20 Most Anticipated Books
February 2026
It's Not Her - Mary Kubica
Courtney’s lakeside vacation turns deadly when her brother and sister-in-law are murdered in the next cottage. Her teenage niece Reese vanishes, leaving only her young nephew behind. As secrets unravel and suspicion falls on Reese, Courtney must decide if her niece is a victim or the killer in this gripping, twist-filled psychological thriller.
Queen of Faces – Petra Lord
Ana’s failing body leaves her facing death in a world of body-swapping and illusion magic. Caught stealing a new chassis, she’s given a brutal ultimatum by Paragon Academy’s headmaster: become a mercenary or die. This debut YA fantasy blends high-stakes action, gender fluidity, corruption, and survival in a thrilling, identity-shifting adventure.
Dawn of the North – Demi Winters
Silla, the lost Volsik heir, returns to Íseldur to claim her destiny, backed by her fierce warrior lover. Dragons, frozen lands, and epic battles converge in this Viking-inspired romantasy finale. Multiple POVs deliver long-awaited payoffs, sizzling romance, and god-tier worldbuilding as the series reaches its breathtaking, emotional climax.
Love Me Tomorrow – Emiko Jean
After her parents’ divorce, skeptical teen Emma wishes for true love at a Tanabata festival. Mysterious letters from her future soulmate soon arrive, pushing her toward self-discovery. Caught between a childhood friend, a prodigy cellist, and a wealthy classmate, this magical YA rom-com explores family, fate, and the courage to love.
Keeper of Lost Children – Sadeqa Johnson
In post-WWII Germany, one Black woman’s act of compassion links three lives across time: a child survivor, a traumatized soldier, and a woman battling racism. Shifting timelines reveal how kindness reshapes destinies. This moving historical novel explores love—parental, forbidden, self—in the shadow of war, identity, and enduring hope.
Throne of Nightmares – Kerri Maniscalco
A cursed book drags bookish librarian Lore and brooding Prince Sloth into a nightmare realm of twisted fairy tales. To save mortals from vengeful gods, they must retrieve the Book of Nightmares. This standalone romantasy mixes adventure, slow-burn tension, forced proximity, and bookish passion in a high-stakes quest for love.
Operation Bounce House – Matt Dinniman
When Earth turns an alien invasion into the pay-to-play game Operation Bounce House, colonist Oliver Lewis fights to save Sonora. Using scavenged tech and his grandfather’s book, he battles remote-controlled war machines. This fast, funny sci-fi adventure critiques capitalism and AI while delivering heart-pounding action and intergalactic defiance.
Two Can Play – Ali Hazelwood
Rival game designers are trapped together at a snowy retreat to build a new project. The petite heroine has secretly crushed on her towering, grumpy counterpart for years, unaware he feels the same. Miscommunication, steamy tension, and sharp banter ignite this enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance novella full of heat and heart.
Cold Zero – Brad Thor
Hemisphere Airlines Flight 777 disappears over the North Pole after sabotage, crash-landing on Arctic ice. Stranded passengers battle freezing death while espionage and global powers collide. This intense thriller from Brad Thor and Ward Larsen transforms the frozen wilderness into a deadly chessboard of survival and international stakes.
The Astral Library – Kate Quinn
Down-on-her-luck Bostonian Alix Watson discovers a hidden doorway in the public library leading to the Astral Library, a magical sanctuary where desperate book lovers escape into classic novels for new lives. When a mysterious threat attacks this haven, Alix leaps between stories to rescue trapped patrons and save her refuge in this enchanting, whimsical adventure.
Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter – Heather Fawcett
In vibrant Montreal, a magical cat shelter run by Agnes Aubert offers second chances to both felines and people through whimsical spells and heartfelt bonds. When mysteries arise involving enchanted objects and city politics, the shelter becomes a hub of warmth, hope, and intrigue in this puzzling plot full of love and magic.
Where the Wildflowers Grow – Terah Shelton Harris
In the American South, a family grapples with loss, secrets, and the fight to preserve their ancestral land amid generational tensions and personal redemption. Shifting perspectives reveal deep emotional ties to place and kin, exploring themes of heritage, forgiveness, and resilience in this poignant, character-driven novel of love, betrayal, and unbreakable family bonds.
And Now, Back to You – B.K. Borison
Competing meteorologists Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart, long-time rivals with disastrous run-ins, are forced to collaborate during a snowy crisis. Opposites attract in this When Harry Met Sally-inspired romance filled with sharp banter, cozy tension, and heartfelt moments as they discover hidden softness and undeniable chemistry in Baltimore's winter chill.
The Red Winter – Cameron Sullivan
In 1785 France, Professor Sebastian Grave confronts the returned Beast of Gévaudan, a monstrous force tied to centuries of hidden history and bloodshed. This dark, ambitious retelling weaves tragedy, love, and power through a hidden supernatural world spanning Rome to the French Revolution, delivering gore, sharp humor, and a devastating hunt for redemption.
Kin – Tayari Jones
Lifelong friends separated by time and circumstance reunite amid a devastating tragedy that forces them to confront buried secrets, family complexities, and the bonds of sisterhood. Sparkling with wit and deep emotion, this novel explores motherhood, friendship, and womanhood in the American South with profound insight and unforgettable heart.
The Wild Card – Stephanie Archer
Handsome single-dad hockey coach Tate Ward, beloved by players and fans, clashes with new staff member Jordan Hathaway, the bar-owning daughter of the team owner. Forced to work together to save the Vancouver Storm from sale, their enemies-to-lovers tension ignites in this steamy, banter-filled finale full of yearning, heart, and championship stakes.
The Sun and the Starmaker – Rachel Griffin
In snowbound Reverie, Aurora Finch discovers her rare gift to channel sunlight, but must apprentice with the enigmatic, golden-eyed Starmaker or perish from untapped magic. As deadly frost threatens, she uncovers his secrets in this whimsical, romantic YA fantasy of sunshine magic, grumpy-sunshine dynamics, and a love that could save—or doom—their world.
A Hymn to Life – Gisèle Pelicot
In 2020, Gisèle Pelicot discovers her husband of decades secretly drugged and raped her for years, inviting dozens of strangers to assault her. Choosing to waive anonymity at trial, she declares “shame must change sides,” transforming her personal trauma into a global rallying cry for survivors in this defiant, courageous memoir of survival and renewal.
The Girls Before – Kate Alice Marshall
Search-and-rescue expert Audrey, haunted by her teenage best friend’s unsolved disappearance, uncovers evidence that a runaway teen was kidnapped on land tied to the town’s powerful family. Alternating with a trapped girl’s desperate basement perspective, this chilling thriller digs into decades of secrets and lost girls in the forest’s dark history.
Until the Clock Strikes Midnight – Alechia Dow
In a magical twist on Cinderella, rival immortal beings—a talented Guardian named Darling and a mischievous Misfortune—compete for a prestigious mentorship by influencing a lovesick bookshop owner’s fate. This cozy, romantic YA fantasy pits good against mischief in a swoony battle of interventions, with high stakes before the clock strikes midnight.