Books I Read in August 2026

As August draws to a close our streets and lanes already look like autumn. Of course, it isn't yet but this overly hot, dry summer have sent our plants and trees into distress and leaves have just shrivelled up and shed themselves.

I will be away next week so the blog will be quiet but rest assured I will soon be back with lots of great booky stuff to share with you.

Enjoy the rest of summer and happy reading!

Murder at Christmas by T.A. Williams

It seemed somewhat ironic to be reading a Christmas book during a heatwave, but I so enjoyed reading about Private Investigator Dan Armstrong and his faithful canine friend, Oscar. You can find my full review here.

The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien

I enjoyed this book set around the French Resistance in World War II. You can find my full review here.

The One Where They Fall in Love by Cristina Wolf

I absolutely loved the slow burn of friendship, later followed by desire between the two main characters in this book. You can find my full review here.

Lost and Never Found by Simon Mason

This is currently my favourite crime series. The characters are just wonderful.

A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell

This is probably the best book I have read so far this year. You can find my full review here.

A Hymn to Life: Shame Has To Change Sides by Gisele Pelicot

What can I say? This memoir from Gisele Pelicot is something everyone should read. Her bravery and resilience is second to none.

Currently Reading

A History of the Novel in Britain by Philip Hensher

The Alchemist's Secret by Clare Marchant

Invitation from a Dictator by Rory Clements

The Wine of Angels by Phil Rickman

The One Where They Fall in Love by Cristina Wolf - #bookreview #blogtour

This cannot be said enough: Living in New York City in your twenties is nothing like Friends makes it out to be. Really, nothing about being in your twenties is how Friends made it out to be. I'm thirty years old, and I have not had an all-consuming romance like Ross and Rachel...

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from Rachel's Random Resources. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The 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. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t 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 with the unwelcome addition of Thor—the dog his sister adopted for him—he’s less than enthused. Even less enthused than Oliver? His neighbour, Elle.

When Elle can’t bear to hear Thor howling all night, the two agree to strike a deal: she’ll dog-sit while he’s on shift.

But what starts as a reluctant arrangement soon turns into late-night chats, sizzling chemistry, and two lonely hearts daring to let each other in.

My Review

I absolutely loved the slow burn of friendship, later followed by desire between the two main characters in this book.

Elle and Oliver are neighbours. They meet when Elle is shocked by the noises coming from Oliver's flat above hers, where he has left his dog alone for hours. Full of indignation, Elle confronts Oliver, resulting in them sharing care of the dog, Thor.

The chapters are told from both Elle's and Oliver's perspectives, and I really liked this about the story. We can see how they are both dealing with life, both professionally and personally, and the challenges that they both face. As understanding of themselves and of one another grows, we observe this wonderful friendship blossoming into something more.

I found both Elle and Oliver easy to engage with, and the author does an excellent job of bringing them alive on the page. I felt very invested in their story, and I found myself wanting to get back to this book when life forced me to put it down for a while.

Through both narrative and dialogue, the storyline moves along nicely. It is a fast and entertaining read which I enjoyed enormously.

I haven't read anything by this author before, but I shall be seeking out her other books. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy romantic comedy with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers trope.

Publishing today, this book is worth getting your hands on.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1035915392

Publisher: Aria

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 288 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Cristina Wolf wrote her first book in the third grade. It was an adventure book about her beagle, Abby, complete with hand-drawn illustrations and top-notch handwriting. Needless to say, writing and reading has been a passion of Cristina’s from the beginning. After graduating from Marist College with a double major in Business and English, Cristina pursued a career in the publishing industry while earning her Master of Science in Publishing from New York University. Cristina has experience working at literary agencies and as an editorial assistant at a publishing house. Finding life in NYC a bit different than she expected, Cristina returned to her native New Jersey where she earned her Master in Teaching from Monmouth University. She now shares her love of books with her students as a middle school English teacher.

You can also find Cristina at:

Author Website

Instagram

My Other Blog Posts Featuring Enemies to Lovers

Wedded to Her Enemy Knight by Lissa Morgan

The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous

Clues to You by Claire Huston

The Viscount's Daring Miss by Lotte R. James

I Followed the Rules by Joanna Bolouri

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases Coming in August 2026

 

I am looking ahead to August and some of the lovely new books due to be released. I've limited myself to just ten which have caught my eye. Do any of these look like something that you would like to read?

John Grebble is Gone by Peter James

John Grebble wakes up to discover he’s been declared dead. His bank account is frozen, his car repossessed, and his entire existence erased. Someone wants him gone—permanently.

Within hours, his world unravels. His debit card is declined. His car is towed away. His office locks him out. The police treat him like a criminal. According to every system, every database, every official record—John Grebble is no more.

But John is very much alive. And as he tries to uncover who could have pulled off such an elaborate erasure of his identity, he realises this isn’t just a mistake—it’s personal. Someone with intimate knowledge of his life has gone to extraordinary lengths to scrub him out completely. And this is just the start…

In this gripping short thriller laced with dark humour, Number One Sunday Times bestselling author Peter James asks: can John Grebble uncover who would go this far to destroy him before it’s too late?

Amazon UK

Invitation From a Dictator by Rory Clements

ON THE EVE OF WAR, A ROYAL GUEST IS LURED INTO HITLER'S DEADLY WEB . . .

Munich, 1937. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor have arrived in Germany for a historic meeting at Hitler's mountain retreat.

But recent attacks by ruthless Communist band, Red Freedom, has brought fear and bloodshed to the area. As brutal as the Nazis, their next targets are Edward, Wallis and the Fuhrer himself.

Detective Sebastian Wolff is charged with their protection, but the conflict between his job and his politics becomes even more complicated when Wolff realises who is behind Red Freedom: Ulrike, his first love and the mother of his son.

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

Radiant as the Stars by Elaine Elinson

In April 1911, Jews escaping pogroms are fleeing to America, but 20-year-old Anna Reader, full of fierce conviction, is headed in the opposite direction—back to the Ukrainian shtetl from which her family fled six years earlier. She has decided to join her radical cousin Chava in the Jewish Labor Bund on the eve of the Russian Revolution, leaving behind her work in a Chicago sweatshop and the lover who jilted her.

Her warm reunion with her cousin is tainted by political intrigue. Anna is not fully trusted by the Jewish radicals she grew up with in Ukraine. She is given minor tasks, while Chava’s assignments become more dangerous. The threat of betrayal is constantly lurking. When Chava is arrested and imprisoned, Anna’s efforts to rescue her cousin further alienate her from her Bund comrades. When she is threatened with arrest by the Tsarists, Anna is undone, fighting for survival in a strife-torn land.

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O'Neal

In the shadow of the London Blitz, artist Elsie Turner clings fiercely to her canvases, refusing to let war dim the colors that define her. The bombs test her nerve, but the struggle also stirs memories of her golden youth in India and of the long-lost love of her life.

The daughter of a British civil servant in the Himalayan station of Nainital, Elsie crosses cultural divides to forge an unlikely bond with Tanveer Singh, a Sikh prince with hopes, dreams, and far-reaching ideas. What begins as shared sketchbooks and stargazing becomes first love and a secret correspondence. When Elsie’s father is summoned to England, Elsie is severed from the world she knows―and is determined to preserve it through both her art and a connection with Tanveer that endures through the most tumultuous years of their lives.

Across four decades and two continents, Elsie navigates a journey from lush colonial India to war-torn London, amid landscapes of beauty, protest, and peril. As past and present collide, the most impossible choices and sacrifices are yet to be made in the name of love, war, and survival.

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage by Della Galton

When two best friends decide to share their wedding day, what could possibly go wrong?

Jade is over the moon to be tying the knot alongside her best friend, Sarah, at the stunning Bluebell Cliff Hotel in Dorset—a venue where no detail is too small and no expense is spared in the pursuit of perfection.

But as the big day draws closer, so do the complications.

A long-lost relative, a troublesome brother, and some wildly unexpected animal antics all threaten to derail the brides’ dream celebrations.

With emotions running high and chaos around every corner, their perfect day begins to unravel.

Can love and friendship hold everything together when it matters most?

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

The Stray Dogs by Ruth Hogan

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Desmond and Leona are about to find out that it's never too late to start living your dreams . . .

Since his marriage ended, Desmond Leaks has been stuck in rut. But living alone does have some upsides - for one, there's no one to tell him that he's 'not allowed' chocolate spread on his toast.

And for Leona Lennox, a fresh start might just mean she can finally open that rescue centre for abandoned dogs she's always dreamed of. That's if she can learn to let people in occasionally - and accept help.

Take this Desmond guy, he's so nice that he's offering to get his old band back together to play some fundraising gigs for the rescue centre. If only Leona could say yes, just this once . . . The Stray Dogs might actually be decent, right?

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

The Paris Seamstress by Catherine Law

Torn between love and duty, and a fierce need to protect…

Paris, 1940

For young, lively Murielle, working in the heart of Paris as a seamstress is a dream come true. She loves the bustle of the city, but as the War progresses and new restrictions for Jewish people appear, she begins to realise how quickly her world is changing – and how, soon, she may lose those cherished freedoms.

Her best friend Zoé has always lived a smaller life. Still reeling from an incident from many years ago, she’s already used to being on her guard. But as the Occupation tightens controls on everyone, Zoé knows she must find the courage to stand up and protect the people she loves.

When the two women come across a fallen English pilot, they don’t hesitate. As they put their lives on the line to help the airman escape, their friendship bonds are truly tested. For a chance of happiness, Murielle and Zoé will have to make an impossible decision — one that will demand the greatest sacrifice of all…

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

The Midwife by the Sea by Jo Bartlett

When midwife Hope Masterson arrives in Cornwall to start her dream job by the sea, she’s ready for a fresh start and a chance to make a real difference to the lives of the women and babies she cares for.

Working between St Piran’s hospital and the community midwifery unit of Port Agnes, Hope quickly finds herself drawn into the lives of her patients and colleagues. From dramatic deliveries and joyous newborns to heartbreaking struggles with infertility, she is on hand to share in all the hopes, worries and incredible love that motherhood can bring.

But Hope is carrying a secret that could change everything – and she faces an impossible dilemma.

Should she reveal the truth and shatter the lives of those around her, or protect the fragile happiness of the family she’s only just found?

As friendships deepen, romance blooms and emotions run high, Hope must decide whether some secrets are better left untold… and what it truly means to belong.

A gorgeously heartfelt, uplifting and unputdownable story of love, family and the many different paths to motherhood, by Top Ten bestselling author Jo Bartlett.

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

The Curse of the Saltmarsh Girl by Clare Marchant

The dark marsh stretches around Margery. She can hear the sound of her mother’s voice, crying. Or is it the wind…? Will she get out of here alive?

1665: When Margery arrives in Saltmarsh looking for her mother, she finds silence, secrets, and backs turned.

But she is not the only thing that has arrived. As the Plague falls on the village, leaving almost no man, woman or child alive, rumours circulate – about a demon dog, about lights floating above the waters, about voices in the dark… And about a girl, one who has brought a curse.

With Margery’s mother missing, it becomes clear that these remote, desolate marshes are about to become the most dangerous ground she’s ever stepped on…

Now: A beautiful young opera singer named Angel Bailey has arrived in Saltmarsh. She’s there to visit her adoptive brother, but she’s also running away. Because, after years of longing to know where she came from, she’s received word from a woman claiming to be her sister, saying their birth mother’s dying wish is to meet the child she abandoned.

But when Angel becomes fascinated with the story of another mother and daughter, and a centuries old curse on the marsh, the land beneath her feet is about to shift forever…

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

A Fatal Love by Louise Tregar

Following Ruth Ellis' long-awaited posthumous conditional pardon in July 2026, never has there been a more compelling moment to revisit the woman behind one of Britain's most enduring legal cases.

It is Easter Sunday in 1955 and a young man lies face-down on the ground covered in blood. A woman, blonde and petite, stands over him with a gun in her hand. This is the story of Ruth Ellis as never told before...

As Ruth awaits her trial in Holloway Prison, she recollects growing up in England during the Second World War and the events that led to the death of her lover, David Blakely.

Meanwhile, Kitty Carrington - the assistant to Ruth's trial lawyer - tries to forge her own path through the male-dominated legal world of the 1950s and ensure that Ruth receives a fair trial.

Navigating secrets, betrayal and a broken justice system, Ruth and Kitty try to take control of their own lives and narratives. But do we ever really know the full story?

Amazon UK   Bookshop.org

(header photo courtesy of Florencia Viadana/Unsplash)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

(all opinions are my own)

Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine by Mo Fanning - #bookreview

Lisa Doyle's father left her two things: a battered blue armchair, and his talent for making a terrible situation catastrophically worse...

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the author. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

Lisa Doyle is fine. Absolutely fine.

At least, that's the story she's been telling herself.

Her best friend is getting married. Everyone around her seems to have a partner, a plan, and a life that makes sense. Lisa, meanwhile, has four glasses of wine in her, a talent for making bad situations worse, and a growing sense of being left behind.

So she does what any sensible woman in a crisis would do. She announces that she's engaged.

There is only one problem.

Brian does not exist.

Now Lisa needs a fiancé before the wedding, her actor flatmate is far too willing to get involved, and the real Brian, who is very much married and very much her boss, is starting to look at her in ways that suggest this lie may have got seriously out of hand.

Warm, witty, and painfully recognisable, Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine is a grown-up romantic comedy about love, pressure, friendship, and the exhausting performance of holding everything together when you're quietly falling apart.

My Review

I enjoyed reading this wonderful romantic comedy very much.

The main character, the titular Lisa Doyle, was wonderful and was easy to relate to.  Feeling as though she is the only one not getting married, one drunken evening Lisa posts on her social media that she is engaged to Brian. However, Brian doesn't exist and it is also the name of her boss.  What follows is some very funny and poignant  narrative which kept my attention throughout the novel.

It was so easy to empathise with Lisa. The reader realises that her actions are the result of loneliness and my heart went out to her. However, she digs herself into a deeper hole when her actor flatmate, Andy, assumes the role of the nonexistent Brian and is introduced to her family and friends; not forgetting on her social media. 

The author has created a wonderful cast of characters in this book. The minor characters are just as charming, and I adored Lisa's family and friends.

It is obvious from the beginning that Lisa's lie is going to blow up in her face at some point and, when it does, I loved the way the author allowed those close to her to treat her with kindness, understanding and compassion. 

The book had a fun premise which completely delivered. This isn't the first novel that I have read by this author. There is a link to my review of his book, Rainbows and Lollipops, at the bottom of this post.

This was a fabulous book which I highly recommend. Publishing on 18th June, it is worth getting your hands on a copy. It is perfect for readers of Mhairi McFarlane, Beth O'Leary, and Marian Keyes.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1068394720

Publisher:  Spring Street Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  344 (paperback)

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Direct From the Author

Amazon UK

About the Author

Mo has always believed stories can do two things at once: make you laugh and make you feel less alone. That’s what he tries to do on every page that he writes.

He didn’t grow up planning to be a novelist — but he grew up needing books. They were his escape, his company, and his way of making sense of the world. Now, he gets to create those escapes for other people. His novels explore love, loss, friendship, and the messy, hopeful business of being human.

At the heart of it all is a simple promise: even in life’s toughest moments, there’s humour, there’s connection, and there’s always a glimmer of light. That’s the world he writes about, and he's thrilled to be sharing it with others.

You can also find Mo at:

Bluesky

Instagram

Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author

Rainbows and Lollipops

(ARC and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Love or Your Money Back by Suzy K. Quinn - #extract #excerpt #blogtour

I could not have been more delighted to be offered the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. I have previously read and reviewed Suzy's previous book, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, and I adored it. If you would like to read my review of that you can find it here.

Believe me, if my blogging diary had not been so full I would have loved to read this book. However, I am thrilled to have an extract of this book, Love or Your Money Back  by the talented Suzy K. Quinn on the blog today.

The Blurb

Is marriage about love or marketing?

Kat is 34, single and running out of time – she wants to get married before she turns 35, but her fiancé just ditched her for a 21-year-old life coach.

Freddy is a ruthless marketing guru who thinks love is just transactional. He’ll use his marketing genius to make Kat the most sought-after woman in London, if she lets him rebrand her struggling company.

With her 35th birthday looming and her love life a disaster, Kat agrees to become Project Marriage.

Can a rebrand king sell happily ever after? Or is love something even the best marketer can't package and promote?

A smart, funny romantic comedy for fans of Emile Henry (Funny Story), Lucy Score and Ali Hazelwood.

 The Extract

The Corporate Clash

This is the first explosive meeting between Freddy Stark, a ruthless marketing guru, and Kat Friedman, the no-nonsense CEO of a struggling indie publisher. Freddy expects to bulldoze his way through the company. Kat has other ideas.

‘Mr Stark.’ Kat crosses her arms. ‘Little Voice is a small, independent publisher. Our job isn’t to make money. It’s to win awards.’ 

‘Well, that changes right now.’ Freddy claps his hands, making a very satisfying, manly noise. ‘I have a few restructurings to make before we get onto the fun stuff. Anyone I let go will have a great remuneration package, a good reference –’ 

‘What are you talking about?’ Kat shouts. ‘You can’t lay off my staff.’

Despite himself, Freddy smiles. ‘I beg your pardon? Your staff?’

‘Yes, these are my staff.’ Kat gestures around the table. ‘My team. And don’t even think about raising your hand to cut me off.’

‘I wasn’t going to –’ 

‘Because the last person who did that ended up with oolong tea all over him.’

‘Kat.’ Freddy gives another charming smile, brown eyes twinkling. ‘Can I call you Kat?’

‘No.’

‘I just bought out T&C Media. Little Voice is part of the package –’ 

‘No, it isn’t,’ Kat interrupts. ‘T&C Media owns fifty percent of Little Voice. I own the other half.’

Freddy is a little wrong-footed, which is surprising considering how expensive his shoes are. 

‘I think you’ve made a mistake there, Kat. As far as I’m aware, it was a total buyout.’ Freddy whips out his brand-new, not-even-available-to-the-public-yet, iPhone and checks the T&C takeover contract. 

Little Voice, Little Voice…

Oh no. It’s right there in black and white: 50% share.

A 50% share won’t work. Not for the changes Freddy needs to make. And T&C Media is nothing without the literature angle. It’s the key to unlocking so many big deals. 

Freddy isn’t a partnership sort of person. He is a lone wolf. Lone wolves don’t compromise. They eat people. 

‘Well look at that, Kat.’ Freddy quickly regains his composure. ‘We’re co-owners. Half each. I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you two million to sell me your half.’

‘No.’

This response surprises Freddy. He’s never met anyone who turned down a ridiculous sum of money before. 

‘Maybe you didn’t hear me right.’ Freddy gives Kat a wink. ‘I said two million. Pounds. You can buy yourself an awful lot of new shoes. Or cardigans –’ 

‘Mr Stark,’ says Kat. ‘I am not motivated by money.’

Freddy stares at Kat, momentarily lost for words. This woman is crazy. But he should have known that by her outfit. Eventually, he asks: ‘So what are you motivated by?’ 

‘Looking after my team and creating books that give people a voice.’

Freddy feels no further need to ask questions. Kat Friedman has a screw loose. You can’t argue with crazy.

‘Okay then.’ Freddy glances at his redundancy list. ‘We’ll do things the hard way. As a co-owner, I can make changes –’ 

‘No, you can’t,’ says Kat. ‘Not without my permission. And I don’t give permission.’ 

‘But Kat, it’s in your interests to streamline staff,’ Freddy insists. ‘You’ll make more money, and your staff will find positions more suited to their skills. A real win-win.’ He’s about to wink at her again but thinks better of it. ‘Of course, your job is safe –’ 

‘I don’t have a job,’ Kat snaps. ‘I’m co-owner. You can’t fire me or anyone else. Not without my permission. And I don’t give permission. I take care of my staff.’

Freddy returns to the comfort of his trademark charm. He throws Kat a fabulous smile. ‘How about we talk business over dinner? You can tell me how you got those marks on your hand. I bet there’s a story there.’

‘They’re not marks. They’re scars.’ Kat holds Freddy in a steady death glare. ‘And I have no interest in spending time with a man who wants to get rid of my loyal employees.’

‘In my defence, I haven’t gotten rid of anyone yet,’ says Freddy. ‘But let’s start sorting the wheat from the chaff. Is there someone called Alan here?’

The oldest gay in the village starts crying. 

Kat’s face crumples. She puts an arm around Alan’s leather-clad shoulders, then gives Freddy a look that could strip paint. 

Freddy pushes a box of tissues towards Alan but feels unrepentant. Alan will get an excellent remuneration package. Enough to buy himself many more leather, studded caps. And frankly, given his attendance record, he’s unlikely to know the difference between working and not working. 

‘Alan, stop crying,’ says Kat. ‘Mr Stark isn’t getting rid of anyone. To make decisions about this company he has to go through me. And I say no. We’re a family.’ She turns to Freddy. ‘So, take your cheap smile and your expensive suit and throw your weight around somewhere else.’ 

Freddy is impressed. He almost wants to give Kat a round of applause. She is marvellous and very pretty. But she is also in his way. She’ll have to go, just like the rest of her badly dressed, lack-lustre team. 

Freddy wants Little Voice. It’s an untapped gold mine and also the key to some previously tightly locked tax advantages. And Freddy always gets what he wants. It’s just a matter of time. 

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1999866389

Publisher:  Book Club Ltd.

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  328 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Suzy K Quinn writes romantic comedy / rom com books / cozy mystery and has sold over 1 million books worldwide. She is a bestseller in the UK, US and Germany and has plans for total world domination with more feel-good books (bestsellers, obviously) in the near future.

Suzy lives in Wivenhoe, Essex, with her husband Demi and two daughters. She is a twin, an incompetent parent of two and now fully decaffeinated. Her twin sister, Cate Quinn, is also a bestseller author. When she's not writing, she is reading rom coms and cozy mysteries.

Suzy loves her readers and is ALWAYS happy to chat on social media 

You can also find Suzy at:

Author Website

X

Facebook

Tik Tok

Instagram

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)