Beat the Heat and Chill Out With These Must-Read New Releases
- BirdieMama
- Jul 27
- 21 min read
As we head into the last month of Summer for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, you might be searching for ways to beat the remaining heat. The best solution I can think of is chilling out with the must-read new releases of August. As usual we have a treasure trove of literary gems getting ready to grace our shelves ensuring there is never a dull moment as we begin closing out Summer (insert sad face). August's new releases line-up promises to spark your imaginations, melt your hearts, and maybe even get you in the mood. So, grab your favorite drink, find the comfiest spot, and sit back while we dive into the newest must-reads of August.
-Fantasy / Myths & Legends-
A Spell of Bones and Madness by E.K. Condos
Expected Release: August 1, 2025
Description
Blood.
Daggers.
Golden chains.
Katrin’s nightmares have returned. This time they are not visions of the past, but the present. His present.
Castle Drakos hadn’t been attacked since the ancient war. Until that day. The day everything changed. The day she became Queen. The day she barely escaped with her life in exchange for Alexander’s.
Now Katrin must work with the crew of The Nostos and several unlikely allies to not only rescue Alexander, but journey through the depths of Aidesian itself to prevent Hades from being resurrected.
Because if King Athanas and the King of Harrenfort have their way, the fallen will rise.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, A Spell of Bones and Madness (The NostosSeries Book 2 ), Amazon website, Accessed 26 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/25kbUnS>.
-Science Fiction-
JanIus: Pawns by D.L. Hannah
Expected Release: August 1, 2025
Description
Dr. Justin Ascencio swore he’d never return to space. But when a mysterious stranger saves his life, he stumbles into a world filled with secrets and hidden agendas.
Fawn Azini is a free spirit trapped inside an unhappy home. Fed up with misogyny and intolerance, she’s determined to live life on her terms.
Justin and Fawn’s parallel journeys are destined to collide. But is it a coincidence?
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, JanIus: Pawns Book I, Amazon website, Accessed 26 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/ijtBOke>.
-Dark Fantasy Horror-
Bound by Fate and Loyalty by S.G. Darley
Expected Release: August 1, 2025
Description
Raven Ilandi spent her first hundred years in solace, living out the beauty of the Renaissance while learning from her mother.
Now, four-hundred years later, she's survived torturous abuse from her father, Duke of the Slavic Vampire Court. Searching for refuge, Raven escapes to a small sanctuary in Mongolia, only to realize her father's reputation precedes her own. She's one of the most hated, enduring sharp-witted comments daily.
When her roommate goes missing, Raven finds her self subsequently kidnapped--except her 'rescuer' is another captor who knows more about her than Raven knows about herself. With so many people vying for her allegiance, who can she trust?
And if she's not a Vampire, who- or what -is she?
Sylvanor Trisdove grew up knowing royalty and none else, thriving in rich luxury in Sleekwook, New Zealand. Being crown prince, he's got an ego that outshines any less-than-desirable qualities; or so, that's what his people, the Aur Elves, think.
He leaves home under the will of his mother, wondering why his soul is incomplete. Having no hopes and dreams, this prince's sole purpose is to be the pawn his parents shaped him into. Plagued by ancient, dark magic, he is designed to be a master manipulator.
Sylvanor walks the tightrope between obligations and desires, and is forced to make a choice when betrayal strikes close to his heart. A land where he will feel truly understood, but where his morals will be compromised, or continuing to live in depression, all to hold onto the person his mate can see beyond the royalty.
Is family more than blood, after all?
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Bound by Fate and Loyalty: Altarhion Arising #1 ebook, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/e99sZB5>.
-YA Romantic Comedy-
The Prom Queen Project by Jasmine Dade
Expected Release: August 1, 2025
Description
"Prom Queen is a really fucked up tradition…but that plastic silver crown with fake diamonds will be mine."
"The Prom Queen Project" is a YA romance with all the hallmarks of an early 2000s rom-com. Experience what it means to be a teenager by diving into a story that captures the complexities of surviving high school. This story tackles the important topics of love, social anxiety, bullying, conformity, self-discovery, and navigating a world that seems too big to exist in.
CLARKE TAYLOR seems to have it all—Popularity, beauty, money, and to top it off, she's Summerville High's head cheerleader, but there's one thing she's still missing—The Prom Queen crown. You'd think it would be easy for a picture-perfect blonde to win a plastic tiara, right? But with Clarke, nothing is as it seems. Despite her exterior persona, Clarke is a secret nerd with raging social anxiety, but she is determined to win Prom Queen to prove her former bullies wrong. She develops a foolproof plan to win the crown, but to do it, she must appeal to everybody, including a group she has desperately been trying to avoid—The outcasts.
Enter ELLIOT KELLER, a misfit repeating his senior year who wants nothing more than to graduate and get out. When the two of them have a chance meeting in detention, it’s hate at first sight, but Elliot holds the key to the one group she can't crack. In a desperate attempt to claim the crown and escape the weight of being popular, Clarke proposes a deal: she'll do his assignments if he agrees to fake date her in order to boost her morale with the outcasts and provide relief from her shallow friends.
But what happens when the line between real and fake begins to blur? What happens when her friends start to question her popularity? Will Clarke sacrifice the crown for her heart?
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, The Prom Queen Project: A High School Fake Dating Lover Story ebook, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/1KvlFwe>.
-New Adult Sports Romance-
Under the Lights by Sorena Graves
Expected Release: July 1, 2025
Description
Dominic Kincaid can get fucked. All the way.
After a rebound one-night stand — okay, and maybe the hottest night of my entire life — I don’t expect to ever see him again.
Turns out he’s been lying to me since he first opened his mouth, which puts him squarely on my shit list. Maybe that’s thanks to my major trust issues, but after being betrayed by the people closest to me time and time again, it feels warranted.
My parents screwed me over, my boyfriend cheated on me, and oh yeah, my sorority kicked me out because I wouldn’t fall in line.
Just when I think things can’t get worse, he’s here — constantly, popping up, no matter where I go, and chasing me with a ferocity and impertinence that outright enrages me. It definitely does not make my chest flutter like a whole ass swarm of butterflies has taken up residence in there. Nope, not happening.
But he keeps showing up for me. No terms, no conditions — just pure devotion and support. My focus should be on making those who wronged me pay for their sins, but he refuses to give up.
The thought of trusting someone again scares the shit out of me… but maybe some people are worth it.
Under the Lights is a spicy MF college football romance featuring an actual Big Boy, dirty talk, all the banter, an age gap (she’s older), Grumpy FMC x Sunshine MMC, an obsessed and protective hero who dips his toes into some morally gray areas, a one-night stand, and kink exploration.
This book is intended for readers 18+, and the second installment in a series of interconnected standalones.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Under the Lights: A Reverse Age Gap College Football Romance (The Big Boys of BRU Book 2), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/2twKRcv>.
-New Adult Mystery Romance-
What Happened on Roslyn Street? by Elle Lavendelle
Expected Release: August 1, 2025
Description
Tobey just wants to solve her best friend's murder—but the suspect wants more.
Tobey has a lot on their plate.
Best friend number one? Dead, without a cause.
Best friend number two? Fake enough to lead to a cataclysmic friendship breakup.
Tobey knows her friend’s death wasn’t an accident, but no one will hear her out. In search of proof, Tobey enrolls at Strode University, an enigmatic school where monsters run wild.
Enter Caldwell, the mysterious man who may have murdered her best friend. That brings us back to the initial problem.
The lines blur, and before she knows it, she’s dating the murderer. Is Caldwell to blame, or does Strode University have a deeper story to tell? Tobey must find the answers soon or lose another friend.
Click buy now to join Tobey and Caldwell as they unravel the secrets of Strode!
A fantasy dark academia mystery romance for fans of Wednesday, What We Do in the Shadows, and Good Girl’s Guide to Murder!
This book is for readers 18 years of age and older. The characters are 25+ years old, and it includes spicy scenes.
You can expect:
A cozy and grim vibe.
A unique fake dating storyline.
A paranoid, extremely amateur sleuth.
Complicated friendships between characters.
More romance than mystery.
A murder mystery that spans across three books.
A contemporary fantasy/paranormal setting with witches, vampires, demons, and more.
A hefty dash of humor.
LGBT+ characters, including a nonbinary main character.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, What Happened on Roslyn Street?: A Paranormal Dark Academia Mystery Romance (Strode University Book 1), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/1bbVMBY>.
-Romance / Short Story / Small Town-
S'more Than Friends by Constantina Cristi
Expected Release: August 1, 2025
Description
Everyone in my family was falling in love. Not me, though. It's not that I didn't want anyone. I just hadn't been looking. Then in walked Lucy Rivera to the reception hall at my cousin’s wedding, crowding the s’mores bar next to me. I don’t know how toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate changed everything, but it did. The one night stand turned into late night phone calls, which turned into impromptu visits. Now, I'm making up holidays and special occasions just to see her. Left Hander’s Day? No one actually celebrates that. But we did.
And now, I just want s'more of her.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, S'more Than Friends: A Lovestruck Calendar Short Story, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/0sNmZTt>.
-Contemporary Sports Romance-
Playing for Keeps by Ashley J. Ecks
Expected Release: August 2, 2025
Description
Reese is trying to clean up his reputation, with coaches from the NHL interested in him again, he's ready to take things seriously.
Abby has always been attracted to Reese and wants to sleep with him. She doesn't even care about the why or the how, he's got a reputation and she wants to know if the rumors are true. Does he really have a one hundred percent satisfaction rate?
The only problem, he's promised his boss, Dylan Poletti, that he wouldn't get involved with her. In any capacity. She’s Dylan’s little sister after all.
When his agent subtly suggests the idea of getting a fake girlfriend to impress the NHL Coaching staff. He decides to ask if Abby would help him secure his spot on the Blakgow Shrieking Pirates... On the opposite side of the country.
After a drunken mistake, Abby gets a taste of the kind of person Reese is, and needs more. For the first time in her life, she realizes she does have a dream.
Will her new dream get in the way of Reese’s? Are they going to miss out on the opportunity to have their happily ever after because neither one is willing to sacrifice their dream for the other?
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Playing for Keeps (Wolburn Wolves Hockey Collection Book 2), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/gN0G83O>.
-Fairytale Retelling-
Crown of Briars by R.L. Perez
Expected Release: August 4, 2025
Description
He must wed her to break the curse.
She must kill him to save her kingdom.
Every generation, the Earthen Court gives a princess bride to the Wraith King to protect their realm from his deadly shadows. Princess Sybelle has prepared her entire life to be married to the monster who has been terrorizing her people.
And she has a plan to end her people's suffering for good.
With the help of her dragon familiar, who can sniff out powerful enchantments, she intends to uncover the source of the Wraith King's shadow magic. Once he is rendered powerless, she plans to kill him.
But despite his demonic appearance, the Wraith King is not who he appears to be. He is as alluring as he is deadly and, as Sybelle comes to know him, he awakens a fire in her soul she never knew she had.
When she realizes he is trapped by a powerful curse, she wants to do everything in her power to break it.
But to do so would endanger her own life and the lives of her people.
Torn between her duty to her kingdom and breaking the Wraith King's curse, Sybelle must decide where her loyalties lie: to the home she was raised to protect, or to the dark king who has worked his way into her heart?
This book contains adult themes. Readers are encouraged to check the content warning inside before reading.
Crown of Briarsis a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a twist, full of dark fae magic, deadly court schemes, and steamy romance. The Crowns of the Fae books can be read in any order as stand-alone novels.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Crown of Briars: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling (Crowns of the Fae), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/bYEmCno>.
-PARANORMAL URBAN ROMANTASY-
The Human Element by Lauren Baker
Expected Release: August 5, 2025
Description
After the death of her father, 22-year-old Lorelei is living alone in London, England working as a journalist for an obscure magazine uncovering the "truths" behind well-known myths and mysteries.
All is quiet in her life, until the day she finds herself in a mystery all her own: a mystery of Cosmic proportions. Lorelei is confronted by a Fallen angel who tells her she is the only hope to save humanity from Armageddon.
Thrust into a world of demons out for blood, angels with attitude, ancient secrets and a ticking clock; Lorelei must navigate self-doubt and perilous situations while working alongside unlikely allies: a brooding, disgraced angel and the awkward teenage son of Lucifer himself.
As danger increases; and profound romance begins to blossom in the midst of chaos; can Lorelei discover in time how to save the human race from powerful beings who have been around since before the creation of Earth?
Or find out that no one can truly win in a war with Heaven and Hell.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, The Human Element, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/bQavwfA>.
-Dark Romantic Fantasy-
Converging Contests: The Webs of Fate by CJ Wallingsford
Expected Release: August 5, 2025
Description
The third installment in The Webs Of Fate: A decadent, dark story about fate. The Webs of Fate series is an addicting forbidden love, dark romantic fantasy with witty banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance set in a vibrant modern-day world full of magic where myth and history blur together in a mockery of truth.
Callahan
The webs of the fates are tightening like a noose around my life. The Dark contest is closer than ever, the contenders marked to compete. Forty days remain, a time of mourning the loss of our king before the trials of the contest begin. I put my affairs in order, starting with balancing the scales with the Magia.
It lures me into a false sense of security, the only thing that goes my way as I prepare for the contest.
Natalia
I have a list of annoyances going.
Tony is back in my life, whatever infected Ness from that codex might kill her, Cal’s sister hates me, and I am to be his weapon in the contest. If all that wasn’t headaches headache-inducing [GC1]enough, Pierre becomes the Light Queen, and Lucius, the Ancient, has some plan concocted involving me.
Then there are my feelings. Falling in love is never easy.
Cal falls first, but trust is hard.
I can’t bring myself to confess until it’s too late.
This book is intended for mature audiences. This series will contain explicit content and dark elements that may be triggering to some. It will include a magical race of beings known as the Seraphinus that has two factions with extreme prejudice against each other. Additional warnings: Violence / Mature Language, Contracted Servitude, Emotional / physical abuse, Substance abuse, Sexually explicit scenes* / Dub Con *While not included in this book, this series will feature a M/M/F relationship
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Converging Contest: The Webs of Fate Book Three, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/3QnmdTe>.
-LGBTQ+ Coming of Age Fantasy-
Nylos in the Cache by Jade Kim Monsen
Expected Release: August 5, 2025
Description
Figuring out who to trust is difficult when Ava can't even trust herself.
When Ava’s only form of protection from bastard-eating monsters begins to weaken, she’s forced to leave her home before telling the boy she loves how she feels. Along for the ride is her Nylo, a creature whose sacred bond gives her healing abilities not everyone understands or accepts.
On her journey through the Cache, Ava learns a new way has been created to control Nylos, threatening their ability to choose who can harness their power. With the Nylos’ freedom at stake, Ava knows she needs help to protect their way of life… but who can she trust to help her?
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Nylos in the Cache, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/abgrtD4>.
-Hispanic American Literature / Fantasy-
We Were Meant to Burn by Nicolette Elzie
Expected Release: August 5, 2025
Description
A mercenary with secrets. An assassin raised to be a weapon. A love that was never meant to survive.
Nix Zaldanna was never meant to fall in love. As the infamous Nightshade of Rojas, she was trained to kill, to obey, to serve. But when she is captured and left to rot in the dungeons of the enemy king, she waits for the Empress to come for her.
Except the rescue never comes.
Instead, she’s freed by Malakai—a fae warrior whose loyalty is as questionable as his past. He claims he needs her, that she’s part of something bigger than the war she was raised to fight. But Nix doesn’t trust mercenaries. And she especially doesn’t trust a man who makes her question everything she’s ever known.
But the more she fights him, the more she fights herself. Because the war isn’t as simple as she once believed. And neither is Malakai.
Betrayed by the empire that made her, bound to a man she doesn’t trust, Nix must decide whether to burn for the future she was promised—or forge a new one in the ashes of the lies she’s been told.
Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, The Shadows Between Us, and An Ember in the Ashes, We Were Meant to Burn delivers slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a world where love is as dangerous as war.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, We Were Meant to Burn (Ashes and Ruin Saga Book 1), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/95biaQQ>.
-Science Fiction Romance-
Needed in the Night by Lisa Edmonds
Expected Release: August 5, 2025
Description
A singer on the run, a bartender with secrets of his own, and a chance meeting so life-changing it feels like it can’t be chance at all…
After a mission to rescue a kidnapped artisan goes awry and her cover is blown, operative Isla Mair decides to lay low on the beautiful planet Fortusia. She trades her undercover skills for that of her voice and lands a job as a nightclub singer in a resort city. The gig doesn’t pay much, but it comes with a place to live and much-needed security after a nomadic and dangerous life. She especially treasures her friendship with grumpy bartender Mikas Auren.
Former soldier Mikas, meanwhile, has a problem: the bar’s gangster owner has declared Isla off-limits, but the lovely human singer is his true mate. For months he’s secretly pined for her, waiting for a chance to tell her the truth. Crossing their boss means he’d have to flee the city and probably the planet too, potentially without his mate if she rejects him. The very last thing Mikas wants is to ruin their friendship or disrupt Isla’s life. Still, his hearts demand he risk everything for a chance at a future with his beautiful, talented, and secretive mate.
Almost overnight, the friends turned lovers find themselves fugitives relying on surprising allies to evade their employer’s many agents and escape offworld. As they cross the galaxy to make a new life together, Mikas and Isla can’t shake the feeling danger has followed them, determined to end their happily-ever-after before it begins.
This fated mates sci-fi romance will appeal to readers of Sara Ivy Hill, January Bell, Ava Ross, and Ursa Dax.
Visit the author's website for content notes.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Needed in the Night (The Fortusian Mate, Book 2), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/45FFVSr>.
-Myth & Legend / Fantasy-
The Seventh Sister by M.A. Brown
Expected Release: August 6, 2025
Description
Balance the Scales
As Above So Below
Stolen away to the dark shores of the enemy kingdom Ertha's thrust into a tangled web of political intrigue and deadly secrets that leaves her wondering who she can trust. The otherworldly right hand of the king, who is her keeper? Or the soldier she healed who has vowed to protect her at all costs?
When it becomes clear she wasn't just taken by chance– that there are much more powerful entities with their hands steering her fate— she's forced to confront that nothing is as it seems, not the men who protect her, the world she knows, or even herself.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, The Seventh Sister (The Strattaria Chronicles Book 1), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/gM70PmR>.
-YA Politics & Government Fiction-
Coded For Silence: In A World Ruled By Silence, The Truth is Treason by H.M. Jones
Expected Release: August 6, 2025
Description
hey erased the past. They rewrote the truth. Now, one girl is about to expose the lie.
Seventy years after a dictator named Halix rose to power, the New Republic thrives on control. Every citizen wears a neural link.
Every word, every memory, every emotion is regulated. History has been rewritten. Religion outlawed. Books burned.
In Zone E-0, Juno was taught obedience, taught silence. But when her friend stumbles upon a forbidden object—a real book from the time before—her carefully constructed world begins to crack.
Branded Zero Status, stripped of rights, and hunted by the regime, Juno escapes into the Outzones, where truth still lives—in stories whispered underground, in rebels who refuse to forget, and in the fragments of a past that could ignite a revolution.
Coded for Silence is a searing dystopian novel about surveillance, propaganda, and the power of one voice in a system designed to erase it. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Legend, and The Handmaid’s Tale, this is a story for anyone who’s ever wondered what would happen if we stopped paying attention.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Coded For Silence: In A World Ruled by Silence, The Truth is Treason, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/h5ttIKt>.
-Contemporary Small Town Romance-
Worth The Want by Bea Borges
Expected Release: August 8, 2025
Description
A hopelessly romantic, make-you-feel-it, small mountain town love story charged with heat, humor, and heart.
Indiana Holmes assumed moving two thousand miles from home would free her from painful reminders of her past—until she ends up on the doorstep of a man who stood her up three years ago.
Restless, and in desperate need of a change, Indiana is looking for an escape from her life in the city. When an unexpected opportunity presents itself, she throws caution to the wind, jumping at the chance for adventure. With views like these, she was prepared to fall for Silverthorne. She wasn’t prepared to fall for her landlord—the single-dad next door.
Knox Holloway has happily devoted the last three years to raising his daughter. Having had his life flipped upside down once before—he never would have guessed his new tenant would be able to do it again.
Quiet and reserved, Knox has spent every moment since he became a dad making sure his life is consistent and predictable. He’s been fine with letting his love life take a backseat—until a woman he never thought he would see again moves into his guesthouse, bringing feelings to the surface he didn’t know existed. Indiana is impulsive, achingly beautiful, and everything he’s ever wanted but didn’t know he was missing.
When Indiana’s charm starts chipping away at Knox’s armor—days spent admiring one another in the sun turn into nights wishing they weren’t spending alone.
As feelings start to bloom, like the wildflower field that sits between them, they both have to decide if holding onto their own secrets and traumas is worth losing the all-consuming love they’ve found. Will the truth set them both free or will it be the thing that breaks them in the end?
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Worth The Want: a Silverthorne Is For Lovers, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/gfligpG>.
-Dark Contemporary Western Romance-
For Cowgirls and Kings by Landyn Hill
Expected Release: August 12, 2025
Description
“Even in the darkest, most horrible times in our lives, we can find light that is both warmer and brighter than anything we’ve experienced before it.”
Adalene
My tombstone will read: here lies the girl who was always happy, always available, always easy going—liked by all, known by none. I want more. I’ve learned that hiding behind a smile is the best mask for crippling anxiety, self-loathing, and total burn-out. But here, in the darkness, and the voices of my past louder than ever, there’s no one to save me but myself. If I don’t survive, I’ll never get a chance to tell my friends they're the best family I’ve ever had, crawl out from beneath the weight of my oppressive past, and confess to my childhood best friend that he’s the only man I’ve ever truly wanted. A smile isn’t going to save me now—now it’s time to see what lies within. I will not die…but where’s the light?
Mateo
She’s gone. I’ve never been a violent man, but from the moment they stole my best friend, I’ve realized my power’s a tool—one I’ll use to get her back, by any means necessary. My entire life I’ve allowed job expectations, family obligations and societal perceptions dictate who I am. But with Dale, I’ve been given a vision of who I want to be. Mateo: the man with the simple life, a happy home and a wife to call my own. But I’m not just Mateo—Reyes is a legacy, an empire, and I’m its king. It’s not a crown, but a chain and I must decide which man will make it out of this darkness alive. I don’t know where I'll go from here, but one thing is certain—walking tall, or crawling on my knees, I will get her back. Adalene Mendes is my priority—I think she always has been.
“How can so much darkness bring out so much light, so much pain bring out so much love?”
As Dale and Mateo fight for their lives, they must also decide if it’s worth braving the darkness within themselves to fight for the life they truly want—the one where they end up happy, whole, and surrounded by those they love. With their hands tied behind their backs, and the weight of unimaginable trauma, Dale and Mateo will need to learn to follow their inner light and the love of those around them to free themselves from the shackles of the darkness pressing down around them.
Will the darkness smother Dale and Mateo completely, or can they find the spark that can not only save their lives but their hearts, too?
This is book two, in the gothic cowboy, Trauma Bonded series. It is a heavily interconnected series, please plan to read in order and expect cliff-hanger style endings.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, For Cowgirls and Kings: A Dark Millionaire Cowboy Romance (The Trauma Bonded Series Book 2) , Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/fTVOYKX>.
-Contemporary Rockstar Romance-
Don't Think by Olivia Tucker
Expected Release: August 12, 2025
Description
Allie:
I was supposed to be relaxing. After a messy breakup and years of putting myself last, a girls’ trip to Boston with no kids, no expectations, and a chance to finally see my favorite band in concert was exactly what I needed. But then I crashed my grocery cart into him—Jax Owens, lead singer of the band that’s been on repeat for as long as I can remember. Now I’m panicking, babbling, and trying not to melt into the linoleum while he looks at me as if I’m not just a walking disaster. He’s charming, kind, and way too good to be true. But even if he is interested, I’m not the kind of woman rock stars fall for… am I?
Jax:
I came to Boston for business, not to fall for a gorgeous woman who smells like roses, radiates chaos, and is clearly carrying more than a few suitcases full of baggage. My life has been a mess with a recent divorce, loss, and so much regret that I haven’t felt like myself in a long time. But then Allie shows up and suddenly things feel... possible again. But I live on the road while she’s trying to put down roots My life, my band, my home—everything is back in Cardiff. We’re only here to finish a deal, go on tour and get back home. But the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to walk away. And now I’m starting to wonder: what if the right thing isn’t in the plan at all?
Don’t Think is a sweet, slow-burn contemporary romance about unexpected connections. With gentle humor, heartache, and just the right touch of angst, it’s a story about healing, hope, and finding yourself in the last place you’d expect.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Don't Think: Lyrics from the Heart Trilogy: Book One, Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/0oJLGxx>.
-Epic Romantic Fantasy-
Her Soul for a Crown by Alysha Rameera
Expected Release: August 12, 2025
Description
***SPECIAL DELUXE EDITION WITH DESIGNED EDGES, CHARACTER ART, MAP, AND MORE.***
For readers of Sarah J Maas, Scarlett St. Clair, and Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, this epic, slow-burn romantasy inspired by Sri Lankan mythology follows a fierce orphaned young woman with an affinity for poisons and revenge who would do anything to end the reign of heartless rajas―even sell her soul to the most dangerous cursed god of all―the Blood Yakka, Reeri.
Anula Ramanayake of Anuradhapura calculated her ascent the moment she was orphaned―when her village burned in an endless war and the gods forsook her prayers. First, she would marry the raja. Then, she would poison him and take the throne for herself and her people. But when an unexpected coup thwarts her careful plans, Anula is left with one desperate option. She offers her soul to the cursed gods she renounced in exchange for the crown.
In the Second Heavens, Reeri the Blood Yakka, the most dangerous and powerful of his clan, hears her prayer. For eons, he's waited for such a valuable offering―one that could finally give him the chance to kill his divine tormentor and return his fellow Yakkas to their former glory on earth. Reeri accepts Anula's bargain, tethering them until their goals are achieved, or until they die.
As the war presses on, Anula must move quickly or lose her chance to become the first raejina. But while she is skilled at many things, especially in stopping hearts, the closer she grows to Reeri, the more she finds her own heart at risk. And when the time comes to fight enemies both human and divine, Anuradhapura and the Heavens will never be the same.
Source Citation:
Amazon.com 2025, Her Soul for a Crown (Deluxe Edition), Amazon website, Accessed 27 July 2025, <https://a.co/d/bCiBc8i>.
Now that we've reached the end of the Beat the Heat and Chill Out With These Must-Read New Releases part one, now is the time to reflect on the upcoming titles and consider what you'd like to add to your own TBR (To Be Read) list. As the Summer is coming to an end, it's new releases like the ones featured above that will keep you entertained, and busy with pages and pages to get lost in. Now that you've seen part one, what do you think of the listed titles so far? Did anything jump out at you or pique your interest? And what are you hoping to see in part two? Maybe I'll surprise you with some titles and authors you haven't even heard of, but I promise to deliver nothing but winners for you to read. Keep an eye out for part two of this article which will be dropping soon. Also, thanks for reading! If you're interested in purchasing any of these books for yourself, simply click on any of the links provided and you'll be brought directly to the book named.
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