book reviews

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 it had 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 an 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

Here’s Part 1 of Everything I Read in August 2026.

Everything I Read in August 2026

The Take

I didn’t love this book but I didn’t dislike it either. It kept my attention because I wanted to know how it all played out in the end. Maggie is an aspiring writer who is struggling to make her dreams come true. When she has the opportunity to work for Ingrid Parker, a top Hollywood producer, Maggie thinks this could be her big break. Except she isn’t going to be doing a conventional job. Ingrid wants to try a new experimental anti-aging procedure where she will essentially exchange blood with Maggie in hopes that she will reverse her age. Without understanding the full scope of this experiment, Maggie gleefully accepts the job.

While in this new job, Maggie does get access to other Hollywood contacts who could help advance her writing career, but also begins to feel negative affects from the blood exchange. Ingrid assures her it will be worth it and she will help Maggie achieve her goals of becoming a famous writer. After Maggie uncovers the real reason behind Ingrid’s experimental procedure, she begins to question whether it was worth it. Rating: 8

The Names

This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for so long but sadly it was a complete letdown. It was sooooo slow moving and at times really hard to follow. I wish the author had been a bit more clear about how the story was going to veer off in so many different directions instead of just placing us somewhere new every chapter. The concept of the book is really interesting but the execution was not for me.

With an impending storm coming, Cora must hurry to the registrar’s office to register her new son’s name. On the way there, she is discussing the possible names with her young daughter. There are three different options – one that Cora wants, one that her daughter wants and one that her husband is insistent upon. The story then takes you through the alternate lives of each possible name of her son. Can a name really change your path in life? The one common thread throughout all the alternate realities is the abuse that the entire family suffers at the hands of Cora’s husband. His reaction to his son’s name directly correlates to how the lives of each family member plays out. I love the premise of the story but it was too hard to follow for much of the book. Rating: 7

The House Wife

An easy to get through mystery that had some great twists and turns. Jodie is living her dream of being a housewife to successful man. She lives in a beautiful home in Beverly Hills and has everything she could ever want. The only issue is the mystery surrounding the death of his first wife. He says she committed suicide but Jodie isn’t sure. And Jodie is keeping secrets of her own from her husband. Ones that could expose the truth of who her husband really is and what he is capable of. Rating: 8

Three Reasons for Revenge

An easy to get through thriller though it wasn’t a favorite of the month. After a young woman comes to the police station to report an assault, detective Judith Lee realizes this is not the first time she is hearing about an assault complaint made on this perpetrator. He is a wildly successful psychologist who works at the local university. After taking the woman’s statement, detective Lee launches an investigation only to have the man end up dead in his office a few days later. The two incidents must be related but the young woman who made the initial complaint has disappeared.

After two more pieces of evidence connected to the death appear at seemingly random homes, Detective Lee realizes that she is racing against the clock to find this missing woman. Was this a revenge killing? And if so, why? Does the assault complaint Detective Lee took years ago against the same psychologist have an anything to do with what is happening presently? So many unanswered questions that can make it a bit hard to follow at times but it does all tie together in the end. Rating: 8

The Lies They Told

One of my favorite books of 2026! The story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. Lena comes with her family to America from Germany in hopes of escaping their war torn country in the early 1930’s. When they arrive at Ellis Island, she is separated from her brother and mother without explanation. Terrified and alone in a foreign country with her two year old daughter, Lena must fight to make a life for herself. A distant cousin has agreed to allow her to come work at his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains taking care of his home and children.

Shortly after arriving, Lena comes to learn that her cousin has taught his kids to hide from law enforcement whenever they come around. Without any explanation as to why, Lena fears that there is something her cousin isn’t telling her about his life in Virginia. Things come to a head when the state shows up to take the children into custody as well as Lena’s two year old daughter. In a fight for her life, Lena must endure the most horrific experiences in hopes that she can be reunited with her child again. Rating: 9.5

It Could Have Been Her

I absolutely loved this new book from Lisa Jewell! It was soooo drawn out but in the best way – I could not put it down. Jane is out one afternoon walking her dog when another small dog runs up to them with no leash or owner. After taking the stray dog to the vet, they check for a microship so Jane can return the dog to its owners. Shortly after reuniting the dog with its family, word spreads that a teenage girl has also gone missing which makes Jane wonder if the teenager and lost dog were together. Jane decides to try and launch a search for the teenager but surprisingly is not getting  much help from the girl’s family.

What could this family be hiding and why won’t they be more forthcoming in locating their missing family member? There are SO many loose threads woven throughout this book that don’t come together until the very end in the best way! Rating: 9

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