It’s that time of the month! August has some really exciting titles coming out – and happily, I’m travelling to Edinburgh this month and will catch some of the Edinburgh Book Festival (I’ll try to remember to take some pictures to share!) Let’s take a look at what we can adorn our shelves with this month.

Jump to

1. Fantasy 🐉
   1. Immortal Consequences
   2. Mistress of Bones
   3. The Magician of Tiger Castle
   4. The Deathless One
   5. The Ever King
   6. Warrior Princess Assassin
   7. Her Soul for a Crown
   8. The Society of Unknowable Objects
   9. The Dungeoneers and the Treasure of Roan
   10. Hemlock & Silver
   11. Fallen Gods
   12. Lessons in Magic and Disaster
   13. Katabasis
   14. The Sea Witch
   15. The Book of Heartbreak
   16. Unseen
   17. Vicious Princess
2. Sci-Fi 🚀
   1. Automatic Noodle
3. Historical Fiction ⏳
   1. The Secret Book Society
   2. Boudicca’s Daughter
4. Romance / Contemporary ❣️
   1. Well, Actually

Fantasy 🐉

• Immortal Consequences

  

  I.V. Marie

  This sound super similar to The Atlas Six, but I can only hope it is infinitely better. We have six students at a (dark academia) academy, which is located at the edge of the afterlife. And they’ve got a once-in-a-liftime opportunity to “change fate”.

  Blurb

  Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.

  Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.

  Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.

  Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.

  Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.

  All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.

  Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.

• Mistress of Bones

  

  Maria Z. Medina

  This is described as The Bone Shard Daughter meets Six of Crows, and having read both, oh boy does this sound like we’re brewing one heck of an atmospheric, moody fantasy! It does centre around a necromancer, so I think I’m on track with my expectations. The word ‘swashbuckling’ keeps being used to describe this, too, so I’ll be v sad if pirates are not, in fact, involved.

  Blurb

  An epic, multi-POV debut fantasy perfect for fans of The Bone Shard Daughter and Six of Crows, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead.

  Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .

  As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a count who begrudgingly works for a child king, a faceless witch who transforms the bones of gods into dreams she can peddle, and a long-lost half-brother with a secret of his own—and soon realize the fate of the lands is hanging in the balance.

  For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.

  Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can’t-miss start to a duology about love, loss, and, of course, death.

• The Magician of Tiger Castle

  

  Louis Sachar

  I am absolutely fascinated that Sachar is publishing a fantasy novel. This is an author we all know for Holes, which is so very different to how this upcoming release sounds. We’re talking fantasy, kingdoms and magic. I’m so there and so curious.

  Blurb

  The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.

  Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia’s father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the “wedding of the century,” Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.

  The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.

  When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?

• The Deathless One

  

  Emma Hamm

  Alright, we’ve got a murdered princess making a deal with the devil (well, the lord of the underworld in any case) to save her people. I’m immediately loving the commitment post-death – that is a vibe. Bring on some ghostly dedication.

  Blurb

  A princess murdered at the altar makes a deal with the god of death for vengeance and to save her people in this first in a unique romantasy trilogy from USA TODAY bestselling author Emma Hamm.

  Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.

  But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.

  Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.

• The Ever King

  

  L.J. Andrews

  This sounds like a classic fantasy story – with kingdoms, abductions and broken promises. And nothing is better than the good ol’ bread-and-butter of fantasy. Oh, and there is going to be pirates, sirens and fae – sign me up!

  Blurb

  They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter…

  For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making Erik a prisoner in his own realm.

  But on a dare gone wrong, his enemy’s daughter recklessly breaks the chains on the Ever. She soon becomes the unwitting pawn in Erik’s vicious game of revenge.

  She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

  Unless she steals his heart first.

  Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a spicy, dark fantasy romance between a made villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

• Warrior Princess Assassin

  

  Brigid Kemmerer

  I’m a big fan of Kemmerer, and while I *might* be slightly behind on her latest books, she can be counted on to write a solid fantasy tale. This follows three POVs (and the title hints at who they are), and so I’m expecting a pacy plot with lots of action and adventure.

  Blurb

  WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his kingdom is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that the royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his land flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how the blaze began.

  PRINCESS. With war looming on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

  ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

  A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and falling in love with each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.

• Her Soul for a Crown

  

  Alysha Rameera

  Love, love, love this cover. Plus, the comparison to Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne has me super keen. This is inspired by Sri Lankan mythology and truth be told, I don’t need to know more than that to know this is my cup of tea.

  Blurb

  For readers of Sarah J Maas, Scarlett St. Clair, and Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, this epic, slow-burn romantasy inspired by Sri Lankan mythology follows a fierce orphaned young woman with an affinity for poisons and revenge who would do anything to end the reign of heartless rajas—even sell her soul to the most dangerous cursed god of all—the Blood Yakka, Reeri.

  Anula Ramanayake of Anuradhapura calculated her ascent the moment she was orphaned—when her village burned in an endless war and the gods forsook her prayers. First, she would marry the raja. Then, she would poison him and take the throne for herself and her people. But when an unexpected coup thwarts her careful plans, Anula is left with one desperate option. She offers her soul to the cursed gods she renounced in exchange for the crown.

  In the Second Heavens, Reeri the Blood Yakka, the most dangerous and powerful of his clan, hears her prayer. For eons, he’s waited for such a valuable offering—one that could finally give him the chance to kill his divine tormentor and return his fellow Yakkas to their former glory on earth. Reeri accepts Anula’s bargain, tethering them until their goals are achieved, or until they die.

  As the war presses on, Anula must move quickly or lose her chance to become the first raejina. But while she is skilled at many things, especially in stopping hearts, the closer she grows to Reeri, the more she finds her own heart at risk. And when the time comes to fight enemies both human and divine, Anuradhapura and the Heavens will never be the same.

• The Society of Unknowable Objects

  

  Gareth Brown

  We all love a secret society, don’t we? And this book about one certainly sounds interesting. It sounds like we’re following a group of people who protect magical artefacts – things that the general populace don’t know about. And of course, their HQ is in the basement of a London bookstore.

  Blurb

  The world of unknowable objects – magical items that most people have no idea possess powers – has been quiet for decades . . .

  But three current members of a secret society have remained watchful, meeting every six months in the basement of a bookshop in London. They are pledged to protect their archive of magical items hidden away, safe from the outside world – and keep the world safe from them. But when Frank Simpson, the longest-standing member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, hears of a new artefact coming to light in Hong Kong, he sends the Society’s newest member, author Magda Sparks, to investigate.

  Within hours of arriving in Hong Kong, Magda is facing death and danger, confronted by a professional killer who seems to know all about unknowable objects, specifically one that was stolen from him a decade before. Magda is forced to flee, using an artefact that not even the rest of the Society knows about.

  Returning to London, Magda learns hers is not the only secret being kept from the other two members. And that the most pernicious secret is about the nature of the Society’s mission. Her discoveries will lead her on a perilous journey, across the Atlantic to the deep south of the United States – not in pursuit of an unknowable object, but an unknowable person: the killer she first faced in Hong Kong. In doing so, Magda begins to understand that there are even more in the world who are chasing these magical items, and that her own family’s legacy is tied up in keeping all these secrets under wraps.

  Magic has always been too powerful to reveal to the world. But Magda will learn there might be something even more powerful: the truth.

• The Dungeoneers and the Treasure of Roan

  

  Joel McKay

  This sounds like such a fun time and to be honest, the tagline of “Two Thieves. One legendary treasure. Zero trust.” completely had me. I’m so hoping this gives DND vibes with a heavy dose of humour. We’ve got a bad-luck burglar, a goblin and a rogue. What more could you ask for?

  Blurb

  Two thieves. One legendary treasure. Zero trust.
  Wincott is a washed-up burglar with a bad back, frozen toes, and a goblin kill count that’s making his life very complicated. When he flees into the long-abandoned mountain city of Roan—just ahead of a bloodthirsty goblin horde—he finds himself knocked out cold by none other than his estranged Sish Torren, a fast-talking rogue with a short sword, shorter temper, and a talent for backstabbing… sometimes literally.

  Roan is rumored to house an ancient treasure. It’s also filled with deadly traps, crumbling ruins, and the kind of secrets that swallow people whole. Wincott and Sish reluctantly join forces—not out of love, but because no one survives Roan solo for long. Especially not with mercenaries, monsters, and a certain vengeful former crew barreling toward them.

  The Dungeoneers and the Treasure of Roan is “Dungeons & Dysfunction” meets Ocean’s Eleven—if everyone in the crew had unresolved trauma and zero impulse control. A darkly funny, fast-paced fantasy adventure full of sharp blades, sharper tongues, and just enough heart to keep you rooting for the worst people to do the right thing… eventually.

  Perfect for fans of Nicholas Eames, Joe Abercrombie, and heist stories with emotional baggage and bite.

• Hemlock & Silver

  

  T. Kingfisher

  Anything T. Kingfisher publishes is definitely going to end up on my radar. Have I read any of their books? Well, no, not exactly. But I do have a healthy, growing collection on my shelves, and that counts right? This one is a Snow White retelling, and honestly, say no more.

  Blurb

  From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

  Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

  Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

  But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

  Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

  Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

• Fallen Gods

  

  Rachel Van Dyken

  A Norse myth retelling always has me intrigued. Plus, the cover is giving such dark and moody vibes. This starts in the contemporary day, NYC, with the MC working as a museum curator. She gets offered a dream job in Norway … the very place where her brother disappeared months ago. I’m hoping this will turn into a small-town, Norse-infused thrilling mystery!

  Blurb

  The legends of the past are never truly dead and buried . . .

  Liv Olson has been drawn to Norse Mythology her entire life. After earning her degree and working as a curator at one of New York’s most prestigious museums, she gets an unexpected offer for her dream job in Norway – the same place her brother disappeared months ago – after a cryptic message about finding their long-lost father.

  She finds herself surrounded by superstitious townspeople who refuse to even look at the water. Liv soon realizes that the small town of Vonn is nothing like it seems. Shops close before dark, and things she’s only read about seem to suddenly exist. To top it off , her new boss, Tristan, is insultingly mean and engagingly beautiful – and, as part of the job, she must live with him in his mansion.

  As her life quickly unravels into chaos, she’s left wondering who’s pulling the strings in this mysterious place where nothing makes sense, yet everything feels familiar.

  Her studies have always told her the gods are who you trust. But what happens when the man who’s destined to kill you – is your savior?

• Lessons in Magic and Disaster

  

  Charlie Jane Anders

  I’ve quite enjoyed Anders’ previous books, so their new book is definitely on my radar. This sounds like an interesting blend of fantasy and general fiction. We’ve got witches and magic, but at the same time we have strong themes of family, particularly generational trends. I think this could be an excellent reality-based witch story.

  Blurb

  In the vein of Alice Hoffman and Charlie Jane Anders’s own All the Birds in the Sky comes a novel full of love, disaster, and magic.

  A young witch teaches her mother how to do magic–with very unexpected results–in this relatable, resonant novel about family, identity, and the power of love.

  Jamie is basically your average New England academic in-training–she has a strong queer relationship, an esoteric dissertation proposal, and inherited generational trauma. But she has one extraordinary secret: she’s also a powerful witch.

  Serena, Jamie’s mother, has been hiding from the world in an old one-room schoolhouse for several years, grieving the death of her wife and the simultaneous explosion in her professional life. All she has left are memories.

  Jamie’s busy digging into a three-hundred-year-old magical book, but she still finds time to teach Serena to cast spells and help her come out of her shell. But Jamie doesn’t know the whole story of what happened to her mom years ago, and those secrets are leading Serena down a destructive path.

  Now it’s up to this grad student and literature nerd to understand the secrets behind this mysterious novel from 1749, unearth a long-buried scandal hinted therein, and learn the true nature of magic, before her mother ruins both of their lives.

• Katabasis

  

  R.F. Kuang

  Man, I have so many mixed feelings about Kuang – despite having actually only read Babel. The hype around the Poppy War series is so intense and it’s so revered, and yet Babel did not deliver in the way I anticipated. And then she wrote a crime/contemporary fiction, which threw me. And now we’re back in fantasy. Idek. But I’ll probably read this and just blindly hope to be blown away. It does sound like a pretty good dark academia, where students are trying to save their professor’s soul by journeying to Hell, after all.

  Blurb

  Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

  Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

  Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.

• The Sea Witch

  

  Eva Leigh

  I’m loving the sound of this one. This is a historical fantasy where women are forbidden to use magic. The main character, condemned as a witch, escapes and joins a pirate crew of sorcery-wielding women. And I’m so there for all of this – oh, and of course they’re being pirates in the Caribbean.

  Blurb

  From a world where women are forbidden to use magic and the only freedom is found on the Caribbean high seas comes a swashbuckling romantasy from USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh.

  Condemned as a witch, sentenced to die, Alys Tanner uses her innate magical power to flee Puritanical New England. Stealing a ship, Alys becomes captain of The Sea Witch, leading its all-female, sorcery-wielding pirate crew. But the colonial British navy is in hot pursuit. The navy fights for a choke hold on the Caribbean and will destroy anything they cannot control, especially witches.

  When Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates, dangerous truths are revealed. A quest that could turn the tides against the navy’s might ignites a reluctant partnership between the by-the-books prisoner and the fierce witch pirate captain. While they brave backstabbing pirates, perilous tropical islands and monster-filled seas, Alys and Ben’s mistrust grows into unexpected desire as they battle an enemy that will stop at nothing to rule the waves.

• The Book of Heartbreak

  

  Ova Ceren

  This had me at ‘Middle Eastern legend’ – I have not read a single Middle Eastern-inspired book recently that hasn’t been brilliant. This is pitched as perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and is about a woman who must find a way to break a curse on her before it claims her forever. Exciting!

  Blurb

  A Middle Eastern legend get a magically romantic modern makeover perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

  A young woman must find a way to end the curse on her heart before it claims her forever in this delightfully witty fantasy romance.

  Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.

  When her mother dies unexpectedly and her heart breaks for the fourth time, Sare begins to urgently question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?

  Her questions lead her to Istanbul where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother’s past. But Sare’s heart is a fragile thing and their blossoming romance poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm.

  Now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare’s destiny—and they don’t like their plans being overturned.

  The Book of Heartbreak is a dazzling, haunting romantasy sure to break—and mend again—the hearts of readers everywhere.

• Unseen

  

  Christy Healy

  Given that the series name is the Queen of Éire and the main character’s name is Riona Ó Conchúir, I do believe we have a wonderful Irish-inspired fantasy on our hands. And indeed, this is meant to be a retelling of an Irish fable. We have a young queen on a mission to save the one she loves.

  Blurb

  Fans of For the Throne and Vespertine will love this dark fairy-tale retelling of the Irish fable of ‘The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood,’ about a desperate young queen who makes a dangerous alliance with the lord of death in order to protect the one she loves, even if it means damning herself.

  Riona Ó Conchúir has known death her whole life. The mysterious lord of death has tormented her for years, stealing away the souls of all those she has loved since childhood, demanding that she come and serve him in his shadowy realm, but she has always resisted – until now.

  When her daughter falls ill with an incurable disease, Riona at last answers the lord of death’s call and ventures into the hidden realm of the sídhe to offer herself as a servant to him in exchange for her daughter’s life. But when he demands that she use the divine magic of her blood to find three legendary objects of power that were once wielded by the gone gods themselves, Riona soon realizes that she will be forced to make an impossible choice:

  Her daughter’s life, or the realm of Éire itself.

• Vicious Princess

  

  Karolina Wilde

  Okay, this has a super weird first-person blurb going on, but I think this has the potential to be either hilariously brilliant or an absolute flop. I shall await reviews, but it looks like we’re heading for a low-fantasy, student–teacher romance.

  Blurb

  There are only three rules at Ezkai Academy: Always obey your instructor. Never leave the Castle Grounds without permission. Don’t ever screw your instructor.

  I break one before orientation even begins. Can you guess which one?
  When I arrive at the unforgiving fae city with the snowy mountains looming over it, I have two goals:

  1. Join the legendary Order of ancient soldiers.
  2. Climb the ranks and gain the power I need to avenge my family’s murder.

  But before I can join the Order, I must survive six months of ruthless training. Failure means exile… or death.

  That, I can handle despite being the only human among the brutal, beautiful fae who would love to see me bleed. I’ve survived worse–my body is riddled with a thousand scars that serve as a reminder.

  What I didn’t expect?

  The hot, mysterious soldier I spent one passionate night with… is now my instructor.

  When he offers to mentor me—recognizing the ambition burning inside me—I know I should say no. It’s too risky.

  But I want what he’s offering. I want to rise to the top. And maybe… I want him, too.

  Vicious Princess is a seductive, blood-stained romantasy for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Kushiel’s Dart, where power, passion, and vengeance collide.

Sci-Fi 🚀

• Automatic Noodle

  

  Annalee Newitz

  Cover? Has me intrigued. Title? Has me very intrigued. Blurb? Has me sold. This is described as a cosy near-future novella about a crew of abandoned food service bots opening their own restaurant. Like come on, we need this in our lives.

  Blurb

  From sci-fi visionary and acclaimed author Annalee Newitz comes Automatic Noodle, a cozy near-future novella about a crew of abandoned food service bots opening their very own restaurant.

  While San Francisco rebuilds from the chaos of war, a group of food service bots in an abandoned ghost kitchen take over their own delivery app account. They rebrand as a neighborhood lunch spot and start producing some of the tastiest hand-pulled noodles in the city. But there’s just one problem. Someone―or something―is review bombing the restaurant’s feedback page with fake “bad service” reports. Can the bots find the culprit before their ratings plummet and destroy everything they created?

Historical Fiction ⏳

• The Secret Book Society

  

  Madeline Martin

  I’ve read one of Martin’s other books and really enjoyed it, so I’m quite excited for another bookish historical fiction. This one is set in 1895 and revolves around a forbidden book club. Say no more, right!?

  Blurb

  A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.
   
  You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society…
   
  London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
   
  Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
   
  As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

• Boudicca’s Daughter

  

  Elodie Harper

  This is probably my MOST anticipated book of August. I’ve read Harper’s The Wolf Den and completely fell in love with her writing. I’m holding out to grab a copy of this when we’re in Edinburgh later this month.

  Blurb

  Boudicca. Infamous warrior, queen of the British Iceni tribe and mastermind of one of history’s greatest revolts. Her defeat spelled ruin for her people, yet still her name is enough to strike fear into Roman hearts.

  But what of the woman who grew up in her shadow?

  The woman who has her mother’s looks and cunning but a spirit all of her own?

  The woman whose desperate bid for survival will take her from Britain’s sacred marshlands to the glittering façades of Nero’s Roman Empire…

  Born to a legend. Forced to fight. Determined to succeed.

  Meet Solina.

  Boudicca’s Daughter.

Romance / Contemporary ❣️

• Well, Actually

  

  Mazey Eddings

  You can’t deny that there’s something alluring about a plot that’s centred around two exes finding themselves thrown together again in some sort of public dating arrangement. And that’s exactly what happens here – but even funnier, the guy has reinvented himself as an expert on toxic masculinity and I’m fully expecting that part of things to be spectacularly tongue-in-cheek.

  Blurb

  USA Today bestselling author Mazey Eddings’ WELL, ACTUALLY, a rom-com about a woman who goes viral on social media after publicly calling out her college ex-situationship (who’s since reinvented himself as an expert on deconstructing toxic masculinity)… only for them to find themselves trapped in a public-dating arrangement to salvage both their reputations.