Top 10 New Romance Book Releases to Add to Your TBR List This April

In this book list I’m sharing my top 10 most anticipated new romance books that will be released in April 2026 that have earned a spot on my to-read list. With so many new romance book releases dropping every month, I do the hard work and narrow down the list of contenders to those that you’ll want to add to your reading list as well. Whether you like hockey romance, cowboy romance, new adult or romantasy books, this list has you covered and more!

Don’t forget to keep track of these new releases in your Romance Book Reading Journal – the only reading journal created exclusively for romance book lovers!

For even more must-read romance books, check out my list of most anticipated new romance books of 2026, my upcoming releases page, and my previous monthly release book posts to fill up your TBR list.

Happy reading, because life is better with a love story…

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases of April 2026

A Puck Between Friends
by J.R. Gray

MM Hockey Romance
Releasing April 1, 2026

When my best friend offers to come as my date to my sister’s wedding to get back at my sister for breaking his heart, I agree thinking it will be hilarious. What I didn’t consider was that I’ve been in love with him half my life, and all the consequences of us fake dating.

My family demands I bring my new boyfriend to her shower first, and things only go downhill from there. My sister is marrying the goalie from our rival team who immediately is up in arms about us dating.

Fair, but I don’t have time to dwell on it as things quickly get weird with my best friend. Wolfe is straight, it shouldn’t be weird right? It’s fake after all. But I’m so wrong. He kisses me like I’ve never been kissed before, and then we both realize we have to keep this up for months until the wedding.

Between the unexpected sexual tension, hockey, and the secrets we are keeping. I don’t know how we’re going to get through the season.

I love a good fake dating romance, but one that has requited love, hockey, and is an MM story, I’m in. Plus, this one sounds like a wonderful, friends to lovers romance that will be high on tension. I cannot wait to check it out this month.

Unbound
by Peyton Corinne

New Adult Romance
Releasing April 7, 2026

Paloma Blake is, at best, antagonistic. But beneath the hairspray, attitude, and promiscuity is a scared girl whose trauma runs deep. Still, the walls she’s built are strong, ensuring everyone only sees Paloma’s sexy façade. Everyone except for Bennett.

Bennett Reiner, the carefully controlled, neurodivergent goalie, has his routines and sticks to them, which helps him keep a hold on his OCD compulsions and the crippling anxiety that comes with them. The quiet and meticulous Bennett sees everything, especially the girl beneath Paloma’s ever-present masks. And he always has.

Unbeknownst to their friends, Bennett and Paloma were each other’s first real love, which ended in crippling heartbreak. Bennett still doesn’t know what happened, and Paloma is determined to stay away from the comfort she used to find only in his arms. For years, Bennett has remained her protective shadow, coming to Paloma’s rescue whenever she asked, keeping her as close and safe as she’ll let him. But, like a tumultuous sea to a constant shore, Bennett and Paloma find each other once more.

Alternating between scenes from their past and present, Unbound contrasts the tentative tension and passionate beginnings of first love with the devastating loneliness and deep yearning of having that love ripped away from you without truly knowing why. As Bennett discovers the truth about Paloma’s past, the threads to his careful control start to come unbound, and both begin to realize that letting go of everything else might be worth it, if it means they both get the real love they once shared again.

Peyton Corinne has this uncanny ability to pull on your heartstrings with her new adult romances set in college. I have been waiting for Bennett’s story ever since starting the Undone series because he is such a compelling character and I had to know how his story with Paloma unfolded. Get ready to have your heart ripped open but put back together again!

My book review of Unbound.

The Paris Match
by Kate Clayborn

Enemies to Lovers Romance
Releasing April 7, 2026

Physician Layla Bailey has spent over a year telling herself she’s moved on from a painful but amicable divorce from her college sweetheart. Staying friends with her ex seemed like the mature thing to do, but when Layla is invited to her former sister-in-law’s destination wedding in Paris—where Layla once spent her own romantic honeymoon—she knows her commitment to maturity might be her worst enemy…especially since her ex isn’t attending alone.

The only thing that could make the week more difficult is getting through it without the distraction of the wedding…. But when what Layla thought was a harmless conversation about the choices of her younger self leads to the bride getting cold feet, Layla finds herself facing down the groom’s mysterious, taciturn best man, Griffin, who will do anything to make sure this wedding happens.

Since she broke it, Griff demands she help him fix it. Going along with his plan to alleviate the engaged couple’s doubts seems like Layla’s best chance at maintaining a good relationship with a family she once called her own. But as she learns more about the past heartbreak that’s driving Griff to help his friend, she gets closer and closer to confronting the true depth of her own pain…while finding herself more and more willing to risk it all again for Griff.

I love romance books that inspire travel and I loved feeling like I was walking the streets of Paris with Griff and Layal while reading this book. But don’t let the romcom cover fool you. Kate Clayborn is a must-read author for a reason because she is not afraid to tackle some intense topics in her book and I loved the ones that both characters face in this novel.

My book review of The Paris Match.

Ryder
by Jessica Peterson

Cowboy Romance
Releasing April 7, 2026

One hard fall in the rodeo ring. One maddeningly gorgeous cowboy. One chance at love she swore she’d never take.

Billie Wallace has spent her whole life trying to prove she’s more than the Wallace Ranch’s “wild” only daughter. All she wants is a shot at barrel racing―and a purpose beyond crunching numbers in her daddy’s office. But when her very first run ends in disaster, Billie lands flat on her back with Ryder Rivers―her childhood crush, her brother’s best friend, and the town’s notorious heartbreaker―hovering over her.

In all the years she’s known him, Ryder has never entertained Billie’s shameless flirting. But after her fall, he’s suddenly everywhere―showing up to help her when she’s hurt, staring at her across the honky-tonk when she’s trying to move on with a bronc rider, and encouraging her to explore her dream career.

Before either can really register what’s happening, their partnership sparks into much more than just dust and arguments.

Late nights turn into stolen kisses. Stolen kisses turn into something that feels dangerously like forever. Ryder swears he’s not the staying kind, but the way he looks at Billie like she’s the only woman in the world makes everyone start to wonder if he’s ready to stop running…

Alas, the Lucky River Ranch series is coming to an end with Ryder’s story! And while I’m sad because this series has been amazing, I know that Jessica is going to give us another wonderful, spicy book that I won’t be able to put down. I love the tropey goodness we get in this new romance with Ryder being Billie’s childhood crush and her brother’s best friend. I’m just ready for the hood of his truck scene 😊.

Bloodsinger
by Juliette Cross

Romantasy
Releasing April 7, 2026

A spellbinding gift… A plea answered by the gods… An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Lela Bihari’s village was invaded on her wedding night, her betrothed murdered right in front of her. While her sisters were either dragged away or escaped, Lela was sold to Valerius, a consul of Rome.

When she tried to kill Valerius her first night as his slave, her bloodsinger gift manifested… and she was punished for it. Now she’s paraded in front of the other senators for their amusement.

But Trajan Tiberius, the newly elected tribune to the senate, is different. He has no love for the brutality around him. When he frees Lela from enslavement and hides her, Lela is set on a path of vengeance, and using her gift puts her in more danger than ever before.

Now trapped inside the walls of Rome while deathriders circle the skies, how can she possibly trust a Roman dragon? Especially when it is clear Trajan has ulterior schemes of his own? As her powers grow stronger, danger draws closer, and Lela realizes it isn’t just her life at stake, but also her heart.

If you read Juliette’s romantasy, Firebird, last year then that book left on an interesting cliffhanger that will have you grabbing for this new romance release to continue the series. Expect some dark times ahead for these characters but I hope Lela can get her revenge. And will we get more dragon shifting? I hope so!

Rites of the Starling
by Devney Perry

Romantasy
Releasing April 7, 2026

Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.

​I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.

​Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.

​Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm? What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?

For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make. It’s time to discover the monster within.​

Devney blew me away last year with her first romantasy, Shield of Sparrows, so of course I cannot wait to dive into this book to continue the series. You definitely need to read that book first before diving into this one so learn about the world, the crux and the monsters that may be closer than we think.

Into the Blue
by Emma Brodie

Second Chance Romance
Releasing April 7, 2026

In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for Saturday Night Live; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her small Massachusetts town. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond, first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word.

Seven years later, in New York City, AJ is shocked to find herself cast in the same intergalactic TV production as Noah, by then a well-known Hollywood heartthrob. As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin to blur. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.

Blending unforgettable characters, explosive chemistry and yearning, and profound emotion, Into the Blue is a journey unlike any other—one that asks: What does it mean to diverge from the script to forge your own story?

While never having read a book by Emma before, I couldn’t pass up this book given the summary and it totally delivered. If you love books about soulmates, improv acting and a hard fought love affair then this is the book for you.

My book review of Into the Blue.

Isle of Wrath
by Claire Contreras

Dystopian Fantasy
Releasing April 8, 2026

A forgotten prophecy. A 300-year-old curse. And two people bound by a goddess to break it… if the bond doesn’t break them first.

In Lunaris, everyone trades their memories for asylum. No one remembers their past, their homeland, or the curse that trapped them behind a wall of darkness called the Shroud. But they don’t dare break the rules set upon them.

Ada Acevedo has spent years hiding her healing gift and keeping her head down.

But when her twin brother is struck by a poisoned arrow, she breaks the most dangerous rule of all. She bargains with the goddess of death to save his life.

She didn’t expect the goddess to send Malachi Bain—an infuriating warrior—to collect. Much less to be soul-bound to him until she repays what she owes. Now Ada has no choice but to help him do the impossible: lift the Shroud and break the curse that’s kept Lunaris hidden from the rest of the realm for three hundred years.

As she’s pulled deeper into a world of forbidden prophecies and buried secrets, Ada discovers a devastating truth. Lunaris isn’t the paradise she always thought it was. It’s a cage. And on the other side, a monster is lurking—waiting for the Shroud to fall.

Waiting for her.

I cannot wait to check out this new dystopian romantasy this month! Give me a strong, unsuspecting heroine, a phrophecy, a curse and hidden gifts and this sounds like it has all the makings for a fantastic read!

Happy Ending
by Chloe Liese

Friends to Lovers Romance
Releasing April 14, 2026

Thea and Alex have three things in common—they love food, they hate where they live, and they’re both divorced. Otherwise, they couldn’t be more different.

Thea’s never cooked a day in her life. Alex is a world-class chef. Alex resents feeling stuck in his hometown. Thea resents the town for not feeling more like home. Thea and her ex are in a contentious custody battle for their dog. Alex and his ex amicably coparent their daughter. Beyond a few friends in common, a couple small-world connections (welcome to life in a mid-size city), their lives look nothing alike. Fast forward two years, and they’re truly the best of friends. No one would ever know their friendship began as a lie…

Two years ago, their exes got together immediately following their divorces, and somehow, Thea and Alex found themselves spinning a spite-fueled story about being old friends and first loves. Two years later, what began as a ruse has grown into real friendship—just friendship, despite what friends and family seem to think. But when their exes invite them on a two-week, “two family” beach vacation—daughter and dog included—Alex and Thea start to wonder if this story they’ve spun might have gotten away from them, and if it’s led them to the last place they ever thought it could: a happy ending.

You don’t have to convince me to read a new book by Chloe Liese but I loved the set up of this romance that has the best meet cute and continues into a sweeping friends to lovers romance. I also like how Chloe wrote this love story after divorce after going through this life change herself. I loved both characters so much!

My book review of Happy Ending.

Chasing the Fire
by Paisley Hope

Surprise Pregnancy Romance
Releasing April 14, 2026

She’s as wild as fire. He’s ready to burn for her.

The owner of a popular boutique, Olivia Sutton is the darling of Laurel Creek. While Olivia may be as sweet as the baked treats she loves to create, beneath her good girl exterior, she harbors a secret desire: a man who can take control.

Enter Asher Reed, the town’s fire chief. Asher keeps everything in his life carefully controlled . . . except when it comes to Olivia, the copper-haired beauty who has captured his attention in ways he can’t ignore.

When a moment of weakness leads to two pink lines, Olivia and Asher agree to spend more time together, determined to be friends.

But when Olivia realizes the smoldering firefighter might be the key to the future she’s always dreamed of, will their spark ignite—or be extinguished by the weight of his secrets?

Settle in for the next small town romance in Paisley’s Silver Pines Ranch series with this one. I love a quiet hero who gives off alpha vibes but who also knows exactly what the heroine needs. I cannot wait to get more of the interaction between Olivia and Asher. It’s going to be H-O-T hot!

Related Book Lists:

• Top 10 New Romance Book Releases for March 2026
• Most Anticipated New Romance Books of 2026
• Must-Read New Romantasy Books of 2026

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