The year is crawling to an end, and with it comes the anticipation of what’s next. 2025 delivered explosive new releases that sparked plot-theory debates, shaped our reading playlists, drew new readers into the book community, and had us eagerly hitting the pre-order button for 2026. As the new year approaches and a slate of publications is ready to feed that familiar hunger, now feels like the perfect moment to start shaping our 2026 reading haul.
The post-holiday lull is the perfect time to dive into Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked series and get a taste of the dark, seductive world she returns to in Throne of Nightmares, her next standalone in the Prince of Sin series, publishing on 10 February. For readers who have already devoured the series, this is a return to the Underworld of demon courts, opulent palaces, and simmering political intrigue, this time centred on the Prince of Sloth. A dangerous book draws the reclusive prince and a book-loving librarian into a deadly race across Hell itself, as Lore discovers she can step inside the stories she loves, only to watch familiar tales twist into something far darker. To survive and save both realms, they must outplay the story itself and confront feelings neither planned to face.
Next up is In Her Own League, a standalone spin-off from Liz Tomforde’s Windy City series, arriving on 3rd March. The cover reveal has already sparked excitement across social media, and for fans of sports romance, particularly the forbidden workplace romance trope with plenty of simmering tension, this one delivers. Set in the high-stakes world of Major League Baseball, the novel follows Reese Remington, the first female team owner determined to prove she belongs. As sharp banter with the team’s stubborn yet irresistible field manager gives way to undeniable chemistry, professional lines blur, forcing Reese to decide whether protecting her career is worth risking her heart.
The third instalment in the Bloodwing Academy series, The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn, arrives on 10th March, marking a long-awaited return to its chaotic, dark academia world. If feral vampires, reawakened dragons, and an unhinged academy atmosphere are your comfort read, you’ll feel right at home here. Nothing at Bloodwing Academy is simple anymore for Medra Pendragon. A second dragon has awakened, saving her closest friend while forging a dangerous bond whose consequences she cannot yet grasp, while Blake hides secrets that leave her torn between distrust and something far more complicated. As the academy descends further into chaos, nothing feels safe, least of all her heart.
Truly gut-wrenching dystopian romances are hard to come by, which makes Beneath, the prequel to Ariel Sullivan’s Conform, particularly compelling. Arriving on 24 March, the novel stays uncomfortably close to the aftermath of catastrophe, with characters still actively living inside their grief, trauma, and survival instincts. Set years after a nuclear war, Beneath follows Sasha, a survivor struggling to exist in an underground city where grief and desperation linger close to the surface. When she’s recruited for a dangerous mission beyond the bunker, brutal training, buried secrets, and a slow-burn attraction force her to confront both her past and the fragile future of humanity. As power shifts and truths unravel, survival becomes about more than staying alive; it’s about deciding what is worth protecting.
If you’re a Fourth Wing fan stuck in a reading slump, let me introduce you to The Wolves of Ruin series – the twists, betrayals, and emotional intensity will cure your Quicksilver, Zodiac Academy, and Throne of Glass hangover fast. Following the success of Direbound, Sable Sorensen returns on 5th May with Fury Bound. Crowned by destiny and driven by vengeance, Meryn Cooper inherits a fractured kingdom and a war she never wanted. As political enemies close in and ancient power awakens, her uneasy alliance with the dangerous Alpha Stark Therion blurs the line between trust and desire. Bloodshed feels inevitable as bonds strain and loyalties fracture, forcing Meryn to decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to claim her throne and protect those she loves.
The Moonfall series continues with The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker, which will finally be in our hands on 19th May. I have a soft spot for lost and forgotten memories, and for female main characters who meet death with sharp wit and stand far too comfortably alone, and Parker’s lyrical writing delivers exactly that. The world she creates is chaotic and overwhelming by design, and trusting it is part of the magic. In The Ballad of Falling Dragons, Raeve remains driven by vengeance and haunted by the blood on her hands, while her bond with Kaan Vaegor ties her to a past she has yet to face. As a catastrophic moonfall threatens the world and enemies close in, a long-buried truth and forgotten power may be the only things capable of changing their fate.
Ending the summer reading season, The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig, the sequel to The Knight and the Moth, will be published on 1st September. Set in the Stonewater Kingdom series, this gothic romance blends a dark, immersive atmosphere with an elegantly simple magic system. Traum is reeling after the fall of Aisling Cathedral, while the king’s marriage tightens his brutal control as public tournaments are used to reinforce his rule. Held captive, Sybil plots to dismantle his power, even if it means destroying the faith that once defined the kingdom. When a mysterious knave with no memory rises through the ranks, Sybil realises that restoring belief, rather than erasing it, may be the only way to undo a king who rules like a god.
Of course, many more releases await us, but these are my top seven most anticipated titles so far, and the ones already sparking conversation across social media. If 2025 reignited our love for the romance and romantasy genres, 2026 is poised to fully indulge it.
Words by Johanna Duering
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