The Best New Book Releases You Need to Read in 2021
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Need a good read and wondering about new releases?
Do not miss these most anticipated 2021 books already out!
Look for These Books in 2021
If only I had a penny for every time I get excited about a new release…
My bookshelves are overflowing but I can’t resist new books, and that’s why for a few years I’m trying to be more selective, and even if sometimes I need a book on my list, just for the pleasure of a stunning book cover, it has surely become easier to reach my reading goals.
So, while dealing with my personal reading challenge, I’m so excited to share with you, all my most anticipated book releases that include different genres, books hyped and not so much, but hopefully worth the read, and of course authors I enjoyed/loved in the past and promising debut authors.
If you have any book releasing this year, you’d love to recommend or chat about, let me know in the comments.
Happy Reading!
If you’re looking for books out in the coming months, you should also take a look at Upcoming Book Releases of 2021
January 2021 Book Releases
Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise
Women’s FictionJanuary 1, 2021
Three women living at 1054 Mockingbird Lane, their lies and a body hidden at the bottom of their apartment building’s staircase who needs to stay hidden with all their secrets.
Influence by Sarah Shepard and Lilia Buckingham
Mystery & Thriller
January 5, 2021
Into the world of teen influencers, everything seems so perfect online, but what if you could take a peek into their real lives?
The Wife Upstairs
by Rachel Hawkins
Mystery & Thriller
January 5, 2021
When a broke dog walker finds an opportunity in the recently widowed and most mysterious resident in Thornfield Estates, Eddie, everything looks perfect. But, as they fall in love, Jane is haunted by the legend of Bea.
Our Darkest Night
by Jennifer Robson
Historical Fiction
January 5, 2021
During WWII, a young Jewish pose as a Christian farmer’s wife to survive the Holocaust. When suspicion starts, will this marriage be enough to hide their secrets and protect them?
You Have a Match by Emma Lord
Young Adult Fiction
January 12, 2021
From the beloved author of Tweet Cute comes Emma Lord’s You Have a Match, a YA novel of family, friendship, romance and sisterhood…
Lana’s War by Anita Briel
Historical Fiction
January 12, 2021
Paris 1943: When Lana gets to the monastery to tell her husband the news of her pregnancy, she sees SS officers executing him.
A few months later, Lana joins the French Riviera resistance and infiltrates the émigré community of Russian aristocrats…
The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous
Mystery & Thriller
January 12, 2021
The story of Raven Hall, a rambling manor off the coast of England, and the two girls who find themselves trapped in its deadly web of secrets.
The Other Mother by Matthew Dicks
Contemporary Fiction
January 12, 2021
The author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, returns with a coming-of-age novel of a boy coping with the changes in his family by viewing his mother in a new light.
People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
Mystery & Thriller
January 12, 2021
Emmy Jackson’s honesty is the key to her success as an influencer. But when the popularity starts threatening her marriage, she becomes vulnerable to a real danger circling ever closer to her family.
The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis
Women’s Fiction
January 12, 2021
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone for a new charming story about family, forgiveness, and second chances.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Young Adult Fiction
January 12, 2021
For fans of The Hate U Give, the most anticipated return to Garden Heights. At 17 Maverick Carter finds out he’s a father and wants to prove he’s different. But for the son of a former gang legend…
Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner
Mystery & Thriller
January 19, 2021
An ordinary woman starts digging to find the missing people the rest of the world has forgotten. But what if that means the next person to go missing will be her…
Meet Me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft
Women’s Fiction
January 19, 2021
While the world is falling apart, the only hope for Maddy and Luke is a promise that they will meet again in Bombay.
After Shock by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell
Mystery & Thriller
January 19, 2021
When an earthquake strikes San Francisco, forensics expert Jessie Teska faces her biggest threat yet in this explosive new mystery from the New York Times bestselling authors of Working Stiff and First Cut.
If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
Mystery & Thriller
January 26, 2021
When Sera’s favorite true-crime podcast host goes missing, she starts investigating, but the more she digs into this unfamiliar world, the higher are the risks.
The Dressmaker of Paris by Georgia Kaufmann
Historical Fiction
January 28, 2021
For fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton, comes a beautiful debut novel that tells the journey of Rosa, from simple country girl to global fashion icon.
February 2021 Book Releases
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
Contemporary Fiction
February 2, 2021
A powerful novel that captures the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and an unflinching view of motherhood and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Historical Fiction
February 2, 2021
Set in Texas during the Great Depression, The Four Winds is an outstanding novel about the courage of a woman, Elsa Martinelli, and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots.
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
Historical Fiction
February 2, 2021
Based on true accounts, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the story of two courageous women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world.
The Survivors by Jane Harper
Mystery & Thriller
February 2, 2021
Kieran’s guilt for his reckless mistake resurfaces during a visit to the small coastal community he once called home. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge.
The Girl From The Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat
Historical Fiction
February 2, 2021
Inspired by true events, the riveting story of a young Jewish woman trapped on the occupied island of Jersey during World War II. Perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
This Close To Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith
Contemporary Fiction
February 2, 2021
A rainy October night changes everything for Tallie when she spots a man on the side of a bridge. That’s the start of an intense weekend between two strangers who find each other at the moment they need each other most.
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Mystery & Thriller
February 2, 2021
When Elin’s estranged brother and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at a hotel, where once was a sanatorium, she accepts. But when Laure is missing, Elin needs to trust her instincts to find her.
Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon
Romance
February 2, 2021
Love, romance, second chances, fairy-tale endings…these are the things Annika Dev believes in. Her app, Make Up, has been called the “Google Translate for failing relationships.”
Girl A by Abigail Dean
Contemporary Fiction
February 2, 2021
Lex thought her family and her parents’ House of Horrors finally belong to the past now. But there are some things you can’t outrun in this new gripping story of alliances and betrayals of sibling relationships.
Save for Later
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan
Mystery & Thriller
February 2, 2021
Maple Street looks such a perfect, safe place until the Wilde family moves in and triggers their neighbors’ worst fears, in a riveting and ruthless portrayal of American suburbia.
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
Historical Fiction
February 9, 2021
Based on a true story, this amazing new release tells about Odile Souchet, a librarian at the American Library in Paris during Worl War II, who joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books.
The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery
Women’s Fiction
February 9, 2021
From bestselling author Susan Mallery comes the emotional and heartfelt story of a woman starting over to find the perfect blend of love, family, and wine.
The Gilded Ones by Jenny Lecoat
Young Adult Fantasy
February 9, 2021
This debut novel is one of the most anticipated fantasy of 2021. When Deka’s blood runs gold, she knows the consequences and decides to leave her village to fight for the emperor in an army of girls with rare gifts.
The Longest Echo by Eoin Dempsey
Historical Fiction
February 9, 2021
Against the backdrop of WWII-ravaged Italy comes a powerful and emotional novel of love, survival, justice, and second chances by the bestselling author of White Rose, Black Forest.
Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
Mystery & Thriller
February 16, 2021
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Behind Every Lie and The Night Olivia Fell comes an unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel about the lengths one woman will go to save her son.
March 2021 Book Releases
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Historical Fiction
March 2, 2021
In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Historical Fiction
March 9, 2021
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
The Imposter by Marin Montgomery
Mystery & Thriller
March 9, 2021
From the outside looking in, Sibley Sawyer has a perfect life. As a successful attorney, she’s worked hard to get to the top of her game—but when her personal and professional lives implode, Sibley looks for a way to turn the page.
Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison
Mystery & Thriller
March 9, 2021
Fast-paced and brilliantly unpredictable, J.T. Ellison’s breathtaking new novel invites you to a wedding none will forget—and some won’t survive.
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
Historical Fiction
March 9, 2021
It was called “The Titanic of the South.” The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah’s elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten–until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel.
To Catch A Dream by Audrey Carlan
Women’s Fiction
March 9, 2021
Audrey Carlan’s new romantic women’s fiction trilogy features three sisters who, through the discovery of personalized letters from their late mother, rethink the direction of their lives and their relationships.
The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Young Adult Fiction
March 16, 2021
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with a new thrilling novel of an eighteen-year-old girl’s search for answers and what she finds instead.
Meant To Be by Jude Deveraux
Women’s Fiction
March 16, 2021
A family saga chronicling the lives and loves of three generations of women in a small Kansas town. From the 1970s to contemporary times their secrets and passions are explored as they struggle to find their true paths in life.
Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham
Mystery & Thriller
March 23, 2021
When a ritualistic murder shakes a small north Florida community, an agent from the State police is forced to team up with an FBI specialist on cults to uncover the dark past of the town, and who might be twisting faith into something lethal.
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Mystery & Thriller
March 23, 2021
Since she was a child, documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been captivated with the missing population of “The Lost Village.” Now, she wants to make a film about what happened with a group of friends, but strange things start happening.
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
Contemporary Fiction
March 25, 2021
A tale of sacrifice and hope, of homelessness and hardship, of love and survival, in which two marginalized and remarkable people uncover long-held family secrets and, in their own way, repair, recover and begin again.
The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne
Women’s Fiction
March 30, 2021
RaeAnne Thayne’s new novel tells three love stories in one: between a husband and wife who need to find their way back together; between a man and woman taking one more chance at love; and between two sisters, trying to heal the past…
Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West
Women’s Fiction
March 16, 2021
Alice Sullivan, a high-achieving architect and mom of two, is used to being in control of her picture-perfect life. But when she discovers her daughter is failing reading at school and her son is a bully, her perfect life vanishes. As she tries to figure out where she went wrong, her curated life unravels further.
April 2021 Book Releases
The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak
Women’s Fiction
April 6, 2021
A big, sweeping novel about family and the ties that bind and challenge us. In this novel, three generations of women from the same family share a house and work together at a bookstore in Colonial Beach over the course of a summer.
The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
Romance
April 6, 2021
Just My Luck by Adele Parks
Mystery & Thriller
April 6, 2021
A riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping take on friendship, money and betrayal, and good luck gone bad. It was supposed to be the lottery win they’d always dreamed of…
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
Historical Fiction
April 6, 2021
Inspired by the true World War II history of the only bookshop to survive the Blitz, a sweeping story of wartime loss, romance, and the enduring power of literature, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and The Lilac Girls.
In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo
Women’s Fiction
April 6, 2021
From the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wives—estranged friends—who must overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.
The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano
by Donna Freitas
Women’s Fiction
April 6, 2021
A novel about love, loss, betrayal, divorce, death, a woman’s career and her identity, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano is about finding one’s way into a future that wasn’t the future one planned, and the ways that fate intercedes when we least expect it.
Courage, My Love by Kristin Beck
Historical Fiction
April 13, 2021
With the men in their lives captured, executed, or missing, the women of 1943 Italy stepped up to the front lines of the resistance in Rome. Two women, Francesca and Lucia, join the fight for different reasons and yet are united in the strength they share.
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Mystery & Thriller
April 13, 2021
Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be…dangerous.
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Romance
April 13, 2021
A clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.
The Perfect Daughter by D. J. Palmer
Mystery and Thriller
April 20, 2021
Penny Francone is a teenage girl with dissociative identity disorder and charged with murder. Waiting for the trial, Dr. Mitchell McHugh and Penny’s mother, Grace, team up to discover the truth behind the girl’s behavior.
Under The Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Women’s Fiction
April 20, 2021
A fresh and unforgettable exploration of love, friendship, and the unbreakable ties that bind.
The Social Graces by Renée Rosen
Historical Fiction
April 20, 2021
Sweeping three decades and based on true events, this is the mesmerizing story of two fascinating, complicated women going head to head, behaving badly, and discovering what’s truly at stake.
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert
Women’s Fiction
April 20, 2021
Set against the backdrop of the quirky Wisconsin Dells, Amy E. Reichert’s new novel shares the fabulous tradition of supper clubs and the power of random acts of kindness, with a touching supernatural twist.
Anna K Away by Jenny Lee
Young Adult Fiction
April 27, 2021
The most anticipated sequel to Anna K, set over the course of the next summer, as the characters come to terms with Vronsky’s tragic death.
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
Contemporary Fiction
April 27, 2021
Three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life’s curveballs, are brought together on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing just when they least expect it.
May 2021 Book Releases
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
Historical Fiction
May 4, 2021
On the heels of two New York Times bestsellers, Chanel Cleeton brings to life the little-known true story of a Cuban woman who changed the course of American history.
The Woman With the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
Historical Fiction
May 4, 2021
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris comes a riveting tale of unfathomable sacrifice and unlikely friendship during World War II.
The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews
Women’s Fiction
May 4, 2021
After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it. So Letty grabs her four-year-old niece, her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Contemporary Fiction
May 11, 2021
Poppy and Alex have nothing in common, they live far apart, but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until they ruined everything… and this summer, it’s the last chance to fix their relationship and fall in love.
Talk Bookish To Me by Kate Bromley
Romance
May 25, 2021
A laugh-out-loud story about a bestselling romance novelist with writer’s block who finds herself having an unexpected creative and personal reawakening when she’s thrown together with her infuriating (and gorgeous) ex-boyfriend.
June 2021 Book Releases
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Women’s Fiction
June 1, 2021
Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Young Adult Fiction
June 1, 2021
Evie Thomas no longer believes in love, and falling for X was the last thing on her mind. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?
The Road Trip by Beth O’ Leary
Romance
June 1, 2021
Two exes reach a new level of awkwardness when forced to take a road trip together in this endearing and humorous novel by the author of the international bestseller The Flatshare.
Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins
Contemporary Fiction
June 8, 2021
When she finds out she’s dying, Lauren decides to leave her husband a letter a month containing a task to help him face this first year without her, leading him on a heartrending, beautiful, often humorous journey to find happiness.
Tell Me Truth by Matthew Farrell
Mystery & Thriller
June 22, 2021
Jenny is viciously stabbed and left for her mother to find under the pines outside their upscale NY home. State police investigator Susan Adler and her partner Liam Dwyer are called to investigate, but they sense something’s off right away.
July 2021 Book Releases
Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell
Mystery & Thriller
July 6, 2021
Following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye finally publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman. Then is missing student appears, alive and well, on his doorstep, threatening to expose him.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Mystery & Thriller
July 13, 2021
Lynnette Tarkington is a final girl who survived a massacre. She’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for more than a decade until one of the women misses a meeting, and their worst fears come true.
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
Mystery & Thriller
July 20, 2021
Teddy Crutcher is now Teacher of the Year at a prestigious boarding school for the best and brightest and apparently lives a happy life. His main goal is to help these kids reach their full academic potential, even if excellence comes at high costs and with a few losses.
Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl
Romance
July 27, 2021
A twentysomething who lives out every woman’s fantasy: getting paid to give men who do us wrong a taste of their own medicine. But when a previous target unexpectedly shows up at her office, she’s forced to rethink her life as a professional heartbreaker.
Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Mystery & Thriller
July 27, 2021
The Mertons are brutally murdered following a tense Easter dinner with their three adult children. They were never a happy family because of their vengeful father and neglectful mother, but one of the siblings may be more disturbed than anyone realized.
August 2021 Book Releases
We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
Mystery & Thriller
August 3, 2021
Emily is with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip. But on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen has been forced to kill a man in self-defense. But that’s not the first time.
The Turnout by Megan Abbott
Mystery & Thriller
August 3, 2021
Save for Later
The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding
Mystery & Thriller
August 10, 2021
The Adlers are attractive, successful, with well-mannered children and a beautiful home, and their neighbors envy them.
Until they wake up one morning to find their porch has been pelted with eggs. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they’re helpless as the assaults escalate into violence and worse.
Write My Name Across by Barbara O’Neal
Women’s Fiction
August 10, 2021
The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison
Women’s Fiction
August 10, 2021
It’s 1927 when talented Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a Ziegfeld Follies star. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more. Until she meets the handsome and wealthy Archie Carmichael.
When The Summer Was Ours by Roxanne Veletzos
Historical Fiction
August 24, 2021
The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
Women’s Fiction
August 31, 2021
Lonely librarian June Jones comes out of her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and she makes life-changing friendships along the way thanks to the efforts and support of an unusual group of library patrons.
September 2021 Book Releases
Never Saw Me Coming by Lia Louis
Mystery and Thriller
September 7, 2021
With the sharp-edged wit of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl meets the smart, sexy voice of Caroline Kepnes’ You, Never Saw Me Coming is a dynamic debut thriller about a group of students diagnosed with psychopathy who are being hunted on campus, with explosive results.
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Contemporary Fiction
September 7, 2021
Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young, but life is catching up with them. While they worry about their friendships, the world they live in, will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Mystery & Thriller
September 7, 2021
Things have been wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. But after ten years of marriage, years of secrets, this will be an anniversary they will never forget.
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
Young Adult Fiction
September 7, 2021
In this chilling debut supernatural thriller, an adolescent girl vanishes into thin air from a small village deep in the bayou. But nobody can be deemed innocent in a town with dark and shallow lies and a killer on the loose.
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
Biography
September 7, 2021
Investigator Jessica Niemi is in a race against time to find the link between a body with strange markings that has washed up on a frigid shore in Finland and two baffling disappearances in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Hunter.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Azelwood
Romance
September 14, 2021
When a fictitious relationship between scientists collides with the overwhelming force of attraction, Olivia carefully calibrated beliefs on love are thrown into chaos, and she realizes that the only thing more complicated than a love theory is examining her own heart.
My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa
Mystery & Thriller
September 14, 2021
A haunting thriller featuring incisive commentary on “white savior complex” and the “othering” of people of color. The story follows Sri Lankan-American woman, Paloma Evans, as she tries to discover who murdered her roommate after all evidence of his death has been erased.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Historical Fiction
September 28, 2021
From the fifteenth-century Constantinople to a small town in present-day Idaho to an interstellar ship decade in the future, this novel is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in perilous worlds who find resilience, hope—and a book.
Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis
Women’s Fiction
September 28, 2021
On a snowy March evening, Noelle is driving home when disaster strikes. With highways closed due to a blizzard, she is trapped, alone in her car, until Sam Attwood taps on her window and offers aid. The following eight hours are spent together until daybreak approaches and the roads finally clear.
The Ice Coven by Anthony Doerr
Mystery & Thriller
September 28, 2021
From the fifteenth-century Constantinople to a small town in present-day Idaho to an interstellar ship decade in the future, this novel is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in perilous worlds who find resilience, hope—and a book.
The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
Contemporary Fiction
September 28, 2021
1996 was the year that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Nowadays, she’s a well-known travel photographer suddenly grounded for the holidays, struggling with a sobering medical diagnosis. As the days pass, she tells her assistant about a previous Christmas—and the love that sent her on a path she could never have anticipated.
More Books Coming Soon...