September Book Releases

I cannot believe I just typed “September Book Releases”!! How is it September, guys?! School has started, and the days are just flying… but I am making time for reading. There are a few great book releases to check out this month!

See what books are being published this month below, and check out August’s book releases here.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other: A Love Story

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other: A Love Story is available September 5th. *Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy for review!

Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women is available September 9th. *Thanks to NetGalley and Marysue Rucci Books for the advanced copy for review!

While Bright Young Women had an action-packed start, it fizzled as far as “action” for me. You guys know I love a fast-paced storyline. You buckle up for the long haul with BYW.

Pam is president of her sorority, level-headed, and nicknamed Pam Perfect by her best friend Denise. Pam doesn’t go out to party with all her sorority sisters one night. Around 3am, she wakes up to hearing the TV and seeing a light on. She goes out to investigate and comes face-to-face with a stranger holding a bloody club. He’s murdered 2 girls and brutally injured 2 more. He’s escaped from prison twice, and accused of murdering sever other women. He becomes the nation’s first “celebrity” serial killer.

The rest of the story jumps timelines from the days immediately following the murders, and “present day” which was the 90s. Since the timeline jumps all involved the same characters, it was a little confusing keeping track of where we were on the timeline at times. The “meat” of the book followed the legal battle, and how Pam struggled as a woman in the legal system. The way Pam was questioned/the whole legal process was frustrating to read at times!!! But I feel like that was so accurately done.

Maybe I’m one of the women who feeds into the “celebrity serial killer” but I would have preferred more about that and less about the court proceedings. Bright Young Women took me a while to finish, but felt like it was an important read, as it was a work of fiction, but addressed some big topics!

The Stranger Upstairs

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M Matlin is available now. (also available on Kindle and on Audio!)

I had taken a break from thrillers, and read Brynn and Sebastian and the Avalon Bay series this summer, so jumping back into thrillers was FUN.

The Stranger Upstairs tells the story of Sarah Slade. Though, you probably know her as Sarah Slays – well-known influencer and self-help guru.

The carefully constructed facade Sarah built behind to crumble shortly after purchasing a famous murder house. A husband woke up one morning and brutally murdered his wife in bed with a hammer before attacking their daughter (she escaped and was never heard from again), and then killed himself in the bathroom. The house sat empty until Sarah decided to flip it for the Gram, and turn a nice profit.

The house may have other plans though. (DUN DUN DUN!!)

The town might not be so welcoming, as many knew the family/the victims. Are they telling Sarah everything?

And soon, we learn Sarah has quite a few secrets herself.

At first, I thought The Stranger Upstairs was going in the same direction as Just Like Home by Gailey, but I promise the twist is one you won’t see coming!

You can shop these titles and a few other September book releases on my reading list below: