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If your 'to be read' pile is already threatening to topple off your bedside table, consider this your official warning: 2026 is shaping up to be a very good year for new books.
From buzzy debuts and historical tales to witty satires and epic romances, the next few months are packed with releases that will have readers in a tizz. What's more, massive names in the literary world like Taylor Jenkins Reid, Elizabeth Strout and Douglas Stuart are all returning with hotly anticipated new novels for us to indulge in.
So clear some space on the shelves and mark your calendars: these are the upcoming releases everyone will be talking about.
Love Song by Elle Kennedy
Release date: 17/03/26
Romance fans will be familiar with Elle Kennedy, author of the viral Off-Campus series, whose latest release is a swoony summer romance set in the Briar universe. After a painful break-up, college student Blake Logan retreats to her family's lake house in Tahoe, determined to avoid romance. That is until Wyatt Graham, the older musician who once broke her teenage heart, unexpectedly reappears. As old feelings reignite and a reckless summer fling turns into something deeper, the pair must decide whether their story is just a fleeting moment... or a second chance at love.
So Good to See You by Francesca Hornak
Paperback release date: 19/03/26
Fifteen years after graduating from Oxford, once-inseparable friends Serge, Rosie and Daniel find themselves reunited at a lavish four-day wedding in Provence - only now they're barely speaking. Serge is a successful filmmaker hiding a mountain of debt, Rosie's breezy confidence masks heartbreak, and Daniel's fame has brought crippling anxiety. As Champagne flows and polite small talk begins to crack, old resentments, secrets and unresolved feelings bubble to the surface. Funny, sharp and quietly poignant, this is a stylish dissection of friendship and ambition by a reliably hilarious author.
The Pretender by Jo Harkin
Release date: 02/04/26
Harkin's latest novel is described as Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead - and if that's not enough to get you to read, we're not sure what is. Set amid the chaos of 15th-century England, this witty and wildly entertaining historical epic follows peasant boy John Collan, who is abruptly swept into royal intrigue when powerful figures begin grooming him as the next Plantagenet heir to the throne. Thrust from rural obscurity into a world of court politics, John must navigate a dangerous game where pretending to be a king might be the only way to survive.
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Release date: 09/04/26
This sharp, addictive debut takes aim at the glossy, endlessly intriguing world of 'tradwife' influencers. Natalie Heller Mills appears to have the perfect life - a picture-perfect ranch, a handsome cowboy husband and an Instagram feed full of homemade bread and wholesome domestic bliss - but when she wakes up in a disturbing version of reality where everything feels subtly wrong, she becomes desperate to escape. It's darkly funny, a biting satire of online life - and also, set to become a movie starring everyone's fav Anne Hathaway.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Release date: 09/04/26
From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic love story set against the 1980s US space shuttle programme. When aspiring astronaut Joan Goodwin begins training at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, she finds herself drawn into an intense world of ambition, danger and unexpected romance. But as the astronauts prepare for a historic mission, one moment in space will change everything. A sweeping, emotional story that fans of Reid's big-hearted, cinematic storytelling will love.
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Release date: 07/05/26
This 'insightful' novel from one of America's leading authors explores the secrets and the fragile ties between people. History teacher Artie Dam appears to live a steady ordinary life in coastal Massachusetts, but a revelation about his past forces him to reconsider his marriage friendships and the truths we keep hidden. As per Waterstones, 'with exquisite prose and profound insight Elizabeth Strout captures the way grief reverberates through decades; the comfort found in deep friendships; and the freedom that comes when we break free of our secrets.'
The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker
Release date: 19/05/26
The sequel to the number 1 Sunday Times bestselling fantasy phenomenon When the Moon Hatched returns to the world of dragon riders, magic and slow-burn romance. As Raeve wrestles with vengeance, love for the enigmatic Kaan Vaegor and the shocking secrets of her past, a catastrophic moonfall threatens to destroy everything they know. If you're a fan of Sarah J. Maas or Rebecca Yarros, this is one to add to your 'to be read' list.
John of John by Douglas Stuart
Release date: 21/05/26
From the Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain comes this powerful new novel set on the Scottish Isle of Harris. When a young man returns home to help care for his ageing grandmother, he is forced to confront the complicated bond he shares with his father, and the secrets, faith and expectations that have shaped their lives. The Telegraph calls it 'literary fiction at its best', and author Kevin MacNeil says it's Stuart's 'finest novel yet'.
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
Release date: 21/05/26
Matt Haig hit it big with his heart-warming bestseller The Midnight Library, and now he;s back with another life-affirming tale about second chances. When Wilbur boards a mysterious midnight train that can take passengers back to pivotal moments in their lives, he chooses to return to his honeymoon in Venice with Maggie - the love he fears he ruined - hoping to understand where it all went wrong. As expected, it's a warm, magical story about regret and love, told with all the emotion and feeling that's made Haig a global literary star.
Land by Maggie O'Farrell
Release date: 02/06/26
The author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait returns with this epic novel set in 19th century Ireland. In the shadow of the Great Hunger, mapmaker Tomás and his young son Liam work on the British-led Ordnance Survey to chart a scarred and changing landscape. When a strange encounter in the woods abruptly alters Tomás, ten-year-old Liam is left to grapple with his father's sudden transformation - and the daunting task of finishing the work that might lead them home. A story of loss, memory and the ghosts that linger in both land and history, full of O'Farrell's signature evocative description and emotion.