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 2025. Here are the 11 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 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 other books are so memorable they take your breath away! While still others are sweet, sensitive, and enjoyable reads that we soon will forget. But all these books I have reviewed were lovely reads as you can see from my reviews. I hope you enjoy my reviews and that they will help you to decide what will be your next read.

What Happened at the Lake is a a gripping mystery thriller with violence, foul language and explicit sexual scenes. It was shocking to read. I had to get past all that in order to find out what happened and who the murderer or murderers were.

I don’t like this type of book and will not read any more of this author’s books, but it was a gripping story. I read it as quickly as I could to get through it all. It would be a difficult read to recommend unless you enjoy this type of book.

The Kill Artist is a thriller full of espionage, passions and murders on a grand scale. It is a long read that keeps the reader under pressure as the life of the Gabriel the main characters is constantly threatened. He is not only a spy but also a restorer of famous paintings when he is not only the run.

The author has a way of keeping the action ratcheted up and readers on the edge of their seats. It was an intense read full of non-stop action. I felt myself holding my breath as the one woman Gabriel loved was threatened by the man who he is planning to kill for destroying his life.

If you are looking for intense situations, action and adventure, this is the story for you.

The Sublet is a short read but full of mystery and suspense as the main character delves into the strange apartment she is now in. She is a ghost writer for the person who suggested this apartment to her. But can she trust this woman with her odd ways to be truthful with her when she discovers something unsettling about her new living arrangements.

A quick but satisfying read.

Truth Be Told is a short thriller packed with plenty of mystery, action and suspense. This is the second novella with these characters in this continuing saga where Stevie Duncan and her husband, Zane, worked together to solve the crime and bring peace once again to the town of Solitude.

The characters are well defined and intriguing and continually face danger head on in a fearless manner. The author created an enjoyable series with these two memorable characters. I look forward to more in this series.

Time Passages is a gripping, graphically violent, time travel, romance, fantasy that I couldn’t put down. Even when the violence ratcheted up under the cruel leadership of the ruler of Troy and war, I kept reading to see what the main character was going to do next.

Mike DeLucia did a commendable job of creating a fascinating character in Brodi who is not only brave and resourceful but also compassionate and empathic in every aspect of his life. His growing relationship with Valeria is sweet and touching and adds a lighter element to counteract the cruelty of her father, ruler of Troy.

I highly recommend this book if your love action, adventure and time travel. An enjoyable and entertaining fantasy adventure!

CHRISTMAS IN NEWFOUNDLAND BOOK 3

     By Mike Martin

REVIEW

Christmas in Newfoundland is the third book in this series of holiday books that share Christmas traditions for the families in the author’s Winston Windflower series.

It is full of all the precious times that the family of Windflower and his friends and their families celebrate at this special time of year. The author shared the different customs that these characters continue to celebrate each Christmas such as cutting down a tree to decorate, baking special pies, cookies and other sweets, inviting friends to join in the celebration and even going from house to house in costumes called mummering.

This is a book that takes the reader back in time to their own holiday celebrations and the love of family and friends and also by sharing good times with those who are less fortunate. It is a heartfelt and warm feeling to read this book and the others in this series. I felt as if I was with the characters and celebrating too. 

The author’s warmth and caring manner is deeply seated in his community and the characters in his books. It is most evident in the way he writes his stories with these beloved characters that are so real and unforgettable. I love his books and Winston Windflower’s character.

I highly recommend all Mike Martin’s books to those who enjoy reading books with heartwarming stories.

Americans Who Made American is a stirring collection of famous men and women in history who have changed our nation for the better by their dedication, hard work, high principles, and take-charge attitudes. They never gave up doing what they thought was right and stood against those who refused to make this a great nation with a strong foundation.

I especially loved reading about such fascinating people like Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president; Francis Bellamy who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance which is recited to this day; Ralph Waldo Emerson who was a great philosopher; Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president who never gave up to make our country better, Harriet Tubman, a courageous woman who wanted to be free and helped others to be so, Mark Twain, author who also wore many other hats, and several more too numerous to mention here.

There are memorable quotes from each American and a little about their background and history. It was an enjoyable trip through history that I will read again to savor the wise quotes that helped to make a difference in America.

Abscond is an interesting short story sharing the life of this boy who dreams of being a tennis star. His father is surgeon but encouraged his son to follow his dream while his mother wants Ravi to follow in his father’s footsteps.

When something happens in Ravi’s life that changes everything for him, he must look at life differently and take on a stronger role in his life in order to succeed. He realizes just how strong he can be.

The cover below has three books in one by Uvi Poznansky. I have read all three and recommend them to all who love thrillers, suspense, mystery and plenty of action. I posted two of the review below. The first book I read previously.

This is the second book in the Ash series. I already read book one previously and reviewed it. I listened to this book on audible.

Ash is a strong and resilient protagonist who commands the stage in this well-developed tale of violence in society. She has a violent history in her past when she was attacked and raped which she is trying to forget.

When Ash arrives in Florida, she finds herself being stalked by an unruly and troubled teen. She is fighting her own demons but finds the strength and courage to help a family in need after their oldest son is kidnapped. The author has created a well-crafted story with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the satisfying ending.

The violence depicted in this story is frighteningly real and hits close to home with the troubled youth in our society today. This was an enjoyable read!

I listened to this book on Audible.

Overdose is part of a series of thrillers. I found this to be a gripping medical thriller that will hook you in right away! Ash, the main protagonist, has recovered from a coma. She has headaches and vertigo and can’t seem to get back to normal since having brain surgery by a doctor that she doesn’t trust.

The more she delves into this doctor’s life, Dr. Patel, she finds things don’t add up. Who is he? How come she can’t find anything on him for a good part of his life?

When Dr. Patel becomes interested in her romantically she goes on a date with him to try to find out more about him and his dead wife. Ash is in a relationship with Michael who is trying to understand what she is doing. She becomes more embroiled in the doctor’s life when the waitress of the restaurant where they dined hands her a pink cell phone as she is getting into a cab. This is the last thing the waitress does before she is shot. Michael helps Ash deal with what she witnessed by the recent murder and what she sees on the cell phone.

The author has created a mystery, thriller, romance that will keep you turning pages until the satisfying ending. I have read other books by this author that were of different genres that I enjoyed also. She did a good job with this genre too.

The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard is a moving journey of the past and present of a woman’s life and her trials and tribulations. This woman lived in a time when women were not respected as individuals.

Mercy, her stage name, leaves her famous life in California behind to find herself on Martha’s Vineyard. What she finds there is not what she expected. She becomes embroiled in a mystery and a handsome oyster man.

The mystery is slowly unfolded through letters and Mercy’s granddaughter who seeks the answers to the secrets her grandmother has kept from her and her sister who grew up in her care.

An enjoyable and memorable read!

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Come back again soon for news about books, reviews, and new publications and whatever else pops into my overcrowded head.

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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