50+ Best Upcoming Book Releases Worth the Read this Year

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UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES 2026

Are you eager to find out what’s in store for 2026 when it comes to upcoming book releases? Look no further – here are the most anticipated new releases that should be on your reading list! Don’t miss out on these upcoming gems. Get ready for a great year of reading!

Most Anticipated Books for Your Reading List

Every new year comes with a list of goals, challenges, expectations, and great reads.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all these new books, but don’t worry; I’m here to help you find great stories and new favorite authors.

Whether you’re looking for thrillers, historical fiction novels, or swoon-worthy romances, these upcoming book releases will have you covered.

The books are sorted by release dates and updated regularly, so you’ll quickly discover the most up-to-date upcoming book releases. All you have to do is relax and find your next favorite read.

READING CHALLENGE 2026

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January 2026 Upcoming Book Releases

The Water Lies book cover

The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson

Thriller

January 1, 2026

A chance encounter and a child’s haunting recognition draw two women into a dangerous search for the truth behind a death no one else wants to question.

Amazon | Goodreads

The First Time I Saw Him book cover

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

Thriller

January 6, 2026

When the husband she thought was gone forever suddenly reappears, Hannah Hall is forced into a dangerous flight that tests love, trust, and the price of a second chance.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Homeschooled book cover

Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill Block

Memoir

January 6, 2026

Pulled from school by a loving but increasingly erratic mother, a boy grows up in isolation and must later fight to reclaim his own voice and independence.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Skylark book cover

Skylark by Paula McLain

Historical Fiction

January 6, 2026

Across two dark moments in Parisian history, a young woman and a medical student risk everything to defy injustice, protect the vulnerable, and reclaim hope from places designed to erase it.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Storm book cover

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

Thriller

January 6, 2026

As a historic Alabama inn braces for another hurricane, a woman’s return reopens a decades-old murder—and proves that some secrets are more dangerous than storms.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Star Society book cover

The Star Society by Gabriella Saab

Historical Fiction

January 6, 2026

In postwar Hollywood, two estranged sisters are reunited by fame and fear, only to discover that their shared secrets may be more dangerous than the enemies hunting them.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Anatomy of an Alibi book cover

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Thriller

January 13, 2026

A calculated identity swap between two women spirals into murder, deception, and a deadly race to secure the perfect alibi.

Amazon | Goodreads 

JANUARY 2026 NEW BOOK RELEASES

Want to know more about this month’s new books?

Woman Down book cover

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover

Thriller

January 13, 2026

A disgraced writer retreats to a lakeside cabin for inspiration, only to find her comeback—and her downfall—entwined with a detective who may be using her as much as she’s using him.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Shark House book cover

The Shark House by Sara Ackerman

Mystery

January 13, 2026

Amid a series of mysterious shark attacks in Hawaiʻi, a marine biologist is forced to confront a traumatic past that refuses to stay buried.

Amazon | Goodreads 

It Should Have Been You book cover

It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara

Thriller

January 13, 2026

A single misdirected WhatsApp message turns suburban gossip into a deadly nightmare when someone decides to make a threat real.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Future Saints book cover

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

Contemporary Fiction

January 20, 2026

When a struggling band’s raw new sound explodes overnight, grief, ambition, and an unexpected love threaten to either remake them—or tear them apart.

Amazon | Goodreads 

My Husband's Wife book cover

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

Thriller

January 20, 2026

Two women claim the same life, the same house, and the same husband—forcing the truth to surface where identity, deception, and fate collide.

Amazon | Goodreads 

When We Were Brilliant book cover

When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen

Historical Fiction

January 20, 2026

A chance meeting between Norma Jeane Baker and photographer Eve Arnold sparks a daring collaboration that reshapes Marilyn Monroe—and irrevocably alters both women’s lives.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Half His Age book cover

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Contemporary Fiction

January 20, 2026

A seventeen-year-old girl’s intense fixation on her older teacher becomes a raw exploration of desire, power, and the aching need to be truly seen.

Amazon | Goodreads 

A Box Full of Darkness book cover

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St.James

Paranormal Mystery

January 20, 2026

When their long-lost brother mysteriously returns, three siblings are forced back to a haunted town where ghosts—and buried truths—refuse to stay silent.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Room in the Attic book cover

The Room in the Attic by T.M. Logan

Thriller

January 20, 2026

A hidden room in a family’s dream house becomes the starting point of an obsession that threatens to unravel everything Adam holds dear.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Sea Child book cover

The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus

Historical Fiction

January 20, 2026

A widowed woman returns to a Cornish village haunted by myth and smuggling, where her mysterious past and a dangerous love draw her ever closer to the sea that may claim her.

Amazon | Goodreads 

How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder book cover

How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley

Literary Fiction

January 20, 2026

In 1980s rural Wyoming, a sharp-tongued Indian-American teen unpacks family, history, and colonial violence as she explains why her uncle must die.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Catch Her If You Can book cover

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey

Romance

January 20, 2026

A long-simmering crush turns into a fake marriage when a devoted baseball catcher proposes convenience—and vows to make it real.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Her Cold Justice book cover

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni

Thriller

January 27, 2026

When a young man is accused of a brutal double murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan risks everything to uncover a case that spirals into a deadly conspiracy.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Make It Out Alive book cover

Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan

Thriller

January 27, 2026

An undercover honeymoon turns into a lethal game when two agents discover the serial killer they caught had an even deadlier partner waiting in the shadows.

Amazon | Goodreads 

This Book Made Me Think of You book cover

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

Romance

January 29, 2026

A grieving widow receives twelve books and letters from her late husband, guiding her through a year of loss, healing, and unexpected new beginnings.

Amazon | Goodreads 

February 2026 Upcoming Book Releases

One & Only book cover

One & Only by Maurene Goo

Romance

February 3, 2026

Cassia Park believes in soulmates—until a casual fling collides with the destiny she’s waited ten years for. Torn between fate and free will, she must decide what love really means.

Amazon | Goodreads

Stolen Midnights book cover

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

Young Adult Fantasy

February 3, 2026

A stolen locket binds a privileged princess and a hardened thief, pulling them into a dangerous game where magic, power, and fate threaten to unravel an entire city.

Amazon | Goodreads

How to Kill a Guy in ten Dates book cover

How To Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Thriller

February 3, 2026

A disastrous speed-dating night turns into a bloody game of survival when Jamie realizes a masked killer might be murdering people for love.

Amazon | Goodreads

Keeper of Lost Children

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

Historical Fiction

February 10, 2026

Across postwar Germany and segregated America, three lives intertwine as buried choices, abandoned children, and questions of identity echo across generations.

Amazon | Goodreads

Warning Signs book cover

Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra

Thriller

February 10, 2026

On a remote backcountry ski trip, a vigilant twelve-year-old realizes that the greatest danger may not be the wilderness—but the men he’s trapped there with.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Our Beautiful Mess book cover

Our Beautiful Mess by Adele Parks

Thriller

February 10, 2026

A long-awaited family Christmas turns dangerous when a mother’s buried past collides with her daughter’s life-changing secret.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Fourth Princess book cover

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang

Historical Fiction

February 10, 2026

In 1911 Shanghai, a young woman’s new position in a haunted manor draws her into buried secrets, dangerous desires, and questions about her own mysterious past.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Astral Library book cover

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Magical Realism

February 10, 2026

A book-loving young woman discovers a secret library that lets readers step inside classic novels—only to find that this magical refuge is under threat.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Girls Before book cover

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

Thriller

February 10, 2026

A woman trapped in a pitch-dark basement and a search-and-rescue expert chasing an old disappearance are bound by a town’s buried secrets and the girls who never made it out.

Amazon | Goodreads 

When I Kill You book cover

When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

Thriller

February 17, 2026

A woman haunted by a past obsession begins to fear she’s being watched, forcing her to question whether she’s the hunter—or the next victim.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The New Neighbors book cover

The New Neighbors by Claire Douglas

Thriller

February 17, 2026

When Lena overhears her new neighbors discussing what sounds like a crime, suspicion takes root—and confronting it may expose the secrets she’s worked hardest to bury.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Where the Wildflowers Grow book cover

Where the Wildflowers Grow  by Terah Shelton Harris

Contemporary Fiction

February 17, 2026

After surviving unimaginable loss and a prison bus crash, Leigh hides on a secluded Alabama flower farm, where healing, love, and buried secrets collide.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Her Last Breath book cover

Her Last Breath  by Taylor Adams

Thriller

February 17, 2026

Trapped deep underground after a brutal attack, Tess survives the cave—only to discover the real danger may have followed her out.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Kin book cover

Kin by Tayari Jones

Literary Fiction

February 24, 2026

Two girls raised side by side in a small Louisiana town grow into women whose radically different paths test the meaning of family, loyalty, and survival.

Amazon | Goodreads 

What Happened That Night book cover

What Happened That Night by Nicci French

Thriller

February 24, 2026

A long-ago murder resurfaces when a disgraced man gathers his former friends for a reunion that ends in blood—and buried truths refuse to stay buried.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Cleopatra book cover

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

Historical Fiction

February 24, 2026

Cleopatra retells her life beyond the myths, exposing the power, strategy, and sacrifice behind her reign. A bold reimagining of a woman history tried to erase.

Amazon | Goodreads 

She Thought She Was Safe book cover

She Thought She Was Safe by Terri Parlato

Thriller

February 24, 2026

A long-ago murder resurfaces when a disgraced man gathers his former friends for a reunion that ends in blood—and buried truths refuse to stay buried.

Amazon | Goodreads 

One of Us book cover

One of Us by Elizabeth Day

Literary Fiction

February 24, 2026

A glamorous political dynasty is shaken when a woman’s death exposes the secrets, ambitions, and betrayals binding everyone left behind.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Violin Maker’s Secret book cover

The Violin Maker’s Secret by Evie Woods

Magical Realism

February 24, 2026

A mysterious violin hidden in Heathrow’s Lost and Found brings three strangers together, quietly altering their lives as its long-buried secret begins to surface.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Nowhere Burning book cover

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

Thriller

February 24, 2026

Fleeing a violent home, two siblings seek refuge in a desert sanctuary that demands a terrifying price for safety.

Amazon | Goodreads 

March 2026 Upcoming Book Releases

I Came Back for You book cover

I Came Back for You by Kate White

Thriller

March 1, 2026

Ten years after her daughter’s murder, a shocking confession forces a grieving mother to reopen the case—and question everything she thought she knew.

Amazon | Goodreads

Strangers in the Villa book cover

Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding

Thriller

March 3, 2026

Trying to save their marriage, Sydney and Curtis retreat to a remote Spanish villa- until strangers arrive and turn betrayal into something far more deadly.

Amazon | Goodreads

A Girl Like Her book cover

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert

Romance

March 3, 2026

Ruth has made peace with being alone—until Evan sees her for who she really is. As love grows, her past returns, forcing her to choose between safety and the chance at something real.

Amazon | Goodreads

Missing Sister book cover

Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson

Thriller

March 3, 2026

After her twin sister’s death, a rookie cop is pulled into a deadly game of revenge where justice, guilt, and sisterhood collide.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Lake Effect book cover

Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Literary Fiction

March 3, 2026

A mother’s forbidden awakening in 1970s Rochester leaves a lasting fracture that her daughter must confront decades later when the past resurfaces.

Amazon | Goodreads

Lady Tremaine book cover

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

Retelling

March 3, 2026

A sharp Cinderella retelling that reimagines Lady Tremaine as a mother fighting for survival, respectability, and the safety of the daughter history taught us to mistrust.

Amazon | Goodreads

Want to Know a Secret? book cover

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden

Thriller

March 3, 2026

A picture-perfect baking influencer hides deadly secrets behind her viral recipes—until someone decides to expose them all.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Served Him Right book cover

Served Him Right by Lisa Unger

Thriller

March 10, 2026

A celebratory brunch turns deadly when a woman with a dangerous reputation becomes the prime suspect in a crime fueled by secrets, vengeance, and long-buried truths.

Amazon | Goodreads 

It Girl book cover

It Girl by Allison Pataki

Historical Fiction

March 10, 2026

At the turn of the twentieth century, a young shopgirl becomes America’s first female celebrity—and must survive fame, scandal, and a crime that threatens to define her forever.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line book cover

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano

Thriller

March 17, 2026

When Finlay Donovan’s best friend is framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Finlay dives headfirst into a dangerous investigation that puts loyalty, motherhood, and the law on a collision course.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Night We Met book cover

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

Romance

March 24, 2026

A single choice after a concert binds three hearts together, turning friendship into an impossible love that hurts because it feels so right.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Almost Life book cover

Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Literary Fiction

March 24, 2026

A chance meeting in 1970s Paris sparks a love that spans decades, shaped by longing, secrecy, and the lives Erica and Laure almost lead.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Daughter of Egypt book cover

Daughter of Egypt  by Marie Benedict

Historical Fiction

March 24, 2026

Across ancient and modern Egypt, two fearless women defy history’s erasure to claim power, truth, and legacy in a world determined to silence them.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Game On book cover

Game On by Navessa Allen

Dark Romance

March 31, 2026

A ruthless revenge plot turns dangerously intimate when two enemies are forced into a fake relationship that blurs the line between hatred and desire.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Keeper book cover

The Keeper by Tana French

Thriller

March 31, 2026

A young woman’s death fractures a remote Irish village, drawing an outsider and his fiancée into a feud where loyalty can be as dangerous as the truth.

Amazon | Goodreads 

April 2026 Upcoming Book Releases

American Fantasy book cover

American Fantasy by Emma Fantasy

Literary Fiction

April 7, 2026

On a nostalgia-fueled cruise with her sister, a newly divorced woman rediscovers desire, connection, and the possibility of a different second act.

Amazon | Goodreads

Go Gentle book cover

Go Gentle by Maria Semple

Literary Fiction

April 14, 2026

A contented Stoic divorcée’s carefully balanced life unravels when desire, danger, and a buried past collide, forcing her to risk everything for more.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Island Club book cover

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

Historical Fiction

April 28, 2026

In 1950s Balboa Island, three women bound by secrets, scandal, and a shared tennis court discover how friendship can become an act of survival.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block book cover

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Mystery

April 28, 2026

After her husband leaves her for their private chef, a recently retired woman enrolls in cooking school abroad and discovers a second act she never saw coming.

Amazon | Goodreads 

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50+ Best Upcoming Book Releases Worth the Read in 2026

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