely transgressive because the heroine was still underage. The subsequent book (with the heroine now 18) was more of a romantic suspense. I expect more of the same here—although I’d like to see more of the hero’s brother who has a very twisted relationship with a ballet dancer from New Orleans.
BLACK SHEEP BOUNTY HUNTER by Jackie Ashenden. The sixth and final book in her Texas Bounty series. I’ve been waiting for (and shipping) this couple’s story since 2017. Enemies-to-lovers and unresolved sexual tension FTW.
FILTHY RICH by Julie Kriss. Possibly the start of a new series by a very underrated writer. This appears to be a twist on the Billionaire/CEO trope.
@KateB I love everything Gail Carriger writes. Even her blog posts are so much fun!
Some good picks this month!
I’ve already read Ellie and the Harpmaker and it sadly didn’t really work for me.
I wish I could love Marie Force’s historicals, but the first was universally awful.
Off the top of my head I know I have The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare and The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware preordered. And now that I know that the G.A. Aiken exists, I have that one, too. Shelly Laurenston tends to write my favorite kinds of crazy. As I just said to my husband, “Her stuff is BATSHIT bonkers and I love it”.
@Lisa F, I was also decidedly unimpressed with Marie Force’s first historical.
[…] releases: Smart Bitches (romance), Tor.com (sf, fantasy, ya sff), AAR […]
My book budget is weeping! So many of these sound so great
Amazon has an excerpt for Tidelands and I am hooked.. I know nothing about religion/historical English politics but I’m still fascinated! However, I can’t fathom shelling out $15 for a Kindle book, so I have it on reserve for when my library gets it in.
I DNF’d Ellie and the Harp Maker – and had to restrain myself from hurling my Kindle at the wall – because of the questionable portrayal of one main character (can’t elborate without spoilers) and the other main character having displayed the following delightful behaviours: fat-shaming, slut-shaming, invasion of privacy, taking decisions on the other character’s behalf with zero discussion, uttering a phrase that should have stayed back in the 1950s where it belongs and another kind of shaming that would, again, be spoilery. And that was just the crap that happened before I rage quit.
Apologies for the mini-rant but I wouldn’t like other people to be similarly enraged if they can avoid it.
So when does the Hidden Legacy support group meet because I need to attend?
@DiscoDollyDeb-I totally agree about Julie Kriss! One of your comments got me hooked on her! I loved the Riggs Brothers series, and also the 2 in the Mason Brothers.
Eve Dangerfield, who I LOVE- has a new book coming out on August 14th called So Steady-the second in her Silver Daughters Ink series. So Wild was the first in the series, which was very enjoyable. It’s about sisters who run a tattoo parlor, their dad (the owner) takes off but not in a horrible way-more like he was a single dad for years, and needs a bit of an adventure. The sisters are all adults, and it takes place in Melbourne-I love books set in Australia!