A Week of Thrillers, New Worlds, Tender Romances & Atmospheric Fiction
January 13th is delivering one of the most eclectic and exciting release lineups of the month. From immersive ecological fantasy to pulse-pounding thrillers, swoony romance, and literary fiction filled with grief, memory, and magic. This week’s books explore the extremes of human resilience, the complexities of identity, the mystery of the natural world, and the courage it takes to rebuild one’s life.
Whether you love books that keep you up at night, stories that whisk you to far-off places, or novels that sit softly with you long after you turn the last page, these January 13th releases are here to fill your TBR with something unforgettable.
Let’s dive in!
The Shark House
Atmospheric Women’s Fiction • Mystery • 1990s Hawai'i
A chilling, deeply emotional novel set along the rugged shores of 1998 Hawaii, blending science, suspense, and the raw power of the ocean.
Minnow Gray, marine biologist, shark whisperer, and survivor of a long-ago tragedy arrives on the island to investigate a surge of attacks along the coastline. But what she uncovers is far more dangerous than a lone great white: a political scandal simmering beneath the surface, the island’s rising panic, and a truth tied to powerful figures determined to keep their secrets buried.
As Minnow works to protect the sharks from fear-driven retaliation, she forges a tentative alliance with enigmatic fisherman Luke Greenwood. Their connection is both unsettling and magnetic, forcing Minnow to confront not only the ocean’s predators but the ghosts she’s carried since childhood.
For fans of: The Cliffs · Lessons in Chemistry · nature-driven suspense · emotional character studies
Expect: Hawaii’s beauty and danger, ecological intrigue, a heroine searching for healing, and secrets that demand to be uncovered.
Dive in if you dare...
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Anatomy of an Alibi
Psychological Thriller • Dual POV • Lies, Identity & Murder
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins comes a tense, spiraling thriller about two women desperate to expose the truth only to find themselves pulled into a murder investigation where one wrong move could destroy them both.
Aubrey Price has been haunted for a decade by a night she can’t forget. Camille Bayliss, polished and privileged, knows her husband is hiding something but with every step she takes, he tightens his control.
Their plan is simple: switch lives for twelve hours. One night. One chance.
Until Camille’s husband turns up dead.
Now, both women need an alibi but only one has one. And as detectives close in, each secret, each lie, and each choice spirals toward a devastating end.
For fans of: Megan Miranda · Lisa Jewell · high-stakes domestic suspense
Expect: identity swaps, cat-and-mouse tension, and a final twist that snaps the story into place.
Graceless Heart
Adult Fantasy Romance • Renaissance Italy • Forbidden Magic
Set against the lush, politically charged backdrop of 15th-century Italy, Graceless Heart follows sculptress Ravenna Maffei, whose forbidden magical talent thrusts her into a deadly competition held by an immortal Florentine family.
Kidnapped, manipulated, and bound to the ruthless Saturnino dei Luni, Ravenna must walk a razor-thin line between survival and betrayal. But Saturnino cold, calculating, and devastatingly compelling may not be the monster she expected.
As rival powers circle and war looms, Ravenna’s choices could shatter the fragile balance of magic that holds Italy together.
I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!
For fans of: For the Wolf · The Night Circus · slow-burn dangerous love
Expect: decadence, high stakes, forbidden power, and a romance carved from tension and inevitability.
Most Eligible
Romantic Comedy • Reality TV • Second Chance Sparks
Miss Congeniality meets The Bachelor in this high-energy rom-com featuring investigative journalist Georgia Rose, who infiltrates a dating show to expose the producers.
She’s here to uncover corruption not to fall for Rhett Auburn, the outrageously charismatic country singer who just happens to be her unforgettable one-night stand… and now the show’s new host.
With contestants scheming, producers meddling, and secrets piling up, Georgia must choose between the story of a lifetime and the man she never quite got over.
For fans of: Christina Lauren · Sophie Sullivan · chaotic behind-the-scenes romance
Expect: banter, slow-burn chemistry, fake dating vibes, and a juicy reality-TV setting.
A Killer Kind of Romance
Romantic Suspense • Serial Killer Mystery • Second Chance Tension
Scarlett Moore narrates murder stories for a living but when a real killer begins reenacting the crimes from her podcast, fiction becomes terrifyingly real.
Enter Rafael Gray: the brooding, beautiful boy who once broke her heart and now returns as the prime suspect in the killings.
To clear his name Scarlett plunges into the investigation. But the more she uncovers, the more her life starts to resemble the romance tropes she swore she’d never fall for.
For fans of: You · The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder · romance with a dangerous edge
Expect: smoldering tension, small-town secrets, and a killer always one step ahead.
Is This a Cry for Help?
Literary Fiction • Grief • Libraries • Mental Health
A quietly powerful novel from Emily Austin about a librarian rebuilding her life after a breakdown triggered by the death of her ex-boyfriend.
Returning to work, Darcy finds herself caught in the rising tide of book-banning protests, community unrest, and the question of what role libraries play in protecting truth. As she reconnects with her wife, coworkers, and identity, Darcy begins an emotional journey toward healing, agency, and hope.
For fans of: Eleanor Oliphant · queer literary fiction · character-driven storytelling
Expect: tenderness, introspection, and a moving defense of libraries.
Kokun: The Girl from the West
Epic Fantasy • Japanese Literature • YA/Adult Crossover
This sweeping fantasy blends myth, ecology, political intrigue, and a richly imagined empire built upon a miraculous strain of rice—until the harvest collapses.
Two girls, Aisha, a fugitive with the forbidden gift of scent-magic, and Olie, the powerless girl worshipped as the empire’s savior must unravel the ancient truths behind their world’s decline.
I'm so excited for this!
For fans of: Studio Ghibli · Nausicaä · epic world-building
Expect: lush visuals, environmental themes, rebellion, and destiny entwined.
The Last of Earth
Historical Fiction • Adventure • Forbidden Tibet
Balram, an Indian surveyor-spy working for the British Raj, reluctantly joins an expedition into closed-off Tibet. Part rescue mission, part covert operation. Katherine, an Englishwoman denied her rightful place in geography’s elite, journeys toward the same forbidden land.
Their fates converge in a sweeping, perilous story of survival, ambition, loyalty, and the hubris of empire.
For fans of: The Signature of All Things · literary historical fiction · survival narratives
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
Magical Realism • Cozy Fantasy • Grief & Healing
Yeon-hwa inherits her grandmother’s peculiar bakery one that only opens from 10 PM to midnight and serves spirits preparing for reincarnation.
Each dessert holds a memory. Each visitor holds a story.
As Yeon-hwa learns to serve these wandering souls, she begins to uncover her grandmother’s secrets… and her own path forward.
For fans of: Before the Coffee Gets Cold · heartwarming magical tales
Expect: soft magic, emotional closure, and a cat sidekick.
The Bookbinder’s Secret
Historical Mystery • Bookish Fiction • Hidden Letters
Lily Delaney, apprentice bookbinder in 1901 Oxford, stumbles upon a burned book containing a confession that hints at forbidden love and murder. Soon, she’s on the trail of a mystery woven across multiple books. Each containing hidden pages others would kill to possess.
For fans of: The Book Thief · The Binding · historical intrigue
Expect: dark academia vibes, rare books, collectors with secrets, and a heroine determined to uncover the truth.
Dandelion Is Dead
Contemporary Fiction • Grief & Love • Identity
Jake is falling in love with a woman he believes is named Dandelion.
But Dandelion is dead.
Poppy, drowning in grief for her late sister, responds to messages from Dandelion’s dating app matches… and accidentally begins living out her sister’s would-have-been life.
As the truth becomes harder to hide, Poppy must choose between protecting the past and embracing a future she never expected.
For fans of: One Day · emotional fiction · messy, hopeful love stories
The Age of Calamities
Speculative Fiction • Absurdist & Lyrical Short Stories
This collection bends genre, time, and reality. Ghostly Anne Boleyn refuses to stay dead. A Manhattan Project scientist navigates branching timelines. A dinner party of historical icons spirals into a mystery.
Wild, bizarre, poignant, and brilliant.
For fans of: Carmen Maria Machado · George Saunders
Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl
Steamy Contemporary Romance • Single Dad • Academia
A law-school-grad-turned-nanny.
A buttoned-up professor and exhausted single dad.
Enough tension to light the campus on fire.
This raunchy, hilarious romance from Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone delivers chemistry, character growth, and academic chaos in equal measure.
I read an advance copy of this one and all I can say is YES! You need this on your 2026 TBR!
For fans of: spicy rom-coms · nanny/guardian romance · Sierra Simone heat level
Detour
Sci-Fi Thriller • Parallel Earth • Space Disaster
After a catastrophic near-disaster on a mission to Titan, a civilian crew returns home as heroesmonly to discover they may not have come back to the same Earth they left.
As anomalies multiply and shadowy forces close in, the astronauts must uncover the truth about what happened in space… and where they actually are now.
For fans of: The Martian · Dark Matter · The Twilight Zone
Two Left Feet
MM Sports Romance • Premier League • Teammates to Lovers
Oliver Harris, London football legend, is losing his edge and a new rival is taking his place. What begins with resentment and tension soon becomes partnership… and something neither of them is allowed to want.
For fans of: Red, White & Royal Blue · sports romance · slow-burn forbidden love
The Old Fire
Literary Fiction • Sisters • Memory & Silence
Two estranged sisters return to their childhood home for nine days to clear it out before demolition. As they sift through belongings and old wounds, the lines between past and present blur, revealing the grief, love, violence, and tenderness they’ve long avoided.
Beautifully atmospheric and emotionally precise.
For fans of: Elena Ferrante · quiet, powerful family novels
Don’t Think About Dinner
Cookbook • Meal Planning • Healthy Habits & Routine
This practical, vibrant cookbook offers strategic planning, batch cooking tips, and 125 recipes designed to simplify your week and reduce decision fatigue.
If you have decision fatigue about what's for dinner this is for you! The Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad was so good!
For fans of: meal-prep guides · healthy cooking · approachable recipes.
Final Thoughts
This week’s releases offer a perfect end-of-year lineup: cozy escapism, gripping fantasy, introspective fiction, and fresh romance with all the feels. Whether you’re ready to solve a murder, fall in love on the pitch, or stop asking "what's for dinner", you’ll find something to love here.
Which of these are going straight to your TBR? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram which book you’re starting with!
