I‘ve been ignoring my blog. I feel like I owe you guys some explanation and here it goes… Sometimes I can’t find the time to write and schedule posts, sometimes I’m too tired to but I’ve been posting daily on my Instagram. I’m not yet thinking about taking a permanent blog hiatus but I’ll definitely let you guys know if I do. I want to thank YOU so much for following me, liking and commenting on my posts! It means so much to me when I see people genuinely liking my content and makes me want to deliver more.
..And deliver I shall! For today, I’m bringing you my list of highly anticipated books of August. I have got thrillers, debut fantasies, romances and one YA recommendation for you! I will compile my list of literary fiction releases soon and will post it separately.



First up are some fantasy releases I’m highly anticipating and I’ve already devoured one of the four! Can you guess what is the lucky book?

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang
Buy: Book Depository | Wordery
“The searing follow-up to 2018’s most celebrated fantasy debut – THE POPPY WAR.”
In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, shaman and warrior Rin is on the run: haunted by the atrocity she committed to end the war, addicted to opium, and hiding from the murderous commands of her vengeful god, the fiery Phoenix. Her only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold out Nikan to their enemies.
With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.
But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance.

Beasts of the Frozen Sun(Frozen Sun Saga #1)by Jill Criswell
Book Depository | Wordery
“Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.“
Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand.
When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland–one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun–Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.
As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun.

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon
Book Depository | Wordery
“From the New York Times bestselling author comes a breathtaking fantasy of a cursed kingdom, warring clans, and unexpected salvation.”
Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
Book Depository | Wordery
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.


Now, let’s talk about my highly anticipated romance releases of this month…

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Book Depository | Wordery
Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:
– Nude pics are by invitation only
– If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice
– Protect your heart
Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears.
Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata
Wordery
Some things are easily forgiven. Other things… not so much.
Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done.
Done thinking about him.
Done worrying about him.
Done reaching out to a man who clearly didn’t want to be found.
Too bad no one gave Jonah Collins the memo.
Ehh..I know it’s not much of a list but I’m also anticipating Brazen and the Beast by Sarah Maclean and The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare!! This list should also include The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon, which I’ve included in my Fantasy list.


This will be the last “category” and it will be a mashup of thrillers and Young Adult

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Book Depository | Wordery
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (Young Adult, historical)
Book Depository | Wordery
By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender.
While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Book Depository | Wordery
Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London.
It’s happening, says the message. The baby is back.
Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now twenty-five, she’s astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now it’s hers.
As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?


Thank you for reading this far! If you have read any of the books on my list or are anticipating any, then let me know!
The Right Swipe is also on my TBR this month. I pee-ordered it.
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Oh, my. That was pre-ordered.
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I have The Girl Downstairs and The Dragon Republic on my tbr, I’m definitely going to add The First Girl Child and I personally really enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows, and you don’t owe us any explanations ❤ but thank you for talking to us
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Aw..Thank you so much ♥️ The Dragon Republic is even darker than The Poppy War and I loved it so much 😭😭😭
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I can’t wait for House of Salt and Sorrows!
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Yes!! I haven’t seen many bloggers talk about it and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not😅 but am excited to read more retellings
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I’m really looking forward to The Right Swipe! It looks soooooo cute 😍
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So looking forward to reading it 😍😍😍 The romance covers are so cute nowadays
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I am really excited for the right swipe!! eeeppp ;-D
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I’m looking forward to The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware as well! 🙂
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Yes🙌🙌 I have heard great things about it!!
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Nice mix of books you have here! I hope you get to read them all soon.
-Lauren
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I’m also anticipating House of Salt and Sorrows – the Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favourite fairy tales!
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It’s one of my favourite too!! I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about it and I hope I feel the same 😀
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