Most Anticipated Fiction Book Releases of 2026

Upcoming new novels by month

Looking for the most anticipated fiction book releases of 2026? You’re in the right place. This is where I share the most anticipated upcoming fiction books coming out in 2026— from buzzy debuts to long-awaited favourites by bestselling authors.

Browse new fiction releases by month to discover what’s coming in January, February, March, and beyond. I update this page regularly with 2026 literary fiction, thrillers, romance novels, fantasy releases, historical fiction, and cozy mysteries— perfect for every kind of reader.

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January 2026 | February 2026 | March 2026 | April 2026 | May 2026 | June 2026 | July 2026 | August 2026 | September 2026

January 2026 fiction releases

January kicks off with major bestselling authors, buzzy sequels, and crowd-pleasing fiction — from thrillers and historicals to big-name romance

Featured

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 6, 2026

Sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster The Last Thing He Told Me

Five years after Owen vanished, he reappears at Hannah's exhibition, jeopardizing their new life. Hannah and Bailey flee from danger, risking everything for safety.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Skylark by Paula McLain

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 6, 2026

From the bestselling author of The Paris Wife

Centuries apart, a confined dyer’s daughter and a wartime doctor risk the Paris tunnels—one to flee captivity, the other to smuggle a family to safety.
Read my book review

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BARNES & NOBLE

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 6, 2026

Perfect for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

In 1964, after sitcom creator Del Newman is injured in a car accident, his wife Dinah hires a young reporter to help write their show’s final episode—forcing the family’s secrets into the open.

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 6, 2026

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs

In hurricane-ravaged St. Medard’s Bay, innkeeper Geneva teams up with Lo Bailey, the notorious murder suspect, to uncover deadly secrets—while a new storm threatens to unleash long-buried truths and destroy everyone involved.
Read my book review

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 20, 2026

From the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and The Woman with the Cure

In 1952, Norma Jeane convinces photographer Eve Arnold to help create Marilyn Monroe’s image, forging a partnership that propels Marilyn’s fame and reshapes both women’s lives.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 20, 2026

Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years

Record executive Theo stakes his career on reviving the Future Saints after their manager’s death, but lead singer Hannah’s grief and chaos threaten the band and their fragile comeback.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 20, 2026

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey

Yankees catcher Madden Donahue marries burlesque club owner Eve Mitchell for health benefits, but their private arrangement ignites feelings he’s been hiding since high school.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 27, 2026

From the bestselling author of The Housemaid

As her career collapses and her marriage fractures, advice columnist Debbie Mullen decides to solve her own problems the same way she solved everyone else’s.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Women of Promiscuous a Nature by Donna Everhart

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 27, 2026

Based on true history

Declared immoral without evidence, Ruth is imprisoned at a state-run women’s colony and joins inmates who secretly defy punishments to regain their freedom.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 13, 2026

From bestselling author Colleen Hoover

Desperate to write again, Petra Rose isolates herself to finish a thriller, but a visiting detective becomes her muse, blurring fiction and reality with dangerous consequences.

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Is This a Cry for Help by Emily Austin

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 13, 2026

Darcy thought she had everything—love, stability, purpose—until loss, guilt, and a community fight over banned books push her toward a deeper understanding of herself and her beliefs.
Read my book review

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BARNES & NOBLE

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 13, 2026

Anticipated debut novel

Poppy impersonates her dead sister on a date. When an undeniable connection forms with Jake, she's trapped: perpetuate the lie or risk everything for genuine love.

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BARNES & NOBLE

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 20, 2026

From the bestselling author of Beautiful Ugly

Eden Fox discovers her new home harbors a doppelgänger, sparking a mind-bending mystery where her identity blurs with a stranger, revealing deadly secrets.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 13, 2026

From the bestselling author of First Lie Wins

Two women trade lives for one night to expose secrets—but when a husband turns up dead, only one has an alibi, and trust becomes the most dangerous game.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JANUARY 20, 2026

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel

Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to come home.

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BARNES & NOBLE

February 2026 fiction releases

February’s releases mix layered historical fiction, high-tension thrillers, and imaginative storytelling — including a few long-awaited returns

Featured

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 3, 2026

From the bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

A lakeside scream leads Courtney Gray to a double murder, a missing teenager, and an investigation that forces her to question everyone—including her own family.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Keeper of Lost Children Sadeqa Johnson

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 10, 2026

From the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve

In post-war Germany, a determined woman follows a nun and mixed-race children, uncovering hidden histories; decades later, intertwined lives reveal secrets that reshape their futures across continents.

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 17, 2026

From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn

Alix discovers a hidden library where souls escape into books. Pursued by an enemy, she and the Librarian flee through literary worlds to save its inhabitants.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US
‍

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 24, 2026

From the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods, No One Can Know, and A Killing Cold

Stranger is trapped in the dark, with only her imagination and the scribbles on the wall left by long-dead girls to keep her company. Nearly out of food and water, she makes one last attempt to escape.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Liberty Street by Heather Marshall

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 24, 2026

From the bestselling Canadian author of Looking for Jane. Inspired by true events

In 1961, an ambitious journalist goes undercover in a women’s prison. Decades later, a detective’s cold case unearths the truth—and a chilling connection between them.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 24, 2026

Highly anticipated sequel to #1 bestselling When The Moon Hatched

With blood on her hands, Raeve must uncover a buried truth from her past as a catastrophic moonfall approaches, while Kaan races to save his kingdom before time runs out.

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BARNES & NOBLE

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
FEBRUARY 24, 2026

When Harry Met Sally inspired romance

Rival meteorologists Jackson and Delilah are forced to cover a massive snowstorm together, striking a deal to survive the assignment—and discovering their clashes hide real attraction.
Part of the Heartstrings series.

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BARNES & NOBLE

March 2026 fiction releases

March leans into fan-favourite series, emotional romance, and literary retellings, with several anticipated follow-ups readers already have on preorder

Featured

Served Him Right by Lisa Unger

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MARCH 10, 2026

From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

Ana's brunch with friends quickly turns dark when news of her ex's fate and a friend's illness make her a prime suspect. She and her sister must uncover a secret vengeance network before Ana is framed.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MARCH 17, 2026

The highly anticipated next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series

Nanny Vero faces prison for a sorority theft she didn't commit. With a stalker and weak alibi, Finlay must prove her innocence fast.
Part of the Finlay Donovan series

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AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Love Song by Elle Kennedy

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MARCH 17, 2026

From bestselling author Elle Kennedy

When college junior Blake escapes to Tahoe to heal, she never expects her ex-crush Wyatt to crash her summer—or to fall for him all over again.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

Son of Nobody by Yann Martel

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MARCH 31, 2026

A retelling of the Trojan War by the author of the international bestseller Life of Pi

A Canadian academic studying at Oxford discovers a lost epic about a goatherd's son fighting at Troy. As he pieces it together, he confronts his own life's ambitions and responsibilities.

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MARCH 24, 2026

The anticipated sequel to the bestseller Say You’ll Remember Me

A concert ride led Larissa to her perfect man. But he's her boyfriend's best friend. Can Chris shatter his friend's world to finally claim the woman he deeply loves?

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

April 2026 fiction releases

April brings a lighter, more playful mix — heartfelt romance, inventive contemporary fiction, and whimsical, book-loving fantasy

Featured

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
APRIL 7, 2026

Influencer Natalie Mills wakes in 1805, trapped in a harsh pioneer life with no cameras, no escape, and no safety, forcing her to survive while searching for a way home.

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
APRIL 7, 2026

From the bestselling author of The Wishing Game

Bound by strict magic laws, book witch Rainy partners with a fictional detective to recover a stolen book and her missing grandfather before her coven discovers the truth.

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BARNES & NOBLE

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
APRIL 7, 2026

From the bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow

When Annie joins a 90s boyband reunion cruise, she doesn’t expect the music, mayhem, and one unlikely friendship to reignite the passion she thought she’d lost.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US
‍ ‍

Love by the Book by Jessica George

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
APRIL 7, 2026

From the celebrated author of Maame

After heartbreak and loss, two women meet in a bookshop and discover that friendship—not romance—can be the greatest love story of all.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
APRIL 21, 2026

From the New York Times bestselling author of Darling Girls

Eighty-one-year-old Elsie harbors a deadly secret: people in her life mysteriously die. When a curious new girl moves in and befriends her, Elsie's carefully hidden, murderous past threatens to come crashing down.

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BARNES & NOBLE

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
APRIL 28, 2026

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea

Husbands Don and Rodney embark on a final cross-country sprint to complete unfinished business before a black hole consumes Earth.

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BARNES & NOBLE

May 2026 fiction releases

One of the most stacked months of the year, May delivers major literary releases, blockbuster romance, historical fiction, and long-awaited new novels from household names

Featured

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 5, 2026

From the author of million copy bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time

In the Texas desert, Simone's daughter vanishes. A phone demands Simone commit a crime for Lucy's return, but becoming a wanted woman brings escalating dangers.

PREORDER

BARNES & NOBLE

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 5, 2026

From the bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer

After being dumped on her wedding day, Frankie reluctantly takes her honeymoon with her best friend George—forcing them to face years of buried feelings and the love they never admitted.

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 5, 2026

Kathryn Stockett’s first novel since the #1 bestselling phenomenon The Help

Set in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1933, The Calamity Club tells the story of a group of women—some socialites, a few criminals—whose fates converge as the summer turns to fall and the hard times of the Depression tighten their grip.

PREORDER

BARNES & NOBLE

John of John by Douglas Stuart

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 5, 2026

From the Booker-winning author of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo

Returning broke from art school, John-Calum Macleod faces his devout father, his sharp-tongued grandmother, and a Hebridean island where desire and duty collide.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Broken Dove by Dani Francis

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 12, 2026

Sequel to the bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite

After escaping enemy territory, double agent Wren Darlington joins the Uprising—but as loyalties blur and old flames reignite, she must decide who to trust and what she’s willing to sacrifice.

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Shippers by Katherine Center

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 19, 2026

From the bestselling author of The Rom-Commers

At a cruise-ship wedding, a woman recruits her estranged best friend to chase closure with her first crush—only to discover the love she never stopped wanting.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 19, 2026

Extraordinary story of the woman who helped uncover Tutankhamun's tomb

The untold story of Lady Evelyn Herbert, whose daring quest to uncover Egypt’s first woman Pharaoh places her at the heart of the discovery of King Tut—and in mortal danger.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Score by Kennedy Ryan

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 19, 2026

From the bestselling author of Before I Let Go

First love resurfaces when a screenwriter and musician reunite on a Harlem Renaissance biopic, forcing them to confront betrayal, desire, and whether second chances are worth the risk.
Part of the Hollywood Renaissance series

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BARNES & NOBLE

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 26, 2026

From the bestselling author of The Midnight Library

When Wilbur boards the mysterious Midnight Train, he’s offered the chance to relive his honeymoon in Venice—and maybe undo his greatest mistake, even if it costs everything.

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Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 26, 2026

From the bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script

Returning home to save her family’s legacy, single mom Dolly Brick enters a pretend relationship with Stewart Whitfield—and learns that some lies have a funny way of coming true.

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Books on discount by this author:
CANADA | US

Smallie by Eden McKenzie-Goddard

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
MAY 26, 2026

Anticipated debut novel

When a Home Office letter threatens his mother’s right to stay in Britain, Patrick Braithwaite must trace her migration story back to a man she once loved and a choice she never escaped.

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June 2026 fiction releases

June’s fiction focuses on character-driven stories and emotionally grounded novels, with reflective reads from prize-winning and bestselling authors

Featured

Whistler by Ann Patchett

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JUNE 2, 2026

From the prize-winning and bestselling writer Ann Patchett

A chance reunion at the Met reconnects a woman with her former stepfather, reopening a brief but life-shaping bond neither ever stopped carrying.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JUNE 2, 2026

Brand-new from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews!

When estranged sisters Maeve and Therese inherit a possibly fake painting, they travel to Ireland to uncover the original—and a decades-old crime.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA|US

Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JUNE 2, 2026

From the bestselling author of bestselling author of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

When violence threatens Chinatown in 1870 Los Angeles, Dove, Petal, and Moon must draw on their strength and sisterhood to survive one of the darkest nights in American history.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JUNE 16, 2026

From the author of The Bright Years

When their home burns down, a couple on the brink retreats to her childhood house, where family closeness exposes the cracks in their marriage and the truths they’ve avoided.

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BARNES & NOBLE

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
June 23, 2026

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell

A lost dog leads Jane back to a house she once fled, where a missing girl, a silent woman, and a familiar dread suggest the past is repeating itself.

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BARNES & NOBLE

July 2026 fiction releases

July’s upcoming novels skew romantic and introspective, offering summer-ready reads that balance emotional depth with escapism

Featured

Love You More by Emily Giffin

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JULY 7, 2026

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Pact

After accepting a marriage proposal, a woman’s carefully built life unravels when her first love calls with urgent news that sends her racing home to face old choices.

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BARNES & NOBLE

I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JULY 14, 2026

When a thirty-something copywriter and a twenty-something barista begin dating, their differences in age, ambition, and certainty test how much love can actually sustain.

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BARNES & NOBLE

Meet me in Paris by Kristin Harmel

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
JULY 28, 2026

From the bestselling author of The Book of Names

In Paris, nine Americans cross paths over one life-changing week of love, loss, and second chances—each discovering that the City of Light still has lessons in the heart.

Books on discount by this author:
CANADA‍ ‍| US

August 2026 fiction releases

August’s upcoming fiction includes a highly anticipated thriller from Riley Sager

Featured

The Unknown by Riley Sager

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
AUGUST 4, 2026

From the bestselling author of eight novels

In 1926, five women disappeared from a remote island in Vermont. Now, one hundred years later, it’s happening again.

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BARNES & NOBLE

September 2026 fiction releases

Fall publishing season arrives with ambitious, highly anticipated novels from major authors, setting the tone for the biggest releases of the year

Featured

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

CA$0.00

COMING OUT
SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River.

Inspired by the life of Grace O'Malley: Grace O'Malley defies noble expectations to become a fierce pirate queen, battling rivals and invaders to forge her legacy on Ireland’s tumultuous seas.

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BARNES & NOBLE

This list of the most anticipated fiction releases of 2026 is updated regularly as new books are announced. I track buzzy debuts, bestselling authors, and upcoming novels readers are most excited about—so bookmark this page and check back often for new 2026 fiction release updates.

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