11 August romance releases to heat up your summer reading

An Unexpected Kind of Love by Hayden Stone

I Kissed a Girl isn’t the only artsy romance novel hitting shelves this August. If books about bookstores are up your alley, consider giving An Unexpected Kind of Love by Hayden Stone a try. Stone’s debut chronicles a romance between a bookstore owner and an actor brought together by fate, even if their personalities clash at first.

It all starts when Aubrey Barnes — the bookstore owner — realizes his shop is struggling. Although he loves routine and order, his desire to keep the lights on is stronger. In fact, it’s so strong that he agrees to let a film company lease out his shop, even with all the chaos that brings.

It also ushers Blake Sinclair into his life, an American actor who represents the exact opposite of Aubrey’s comfortable and predictable life. It’s not long until the two find themselves entangled with one another. However, a relationship with such a well-known actor promises to upend Aubrey’s quiet life:

"“Aubrey is not cut out for the high-profile life of dating a celebrity, especially an American actor who’s not even out yet. Good thing their tryst is absolutely not going anywhere. Of course, when you expect nothing, that’s exactly when it starts to mean everything.”"

An Unexpected Kind of Love is available in ebook and print formats starting Aug. 9, 2021.