Most Anticipated Book Releases of 2021

Hello, all!

I’ve always seen other people do their most anticipated releases for the coming year, and I thought it might be fun to throw mine into the mix as well. I’m going to try not going too in-depth because I don’t want to bombard you all (I know it's already a lot-- sorry!), but I will link to their GoodReads page if you want to check them out. Some are coming out in the latter half of 2021, so there wasn't a ton of info out yet, but I still wanted to include them. Also, I categorized this based off the release dates listed on GoodReads, but we know with COVID that things can change at any moment. I'm also sure there's a ton more I'm missing, but this is what I'm going with for now.

Let me know if anything catches your eye or if any of these are on your list as well!


January:

-A Vow So Bold and Deadly- Brigid Kemmerer: This is the third book to the Cursebreaker series, which I recently fell in love with. There’s court politics, badass female characters, swoony male characters, and tons of snarky banter and fast-paced action. You can see my review of the first two books here.

-Lore- Alexandra Bracken: Every seven years, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals who are hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines to steal the gods’ powers for their own. When Lore was young, all she wanted was to become a hunter, but all that changed when her family was brutally murdered. She wants nothing to do with the gods or the hunt, but she’ll have no choice but to return to the world she left behind once an injured Athena turns up on her doorstep looking for help. I’m a sucker for Greek mythology, so I was immediately sold on this.

-Shipped- Angie Hockman: Henley Evans works as a marketing manager for a cruise line and is shortlisted for a promotion of a lifetime. Henley would be a shoo-in if it wasn’t for Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager, and her arch-nemesis. To decide who gets the promotion, their boss wants them to draft a proposal on how to boost bookings and what better way than to send them both on a cruise to the Galapagos? This is said to be a mix between The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners, so you know I’m here for it.

-The Ex Talk- Rachel Lynn Solomon: What could go wrong when two rival radio producers pose as exes to host a relationship advice program live on-air? Shay and Domenic despise one another, but as their radio show skyrockets, it’s either keep up the charade or head to unemployment. But when feelings start to stir, and the truth threatens to come out, it could be the end of more than just their careers. I was a radio host during college, so I just think this’ll be so fun.

-Enjoy the View- Sarah Morgenthaler: This is the next installment in the Moose Springs, Alaska series and I’m just obsessed with this series. This one follows Easton Lockett, the rugged gentle giant, who agrees to take a former Hollywood darling and her documentary crew up a mountain. Of course, hilarity and hijinks are sure to ensue as the pair inevitably fall for one another.


February: 

-A Court of Silver Flames- Sarah J. Maas: This is sort of a spin-off/continuation of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, which you’ll know is one of my favorites, but following Nesta and Cassian. You guys, I cannot. I’ve been counting down the days for this one and I just need it to be February now.

-The Bride Bet- Tessa Dare: I went all-in on my love of historical romance this year and it’s all due to Tessa Dare. Her Girl Meets Duke series is my favorite and I can’t wait for this next installment. These are so perfect if you just need a quick fun read.

-Much Ado About You- Samantha Young: When thirty-three-year-old Evie is passed over for a promotion, she decides she needs a change. She plans an impulsive trip to England which comes with a temporary position at the small bookstore she’s staying above. Evie is instantly swept up in the quaint village life and the people, especially Roane, the charismatic flirty farmer. The pair can’t deny their chemistry, but with Evie’s vacation dwindling, is it worth the risk? Who can deny a bookstore romance? Not I, that’s who.

-A Lady’s Formula for Love- Elizabeth Everett: Take one brilliant Victorian noblewoman scientist mix in her mysterious protection officer, add in a dash of danger and attraction and a hint of humor, and here you have it. This has all the elements I look for in a historical mystery, so I have high hopes.


March: 

-Rule of Wolves- Leigh Bardugo: This is the follow-up and the ending to King of Scars which follows Nikolai Lantsov, the Demon King, and the threat to his kingdom. I just love everything Bardugo comes out with, so whenever I see something from her it’s an instant-buy.

-Act Your Age, Eve Brown- Talia Hibbert: This is the third installment in the Brown Sisters series, and I have to admit, this series is hit or miss for me. I didn’t love the first book, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, but I loved Take a Hint, Dani Brown, so I’m interested to see where this one will fall.

-The Vines- Shelley Nolden: Finn is an urban explorer who stumbles upon an abandoned hospital with a very haunting history. Within the ruins, he also finds Cora, a young woman trapped by the contagions and tortures she experienced from the doctors. Finn must get to the truth of what happened at North Brother Island if he wishes to save Cora and the other restless souls trapped on the island. This takes place in New York and weaves in the true brutal history of North Brother Island, so I’m really looking forward to this.

-An Unexpected Peril- Deanna Raybourn: I’ve talked about my love of the Veronica Speedwell series, so obviously, the next installment is one of my most anticipated releases. This is such a fun historical mystery series that I wish more people would read because I think it deserves so much more love. You can read my reviews for the others here.

-The Dating Plan- Sara Desai: A fake engagement leads to accidental love? Sign me up!

-Accidentally Engaged- Farah Heron: Much like The Dating Plan, this revolves around a fake relationship but this time with the added element of a cooking competition show. Again, sign me up!

-The Ladies of the Secret Circus- Constance Sayers: I’m a sucker for a historical fiction set in a 1920’s circus. I don’t know what it is, but I just love the whole vibe. This is a dual-perspective book, set in both Paris, 1925 and Virginia, 2005, following two family members and has a ton of love affairs, secrets, and a dark curse.


April:

-The Crown of Gilded Bones- Jennifer L. Armentrout: I recently binged the other two books in the From Blood and Ash series (reviews to come), so I cannot wait for this one. I’m dying to see where this one goes after the bombshell of the second book’s ending.

-Life’s Too Short- Abby Jimenez: When a globe-trotting Vanessa suddenly finds herself in the custody of her infant niece, she’s thrust way out of her comfort zone. Help comes in the least likely of places from her handsome lawyer neighbor, and the more time they spend together, the more sparks fly. But is it enough to keep Vanessa grounded in one place?

-To Love and To Loathe- Martha Waters: A historical romance full of enemies-to-lovers AND fake relationships? It’s like this was made just for me.

-Twice Shy- Sarah Hogle: Maybell is a dreamer and hopeless romantic who’s dating life has been more hopeless than romantic. When she inherits a stately Tennessee manor, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start, but it turns out not to be as simple as all that. The manor is falling apart and the groundskeeper, Wesley, is as grouchy as he is gorgeous. The pair grow closer as they butt heads and find stepping out of their comfort zones may lead to the greatest rewards.

-Ariadne- Jennifer Saint: This is said to be a mesmerizing retelling of the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, so you know I’m sold. Also, I can’t get over how gorgeous the cover is.

-The Mary Shelley Club- Goldy Moldavsky: The tagline of this says it’s a twisty YA thriller with Scream vibes and a club obsessed with horror. So, basically, this was written just for me.

-The Box in the Woods- Maureen Johnson: I love the Truly, Devious series and I was excited to learn that it’s going to continue with this. This follows teen sleuth Stevie Bell on a new mystery at a summer camp which is famous for a series of murders in the 1970s where new bodies have been turning up under suspicious circumstances.

-The Duke Undone- Joanna Lowell: When Lucy Coover trips over a naked man in an alley, she does the decent thing and covers him up and fetches help. The trouble is, she can’t get the man’s form from her mind, so she uses her artistic abilities to put them down on canvas. What she doesn’t know is the man she just painted down to the very detail is the infamous Duke of Wellington, and her life is about to turn upside down. This sounds hilarious and steamy and I can’t wait.

May:

-People We Meet on Vacation- Emily Henry: Poppy and Alex couldn’t be more different. She’s outgoing, he prefers to stay home. She’s the life of the party, he wears khakis. Despite having nothing in common, they’re best friends. Until a fateful car trip ruined everything. Now, two years later, Poppy desperately wants to fix their relationship so she plans a trip to hopefully win Alex back. I fell in love with Emily Henry’s writing after reading Beach Read over the summer, so I immediately added this to my list when I saw it.

-The Soulmate Equation- Christina Lauren: I don’t even need to know what a Christina Lauren book is about, it’s just an instant buy for me, but this has to do with finding your perfect match through science and it sounds super fun.

-Malibu Rising- Taylor Jenkins Reid: It’s the night of the Rivas family’s annual end-of-summer party and anyone who’s anyone will be there. This famous family is notorious in Malibu for being the shiny center of attention wherever they go. The only one not looking forward to the party is Nina Riva herself. By midnight, the party will be out of control with alcohol and secrets flowing. By morning, the Rivas mansion will be up in flames. Reid has a way with drama so I’m excited to see how this turns out.

-Last Chance Books- Kelsey Rodkey: Madeline Moore feels at home working in her family’s musty old bookstore. She dreams of the day where she’ll take it over, but her dreams may come crashing to a halt when a chain bookstore opens up across the street. Madeline sets out to destroy the competition, especially the annoyingly charming Jasper, who keeps stealing all her customers. The pair will soon learn that all’s fair when it comes to love and books. This sounds very cutesy and right up my alley.


June:

-The Tea Dragon Tapestry- Katie O’Neill: I love Katie O’Neill’s art style. Her work is so wholesome and never fails to put a smile on my face. I still wish I had my own tea dragon.

-Isn’t It Bromantic?- Lyssa Kay Adams: We’re finally getting a book centered around the Russian from The Bromance Book Club! And not just any romance either, but a marriage of convenience! Vlad agreed to marry his childhood friend to help her get out of Russia, but he’s beginning to find it hard being in a one-sided relationship. Cue the Bromance Book Club stepping in to help him write his own sweeping romance. This series is just so fun and I love seeing a romance play out from the guy’s perspective.

-A Psalm of Storms and Silence- Roseanne A. BrownYou may have seen my review of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and how I gushed over it, so of course, I was going to add in the sequel. Months have passed since the attempt on Princess Karina’s life, and she’s still a fugitive on the run looking for allies to help her reclaim her kingdom. Meanwhile, Malik’s illusion magic is flourishing, but the bonds holding the Faceless King bound in his mind are weakening. As the fabric holding their world together starts to fray, Karina and Malik once again find themselves at the center of a magical conflict that could destroy the world as they know it.

-My Contrary Mary- Cynthia Hand/Brodi Ashton/Jodi Meadows: This author trio takes famous or noteworthy Mary’s throughout history and flips everything we know about them on its head. For this one, they’re tackling Mary, Queen of Scots, and her strange ability to shapeshift into a mouse. The whole Mary series is such a witty satirical take on history and the added fantastical elements make it so fun.

-To Sir, With Love- Lauren Layne: Gracie Cooper is overwhelmed. When her father dies, she sets aside her art dreams to take over his failing Manhattan champagne shop. Complicating things further, Sebastian, the handsome but annoying face of a giant corporation comes knocking looking to buy the store to turn into a parking lot. Too afraid to ask her friends and family for advice, Gracie turns to someone she’s never met—Sir, her match from a blind dating app that connects people through messages without showing photos or real names. Things continue to get sticky as Gracie falls more for Sir online only to learn she’s met him in real life and they despise one another. This gives me “You’ve Got Mail” vibes and I’m here for it.

-Survive the Night- Riley Sager: Like most Sager books, you have a female lead (in this case, a girl heading home from college), a mysterious killer (possibly the nice stranger from the rideshare she was paired with?), and most likely two or three plot twists in store. Yes, his books are very formulaic, but I’ll still pick them up.

-The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels- India Holton: The tagline says it all: A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance. That’s all I need to know.

-Lady Sunshine- Amy Mason Doan: Jackie Pierce spent the summer of 1979 on her uncle’s sprawling Californian estate, The Sandcastle, surrounded by musicians, artists, and every type of free spirit imaginable. She was having the time of her life, until tragedy strikes and her cousin disappears. Twenty years later, Jackie is back at The Sandcastle where yet another band is recording an album, and Jackie can’t help but notice striking similarities between that long-ago summer. When the past resurfaces and new information about her cousin comes to light, Jackie must decide if the secret she’s kept all these years is worth the price she’ll have to pay. This sounds really dark and atmospheric and it’ll be the perfect summer read.


July: 

-It Happened One Summer- Tessa Bailey: This is said to be Schitt’s Creek-inspired about a Hollywood It Girl who gets cut off from her wealthy family and is exiled on a small beach town, where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who doesn’t believe she belongs. To be honest, I heard “Schitt’s Creek” and just hit “Want to Read.”

-Too Good to Be Real- Melonie Johnson: As writer Julia searches for a story pitch for the popular website she works for, she stumbles upon a resort that lets guests live out their rom-com fantasy. With her own love life in shambles, Julia decides to check it out and finds herself in an actual meet-cute involving an aggressive seagull and an incredibly attractive guy named Luke. The pair grow closer, but each is harboring secrets that could ruin everything when they get back to the real world. This just sounds adorable and there’s a corgi on the cover so I couldn’t resist.


August:

-The Heart Principle- Helen Hoang: This is the third installment in The Kiss Quotient series, and while I didn’t love the other two, I’m still interested to see what this one is all about.

-Gods & Monsters- Shelby Mahurin: Again, this one is the third installment in the Serpent & Dove series, and after the cliffhanger of the second book, there was no way I couldn’t put this on here.

September:

-Under the Whispering Door- T.J. Klune: I fell in love with Klune’s whimsical writing after reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, so I couldn’t resist adding this, especially when I read it’s about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.

-Portrait of a Scotsman- Evie Dunmore: I love Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series, and I can’t wait to follow Hattie and the handsome, mysterious Lucian.

November:

-Crescent City #2- Sarah J. Maas: There’s not too much information about this book yet, but it’s SJM, so it’s immediately going on my watch list.


Comments

  1. I'm really looking forward to The Ex Talk, and Shipped sounds so good! I'm also hoping to catch up on JLA's series and I'm so excited for The Heart Principle!

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    1. I hope you like the From Blood and Ash series!

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