Hi loves,

It only just occurred to me that since I get access to a ton of upcoming releases, I should probably start telling you more about the ones that pique my interest as they find me!!

So that’s what I’m going to do today! DISCLAIMERS

• These are not reviews. I have not read them (unless otherwise stated)

• These are recommendations based on a surface level amount of knowledge.

• Books that I saw, read the synopses, thought “that sounds fun/interesting/weird/etc.” and put on this list for you in case you also think they would be fun/interesting/weird/etc.

• Some of them aren’t even recs. Some are simply “hey look what I found” books.

ALL OF THESE WILL PUBLISH IN JANUARY 2026

Tea & Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher (historical fantasy romance) JANUARY 1

1854 Cornwall, Mina works at a cozy tearoom, but as she start noticing shapes in her tea leaves she also stumbles across a body on her way home. The recluse in the tower outside of town is who everyone thinks is responsible but when he visits the tea room one day and their paths cross, both of their fates will change forever.

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet (ya mystery Little Women retelling) JANUARY 6

New Year’s Day, Beth is found dead in the woods and her sister Amy, Jo and Meg won’t rest until they know who did it, there are plenty of suspects... OR is one of the sisters to blame? What an interesting little spin on this classic story. Will the March sisters be torn apart by this or will they work together to uncover the truth? Also the cover is delicious. It better not be AI.

The Starseekers by Nicole Glover (historical sci-fi) JANUARY 6

It’s the space race but with magic… and murder. Cynthia is a brilliant Nasa engineer and possesses a magical talent but she is also a sleuth! She hosts an educational show and with the help of Theo, they investigate the strange behavior of the curator and a recent murder of one of their coworkers.

Galentines Day by Rebecca Anderson (contemporary fiction) JANUARY 6

A funny love letter to female friendships and all the ups and downs. This story follows a trio of friends and their annual sleepover tradition over 13 years of time and through highs, lows, mess, joy, tragedy and growing up.

Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt (mystery fantasy) JANUARY 6

She is Death but even Death deserves a break now and then but when she finally takes one and sets up camp on earth, someone starts killing people before it is their time and she has to figure out who. To make things worse, her sister Life is blaming her for all of this. There’s also a hot parasitologist that is making it hard to concentrate! Sounds messy, dark and weird. IM IN!

Greta Gets The Girl by Melissa Marr (sapphic romance) JANUARY 13

We’ve got a pickle on our hands. Curvy, successful Greta crosses path with a stoic, tattooed author, Kaelee, on a dating app and even though she has suffered a heartbreak and vowed only casual things from now on… does she want more? Does Kaelee? Well, who knows? Especially now that Kaelee walks into a meeting with her new editor and WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT it’s Greta or “Marie” as her profile states. Kaelee’s homophobic family shows up to stop her from the “embarrassing” endeavor of publishing queer books and Greta has some choices to make!

A Killer Kind of Romance by Letizia Lorini (romance mystery) JANUARY 13

So after a small town true crime podcaster is handed the reins of the network’s romance show, she realizes that someone is reenacting the horrific crimes she used to discuss on air. To make the plot even thicker, a dangerous, hot man from her past returns after years away and is the prime suspect... but also really hot. Will this be a love story or a true crime nightmare?!

Graceless Heart by Isabel Canas (historical fantasy romance) JANUARY 13

When the sculptress Ravenna enters a contest held by a secretive, immortal family in hopes of winning and saving her brother, she reveals her magical abilities in a city where magic is forbidden. So now she has a target on her back and has to figure out a plan while also becoming closer to the cold but alluring family heir, Saturnino Dei Luni. Honestly, this feels beyond me but it might be just what you were looking for!

Like in Love with You by Emma R. Alban (sapphic historical romance) JANUARY 13

This asks the question what if Cady Herron and Regina George existed in high society 1800’s England AND they kiss a little?

Genderqueer Menopause by Lasara Firefox Allen, MSW | JANUARY 13

As a cis gendered person who finds the concept of menopause daunting, I cannot imagine how this would feel to navigate as a gender non conforming or trans person. The author is a menopause doula, coach, and genderqueer educator and the book claims to help you with things like reframing negative beliefs/internalized biases, demystifying menopause to help you define your own experience, managing symptoms and pushing back against heteronormative medical standards of care. You also hear from nonbinary, trans people throughout. This sounds amazing and like an incredible resource to have for yourself or just to be more knowledgable about this for your gender nonconforming friends!

The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee (sapphic vampire fantasy romance) JANUARY 13

I’m gonna keep it real with you, I pulled it up, I saw the word vampires, I slammed it onto the list. A vampire hunter goes undercover at a mysterious university in the Scottish Highlands and ends up falling for her roommate who JUST SO HAPPENS to be a vampire. Would you believe this luck?! Will she kiss her or kill her… I guess we gotta read it and find out!

Sheer by Vanessa Lawrence (queer literary fiction) JANUARY 13

2015, A workaholic founder of the cult make up company Reveal is suspended from her position after a brush with scandal. As she sits in her NYC apartment, she looks back at her rise to the top, all she’s accomplished, all she’s had to fight and all she’s had to keep secret including her sexuality.

Pretty Vicious by Lexi Davis (southern gothic, dark academia romance…) JANUARY 13

So Laurel is trying to keep her head down, finish school and deliver pizzas to keep her father fed. Then one night she witnesses a murder on the grounds of the most elite frat on campus. Now she is prisoner of The Order - a powerful society that runs this town - and the heir to the Ashford legacy has claimed her as her own. It’s obey or die but love doesn’t follow rules and neither does Laurel!

If that doesn’t do it for you, here is a blurb I found: “Dark academia meets Southern Gothic in this emotionally intense, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, morally gray, twisted college romance filled with secrets, violence, and impossible love. Perfect for fans of Penelope Douglas, LJ Shen, Shantel Tessier, and Sierra Simone.” ::SIDE EYE::

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (a bindery pub, ya dystopian horror) JANUARY 13

The Breakfast Club meets 28 Days Later or so they tell me! This was originally published in 2012 but now thanks to Bindery, it is revised, updated and so back! This follows a suicidal teen who is forced to shelter in place at the high school with a few classmates during the zombie apocalypse! This sounds incredible, I can’t wait to read it.

Blank Canvas by Grace Murray (literary weird girl fiction) JANUARY 15

This cover speaks to me and is already giving weird girl fiction if its giving anything. This quote says a lot too “If I ever woke up with an ungodly dread — that I could change it all now, turn around, and confess — I ignored it. I had never been good, and there was no point in trying now.” So Charlotte is attending a small liberal arts college where she doesn’t have a lot of friends but when she tells them that her dad died over the summer, she can see them soften to her so she leans in. The tricky part though is that her dad is alive and wanting to visit. Oops.

Fruit of the Flesh by IV Ophelia (gothic historical romance) | JANUARY 20

Gothic historical romance where a ballerina and a sculptor in early 1900’s NYC choose to marry in order to make their lives easier however… each of them are hiding a dark side that could tear them apart or cause them to come together and make something truly monstrous together.

I Don't Wish You Well by Jumata Emil (queer YA mystery) | JANUARY 20
5 years ago, 4 young men were killed by someone in a masked, they were coined the Trojan Murders. They arrested someone but did they get the right guy? A young podcaster decides he’s going to dig into it and see what he can find but will he live to tell of what he uncovers?

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva (cozy queer fantasy romance) JANUARY 20

A goblin and a halfling find themselves in a pickle: they both think they’ve inherited a cottage. So they decide that they will live in there together until one of them cracks and backs out but with such close proximity and tension, they start to fall in love.

Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow (historical romance) JANUARY 20

England, 1794. Now in her thirties, Lady Henrietta Bessborough is married but in the time and society she lives in, it is encouraged to take a lover. The rules are simple, be discreet, don’t disgrace your husband and don’t get attached. However… she starts to get attached. Whatever will she do?!

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James (horror, paranormal mystery) JANUARY 20

From the author of The Sun Down Motel.
A lot of strange things were happening in the town the siblings fled 18 years before but the last straw that brought them back was their brother’s disappearance. One of the siblings can see dead people and they are going to find answers.

Kink Curious, A Guide to Exploring Your Kinks, Dispelling Shame, and Staying Safe by Gigi Engle (nonfiction history/sex) JANUARY 21

I mean, it’s kind of self explanatory isn’t it? I love the cover and I love learning about kink and this book seems right up my alley. Plus, its also said to have questionnaires, worksheets, activities etc. inside and I love an activity omg.

Funeral Song by Carly Racklin (queer supernatural horror) JANUARY 27

In a strange town where the Angel of Death cursed the dead to always return as ghosts, a woman is murdered by her wife and resurrected against her will and all she wants is to rest in peace. But Death’s gift is stolen and the guard murdered in a way that is very similar to Friede’s own murder and now she has to figure out what the hell is happening before its too late for her and all the other aimless souls.

Falling for the Fake Lumberjack by Sara Ney (romance) JANUARY 27

Silly goofy romance alert. Ok so apparently this small town romance is between a yoga teach and a man who is pretending to be a lumberjack but is actually a linebacker and there were one too many puns in the synopsis so I figured I would toss this in for a potentially fun unserious time. AND WHO KNOWS maybe this will be delightful? I don't know.

In Bloom by Liz Allan (coming of age, fiction) JANUARY 27

A coming of age, chaotic story of class, circumstances and making it work even when friendships break down. 4 young misfit girls from single mom homes form a band with big dreams of winning the battle of the bands and getting out of town are faced with an issue when their lead singer quits and accuses their music teacher of SA.

The Slow Burn by Ali Rosen (contemporary romance) JANUARY 27

One thing about me… if there is a plot point in a story where someone fucks off to Italy for a bit, I am in. That is the premise of this: a chef in a bad way fucks off to Italy for a bit and meets an olive oil farmer maker I don't know and throughout the story she starts to kind of find herself and as her trip nears the end, she isn’t sure where to go from here!

Dom Com by Adriana Anders (contemporary romance with BDSM) JANUARY 27

So an experienced Dom and a baby Sub walk into a sex club and have a bit of fun but THEN GASP they also walk into the same building for work and realize they are new coworkers who have to keep their kinky extracurriculars a secret! BUT and I QUOTE “there is no safe word for falling in love” AWWWWWWW

The Beasts of Winter by JC Cervantes (middle grade fantasy) JANUARY 27

An evil winter queen cursed Fetch into a fox and kidnapped his younger sister Violet. Now, she announces that she will be throwing a party in the same place Violet is being held so he might finally have a chance to sneak in and rescue her! I love a fox character, blame Fantastic Mr. Fox for that, that movie is very dear, very precious to me so I am always willing to give a fox a chance and this one seemed cute.

A Dance with Death by Amanda Linsmeier (gothic dark romance) JANUARY 27

So I’m gonna be real with you guys, I saw this cover and flagged it just based on that. I flag a lot of covers making this list though, and I try for a wide selection so there might be something for everyone. Some of them don’t make the cut once I read the synopsis, others don’t make the cut just because they don’t interest me but this one… I was like “oh ok then go off” and here it is. So a girl with dreams of becoming a ballerina would do anything to bring her sister back to life. When she finds out there’s a demon living nearby that could help her, she goes to find him but instead, finds a pair of magic shoes which she steals, puts on and skyrockets to stardom. When the demon comes to hunt down what was stolen from him, the shoes and the girl are inseparable so he imprisons her and makes her dance for him as punishment and while she starts to devise a plan of escape, of saving her sister, etc. she also finds herself becoming more and more interested in getting to know her captor… “the gothic love story you didn’t know you were missing” and we will see. BET

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff (thriller) JANUARY 27

Lucy is a famous influencer, infamous for escaping a cult years ago and killing someone in the process. A documentary is her chance to set the record straight about what really happened so long ago and hopefully keep her critics from poking holes in the secrets she has fought to keep. Told in dual timelines with past Lucy and the documentary making it a story within a story kind of thing, this sounds really chaotic and messy and fun. Love the cover too.

On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield (sapphic, southern gothic literary horror) JANUARY 27

Judith flees her childhood home and abusive mother and finds shelter in a dilapidated house that is almost as haunted as she is. The ghosts and haints that roam the blood soaked land fuel her towards becoming a healer but when a strange, alluring woman shows up on her door she isn’t sure what to do with herself, especially when her past feels like it’s coming back around.

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang (historical, lit fic fantasy) JANUARY 27

A debut spanning decades and continents, A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing employs a combination of folklore and atmospheric prose to examine the legacy of colonialism through the eyes of three generations. So Qianze hasn’t seen her father in forever. He left one day when she was 14 and never came back. One day, she gets a call that there is a man on the porch of her childhood home and he’s asking for her but when she sees him, she doesn’t recognize him even as he starts telling stories of their past and strange creatures begin to haunt her dreams and her waking life too!

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik (romantasy) JANUARY 27

The first line of the synopsis being “there’s something in the woods” is genius because a bitches love a “Something in the woods” moment. Me, I’m bitches. Reila is barely trained but her villages only hope so agrees to go and slay the monster who has been haunting her woods but that monster is actually two and when she thinks she has met her end, a hot, scarred stranger with moon magic saves her. She awakens a while later in a strange castle with a huge library, a wolf and the man who saved her. BUT ALL IS NOT AS IT SEEMS and it never is, things are revealed, they uncover things about each other, themselves, blah blah you get it. Sounds fun, I’m in.

Sundown Girl by LS Stratton (ya thriller) JANUARY 27

While vacationing in a southern Virginia town with a dark past, Naomi notices that the vibes are off and the whole town smells rank - but she is the only one who can smell it. As she uncovers more about the town’s history, ghost girls start showing up outside her window, she finds that two girls went missing recently and the tourist spot’s sundown town past might not be dead and buried after all.

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart (dark historical lit fic) JANUARY 27

If The Handmaid’s Tale took place in 1940’s America. Ruth is stopped on her way to work by a cop, insistent on testing her in order to “preserve decency and prevent the spread of disease.” Ruth has barely even kissed a man before but it doesn’t matter, she is sent to the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women anyway. Despite the horrific “training” sessions and conditions, Ruth and other women band together to survive and fight back, no matter what.

Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane (historical, literary fiction) JANUARY 27

Inspired by true stories of enslaved men and women who worked together and fought back during the Civil War, it follows many POVs as they find each other, link arms and leave their mark.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST (WELL ACTUALLY...)

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover (thriller romance) JANUARY 13

I had to include the latest from Colleen Hoover, who was supposed to be retiring after the nightmare reception and scandal/mess around her film adaptation of It Ends with Us... and now... actually, just read the synopsis.

Her words used to set the page on fire. But a viral backlash over her latest film adaptation forced Petra Rose to take a hiatus, resulting in missed deadlines and an overdue mortgage. Branded a fraud and fame-hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the internet turns on you. And she’s been uninspired to write ever since.

Now, with her next suspense novel outlined and savings nearly gone, she retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin, hoping to find inspiration. It’s Petra’s last-ditch attempt to save her career—and herself.

Then he shows up.

Detective Nathaniel Saint arrives with disturbing news, his presence igniting a creativity in her she thought long since burned out. Petra’s words return in a rush, and her fictional cop character begins to mirror the very real cop who’s becoming her muse.

Their “research” sessions blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Each glance, every touch pulls Petra deeper into a world she thought she’d never lose herself in again. She’s never felt more alive. But inspiration this powerful comes at a cost.

When Saint starts taking his role in her career a little too seriously, Petra’s forced to confront the chaos she created. But doing so could cost her more than the reputation she’s been trying to salvage. The reputation the world wrote for her—the reputation only she can reclaim.