August was an insane month. I can’t remember the last time I had this many things going on to keep track of. In the reading world, there were so many new releases I wanted to read and review, it was almost frantic. While the world around me demanded my attention, I still managed to read a whole bunch of incredible books this month. The reading vibes in August were all about new releases, new stories, and lots of devious darkness in various forms.
Five Brothers is a contemporary romance with, as the title suggests, five smoking hot brothers from the wrong side of the tracks and one woman who just can’t seem to escape their thrall. This isn’t a why choose romance, the main character only ends up with one brother in the end. All the Jaeger brothers are interesting, both to the readers and to Krisjen, and they all want her in their own ways. This book is both spicy and sweet, a combination I love, and the perfect read to take my mind off the worst travel day of my life.
Our Little Secret is spicy and fast-paced fun. Marissa sleeps with a guy at her friend’s wedding, and he is incredible. Three months later she starts her new job, only to discover not only is Chris her new boss, but he’s also married. And that spark she was sure she felt was still there, despite it all. This book was taboo, short, and spicy, and a great read for lovers of forbidden romance.
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni is a YA fantasy series that somehow my bookish algorithm has missed, which is an absolute travesty. It is a rich fantasy, with a gorgeous world, incredible characters, and a plot that will keep you staying up late turning pages in the dark, desperate to know what happens next. Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent most of her life in a death prison, arrested on suspicion of being a rebel sympathizer. She’s been the prison healer since she was a child. When the terminally ill Rebel Queen is captured, it’s Kiva’s job to keep her alive long enough to face the Trial by Ordeal, a series of four elemental magical trials that no one has ever survived before. When it becomes clear that the Rebel Queen won’t survive if she’s put through the trials, Kiva volunteers in her place. But it’s not just the Trials that Kiva has to face. There’s also a mysterious plague killing prisoners that she can’t seem to figure out, and a handsome new prisoner slowly working his way into the careful walls around her heart. If you’ve been disappointed by J.K. Rowling, and are looking for a better story about the power of love triumphing over tyranny, my beloved best friend has found us one, dear readers.
A spicy contemporary Greek myth retelling in the Dark Olympus series, this time with Dark Restraint, exploring the love story between Ariadne and the Minotaur. The Minotaur, whose real name is Asterion, is very brusque and brutish —sticking with the myth without making him an actual monster. Instead, he’s Minos’ hit man, who has only ever wanted one thing and will do anything to get it. And that thing is Ariadne, a curvy hacker, who gives him hope amidst all the darkness he faces. This book is less spicy and more plot-heavy than previous books in the series, but it’s still a Katee Robert book, so there’s plenty of spice to go around.
Dirty Heirs by Jillian Frost is the sixth book in a dark mafia why choose series. Aiden doesn’t want anything to do with his new fancy life as a Wellington, not even all the wealth and power that comes with it. At his new school, his new last name, paired with his good looks meant he could run the place if he wanted to. But all he wants is to be close to Ella Doyle, the “freak” of the school who is a social pariah because of her violent father. Things get more complicated when Sonny Cormac takes an interest in Aiden and Ella too. Their families are determined to keep them apart, and after one wild night together it’s clear their families will do anything to succeed. This story is short, sweet, and to the point. It’s a lively read if you’re looking for a smoking hot, fast-paced, forbidden romance.
The Frozen Fate Trilogy by Pam Godwin
This series is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, and a full review is coming when I can fully gather my thoughts but here’s the basic rundown. When I saw the title, I thought this was a romantasy series, but I could not have been more incorrect. This trilogy is part survivalist romance, part kidnapping romance, part why choose, and part batshit crazy. Frankie is kidnapped and brought to a remote cabin in the Arctic as a gift for her kidnapper’s three sons. So things start out crazy right from the jump. But as Frankie spends more time with this family, even darker secrets are revealed and everything gets infinitely more complicated. The plot twists in this series are unlike anything else. The whole reading experience was entirely unique from start to finish. And oh, by the way, this is definitely a series where you will want to check the trigger warnings.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
This book is based on a very real juvenile detention facility in Florida, which makes it often painful to read, but also important. Robert Stephens Jr. is a twelve-year-old black boy in Jim Crow-era Florida who is sent to The Reformatory for kicking a white boy who grabbed his sister. When he gets there, he finds an incredibly cruel warden, and the spirits of all the boys who died on the property, most in a tragic fire, called haints. He has a special ability to see them, so the warden sets him the task of catching them. But Robert doesn’t want to catch the haints, he just wants to go home. On the outside, his family is working hard to get him out of there before something terrible happens. This book was hard to read, but was so powerful and so incredibly moving. It’s also beautifully well-written.
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
I pre-ordered this book because I saw a photo of the cover and thought it was absolutely gorgeous, but it turns out, the contents of the book are just as compelling as the cover. Since Lady Roscille was a child, rumors chased her, calling her death touched, poison eyed, and witch kissed. It is said in her father’s court that she was cursed by a witch, and any man who looks into her eyes will be compelled to madness. She’s forced to wear a veil at all times to protect the men from her gaze. I mean, how great is that premise? So dramatic. I love it. When she arrives at the court of Macbeth, promised to him in marriage, prophecies are made, betrayals occur, and chaos ensues. This retelling is a significant departure from Shakespeare’s play, and all the better for it.
The Shadowcraft Academy Series by Yve Vale
I discovered this romantasy series on a Reddit forum, where it was recommended by several different users. I had low expectations. Shayla just wants to run away from her abusive mother and live a normal life. Her twentieth birthday is approaching, and if she doesn’t display magical powers by then, she’ll be declared a ‘null’, and then she’ll be free to start a new life in the normal human world. All her plans are derailed when she hooks up with a cute guy at a party, only to discover that he’s her fated mate, a thing that should not be possible if she truly has no magic. She is sent to the magical academy, where she’s put in a dorm with her rejected mate, his best friend and lover, her childhood best friend, and an incubus. She’s also caught the attention of a hot wolf shifter professor. It’s a veritable cornucopia of sexual tension, especially when they are forced to work together to defeat a mysterious evil that is draining the magic from their realm. To read this series, suspend all disbelief. There are no rules. We’re here for the vibes, and the vibes are wild. It felt like a fever dream, but a fun one. Maybe a really horny acid trip? The writing is not good, but the plot is entertaining, the characters are funny, and it was a fun series to read on a lazy weekend.
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft is a creative thriller, with a unique concept that sets it apart from its contemporaries. A vampire thriller set in London, We Love the Nightlife moves through time from 1979 to 2021, following Nicola and Amber as they navigate their lives partying their way through the nightlife scene. At its core, it’s a story about toxic female friendship—something every woman can relate to. Nicola is a vampire who’s been frequenting London’s social scene for nearly two hundred years, but nothing has captured her love quite like a disco dance floor. When she sees Amber Wells, a gorgeous but bored housewife, commanding attention under the club’s spotlights, dancing like she’s made for it, Nicola offers her a deal. She offers Amber an eternity living for the nightlife. But fifty years later, after Nicola breaks her trust, Amber begins to wonder if she made the right decision after all. From 1979 to 2021, these women go on a journey involving devious lies and gruesome murders, but through it all, the party never stops. Until it does. We Love the Nightlife is a phenomenal, fast-paced read that adds something incredible and new to the world of thrillers.
This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter
Detective Will Trent and his new wife, medical examiner Sara Linton, are on their honeymoon, at an idyllic lodge set far into the woods. It’s only accessible through a five-mile hike, and it’s the perfect mix of luxury and the beauty of the great outdoors. It’s looking to be a gorgeous honeymoon until they hear a scream in the night. Mercy McAlpine is running the lodge for her family, and she lives on the property with her parents, her brother, her shitty ex-husband, and their teenage son. But their disastrously dysfunctional family is hiding a multitude of secrets behind the pretty facade. When Will finds Mercy dead, there are only so many people who could be responsible at this isolated location. Will and Sara soon learn that everyone at McAlpine Lodge is lying, and there are layers of decades-old dark secrets that they will need to untangle to solve this case. This Is Why We Lied contains not just one heart-wrenching twist, but several. Each new piece of information will blow your mind and change your perspective on the story, up until the very last chapter. I was near tears by the end of this book, which is rare for me with a mystery, but this is a story readers will not be able to resist falling into, head first.
The Dagger and The Forbidden Heir by Emilia Jae
A high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers fantasy is always going to be a win, and the first book in this series is no exception. Lia Solus is the captain of the fae army and the secret bastard daughter of the king. Her birth ushered in a vicious war against the humans, so the queen could get revenge on those who murdered her father and brother, and in exchange, she would allow the king to keep Lia close. Now, generations later the war still rages on. The queen has only grown more cruel, the king seemingly powerless to stop her, and their oldest son is poised to take the throne next. He takes after his mother. The situation in Lia’s family is a powder keg ready to explode, but outside the palace walls, the war still rages on. On an ill-fated mission in an attempt to wipe out another human encampment, Lia finds herself trapped on an island with the commander of the human armies. Although they’ve been trained to be enemies, they soon have no choice but to work together if they want to survive. It’s a phenomenal story with all kinds of fantasy intrigue and steamy moments.
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan
Long Live Evil was promoted on Instagram by several of my favorite authors, so naturally, I pre-ordered it shortly after closing the Instagram app. Turns out, that was a great decision. This book has such a unique and wonderful premise and a framing device that speaks to the heart of what we all love about reading and reading fantasy specifically. Rae has cancer, and she’s dying. While she’s in the hospital, her sister reads to her out of their favorite fantasy series. One night, a mysterious woman appears in her hospital room and offers her a deal. She can travel into the world of her favorite fantasy book, and if she can find the Flower of Life and Death, she can return to her body and live healthy again. If she doesn’t get the Flower within the time she is given, her earthy body will die and she will be trapped in the fantasy realm forever. It’s an offer she can’t refuse. But when she arrives in the story, she finds she is a villain, and everything is more complicated than she planned. This story is sassy in tone, with incredible banter, but underneath the hilarity, there is an incredible heart and empathy to this book. It was a perfect read to close out August.
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