August did not go according to plan.

I went into the month with another wildly ambitious reading goal because apparently I never learn. 😂 Instead, I finished 10 books. And you know what? I’m okay with that.

I think I’ve been dealing with a little reader fatigue. I’ve been tired, I haven’t even been listening to audiobooks as much, and—probably the biggest culprit—I’ve been writing again. I’ll tell myself I’m only going to write for an hour, and suddenly two hours have disappeared along with the reading time I was supposed to have. Add in a month packed with birthdays, work, and everyday life, and August simply got away from me.

But here’s the funny thing: I wasn’t really in a reading slump. But here’s the funny thing: I wasn’t really in a reading slump.

A lot of the books I read were actually really good. I simply didn’t have the time or energy to read as much as I normally do.

So, let’s get into the 10 books I read in August!

Umbra

I started August with Umbra, an ARC I received from the NerdFam, and this was also one of the first books I got to read on my new Kindle Colorsoft—which has already made ebooks significantly more enjoyable because I absolutely hate reading them on my phone.

Unfortunately, the book itself was just okay for me.

My biggest issue was the nonlinear storytelling. I don’t mind stories that move between the past and present, but I need enough consistency to understand where everything fits. Here, the flashbacks didn’t always seem to line up, and I constantly found myself wondering whether an event happened before or after something else. That confusion kept pulling me out of the story and made it difficult for me to connect with Yva/Umbra in particular.

I did really like Samthi and several of the supporting characters, but Yva never completely worked for me. Overall, it’s a decent story that I think could have benefited from some additional fine-tuning, particularly with the timeline and flashbacks. I’m not sure I’ll continue the series, but it landed at a solid 3 stars.

Her Sharp Embrace

Next up was Her Sharp Embrace, another ARC—this time a physical copy from the publisher.

This was another nonlinear story, but unlike Umbra, I found the timeline considerably easier to follow. I understood the characters, their motivations, and how the past connected to what was happening in the present.

And then that ending happened.

What the fuck?!

I genuinely did not see those plot twists coming. They completely caught me off guard and actually made the rest of the book more rewarding because suddenly I could look back at both the present-day events and the flashbacks through an entirely different lens.

My biggest struggles were with one character’s abrasiveness and the central romance. I liked the queer representation, but I didn’t feel enough chemistry between the characters to become emotionally invested in their relationship. I understood that they were in love because the story told me they were, but I wanted to feel it more.

Since I read an ARC, some of those elements may have changed in the final version. For the copy I read, though, this landed around 3–3.5 stars.

A Theory of Dreaming

I absolutely loved A Study in Drowning, so naturally I was excited to return to Effie and Preston in A Theory of Dreaming.

And I really liked this one too.

What I especially appreciated was getting more of Preston’s perspective. We already know how deeply Effie struggles with depression, but seeing that through Preston’s eyes—and seeing his devotion to her—added another layer to their relationship. It gave their romance more closure and really solidified their happily ever after for me.

I also appreciated how the novel tackles mental health, particularly depression, alongside themes of erasure and the way women’s accomplishments are so often credited to men. Preston has his own struggles as well, so getting deeper into his characterization made the story worthwhile.

Where it lost me slightly was the fantasy element. Some of it felt like a stretch, even compared to A Study in Drowning. The fantastical pieces of the two books didn’t mesh as cohesively as I would have liked, making them feel almost too separate.

Still, the character work—especially everything involving Effie and Preston—made this a worthwhile continuation for me.

A Whiff of Murder

Thank goodness for a cozy mystery I actually enjoyed!

After my disappointing cozy mystery experience last month, A Whiff of Murder was exactly what I needed. This was another ARC, sent to me by Kensington Books, and I had such a fun time with it.

The story primarily follows Lisa, an adoptee who has the unusual ability to smell emotions. She’s searching for information about her biological mother and wondering whether she might have shared Lisa’s ability when circumstances bring her to a small town.

After taking a job she quickly realizes she hates, Lisa quits—only to return and discover her former boss dead.

And naturally, suspicion falls on her.

Lisa knows the victim was poisoned because she can smell the poison, even though the toxicology results initially disagree with her. Since she can’t exactly explain how she knows, she decides she’ll have to investigate herself.

That’s when the other residents of her bed-and-breakfast get involved, and the book expands into multiple perspectives. I really enjoyed the supporting cast and thought their different POVs added something fun to the mystery.

After last month’s miss, it was just so nice to read a cozy mystery that actually kept me interested.

Brigands & Breadknives

Legends & Lattes? Loved it.

Bookshops & Bonedust? Loved it.

Brigands & Breadknives?

I liked it.

This time, we’re following Fern, who is basically having a midlife crisis. She took over her father’s bookstore because she wanted to keep his dream alive, eventually tried opening another bookstore near Viv’s coffee shop, and has reached the point where she’s questioning whether any of this is actually what she wants.

It’s a cute and very character-driven story, but it was slow.

Really slow.

I initially thought I’d fly through it because that’s what happened with the first two books. A week later, I was still reading. Eventually, I switched to the audiobook through Libby because I knew I wanted to finish Fern’s story, but physically reading it was beginning to feel like work.

And sometimes that’s exactly what I need an audiobook for. If I’m enjoying a story but my brain refuses to keep physically reading it, switching formats can save the experience.

I did enjoy the book overall, but the pacing kept it from reaching the heights of the previous installments. Whereas Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust are solid five-star reads for me, this one sits around 3.5–4 stars.

A Feather So Black

And then we have A Feather So Black.

Oh. My. God.

This was my Read with Cyn’s Workshop pick, and I could not put it down. This became one of those books where I’d switch between the physical book and audiobook because apparently cooking dinner and going to work are things I’m still expected to do when I’m in the middle of an amazing book.

Rude. 😂

I loved the storytelling, writing, and prose. The audiobook was also incredibly helpful with pronunciations, so when I switched back to the physical copy, I finally knew how to pronounce names I’d absolutely been butchering in my head.

But what really got me was Fia’s journey.

The story unfolds over months as she waits for each full moon to return to Tír na nÓg and search for Eala, her sister and the person she’s a changeling of. With twelve women transformed into swans, it gave me this wonderful combination of The Swan Princess and The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

And Eala?

I cannot stand her.

Which is exactly why she works so well as Fia’s foil.

Thea’s journey toward learning to love herself before allowing herself to truly love someone else was incredibly powerful. I loved watching her break down those emotional walls and open herself to Irian.

And Irian is brooding.

I love my brooding men.

Don’t judge me.

I even felt for Rogan because he loves Fia too, but ultimately, I loved that Fia chooses herself first.

Now I desperately need the next book because I am fully invested in seeing what happens between these sisters.

Blood Over Bright Haven

Perfection.

No notes.

I fucking loved this book.

Blood Over Bright Haven was our Fantasy Fanatics Book Club pick at Barnes & Noble Fort Lauderdale, and I devoured it. Once again, I switched between physically reading and listening to the audiobook because I simply did not want to stop.

The characters. The worldbuilding. The magic.

Everything worked for me.

I especially loved how the magic system blends physics and science with magic. Spells require calculations that are written down and then entered into a device, which my friend Jeff perfectly described as essentially coding magic.

But what really elevated the book was everything it had to say.

We talked about classism, colonialism, religion, philosophy, sexism, and systemic power, and our book club meeting actually ran over because there was simply so much to discuss.

That’s the kind of book I love.

Give me an incredible fantasy story, but also give me something that makes me think. Give me something my friends and I can sit around discussing long after we’ve finished reading.

And that ending?

It broke my heart a little, but I love a good bittersweet ending. Watching her ultimately outwit the men around her and tear down the system was incredibly satisfying.

Go read it.

Seriously.

KPop Demon Hunters: Junior Novelization

This one was simply fun.

I read the KPop Demon Hunters junior novelization with my daughter, and obviously we’re already huge fans of the movie.

The biggest problem with turning a musical into a novelization is… well… the music.

You can write that they’re singing “How It’s Done,” but my adult brain is sitting there thinking, this is slightly weird without actually hearing the song. 😂

But that’s me being an adult and nitpicking a book written for kids.

As a children’s novelization, it’s cute. There are illustrations and stills from the movie, which my daughter loved looking through, and it was a fun way for us to revisit a movie we already adore.

And yes, I’m obsessed with Derpy.

I have a Derpy pin.

A Derpy plush.

A Derpy keychain.

My friend gave me a Derpy shirt for my birthday.

I literally asked my boss if I could come into work late so I could see KPop Demon Hunters in theaters, and she actually scheduled me later.

So maybe I’m not the most impartial reviewer here. 😂

Also, while I love “Golden,” my favorite song is still “What It Sounds Like.”

I said what I said.

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers

The Lure of Wolves was another ARC sent to me and also won Book of the Month on Cyn’s Workshop, and I ended up having a really good time with it.

The competition immediately gave me some Hunger Games and battle-royale vibes, mixed with that increasingly popular trope of characters competing for a prince’s hand.

Except Meve isn’t really there because she dreams of marrying a prince.

She’s made a deal with the Whisperers, a rebel group that puts her into the competition as part of an arrangement to save her sister.

Her actual mission?

Survive long enough to kill the king.

Minor detail.

Unfortunately, the trials are genuinely deadly, meaning she could be killed at practically any moment. Then we have the steamy tension between Meve and Wolf, plus Talon, her adopted brother, whose relationship with her I absolutely loved.

There was also one development I did not see coming, and while it hurt, I love when a book can genuinely surprise me.

Meave grows throughout the story, the romantic tension works, and I liked how the plot gradually reveals the true scope of the villain’s actions. You may have suspicions about who the villain is, but discovering just how far their villainy goes puts so much of the story into perspective.

I’m definitely curious to see what happens in book two.

An Education in Malice

And finally…

Perfection. Again.

My friend Jeff described An Education in Malice as sensual, and that really is the perfect word for this book.

It’s a sapphic vampire story with connections to Carmilla, and I loved every fucking moment of it.

I read it ridiculously quickly. I actually texted Jeff when I finished because it was his book club pick, and his response was basically:

Already?!

Yes.

Already.

Because I couldn’t stop.

The writing is delicious and intoxicating. There’s something about the prose that almost gets underneath your skin, creating this lush, sensual atmosphere that completely pulled me into the story.

This is one of those books I need to sit with for a little while before recording a full review because right now most of my thoughts are basically:

IT WAS SO FUCKING GOOD.

Very articulate.

Professional book critic over here. 😂

But sometimes a book just hits exactly right, and An Education in Malice absolutely did that for me.

August wasn’t my biggest reading month—not even close—but looking back at these ten books, I’m not disappointed.

I may have been dealing with reader fatigue, everyday exhaustion, and the fact that my writing brain has apparently decided it wants all of my free time, but I still discovered some fantastic books. A Feather So Black, Blood Over Bright Haven, and An Education in Malice were easily among my biggest standouts, while A Whiff of Murder finally gave me the cozy mystery experience I’d been craving.

And sometimes 10 books is enough.

I’m trying to be better about recognizing when I’m tired instead of turning reading into another item on my never-ending to-do list. With the retail holiday season approaching, I also know life isn’t exactly about to get less exhausting. So I’m going into September without putting too much pressure on myself. I might read another ten books. I might read more. We’ll see where the month takes me.

Besides, I’ve started writing again, and when I’m choosing between reading another chapter and writing another chapter of my own book…

Well.

Apparently we know which one has been winning lately. 😂📚✍️

Don’t forget to follow Cyn’s Workshop on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads | LinkedIn to stay tuned for more like this.

Become a Supporter