Meet the books you can’t shelf away

As we settle into a new year, there’s something undeniably comforting about the promise of fresh stories waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re craving the sweep of fantasy realms, the pulse-quickening tension of psychological thrillers, or the warm embrace of contemporary romance, 2026’s literary lineup offers an escape for every mood and moment.

Whether you’re planning your TBR pile or simply curious about what’s capturing readers’ attention this year, these releases represent some of the most buzzed-about titles set to hit shelves in the coming months. 

So, let’s explore the stories that might just become your next obsession.

Here are the most anticipated book releases in 2026:

The Swan’s Daughter

Roshani Chokshi

Should the weight of another year prove unbearable, why not flee to lands of the magical? The Swan’s Daughter dives into the world, the Isle of Malys, where Prince Arris is on a hunt for a wife, but to single out those who are lusting for his powers, he enlists Demelza—a veritas swan who wrings out the truth. Striking a deal with her, she will need to use her truth-telling song to sort through all his potential brides, but when they get tangled up with each other, things go askew.

Release Date: 6 January

The First Time I Saw Him

Laura Dave

Laure Daves dives back into the world of The Last Thing He Told Me—a major blockbuster TV show now—as she continues Hannah Hall’s journey. Five years after her husband, Owen, disappears, Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have finally put the past behind them, until Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, causing them to go on the run to keep themselves safe. As the tension spirals and danger closes in, Hannah stakes it all on rescuing Bailey—only to discover that salvation might lead her back to Owen, and to the second chance they’ve been waiting a lifetime to claim.

Release Date: 6 January

Graceless Heart

Isabel Ibañez

Set in Renaissance Italy—the magical city of Florence in the 15th century—Graceless Heart is Isabel Ibañez’s mesmeric fantasy about a sculptress who enters a competition in hopes of receiving a boon if she wins. Instead of winning, Ravenna Maffei reveals a rare magical talent in a city where magic is forbidden. Captured by Saturnino dei Luni, she is forced to perform impossible, grim tasks to avoid death. But, as they spend more time together, Ravenna must decide between love, survival and duty—and only one can save her life as she becomes everyone’s potential weapon.

Release Date: 13 January

My Husband’s Wife

Alice Feeney 

A thriller laced with a masterclass in misdirection—a taut wire of tension that snaps just when you think you’ve found your footing—My Husband’s Wife is a psychological feat that will leave you questioning everything. The book follows Eden Fox, an artist, as she comes home to a house where a woman eerily similar to her opens the door—her husband insists that the strange woman is his wife—crashing her whole life. But someone is lying, and she needs to uncover the truth and lies. 

Release Date: 20 January

Dear Debbie

Freida McFadden

If romance and enchanted realms fail to stir you, perhaps it’s the sharp edge of a crime thriller—with its shadows, secrets and the intoxicating pursuit of truth—that will finally quicken your pulse. Global sensation, Freida McFadden, is back with another gasp-inducing fun. Dear Debbie follows Debbie Mullen as she spirals out of control after losing her job and finding out her husband is keeping secrets from her. After years of advising the wives of New England with her column, it’s time she takes her own killer advice and starts her revenge. 

Release Date: 27 January 

Marry Me Not

Gabrielle Sands

What begins as a calculated arrangement unravels into something raw and consuming—jealousy that burns, yearning that aches and a will-they-won’t-they dance so charged it threatens to incinerate them both. He wants her gone. But then tragedy shatters everything, and suddenly the man who pushed her away needs her desperately—not as a bride, but as a piece on the chessboard of power. He fights it. She resists it. And yet, with every stolen glance and unspoken confession, the line between obligation and obsession blurs beyond recognition.

Release Date: 31 January 

Love Song

Elle Kennedy 

Who doesn’t love a next-generation series? Elle Kennedy is bringing us nostalgia with her standalone romance based on the Off-Campus series. A summer-themed romance, Love Song follows Blake Logan as she escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe after a brutal breakup. Excited for a summer of no men and no drama, her world comes crashing down when Wyatt Graham arrives—her childhood crush that shattered her pride at sixteen. As they spend the summer together, the tension rises, and they slowly find themselves tangled in the sheets. But, just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces. When fates bring them back together, they must decide whether their love is worth fighting for. 

Release Date: 17 March

Innamorata

Ava Reid

Dark, gothic and visionary, Ava Reid’s soul-consuming fantasy about necromancy and vengeance is about to be your next favourite read. Building her life on revenge, Lady Agnes is ordered to capture the secrets of death magic and avenge her family’s fallen honour. But, when she meets Luiprand, the golden prince—the man who is betrothed to her beloved cousin—she falters. She must make sure she doesn’t fall in love, but it’s harder than she thinks. 

Release Date: 17 March 

The Night We Met

Abby Jimenez 

If there’s anything we know about Abby Jimenez, it’s that she never fails to write a heartwrenching book filled to the brim with laughter, beautiful layers, and messy choices. Set in Minnesota—a constant setting for Jimenez—The Night We Met unravels the reality of how certain decisions can alter your life in either the best or worst way. For Larissa, her split-second decision was choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert—a decision that’s slowly killing her, since the one she rejected, Chris—her boyfriend’s best friend—is, after all, the perfect man for her. Standing on the sidelines could destroy the person they both love wholeheartedly, but learning to be selfishly happy seems beautiful, too. 

Release Date: 31 March 

Game On

Navessa Allen

If you’re ready to wade into darker waters—the kind where shadows, desire and danger tether together—then perhaps it’s time to indulge in a dark romance laced with just enough humour to keep it animated. Game On will make you feel recklessly alive with every page—an enemies-to-lovers with comical banter and scorching hot spice. Tyler Neumann blackmails Stella McCormick—a woman he loathes—to be his girlfriend, so he can get into her family’s circle of friends. On a hunt to destroy his father, Tyler and Stella must make their relationship believable, but the problem? They can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. 

Release Date: 31 March 

Rites of The Starling 

Devney Perry 

Epic, heart-pounding and head-in-the-clouds fun, the second book in the Shield of Sparrows series is coming this month, and all your questions are going to be answered. A princess ventures through a cursed land seeking answers about her lineage, only to find her mission entwined with a vanished warrior’s destiny. Magic, peril, and romance converge in an enthralling romantasy for readers who love Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.

Release Date: 7 April

King of Gluttony 

Ana Huang

We’re still reeling from the exquisite wreckage King of Envy left in its wake, but we couldn’t be more excited to dive back into the world of Kings of Sin. When Sebastian Laurent—a handsome, talented businessman in the culinary empire—is forced to work with Maya Singh, his childhood rival and secret obsession, he thinks it’ll go disastrously, but to their horror, they love it. Determined to one-up each other, they try their hardest not to cross the line, but the line between love and hate has always been a thing for both of them.  

Release Date: 28 April

Our Perfect Storm

Carley Fortune

If you’re looking for more sun-soaked pages that transport you to a summer reverie, then this book may be a refuge waiting for you. A friend-to-lovers narrative, Our Perfect Storm, follows two childhood best friends—Frankie and George—as they do whatever it takes to repair their broken friendship. Confused as to why her fiancé would dump her mere days before the wedding, she agrees to go on her honeymoon with George in the misty beach of Tofino, where they unearth secrets and long-buried feelings for each other. 

Release Date: 5 May

Fury Bound

Sable Sorensen

Step back into the world of direwolves with the second book in The Wolves of Ruin series. As blood will spill, bonds will break, and fate will be tested, Meryn Cooper needs to uphold her vows in fighting for what she’s lost. She needs to gather her pack to claim back her throne and abolish all siphons from her kingdom. But, when revenge means sacrifices, she needs to figure out what she’s willing to forgo to save everyone she loves, especially when she’s finally figured out who her mate could be. Pulse-pounding, Fury Bound is deep-rooted in dark magic, beautiful world-building and throes of passion.

Release Date: 5 May

Broken Dove

Dani Francis 

If fantasy realms and romance-drenched tales aren’t your foxhole, then it’s time to venture into dystopian landscapes, where broken societies and resilient souls offer a different kind of escape. In this jaw-dropping sequel to the best-selling dystopian romance, Silver Elite, Broken Dove dives back into the world of the Continent, where Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: her home and her heart. Finally safe, behind allied lines, she must now navigate how to overthrow the Primes and assist the Uprising. But when hotshot fighter pilot, Grayson Blake, comes barreling in and confuses her feelings for Commander Cross Redden, she needs to decide who is worth fighting for. 

Release Date: 12 May

Fever Dream 

Elsie Silver

Saddle up, girls, we’re going to Emerald Lake for an enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, and yes, it does involve a charming cowboy. Professional bull rider Emmett Bush decides to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Rush, to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. A man who isn’t looking for love, his mission is to give one big performance, until Julia Silva—his rival’s beautiful sister, walks in. Working as the location consultant, she turns Emmette’s life upside down, and as they work together, they find excuses to spend time together. But Emmett is still signed up to play the eligible bachelor, and everyone is depending on him to complete the show—so, he needs to figure out if he wants love or money.

Release Date: 19 May