27 New Romance Books Hitting Shelves in August 2026
My TBR pile has officially reached the point where it counts as a fire hazard, and August is not going to help. This month is stacked. We've got a new Chloe Gong, a new T. Kingfisher, a dark academia debut with actual ghost witches, and enough fake dating premises to keep me suspicious of every "just friends" situation in my own life for the rest of the year.
I went through every major release date this month and pulled the ones worth clearing your evening for. Some are sequels you've been waiting on. Some are new authors I think deserve a spot on your shelf. A lot of them are getting added to my own cart, which my husband will not be thrilled about.
Here's the full list, sorted by release date so you can plan your preorders and library holds accordingly.
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August 4th
Adversary to the Villain
If you loved the wit in this series already, this one leans even harder into "accidentally evil, actually just tired." Evie Sage keeps getting pulled deeper into a prophecy she never asked for, and her boss is starting to look at her like she's already picked a side.
Publisher’s blurb:
HR Update: The position of “adversary to the villain” has been filled. Evie Sage does not recall applying.
Evie has always tried to be helpful, loyal, and only mildly involved in treason. But with a dangerous prophecy threatening the very magic of Rennedawn—not to mention the race to claim its necessary artifacts before King Benedict does—things are starting to feel…less like a career path and more like a serious problem.
The prophecy won’t stop pointing in Evie’s direction. The Villain’s magic keeps choosing her. And honestly, if you’re going to be accused of evil anyway, you might as well commit.
Unfortunately, the more Evie leans into her alleged villain era, the more her boss starts acting like the hero of a completely different story. Trystan is getting closer—closer than is wise, advisable, or even remotely professional—and looking at her like she’s already chosen a side. His.
Which is deeply inconvenient, because if Evie can’t save the kingdom’s magic, she might just become its greatest threat.
Steelborn by Taylor J. LaRue
A thief with a code, an immortal warrior with a curse eating away at him, and a bounty that turns into something a lot more complicated. This is shaping up to be a solid pick for anyone who wants their fantasy romance a little morally gray and a lot swoony.
Publisher’s blurb:
Reya Connery became the Crimson Dagger, the most notorious thief in Rhiterra, by following a strict set of rules. One: There is no honor among thieves. Two: A good blade is key to any negotiation. Three: Only the dead keep secrets. And Reya has a secret that must be kept at all costs. But when a heist goes wrong on the eve of paying off her debt to a ruthless crime lord, Reya may need a new set of rules. And lots of coin. Fast.
Enter Caelan Halcyon, an immortal warrior whose magic makes him a valuable target—if the curse inching closer to his heart doesn't kill him first. There's just one person who might be desperate enough to try and get their hands on the fabled cure in time to save his life, someone whose legend claims they can steal anything: the Crimson Dagger. A male of honor, Caelan loathes everything the beautiful, cocky thief represents, yet knows that Reya is his last hope for survival.
Their search takes them to the edge of the known world, where Reya discovers that there is far more at stake than her and Caelan’s own lives. Now, Reya must confront deadly foes, her growing attraction to the immortal who is as lethal as his jawline is perfect, and the rage she's spent a lifetime trying to bury. This time, her daggers aren’t going to cut it, and the fate of all magic-born hangs in the balance.
Devour Me by Emily Rath
Book one in a new dark, spicy paranormal trilogy, and the setup alone had me sold: a soul-devouring wraith, a witch with secrets, and a human shop girl who has no idea magic is real until she's suddenly the only thing keeping everyone alive.
Publisher’s blurb:
Dáinn the Devourer has spent the last two hundred years of his undead life reluctantly bonded to a dark witch, doing her dirtiest work. Devouring corrupt souls may not be satisfying for a wraith, but it keeps him fed. Sent on a job to Burr Island, Dáinn is forced to devour the soul of a rival witch.
But Jasper Prescott is no corrupt magical misfit. He’s powerful and beautiful, with a soul worth savoring. Dáinn is eagerly devouring the witch when he’s abruptly stopped. By a human no less. With one word, Birdie Rhodes does what no being has ever done: she takes his breath away. Now the witch, the wraith, and the human are set on a path that could lead to their destiny…or their ruin.
Desperate for his freedom, Dáinn makes a deal with Jasper: kill my mistress, and I’ll let you keep living. But Jasper wants more than just to live. He has a coven to protect. Their secrets are being threatened by magical forces on and off the island. Bound together in this strange new deal, Jasper fights his growing attraction to the wraith, who is far more human than he appears. And Dáinn fights the urge to devour the delectable witch whole.
The only one who can save them is Birdie Rhodes, hapless historian and sometimes shop girl. Birdie only came to Burr Island for summer work. She has no idea magic is even real. She certainly has no idea she’s now the only thing standing between her witch boss and the hungry wraith aching to devour them both.
As magical forces of darkness loom at Burr Island’s shores, Jasper and Dáinn are both determined to keep Birdie close in Devour Me, book one in a dark, spicy paranormal romance trilogy.
Pilot by Susan Stoker
Enemies to caretakers to something a lot softer. This one deals with PTSD, small town history, and a bully-to-protector arc that sounds like it earns its healing instead of rushing it.
Publisher’s blurb:
Ex-fighter pilot Lincoln “Linc” Young is a survivor, masking his PTSD and nightmares behind a calm exterior. When his father’s death brings him back to Maine to help his mom, he never expects to cross paths with his former high school tormentor. But the woman who once made his life hell now stirs completely different emotions in Linc, and when he finds Harper in need, he impulsively offers her and her young son a place to stay.
Harper Bates thought she’d hit rock bottom after returning to her childhood home in Rockville, Maine. Then her father begins judging her every move—and worse, her son Kash, when they discover he’s being bullied at school. The last person she expects help from is Linc, the boy Harper herself had bullied years ago. Now a commanding presence who makes her and Kash feel safe, Linc inspires both a growing attraction…and lingering shame over her past actions.
Temporary cohabitation quickly turns into something more as Harper and Linc reveal intimate secrets that put them both on a path to healing. But they’re unaware someone else has a secret. And it’s about to impact the one person the couple can’t live without—Kash.
The Ruined Bride by Lily D. Grays
Arranged marriage, a scandal-marked heroine, and a hero whose friends destroyed her life in the first place. This has a slow burn built on distrust written all over it, which is exactly the kind of tension I show up for.
Publisher’s blurb:
Unable to bear the smallest touch, Sophie is about to become someone's wife.
Once the cherished daughter of a powerful family, Sophie has become the woman society whispers about: the ruined bride, abandoned by her fiancé and marked by a scandal she never chose.
Marrying her comes with a price.
So when Viktor Rowks, a man with a reputation as damaged as her own, asks for her hand, Sophie sees the offer for what it is: an exchange. One cage for another. One that will help her family, silence the whispers, and bury the ambitions she was never meant to have.
All with a man whose friends destroyed her life.
But is this marriage merely a way for Viktor to repair his reputation and secure a useful alliance, or is there something else beneath his motives?
And if Sophie agrees to this arranged marriage, will she lose herself within it, or finally find a way to reclaim her life?
Silver Sweet by Krista and Becca Ritchie
A new MM romance from Krista and Becca Ritchie centered on two musicians who cannot stand each other and absolutely need each other. Rockstar romance with real stakes for both of their careers.
Publisher’s blurb:
Tom Cobalt has been called a lot of things. Arrogant god. Overachiever. Demanding, uncooperative jerk. It comes with the territory of being the fifth-born of a storied family. Not even his own punk-rock band can meet his high standards. So when every member of The Carraways quits on him before finishing an album, he’s left with a bruised ego and a major dilemma.
Reviving his childhood dream comes down to one infuriating choice: pair up with a hard-edged drummer or be dropped by his music label permanently.
Phoenix St. Pierre has enough baggage to ground every plane in New York City. He’s volatile, sleep-deprived, and still carrying the fallout of imploding his own band. He should not be paired with Tom, the stuck-up trust-fund baby who pushes all his buttons—yet the second chance is impossible to walk away from.
Making music means too much to Phoenix and Tom to let this last shot slip through their fingers. But working together feels like a Shakespearean disaster ready to unfold. Especially when off-the-charts chemistry, undeniable attraction, and destructive habits threaten to make or break them.
It’s nothing personal—but they just might be the best and worst thing that ever happened to each other.
Eyes of Kings by Chloe Gong
The next chapter in Chloe Gong's dark fantasy world, with a crown that might be changing the person wearing it and a war that no side is walking away from clean.
Publisher’s blurb:
War beckons in the kingdom of Talin. On one side sits Calla Tuoleimi and Anton Makusa, and on the other, the recently dethroned August Shenzhi and Calla's own predecessor Sinoa Tuoleimi. Neither will rest until the opposition is buried.
Calla assumed victory would be easy. She wears the divine crown after a violent coup, wielding the most powerful weapon in the kingdom. Then the provinces start to whisper of the old gods returning to earth, and suddenly the game board is flipped upside-down.
Anton thought he aligned himself with victory. When he swore to serve as Calla’s general, he understood the battle they were waging. But he fears Calla is no longer herself with the crown. Rather, he fears that Calla is returning to who she once was.
August would sacrifice anything for victory. He has waited his entire life for the throne, and surrender is not an option. In the face of age-old immortals challenging his terrain and the possibility of betrayal from his closest and most cherished guard, he must be careful who he trusts.
Because when the war ends, there can only be one king.
The Lion and the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent
A bounty hunter with a blessed sword, a vampire prince with too many secrets, and a job that turns into hunting gods themselves. Carissa Broadbent has a track record of making morally complicated pairings feel inevitable, and this premise is no exception.
Publisher’s blurb:
Some blood tastes like vengeance. Some blood tastes like grief. Some blood tastes like nothing at all.
Under an eternal night, the world has been ravaged by ten years of war between humans and vampires. Kyrene scrapes by as a bounty hunter, bearing a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. But in the wake of a devastating loss, Kyrene commits a crime that makes her a target for mortals and gods alike – and she is still desperate for vengeance.
Her only chance at survival – and revenge – is making a deal with her enemy, the silver-tongue vampire prince, Septimus, who offers her one final job: to slay the gods themselves.
Together, Kyrene and Septimus must hunt the ultimate marks, all while navigating a web of prophecies and curses. Septimus is calculating and mysterious, masking secrets bloodthirsty enough to consume them both. Yet, most dangerous of all, Kyrene finds an unexpected kinship in him.
But their growing attraction is deadly in a world where the only currency is blood. And Kyrene will stop at nothing to fulfill her ultimate goal: to kill the goddess of vampires, even if it means sacrificing love for revenge.
Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt
This one is going to wreck me in the best way. A woman raising a child using her late best friend's eggs, and the firefighter who steps in to help her rebuild. Grief and hope living side by side, which Tarah DeWitt writes so well.
Publisher’s blurb:
Bea always wanted to be a mom. But she never expected she’d have to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with nothing but her best friend’s eggs and a bucket list to complete, Bea’s world is a sea of changes.
When she needs a place to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. A firefighter grappling with the aftermath of an accident, Silas has his own challenges to work through that have left him cautious and vulnerable.
At first, they expect nothing. But as these two former sunshines knit together in a love that has been unfulfilled until now, a new beginning comes out of the ashes of the past—one that will lead to a love that can withstand all the slings and arrows, joys and triumphs, that life can throw.
August 11
Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore (A Hope Harbor Novel) by Brittanée Nicole
A bookstore owner, her high school best friend turned struggling author, and a fake dating scheme built around teaching him to write the perfect book boyfriend. This one is basically catnip for anyone running a bookish small business themselves.
Publisher’s blurb:
These old flames are ready to catch fire.
For Penny Darling, love is best enjoyed between the pages of a book. After a very public failed engagement, she’d rather cozy up by the fire with a book boyfriend than a real one any day. And as the owner of Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore, she has her pick.
Then Jake “Monty” Montgomery returns home. Her high school best friend, now a struggling author with inked forearms and wicked green eyes. And he needs her help.
His proposal is simple: She’ll teach him to write the perfect book boyfriend and he’ll pose as her real boyfriend, keeping Hope Harbor’s busybodies—and their obsession with Penny’s love life—at bay.
But when their lessons begin, the line between fiction and reality grows dangerously thin. As pretend kisses in the apple orchard turn into searing ones beneath the autumn moon, Penny begins to wonder if Monty could really love her, or if she’s destined for another broken heart.
Let’s Kiss and Tell by Joss Richard
This is the one I already read early. A sex columnist who fakes a relationship for content, a fake plus-one who needs the same favor in reverse, and a slow unraveling of both of their walls. I loved this one enough to write a full review, so check out my complete ARC review of Let's Kiss and Tell for my honest, spoiler-free thoughts before it hits shelves.
Publisher’s blurb:
Lucy Reid is a sex columnist whose views on relationships aren’t exactly optimistic. She empowers readers to embrace their sexuality and challenge the idea that you need a partner to be happy—until her editor points out their audience is mostly coupled up . . . and maybe it’s time for something (or someone) new. To buy herself time, Lucy impulsively claims she’s started a new relationship she can write about. Enter Marshall Oakley.
Marshall is the new senior news writer at Lucy’s company. When they meet at a work event, he reveals his ex of nine years is getting married, and he needs a plus-one to keep his family off his back. They agree to fake date until the wedding—Lucy can write about finding “the one” before proving relationships don’t solve everything when they “break up”, and Marshall gets a no-strings date to convince his friends, family, and ex he’s moved on.
But as they spend more time together, the lines blur and each begins to reevaluate their views on love. As fear gives way to misunderstandings, can they find the courage to rewrite their story with a happily ever after?
The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot
A therapist who believes in science, a finder of lost things who's actually psychic, and a small town overrun with witch tourism. Meg Cabot writing cozy small-town magic with a real mystery underneath is exactly the kind of comfort read I want going into fall.
Publisher’s blurb:
Frankie
A trained therapist, Francesca Giovanni knows there’s a scientific explanation for everything. Unfortunately, she lives in West Harbor, CT, a town that’s recently exploded in popularity thanks to “witch tourism.” Suddenly, witches are everywhere, offering locals their psychic services. Frankie’s fine with this…until aspiring teenage witches begin to disappear, and strange things start happening in the lake house next door. Frankie suspects not all newcomers to West Harbor have the good of the community in mind—especially not her new neighbor, Ash Merit.
Ash
Ash Merit finds lost things—and people—for a living. All he wants is to help his clients, and maybe get to know the stunningly beautiful (and newly single) Dr. Frankie Giovanni a little better. But thanks to some troublesome young witches—not to mention his often faulty psychic “superpower”—everything goes wrong. If only Frankie wasn’t so distractingly attractive…and so unwilling to admit there might not be a logical reason for everything, including the flames that ignite whenever the two of them kiss. Ash hopes to change that, but first he and Frankie have to find the missing girls, as well as the truth about what’s happening in West Harbor…a truth that could change everything they thought they knew about themselves—and the magic of love.
Devil by Sierra Simone
This deluxe paperback edition is a rerelease worth flagging even if you already read it years ago. A ruined artist, the man who ruined her, and a bargain that costs more than either of them expects. Sierra Simone doesn't do soft landings, and this description makes that very clear.
Publisher’s blurb:
I have nothing left.
One moment of weakness seven years ago, and I lost my job, my art, and my only friend. Now I’m working nights at a gas station to scrape together a living and a way to care for my sister, and I’m completely alone.
And then I see him on the front page of the newspaper, my former college student and the man who ruined my life seven years ago.
Ryan Bell.
So I carve a statue of the devil and I give the devil Bell’s face. I leave it for the world to see.
I shouldn’t have done it. I should have known he’d use the statue to hunt me, find me, offer a deal that demands my soul. He wants one year of me—all of me—and then he’ll make my problems go away.
How can I refuse? When it’s my only chance of salvation? How can I refuse even when I know Ryan Bell will leave me with a broken heart—again?
But it’s my own fault…I should have stayed hidden, I shouldn’t have revealed how the memory of him haunts me still. I was the one who spoke of the devil, after all.
I can’t be surprised that he appeared.
See You at the Sunset by Susan Lee
A one-night stand, a very awkward former employer situation, and a summer spent at a senior living community full of Zumba classes and spicy book clubs. This premise made me laugh out loud reading the description alone.
Publisher’s blurb:
Two enemies-to-lovers, one unforgettable summer escape…
Jia Chung is living the dream…until she gets fired from her job, yet again. With her mom breathing down her neck to move home, she needs an escape, fast. When Mimi, her beloved grandmother, invites her to spend the summer in Palm Springs, Jia jumps at the chance. Staying at Sunset Hills Senior Living Community is exactly where a free spirit like Jia can thrive—among people living their best, sun-soaked, fun-filled lives. So what if they’re all octogenarians?
Henry Shin lives by the rules. It’s what overworked corporate lawyers do. They don’t fly off to Palm Springs to help their grandfathers move into a new home. But Dennis is Henry’s only family. How else can Henry make sure he’s settled and safe? The boisterous Zumba classes, daily happy hours, and spicy book clubs were a surprise though. And at the center, leading the charge, is a bright, vivacious stunner named Jia Chung. The same face he’d had a one-night stand with a few months back. And the same woman Henry was forced to terminate at his company the morning after.
As carefree days turn into hot, steamy nights, the chemistry between Henry and Jia ignites. But when the real world beckons, should what happens at the Sunset stay at the Sunset?
While You Were Trending by Pippa Grant
A viral internet moment, a struggling winery full of women hiding from the internet, and a documentary crew run by the one person who's supposed to hate her. Pippa Grant is reliable for banter, and this one comes with a redemption arc built in.
Publisher’s blurb:
A former child reality TV star, a retired hockey player, and one rule they shouldn't break - don't date your ex's best friend.
There are three things I will never do (again) in my life:
1. Agree to be filmed doing something stupid
2. Let someone else decide if I'm worthyA viral internet moment, a struggling winery full of women hiding from the internet, and a documentary crew run by the one person who's supposed to hate her. Pippa Grant is reliable for banter, and this one comes with a redemption arc built in.
3. Fall in love
Four years ago, I went viral in a moment that earned me the nickname The Wedding Wrecker. I've been in hiding at a closed winery with a small group of other accidentally viral women ever since.
But the winery is in financial trouble, and we're taking every opportunity we get to try to save it.
Including agreeing to be the focus of a documentary about re-opening.
Unfortunately, the documentarian is my ex's best friend.
My ex's best friend who always hated me with the passion of a million angry internet users.
But if it'll save our home, then fine. I'll tolerate Declan Fox again.
Except the Declan I last knew four years ago is different.
Kinder.
Less arrogant.
More charming.
Unexpectedly attractive.
And finally free to tell me that he's always loved me.
Thanks, life. I really needed this plot twist.
The One Where They Fall In Love by Christina Wolf
A romance editor who believes in happy endings for everyone but herself, a neighbor with a dog he never wanted, and a dog-sitting deal that turns into something neither of them planned. Perfect for anyone who wants their contemporary romance a little softer this month.
Publisher’s blurb:
You never know when love may come knocking...
Hopeless romantic and romance editor Elle Thompson lives for happy endings – but real-life love? Not so much. Still, she's totally thrilled when her best friend gets engaged. Really. Not jealous at all.
Meanwhile, Oliver Cole likes things a certain way. Schedules and routines and order. So when his move back to New York is disrupted by the addition of Thor – the dog his sister adopted before moving to Italy – he's less than delighted. Even less enthused? His neighbour, Elle.
When Elle can't bear to hear Thor howling all night, she and Oliver strike a deal: she'll dog-sit during his shifts. But their reluctant arrangement soon leads to late-night chats, undeniable chemistry, and two guarded hearts learning to open up. Could Elle and Oliver finally get their own happily ever after?
Puck, Marry, Kill by Lauren Landish
A hockey player traded mid-season, a guarded single mom who happens to be his new coach's daughter, and a father who forbids the whole thing. Sports romance with a genuinely protective single-parent arc built in.
Publisher’s blurb:
NHL defenseman Dominic Lee is traded mid-season with one job: save a struggling team from itself. The complication? Briar Johns―a guarded single mom, zookeeper, and his new coach’s daughter. She’s strictly off-limits, but one look at her and Dominic knows some rules are meant to be broken. Too bad hockey players―and relationships―are a firm never again for Briar.
Between surviving a toxic marriage, managing an emotionally absent father, and raising her son Harley, Briar only has room for things that bring joy. A cocky defenseman should never make that list. Dominic isn’t like the men from her past, though. He shows up for Harley’s practices. He listens. He does the dishes. And he’s patient enough to wait for her walls to come down.
When her father forbids their relationship and threatens Dominic’s career, the choice should be simple. Except Briar’s tired of letting fear win. And walking away from her and Harley? That’s the one play Dominic refuses to make.
August 18th
The Fall Affair by Vi Keeland
A grumpy Italian winemaker, an inheritance clause that forces her to stay, and a countdown to leaving that starts feeling like a countdown to something she doesn't want to lose. Vi Keeland does slow burn abroad so well, and Tuscany as a setting does not hurt.
Publisher’s blurb:
She's counting down the days until she leaves Tuscany. He's counting on making her stay.
Some people go to Tuscany to find themselves. Allegra Bianchi goes to escape―New York, her ex's new relationship, and a career that derailed the moment she was passed over for partner.
Her plan is simple: settle her eccentric Italian grandmother's estate, sell whatever isn't nailed down, and return to the life she's worked too hard to lose.
Instead, she walks into a mess―a crumbling antique shop, two hundred acres of leased vineyard land, and one infuriating clause in the will:live and work in the shop for three months, or inherit nothing.
Then there's the neighbor she clashes with instantly. Matteo Lucchese is the infuriatingly handsome winemaker who leases her family's land and refuses to be impressed by her credentials―or her attitude. He's rugged and stubborn, stuck living in a time that feels long past, and the word rush isn't part of his vocabulary. Basically, they're exact opposites.
But as the days stretch into weeks, Tuscany chips away at the armor Allegra doesn't realize she's wearing, and Matteo shows her the appeal of slowing down, of staying rooted, of wanting something other than climbing the corporate ladder.
She goes to Tuscany to escape.
But now that the countdown to going home is on, Allegra isn't sure she's ready to leave.
And the life she's falling for comes with a looming expiration date.
The Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken
A special deluxe hardcover edition worth the upgrade. A magical perfumer, a royal spymaster who needs her help saving the kingdom, and a scent that could hold the fate of everyone in it. Alexandra Bracken's premise here is one of the more original magic systems I've read a description for in a while.
Publisher’s blurb:
Members of the ancient Rosebourne family have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.
When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.
Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers.
As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.
But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom—and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.
Ship Happens by Mason Deaver
A breakup that hasn't healed, a surprise group cruise to Alaska, and an ex who wants to try friendship first. LGBTQ+ contemporary romance with a genuinely emotional angle underneath the cruise-ship comedy.
Publisher’s blurb:
A year ago, Owen Henson had a close-knit group of friends who felt like family and a boyfriend who made his heart race just by walking into the room. But now? Everything’s unraveling. His friends seem to be moving forward without him, and his happily-ever-after shattered when his boyfriend Jacob packed up and left for the United Kingdom to join a research team.
The last thing Owen needs is for Jacob to waltz back into the city like nothing happened, showing up at their friends’ annual Christmas party looking just as annoyingly handsome as the day he left. Or for their friends to spring a surprise six-day, seven-night cruise up the West Coast to Alaska as a bonding trip for the group. How is Owen supposed to keep it together around the man who broke his heart, all while pretending he’s fine? Totally fine. But then Jacob tells Owen that he’d like to be something even more complicated than exes. He wants to be friends. Skeptical, Owen agrees to the plan but as they spend time together among the gorgeous Alaskan backdrop and cruise-mandated activities, Owen feels his walls coming down and he might just discover that he can’t help but fall in love again.
The Best I Never Had by Amy Buchanan
A fake dating arrangement from years ago, a wedding that brings both parties back into the same room, and a maid of honor who did not sign up for this reunion. Second-chance fake dating is an underrated combo and this one commits to it fully.
Publisher’s blurb:
Thea Pappas has always been the storm in her own life―fiery and unpredictable―traits that led her and her younger sister, Addy, through a series of foster homes. But with Addy's whirlwind engagement, Thea is determined to be the perfect maid of honor, even if she finds it odd that she hadn't heard of the fiancé until the ring was on Addy's finger. She believes she can survive a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a group of strangers without causing any trouble.
But upon arrival, Thea realizes these aren't strangers. Among the familiar faces is Owen Hayes―the man who, three years ago, paid her to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family wedding. Now, he's looking at her with the same panicked expression.
Owen's life has always been about control―managing his mother's matchmaking schemes, his family's expectations, and the career path he never truly chose. Thea was his one rebellion, a beautiful lie that ended with a "heart-destroying" fake breakup. Now, with his younger brother's wedding underway and his mother on the prowl, Owen begs Thea to reprise their roles. One week. Same fake breakup. No feelings.
But as old sparks reignite and the lines between pretense and reality blur, Thea and Owen will have to choose: carry on their greatest performance yet or admit the truth―that it was never fake at all.
Bound in Fury by Noelle Monet
Dark academia with real teeth. A grandmother's stories turned out to be true, a boarding school with a body count in its history, and a heroine who has to decide how much of the truth is worth digging up.
Publisher’s blurb:
Harper grew up loving her grandma Gigi’s stories about pretty brown girls with magic from the stars, but they were just that—stories…until Gigi’s sudden death awakens a dangerous power building beneath Harper’s skin. Desperate for answers, Harper finds herself drawn to an elite boarding school in the Appalachian Mountains.
A school that Gigi herself attended, and one rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of witches past.
Harper arrives at Black Mountain Academy determined to learn about her burgeoning power, even if that means dealing with Kai, her grumpy ex-best friend now hellbent on getting her to leave campus, and his cousin, Lucas, who won’t let her forget the almost-kiss from last summer. But Black Mountain Academy was built on secrets, and the deeper Harper digs, the more sinister rot she finds lurking beneath.
When Harper unearths a chilling local legend about the gruesome deaths of twelve witches on campus, she feels an uncanny connection to the women. But someone doesn’t want her exposing the school’s dark past, and when it becomes clear they’ll kill to stop her, Harper has to decide whether to leave her history behind or risk everything for the truth of her own identity.
Once Written in Gilded Blood by K. M. Moronova
A special deluxe edition follow-up to a marriage that ended a war, except peace was never going to be that simple. Old enemies, restless gods, and a marriage being tested from every direction.
Publisher’s blurb:
The war was supposed to end with their wedding.
Alira made her choice. She married the Blood Knight to end the war that had ravaged their kingdoms only to fall irrevocably in love with her once-sworn enemy. Now, living in Devicit as his wife, she is determined to prove that peace between demigods and demons is possible.
But something beneath the surface of their paradise feels wrong.
The veil protecting the demon kingdom shimmers with secrets. The gods are restless. And beyond the veil, old enemies have not laid down their swords.
Kalel would burn the world down to protect his bride, but the past he buried in blood refuses to stay silent. As suspicion creeps into their marriage and the threat of war closes in on Devicit, Alira and Kalel find themselves caught between devotion and doubt―between the kingdoms they were born to defend and the love they chose for themselves.
Together, they must confront the truths that could shatter everything they've built. Because peace is never freely given. And the gods are not finished with them yet.
August 25th
Long Story Short by Kat Singleton
A writer stuck on her manuscript, a neighbor who keeps showing up at the worst possible moment, and a love story she didn't expect to start living instead of writing. Kat Singleton's contemporary romances always feel a little more grounded than most, and this one is no different.
Publisher’s blurb:
I came to the Hamptons for one reason: to fix my broken manuscript. No distractions. No detours. Just me, my deadline, and a love story I can’t seem to get right.
But I didn’t plan on Tyson Bishop.
My dangerously charming, infuriatingly confident neighbor has a habit of showing up exactly when I should be working—and with a way of looking at me like he knows how to unravel me. Every smirk feels like a dare. Every touch lasts a second too long.
I tell myself I can handle this. Him. That this is just the kind of connection my story is missing. Showing me what it feels like to be wanted. To be consumed.
But somewhere between late nights and heated touches, the things I feel for Tyson stop feeling like inspiration…and start feeling real.
Long story short, I came here to write a love story.
I just didn’t expect to start living one.
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
The Swordheart sequel a lot of us have been waiting on. A disillusioned scholar, an immortal warrior trapped in enchanted steel, and the exact kind of banter T. Kingfisher is known for.
Publisher’s blurb:
Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages…
But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.
This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who’s been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.
But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.
Experiments in Offline Dating by Kat Mackenzie
A dating podcast host who travels to Ireland for content, a matchmaking festival gone wrong, and the one blind date she can't stand somehow becoming impossible to avoid. This one sounds like the perfect end-of-summer palate cleanser.
Publisher’s blurb:
Maya Davis is chronically terrible at dating. So much so that she's turned her catastrophic dating experiments into a full-time job. Hellbent on dating "offline" for her second podcast season, Maya travels to Ireland to meet the world-renowned local matchmaker, and gets set up on a slew of horribly funny meet-ups that are exactly the type of comedy gold she was looking for.
At the town’s annual Matchmaking Festival, Maya wins a blind date with a surly local sheep farmer. But while she's had every bad date in the book, nothing could have prepared her for the apocalyptic, full-body-cringe that is the worst date of her life!
All she wants to do is forget it ever happened, but when the mischievous matchmaker talks her into a whirlwind dating adventure, he fails to mention that it's with the one person in Ireland that she just can't stand - her blind date catastrophe!
Trapped together, Maya and Tadhg journey across picturesque landscapes and green countryside until their constant verbal sparring feels increasingly like chemistry. And the more time they spend together, the more Maya begins to wonder if perhaps she’s not so catastrophic at love after all.
Brimming with humor and delicious tension, this heartfelt travel romance is the perfect escape!by
The Dark In Her Veins by M. K. Lobb
Closing out the month with something genuinely bleak in the best way. A dying assassin, a disease tied to sin itself, and a target she can't stop being drawn to. This is easily one of the darker premises on this list, and I am fully here for it.
Publisher’s blurb:
Nothing is sacred for those willing to pay the price…
In Valestadt, everything has a price. Sin leaves its mark in the form of the Bloodrot, a slow-creeping disease that leads to madness, then death. The rich outsource their violence. The poor sell theirs and suffer the cost.
Talin Keller is a sinner. Employed by the holiest man in the city, the Prophet, she stains her hands so his can stay clean. But with her Bloodrot rapidly advancing, Talin knows her next job could be her last.
Then a new assignment puts Talin on a collision course with the Warden, a shadowy figure whose name is spoken like a warning. If she can get close, she can trade his life for her own freedom—and escape the death her sins have promised. That is, if she can stay steady on the knife's edge.
Because Talin is dangerously drawn to the Warden. He is sharp, cruel, and whatever blazes in him sparks against every dark part of her. If she isn't careful, her plans will burn.
As savior and sinner tangle, Talin uncovers a conspiracy tied to the past she thought dead. And in Valestadt, where sin is currency, she'll have to decide what she's willing to pay to survive.
Which one is going on your list first?
That's the full lineup for August. Between the romantasy heavy hitters and the small-town fake dating arcs, I don't think there's a mood this month doesn't cover. If you want my honest, spoiler-free take before you commit to one, my ARC review of Let's Kiss and Tell is already up on the blog.