Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of August of 2023. Here are the  9 books I read and reviewed for August. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews.

I love sharing my eclectic reads in this Jemsbooks Segment, Books Read in the Month. I hope you will get a chance to look over these books soon. Thank you for your kind support of my work and that of my fellow authors.

If you are an avid reader, as I am, please review the books you love on Amazon or wherever you purchased them in order for others to enjoy your reviews. Reviews are one way for readers to know about an exceptional book. We indie authors love to receive reviews and appreciate the efforts of readers to do them. Once again, I thank you for your kind support of me and my books and for supporting my fellow authors too.

When I wrote these reviews I rated them on Amazon, Goodreads and sometimes Barnes & Noble. I did not include the ratings here though. It is best to share my thoughts with you about how I felt about the book without the rating. Ratings can be deceiving at times.

We all feel differently about books. Sometimes we love them, sometimes we like them and still other times we may dislike a book. Some others are so memorable they take our breaths away! While others are sweet, sensitive and enjoyable reads that we soon will forget. But all of these books I have reviewed were lovely reads as you can see from my reviews. I hope you enjoy my reviews and that they help you decide what will be your next read.

No More Secrets was a moving story about a man, Lucas Carson, who has suffered injustices and holds his secrets close, fearful of others knowing what he has had to endure.

This main protagonist, Lucas, runs away from adversity and has neglected the ones he loves, his two sisters. He was involved with some things that he is haunted by, his father’s death and a time that he had spent in juvenile detention that he wants to forget. When he crosses paths with a homeless teen, his life changes for the better as he tries to make amends by helping this girl, Shiloh Bloom, stay off the streets and out of danger. Maybe by doing this good deed he is making up for what he did not do for his own sister.

The story is full of secrets that are finally revealed by Lucas, his sisters, mother, and Shiloh. He realizes he is not the only one who is haunted by their pasts.

An enjoyable read that I recommend!

An intriguing collection of legends that kept this reader glued to the pages. Fascinating stories that are entertaining and make the reader think about these tales and whether they are true or not.

The author has written an enjoyable collection that are quick reads. These stories will stay with you for a long time and make you question your own beliefs.

A Merciful Secret is another installment of this enjoyable series with Mercy Kilpatrick, FBI agent extraordinaire. Mercy is once again involved in a complicated situation that leaves her in danger. There is action,

Mercy has found love with the police chief, Truman Daly, who is always there to back her up and support her in everything she does whether it is a smart thing to do or not. She finds herself involved in another case that involves two murders that do not seem connected right away but she finds the similarities and is pulled into the case that could end her life and those of her loved ones.

I look forward to the next book in this incredible series with this fascinating character and what cases she will take on next.

Rizzoli & Isles are at it again in Listen to Me with plenty of murder, mayhem and surprises. These two well-developed and fascinating characters never give up and don’t always believe their instincts when things don’t add up.

The author has created another enjoyable mystery with two different stories happening at the same time. One with Jane Rizzoli, FBI agent, and Maura Isles, Medical Examiner and Forensic Pathologist, dealing with a vicious murder of a young woman and the other with Angelo Rizzoli, Jane’s mother, neighborhood watchdog who discovers strange things happening with her neighbors that cannot be explained. Jane doesn’t give up until she finds out what is going on next door in spite of her daughter’s warning to keep her nose out of other people’s business.

Jane has to not only handle the situation in the murder case but rescue her mother who is in trouble from her busybody attitude. Angela was quite the character in this story and stole each scene she entered.

An enjoyable read with a surprise ending.

All He Has Left is a whirlwind of a novel with many twists and danger at every turn. The main protagonist, Jake Slater, is a man who is out to discover the truth about his wife’s death from a car accident and another accident that injured his teenage daughter.

Each time he finds a clue it puts him in danger without anyone to help him or a safe place to turn. He can’t even trust his in-laws to come to his rescue since they only want to take his daughter away from him to somehow replace the daughter they lost. This story kept me glued to and holding my breath every time Jake got into a situation where there was no way out. Can an old lost love come to his rescue who is now in the FBI?

An enjoyable read that will keep you turning pages and holding your breath until the next scene. This story would be a dynamite film on the big screen.

The Daydream Cabin is a lovely story of finding oneself while helping others by leading them in the right direction and away from their troubled pasts. The two main characters, Jayden and Elijah, both have their own demons that they are trying to get over in order to find happiness in their lives. They work together in this summer camp for troubled girls. As the girls learn to find their way forward through hard work and friendship the two counselors learn that they too are realizing much of the same things.

This is not only a sweet love story between Jayden and Elijah but also a coming of age story with the troubled teens as they realize to love themselves and others and think outside their riches to find others who feel the same and want to change their lives for the better. It is a tender story as one follows the path of the troubled teens, watches them take on tasks that they wouldn’t have done before, and find that friendship is important and precious with people who love them for themselves without expecting anything in return.

An enjoyable and touching read!

This is the introduction to the Stanislaski family who emigrated from Ukraine. They are a strong, resilient, robust group of formidable and attractive people who love life and protect the ones they cherish and help those who need support. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe.

When Natasha Stanislaski meets a handsome, dashing musician in her toy store with his adorable young daughter, she feels a strong attraction, one that she does her best to ignore. She has been hurt in the past from another man who tossed her aside. She does not want to trust another man in her life but can’t help be continually drawn to the adorable daughter who has already captured her heart. The little girl reminds her of what she once lost.

This is a lovely romantic novel that will pull you in with Roberts innate ability to create scenes that are full of sensuality and beautiful characters. An enjoyable read!

This is a part of a two-book set that continues the story of the Stanislaskis, a Russian family from Ukraine who are robust, boisterous, lovers of life not afraid to speak up for their own beliefs and protect those they love.

The main protagonist, Sydney Hayward, takes over her grandfather’s business and is thrust into a whirlwind when she meets Mikhail Stanislaski, a talented wood carver extraordinaire. She has no idea that her world has changed forever. She got out of a failed marriage and does not want any man in her life but finds that she is strangely attracted to this imposing, and incredibly attractive man and can’t fight it.

The author knows how to describe each scene with the two that makes the reader feel as if they were right in the picture and seeing things firsthand. This is a quick read and enjoyable read, light and full of love of family.

Where They Lie is a non-stop action thriller that keeps your heart beating faster and nerves tingling as each scene uncovers something shocking. This was a story that kept me glued until the ending.

Nora McTavish, a child protective services agent, is someone who knows abuse as a child and tries to help other children from suffering the same fate. Her office puts three children into a foster home and walks away. Nora doesn’t feel quite right about the placement but can’t say why. She stays close and keeps in touch with the foster mother who does videos about her life and foster children.

Her past still haunts her and keeps her from ignoring what she feels is not right. Her curiosity almost gets her killed a couple of times as she delves deeper into a mystery of a plane crash that involves this family. She will not give up her investigation into why and how this crash came about.

This is an enjoyable story that leaves you feeling helpless for those children who are in need of help. How much can the foster care system do for them?

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post. Come back again soon for more posts about whatever pops into my overcrowded head! Please remember to review books for hard-working authors everywhere. We appreciate your efforts and welcome your thoughts. Reviews are what keep authors writing! Keep reading and we will keep writing!

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

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