Most Anticipated Book Releases for January 2026

After a relatively quiet end to the year, publishing is gearing up for its 2026 lineup of new book releases. And of course, Bonus Action is here to bring you the monthly roundup of our most anticipated new releases for another year. January tends to still be a bit of a lull compared to the heights of summer beach read season, but there are still plenty of new books to look forward to in the first month of 2026.

The publishing year is off to a pretty solid start this month. There are some exciting new nerdy contemporary romances, romantasies, and more to look forward to in January 2026. If you’re looking for a great way to start your reading goals for the year, here are our most anticipated new books of January 2026.

Is This a Cry For Help? by Emily Austin

• Release Date: January 13th
• Price: $28 on Amazon
• Publisher: Atria Books
• ARC Received: Yes

For someone who reads a lot of books with guaranteed happy endings, I also weirdly love to read about the messiness of life, especially in the wake of grief. Is This a Cry For Help? follows a librarian who’s feeling pretty good about life, actually, until the unexpected news of her ex-boyfriend’s death. Upon returning from a leave of absence, she finds herself navigating book bans and challenges that force her to re-examine her life and choices. This sounds like a book that will make you cry, but also maybe feel affirmed about the ways in which the hard parts also make life more beautiful.

Next Level Love by Shameez Patel

• Release Date: January 20th
• Price: $18.99 on Amazon
• Publisher: Forever
• ARC Received: Yes

I read and adored Patel’s previous contemporary romance, Playing Flirty. So, I was naturally thrilled to see she’s got another geek romance headed our way this January. In Next Level Love, Elizabeth and Lincoln struggle to get along in real life, where Lincoln is Elizabeth’s quiet yet demanding boss. But little do they know they’ve got a much closer connection in the online gaming world, where they’ve been playing and lightly flirting together for years. When real life and the virtual world start to collide, things get a lot more complicated than either of them bargained for.

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

• Release Date: January 27th
• Price: $19.99 on Amazon
• Publisher: Bramble
• ARC Received: Yes

When it comes to Romantasy, striking the right balance between plot and romance can be tricky. But in the case of Stephanie Burgis’s Wooing the Witch Queen, everything came together perfectly. Which is why I am looking forward to the next book in the Queens of Villainy series, Enchanting the Fae Queen. In this installment, we follow the glamorous seductress Queen Loralei and virtuous high general Gerard de Moireul as they’re forced together by circumstances. They may be opposites on paper, but their closely guarded secrets could make them a secret, perfect match.

The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier

• Release Date: January 27th
• Price: $19.50 on Amazon
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• ARC Received: No

This book is billed as being perfect for fans of “Emilia Hart, Sarah Penner, and Alix E. Harrow.” And given that those three authors have written some of my favorite reads in recent years, I had to take note. This is Chevalier’s debut novel, and it tells the story of two sisters who sail from Normandy to Quebec in the hopes of finding a better life. But instead, they get tangled up with a witch who will challenge everything they thought they knew.

See You At the Summit by Jordyn Taylor

• Release Date: January 27th
• Price: $18.00 on Amazon
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• ARC Received: No

In this queer contemporary romance, Simone finally comes out as bisexual. She’s tired of living a lie and losing love in the process, and she hopes taking a new job in Toronto will offer a fresh start. Except once she’s there, she finds herself falling head over heels for a grumpy, and very straight, colleague. Finding herself in a relationship that leads many to once again assume she’s straight, Simone navigates the challenges of identity and how to live as her authentic self despite how others perceive her. In all, See You at the Summit has a mix of forced proximity, workplace romance, and bigger questions of identity that have me excited to see what’s in store.

Looking for more great books to check out? You can look back on the best new books from December 2025.

About the Author

Amanda Kay Oaks

Editor

Amanda Kay Oaks is a writer, book witch, and video game enthusiast based in Latrobe, PA. She writes about books, games, and more from an office packed with crystals and Pokemon plushies. When not engrossed in work or fictional worlds, Amanda can be found in the kitchen, on her yoga mat, or walking her dog, Azula.

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