Secrets will be unearthed. Hearts will be tested. And new worlds will open up. The books hitting shelves in August 2025 promise emotional punch, clever twists, and unforgettable characters. Whether you’re here for a dark mystery or a romantic escape, these 10 Most Anticipated Books Of August 2025 deserve a spot on your TBR.
10 Most Anticipated Books Of August 2025
Katabasis: By R.F. Kuang
Alice Law, a relentless graduate student at Cambridge, loses her mentor, Professor Jacob Grimes, in a magical accident she may have caused. Driven by ambition and guilt, she discovers a forbidden ritual to journey into Hell to retrieve his soul and preserve her future.
To her dismay, academic rival Peter Murdoch forces his way into the expedition. Together, they descend through the Eight Courts of Hell—an intellectual and emotional katabasis that forces them to confront past regrets, power, and the true cost of brilliance.
Accomplice to the Villain: By Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Evie Sage has risen from assistant to becoming indispensable to Trystan, the kingdom’s notorious villain, in this third installment. As a prophecy about failing magic unravels, she juggles office chaos—assassins in break rooms, weaponized scone incidents—and her rapidly intensifying crush on her brooding boss.
Trystan struggles to suppress his growing feelings for Evie after hearing predictions of a doomed future together, even as he quietly admires her bold leadership. With family, frogs wearing crowns, and escalating magical stakes, Evie must prove her worth—and survive—without burning down the kingdom or her dignity.
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk: By Carissa Broadbent
Mische sacrificed herself to save those she loves, plunging the world into eternal darkness, and now resides in a crumbling underworld where souls are trapped and reality bleeds into chaos. Meanwhile, Asar—imprisoned by gods and consumed by grief—desperately seeks her, even as he has been gifted a god‑like power he never wanted.
Their only chance for reunion and redemption comes from a mysterious goddess: together they must journey across mortal and immortal realms to steal the death god’s power. As the underworld destabilizes and divine war looms, Mische and Asar must choose what they’re willing to sacrifice—even love itself—for ascension and healing.
We Are All Guilty Here: By Karin Slaughter
Deputy Emmy Lou Clifton investigates the disappearance of 15‑year‑olds Madison and Cheyenne during a Fourth of July fireworks‐night in her hometown of North Falls, Georgia. Driven by guilt over ignoring Madison’s plea, Emmy and her father work through a web of local secrets—ultimately uncovering broken timelines, a presumed killer, and shocking contradictions in DNA evidence.
Twelve years later, a new girl vanishes in a nearly identical case. FBI criminal psychologist Jude Archer arrives to assist Emmy, and together they peel back layers of past failures, intergenerational corruption, and hidden perpetrators—culminating in unexpected twists and a deeply emotional final reveal.
Forget Me Not: By Stacy Willingham
Claire Campbell returns to her South Carolina hometown after a phone call alerts her to her mother’s injury—and to the unsolved disappearance of her older sister Natalie, who vanished 22 years earlier. Her once‐closed case still haunts the family, and when Claire takes a seasonal job at Galloway Farm—a vineyard where Natalie once worked—she hopes nostalgia will soothe old wounds. But instead, it dredges up secrets.
At the farm, Claire discovers an old diary belonging to one of the owners, full of cryptic entries that hint at unsolved murders and cult‑like behavior. As she immerses herself in that eerie journal, unsettling connections emerge: echoes of her sister’s disappearance, disturbing patterns, and the risk that she might uncover more than she bargained for.
Love Arranged: By Lauren Asher
Lorenzo Vittori enlists Lily Muñoz in a five‑month fake‑dating arrangement to clean up his image as he runs for mayor. Though they’ve been in love before, their public charade is meant to end cleanly—yet their past complicates every staged moment.
When Lily agrees to help Lorenzo in exchange for his promise to protect her struggling shop, she didn’t expect to rekindle old feelings or trust him with her heart. As their contractual romance deepens, both must confront personal wounds and decide if their agreement can survive real emotion.
Well, Actually: By Mazey Eddings
Sharp‑tongued host Eva Kitt, 27, hosts Sausage Talk, a quirky video series where she interviews B‑list celebs over hot dogs. When a drunken TikTok expose of her college ex, Rylie Cooper, goes viral, Eva’s boss forces them into a live reunion episode—and Rylie proposes a deal: six dates he’ll document publicly to prove he’s changed.
As their “fake” dates escalate emotionally, Eva finds herself torn between her ambition—and her lingering hurt—and the undeniable pull toward Rylie. The macho podcaster reveals the trauma behind his disappearance six years ago, transforming their friction-filled banter into real connection.
The Locked Ward: By Sarah Pekkanen
Georgia Cartwright, an elegant adopted daughter, is confined in a high‑security psychiatric ward after being accused of murdering her younger biological sister. Her only contact: a twin sister, Amanda, who had no idea Georgia existed—until a lawyer’s call changes her life forever. Amanda must wrestle with doubt as Georgia insists: “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
Told through alternating POVs—Georgia in second‑person, Amanda in first—the story unravels family deception, mental instability, and buried privilege. With short, tense chapters, Pekkanen guides readers through sinister devotion and shocking family dynamics to a final reveal that questions everything.
The Secret Book Society: By Madeline Martin
In 1895 London, Eleanor Clarke, Rose Wharton, and Lavinia Cavendish each receive a mysterious invitation to Lady Duxbury’s afternoon tea—which conceals a secret book club offering a rare escape from stifling marriage and social norms. Under Lady Duxbury’s guidance, they discover literature as a lifeline.
As their clandestine gatherings evolve into deep sisterhood, the women confront deception, whispered scandal (including rumors around Lady Duxbury), and the thrill of rebellion. Their courage to speak—and to read—clicks open the possibility of self‑reinvention—and danger, if one misstep puts them all at risk.
Too Old for This: By Samantha Downing
Lottie Jones, 75 and retired, has craftily buried her past as a notorious serial killer under a new identity in a small town, complete with bingo nights and church gossip. Her quiet life unravels when Plum Dixon, an investigative journalist, arrives asking pointed questions about unsolved homicides tied to Lottie — and the prospect of a docuseries she refuses to nourish entangles them both in a high-stakes cat‑and‑mouse game.
As Lottie resists exposure, she faces threats not only from Plum’s probing but also someone who’s been tracking her for years. With sharp, dark humor and escalating paranoia, she may be forced to kill again to protect her secret—despite creaky joints and modern surveillance.
