August is almost upon us and there are some fantastic new books being released this month.
Here are just ten that I would like to read. Does anything here catch your eye?
Jane Seymour is the wife of Henry VIII we know the least about, often written off as 'Plain Jane'. Queen of England for just seventeen months, during her life Jane witnessed some of the most extraordinary events ever to take place in English history, later becoming a part of them. Jane ensured her place in Henry's affections by giving him his much longed for male heir only to tragically lose her life twelve days later leaving behind a motherless son and a devastated husband. For the remainder of his life Henry would honour the mother of his only legitimate son and would come to regard Jane as his 'true and loving wife'.
But who was Jane Seymour? Throughout this illustrated book we will find a woman who was neither saint or sinner, but a human being with her own beliefs and causes.
In the summer of 1914 a boy vanishes, never to be seen again.
Now, in 1920, the once esteemed Stilwell family of Darkacre Hall find themselves struggling with the legacy of the First World War. Leonard bears the physical scars, while his brother Maurice has endured more than his mind can take. Maurice’s wife Ida yearns for the lost days of privilege and pleasure and family friend Victor seems unwilling to move on.
But their lives are thrown into further disarray when the missing boy’s case is reopened – and this time they themselves are under police scrutiny.
As the dead return to haunt the living, old resentments resurface and loyalties are tested, while secrets risk being unearthed that could destroy them all.
As the daughter and cousin of queens and the granddaughter and niece of kings, Lady Margaret Douglas was an integral part of the Tudor royal dynasty. A favourite of her uncle King Henry VIII and a close friend of Queen Mary I she courted scandal which saw her imprisoned in the Tower of London on more than one occasion. Against the orders of Queen Elizabeth I she plotted the marriage of her eldest son Lord Darnley to Mary, Queen of Scots with disastrous consequences.
She came as close to the executioners block as she did to the throne of England, with some believing she had a right to be queen. A devout Catholic all her life, she lived at a time when religious division split the country in half yet she remained steadfast in her beliefs. A respected and revered lady on both sides of the border, Lady Margaret Douglas, later Countess of Lennox through her marriage, suffered much heartbreak and loss. Her husband and son were both murdered at the hands of the Scots and she outlived all her children.
Despite these tragedies she never gave up on her dream of uniting the thrones of England and Scotland which was realised through her grandson King James VI/I.
The story of her life is a remarkable tale of intrigue and survival and deserves to be more widely told.
Cornwall, Summer 1943
Eighteen-year-old Alice receives a mysterious work summons for a special unit in Bude. Nervous but excited, she starts training straight away.
Meanwhile, land girl Penny also heads to Bude. With a new job at the village farm shop, she dreams of finding love.
Young widow Florence runs the local boarding house. When American troops are billeted to stay, Florence butts heads with their Staff Sergeant immediately.
But might sparks fly for Florence when she least expects it? Can Penny pluck up the courage to pursue romance? And will Alice be up to the task?
Most importantly, can love triumph for the Cornish Girls, even amidst the uncertainty of war?
For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last.
A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He's turning into a great white shark, and has less than a year left to live as a human. At first, Wren resists her husband's fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis fully transforms?
But as Lewis changes, day by day, Wren begins to make peace with the inevitable. After all, this isn't the first time she's lost a loved one.
An extraordinary novel of love, loss, hope and happiness, Shark Heart explores the shapes that love takes, in all its many forms, and asks us to ask ourselves: what makes us human?
I may go by Sebastien now, but my name was originally Romeo. And hers was Juliet.
It's a frosty fairytale of an evening when Helene and Sebastien meet for the first time. Except it isn't the first time. You already know that story, though it didn't happen quite as Shakespeare told it.
To Helene, Sebastien is the flesh-and-blood hero of the love stories she's spent her life writing. But Sebastien knows better - Helene is his Juliet, and their story has always been the same. He is doomed to find brief happiness with her over and over, before she dies, and he is left to mourn.
Albrecht and Brigitta. Matteo and Amélie. Jack and Rachel. Marius and Cosmina. By any name, no matter where and when in time, the two of them are drawn together, and it always ends in tragedy.
This time, Helene is determined that things will be different. But can these star-cross'd lovers forge a new ending to the greatest love story of all time?
In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces, Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener?
Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden…
Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs—hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see.
But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.
Lilach seems to have it all: a beautiful home in the heart of Silicon Valley, a community of other Israeli immigrants, a happy marriage and a close relationship with her teenage son, Adam. But when aa local synagogue is brutally attacked, her shy, reclusive son is compelled to join a self-defense class taught by a former Israeli Special Forces officer. Then a Black teenager dies at a house party, and rumours begin to circulate that Adam and his new friends might have been involved.
As scrutiny begins to invade Lilach's peaceful home, and her family's stability is threatened, will are her own fears be the greatest danger of all?
Life is more comfortable today than ever in history, thanks to a dizzying array of modern conveniences we never imagined we could live without. But if King Henry VIII, Mahatma Gandhi, or Alexander the Great had access to the modern conveniences we currently enjoy, from motivating nutrition apps to sweeping social media and life-saving antibiotics, history would've taken a dramatically different turn.
In this entertaining exploration of history merged with contemporary times, discover how a selection of modern conveniences would've impacted the lives of some of the world's most recognizable historical figures-and altered the course of humankind.
He's running out of time.
Ben Church has never done anything extraordinary in his life - until now.
Now, he needs to fulfil as many of his dreams as possible while he still can.
Time is all she has.
Vita Ambrose's life of parties and fabulous clothes looks wildly glamorous but in reality it has no meaning.
She's seen too much, lived too much and lost too much.
Together, can they make time stand still?
Ben and Vita's connection is immediate, spontaneous and passionate. But the clock is ticking.
Can they find a way to make their love live forever? Because every moment matters when it might be your last . . .
*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.
