The Most Anticipated 2026 Book Releases by Month

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

Five years after her husband vanished without a trace, Hannah Hall has built a quiet new life in Southern California with her stepdaughter, Bailey. Just as they begin to feel safe and settled, the past crashes back in when Owen suddenly reappears, bringing danger and unanswered questions with him.

Forced on the run once more, Hannah and Bailey must stay one step ahead as old secrets threaten to unravel everything they’ve rebuilt. As the tension escalates, Hannah risks everything to protect Bailey, all while confronting the possibility that the man she lost may also be the one she can’t let go of.

Release Date: 6th January

The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson

Carwyn and his wife, Rhian, have spent their lives farming sheep on a remote stretch of Welsh mountain land that has belonged to Carwyn’s family for generations. But their once-quiet world is fraying at the edges. Debts are mounting, neighbours are disappearing, and an influx of careless tourists is putting both the land and their livelihood under strain.

When Carwyn uncovers a strange stone head buried on the farm, his curiosity quickly turns into obsession. As he digs deeper, the farm begins to suffer, the sheep grow sickly, and Rhian is left to shoulder the consequences alone. What Carwyn believes will save them may instead unleash something ancient and dangerous, revealing why some parts of the past were meant to stay buried.

Release Date: 8th January

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover

Once a bestselling author, Petra Rose has been left reeling after a viral backlash derails her career, drains her savings, and silences her creativity. With deadlines looming and her reputation in tatters, she escapes to a secluded lakeside cabin in a last attempt to finish her next suspense novel and save what’s left of her life.

When a detective arrives with unsettling news, Petra finds her inspiration roaring back to life. As fiction and reality begin to blur, their connection deepens and her writing grows darker and more dangerous. But the muse who reignited her talent may also be the one who threatens everything she’s trying to rebuild.

Release Date: 13th January

Catch Her if You Can by Tessa Bailey

A star baseball player has been quietly in love with his best friend’s sister for years, stepping in to protect her whenever life gets messy. When she suddenly finds herself caring for two kids and in need of stability, he offers a solution that sounds purely practical on paper: a secret marriage for the benefits, no strings attached.

But buried feelings and simmering chemistry refuse to stay hidden for long. As their marriage of convenience heats up, both are forced to confront old loyalties, insecurities, and the fear of risking everything for love. What began as a private arrangement soon becomes impossible to keep pretend.

Release Date: 20th January

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Waldo is ravenous. Horny. Blunt. Naive. Wise. Impulsive. Lonely. Angry. Forceful. Hurting. Perceptive. Endlessly wanting. And the thing she wants most of all: Mr. Korgy, her creative writing teacher with the wife and the kid and the mortgage and the bills, with the dead dreams and the atrophied looks and the growing paunch.

Startlingly perceptive, mordantly funny, and keenly poignant, Half His Age is a rich character study of a yearning seventeen-year-old who disregards all obstacles in her effort to be seen, to be desired, to be loved.

Release Date: 20th January

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

Eden Fox, an artist on the cusp of her big break, returns home one morning to find her key doesn’t fit, and a woman who looks exactly like her answering the door. Her husband insists the stranger is his wife, and suddenly Eden is caught in a web of deception and lies.

Six months earlier, Birdy, a reclusive Londoner facing a life-changing diagnosis, inherits the seaside house in Hope Falls. But when she discovers a mysterious clinic claiming to predict the exact date of her death, long-buried secrets start to surface. As the truth and lies collide, both women must navigate betrayal, identity, and the chilling question: who can they really trust?

Release Date: 20th January

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

When record executive Theo discovers the Future Saints bombing at a dive bar, he’s tasked with turning the struggling band around, or letting them go. But lead singer Hannah has gone off script, debuting a raw new sound that quickly goes viral, giving the band a chance at a comeback.

As Theo pushes for a new album and tour, Hannah’s grief and impulsive behaviour threaten to derail everything. With her sister Ginny at her side, the stakes grow higher, threatening the band’s success, her budding closeness with Theo, and her relationship with Ginny. Fame, family, and love collide in a story of second chances and unexpected breakthroughs.

Release Date: 20th January

The Re-Do List by Denise Williams

After a very public breakup, Willow wants a chance to relive all her big firsts. And dog-sitting for her brother during his deployment gives her the perfect opportunity. Spending time with his best friend Deacon, she begins checking items off her “Re-Do List,” from first dances to first kisses.

Deacon promised to keep his distance, but as their shared moments turn into something more, the connection between them grows impossible to ignore. With Willow’s time in town limited and loyalty to his best friend complicating everything, the pair must decide whether their second-chance romance can survive beyond the list.

Release Date: 27th January

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams

Spanning seven generations, The Seven Daughters of Dupree follows the women of the Dupree family as they navigate love, loss, and the weight of their heritage. From the struggles of Jubi in 1917 to Tati in 1995 uncovering her father’s identity, each generation grapples with secrets, resilience, and the unyielding ties of family.

Bound by a mysterious malediction and shaped by the legacy of an enslaved ancestor, the Dupree women face the enduring challenges of identity, survival, and love. Nikesha Elise Williams delivers a sweeping, multi-generational story that explores trauma, empowerment, and the enduring strength of Black women across decades.

Release Date: 27th January

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

Debbie Mullen has spent years giving advice to the wives of New England through her popular column, Dear Debbie, but lately her own life is unraveling. Job lost, teenage daughters acting strangely, and a husband keeping secrets, Debbie has had enough.

Now it’s her turn to follow her own guidance, and deliver some long-overdue payback to the people who’ve been causing her problems. Witty, sharp, and full of twists, this story proves that sometimes taking charge means turning the tables.

Release Date: 28th January

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

Viola Bowen lands her dream job designing a video game based on her favourite book series—but her co-lead is her longtime arch nemesis, Jesse F. Andrews. When their bosses send them to a remote winter retreat for team-building, Viola expects disaster.

But as the snow piles up and they’re forced to work side by side, she discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and sparks begin to fly in more ways than one.

Release Date: 10th February

A Dangerous Diagnosis by Shantanu Rai

Dr. Sanjay Patel, once a doctor with dreams of serving those in need, now treats billionaires in luxury. But a sudden call from his estranged mentor pulls him back to Boston’s Mount Beacon Hospital.

There, he reunites with Emma Carpenter-Flores, the woman whose heart he broke, and together they uncover a trail of disturbing cases. As a powerful medical-industrial complex closes in, they must risk everything to expose the truth before lives, and the foundation of medicine, are destroyed.

Release Date: 24th February

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have always clashed, but when they’re forced to cover a historic snowstorm together, sparks start to fly.

Tasked with working as a team, their banter and clashes give way to an unexpected friendship, and a chemistry neither can ignore. As the storm rages around them, Jackson and Delilah must decide if their feelings are just for the mountains… or something more.

Release Date: 24th February

One Beautiful Year of Normal by Sandra K. Griffith

August Caine is shocked when she learns her Aunt Helen, who her mother said died fifteen years ago, has passed away.

Returning to the deep South, August must confront the ghosts of her past and unravel the mystery surrounding her father’s unsolved murder. Amid memories both protective and imprisoning, she discovers that facing the truth may be the only way to reclaim her life.

Release Date: 24th February

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

Leena Al-Sayer has spent years hiding her ability to see the dead. When her brother falls gravely ill, she must strike a dangerous bargain with the ruthless Saint of Silence to save him.

Sent to the mysterious estate of Weavingshaw to find a lost ghost, Leena faces a house that seems alive and a growing attraction to the enigmatic Saint. As secrets unravel and time runs out, she discovers that some truths are better left buried.

Release Date: 24th February

The Water Women by Bonnie Blaylock

In 1930s Sardinia, Allegra and her daughters carry on the tradition of the water women, weaving precious cloth from mollusk threads. Their quiet lives are disrupted in 1942 when war comes to their village, bringing fear, secrets, and unexpected encounters.

Over generations, love, loss, and resilience bind Allegra, her daughter Zaneta, and granddaughter Mira, as they navigate the turbulence of war and the enduring strength of family traditions.

Release Date: 1st March

Just Friends by Haley Pham

Blair and Declan were inseparable as kids, until an impulsive kiss turned their friendship into heartbreak. Four years later, Blair returns to Seabrook to care for her great-aunt, and finds herself working at a coffee shop managed by Declan.

As old wounds resurface and sparks reignite, Blair and Declan must decide whether their future can overcome the mistakes of the past.

Release Date: 3rd March

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

Benny and Joy have been saving each other’s lives since they met, hosting a popular podcast about survival stories. But when Joy disappears and Benny becomes the prime suspect, their next story may be their own.

As secrets unravel and the clock ticks, Benny must uncover the truth before it’s too late, and before the world discovers just how much they’ve been hiding from everyone, even each other.

Release Date: 10th March

Sisters in Yellow by Mieko Kawakami

Fifteen-year-old Hana has nothing, just her mother and a tiny apartment in Tokyo. When the older, vibrant Kimiko enters her life, Hana finally finds friendship, purpose, and a sense of belonging at their small bar, Lemon.

But in the narrow streets of Sangenjaya, life is never simple, and Hana soon learns that hope, optimism, and dreams can be tested in ways she never imagined.

Release Date: 17th March

The News from Dublin by Colm Toibin

This collection of eleven stories from Colm Tóibín explores the quiet, often painful moments that shape our lives. From a mother delivering tragic news to a family in Galway, to brothers grappling with illness and grief in Dublin, each tale captures the complexities of love, loss, and family.

Tóibín illuminates the emotional intensity in everyday life, showing how the past, desire, and duty quietly define who we are.

Release Date: 26th March

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

On a four-day “American Fantasy” cruise, Annie, a newly divorced woman turning fifty, finds herself surrounded by screaming fans and the members of her favourite ’90s boy band. What begins as a nostalgic getaway soon becomes a journey of rediscovery, as music, memories, and unexpected connections awaken a long-submerged part of herself.

Amid the chaos and excitement, Annie finds friendship, possibility, and a chance to embrace life, and herself, anew.

Release Date: 7th April

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

After their son Zac’s sudden death, Rachelle and Matthew Brettler are plunged into grief, and a world they never knew he inhabited. Under a secret identity, Zac had become entangled with a slippery businessman and a dangerous gangster, and his death may have been far more than a suicide.

As the Brettlers investigate, they uncover a hidden, perilous side of London, facing deception, danger, and a justice system seemingly unwilling to protect them.

Release Date: 7th April

Love by the Book by Jessica George

Remy’s debut novel was a hit, but with her friends drifting away and creative inspiration fading, she struggles to find her next story. Simone, a successful kindergarten teacher, faces isolation after her family cuts her off, leaving her in need of connection.

When the two women meet in a bookstore, their initial friction hides a deeper compatibility. Through laughter, secrets, and support, they may just help each other reclaim what they’ve lost, and discover the transformative power of friendship.

Release Date: 7th April

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

Six struggling authors are invited to a private Scottish island to finish the final, unfinished novel of reclusive bestseller Arthur Fletch. With just seventy-two hours to write an ending, the prize promises a massive payout and a career reboot.

As the clock ticks, tensions rise, secrets surface, and the race to craft the perfect ending becomes a suspenseful, and deadly test of wit, ambition, and survival.

Release Date: 7th April

Don’t Fall in Love with Me by Paige Toon

Grace has loved Jackson since she was fifteen, sharing summers in the scenic Ardèche region of France, until he married someone else. Three years later, a newly single Jackson offers her the dream job in the very town where their story began.

As old memories resurface, Grace and a longtime friend devise a scheme to make Jackson jealous, but playful games quickly spark real feelings, and a secret threatens to shatter everything.

Release Date: 14th April

Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter

Astrid, the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, is cursed to duel the heir of Vatra for the Heart, the source of all magic. Facing Prince Zryan with only her wits, potions, and familiar, her life, and her queendom’s chance to cure the Blight, hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile, Skylar and her traveling troupe arrive in Vatra, drawn into the spectacle of the duel while hunting for her missing friend. As Astrid’s and Skylar’s paths collide, they must confront rebellion, personal demons, and the stakes of love and loyalty to determine the fate of their world.

Release Date: 28th April

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu

Elizabeth Zhang has always played by the rules, excelling academically while staying unremarkable in looks and likability. But when Harvard rejects her for being “too boring” and a classmate gets in instead, Elizabeth’s carefully ordered life unravels.

Determined to reclaim what she feels is rightfully hers, she begins scrutinizing her rival’s life, uncovering what it takes to stand out in a world stacked against her. Layered and subversive, this novel explores ambition, societal pressures, and how far someone will go to achieve the success they believe they deserve.

Release Date: 28th April

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham

Daphne Austen has built her life around tradition and her grandmother’s tearoom, Tea Thyme, in the charming town of Wisteria, North Carolina. Her carefully ordered world is disrupted when Finn Dashwood, a handsome Brit with a complicated past, opens a pub next door, sparking rivalry and endless bickering.

As prank wars and a high-profile wedding force them to work together, Daphne and Finn discover that their differences might just brew unexpected chemistry. Charming, funny, and full of heart, this story blends small-town antics with the sparks that fly when opposites collide.

Release Date: 5th May

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Simone will do anything to protect her daughter, Lucy. On a vacation to Texas before Lucy leaves for university, Simone wakes to find her daughter missing, and a ransom demand delivered via a mysterious cell phone. Ignoring advice to involve the police, Simone must confront a kidnapper with shocking and unthinkable demands.

As she navigates remote towns and the harsh desert, Simone’s courage and morality are tested at every turn. Tense, gripping, and morally charged, this thriller explores the lengths a mother will go to protect her child, and the devastating consequences that follow.

Release Date: 5th May

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Frankie and George have been best friends since childhood, always clashing and coming back together. On the eve of Frankie’s wedding, George arrives to stand by her side, only for her fiancé to leave her the next morning.

Crushed, Frankie retreats home, but George has a different plan: a weeklong trip to the rainforests and beaches of Tofino to help her heal. What begins as a chance to repair their friendship turns into a journey of long-buried feelings, secrets, and the possibility of something more.

Release Date: 5th May

Whistler by Ann Patchett

When Daphne Fuller and her husband visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she encounters Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, for the first time in decades. Their brief childhood connection had left a lasting mark, and now reunited, they must navigate the echoes of the past and the choices that shaped them.

Whistler is a tender story of memory, bravery, and the small yet consequential moments that define a life. It explores how love endures, and how being truly known, even briefly, can change everything.

Release Date: 2nd June

The Missed Connection by Tia Williams

Sasha Cruz, a busy casting agent, has perfected the art of finding the right person for every role, but relationships aren’t part of the plan. On a flight to Paris, a chance encounter with a mysterious man sparks an instant connection, but they never exchange contact details. Determined not to let him slip away, Sasha launches a worldwide search that quickly spirals out of control.

As she enlists the help of a familiar and dangerously charming detective, sparks fly in unexpected ways.

Release Date: 16th June

Getting Away with Murder by Shari Lapena

Jill and Ted love their New York brownstone like a member of the family, meticulously curating every detail to reflect their taste and status. But when a bad investment leaves them in financial peril, they hatch a deadly plan: the death of a wealthy relative could solve all their problems.

As their scheme unfolds, the couple must navigate secrets, lies, and the smallest mistakes that could unravel everything. Getting Away with Murder is a tense, darkly clever thriller about greed, trust, and just how far people will go to protect the life they’ve built.

Release Date: 16th July

Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead

In early 1980s New York, Ray Carney, a successful Harlem business owner, is forced to take one last heist when his wife is denied a loan for her new travel agency. Partnering with his friend Pepper, a seasoned thief with a talent for navigating the city’s underworld, Carney is drawn into a world of crime, danger, and high stakes.

As years pass, past mistakes haunt Carney, and he faces a final chance to protect his family while confronting the violent forces of the city. Cool Machine is a gripping, vividly imagined portrait of New York in transition, blending suspense, crime, and the human cost of ambition beneath the glittering skyline.

Release Date: 21st July