Flannel shirts, cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes and falling leaves make autumn the perfect time to pick up a new romance book! If fit our Modern Romantic Reader Type, you know that nothing beats curling up under a fluffy blanket with a swoon-worthy love story. Bring on the happily ever afters!
Discover the season's best new romance books, ranging from witty rom-coms to fake-dating tropes, workplace relationships and emotional slow burns with the hand-picked book list. Packed with irresistible new hits from celebrated romance authors like Ali Hazelwood, Abby Jimenez, Christina Lauren and Lucy Score, these new release books will make you fall in love this autumn.
Best New Romance Books October 2026
A Court of Splintered Harmony: The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I
by Sarah J Maas
Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.
What was broken will be remade.
Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.
The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day.
To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.
But to defeat Koschei's creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.
Adam and Eve
by Jeffrey Archer
THE FINAL NOVEL FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER
November 11th, 1918. As the guns of the First World War fall silent, two babies draw their first breath.
Eve is the daughter of an Earl. Adam, a shepherd's son. Yet from their first meeting they form an extraordinary bond that neither privilege nor prejudice can break.
Then on a single September night in 1940, as Hitler prepares to invade the British Isles, their actions will change his mind. Determining not just their own futures but the fate of a nation.
They will show extraordinary courage. They will make unimaginable sacrifices. And the story of what they did will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
From the green fields of England to the beaches of Dunkirk, Adam & Eve is a breathtaking epic of courage, sacrifice, and love forged in Britain's darkest hour.
- "An enthralling tale perfect for fans of history, romance and suspense." Kirkus
- "There are few writers who can tell the kind of epic-scale stories that he seems to spin so effortlessly." Booklist
- "This is an exhilarating send-off." Publishers Weekly
- "A storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas." Washington Post
- "One of the top ten storytellers in the world." Los Angeles Times
- "Archer is a master entertainer." Time
Bad Words
by Rioghnach Robinson
"A book that could only ever have been written by Ríoghnach Robinson, whose clear, clever voice and incisive social commentary elevate the book's irresistible will-they-won't-they romance to a once-in-a-lifetime read about truth, art, vulnerability, and all the sticky places they intersect. BAD WORDS LEFT ME BUZZING." - EMILY HENRY, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A sharp and deeply felt debut about the connections that both inspire and undo us.
Parker Navarro's debut novel was meant to define his career - until critic Selina Chan's blistering review made it the flop of the decade. Four years later, his new book is his shot at redemption; for Selina, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can't refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring, a quieter dialogue begins - one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success, sincerity, and each other.
Both incisive and tender, Bad Words lays bare the costs of creation - the pull between ambition and integrity, the vulnerability of being seen, and the unexpected closeness that can grow in the space between critique and care.
"A genre-redefining romance that sets a thrilling new standard ... Easily one of my favourites of the year, if not the decade." - Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Full of blistering barbs, incisive takedowns and searing gazes, Bad Words is smart and propulsive." - Mary H.K. Choi, New York Times bestselling author
Broken Rival
by Tessa Bailey
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey comes a gripping, heated romance about a girl trapped in a new reality, forced to make a choice between two brothers--one who is the high school golden boy, the other sworn to hunt down her kind--time travelers. This is Tessa Bailey as you've never seen her before.
Magnolia Brown loves Friday night football games, volunteering and dominating at high school swim meets. Just your average everyday eighteen-year-old. Except for one thing: She's from 50 years in the future.
Magnolia's parents, two brilliant scientists, are the inventors of time travel, but due to widespread destruction and rampant abuse of the technology from a corrupt few, time travel is outlawed and punishable by death. When Magnolia's parents are seized and executed for illegally traveling to the past, they leave Magnolia stranded in 2026 without a way to get home.
Now Magnolia has nowhere to turn but a complicated Kansas family with two sons--Fallon, her high school sweetheart with secrets of his own, and Ramsey, the brooding militia commander who hunts and kills criminals like her. Magnolia knows Ramsey resents and hates her, but how can he be her true enemy when he looks at her with such hunger, despite his callousness, and guards her with his very life? Which brother can she trust and is the real danger coming from inside the house?
Queen of Lombard Street
by Lisa Kleypas
From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas--a sweeping, richly layered Victorian novel about a trailblazing female economist who's determined to build Britain's first women's bank, but she must fight both financial corruption and a system intent on destroying the newly found family she's created.
In Victorian England, no woman--not even a brilliant economist like Reina Martin--is allowed to open her own bank account. Men will take care of everything, women are told. But Reina knows better. As the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother, she's haunted by the memory of living with unpaid grocer's bills and no coal for the hearth.
So together with her mentor, the powerful banker William Farlow, Reina will build the first all-women's bank, where women can manage their own financial security.
At home, Reina's domestic staff of recently paroled prisoners are building new lives and becoming a found family. But soon Reina is shocked to discover that her enigmatic butler, John Pembroke, is an undercover police detective. He's been assigned to investigate Farlow, who's suspected of financial crime on a scale so massive, it could destabilize the British economy. Pembroke needs Reina's expertise for a high-stakes nighttime heist to obtain incriminating evidence.
Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. Either way, her dream of the women's bank may be over.
But courage and sacrifice aren't limited to the battlefield--they also occur at the kitchen table, where women who believe in compassion and community are working to remake the future. And when the stakes are highest, Reina knows to trust her heart as well as her intellect.
Based on real-life trailblazers such as Mary Paley Marshall, Britain's first female economist, and financial titan Hetty Green, Queen of Lombard Street brings to light the hidden history of extraordinary women whose achievements should be celebrated. How can we know who we are, if we don't know who we were?
The Brightness
by Chad Harbach
From the bestselling author of literary sensation The Art of Fielding comes an urgent, deeply felt story of friendship, art, love, and grief, following two young women on the brink of irrevocable change.
Parties and weddings, messy hookups and marred friendships, art and love and grief--The Brightness follows the electric, chaotic, everything-can-happen lives of Pella and her best friend, Irma, as they fumble their way out of sleepy, Midwestern Westish College and into a larger world that will upend their connection and everything they thought they understood about their own place within it.
At 27, Pella's life looks settled: she's a recent college grad, engaged to Mike, her longtime boyfriend, and helping her friend Owen pull off his own destination wedding on Block Island. But over that wild wedding weekend, Pella's past and present collide spectacularly, blowing up her plans and sending her spiraling toward an unplanned future in New York City. Meanwhile, back at Westish College, 21-year-old Irma's involvement with a politically charged prank--one that has roiled both the campus and the world beyond--threatens to derail her brilliant future. As Irma and Pella cycle through possibilities and identities, both navigate the heights and depths of passion and ambition, and the incalculable wages of love and loss.
In stunning scenes and spectacular characters--each drawn with an almost superhuman vividness and humanity--Chad Harbach captures that specific, shimmering anxiety of your twenties when life still feels wide open, even as hard and irreversible choices start closing in.
Energetic, funny, and deeply human, this much-anticipated follow-up to The Art of Fielding confirms Chad Harbach as one of the most accomplished and deep-seeing writers of our time.
The Tarot Trials
by Katee Robert
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Olympus series, this high-octane, fast-paced epic fantasy of tarot magic and deadly competition launches an explosive new series perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Carissa Broadbent.
DELUXE EDITION--featuring gorgeous stenciled edges, designed endpapers, a foil case stamp, and a detailed map!
The deck has always been stacked against her.
Kestrel has trained her whole life to compete in the Tarot Trials. Her mother won once, earning a place among the five ruling Cinque--then paid for it with her life, executed for alleged treason against the Minor Court.
But fortune favors the bold.
Now it falls to Kestrel to take up her mother's mantle as Champion of the Moon, enter the Trials, and face her fate. If she can master her new powers of shadow and illusion, navigate the poisonous game of alliances and lies, and corner the fellow Champion who dealt the killing blow to her mother years ago, she may uncover the truth she's seeking without losing her head... or her heart. But in the Trials, betrayal is a question of when, not if. And winning the game isn't about what she must do to win, but who she needs to survive.
What Happens at Nightfall
by Lauren Willig
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig returns with What Happens at Nightfall, a delightfully Gothic romantic adventure, complete with a little bit of demon-hunting.
In the sprawling Gothic expanse of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, some secrets refuse to stay buried. Recently laid off and searching for purpose, Jess reluctantly joins her best friend on a supposedly fun nighttime cemetery tour. Separated from her group by accident, she discovers a bunch of terrified boys and a strange, ancient key. Both lead to Green-Wood's surprisingly handsome resident arborist, Adam Chervinsky.
Recently widowed, Adam has more to protect than the leafy residents of Green-Wood. His children, still dealing with the loss of their mother, are acting strangely. A haunting is afoot, and Jess seems to know more than she's letting on. Sparks fly between Jess and Adam--and the unquiet spirits of Green-Wood rise from their century-long slumber.
As Jess and Adam delve deeper into the cemetery's haunted history, they uncover a Gilded Age curse, a ghostly socialite, and a demonic pact that stretches across generations. What lies hidden in the Green-Wood's splendid Vanderwilt mausoleum? As the line between the living and the dead blurs, and the shadows of Green-Wood begin to stir with malevolent intent, Jess must confront not only the supernatural forces but a shocking connection to the past if she and Adam truly want to live happily ever after.
Wild Wicked Mate
by Laurie Gilmore
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Gilmore, comes a brand new small-town romance set in the quirky town of Maple Hollow!
The closer the proximity, the stronger the spark ...
Phoebe never expected to fall in love, and especially not with the annoyingly handsome werewolf she's been hanging out with for years.
Theo has spent his life comparing himself to his brothers, never quite matching up to his father's expectations. But in Maple Hollow, everything is different. Theo finally has a life of his own and a chance at redemption and he's reluctant to risk it for anything, or anyone.
But after years of fighting their attraction to each other, Phoebe and Theo find that denying their feelings is no longer possible. Especially when they end up on a road trip that might change everything ...
Tropes:
- 🌙 Small Town
- 🌕 Fated Mates
- 🌖 Friends to Lovers
- 🌗 Spicy
- 🌘 Forced Proximity
- 🌑 Found Family
Best New Romance Books September 2026
A Christmas Surprise: An Amish Romance
by Linda Byler
From beloved Amish fiction author Linda Byler comes a heartwarming story of faith, family, love, and new beginnings in the rugged beauty of Maine.
In A Christmas Surprise, the Kauffman family leaves behind their familiar Amish community in Lancaster County to start over on a neglected farm in northern New England. While Eli and Anna embrace the adventure, their teenage daughter Mandy struggles with homesickness, lost friendships, and an uncertain future.
As the family restores an old farmhouse and adjusts to a simpler, harsher way of life, unexpected friendships begin to bloom with the local townspeople--and perhaps even romance. Filled with cozy family moments, horse-drawn buggies, snowy landscapes, renovation dreams, and the warmth of Christmas hope, this uplifting Amish romance captures the challenges and joys of starting over.
Perfect for readers who love Amish fiction, clean romance, inspirational women's fiction, and heartfelt holiday stories set in small-town communities.
Frost and Venom
by Christine Feehan
Deception and danger lay in wait in the beautiful, harrowing California backcountry in this gripping suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.
Surgical and trauma nurse Harlow Frye loves the small town of Knightly, where breathtaking views of the Sierra and a tight circle of female friends provides a refuge from her professional life. But lately, it's Harlow's personal life that's causing all the chaos.
First, a series of anonymous threatening letters are left in her mailbox. Then, Harlow is dealt a blow when her friend Lawyer dies after reacting to some sort of toxin. And to top it off, Harlow finds her secret obsession, CIA operative Hawkin Wilder, bleeding out on a mountain trail.
As Harlow turns her home into a makeshift hospital, her infuriating, attractive patient insists on distracting her. But even in the face of their increasing connection, there's no way Harlow can ignore the escalating storm, when someone else close to her is struck down by the mysterious toxin.
With little more than intuition to go on, Harlow turns to the five friends who have proved themselves to be a better family than her own flesh and blood. As the women attempt to unravel the killings, they will need to rely on their instincts and their connection to each other--or else they'll lose everything they've come to hold dear.
Harbinger
by Geneva Lee
Arden Icaros was never supposed to matter. From the poorest of five noble bloodlines, she prefers life on the family farm with dirt under her nails over the fine dresses at court. She just needs to get through one boring ceremony, inherit her earth magic, and return home.
Instead, she's handed a dagger and with it, an impossible choice.
Now Arden is branded an omen of war, half the nobility wants her dead, and assassins are tracking her every move.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares.
They call him Bishop. No one remembers the name he had before he dedicated his life to his order. Empowered to execute first and question later, Bishop is ruthless, terrifying, and utterly loyal to the kingdom that wants Arden dead.
He should kill her.
Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
But the longer Arden stays under Bishop's protection, the more dangerous he becomes. Because Bishop has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms ... and a need for Arden that could ruin them both.
In These Hills: A 1900s Southern Historical Romance about a Suffragette on the Run
by Tamera Alexander
A young suffragist on the run finds more than refuge in the hills and hollers of Tennessee in this gripping historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander.
1905. Josephine Dunham is running for her life. After a women's suffrage rally in Atlanta turns deadly, she buys a one-way ticket on the first train out and lands in rural Tennessee. There, Dodge Coburn--a rough-edged stranger with undeniable appeal--begrudgingly offers her a ride to Lynchburg, a speck of a town where Josephine hopes to disappear.
Battered and desperate, Josephine has little to say when Dodge delivers her to Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House. Hoping to work in exchange for room and board, she soon discovers the only job matching her skills is at Jack Daniel's Distillery, an irony not lost on a suffragist committed to prohibition.
Dodge is skeptical of Josephine's claim that she's on the run from an abusive husband. But between running Jack Daniel's cattle farm and raising his young niece, he has little time or inclination to press her . . . at first. But when Josephine's convictions and compassion draw him in, Dodge begins to reconsider the life he's chasing, while Josephine must face a world far more complicated than the principles she's held to.
As Jack Daniel's Distillery gains national recognition, Josephine's secrets resurface. In a place where whiskey making takes time but justice is too often hurried, Dodge and Josephine must decide what--and who--they are willing to risk everything for, and whether faith will hold when the cost is high and time is running out.
- Standalone Southern historical fiction, set against the history of women's rights, Jack Daniel's Distillery, and Miss Mary's Bobo's Boarding House in Lynchburg, Tennessee
- A clean enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract romance perfect for fans of Francine Rivers, Julie Klassen, and Lynn Austin
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Love Felt Like This
by Julie Olivia
A grumpy rock star and a joyful children's show creator revive television magic in this standalone, cozy small-town romance.
Griffin Harvey lives his life in the spotlight. Reluctantly. The brooding famous singer-songwriter is on the cusp of composing his sophomore album . . . if only he could find the notes. But after gaining custody of his two-year-old daughter, the only music he's writing is about shapes and counting to ten.
Enter Beverly, who lives her life in the background producing children's television and laughter. Except joy is hard to find when her nonprofit loses funding. She sinks all of her savings to revive the children's show by herself, but when her variety show appearance collides with Griffin's, their banter and chemistry is caught on live television.
Suddenly, Griffin is singing a new tune. He needs a muse, and Beverly needs all the help she can get. With his secret daughter in tow, they hide out in her cozy mountain hometown, attempting to script, compose, and revive television magic. Their dynamic shouldn't work. He's all harsh tattoos and rough hands while she's bright colors and gentle touches. Once their three months of work are done, they'll return to their separate worlds. But what happens when it seems the true magic might be found in each other?
Writer in Residence: A Bookish Small-Town Romance with Southern Charm, Literary Themes, and Emotional Depth
by Rhonda McKnight
From award-winning author Rhonda McKnight comes a new story of faith, history, and the power of legacy that merges the romance of The Bookshop Sisterhood with the rich Lowcountry setting of Mary Alice Monroe.
Alexandra Chambers is a writer who has run out of words. Struggling with writer's block and the pressure to secure a new book deal, she wins a week in a writer-friendly cabin through a drawing held at a Lowcountry literacy center.
What she finds is far more than she expected--a vibrant community brimming with inspiration, a past steeped in history and culture, and a man who both intrigues and unsettles her.
Gabe Scott, a bestselling author and the former writer-in-residence, is everything Alex feels she's not--acclaimed, award-winning, and unshakably confident. When their paths cross at the center, his literary brilliance and dedication to helping struggling Gullah students stir feelings Alex isn't ready to confront. Though undeniably attracted to him, Alex wrestles with the fear that her books pale beside his celebrated work.
When a surprising family connection unearths long-hidden truths about her past, Alex is forced to confront a lie that has shaped her life. Guided by the quiet wisdom of Ms. Kate, an elderly Gullah cleaning woman with losses of her own, Alex finds the strength to forgive truths long withheld, embrace her voice, and write the story only she can tell.
Writer in Residence is a rich and layered choice for book clubs eager to explore themes of identity, family secrets, creative reinvention, and the power of place. McKnight's lush Lowcountry setting and unforgettable cast of characters spark meaningful conversation about Gullah Geechee culture, the stories we inherit, and the courage it takes to tell our own truth. An included discussion guide makes it easy for groups to dig deeper into Alex's journey of rediscovery--and perhaps reflect on the hidden roots in their own lives.
The Emperor's Enemy
by Jasmine Mas
When the hunter is hunted... who becomes prey?
The Emperor's Enemy is an addictive true enemies-to-lovers dark romantasy with a heroine who doesn't need saving, an enemy she can't escape, and a war neither of them plans to lose.
Welcome to the Unsurvivable Love Duet, the all-new series by Jasmine Mas, bestselling author of Blood of Hercules. The limited deluxe edition features beautifully designed sprayed edges, a foil-stamped case, and full-color character art endpapers--available while supplies last!
Zora Ravenal didn't join the Crimson Army to be a hero. She joined to destroy the empire.
A skilled hunter hardened by loss with a concerning capacity for stubbornness, Zora claws her way into becoming a Knight Mage: the Commonwealth's deadliest defense against the Empire's storm magic and her people's only hope.
It almost works.
Now she's stuck in a war she can't walk away from, hiding dangerous secrets, and shoved into very close quarters with the one man she should never be alone with.
He's a Royal Mage with a body count, a temper, and an unsettling obsession... with her.
Now they're partners. Sort of.
If "partners" means being forced to train together, trust each other with their lives, and somehow not kill each other in the process.
But the Royal Mage isn't just dangerous--he's paying attention. And the longer they're forced to remain in each other's orbit, the more twisted everything becomes. Who's hunting who?
The Twelve Loves of Christmas: An Advent Romance Collection
by Alexandria Bellefleur - Elise Bryant - Olivia Dade - Alexis Daria - Sarah Hogle - Zakiya N Jamal - Rebecca Jenshak - Jessica Joyce - Susan Lee - Joss Richard - M a Wardell - Rebekah Weatherspoon
Count down to Christmas with twelve sealed holiday love stories by beloved romance authors.
The Twelve Loves of Christmas is a swoon-worthy short story collection about finding love during the most magical time of the year. Including a playful forced proximity romance featuring a woman and her older brother's grinchy (yet unexpectedly endearing) best friend, a tender love story of two neighbors who decide to skip Christmas together, a second-chance spark reignited between exes stranded at the airport, and many more festive love stories, there's a little holiday magic waiting for every reader.
Open one sealed story each day in the lead-up to Christmas to unwrap a season full of love, warmth, and happily-ever-afters.
PR Stunt
by Bailey Marshall
Hollywood's sweetheart.
Hollywood's bad boy.
And a PR stunt that's about to break the internet.
Charlie Grace has spent years curating the perfect image, poised, polished, always in control. Grayson Cole is a tabloid dream, reckless, charming, and always in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
So when one photo sends the internet spiraling into a frenzy, their teams see the perfect opportunity: fake a relationship, ride the headlines, and make everyone believe it.
The rules are simple:
- Play the part.
- Sell the chemistry.
- Don't actually fall for each other.
But in a world where image is everything, the real problem isn't the cameras. It's what happens when the lines start to blur.
PR STUNT is a sizzling, slow burn romance filled with undeniable tension, Hollywood glamour, and a love story that might just rewrite the script. …
Related BOok Recommendations
This book list is just the beginning. Check out these related pages for more book recommendations personalized for your interests.
Beach Reader Picks Fall 2026
Women's Fiction New Releases Fall 2026
New Romance Books Spring 2026
New Romance Books Summer 2026