Everything I Read in August 2026 – Part 2
The Bright Years
This book is heavy. So emotionally heavy that I almost didn’t want to finish it. The author does a great job at creating a story where you can truly feel exactly what the characters are feeling. Ryan and Lilian are newly married, in love and looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together. But both are hiding secrets from each other that could deeply affect their relationship. As the years go on, these secrets come to light fracturing their union and leaving their only daughter, Georgette, in between the lies. In her younger years, Georgette is less aware of her parent’s problems but is forced to face them as she gets older. When tragedy strikes, it deepens the grief Georgette feels surrounding her parent’s relationship. I felt a bit emotionally drained when I finished this book so just know that if you decide to dive into this. There are beautiful parts throughout the story but it seemed to only intensify the grief that is sown throughout the entire book. Rating: 7
The Women in White
I enjoyed this but it a bit of a slow moving mystery. The premise and description of the book makes you think it will be quite fast-paced and intense but I didn’t find it to be at all. Riley is newly divorced and looking to rebuild her life. Though becoming a live-in caretaker to an elderly woman isn’t ideal, she takes it because her options are few and far between. Her employer, Betty, seems sweet enough though a bit stuck in the past but Riley pushes past this because the job seems easy and relatively low stress. That is until Betty shares more about her past. A past that involved top-secret experiments on Betty and her friends that exploited their unique talents and slightly supernatural abilities. Riley is intrigued by Betty’s story and decides to look into it further to see if what she is sharing is accurate and verifiable. Little does she know this search could lead to secrets that many people involved with these experiments don’t want known to the public. Rating: 8
The Unknown
I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about this book as I was reading it. It had a supernatural element to it which I don’t particularly like but a true-crime mystery element which I really did enjoy. Overall I think it was a good read but not a favorite from this month. Marin is an unknown actress who auditions for a role with one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors. Much to her surprise, she lands the role acting alongside the legendary actress Violet Wright in a upcoming horror film based on the unsolved mystery of the remove Vermont island of New Avalon. It is said that multiple women disappeared from the island leaving only their clothing behind which was found hanging in the trees. Marin is ecstatic for this breakout opportunity until she finds out they will be staying on the island as part of the preparation process for the role. Her hesitation is confirmed after hearing strange noises at night. Something feels off about this island but she can’t give up this opportunity of a lifetime. After a freak health emergency requires two people to leave the island, Marin wonders if this could be part of director’s plan to get the women in the headspace to play these roles. That is until some of her fellow actors disappear in the middle of the night and Marin worries there could be supernatural forces at play here. Rating: 8
The Storm
I would consider this mystery “light”. LOL It was a mystery/thriller but without a ton of suspense if I’m being honest. Ha! Still enjoyable but nothing that kept me on the edge of my seat. And the ending was touching which I loved. Lo Bailey is now in her 60’s but still has an enduring reputation in her hometown surrounding the suspicious death of her married boyfriend. When she is approached by an author to write her memoir, Lo takes him back to the scene of the crime to retell her story. That place is the Rosalie Inn now run by Geneva, who is the daughter of the Inn’s original owner. Geneva knows of the controversy surrounding Lo’s past but is unaware of how herself and her own mother are actually tied to this entire event. As the area braces for a hurricane, Geneva wonders if Lo’s motives behind returning to her hometown are truly to share her story or clear her name. Rating: 8
The Secrets We Hide
This was the sequel to We Are All Guilty Here which was one of my favorite reads from 2025!! And I hope there will be another follow-up book after this because it ended with so many loose ends that I NEED a third book ASAP! Emmy is already dealing with the sudden murder of her chief of police father and then the devastating death of her mother after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, so she is not expecting to drive by a shooting on the afternoon of her mother’s funeral. And to make things even worse, the victim is a friend of hers and fellow law enforcement officer. All resources are pulled in order to find the perpetrator and Emmy is racing against the clock to get justice for her friend. The only surviving witness is the friend’s daughter who is fighting for her life after being shot during the attack. You can feel the intensity building while reading this book – it feels like you are alongside Emmy trying to solve the crime with her. It does get a bit tedious at times with all the details of the investigation but I personally loved it! But just know it will leave you with so many questions unanswered while we wait for the next book in the series. Rating: 9
Promise Me Never
I enjoy many of this author’s books but this new release was a bit lame in my opinion. And I use that word in particular because I felt the writing at some instances was too abrupt and felt contrived. I did want to finish it to see how the story played out but it was not a favorite. Savannah is an aspiring writer working for a major publishing house in NYC. Her boss is the editor for famed horror writer Bennett Bryson, one of Savannah’s favorite authors. Savannah accompanies her boss to a panel and book signing for Bennett’s newest release. Bennett becomes smitten with Savannah after their initial meeting and a whirlwind romance ensues. After only a month, Bennett asks Savannah to marry him and move into his secluded home in Bedford, NY. Savannah feels like this is her dream come true…..except for the fact that rumors are still circulating about the tragic and unexplained death of his first wife. Should Savannah be worried? Did Bennett have anything to do with the death? Questions arise soon after she moves in when she has a few run-ins with people in the area who cryptically warn her about being married to Bennett. Is he a cold-blooded killer? Or was the death truly an accident? Rating: 8
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