Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: August 11 - 17
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Imagine this:
It's an early August morning, and you find yourself perched in the windowsill of your mountain cabin, a gentle breeze drifting through the open window. The cool air carries the scent of pine and earth, mingling with the faint aroma of the coffee steaming in the mug beside you. This is your sanctuary, a place where the hustle and bustle of daily life falls away, replaced by the serenity of nature and the promise of a new adventure in the form of a book.
The view outside is breathtaking, the mountains standing tall and majestic, their peaks touching the sky. The morning light bathes them in a soft, golden glow, highlighting the rich greens of the forests that blanket their slopes. The sky is a clear, deep blue, with only a few wisps of clouds drifting lazily by. Birds chirp melodiously, their songs a gentle soundtrack to the peaceful scene.
You reach for the book that rests on the windowsill, its cover still crisp and new. There's something special about this moment, the anticipation of diving into a fresh story, the feeling that you're about to embark on a journey that will transport you far from your cozy nook. As you open the book, the pages rustle softly, the promise of new worlds and experiences lying within them.
Settling into the windowsill, you find a comfortable position, your back supported by cushions and your legs stretched out. The mountains provide a perfect backdrop, their timeless presence a reminder of the vastness and beauty of the world. You take a deep breath, savoring the crisp mountain air, and begin to read.
The first words captivate you immediately, pulling you into the narrative with a magnetic force. The characters come alive, their voices clear and distinct in your mind. The author's descriptions are vivid, painting pictures that blend seamlessly with the stunning landscape outside your window. You find yourself lost in the story, the world around you fading into a soft blur as the book's world takes center stage.
Time flows differently here, in this quiet haven. Minutes stretch into hours, the morning slipping away as you delve deeper into the story. You pause occasionally to sip your coffee, now cool but still comforting, and to glance outside, where the light is shifting, casting new shadows and highlights on the mountains. Each time you look up, you feel a sense of awe at the beauty before you, a perfect complement to the adventures unfolding in the pages of your book.
The story weaves its magic, taking you through a spectrum of emotions. There are moments of suspense that make your heart race, tender scenes that bring a smile to your face, and passages so beautifully written that you have to pause and savor the words. You marvel at the author's ability to capture such depth and nuance, to create a world so rich and immersive.
As the sun climbs higher, its warmth spreads through the window, wrapping you in a gentle embrace. The mountains stand as silent sentinels, watching over you as you read. There's a profound sense of connection, of being part of something larger, as if the story in your hands and the natural beauty outside are woven together in a tapestry of wonder.
Eventually, you look up, realizing that several hours have passed. The sun is now high in the sky, its light bright and strong. The birds have quieted, their morning songs replaced by the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. You close the book, placing it gently on the windowsill, and stretch, feeling a contentedness that only a good book can bring.
You take a moment to reflect on the journey you've just begun, the new characters you've met, and the places you've explored. There's a deep satisfaction in starting a new book, in allowing yourself to be transported to another world. You feel a sense of gratitude for this peaceful morning, for the beauty of the mountains, and for the story that now holds a piece of your heart.
As you stand and take in the view once more, you know that you'll return to your book soon, eager to continue the adventure. For now, though, you let the tranquility of the moment wash over you, a perfect blend of nature and narrative, filling you with a sense of peace and possibility.
Scroll down to find out what book you might be reading…
Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage
Author Interview with Zoje Stage
Zoje Stage delivers another knockout with a blood-chilling follow-up to international sensation Baby Teeth, taking readers back into the unsteady world of a young sociopath who’s all grown up.
Hanna is no stranger to dark thoughts: as a young child, she tried to murder her own mother. But that was more than sixteen years ago. And extensive therapy―and writing letters to her younger brother―has since curbed those nasty tendencies.
Now twenty-four, Hanna is living an outwardly normal life of domestic content. Married to real estate agent Jacob, she’s also stepmother to his teenage daughter Joelle. They live in a beautiful home, and Hanna loves her career as a phlebotomist―a job perfectly suited to her occasional need to hurt people.
But when Joelle begins to change in ways that don’t suit Hanna’s purposes, her carefully planned existence threatens to come apart. With life slipping out of her control, Hanna reverts to old habits, determined to manipulate the events and people around her. And the only thing worse than a baby sociopath is a fully grown one.
With its dark humor and chillingly seductive protagonist, Dear Hanna is a standalone sequel sure to thrill returning and new readers alike.
Zephyr's War by Dr. James R. Gregory
Zephyr’s War is a gripping tale of ambition, temptation, and the precarious nature of wealth’s pursuit.
Growing up in the shadow of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Zep Zephyr dedicated his young life to growing sunflowers on his family’s farm. However, tragedy struck when the Chernobyl disaster took the lives of most of his family and turned their once fertile land into a barren wasteland. Determined to escape their grim reality, Zep and his brother Ziggy set out on a journey to start anew. Zep, hoping to uplift his brother’s spirits, painted a vivid picture of a luxurious life as champagne-drinking, cigar-smoking capitalists in America, a stark contrast to their upbringing in the Soviet Union.
Driven by this new and overwhelming desire to embrace capitalism, Zep and his brother make their way to New York City. Zep immerses himself in the world of finance and soon discovers the alluring promise of great fortunes: an initial public offering on Wall Street.
Brimming with ambition, Zep spares no effort in identifying vulnerable companies to conquer and mold into his entrepreneurial vision. Yet, his triumphs draw the attention of a sinister syndicate—the Russian mafia—who desire a slice of his success.
To solidify his IPO’s legitimacy, Zep enlists the services of Crocker & Stackhouse, a consultancy renowned for their expertise in navigating Wall Street’s treacherous waters. Under the guidance of Steve Stackhouse, these corporate brands flourish, their presence on the market soaring to unprecedented heights.
Meanwhile, the Securities Exchange Commission and the FBI have launched a relentless investigation into the surging criminal underworld seeking to infiltrate Wall Street’s impregnable fortress. Time becomes the enemy as the clock ticks ominously, propelling Zep and Steve into a high-stakes battle for their reputations, their futures, and their very lives.
Scandalous Women by Gill Paul
Author Interview with Gill Paul
Mad Men meets the world of publishing in international bestselling author Gill Paul’s new novel about Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, two dynamic, groundbreaking writers renowned for their scandalous and controversial novels, and the beleaguered young editorial assistant who introduces them.
1966, NYC: Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls hits the bookstores and she is desperate for a bestseller. It’s steamy, it’s a page-turner, but will it make the big money she needs? In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World Is Full of Married Men launches her career. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.
Jacqueline and Jackie are lambasted by the literary establishment, deluged with hate mail, and even condemned by feminists. In public, both women shoulder the outcry with dignity; in private, they are crumbling—particularly since they have secrets they don’t want splashed across the front pages.
1965, NYC: College graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house, but she could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter. While working on Valley of the Dolls, she becomes friends with Jacqueline Susann, and, after reaching out to Jackie Collins about a US deal, she is responsible for the two authors meeting.
Will the two Jackies clash as they race to top the charts? Will Nancy achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, despite all the men determined to hold her back? Three women struggle to succeed in a man’s world, while desperately trying to protect those they love the most.
The Unraveling by Melanie Hamrick
A ballerina spirals into a world of lust and luxury in this new addictive novel by Melanie Hamrick, author of First Position.
Jocelyn Banks has always felt like an outsider in the ballet world. She was raised in rural Louisiana, taught to scrap and hustle for the life she wanted. And ever since Jocelyn found ballet, she has been able to take her life into her own hands. After years of success at the North American Ballet, she is now on a hiatus to enjoy life in London.
But in an instant, Jocelyn’s world is turned upside down and she’s forced find a way back into the ballet world. But the ballet scene in London is completely different from the one in America. It's not just talent and drive that will move you forward; if you don't secure a sponsor to pay your salary, you will go nowhere. Jocelyn manages to score a donor, which is crucial at the Royal National Ballet—but the hardest part is yet to come.
Jocelyn is unable to break through her emotions, afraid that if she does, she’ll be flooded with feelings she can’t afford to have. But something about her sponsor, the charismatic Alastair Cavendish, sets a fire in her. What she feels when she’s with him is raw and real. If she goes down this precarious path, she knows she’s doomed to fall into an intoxicating spiral of self-sabotage. But the lust and magnetizing lure of power and prestige keep clawing at her, ultimately forcing her to choose between desire and duty.
Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
he author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here returns with a thriller set in the vineyards of Napa Valley that asks: what happens when the husband you thought died years ago shows up alive?
Ten years ago, June’s beloved husband drowned on their honeymoon, his body never found. Now, a decade later, June is finally ready to move on. She owns a natural wine bar in Brooklyn and is engaged to a patient, supportive man named Kyle. She’s excited to finally begin a new chapter in her life and start a family.
But out of the blue, she sees him—Josh, her first husband. Is this just a hallucination from the guilt June carries about finally moving on, or is it possible that her husband never died in the first place?
June tries to forget about this vision, chalking it up to grief and nerves, but soon enough, she stumbles across a website for a winery in Napa, and the owner in the photo is identical to her dead husband. With her upcoming wedding looming and a fiancé who’s already worried she hasn’t quite left her past behind, June secretly flies to Napa for answers. But she’s not prepared for all the secrets she’s about to unlock because everything she thought she knew about her first love is a lie.
Rip Tide by Colleen McKeegan
Also appeared in my list of My Most-Anticipated Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Novels of 2024
From the author of The Wild One, a heartfelt and suspenseful novel about two sisters returning to their childhood beachfront home who are forced to confront their traumatic past when a body washes ashore.
It’s been fifteen years since Kimmy Devine promised herself she’d never move back to Rocky Cape, the idyllic South Jersey beach town where she grew up. She doesn’t want to relive the crushing heartbreak and scandal that ravaged her world as a teen. Her younger sister Erin shares those feelings, the wounds she caused so many years ago forever binding her and Kimmy.
Yet here they are, back in their hometown: Kimmy, floundering after quitting her high-powered finance job in London to help her dad run the family’s hardware stores; Erin, reeling from fertility issues and an ongoing divorce, begging to be taken seriously by her parents. The more time they spend in Rocky Cape, the stronger the pull of nostalgia, and both Erin and Kimmy slip on the past like a pair of last year’s sandals, forgetting about the blisters when worn too long.
As the sisters celebrate their homecoming at their parents’ yacht club, a handful of familiar faces arrive to dampen the revelry. The next morning, a body is found floating nearby and long-buried secrets from their adolescence begin to emerge. Someone from the sisters’ past, it seems, is out for revenge.
Told in fast-paced, dual timelines, Rip Tide is a steamy, tension-filled tale of suspense about family, friendships broken and repaired, young love lost and rekindled, forgiveness and second chances, taking control of your life, and the dangerous decisions we make when blinded by desire.
The Winged Tiara by J'nell Ciesielski
November 12, 1918. It was a match made in champagne-soaked heaven, but all too soon the bubbles dried up, and Esme Fox awakens the morning after celebrating the end of the Great War to find herself shockingly and accidentally married. She gathers her belongings and slips out before her new husband can stop her. After all, she knows it's best to leave before he does.
Four years later, Jasper Truitt, after having made a name for himself in the underground world of jewel thieves, is on the hunt for a valuable heirloom: a one-of-a-kind winged tiara--the last Valkyrie tiara ever created. So it's with great surprise that he discovers it at a charity event atop the head of a woman he's never forgotten. His long-lost wife . . . who happens to be pursuing the tiara for a vengeful opera diva desperate to obtain the jewel for herself.
The reunion is cut short when Esme vanishes--again--but their separation is temporary. With a hitman on their heels and a deadline looming, the pair find themselves in an epic game of cat and mouse across Europe following leads from the French Riviera to a shop of wonders in Venice, a fairy-tale castle in Bavaria, and a veritable circus thrown by a champagne heiress, all before a dramatic horseback flight through the French countryside.
In the end only one can win, and with both of their hearts on the line, the winner may well turn out to be the loser.
In her latest glamorous historical romance, J'nell Ciesielski spins a sparkling story filled with her signature snappy dialogue and vivid atmosphere that will keep you reading late into the night to see what happens next.
Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham
Iowa, 1903. All of Monticello believes Otis Taylor has been away fostering his musical genius. But the truth is that his father exiled him long ago, rejecting Otis's appearance and the scars that came with it. Now that he is the last living Taylor, Otis has covertly returned to settle his family's affairs and rid himself of his past for good. However, he soon discovers that he may not have been the only discarded Taylor and begins a tireless search for his missing niece.
At twenty-three years old, Sadie West left her family farm and found employment at the Hoag feather duster factory. It isn't a romantic job, but she's hardly had a glimmer of romance since her beau went off to college, leaving her with no promise of a future together. Desperate to save money and help her family make ends meet, she trespasses and finds shelter in an abandoned building--and is thrown in the path of the town's mysterious bachelor.
Otis's wounds are deep, but as Sadie's friendship with him grows, she begins to fall for the man beneath the mask. The mystery of his long-lost niece, however, is more complex than either could have imagined, and Sadie may be the key to Otis Taylor finally finding his way home.
The Wayside by Caroline Wolff
The Wayside is a haunting, elegantly drawn psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Secret History, Big Little Lies, and The Maidens.
When Kate Cleary’s son, Jake, dies at his elite liberal arts college, she refuses to believe it was suicide. Something sinister is at play, and Kate becomes determined to retrace Jake’s steps during his final days. Descending into a spiral of obsession as she finds herself up against unknown forces at every turn, Kate falls further into a dangerous mystery that brings her closer to a terrifying truth even Jake himself wanted to keep hidden.
Combining elements of dark academia and domestic fiction with a modern twist, The Wayside is a sharply observed story of suspense, devotion, and the secrets we keep from those who love us most.
The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning
Author Interview with Kirsty Manning
From bestselling author Kirsty Manning comes a stunning novel based on a true story of clandestine courage in World War II as prisoners of war risk their lives to secure evidence of Nazi atrocities—and how one man concealed it for decades before passing it on to his family who struggle to understand their inherited legacy of trauma.
Austria, 1940s: Yugoslavian Nico Antonov is just one of more than 200,000 people imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp near the Danube River. Malnourished and forced into hard labor in a quarry, he still defies his captors any way he can. When fate brings him into contact with Lena Lang, a young woman living with her family in fear of their Nazi occupiers, he finds an ally.
SS officers have charged Spanish POW and photographer Mateo Baca with recording the events and prisoners of Mauthausen and to make five copies of the collected photo book for the Third Reich’s leaders. But Mateo also creates a sixth book to be smuggled out of the camp—where Nico entrusts Lena to hide it and protect their secret.
Australia, 1980s to present day: When teenager Hannah Campbell discovers her grandfather Nico’s mysterious photo album, filled with horrific visions of suffering and cruelty, the barbarities of World War II no longer feel like ancient history. Haunted by the images for years, as a university student and a married young mother, she pursues the truth behind her grandfather’s incarceration. As Hannah experiences love and loss in her own life, she comes to understand how the photos not only capture history but reflect a shared humanity that must never be forgotten.
Ugliest by Kelly Vincent
Life, academics, and activism. Facing hate and bigotry, can this agender teen make a difference in LGBTQ+ rights?
Determined to excel, seventeen-year-old Nic Summers strives to find time to survive physics, build confidence, and enter a competitive art mentorship at the local university in Oklahoma City. However, Nic’s stress skyrockets when a protest video results in them and a trans friend being forced by the school to move to the girls’ dorm. Burning with a strong sense of justice, the normally shy teenager summons the courage to speak out against damaging state legislation. But when the vision goes viral, they’re shocked when the authorities hand down an ultimatum: stop or be expelled. Can Nic dig deep and prevail against institutional bullies ready to erase their identity?
Sharing the plight of those too often silenced, author Kelly Vincent opens the door to understanding and empathy. Through the eyes of a big-hearted main character, Vincent leads the way toward accepting and appreciating each other’s differences.
The Bonus by T L Swan
Author Interview with T L Swan
Grace Porter has the perfect job, great pay, a beautiful office, everything she ever dreamed of, if not for one small detail.
She's utterly and hopelessly in love with her boss.
Gabriel Ferrara is tall and handsome, and most days she wants to stab her eyes out with a pencil, anything to stop her seeing his perfection.
How any female could work in these conditions and not be completely besotted with him is beyond her.
Then he opens his mouth and she remembers why.
He's bossy and sarcastic, with a wit so sharp it could cut glass.
Every weekend is the same . . . while he's off living his dream life, she's counting down the days until Monday when she sees him again.
But enough is enough.
Grace is tired of organising his glamorous and exciting life, instead of living her own.
Determined to find true happiness, she hands in her resignation.
Furious, he won't accept it, and rages like never before.
Desperate to keep her, he offers her a Bonus . . . one she never saw coming.
Finally . . .
It's Grace's turn to be the boss.
The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram
Told through dual timelines, Ingram paints a stunning portrait of friendship for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey.
Sloane and Alden. Chloe and sometimes Luke. Steady Marianne. Reserved Wyatt. The six friends meet in their freshman year of college and quickly become inseparable as they navigate the bumpy road into adulthood. Over the next decade, they support each other through love and heartbreak, promotions and burnouts, stupid mistakes and epic dance parties.
But when Chloe inexplicably refuses Luke’s long-awaited proposal, their breakup fractures the close-knit group. Uncertain about the future of their friendship, they all reluctantly agree to gather for a luxury getaway on Florida’s Emerald Coast. As Chloe struggles to mend what she broke, the friends discover they’ve all kept secrets from the people who are supposed to know them best. Between beach bonfires and fried seafood dinners, the friends confront who they’ve become while longing for their carefree past.
For everyone who has felt both the joy and pain of changing friendships, The Group Trip offers a poignant exploration into matters of the heart.
A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley
Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful yet angry vampire.
Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. Thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore's been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?
Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?
Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.
Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.
As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.
An Honest Woman by Charlotte Shane
In her early twenties, Charlotte Shane quit her women’s studies graduate program to devote herself to sex work because it was a way to devote herself to men. Her lifelong curiosity about male lust, love, selfishness, and social capital dovetailed with her own insatiable desire for intimacy to sustain a long career in escorting, with unexpectedly poignant results.
Shane uses her personal and professional history to examine how men and women struggle in their attempts at romantic and sexual bonding, no matter how true their intentions. As she takes stock of her relationships—with clients, with her father, with friends, with married men, and later, with her own husband—she tells a candid and haunting tale of love, marriage, and (in)fidelity, as seen through the eyes of the perpetual “other woman.”
Braiding the personal and the universal, Shane’s memoir is a merciless and moving love letter to straight men and an indictment of habitual dishonesty, a condemnation of every social constraint acting on heterosexual unions, and a hopeful affirmation of the possibility for true connection between men and women.
