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 2026. Here are the 8 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.

The Color of a Promise is a heartfelt story of family, emotions, forgiveness and belief in living more than one life for the main character. The characters are interesting and intriguing. They fill the story with emotion and heartache as they deal with loss.

This series is enjoyable and varied as each book stands alone and covers different characters as they deal with everyday issues of family issues and love and forgiveness.

I look forward to the rest of the series.

The Last Party is an unforgettable thriller that will take you on a wild ride of evil, murder, deceit, and twists and turns that will shock you. The characters display unexpected revelations throughout the story.

The author created characters that keep the reader guessing throughout the story and swiftly turning pages to find out what is really happening. It is real or just imagined in troubled minds? I wasn’t sure I liked the story at first but then so many things came about that shocked me and I couldn’t put the book down. It is a story that will stay with me for a long time in a disturbing way to think there would be such evil imagined.

If you enjoy mysteries wth twists and turns and shocking revelations throughout the story, then you must read this one!

Pink Oleander is a thriller that deals with a serial killer who appears to be unstoppable. The characters are fully defined and interesting. I especially loved Rosie who was determined and resilient when she was had a case to solve. Vince was a character who never lost his appetite and ate more tacos than anyone. The descriptions of the food made me hungry for some tacos too.

The author described everything in deep detail from the decorations in the Mexican restaurants to the food that the characters ate. I felt as if I was here with them. Just don’t eat the brownies!

An interesting thriller that kept me turning pages!

The Color of a Silver Lining is a lovely, heartwarming story of love lost and found and new beginnings. The characters are strong and likable as they try to find their way through tragedy to begin anew.

This is one of the last books in The Color of Heaven Series which is an enjoyable and heartfelt read. The author creates a sweet and memorable story of how we must never give up hope to find love and that we are not alone in this world and may have angels among us directing us to a life of possibilities.

The Color of a Christmas Miracle is another book in The Color of Heaven Series which has full-bodied characters, relationships, love, heartache, and surprises. Two sisters try to find happiness while staying close and helping each other with lives’ challenges.

An interesting and heartfelt book in this enjoyable series of family, love, staying strong against hardships and finding happiness against all odds. The author created a story that touches the heart and fills the soul with touching scenes and heartwarming surprises.

An enjoyable series by a talented author. I look forward to seeing what she will do next in this series or another one.

The Widow is an intriguing courtroom drama that had many surprises as the evidence of the murder of an elderly person builds up.

Grisham does it again with this gripping courtroom drama that kept this reader reading until the final completion of a satisfactory story.

I highly recommend this story.

The Girl with No Name is an exciting thriller with plenty of twists and turns throughout the story. The main protagonist Chief of Police, Josie Quinn, must deal with a shocking case of a woman horrifically beaten and left for dead and her newborn baby missing. Chief Quinn has her work cut out for her to find the missing baby and find out what happened from the injured woman who is unconscious. Josie has demons of her own to deal with while she struggles to keep her sanity and composure in her position.

This story involves multiple characters, many who are unsavory and dangerous to the community around them. Josie’s fiancé also goes missing in the midst of this case and she is torn between his disappearance and the missing baby. Can she save them both?

A gripping story that kept me riveted with a strong main female character that drives the mystery forward and caused me to read late into the nights. An enjoyable detective mystery that I will follow and look forward to the next book in the series.

The Girl in the Lake is a gripping thriller with intriguing characters and storyline that kept this reader engaged until the final page. The main character, Kate Willis, a psychologist in pulled into a mystery that brings her back to her own childhood in a frightening way involving her best friend’s death.

This story is told through a dual timeline from past to present when a young child is haunted by a past that belongs to another person. Kate is tossed between trying to help the child and at the same time wanting to discover what happened to her friend.

This is a frightening premise but fascinating just the same. A memorable story that I would recommend to lovers of strange phenomena.