đź’™ Our August '24 book picks are here
Call it pining, longing, yearning…it’s exactly what we’ve been doing over these August book picks. And the palpable tension is not the only thing these baddies have in common. In fact, there are so many invisible strings between these reads that not only was picking a theme so incredibly fun but we even created this list for you:
- He worships her. The ground she walks on. The chair she sits in. The breath she takes (from him).
- Consent kings: “Can I touch you here?” “Here?” “How about here?”
- Twists & secrets & unexpected moments
- Brilliant leading ladies
Okay how about I calm the hell down from being so damn wound up over these book romances and carry on (that’s the saying right?)
The stunning debut fantasy romance book is brimming with passion and intrigue. Tension-filled and fast-paced, this read has a captivating magic system, a vicious villain, and multiple love interests—including a searing hidden-in-the-library-stacks moment that made it impossible for us to stifle our sighs. We’re thrilled to share that the books in our August fantasy romance boxes will come with signed bookplates and the curated playlist will include special author-selected songs! We also may have another surprise (and a first for P&P!) in the works with the author of this book, so keep an eye on our Instagram for more info later this month.
The about-to-be-released contemporary romance book is a serenade after our own hearts. Complete with simmering hostility and off-the-charts chemistry between a dazzling violinist and a rockstar cellist (y’all she has a poster of him in her apartment), who’s completely tormented by her from page one—evidenced in his brief and broody interlude chapters. Don’t even get us started on the book cover cello scene….we think about it literally once a day and twice when we hear any rock-song-turned-instrumental-
And after our longest intro ever (another starry-eyed sigh, can you tell we love these picks?) here they are:
Our August Fantasy Romance pick:
Essence and Runes by Taylor Lynn
The rules of war are few: stay alive and win.
In a world of essence and runes, anything is fair game.
After leading the charge to reclaim Promithia’s northern border, Raya Ontaria—a fearsome warrior and a powerful wielder of a magic called essence—is captured and held prisoner at the court of Corath. Rather than auction her off to the highest bidder, the malicious king seems to have other sinister plans in mind.
Just as all hope seems lost, an unforeseen rescue comes from none other than the cunning Prince of Corath himself, Orion Valor.
As Raya slowly begins to trust Orion, they join forces. In their pursuit to end the 300-year war that has terrorized both their kingdoms, an unexpected spark ignites between them, yearning to be set ablaze.
There’s just one problem: Raya is already entangled with the queen of Promithia. Spurning her powerful lover could extinguish any chance of peace talks while also risking Raya's claim as heir to the wealthiest region in the realm.
Can Raya resist the force driving her and Orion together? Or does fate have other plans?
Mortal enemies turn into unexpected allies.
An arcane power arises.
The adventure of a lifetime begins.
You can expect:
- love triangle(s)
- "Touch me."
- magical bonds
Content warnings:
- grief
- death of parents both on and off the page
- war/gore
- anxiety/PTSD
- imprisonment/torture
- sexism
- mention of difficult pregnancies/birth
- sexually explicit content
- If there is a particular content theme that is triggering for you, we suggest doing additional research on the title to ensure your mental health.
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Our August Contemporary Romance pick:
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
When professional—and self-taught—violinist Gwen Jackson plays, she disappears into the peaks and valleys of each song, a quiet passion that never quite explodes into pure emotion. Xander Thorne is the exact opposite. A cellist and a rock star, he’s all about big emotion, but not even his six-foot-four frame can contain his skill, his genius . . . and an attitude that borders on jerkitude. Not only did it take Xander a year to notice that he and Gwen both play in the Manhattan Pops, but he also always seems to have the perfect cutting criticism about her technique. When Gwen is offered the role of first chair of the orchestra, something Xander has secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. Yet, despite her best efforts, Gwen can’t ignore the sizzling chemistry between them.
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Forced to work more closely with each other, they can’t help exploring their attraction. As they begin to compose and play songs together, it’s clear that their powerful connection could make for a performance that would blow everyone’s minds. Suddenly, they’re box office dynamite, and the fragile romance growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt.
You can expect:
- grumpy/sunshine
- "It's never been like this."
- rivals to lovers
 Content warnings:
- death of a parent/grandparent
- abandonment
- cancer
- grief
- misogyny
- explicit sexual content
- If there is a particular content theme that is triggering for you, we suggest doing additional research on the title to ensure your mental health.
