My Most Anticipated Romance Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today’s category: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026

I have thirteen books to share with you all today! These thirteen books are on my most anticipated list for the half of 2026. If I had to pick the top two I’m most anticipating, they would have to be A Hateful Negotiation by TIJAN and Burning Skies by Lex Martin! I have a feeling 2026 is going to be a fantastic reading year!

Here are my 13 books I’m most anticipating for the first half of 2026:

My Anticipated Romance Novels Scheduled To Release in January 2026:

Only On Gameday
By: Kristen Callihan

Release Date: January 6th, 2026
kindleunlimited: https://amzn.to/453RTK9

Synopsis:

An ALL-NEW sports romance from New York Times bestseller Kristen Callihan with high emotional stakes and a slow-burn, steamy heat level.

A “fake” fiancée is just the trick to help a bad-boy football player clean up his image. Trouble is, there’s nothing fake about the way August feels about his “pretend” fiancée.

August Luck is on the brink of greatness: top NFL draft pick, a great team, multiple corporate sponsorships, but he keeps messing it up with bonehead moves. After his latest shenanigan goes viral, everyone is telling him to get his act together.

Penelope Morrow grew up with August. Their mothers were best friends. Unfortunately, Pen always fled the room with a look of disapproval on her pretty face whenever August was around. But Pen has a problem too: she inherited her grandparent’s house and can’t pay the estate tax.

On a whim, August decides a temporary public engagement is the solution to both their problems—he’ll pay her taxes, and she’ll help his image. Win-win.

But, when it comes to Pen, nothing is certain or safe. Because Pen isn’t so reserved anymore. This time, she’s smiling back at him. And he likes it. A lot. Will they each survive the ruse unscathed?

A Hateful Negotiation
(Kings Of New York Series)
By: TIJAN

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
kindleunlimited: https://amzn.to/3Ljk1Cu

Synopsis:

In a slow-burn mafia romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, a dangerous psychopath—and deadly crime boss—drops his defenses for the one girl he’s vowed to protect.

Creighton was a dangerous crime boss with a growing empire. And he’s a psychopath.

He’s also obsessed with Blake.

She wanted a normal life. That meant new friends and a life without Creighton.

Except when Blake moves to New York for her senior year of college, Creighton follows because he knows that danger is close behind. He has always protected Blake, and he always will protect her, even if Blake hates how ruthless Creighton has become for her.

However, once they’re in New York, the dynamics between the two begin to change. Tensions heat up, and soon their chemistry is sizzling beyond what Blake can handle.

That means that their usual back-and-forth has to change, with new rules and a new agreement.

Perhaps this negotiation could be for their happily ever after?

They’ll just need to survive each other first…

House Of BS & Lies
(Don’t Date Him Series, Book One)
By: Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nyu6Mo

Synopsis:

She was enraptured by the man they called Romeo the moment that he turned those butterscotch-colored eyes her way.

What wasn’t to love about a big, burly, plaid-wearing lumberjack?

He was tall, gorgeous, and knew how to wield a chainsaw better than Leatherface. He could fell a tree in seconds, had thighs that were as thick as said trees, filled out a pair of Wranglers better than any cowboy ever, and didn’t care that she could operate heavy machinery better than him.

He was everything a girl like Mable could ask for.

The caveat? He was a convicted felon that’d just escaped from prison, faked his death, and ran from his home in Texas to the mountains of Montana.

At first, Mable didn’t know what kind of man he’d been before coming to her small, mountain town. He led Mable into a false sense of security, made her fall madly, deeply, and irrevocably in love with him, and then shocked her by sharing his darkest secret.

Now, she’s left reeling, thinking life couldn’t get more complicated.

Until she finds out her stepmother knows Romeo’s secret and plans to exploit him. To make matters worse, Romeo goes on the run to protect Mable from himself, and she realizes that she has a dark side, too. One that’ll stop at nothing, not even murder, to make sure that he can live free.

Wilde Cowboy
(Love Is A Cowboy Series, Book One)
By: Kelly Elliott

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aOPXZH

Synopsis:

From New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Kelly Elliott, comes a new series that takes us back to her roots.

Ladd

As the son of a third-generation cattle rancher, it’s expected that I would follow in the footsteps of my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and work the family ranch just as they did.

However, that wasn’t my dream, and thankfully, my parents stood behind me when I told them I wanted to open a sporting goods store in our hometown of River Falls, Colorado. That’s my plan. My endgame, and nothing is going to distract me from that goal.

Then, I met Vivianne Pennington. It soon becomes clear to me that Vivianne is now a part of my dreams, and when I bring her home for Christmas, my entire family and the town of River Falls fall head over heels in love with her.

Vivianne

I’ve gone and found myself in love with a cowboy from a small town in Colorado. When Ladd’s mother and father insist that I come and spend Christmas with them on the family’s cattle ranch, I’m both excited and nervous.

It becomes clear to me that Ladd’s family has deep roots in the community and a family bond I’ve never experienced before. Estranged from my own parents, I long to be a part of the Wilde family and start to see myself living on the ranch and being a part of the community.

But I’m keeping a secret from my past. A secret that I’m terrified will destroy the future I envision, and I’m scared to lose the wild cowboy who has stolen my heart.

Wilde Cowboy is a prequel in the Love is a Cowboy series. It is my hope that by reading Ladd and Vivianne’s story first, you will have a beautifully painted picture of River Falls Cattle Ranch and the Wilde Family.

Come What May
(Ember Falls Series, Book Four)
By: Corinne Michaels

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
kindleunlimited: https://amzn.to/3LAcCPa

Synopsis:

Sleeping with your client is bad, but what I did is even worse.

When I’m sent to Ember Falls to handle a PR nightmare, I have no idea I am creating a crisis of my own. Killian Thorn is everything I know to resist—older, rugged and handsome with mesmerizing green eyes and a wicked smile—which is why instead of running from him, I end up in his bed.

Forced to work together, our stolen kisses are the least of our worries because the scandal on Killian’s ranch continues to grow.

My job is to fix the issue, but our secret is only making it worse.

My best friend convinces me that being with my client isn’t really such a faux pas. In fact, she thinks I should go for it since I’ve always guarded my heart.

Trouble is, neither of us realize we’re talking about her dad.

Burning Skies
(Wild At Heart Series, Book Three)
By: Lex Martin

Release Date: January 22nd, 2026
kindleunlimited: https://amzn.to/4naTtA4

Synopsis:

Crossing a line has never felt this good.

I’m what you’d call a good girl—at least that’s what my family thinks. But I’m tired of living by everyone else’s rules. So when I sneak into a scandalous, masked costume party and spot Beau Walker—my longtime crush and my family’s sworn enemy—I do something bold: I cross the one line that’s utterly forbidden.

Hidden by shadows and masks, we lose ourselves in the hottest night of my life. Until I accidentally moan his name, and everything comes crashing to a halt.

Beau says things I can’t forget, and my fantasy of him shatters along with my heart.

But when suspicious fires break out at the high school where I teach, I’m forced to see the one firefighter I wish I could forget.

And when our long-smoldering tension finally ignites, the heat between us lights up the sky—and reveals a danger neither of us saw coming.

Burning Skies is an enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance that features a scorchingly hot firefighter and the little sister of his long-time nemesis. If you enjoy cowboy families, old vendettas, and small towns brimming with secrets, this one is for you!

My Anticipated Romance Novels Scheduled To Release in February 2026:

Just For The Cameras
(Bay Area Players Series, Book One)
By: Meghan Quinn

Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
kindleunlimited: https://amzn.to/4ssWSy4

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a sizzling sports romance full of flamingo feathers, slow-burn heat, and one grump-meets-sunshine love story that’s anything but fake.

They’re faking it for the cameras. But what if the sparks are real?

Graydon St. John doesn’t do drama―or public appearances. The brooding defensive end for the San Francisco Foghorns prefers silence, solitude, and avoiding headlines. But when a league-wide PR scandal forces him into a media stunt at the city zoo, he’s suddenly face-to-face with squawking birds, nosy fans, and the zookeeper who seems to hate his guts on sight.

Maple Baker loves her flamingos. Loud, pink, messy? Sure. But they’re hers. And the last thing she needs is a grumpy football player stomping into her sanctuary with a bad attitude and a bigger ego. Unfortunately, they’ve been paired for the zoo’s new public outreach program, and the cameras are already rolling.

The banter is sharp. The tension is electric. And the more they pretend to play nice for the press, the more their fake flirtation starts to feel like something dangerously real.

But when family secrets, viral fame, and a PR romance gone off-script threaten everything Maple’s worked for, Graydon must decide if he’s willing to fight for love―or let it slip away to protect her.

People We Avoid
(Don’t Date Him Series, Book Two)
By: Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: February 10th, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ssDS2C

Synopsis:

All Birdee Calvert wanted was to be normal.

She wanted the parents who didn’t divorce when she was a kid and make her life a living nightmare. She wanted the sisters who actually liked her. She wanted to live in a town where everyone loved her and didn’t have a single bad thing to say about her.

That was not the life Birdee was given.

She had the exact opposite life. The kind of life where she slunk through the grocery store with a hoodie on so no one would recognize her. The kind of life where men like Creed Daugherty didn’t give her a second look.

After years of abuse and heartache, she built walls. Big, huge, thick ones that no one could ever breach. If she didn’t put forth the effort to get to know someone, she couldn’t be hurt.

At least, that was the theory.

She never counted on Creed Daugherty hitting her with his truck. Then, deciding that once he entered her life, he would never leave it.

Though Birdee should’ve known that Creed was too good to be true.

All it takes is one mistake on her part, and Creed freezes her out. Then forces the rest of the town to make it almost impossible for her to live in Sawtooth, Montana, anymore.

Birdee only thought it couldn’t get worse.

But Creed makes sure to show her that it can and will.

The thing about rock bottom?

Once you’re there, you have nothing else to lose.

And Creed Daugherty just made himself enemy number one.

My Anticipated Romance Novels Scheduled To Release in March 2026:

A Thousand Perfect Lies
By: Monica Murphy

Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ptWjS4

Synopsis:

Secrets don’t die. They just transfer schools.

New York native Billie Vale arrives at Wickham Academy, England’s most elite boarding school, with a forged identity as Belinda Winters and one mission: clear her sister’s name. Isla lies in a coma, accused of killing her best friend. Billie has one shot to uncover the truth in a school built on privilege and deception. Succeed, and her estranged father will finally help her mother. Fail, and it will tear what’s left of her family apart.

But Wickham’s secrets run deep, and not everyone wants them exposed. The school’s golden prince and its brooding outcast both seem to know more than they’ll admit—and both have reasons to keep Billie close. As she digs into the lies that built Wickham’s empire, she discovers that loyalty is just another currency, every hallway hides a motive, and everyone here protects their own at any cost.

But someone at Wickham knows what really happened…
And they’ll bury Billie before they let her find out.

Perfect for readers who loved the dark social hierarchies of Gossip Girl and the twisty, secret-laden tension of One of Us Is Lying, A Thousand Perfect Lies delivers prep-school glamour, sisterly redemption, and a mystery that turns privilege into peril.

Love Song
By: Elle Kennedy

Release Date: March 17th, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Lpd8zm

Synopsis:

A Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters—where one unforgettable summer changes everything.

After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.

With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast.

They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.

But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.

My Anticipated Romance Novels Scheduled To Release in April 2026:

How Not To Fall In Love
By: Karla Sorensen

Release Date: April 14th, 2026
kindleunlimited: https://amzn.to/4aKQCLN

Synopsis:

A bad-boy NFL star meets his match in a feisty single mom with this sweet, steamy, and emotional novel about second chances and breaking the rules of romance.

Raising my ten-year-old son, running an animal rescue, and caring for my grandfather leaves zero time for complications, let alone cocky athletes who get under my skin. Too bad the universe didn’t get the memo.

Because a big complication just crashed into my life—literally—in the form of towering NFL quarterback Archer Evans, sentenced to community service at my shelter after a scandal. Despite his mistakes, I try not to judge. He’s got demons of his own, and even though he’s made it perfectly clear he wants me, the last thing he needs is a wary single mom seeing the vulnerable man beneath the muscles and the attitude.

Though I’ll admit, I’m tempted to look.

Not that I’d cave. With his notoriety, Archer would never make it past date two of my eight-date rule. I want simple. Safe. He’s too successful. Too arrogant. Too everything. The definition of complicated.

But as the walls around Archer start to crumble, so do mine. And this complication feels suspiciously like love.

I made the rules. Maybe it’s time I broke them.

My Anticipated Romance Novels Scheduled To Release in May 2026:

Hart’s Landing
(Hart’s Landing Series, Book One)
By: Melanie Harlow

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qd1cAb

Synopsis:

Four friends made a promise to live one night like it was their last.
That night changed everything.

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson left behind a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her hometown of Hart’s Landing. But when a crisis brings her back, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.

Only…Everett is everywhere. The town’s attractive, beloved mayor has resisted settling down, but he’s never stopped wondering about Mila. Having her back in Hart’s Landing is the second chance he didn’t know he was waiting for–and he’s not about to waste it.

As Mila slowly opens her heart to Everett and begins to rebuild her fractured friendships, she wonders if coming home was exactly what she needed. But old wounds threaten to open again when questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left. Who’s really responsible for the fire that destroyed the bakery? And will knowing the truth free Mila from the past, or ignite a blaze that burns down the future she’s trying to build?

People say you can never truly come home again, but sometimes coming home isn’t about where you’ve been. It’s about who you’re brave enough to become.

Sexy, heartfelt, and steeped in small-town charm, Hart’s Landing is a story of forgiveness, friendship, and finding the family who loves you no matter how far you wander.

Bad Boy Era
(Mountain Men Matchmaker Series, Book Four)
By: Amy Daws

Release Date: May 26th, 2026
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qGfCbD

Synopsis:

Rule #1 on the Everly Fletcher Matchmaking Manifesto…Never fall for your best friend’s grumpy brother.

Everly is the matchmaking mastermind of her family, but her own love life is a bit of a flop.

Back from four years in Dublin, she’s ready for a quiet summer on Fletcher Mountain helping launch her aunt’s animal rescue center—until Conri “Wolf” Reilly shows up.

Wolf is her college roommate’s infuriating twin brother. He’s brooding, Irish, and college rugby’s resident bad boy with thighs that could crack a watermelon.

His red card reputation has trashed his rugby prospects…until a training camp in Denver comes calling. As a favor, Everly reluctantly gets Wolf a place to stay if he volunteers at the rescue center.

Now Everly’s finds herself working and living next door to the Irish tattooed grump who treats her like a nuisance—but looks at her like he could press her up against a hay bale until they forget their own names.

Wolf swore he came to America to fix his image, not fall for his sister’s best friend, but the more time he spends with Everly, the harder it is to keep his distance.

Perhaps Everly’s in her bad boy era…or maybe Fletcher Mountain might has its own matchmaking plans.

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Peace Love and Happy Reading,

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