2026, here we go! With the new year just around the corner, it’s time to start focusing on something that really matters… NEW! BOOK! RELEASES!  We’ve rounded up some highly anticipated  books from a range of genres releasing between the months of January and June 2026.

So far the year promises new releases from Jennifer Niven, Jennette McCurdy, Jim Butcher, Heather Fawcett, Kerri Maniscalco, Edward Ashton, T. Kingfisher, Richard K. Morgan, Rainbow Rowell, TJ Klune, Katherine Center, Julie Murphy, Katherine Arden, Melissa Albert, and many more, plus some dazzling debuts!

You’ll find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2026 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next month! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them, including our Anticipated Romance Reads, Anticipated Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books and Anticipated YA Reads… We apologise in advance to your TBR pile and wallet!

JANUARY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a beautiful, powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead.

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire, loneliness, the internet, rage, intimacy, power, and the (oftentimes misguided) lengths we’ll go to in order to get what we want.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

If All the Stars Go Dark by S. G. Prince

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An out-of-this-world queer space opera (aka: sci-fi with magic) complete with a murder mystery, a prison break, and heist during which time the fate of the universe may or may not hang in the balance – and made even more exciting by the swoon worthy will-they-won’t-they romance.

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins, a tense, feverish thriller about two women’s lives that are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both.

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Sparks fly in this second chance m/m rom com when an unlucky-in-love event planner realizes the man-of-honor at the high profile wedding he’s planning is the same man who broke his heart.

A War of Wyverns by S. F. Williamson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Rebellion happens in the shadows. In the sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Language of Dragons, language is the greatest weapon in a war between humans and dragons—and one translator has the power to change the world. 

Vigil by George Saunders

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next.

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily R. Austin

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.

FEBRUARY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods, No One Can Know, and A Killing Cold, a new novel about a search & rescue expert, a kidnapped woman, and the lost girls who haunt them both.

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Game, Set, Match by Jennifer Iacopelli

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
She’s a tennis superstar on the rise. He’s the bad boy champ who broke her heart. When they meet on the court, their competition is hot—but their chemistry is even hotter.

Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this action-packed standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco, a book of dangerous magic draws two readers into a perilous quest to find it—and their own happy ending.

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two families at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime in this twisty thriller from the bestselling author of Local Woman Missing.

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
This magical new YA romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow will steal your heart. Set in Andalay, a world where the ruling Fates bestow gifts among the favored, a thief must join forces with the palace darling after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change everything.

After The Fall by Edward Ashton

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17), asks an important question: would humans really make great pets?

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry, sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

How To Kill A Guy In Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl.

Half City by Kate Golden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Crescent City meets Buffy, the Vampire Slayer in the first installment of a pulse-pounding dark academia fantasy series from USA Today bestselling author Kate Golden.

MARCH 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Say You’ll Remember Me comes a beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

Bloom by Robbie Couch

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow comes a delightful and heartwarming novel about family, love, grief, and one precocious houseplant, that reminds us of the beauty of living a life in full Bloom.

Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the international bestselling author of The Drowning Woman, a psychological thriller about a couple rocked by infidelity who moves to a villa in Spain’s Costa Brava to rebuild their relationship, only to welcome a pair of visitors who have no intention of leaving.  

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson

Publisher | Amazon | Goodreads
The first in the Broken Cycle trilogy, The Ascension of Souls is an epic fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, complex characters, political schemes and a unique magic system.

A Spell For Saints and Sinners by Emily Carpenter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Like a gender-flipped You but dripping with Southern Gothic atmosphere, a young psychic on the verge of losing everything becomes obsessed with a wealthy, beautiful heiress in this clever, darkly atmospheric novel of psychological suspense set amid the lush, moss-draped beauty of Savannah.

Thirty Love by Tom Vellner

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Things heat up on and off the court for two tennis rivals in this steamy debut gay sports rom-com, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Casey McQuiston.

Wretch by Eric LaRocca

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From rising horror star and award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke comes a nightmarish, haunting, tech-Gothic thrill ride about sorrow, memory, and the unabashed complexity of love as a transgressive act.

No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A compelling standalone dark fantasy set in a gritty post-WWI Britain that has been overrun by the fae, from the award-winning author of Altered Carbon.

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two teen boys grapple with identity and accountability and set off a ripple effect within their community after a school assembly is disrupted by a shouted slur.

Vow of Eternal Night by Lily Crozier

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A gothic romantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling about a vampire prince and the captive bride who will do anything to break his curse – for fans of Naomi Novik, Heather Fawcett and Howl’s Moving Castle.

The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas meets “Sister Wives” in a deliciously chilling, darkly romantic, historical gothic horror with a feminist slant, as a young Mormon woman is haunted by a malevolent presence in the decrepit Salt Lake City mansion she shares with her new husband and his other wives…

APRIL 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Fans of Agatha Christie’s locked-room mysteries and modern tales like Knives Out will fall for The Ending Writes Itself, which masterfully blends classic mystery elements with genre-bending tropes. Crafted with razor-sharp wit and a meta twist, this satirical take on the publishing world ensures readers will hang on every word, right up to its breathtaking finale.

Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn’t sure she wants it back.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Told with Sally Hepworth’s twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together–through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turns to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the grave.

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

MAY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Shippers by Katherine Center

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, this novel is an utterly compelling story of the hunt for a serial killer. But it’s also a heartfelt―and heartrending―novel about fate, innocence lost, and two souls who find that sometimes being broken is the only way for the light to get in. The Anniversary reaffirms Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.

Student Union by Julie Murphy

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a sexy rom com about a college marriage of convenience that goes way beyond chemistry 101…The first in a trilogy of romance novels that follows a group of girls as they navigate love, friendship, and new adulthood, this is perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace.

Young World by Soman Chainani

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series comes a renegade thriller, about a teenager elected President of the United States, sparking a global revolution of young leaders—until one of them is murdered and he’s the prime suspect.

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. 

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A bookseller must escape the infamously haunted library that holds her darkest secrets, but with a murderer in her tour group, escaping alive is not as simple as it seems, in this twisty locked-room thriller from bestselling author of You Are Fatally Invited.

Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bram Stoker Award–nominee and USA Today bestseller Johanna van Veen unveils a sapphic folk-horror tour de force―perfect for fans of The VVitch and The Salt Grows Heavy. A skull’s grin is eternal…

The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
On a remote island in the Canadian wilderness, five elderly volunteers from different walks of life are given a tantalizing offer: to stall their biological clocks or even reverse them, restoring their lost youth. 

We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi, a galvanizing stand-alone contemporary fantasy following a burnt-out reproductive health care worker as she fights back against escalating attacks on her clinic and the malevolent forces in hot pursuit of her newly acquired power.

The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The In-Between Bookstore, the sweet, unforgettable story of a trans man in his thirties who books a Cape Cod cottage for one lonely summer—only to have its magic bring him visitors from the past and romance where he least expects it, perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Ashley Poston.

JUNE 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
With her country’s future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting historical fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the award-winning New York Times and Indie bestselling author of Ace of Spades comes a mystery about five teen geniuses, their billionaire father, and the aftermath of his murder―perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, Holly Jackson, and How to Get Away with Murder!

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The epic, captivating tale of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who must reconcile her mind and heart when she is drawn against all odds to Ares, the god of war, from the internationally bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera.

Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A young reaper hunter must conspire with her enemy to uproot the ancient evil that threatens her world in this heart-pounding romantic fantasy from the bestselling author of The Prison Healer.

The Children by Melissa Albert

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother’s beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic

You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cubby Clark is spiralling—her band is broken, her ex is famous, and inspiration is gone. As tabloids spin a love triangle and a summer tour amplifies tensions, Cubby and her best friend Darcy must confront buried feelings or risk losing each other and the music they love.

Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A Hades-inspired gay rom-com, in which the former god of the Underworld turned grumpy funeral director must find a loophole in the Immortal Retirement Act that banished him to Earth, until the florist next door who sees life in full bloom begins to unravel all his carefully laid plans.

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The Bright Years, the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A cinematic, razor-sharp novel following a backlot fixer’s daring investigation into the suspicious death of a closeted Black actor within the glamorous world of Hollywood, from the bestselling author of My Government Means to Kill Me.

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A London rocker is faced with a life-or-death choice when he realizes that a powerful society of magic wielders are the only ones keeping London safe in this deft contemporary fantasy cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson with author and musician Peter Orullian.

What new book releases are you looking forward to picking up this year? Tell us in the comments below! And be sure to check back later in the year for our August to December picks!

The post Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Chapter One

Asher

Boston Logan International Airport—Terminal E
Boston, Massachusetts

“I’m sorry, Asher . . . but I can’t go on this trip—”

The last words I expected to hear coming out of my long-term boyfriend’s mouth at the airline ticket counter. After months of meticulous planning—countless hours of my life I will never get back, painstakingly stressing over cost-analysis documents and packing lists and risk waivers—this was the one travel hiccup I could not have thought to plan for.

“Did you forget to pack something?” I ask, lining up my luggage as I try to visualize my now-packed to-do list I’ve been ticking items off from one by one. “There’s definitely still time to head back home . . .” But when I turn back toward him, there’s something about the way his overplucked eyebrows are pinched together that tells me a different departure is on the horizon.

That, and he’s awkwardly left about two arm lengths of intentional space between us.

My fist clenches around the boarding pass the ticketing agent—Susan, I learn looking down at her name tag, which is bedazzled with glittered hearts—literally just handed me after rather rudely being the human version of sunshine this early in the morning, and I instantly start to sweat. Her big, empathetic blue eyes are pooling with pity as she stares back at me, a hand extended out toward me slightly as if somehow, she’s personally going to be able to fix this humiliating situation.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore . . .” Clint’s voice cuts through my thoughts, more nasally than normal, and I swear the way he just emphasized this, like being here with me is the world’s biggest inconvenience, makes my skin crawl.

“The competition?” I ask daringly. “Weren’t you just telling me in the Uber over here how excited you were?”

He scratches the back of his neck uncomfortably.

I now notice that our awkward confrontation is holding up the growing check-in line. Maybe it’s the unflattering fluorescents or my sudden unbridled rage for the man, but Clint Hanson has never appeared more unattractive than he does right now in his too-small sweat suit with his matching fanny pack and hideous shoes that he insisted on numerous occasions all the celebrities and influencers were wearing. Based on the way he’s dressed, one might almost believe, if they really tried, squinting, that perhaps he’s the age he’s still pretending to be.

Just so we’re clear, he’s pushing forty.

“Clint, this entire trip—everything we have planned and saved for these last few months—was your idea,” I say, trying to use the calmest, most monotonous tone humanly possible to avoid being labeled as dramatic or emotional.

Again.

He hasn’t made eye contact with me yet since his sudden change in plans—both travel and life, something he’s really perfected during all the conflicts we’ve ever had. Instead, he is annoyingly playing with the buckle of his luggage tag.

“I’m just not sure we want the same things out of this,” he says after a painfully slow moment.

“This? Clint, what are you even talking about? What is it that you ‘wanted,’” I ask, putting aggressive air quotes around the word, “when you signed us up for this competition?” I take a deliberate step forward. “Or better yet, what about these last seven years? What’s changed about what you’ve wanted this whole time?”

Clint stands in silence as my questions are left unanswered.

I have spent the last better part of the last decade carefully molding myself into the perfect boyfriend for him. We rarely argued about anything serious, and when we bought our house together, I made sure that he felt like it was his home too despite his horrible taste in decor. I always remembered his family’s birthdays and anniversaries and never once brought up the fact that he was losing his hair. When he sent me unsolicited dick pics, I most certainly didn’t let him know how little it did for me—both on-screen and in real life—and when given the choice between joining him and his weirdly pretentious friends at their weekly themed charcuterie nights or doing just about anything else, I always chose him. Because that’s what you are supposed to do in your late twenties when you are in a relationship. You choose each other.

Except standing here in the international terminal, sleep- and caffeine-deprived, I realize he isn’t choosing me or us, and instead of the usual panic or involuntary mental lists that I’d expect to begin forming about my imminent singleness, I’m overwhelmed with a surprising sense of relief.

“I just know that if I get on that plane, I’ll regret it,” he admits, a blow to the gut.

He’ll regret it. I am legitimately at a loss for words right now.

“Let me get this straight—” The edge in my voice makes a timely and most welcome return as my anger rises. I notice a few onlookers are now being far less subtle about their interest in our preflight drama. “Somewhere between me sucking you off last night after making sure all our stuff was packed and this morning . . .” —several teens waiting with their families can’t choke down their laughter at my lewd bluntness and it only sharpens my resolve— “. . . you had some soul-shaking revelation that you, the one and only Clint Hanson, can’t do this anymore.”

He stumbles toward me, nearly tripping over our luggage. “Keep your voice down,” he hisses through thin, dry lips and narrowed eyes. Ah, that’s right. He’ll do anything to avoid the world’s perception of him being tarnished. “Why don’t we go outside and talk about this? Somewhere private.”

An almost feral laugh escapes my lips.

The life I had been meticulously cultivating was just obliterated in an airport terminal and I’m laughing.

“There’s absolutely nothing to talk about. You decided you can’t do this anymore,” I say, waving my hands between the two of us. “So, we aren’t going to do this anymore. End of discussion.” I turn to try to divvy up our matching luggage, another unnecessary purchase to appease him, pushing mine toward Susan, who tags each of my overly crammed suitcases one by one.

“What are you doing?” he asks, looking between me and my luggage in confusion.

“I have a plane to catch.”

He grabs my arm before I can turn to walk away. “You can’t be serious.”

“Let go of me, Clint. Now.”

Sensing the growing number of eyes on us, including those of a very concerned Susan from behind the ticket counter, he thankfully listens.

“Asher, just hold on . . . Give me a moment to explain.” His tone and gaze soften as we seem to be entering the eye of the breakup storm that’s been violently building around us. For the briefest of moments, I’m tempted to hear him out. Considering all the time we’ve invested in each other, I should, right?

There’s even something behind his tired brown eyes I can’t quite put my finger on. Something I haven’t seen in a long time.

Compassion? Remorse? Perhaps even . . . regret?

“You can’t do this alone,” he says.

Well, that lasted all of two seconds.

“Fucking watch me, Clint,” I spit back, and the nosy teenagers, who now feel like my brothers-in-arms, hoot and holler. Turning away from him, I storm off toward the escalator with the cheers of approval solidifying my decision and strengthening my resolve.

“Excuse me, sir . . . um . . . Mr. Bennett!” Susan yells after me, hurrying around the ticket counter. “You’re going to need this.”

She places my passport in my hand. I stare at the cheesy cover—a recent and thoughtful gift from my mother, one of a matching set whose twin is safely tucked away in Clint’s pocket. I run my thumb over the phrase she printed in small, gold script. Away We Go!

“Thank you.” And away I go.

After barreling through security, I find solace in the least likely of places.

An airport TGI Fridays.

“I’ll take another.”

I wave my empty glass in the direction of the bartender—a gentleman in his mid to late forties, I’d guess. Judging by his glance of indifference, I can only assume he’s used to passengers who are eager to drown their sorrows or quell their flying anxiety before their flights.

He places my third (fourth?) mimosa in front of me—it’s basically juice, right?—and lingers momentarily. “Can I get you anything else?” he asks again, because it feels like I’ve been here for a full afternoon already. One of the downsides of traveling with Clint was always his irrational need to be at the airport hours before a flight. I’m not just talking about some wiggle room to make sure you’re checked in and have enough time to grab food without having to race through security. No, the man is notorious for wanting to spend a full day at the airport, lounging in uncomfortable chaos with a terminal full of strangers, just in case.

I lean forward, peering dramatically over the bar. “You got a man back there who isn’t spineless, selfish, and a worthless bag of dicks?”

His expression shifts from suppressed laughter to total annoyance. He might have even scoffed at me, which to this day, I hadn’t realized people did in real life, but here I am learning something new. He could just be my new best friend.

I glance down at his name tag. Mick.

“Are you married, Mick? Someone special in your life?”

“I, um . . . I’m not,” he says quietly, averting his gaze as he haphazardly wipes a pint glass with a rag I’m sure hasn’t been washed in quite some time.

“Alright, can you just pretend with me for a moment? What kind of man convinces his partner of almost six . . . no, seven years—seven years, Mick . . . to uproot his entire life—literally begs them to put a giant pause on any sort of personal and professional plans they may have—”

A pair of handsome pilots pulls up to the other side of the bar, momentarily tearing his attention from my story.

“Stay with me, Mick . . . we’re getting to the good part.”

Conflicted, he gives the duo a sympathetic nod. “And what’s that?”

“This partner has asked you to do all this for a reality television show.”

“Which show?”

Mick isn’t a man of many words; I like that about him. “The Epic Trek. You know, the show where you trav—”

“I know the show,” he says, cutting me off. Mick leans back against the bar, crossing his arms. “But did you have to say yes?”

He’s got me there. “I thought that’s what a good partner does—agrees to things they don’t want to do. Even if that means spending the last four months training for an intense global travel competition that would pull me away from my friends and my career.”

“I don’t see the problem here. Your man wants you to travel the world together and have a chance to win some money. Could be worse,” he says. “Do you need anything else? I have other customers.”

Perfect. Another man just itching to get away from me.

“I’m all set,” I say, reaching for my glass of water and feeling just how pathetic this all is. “What am I doing here?” I groan, dropping my head into my hands, rubbing the ache growing behind my temples. The airport bar is buzzing with excited travelers. Families and couples and passengers flying solo like me. I thought about calling my parents, but each time my finger hovered over our family’s home number, I set my phone down. We don’t have that type of relationship—the one where some version of a panicked phone call from their oldest son would be met with anything but a laundry list of questions and an I told you so tone.

That’s not to say we have a bad relationship. I love my family and I know they love me. Unconditionally. But my mother would make that pained tsking sound when I told her about Clint and me. And my father? Well, he’d go down some rabbit hole about things like follow-through and integrity—two of Edward Bennett’s unwavering measurements of good character—and if he loses faith in your ability to adhere to those ideals, you’re screwed. And right now, neither of those things would be entirely helpful.

I’ve always been the reliable one. The one they didn’t have to worry over when it came to life decisions. They’d had their reservations when Clint and I told them about the reality competition, but when I laid out my plan, accounting for every penny of the prize money and how I intended to use it to start a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program for LGBTQIA+ students, those reservations quickly faded, because in their eyes, the son who never caused them any stress had a plan.

Asher Bennett always had a plan.

Except for today, dumped and teetering toward tipsy in an airport bar with only a few hours to figure out my next move.

What am I going to do?

For the first time in my life, though, I don’t have a solid grasp on which direction to move. Since Clint’s confession, I think I’ve been operating solely on rage and adrenaline—and mimosas—but now? Emotions like humiliation and confusion and a deep sense of regret wash over me. I cycle through the last couple of months, searching for some sort of sign that this was coming, some indication that Clint wanted out, and come up blank. We’d been happy. Happy enough to still plan for a future we’d both wanted. Or so I thought. Which is why I believe his choice to end our relationship wasn’t something he’d just decided to do on a whim. Knowing him, it was probably something he’d been silently stewing on for quite some time. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to rip the rug out from under me.

The idea of it being premeditated hurts even more.

Perhaps I was too professionally driven? Maybe I wasn’t driven enough? Did I say no to too many threesomes? Or yes too many times?

I really need to know where we stand on threesomes.

Was all this—the breakup, the last few years of my life, the fact that I stupidly agreed to go on this show to begin with—payback or some sort of cosmic karma?

And speaking of the show. Could I . . . still go?

The whole not-having-a-partner thing really screws me here. But what if I could find a replacement? The rational part of my brain is holding up a carboard sign that reads Dumb triple underlined as my relationship with Clint rushes through my mind. Years of putting my hopes and dreams on the back burner so he could shine. Years of saying no to myself so I could say yes to him.

Years of allowing someone else to dictate whether it was my turn.

I think about what this money could do. How many students in my own community could benefit from the Own Voices in STEM program I’ve been silently dreaming about for years if by some miracle I walked away with the prize money. Despite the odds being heavily stacked against me, I know with certainty I have to try.

After all, what kind of Bennett man would I be if I didn’t have “follow-through”? I finish my drink, allowing myself just another moment or two of self-pity before I figure out what comes next. I scroll through my phone, looking for someone I could call to be a last-minute partner on the show.

A lifeline in my moment of need.

My brother is the first person to come to mind. But I’d never ask him to miss classes, and anyway, competing together would result in one of us killing the other. Outside our last names, we have literally nothing in common.

There’s my colleague, Simon. He’s mentioned on more than one occasion he’s completed several marathons over the years, so I suspect the physicality of the challenges wouldn’t be an issue for him. As my thumb hovers over his contact, though, dread coursing through my veins, I remember he’s just a few weeks, if not days, away from getting married. I doubt his future bride would be okay loaning me her groom-to-be for a high-stakes international travel competition.

A knot of frustration coils tightly between my shoulder blades as I realize just how unfair of me it is to even think about asking someone to drop their own responsibilities to help me out like this. Another Edward Bennett–ism comes to the center of my mind.

A lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on mine, he’d always say, and honestly? Fair.

I set my phone on the bar face down, resisting the urge to chuck it clear across the bar, entirely overwhelmed by just how hard it is to think of someone, anyone, I could ask—even if I were to be that selfish.

Holy shit. Do I not have any friends?

It shouldn’t be this hard to think of a single friend who’s mine. Not Clint’s friend. Not a colleague. Nor an acquaintance. An honest-to-goodness, call-you-up-way-too-late-to-vent-about-boys-or-work-or-both, always-down-for-margaritas-on-any-day-that-ends-in-day, ride-or-die friend.

The realization sucker punches me right in the throat, sending a wave of pitiful regret straight to my bones.

I used to have friends. Loads of them, actually. Those first years of undergrad were a hazy blur of nights spent with various smatterings of friends I’d collected. Two a.m. laughing fits shared over double cheeseburgers and cheap vodka or delirious nights cramming in the library fueled by burnt coffee and Tastykakes. But now? Could it be that I’d met Clint and, somewhere along the way, just completely forgone any basic human connection beyond him and us?

The very same anger I felt this morning churns in my stomach as the departure time on my boarding pass stares up at me from the counter. A reminder of the self-imposed ticking clock I’ve volunteered to race against.

What the hell was I thinking? Slumping into my seat, trying to knead the tension throbbing behind my temples, a thought pops into my head.

“Can I get you anything else?” Mick says; his sudden reappearance startles me. “Some food, perhaps?” His question reminds me I’ve been drinking on an empty stomach.

“I’ll take more water when you have a moment,” I say, pushing my empty water glass in his direction. “Oh, and some mozzarella sticks, please.”

Mick nods, punching my order into the computer, and makes his way around the bar. I glance at the now-thinning crowd in the restaurant. The handsome pilots are still on the other side of the bar. And suddenly, I see it. A plan—a rather stupid and almost entirely unrealistic one—comes barreling into focus.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Winging It With You’ by Chip Pons appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Erin lives in the PNW with her spouse, two large dogs, two lazy cats, and more houseplants than she can count. When not exploring fictional worlds, she enjoys hiking, cooking, emo nostalgia, and slowly but surely actualizing her lifelong goal of becoming a forest witch.

About Unromance (out Jan 14, 2025): A recently dumped TV heartthrob enlists a jaded romance novelist to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet again . . .

My upcoming debut novel, Unromance, is a love letter to rom-coms, celebrating all the tropes and cliches that readers have come to know, love, and expect. Each chapter of Unromance begins with a trope definition, and I wanted to pay my respects to some of the authors that inspired me, as well as books that excelled at making these tropes their own, making the familiar feel both fun and fresh. Here are a few of my favorite rom-coms that live rent free:

The Meet Cute
The love interests meet. It’s cute. It upends their entire lives.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Our heroes meet by getting stuck in an elevator together, and over a shared meal of purse cheese, our heroine agrees to be our hero’s fake date to his ex’s wedding. Guillory understands that couch time and pizza is a love language, and I really respect that about her books.

Love In The Time Of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

If a strange man shows up in the middle of the night to help you move the massive desk off your car, it’s completely reasonable to assume he might be a serial killer and not just a cute neighbor who has a totally legitimate reason to have a garage covered in tarps. Thompson writes my favorite female protagonists.

Savor It by Tarah Dewitt

Our main character saves her hot new neighbor from a dangerous midnight intruder—the rental house’s Roomba. This is a small-town romance, so of course the local officials who answer the 911 call are her brothers. This meet cute is equal parts bonkers and endearing, a masterclass in situational humor.

The One-Night Stand
Romance math dictates that the less likely a character is to have a one-night stand, the more likely they are to run into said one-night stand again.

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

I respect Solomon for writing a one-night stand that’s bad, actually. I respect her even more for writing the sex lessons trope where the female main character is the expert, with a male main character that is very eager to learn. This book contains one of the hottest first kisses I’ve ever read and should be studied.

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

Sometimes you have a one-night stand with a hot MILF only to realize it’s your best friend’s mom. Wilsner said “MILF”, and I said “Add to cart.”

Scandalized by Ivy Owens

What, your flight gets cancelled and you run into your childhood crush at the airport hotel and you’re not going to have a one-night stand with him? This book reads like fanfiction and a daydream all rolled into one, and I can’t think of a higher compliment than that.

The Contract
When two characters make a pact, replete with rules, which they are totally going to follow.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

It’s completely reasonable to fake date the girl you had a disaster blind date with to get your brother to stop setting you up. And if she needs you to be her fake girlfriend for the holidays, it’s a win-win. This sapphic rom-com is equally swoony and steamy, as is everything Bellefleur writes.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

If you’re concerned about your bedroom prowess, hiring a professional sex worker and creating lesson plans with him is the logical solution. I dare you not to become completely enamored by this couple as their sex lessons become dating lessons, and eventually, dating for real. This book will always be one of my first recommendations to any reader looking to get into the genre.

Winging It With You by Chip Pons

If you get dumped at the airport right before embarking on an adventure reality show, the only solution is to enlist the hot, grounded pilot to be your fake boyfriend for the duration of the competition. If you like the only one bed trope, you’re really going to love having it over.. and over.. and over… all across the globe as these fake boyfriends compete on national TV, learning and growing together in this tender yet steamy romance. (*Out 06.10.25)

Holiday Hallmark Movie
Equal parts twinkling lights and patterned scarves, three dashes of hot-as-cocoa lingering looks, sprinkle in a tree-lighting ceremony, and serve up, at an ice skating rink in the town square.

In The Event Of Love by Courtney Kae

Okay, so what if you crashed into your childhood crush’s tree farm sign and fell into her hot, lumberjane arms and are now roped into a scheme to save your small town from the big, evil corporation. It doesn’t mean you’re going to fall in love with her… Right? This rom-com intentionally leans heavy into Hallmark cliches, but makes them feel fresh and new whilst still as cozy and endearing as you would expect.

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

This book is an absolute dream of a tropefest. It’s like the lyrics of Last Christmas had a baby with a Hallmark movie. Our protagonist agrees to a marriage of convenience with her landlord, and goes home with him for Christmas to keep up their fauxmance ruse, only to realize his sister is the woman she fell in love with last Christmas Eve—and was betrayed by the very next day. This book has all the mess and hijinks you could ever want from a holiday romp.

You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

Pitched as Schitt’s Creek meets Red, White, & Royal Blue, what else could you need to know? Our grinchy protagonist gets shipped off to a small, winter wonderland town where he discovers a found family, the miracle of forced proximity, and—of course—the true meaning of Christmas. This book is so warm and charming that even the grinchiest of readers will find their hearts growing three sizes.

The Quirky Best Friend
They’re weird, know how to push all your buttons, and you love them for it. No notes.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

This sassy best friend was such a fan favorite that she ended up getting her own book, The True Love Experiment. Start with TSE to meet her as we all did and fall in love with her, then read TTLE and watch her fall in love on a trope-based reality dating show.

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson

Sometimes the snarky best friend is an eighty-year-old woman. Not enough books feature older characters, much less ones that get to be as feisty and spirited as this one, full of wisdom dispensed as hilarious anecdotes. I would read an entire book of just these two talking about everything and nothing.

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee

The entire supporting cast of characters in this book is an absolute riot. Situational humor is difficult to pull off in text, but this book has it in spades. As a queer person from the south, this book set in the mountains of Georgia is the hug I didn’t know I needed.

Everyone Can See It But Them
No explanation necessary.

You, With A View by Jessica Joyce

In the wake of her grandmother’s passing, our protagonist uncovers photos of her grandmother’s first love—and the honeymoon road trip she never went on. With the help of the internet, she finds her grandmother’s former love. Lo and behold, he’s her high school nemesis’s grandfather. The three of them set out to complete the road trip, and no spoilers, but the way this sweet grandpa sees what’s coming before our protagonists do… Get your tissues ready. This rivals-to-lovers romcom is one of the sweetest, most heart-warming books, whilst also being sexy and witty. A true masterpiece.

Love & Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

A conspiracy theory skeptic and a true believer team up to make a web show hunting cryptids, and their back-and-forth chemistry leaves viewers wondering if there’s more to the duo than just co-hosts. There’s nothing better than reading a book where you can tell how much fun the author had writing about their niche interest, and even if you’re a skeptic like our main character, you’ll believe in this couple.

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore

Our protagonists agree to be filmed as part of an online series following Gen Z in the workplace, and viewers instantly ship the two of them, not knowing our love interest stole the promotion our protagonist was gunning for. But when they have to work on a project together, they realize the internet might have been onto something. This debut is a knockout.

Secrets, Secrets
Romance statistics calculate that if you have a secret, the odds of it coming out at the absolute worst possible moment are 100 percent.

You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria

With both their acting careers on the line, our protagonists take rehearsing their scripts very seriously, and if that means practice-kissing your incredibly hot costar, it’s all in service of the craft. Until it’s not, and their behind-the-scenes romance could risk exposing our hero’s closely guarded secret.

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

Perfect for fans of a You’ve Got Mail premise. Our two writer protagonists fall for each other via email correspondence—not knowing they’re actually neighbors. There’s something so delicious about watching people fall for each other online and then in person, knowing they’re the same and waiting for them to realize—especially when one of them realizes it first and knowing the secret will have to come to light—? Chef’s kiss.

Hot Summer by Elle Everhart

In this Love Island-esque premise, our protagonist agrees to go on the dating show and make it to the finale in exchange for a promotion at work—one of the show’s partners. Her connection to the show has to remain secret, but that becomes harder and harder as her connection to one of the contestants grows genuine—and puts her winning strategy at risk.

Just Once, To Get It Out Of Our Systems
The heroes are convinced their feelings are purely physical and the only solution is to act on them. Once. Just once. The heroes are also probably really bad at math.

You Between The Lines by Katie Naymon

I love a meta moment, so when this trope gets referenced by the swoony poet love interest saying, “So did you get it out of your system?” and “That’s not going to be the only time.” To quote Paris Hilton, “That’s hot.” (* Out 02.18.25)

Take A Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

She’s a romance cynic. He’s a hopeless romantic. They can totally fake date and casually sleep together, right? Talia Hibbert is romcom gold and a true smut queen. This entire series is required reading for any romance aficionado. 

What Is Love? by Jen Comfort

In this Jeopardy-inspired rom-com, two rivals team up to beat the show’s top ranked competitor in an All Star round. While the two couldn’t be more different, as they study together, they find an unlikely connection, and that maps can be quite sexy, actually.

One Night Stand To Strangers To Friends To Lovers To Idiots To Lovers
Invented by Mason Álvarez-West and Sawyer Greene, probably.

Unromance by Erin Connor

When a jaded romance author gets stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger, she recognizes it for what it is: not a meet cute, but an opportunity for a one-night stand and a little inspo for her next book. But when they run into each other again, they realize they can help each other: she can cure him of the hopeless romanticism that keeps landing him in the tabloids, and in return, he can use it to help her with her writer’s block. Surely, acting out romance tropes together won’t have them hurtling towards a happily ever after neither of them saw coming.

The post 25 Rom-Com Book Recommendations From Author Erin Connor appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Prepare your romance-loving heart as there are some stellar romance books releasing in the first half of 2025! Between the months of January and June, you’ll see new releases from Emily Henry, Charlotte Stein, TJ Alexander, Jasmine Guillory, Ali Hazelwood, Meryl Wilsner, Abby Jimenez, Sarah Hogle, Katherine Center, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Ashley Poston, and many more, along with so many debuts too!

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2025 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, YA books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, and Fiction books list.

JANUARY 2025

Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A struggling vineyard owner gets a second taste of her first crush in this romantic comedy that sparkles with humor and heat.

Work In Progress by Kat Mackenzie

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com about a woman who, desperate for a fresh start, books a literary bus tour across the UK that consists of a lively group of elderly ladies plus one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver.

Unromance by Erin Connor

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A recently dumped TV heartthrob enlists a jaded romance novelist to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet again . . .

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Archaeologist Miriam and journalist Rafael are destined to be rivals and must journey together to find the Lost City of the Moon. As they navigate treacherous paths and rival crews, their hearts become entangled in a thrilling adventure where love and duty collide in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti returns with another hot, hilarious Regency romp about a reclusive earl and the wallflower-turned-radical-pamphleteer who turns his life upside down.

Yin Yang Love Song By Lauren Kung Jessen

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this charming rom-com filled with Chinese traditions and a family curse, an herbalist fake dates a star musician–perfect for fans of Helen Hoang and Jasmine Guillory.

The Lodge by Kayla Olson

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the author of The Reunion, a cozy rom-com about a writer who decamps to a Vermont lodge for work but finds herself distracted by the charming ski instructor next door.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this new rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
With his funny, big-hearted adult rom com debut, bestselling, award-winning YA author Julian Winters shows sometimes fake dating your ex can turn into a second chance.

For One Night Only by Jessica James

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
When two former bandmates—and bedmates—are thrust back into each other’s lives in a fake dating scheme for publicity, they’ll be forced to face the music.

Let’s Call A Truce by Amy Buchanan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Let’s Call A Truce is a sexy contemporary romance about second chances at life and love, bursting with humor and a touch of angst from debut author, Amy Buchanan.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Star-crossed lovers learn that practicing romance leads to the perfect happy ending in this steamy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

FEBRUARY 2025

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Aurora Montalban, an ambitious doctor breaking societal norms to help women in 19^th century Paris, and Apollo Sinclair Robles, the reluctant Duke willing to risk everything for her.

Get Lost With You by Sophie Sullivan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A second chance at love, small-town romance that’s all sweet with just a hint of heat from the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped In A Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Never Planned On You by Lindsay Hameroff

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A glittering, laugh-out-loud second chance romance that reminds us true love is sometimes the one thing you never planned on.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this “brilliant, poignant love story perfect for fans of Emily Henry,” a former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her classmates is her high school crush-turned-nemesis—​and he can’t stop writing about her. 

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the beloved author of Right on Cue and Lease on Love comes a whimsical new rom-com about a workaholic forced to aim for a goal she never thought she’d love.

Love and Other Hollywood Endings by Susannah Erwin

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An upbeat production exec is tasked with reining in the cynical director who was her forbidden college heartbreak in this sparkling, sexy contemporary romance.

The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this witty and fun rom-com debut from Annabelle Slator, rival coworkers become reluctant daters after they’re forced to work together on a brand-new dating app in hopes of winning a promotion—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An R&B singer and a corporate executive find love that hits the right notes in this romance by Kristina Forest, USA Today bestselling author of The Partner Plot.

MARCH 2025

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
It’s enemies to lovers in this sexy and delightful holiday mash up that pairs the spare prince of Christmas with the crown prince of St. Patrick’s Day!

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The long-awaited follow-up to the Reese’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestselling global phenomenon The Light We Lost: a thrilling love story about the roles fate and choice play in shaping a life.

Something Cheeky by Thien-Kim Lam

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A steamy new rom-com from the popular author of Happy Endings and Full Exposure, where two friends get the opportunity to work together on their dream project—a Cinderella rock musical with an all-Asian cast—and discover that falling in love was the easy part…

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Perfect for fans of Ted Lasso, this delicious slow burn romance turns a pretend marriage into real love.

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not.

Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The truth is stranger than fan fiction in the next sexy paranormal rom-com from the beloved author of The Roommate.

Cover Story by Celia Laskey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hilarious, emotional love story about an extremely anxious publicist who’s tasked with keeping an extremely gay starlet in the closet—but who ends up falling for her instead.​

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A Lady with a past. A man with ambition. A romance far from London society that might bridge their divides.

Just Our Luck by Denise Williams

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A lottery ticket + donuts = love in this steamy new fake dating romance from beloved author Denise Williams.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the acclaimed author of Chef’s Kiss, a groundbreaking trans Regency romance that’s both delightfully witty and refreshingly iconoclastic.

Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
One of the greatest love stories in history gets derailed when a struggling poet at Cambridge runs into a time-traveler who agrees to help him find his muse—a thoughtful and uplifting romantic comedy for fans of About Time and The Midnight Library.

APRIL 2025

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice.

The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrissey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A small-town waitress and a big-city Broadway press agent swap homes to escape the messiness of their personal lives, only to find new purpose—and new love.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Meryl Wilsner’s spicy romance, their first with a nonbinary lead, where two lifelong best friends go on a nonrefundable honeymoon together and discover sometimes to find a happily ever after, you just have to ask.

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance in which past lovers get a second chance to rediscover what they lost.

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The exciting new contemporary romance—and her first to feature a queer romance—by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A society matchmaker realizes she’s in danger when her clients’ weddings are sabotaged in increasingly disturbing ways—an utterly original mystery from the New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed.

MAY 2025

A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A witch and a shifter get a second chance at love in this new paranormal romantic comedy from USA Today Bestselling author April Asher.

Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffatt

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Sparks fly in this summer romp for fans of Casey McQuiston when dancers at a Catskills resort try to pull off the perfect show, and find happiness and a place where they belong on the way.

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the international bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós comes a steamy love story of a divorced schoolteacher who discovers that her perfect no-strings fling is anything but…

Not So Fast by Karen Booth

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
It’s Formula One—getting revved up is all part of the fun in this sizzling, high-octane rom-com for fans of Rush and The Hating Game.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A radiant, new escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ―along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A former adolescent TV punch line has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash course with her past, spending a week on Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An emotional, irresistible second-chance romance filled with sparkling humor, big feelings, and “melt your face off intimacy” (Jessica Joyce).

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A small-town waitress and a Hollywood star’s worlds collide in this new romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hilarious, unputdownable second-chance-romance about the most unlikely, gay roommate mishap. Perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.

JUNE 2025

Winging It With You by Chip Pons

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Popular bookstagrammer Chip Pons’s gay rom-com about two men who impulsively pose as a couple to compete in a reality show contest just minutes after meeting at an airport, and their run-in with the very real feelings that start to simmer between them.

The Ripple Effect by Maggie North

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North’s sparkling second novel about starting over.

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Ms. and Ms. Smith meets The Pairing in this heart-racing romance of secrets, spies, and steam.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Ready to Score by Jodie Slaughter

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Cleat Cute meets Friday Night Lights in this funny, spicy, emotional new sapphic romance from Jodie Slaughter.

Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two estranged best friends find that their long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A band reunion may be enough to change two musicians’ tune on love in this electric romance from USA Today bestselling author Alicia Thompson.

I’ll Pretend You’re Mine by Tashie Bhuiyan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this contemporary novel from the author of Counting Down with You, singer-songwriter Summer Ali shakes things up with a PR stunt “dating” actor Jules Moradi, but the lines between real and fake begin to blur.

When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with a fun and flirty rom-com about a pact between friends that goes awry when one of them unexpectedly announces they’re getting married.

Writing Mr. Right by Alina Khawaja

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this charming, delightfully original rom-com, a struggling writer’s muse suddenly comes to life, but can they create their own happily-ever-after?

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Mulan is reimagined as a contemporary romance about family expectations, mistaken identity, and high stakes mergers—of both business and the heart.

Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the author of Just Some Stupid Love Story, an irresistible rom-com about what happens when a cruise ship romance goes…overboard

What 2025 romance books are you looking forward to reading? Any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Swoonworthy 2025 Romance Book Releases You Need appeared first on The Nerd Daily.