Happy 2026!!
A new year means new books. I’ve curated a list of just some of the books I’m hoping to read in 2026. There’s some new authors and authors I’ve read and loved before!
Let’s get into it.
Skate it Till You Make It by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
Release Date: 3rd February 2026
The weather might be icy, but the tension is red-hot!
When Ari Shumba and Drew Dlamini meet on New Year’s Eve, neither one is looking to fall in love.
Ari’s the reluctant new captain of Team GB’s women’s ice hockey team, anxiously preparing for the Winter Olympics. And after dropping out of college to handle a family crisis, Drew’s desperately trying to salvage his photography career.
The chemistry is instant, but with both of their lives spinning out of control, they know a relationship would end in disaster. So, as the clock counts down to midnight, they spill their messiest secrets and most alarming red flags, thinking that they’ll never see each other again…
Until they accidentally cross paths at the Winter Games.
As toxic exes and fraught family dynamics threaten to sabotage the most important competition of their lives, they hatch an emergency plan to fake date and photograph their way through the Games. After all, there’s no risk of falling in love if it is doomed from the start… right?
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
Release Date: 12th February 2026
Natalie chose James carefully, because he’s different from all the men she’d loved before. Calm. Competent. Kind.
And there are three very good reasons she needs to be so careful. Their names are Marc, Luca and George.
Natalie prefers not to think about what they did to her. Let alone what she had to do to them.
Except now, on a night they are meant to be celebrating how happy they are together, Natalie and James are lying in separate bedrooms. She is asking herself how she could have been foolish enough to let yet another man hurt her like this.
Slowly, Natalie realises she’s already holding a knife.
But she’s not going to do anything with it. She’s not.
Not again.
Love by the Book by Jessica George
Release Date: 12th February 2026
This isn’t a romance. But it is about love.
Remy is lucky. Her three best friends have always been there for her – until the day that they’re not. One of them is moving to New York. One of them is pregnant. And one is busy with her (awful) boyfriend. Suddenly, their foursome is splitting – and it feels like a break-up.
Simone doesn’t need friends. The only people she needs are her family – but when they cut her off, she realises how alone she is.
When the pair meet in a bookshop, they don’t immediately click. But as life keeps throwing them together, they realise that they might just have bumped into exactly what they need… if they can only be brave enough to let each other in.
Kin by Tayari Jones
Release Date: 24th February 2026
Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood, but are fated to live starkly different lives. Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother’s death, Vernice leaves Honeysuckle at eighteen for Spelman College, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and marries into an affluent family. Annie, abandoned by her dissolute mother as a child, and fixated on the idea of finding her and filling the bottomless hole left by her absence, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, and culminate in a battle for her life.
A novel about mothers and daughters, about friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest and most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction.
Cleopatra by Saara El-Arif
Release Date: 26th February 2026
YOU KNOW MY NAME.
BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.
Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love’s thrall.
Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.
Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.
How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule.
Death will silence me no longer.
This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.
And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
Release Date: 26th February 2026
Jackson Clark likes life neat, predictable, and preferably viewed from the comfort of his radio booth.
Delilah Stewart prefers hers wild, spontaneous, and preferably in the eye of the storm, out in the field.
For years, the two have clashed like thunder and lightning – until they’re partnered against their will to cover the snowstorm of the century, finding themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.
Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal. If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With an undiscovered chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.
But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains, stay in the mountains?
Good Good Loving by Yvette Edwards
Release Date: 5th March 2026
Ellen’s beloved, beautiful, complicated family are gathered around her hospital bed as she prepares to slip away, and boy, is she ready. You’d think she could finally get some peace and quiet, but instead her children have chosen now of all times to have a never-ending discussion about her failings. Every single tiny thing they think she’s done wrong over the years – and the one big thing too. After all the sacrifices Ellen has made for every last ungrateful one of them, they still take their father’s side. If only they knew the whole story.
With Love from Harlem by ReShonda Tate
Release Date: 12th March 2026
Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she’s breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem’s most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel—charismatic, powerful…and married.
This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel’s star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she’s willing to lose—and what she refuses to give up.
The Quiet Girls by Dorothy Koomson
Release Date: 12th March 2026
When MJ Hudson, an old work acquaintance, shows up at Dr Kez Lanyon’s house in the middle of the night, Kez knows she has no choice but to help.
At the prestigious boarding school that MJ’s daughter attends, a teacher has been killed and a pupil is missing. And it seems that the same thing happens every few years. Only this time, the school haven’t been able to cover things up and MJ’s daughter and her group of nice, quiet friends are right at the heart of the scandal.
Undercover as the new school therapist, Kez quickly realises there are some seriously powerful, well-connected forces at play. And by continuing to investigate the mystery, perhaps even stepping outside the law to do so, Kez risks putting her own family in serious danger.
Because no one wants their secrets aired. And some will go to any length to keep them buried.
Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui
Release Date: 24th March 2026
TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR.
The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.
Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha’s soul.
Only Aicha’s secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco’s freedom reaches it violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha’s skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.
Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin
Release Date: 26th March
A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about ambition, love and space from the award-winning author of the Women’s Prize longlisted Wandering Souls.
January 28, 1986: moments after launch, the Challenger shuttle falls from the sky. At the same time, in a small English village, Oliver Ines is born.
Ollie spends his childhood in a bedroom covered in glow-in-the-dark wallpaper, bearing the planets and stars. Decades later, he has become one of the most renowned astronauts of his time. When an enterprising billionaire approaches him to lead a landmark, ten-year mission to the distant moon, Europa, Ollie cannot resist the call of history.
As the mission advances deeper into uncharted territory, Ollie finds himself retreating into the past: his school days and years in the navy, relationships found and lost, becoming a husband and father. But will the world he remembers still be waiting for him when he returns?
Celestial Lights is a breathtaking story of fate, love, and sacrifice, that questions what we owe ourselves and our loved ones, when our ambitions and loyalties collide.
The Bridge Back to You by Riss M Neilson
Release Date: 2nd April 2026
Olivia owes everything to Celia’s Place. It’s where she learned how to be a great chef. It’s also where she first fell in love. But at nineteen, Olivia had a wanderlust she couldn’t deny. And Carmello, whose mother owned the restaurant, couldn’t leave Celia’s Place behind any more than he could force Olivia to stay.
Now, ten years later, Olivia is a successful personal chef. Her job allows her to travel the world, and she has never stayed in the same place for too long. When Carmello learns that his mother left shares of her beloved restaurant to both him and Olivia, he plans to buy her portion of the shares back quickly and painlessly.
That is until Olivia shows up at the restaurant, ready to help run it. Carmello sees an opportunity: drive Olivia away from his restaurant so that she will want to sign over her shares. But Olivia sees things a bit differently. She finally has the chance to stay in one place and build a home after years on the move, and perhaps now is the right time to explore whether that home can be with the one who got away.
Soon enough, sparks begin to fly, but can Olivia and Carmello avoid the mistakes of the past?
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Release Date: 7th April 2026
‘My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…’
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and has the social media accounts to prove it. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What Natalie’s followers don’t know won’t hurt them.
Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children―they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn’t her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.
Sister of Mine by Marie-Claire Amuah
Release Date: 9th April 2026
Sika’s holiday to Ghana is the trip of a lifetime, until she uncovers a family secret that changes her life…
When Sika is invited to a lavish family party in Accra, she jumps at the chance. Her life might be in London – with a high-powered job, demanding boss and intense friendships – but she’s itching to get to know her cousins, aunts and uncles, and explore the country her mother left just after Sika was born.
The holiday is better than she could have imagined, especially when handsome, charismatic Danso steps onto the scene. But on the night of the big party, as her happiness soars, Sika discovers a dark secret that will change everything – for everyone – forever.
The Art of Loving You by Natasha Bishop
Release Date: 14th April 2026
Dani Jenkins is a boss. A model turned influencer, she doesn’t have time for taking a risk on romance. She prefers to keep things casual, but when her mentor Tanya dies, she is brought face-to-face with the man who broke her heart. Dani and Micah had their chance at love . . .
Artist Micah Wright is a protector who loves fiercely. He’s known as the man everyone can count on, but he’s never forgiven himself for letting down the woman he loves. With Tanya’s dying wish forcing Dani and Micah back together to complete a scavenger hunt road trip, Micah sees a second chance for them to get things right. Does time heal all wounds?
Tensions are high as their undeniable connection reignites, but Dani refuses to let her guard down. As they continue their journey, Micah is determined to prove to Dani that love is worth fighting for, but can she release her fears and relearn the art of loving?
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
Release Date: 21st April 2026
In 2008, Desiree, January, Monique and Nakia are in their early twenties and at the beginning. Of their careers, of marriage, of motherhood and of big city lives in New York and Los Angeles. Together, they are finding their way through the wilderness, that period of life when the reality of contemporary adulthood – overwhelming, mysterious and full of freedom and consequences – swoops in and stays.
Desiree is estranged from her sister Danielle, and the two nurse bitter family wounds in different ways. January’s got a relationship with a ‘good’ man she feels ambivalent about, even after her surprise pregnancy. Monique, a librarian and aspiring blogger, finds unexpected online fame after calling out the university where she works for its plans to whitewash fraught history. And Nakia is trying to get her restaurant off the ground, without relying on the largesse of her upper middle-class family who wonder aloud if she should be doing something better with her life.
As these friends transition from young adults to grown women, they must figure out what they mean to one another – amid political upheaval, economic and environmental instability and the increasing volatility of modern life.
Kiss Mary Kill by Yemi Dipeolu
Release Date: 23rd April 2026
It’s Ife’s dream wedding – until her new husband Ade is arrested for murder.
His missing ex, Cynthia, has been found dead on the Dorset coast.
Case closed: it’s always the ex, right?
But did Ade kiss, marry – and kill? One person hopes the truth never comes out.
Honey by Imani Thompson
Release Date: 7th May 2026
The first time, Yrsa doesn’t intend to kill.
But the Cambridge professor sitting opposite has manipulated her friend, stolen her research. When she flicks the bee into his Sanpellegrino, she thinks he’ll get a nasty sting.
Then he’s dead. And Yrsa, who – let’s face it – has been bored for a while, is alive. It’s a sweet feeling, finally having some control.
Andromeda by E.S. McLeod
Release Date: 14th May 2026
Blessed by the gods with unparalleled beauty, Andromeda lives a life of ease within her Aethiopian palace walls. Content with her sanctuary, the young princess has no concerns other than the royal expectations her parents have for her – until a single, fateful proclamation changes everything.
When the queen defies the gods with a blasphemous claim, Poseidon, fearsome God of the Seas, delivers a deadly ultimatum that puts the queen’s life in Andromeda’s hands. Poseidon sends his loyal servant, the shape-shifting Ceto, to seal the princess’s fate.
But Ceto is not just a servant. With a sharp tongue and hardened heart, she has little interest in the princess’s appearance – and even less in the games of gods. Yet an undeniable tension begins to bloom between them, and both quickly realise Andromeda’s beauty is not only a gift, but a weapon to wield. As Poseidon’s judgement draws ever closer, the two women find themselves pulled into something far more passionate – and dangerous – than either could have predicted…
Score by Kennedy Ryan
Release Date: 19th May 2026
You never forget your first love. Isn’t that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn’t simply miss Wright “Monk” Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She’s haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since-a shadow of what they had.
Time heals all wounds. Isn’t that what they say? Monk doesn’t believe that for a second. He wasn’t simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed.
More than a decade after their disastrous break up, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter penning the script, there’s Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film…for the sake of something more?
The Talk of the Party by Foluso Agbaje
Release Date: 21st May 2026
Bukola Obanile’s 60th birthday party is the hottest ticket in town. But champagne isn’t all that is being served…
The Obaniles’ picture-perfect life is the envy of all Lagos society, and everyone wants a piece. So, when renowned matriarch Bukola’s birthday approaches, there are no expenses spared. Five hundred guests are invited, and her four children are all in attendance. Everything will be perfect, just as planned.
Except living the dream comes at a price and, as the party draws closer, each of the Obanile children find themselves embroiled in scandals that could shatter the flawless reputation their mother has carefully built.
As the music builds and chandeliers glitter, this one perfect night could be all it takes to destroy a family built on deception…
Smallie by Eden McKenzie Goodard
Release Date: 28th May 2026
‘Smallie’: A Caribbean adjective for ‘Small Islander’
In 1961, nineteen-year-old Lucinda Brown travels to England in search of her son’s father, Clarence Braithwaite, who left Barbados to join the British army. But aboard the ship to Southampton she meets a man named Raldo who offers her a glimpse of a new life, a freer life. Bound by the memory of her son waiting at home, she chooses Clarence – realizing too late that war has made a stranger out of him.
Nearly fifty years later, Lucinda receives a letter from the Home Office that threatens to tear her world apart. Her children rally together to prove her legal arrival, and to do so they must track down an elusive man from her past, a man she wanted to love but instead lost, a man who now holds the key to her family’s future. Raldo . . .
An exhilarating and expansive tale of a family thrown into collision with the Windrush scandal, Smallie shows just how easily the past can spill into our lives, even when – especially when – we think we’ve closed the door on it.
The Devoted by Catherine Cho
Release Date: 4th June 2026
Eunha grows up in a quiet village in Hong Kong with little knowledge of the reputation of her father, a Dragon Head and leader of a criminal organisation infamous in the city. While her grandmother does her best to shield her from the violence that underpins their lives, Eunha only has her brother Solomon and their one permitted companion, a boy named Kai, for company.
But when Eunha marries into a supposedly respectable Hong Kong family, the veneer of her quiet life begins to crack. When her young son is kidnapped, she is cast back into the city’s criminal underground and into the orbit of Kai, now a Dragon Head himself. In this world love and loyalty are stalked by fear and betrayal. Will Eunha finally give in to the life she has strived so hard to rise above or was her future always fated?
Half Lives by Krystle Zara Appiah
Release Date: 4th June 2026
No one can hurt you like a sister
Growing up in 1970s Ghana, Evelyn and Maggie are two sides of the same coin. While reliable Evelyn is entrusted to support her struggling family, Maggie skips class to flirt with boys. Despite their differences, they’ve made a promise: one day they will escape to America, and start a new life together.
Evelyn’s prospects transform when she marries Gus, a wealthy surgeon who already lives in New York, and quickly falls pregnant. Meanwhile, Maggie sees her prospects vanish when she realises she is also expecting, but without the crucial detail of a husband.
When a terrible accident causes Evelyn to lose her unborn child, the answer seems simple, and Evelyn takes her sister’s unwanted baby to the States to raise as her own. But such an act has untold consequences for both sisters, and when one of them changes their mind, an impossible decision awaits.
The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest
Release Date: 9th June 2026
Noelle Lewis doesn’t have time for long walks on the beach, brunch with the girls, or summer vacations. She’s too busy saving up to go back to college. After recently getting laid off from her bookseller job, her main gig is now serving as a “stand-in” bridesmaid, which doesn’t pay enough for the upcoming semester’s tuition. But then the perfect, if not unconventional, opportunity arises…
Jeremiah Smith II, grandson of the founder of Smith’s Sweets–a well-known baked goods company–once lived a life of frivolity. Since his grandfather’s death, Jeremiah’s tried to clean up his act, but it’s hard to focus when his family requests that he join them at their summer house in Heart Beach, New Jersey, where his most painful memory lies. To avoid going there, Jeremiah claims he already has plans with his girlfriend, and of course, his family tells him to bring her. The problem? Jeremiah doesn’t have a girlfriend.
After a chance meeting, Noelle and Jeremiah come to an agreement. He’ll hire her to be his stand-in girlfriend for the weekend, and she’ll use that money toward her tuition. She figures it will be quick, easy money, but as it turns out, Jeremiah’s family is lovely, and Jeremiah is even lovelier. Soon, a weekend agreement turns into an entire summer, and Noelle and Jeremiah will have to keep their hearts in check, or else it’s sink or swim for them both.
A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
Release Date: 9th June 2026
In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilled, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.
To deescalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.
It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side – and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.
If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle
Release Date: 18th June 2026
When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favourite author’s next novel, she has romance in mind ― namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted by a mysterious busker, and she finds herself swept into a fairy tale first date with a dashing stranger who seems destined to take her breath away.
Except for one little hiccup: that dashing stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist ― but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.
Thrown into a perilous genre she’s never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So, when her escape from a potential murderer takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman ― an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels ― she decides a little light kidnapping is a small price to pay for survival.
Together, Roxie and Grant team up to navigate a madcap story where the lines between fiction and reality blur and find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End ― or maybe even Happily Ever After.
Around the World in 80 Dates by Jasmine Burke
Release Date: 16th July 2026
Amorie Grant expected to wake up with a hangover, not viral sensation status. But in the space of a single drunk post, her innermost thoughts on dating became the business of 2.3 million viewers.
Now the barista’s safe, ordinary life has blown up – into something entirely out of her control. Until her video catches the attention of the magazine that inspired her to pursue journalism. Sitting in front of the Editor-in-Chief, Amorie knows it’s time to make her dream come true, by pitching a brand-new dating column: Around the World in 80 Dates.
But, as Amorie embarks on a six-month interrailing adventure, newly contracted to write about her journey to finding ‘the one’, reality hits. She’s never casually dated or, quite frankly, done anything alone. So, when Amorie meets fellow interrailer, Noah, she takes the ultimate gamble. By asking him not just to be Date #1, but her new travel partner meets dating guru.
Travelling together comes with ground rules, of course. Starting with ‘No flirting with each other’ and ending with ‘Separate beds, always.’ Yet, as Amorie hops from train to train and date to date, she finds herself tempted to break every rule…
The Missed Connection by Tia Williams
Release Date: 4th August 2026
It was love at first flight . . .
Now she just has to find him.
Sasha Cruz knows types. As a booked-and-busy casting agent, she’s always casting – at happy hour, the post office, the grocery store, everywhere. She’s all about finding the perfect person to slot into the perfect role. What she doesn’t do, however, are relationships.
But when Sasha’s seated next to a mysterious, broodingly handsome Italian man on the way to a work trip in Paris, sparks fly – only to miss the chance to exchange contact information. Convinced he is her soulmate, Sasha embarks on a manhunt to find Seat F.
When Sasha enlists her work friend for help in the search, she accidentally emails the entire global company, and colleagues around the world begin looking for Seat F – with some finding love along the way. Meanwhile, Sasha takes matters into her own hands, hiring a smouldering detective who complicates matters in unforeseen ways . . .
Bitter Melon by Liv Little
Release Date: 22nd October 2026
Jalissa and her dad aren’t close, but when he invites her to Jamaica, his homeland, for the first time, she says yes.
She’s running from heartbreak and a loss of her own; he’s running out of time.
As they travel through sun-drenched towns and navigate tangled family roots, old wounds open and long-held silences begin to break. They’re both trying to outrun something-but along the way, they cross paths with people whose stories shift their own, helping them face the past, reckon with the present and reimagine what comes next.
Inconceivable by Rebecca Coxon
Release Date: 12th March 2026
When Rebecca Coxon uploaded her genetic data to an ancestry website, she had no idea of the chain reaction it would spark. Confronted by the shocking discovery that her father was not biologically related to her, the secrets revealed by her genes would alter her understanding of identity and family forever.
In this deeply honest and intimate memoir, Rebecca – a donor-conceived IVF triplet who has donated her eggs and undergone fertility treatment herself – shares her remarkable story. It’s one of family secrets, shame, resilience and warmth, offering a profound glimpse into the consequences of how we choose to create new life.
Written with nuance and tenderness, Inconceivable is a beautiful meditation on our place within history and the wider universe and, above all else, a love letter to family in all its forms.
Phases by Brandy
Release Date: 23rd April 2026
The iconic, multiplatinum, Grammy Award®–winning performer Brandy brings us a raw, intimate portrait of her life, charting her growth to stardom from Mississippi churches to Hollywood spotlights
From the moment she first sang at church in McComb, Mississippi, Brandy knew her voice was special. At fourteen she landed her first record deal. At fifteen her album went platinum. At sixteen she was starring in the hit sitcom Moesha and became the first Black actress to play Cinderella on screen alongside fairy godmother, Whitney Houston.
Yet as the accolades piled up, so too did the pressure to maintain a flawless image. To onlookers, she had crafted the blueprint for the teenage “it” girl. But behind closed doors “The Vocal Bible” as she was known, was struggling.
Now, for the first time, Brandy reveals the real story behind her life in the spotlight, the stratospheric highs and the unimaginable lows, the groundbreaking moments and the relatable journey she had to take to discover her authentic self—as a woman, a mother, an artist—as Brandy.
Brandy’s debut memoir is a fearless and remarkable story of hope, resilience and the strength it takes to make peace with the past.
The Between-Worlds B&B by Amy Mae Baxter
Release Date: 7th May 2026
Margo is bored. It’s the summer before she graduates, she has no idea where her life is going and she’s really not enjoying her job as a lifeguard (she loves swimming, but all she gets to do is watch people swim).
When Margo gets locked out one evening, she checks into a lovely B&B she’s never noticed. Rooms are available for £24.50 (the exact amount in her bank account!) and she’s greeted by surprisingly handsome receptionist, Finn. The rooms are cosy, there’s even a grand library and a huge swimming pool, and the breakfast smells amazing.
But Margo soon suspects that it’s all too perfect, and that magic is in the air. She’s fairly sure that one of the other guests is a fairy princess, for one thing. Finn soon tells Margo that this is a B&B for magical beings. But Margo is pretty sure she doesn’t have a magical bone in her body, so what is she doing there?
Winners and Liars by Aleema Omotoni
Release Date: 21st May 2026
Derin is a working-class student bound for Cambridge University. When her favourite professor, Alexander Darnley, and then his wife, Cornelia, unexpectedly die, all of their students attend the will reading. They are instructed to compete in a series of challenges, based on Cornelia’s beloved historical novel, to win their stately home and its multi million-pound inheritance.
But the Darnley’s family are not happy to be missing out on their fortune and they don’t plan on letting it go easily. And tensions continue to rise when on Derin’s first night at Kenfield House, she receives a note reading ‘There’s something else going on here that the Darnley’s don’t want you to know.’ Derin must balance the thrilling games, scheming classmates and a cute Kenfield intern, all whilst realizing that the history and secrets of Kenfield House might be soaked in blood.
Who will ultimately be the heir?
Break Out by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon
Release Date: 2nd June 2026
For Thurgood Marshall Academy’s best and brightest–five friends who’ve been thick as thieves since kindergarten–this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year’s tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.
It’s a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad’s luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one’s counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they’re also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies… including (another) one of their own.
As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind–secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends–seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?
Seventh Period Girl by Joya Goffney
Release Date: 6th October 2026
Sunnaya starts her junior year like every other year: invisible—until she finds herself sharing seventh period with uber popular Omari Walker. Everywhere Omari goes, he finds a girl to flirt and play make-believe with because everyone knows Omari Walker does NOT date. When Omari claims Sunnaya during seventh period, it’s as though his hypervisibility rubs off on her. People can see her, and they finally remember her name…
In comes the new girl from California, who instantly wins the hearts of everyone at school, including Omari—to the point that she turns him monogamous. Omari drops his flirtationship with Sunnaya, dropping her back into the ghost realm.
But Sunnaya’s is not the only territory that the new girl usurps. She’s made an enemy of a lot of powerful Black girls—powerful and status-seeking Black girls who had Omari right where they wanted him until “that California girl” came into the picture. In order to regain their crowns and their rightful positions on top, the scorned seven, an unlikely band of clique-ish mean girls, team up to take down their rival.
Mean Girls meets John Tucker Must Die in this hilarious found family novel, featuring Goffney-branded Black girl friendships we all wish we had.
This is such a fab selection of books and I can’t wait to see them enter the world this year.
Do let me know below if there’s any that have caught your eye!
Happy Reading! <3
