Here in New York City, the leaves are starting to change color, there’s a chill in the air, and we’re fully in FALL! With a new season comes new books and we are SO excited for these new releases. Whether you love a cozy romance, twisty thriller, or tear-jerker on your Fall TBR, we’re sure you’ll find something among these staff picks!
THE cozy fall romcom of the year is here!!! Lynn Painter’s latest swoon worthy, laugh-out-loud romance read stars Julia, a small-town girl from Nebraska who is pushed out of her comfort zone when her family inherits a NYC brownstone. While she struggles to adapt to her (admittedly magical) new reality, she meets Damion, her reluctant tutor with a hidden agenda. If you’re a romance fan this book is not to be missed!!
Recommended by Amy
Get ready for all the holiday feels in this friends-to-lovers romcom, perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Lynn Painter! Falling Like Snow follows Sloane Sullivan, who is eagerly awaiting her trip to New York City for the holidays, until her mom, the town mayor, decides to host a winter festival in her hometown of Bramble Falls. Now forced to stay in Bramble Falls for the holidays, Sloane discovers that maybe everything she is looking for is right in front of her. As an avid Gilmore Girls fan, I loved this! Bramble Falls gives Stars Hollow in a major way. If you’re looking for something to cozy up with this fall and winter, I cannot recommend this enough!
Recommended by Emma
Looking for more Bramble Falls? Check out Falling Like Leaves, the first book from Misty Wilson!
A raw and meaningful end to Amber Smith’s The Way I Used to Be trilogy. This book follows the lives of Eden, Gen, and Amanda after the conclusion of their rapist’s trial. The three girls navigate healing in their own ways while facing new challenges and experiences. The Way We Become is an important story of the lasting impact of trauma and the paths victims take toward healing.
Recommended by Katie
The twist at the end of Coldwire left me with WHIPLASH and begging for the second book in the dystopian Strangeloom Trilogy. Thank goodness it’s almost here!! If you haven’t read the first book yet, there isn’t much I can share without spoiling the thrilling twists and turns that Lia and Eirale navigate, so unfortunately, I’ll have to zip my lips! The one thing I CAN say, though, is that none of you are ready for the absolutely diabolical cliffhanger Chloe has left us with, yet again!!
Recommended by Julia Ashley
Scythe fans, we are EATING!!! For so long, fans of the Arc of a Scythe series have wondered about the origin of the Thunderhead: the god-like artificial intelligence that governs everything about humanity except for the creation and taking of life (which is why the Scythes exist). Now, we’re finally getting its origin story as a prequel… and even though I’m only a newly minted fan of this series, I can confidently say you won’t see it coming.
Rising Thunder is set against the backdrop of the unstable end of the Age of Mortality, and the Thunderhead’s origins are intertwined with the incredibly timely topic of artificial intelligence. Death is the last frontier for humanity to conquer, and there’s no turning back. This is the first book in the First Blades series, which serves as a prequel to the Arc of a Scythe, and you’ll be obsessing over this dystopian saga long after you close its pages.
Recommended by James
Welcome back to Hamilton Lakes! In the newest young adult romance from the author of Heart Check, Catching Feelings has all the heart and warmth (and of course, swoon!) of Lynn Painter and all the school spirit and small-town vibes of Friday Night Lights.
Sabrina wants a drama-free senior year. She certainly doesn’t need the kind of chaos going to homecoming with her longtime flirtationship Ryan would bring. So, Sabrina decides to ask the new football transfer Tyler to the dance instead. They’re just friends after all. What could possibly go wrong?
This is the perfect heartfelt read to pick up this fall for anyone who loves friends-to-lovers and sports romance, and if you grab a copy of the paperback in the first printing, you’ll have the cutest football-themed sprayed edges to add to your shelf!
Recommended by Amelia
This fan-favorite paranormal romance trilogy from bestselling author Shannon Messenger is BACK with a brand-new look (and stunning sprayed edges)! Follow along as two teens battle their electric connection while navigating a broken past and a divided future in this epic series, which kicks off with action-packed book one, Let the Sky Fall.
Recommended by Amy
From the author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe comes another timely and heartrending story of love, loss, and life. After twin siblings survive a shooting at their high school, the world feels like a very different place. As they heal, they will find that what hasn’t changed—or has only gotten deeper—is their love for their family, their close friends, and especially one another.
Recommended by Shannon
This read perfectly embodies a cozy fall with the crunch of autumn leaves. A love triangle between the past and the present; you definitely need to add this to your TBR if you love romantic fiction with a twist of magical realism. While Beautiful to See You (Again) might break your heart, it will definitely put it back together again. With unexpected plot twists and emotions that will tug on your heart strings, I wanted to immediately reread it and you will too!
Recommended by Lindsey
It’s Christmas Crime! is an advent book, AKA your next holiday obsession. This is the perfect book for you if…
- You think opening presents is the best part of the holidays
- You love true crime as much as you love Hallmark movies
- You want to spend twenty-four chapters in a Parisian bakery falling in love
Unwrap a chapter a day leading up to Christmas to unravel this cozy holiday mystery! A girl’s dream apprenticeship at a French bakery goes awry when she witnesses an actual murder. She be the key to solving the case…and she could even find a little love along the way.
Recommended by Shannon
Looking for another Advent book? Check out A Heart for Christmas!
The New York Times bestselling author of Hush, Hush is returning to the world of romantasy with a thrilling new book! When seventeen-year-old Bunny investigates a history of disappearing girls on her home of Tea Kettle Island (with the help of a suspect in the investigation, Sacha Sinner), her search for the truth takes her into the town's darkly magical past and dredges up secrets the other townsfolk would rather not surface.
Recommended by Amy
With undeniable rhythm and vibrant imagery, Evamar encapsulates Cuban culture and the complexities of first love! Written in verse, this story follows Evamar and Río through a mission set by Evamar’s abuela before she passed: plant the sunflower seeds containing her ashes in Cuba and only then read her diaries. Evamar is a powerful tale of heritage and ancestry, language and love making it my absolute #1 top pick for fall!
Recommended by Kayah
You’ll be at the edge of your seat reading this genre-bending mystery. It’s set in French Polynesia and follows Moe, an Indigenous teen, as she works to prove her younger brother’s innocence from a crime that he has no memory of committing. Moe can also hear the sea’s prophetic thoughts, and she’s been burying her gift because it’s caused nothing but heartbreak for her family… but now, her dreaded gift may be the only thing that can help save her brother.
Add in an enemies-to-lovers romance (Moe teams up with her academic rival, Temanea, on her search for answers), and you have one of the most compelling and twisty thrillers that I’ve read. This is a haunting yet hopeful story about protecting one’s community and cultural identity, and it’s perfect for fans of Firekeeper's Daughter.
Recommended by James
Get ready to dive into Renaissance-era Florence in this magical and historical mystery! Apprenticing under the same artist, Virgil and Leonardo da Vinci team up against the Medici family and set out to investigate the truth behind a mysterious disappearance, all while racing against the clock set by a bargain Virgil made with an angel. With angels, demons, romance, and magic, this is a must-read!
Recommended by Kiana
We all know the classic Hallmark movie trope of a city girl in a small town falling in love…but what about a small town girl chasing her dream girl in the big city? Pining For You turns the classic Hallmark Christmas plot upside down in this cozy sapphic holiday romance. Grab some hot chocolate and cookies and settle in for some holiday magic!
Recommended by Shannon
I can’t believe this is our final book with Seraphine and Ransom! The Dagger and the Flame is always my number one recommendation for anyone looking for a romantasy with high stakes, deadly magic, and the perfect amount of enemies-to-lovers tension. Bonus points if you listen to the audiobook! Freddy Carter as Ransom is *chefs kiss* and I’ve re-listened to the first two books multiple times!! I can’t wait until I get to hear his voice again in this epic finale.
Recommended by Julia Ashley