There are so many fall releases I’m excited about, I decided to do a part two. Here are a few more books I can’t wait to read in the coming months. You can find part 1 of my picks here.
Belle Calhoune
The youngest of three brothers, Landon Stone would do anything for his grandmother, Hattie—even return to his hometown of Moose Falls. Hattie’s heart is set on her grandsons taking over the family business—and finding their happily-ever-afters in Alaska. When Hattie gets the idea that Landon is romantically entangled with his gorgeous colleague, Bailey Daniels, Landon doesn’t just go along with it—he asks Bailey to join the ruse.
Bailey isn’t sure if she agrees because she adores Hattie for helping her family through their darkest times . . . or because she finds the charmingly nerdy Landon completely irresistible. Either way, it’s extremely easy to appear totally into him. But as they collaborate at work—and after hours—to make Hattie’s Christmas extra special, Bailey and Landon’s relationship starts to feel all too real. What if the only people Landon and Bailey are fooling this season . . . are themselves?
Cecelia Dowdy
When Francine’s husband is unexpectedly killed, she loses her posh livelihood. Alone and impoverished, she must find a way to make a living when she’s never worked in her entire life. When she collides with the new handsome blacksmith, her entire world changes forever.
C.J. Farley
Octavia Crenshaw, a Jamaican-American coder living in Manhattan, is broke, burned out, and haunted by her parents’ deaths. Desperate to pay off some debts, she ditches her nonprofit job for a high-paying gig at Eustachian Inc., a Big Tech company that specializes in audio entertainment. Language, communication, human connection—these are the markets Eustachian wants to revolutionize…and dominate.
Octavia finds herself swept up in the world of the Tech Titans, with its lure of instant riches and its seemingly limitless future. But as one of Eustachian’s very few Black employees, Octavia is uncomfortably aware of things that seem to escape her coworkers: unexplained tech glitches, cryptic remarks, a mysterious secret floor in the corporation’s gleaming headquarters.
But she sets her suspicions aside when she’s recruited by another Black coder—the infuriating but attractive Walcott—to collaborate on a secret project code-named Zion. Zion is a new kind of AI-powered storytelling, one that’s programmed to be free from the racist and sexist biases that plague other AI products. Zion could launch Eustachian into a bold new future and make its developers super rich while righting all kinds of injustices. Octavia and Walcott’s excitement over their creation sets off romantic sparks between the two of them, until they discover a toxic secret about their employer—something that they can’t unlearn, or overlook, but must overcome.
Brenda Jackson
The Mountain-Scape Lake Lodge, situated on the pristine alpine lake in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, is the perfect place for the Steele Family from Charlotte and Phoenix – along with their friends – to spend the Holidays. They have rented the entire one-hundred-room lodge. Celebrations are in order. Everyone is happy for Eden and Drew Steele, who are celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary. Then there are Chance and Kylie Steele’s oldest kids – Marcus and Tiffany – who have finished law school and medical school, respectively. Everyone is looking forward to the celebrations and the holidays, as well as meeting Tiffany’s new boyfriend. The family is surprised when she introduces him as her fiancé, rather than a boyfriend. It seems that not everyone is happy with the surprise, and the plot thickens when it is discovered that he is not all he claims to be.
Beverly Jenkins
Tamar July, town matriarch of Henry Adams, KS, is being haunted by dreams of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago, when she discovered her intended, Joel Newton, was already married. The truth left her furious, heartbroken, and carrying a child, her son Malachi “Mal” July. Why are these dreams coming to her now? And is the great horned owl perched on her backyard shed somehow connected? When Joel’s legitimate son comes to Henry Adams wanting to meet his half-brother, Mal, Tamar must deal with her past, her anger, and explore what it means to truly forgive.
Tamar isn’t the only one being tested. Teenager Devon July wants to be anyone but himself. When he first arrived in Henry Adams, as an eight-year-old foster child, he wanted to be a preacher. Then, to be like his adopted brother, Amari. Now, he’s decided to be a variant of James Brown—wig included—rather than who he really is, a boy who lost his beloved grandmother and is the son of a mentally challenged woman. Will Tamar be able to guide his spirit quest and place him on the road to finally being at peace within himself?
As the big August 1st celebration nears, town owner Bernadine Brown has a lot on her plate, chief among them, what to do with former mayor Riley Curry’s monstrous tribute to his hog Cletus. There are no secrets in Henry Adams, but there’s never a dull moment either.
Reese Ryan
Marcus
India Wells and I have been friends since we were kids, but life took us in different directions. I’m an entertainment lawyer in Atlanta. She’s a classically trained violinist living in Boston. But when my cousin, the record producer, needs a session violinist, I call India up and offer to let her stay with me while she takes on this career-defining project. I’ve been happily divorced for three years. But the more time I spend with India, the more I realize what I’ve been missing.
India
After Juilliard, I followed my doctor boyfriend to Boston. I got the fairytale wedding, but all that glitters ain’t gold. Post-marriage, my sole focus has been elevating my career and breaking down the barriers I’ve faced while inspiring the next generation of classical musicians. But as Marcus and I get reacquainted, there’s an undeniable attraction between us.
Crossing the line means risking my friendship with the one person I can always count on. We’ve both been burned before. So when desire turns into something deeper, is one of us prepared to sacrifice everything we’ve worked for for a second chance at love?
Nic Stone
When Damaris “Charm” Wilburn, a new daytime dancer, is missing for her shift at Boom Town, former headliner Michah “Lyriq” Johanssen suspects something more than a “no call, no show.” As Lyriq’s former headline partner and lover—Felice “Lucky” Carothers—also vanished under similar circumstances, Lyriq decides she’s going to find them.
Delving deeper into Charm and Lucky’s disappearances, Lyriq uncovers a tangled web of deceit, privilege, and power. The line between friend and foe blurs, forcing Lyriq to confront the question: Is finding for these women worth the threat to her own life?
Pat Simmons
Christmas came early for fitness center owner Brandon Johnson when personal shopper Imani Robinson showed up on his doorstep—with groceries he never ordered. The mix-up sparks an instant attraction for Brandon.
Dating was not on her Christmas list, so Brandon is stuck at the bottom.
What’s a man to do when the only way to see her again is to order more groceries?
Brandon doesn’t mind risking a few extra pounds if it means a spot on her calendar before Christmas. With each delivery, their chemistry grows until Imani lets him tag along on one of her runs.
Suddenly, Christmas shopping feels like the best date ever, and Brandon is determined to turn holiday sparks into something that lasts.
Sean D. Young
A soulful second-chance romance about the one who got away—and the music that never let them forget.
Pastry chef Lili Hart has always been the boldest of the Hart sisters—ambitious, fiery, and now is ready to step out from under the Hearts & Flowers spotlight to build something that’s entirely her own. She’s finally landed her first solo client, and her dreams are starting to rise like her best soufflé… until Dominic Ballard walks back into her life.
Three years ago, Dominic left Taylor, Indiana for Los Angeles to chase his dream of becoming an R&B star, leaving Lili with no closure—just silence and memories. Now, he’s home after the sudden passing of his father, helping with the family’s chain of barbecue restaurants while grappling with a bittersweet opportunity to write for a rising singer’s next album.
Their reunion is anything but simple. The chemistry is still electric, but so are the unresolved feelings. As winter wraps the town in holiday magic, Lili and Dominic must confront the heartbreak, the music, and the love that never truly ended.
Can they rediscover each other as the people they are now—not the ones they used to be? Or will the rhythm of regret drown out their second chance?
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