Our Books to Binge On feature is pretty simple in its purpose. Every month, we put together a monthly new releases list of books that we’re all looking forward to. These are the books that we can’t wait to read and want everyone to add to their monthly binge-reading lists. Here are the books that we plan to binge on in August of 2020.
Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5) by Ilona Andrews
As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.
The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won’t rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that’s tearing their world apart.
Casee: I wasn’t crazy about Sapphire Flames, but I still can’t wait for this one.
Holly: Catalina isn’t my favorite Baylor, but I’m still excited for this book.
The Jackal (BDB: Prison Camp #1) by J.R. Ward
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sinner brings another hot adventure of true love and ultimate sacrifice in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
The location of the glymera’s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything forever.
The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both.
United by a passion they can’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers.
Casee: What can I say? I just can’t quit this series.
Say No More (Sacramento #2) by Karen Rose
Mercy Callahan thought she’d escaped the cult decades ago, but its long fingers are reaching out for her again in this electrifying novel in the Sacramento series…
Seventeen years ago. That was the last time Mercy Callahan saw Ephraim Burton, the leader of the twisted Eden cult where she was raised. But even though she escaped the abuse and terror, they continue to haunt her.
When her brother Gideon discovers new evidence of the cult’s—and their victims’—whereabouts, Mercy goes to Sacramento to reconnect with him. There, she meets Gideon’s closest friend—homicide detective Rafe Sokolov. From Rafe, she receives an offer she never knew she needed: to track down Ephraim and make him pay for everything.
But Ephraim, who had thought Mercy long dead, discovers she is in fact alive and that she is digging around for the cult’s secrets. And now he’ll do anything to take her back to Eden—dead or alive.
Casee: I’ll read anything this woman writes.
Disorderly Conduct (The Anna Albertini Files #1) by Rebecca Zanetti
Bullets and Kisses Can Burn
The last person Anna Albertini expects to see in an orange jumpsuit in District Court—a place she SO doesn’t belong as a new prosecuting attorney—is Aiden Devlin, the man who’d saved her life when they were kids. For years, she has dreamed about him. Now here he is—his eyes blue, his chest wide, and his hands in cuffs.
Sure, Aiden says he doesn’t want her help, and his ties to a deadly motorcycle club should give her warning. Yes, her new boss is a sexy Italian bad boy who might be using the case to climb to the top. Plus, the detective assigned to the case, with his green eyes and broad shoulders, wants her to stay out of his way.
With so much testosterone surrounding her all of a sudden, most women would find it hard to concentrate. This might be why the case leads Anna to yelp during a spa appointment, fall out of a tree, and chase a naked old man around the courtroom. It’s a good thing Anna learned a long time ago to be her own hero, no matter how fast the bullets fly or the kisses consume.
Casee: This is a new series that sounds really interesting. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Truth (Betrothed #10) by Penelope Sky
I had no idea she was going to tell Damien.
If I did, I would have stopped her.
I would have told her the truth myself.
Now I’m afraid I’m going to lose her…and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Casee: This is another series that I can’t quit. It drives me crazy.
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers.
After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez.
Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy.
After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had.
Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars.
With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.
Holly: This book was set to be released earlier this year, but publication got pushed back. The blurb has me intrigued, and this excerpt definitely makes me want more.
Eileen is sick of being 79.
Leena’s tired of life in her twenties.
Maybe it’s time they swapped places…When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.
Once Leena learns of Eileen’s romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.
Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn’t as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?
Holly: This sounds so cute. I haven’t read O’Leary before that I remember, but this is going to the top of my wishlist.
The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea (Embraced by Magic #2) by Kerrelyn Sparks
Four sisters have become queens, rulers of all that Aerthlan’s two moons embrace. The last sister will forge her own path . . .
Signs and Seals
Raised on the magic-seeped Isle of Moon, Maeve is used to unusual powers–and the way they fuel the politics of her world. But when she discovers an ability to shape-shift at will, she knows who she wants to share it with first. Brody, the enigmatic, infuriating shifter-spy has always made time for Maeve. But it’s been almost two months since she’s seen him. And though no one else believes Brody is in danger, Maeve is more than ready to rescue him herself.
The rumors Brody’s investigating are terrifying: a secret army of magic-users, in the service of the cruel Circle of Five. But when he uncovers the identity of one of the Five, the mission becomes personal. Cursed as a boy by the Sea Witch, Brody can spend only two hours a day in his human form, a restriction that limits his future and muzzles his heart. Plus Maeve teases him for being such a pretty doggy instead of appreciating his manly charms. To win his freedom, he must take on a terrible disguise. And when Maeve finds out, she’ll unleash a tempest like no other . . .
Holly: I’m behind in this series, but I’m looking forward to this one.
Metal Monkey (Elemental Love Book 1) by Brooklyn Knight
Yukio
Why do I want her so badly? Opposites aren’t supposed to attract – not in my culture; but I can’t dismiss the immediate attraction that fell upon me the minute I laid eyes on her. Otoosan, my father told me a woman would come, but he couldn’t have meant her. He was talking about Megumi, the woman who’s been bred to be on my arm. She’s a Dragon and I’m a Tiger – it’s a match made in the stars.
But Riyah…
I can’t stay away from her, no matter how hard I try. She’s a Monkey, but these feelings have me wondering if love is strong enough to overcome tradition.
Riyah
He’s sensual and enigmatic. He’s also short-tempered and hasty and clearly doesn’t know what he wants. He blames everything on his Tiger, but I don’t even know what that means. I didn’t come to Japan looking for a love – there’s a ton of self-work for me to do; but whenever Yukio steps into my space, his aura is too much to disregard. Still, even though the draw is undeniable, something doesn’t seem right. There’s a war going on in his mind and I refuse to become a casualty.
I have to avoid him, even if it takes every ounce of strength I can muster. His Tiger may be on the prowl, but this Monkey is cunning.
Holly: I’m not going to lie, it was the cover of this one that caught my eye. Still, a forbidden, opposites attract novel is just what I’ve been looking for lately.
A Winning Season (Wickham Falls Weddings Book 10) by Rochelle Alers
Sliding home…for a lifetime
The girl next door…
Or a grand slam love?
Baseball ace Sutton Reed’s returned home triumphant after years in the majors. When he moves next door to a troubled young man, he’s determined to help—for the boy’s sake and for the boy’s gorgeous older sister, Zoey Allen. After sacrificing everything to keep her family together, Zoey has no time for romance…even with a hometown hero. But will this unlikely combo be the home run love story they all deserve?
Holly: I am a total sucker for baseball books. It’s been a minute since I read a Special Edition, but I think it’s time I dive back in.
The Way Forward (Heart of Colton Book 1) by Eliana West
The small town he couldn’t wait to leave is calling him home…
Dax Ellis returns to Colton, Mississippi, a changed man. He traveled the world, earned a fortune, and made a lifetime of memories, but now he longs to put down roots. Time hasn’t been kind to his hometown, and Dax wants to help—if only he can convince everyone he’s not the same petulant boy he used to be. Especially the one woman who has every reason not to trust him.
Librarian Callie Colton cherished summers with her grandparents, in the town her ancestors helped build, in spite of the boy who called her names. Now that Colton is her home, life is quiet until Dax returns…and, along with him, ugly letters on her doorstep. He may still have the power to hurt her, but she’s not the same scared little girl she used to be.
And soon Dax will have to face his past to find a way forward for the relationship they were cheated of once before.
Holly: I’ve been off contemporary romance for the past few months. Lately I’ve been craving sweet, small-town romances, however. I haven’t read this author before, but I’m intrigued by the blurb.
Scandalous Secrets: A Novel (Jackson Falls #2) by Synithia Williams
Can they do what’s right…without betraying their hearts?
Senatorial candidate Byron Robidoux always does the right thing. And, after years of focus and dedication, his life and campaign are going exactly to plan—until a blackmailer jeopardizes everything. No one is supposed to know that thirteen years ago, Byron told a lie to protect a college friend. And now that lie could destroy his career…and threaten the woman he never stopped loving.
Zoe Hammond hardly recognizes the refined and handsome politician Byron has become. The last time she saw him, he was the friend who saved her life by claiming to be the father of her unborn baby. For that, she’d do anything for him. Except Byron’s world of wealth, reputation and deceit isn’t a place where Zoe or her daughter belong. But when a menace from the past comes calling again, staying with Byron is best for them all. And, as the searing attraction between them builds, they soon realize some things are worth fighting for…especially love.
Holly: I love it when a friend steps up for a single mother.
The Single Mom’s Second Chance (Sweet Briar Sweethearts Book 7) by Kathy Douglass
She could use a shoulder to lean on…
Facing the fight of her life after a cancer diagnosis, widow Roz Martin is forced to ask her estranged brother-in-law to help care for her children. Being there for his nieces and nephew is a no-brainer for gym owner Paul Stephens. But being there for the woman who’d betrayed him by marrying his half brother is hard. Especially when he discovers the feelings he once had for Roz never died…
Holly: SINGLE MOM ROMANCE. I seriously need this in my life.
What books are you looking forward to reading this month? Share in the comments!
Several books I’d been looking forward to in July (from Sybil Bartel, Ainsley Booth, and CD Reiss) had their release dates postponed. Life in covid times, I suppose. So take my August tbr with a grain of salt, but for what it’s worth, here are the books I’m looking forward to in August:
Clare Connelly’s IT STARTED WITH A LIE is the latest in her Montebellos series and features a fake relationship trope.
Caitlin Crews’s TEMPT ME is the third and final book in a bdsm-lite themed series she’s publishing through Dare. The previous book, TAKE ME, was ultra-hot. I’m interested if Crews keeps the streak going.
Jackie Ashenden has a new HP, PROMOTED TO PRINCESS. Obviously a royal romance, undoubtedly featuring Ashenden’s trademark couples with ongoing interior monologues and similarly dysfunctional backgrounds.
Julie Kriss’s DIRTY TALK is the third in her Filthy Rich series about a group of friends who grew up rough and unexpectedly became wealthy (as often happens). This one features a “no-strings-attached” affair—but when has that ever worked in Romancelandia?
Sybil Bartel’s SHAMELESS is the latest in her long-running Alpha Bodyguards romantic-suspense series. If I’m reading the synopsis correctly, this one features an age-gap.
Ainsley Booth’s FILTHY LIAR is the fifth and, supposedly, final installment of her Forbidden Bodyguards series. This one involves the owner of a security & protection company discovering that his long-time secretary/PA is not the person she appears to be.
Beth O’Leary’s first book, The Flatshare, blew me away with how good it was, so The Switch is at the top of my list this month along with Emerald Blaze.
I second JENM’s recommendation of The Flatshare; it was a good read!