Top 10 New Romance Books Releasing in October 2026
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If you’re wondering which new romance books releasing in October 2026 are actually worth adding to your TBR, I’ve got you covered. I’ve gone through this month’s romance book releases and narrowed them down to the 10 new books I’m most excited about.
And October has quite the mix! We’ve got holiday romances officially making their way onto the scene, plus hockey and soccer players, romantic suspense, a long-awaited return from Lisa Kleypas, and even a time travel romance from Tessa Bailey.
Plus, Sarah J. Maas is taking readers back to the ACOTAR world with A Court of Splintered Harmony on October 27. It’s not making my personal Top 10, but I know that release alone is going to make October a HUGE month for a lot of romance readers.
→ See All Upcoming Romance Book Releases
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The Top 10 New Romance Books to Read in October 2026
If you only read a few books this month, start with these:
Broken Rival
by Tessa Bailey
Releasing October 6, 2026
Time Travel Romance | Love Triangle | Enemies to Lovers
I’ve become such a huge Tessa Bailey fan that I’ll read pretty much anything she writes, apparently even a time travel romance with a potential love triangle.
This one has a woman traveling back in time to 2005 where she comes face-to-face with the boy she loved and lost, only to also meet his brother, who may just change everything. This is definitely different from what I normally expect from Bailey, but consider me intrigued and already hooked.
→ Best Time Travel Romance Books
Not Home Alone
by Kayley Loring
Releasing October 6, 2026
Enemies to Lovers | Forced Proximity | Small Town | Holiday Romance
Kayley Loring writes some of my favorite holiday romance books, so this was an instant must-read, and it was everything I hoped it would be.
It’s hilarious, perfectly steamy and gives us enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity with Loring’s signature humor and snark. Add in the fun Home Alone and The Nutcracker nods and all the holiday vibes, and this is easily one of my favorite holiday romances of the year.
→ Read My Full Review of Not Home Alone
→ New Christmas Romance Books of 2026
Counting Down to You
by Emily Stone
Releasing October 6, 2026
Fake Dating | Grief | Holiday Romance
Emily Stone has made a name for herself when it comes to winter romances that mix holiday cheer with some serious emotion, and this one sounds like it will deliver exactly that.
An Advent calendar full of tasks brings Holly and Finn together, but it’s the fake relationship that starts to become very real that has my attention. I’m expecting some emotion with this one given the grief storyline, but I’m hoping the holiday setting and romance make it one worth savoring this season.
→ Best Fake Dating Romance Books
Queen of Lombard Street
by Lisa Kleypas
Releasing October 20, 2026
Historical Fiction | Historical Romance
Lisa Kleypas is BACK! It has been a LONG time since we’ve gotten a new novel from one of my favorite historical romance authors, so of course I need to see what story finally brought her back.
This time we’re following a brilliant female economist determined to open a bank for women in Victorian London, with an undercover detective and a financial conspiracy thrown into the mix. I have a feeling this may lean more heavily into historical fiction than the romances I know and love from Kleypas, but I’m definitely intrigued.
A Married Little Christmas
by Abby Jimenez
Releasing October 20, 2026
Holiday Romance | Romance Novellas
I’m a sucker for holiday novellas because sometimes a shorter love story is exactly what you need amid the holiday chaos, and Abby Jimenez is giving us THREE of them in A Married Little Christmas.
Even better, these stories revisit characters from her previous books, so I’m excited to see some familiar faces enjoying their happily ever afters. Add in bonus recipes and full-page illustrations, and this feels like one to read yourself and then immediately put on your gift list.
→ Best Christmas Romance Novellas
Carved in the Shadows
by A.L. Jackson
Releasing October 20, 2026
Brother’s Best Friend | Motorcycle Club Romance | Romantic Suspense | Bodyguard Romance | Roommates to Lovers
After reading Forged in the Fire, I was already anxious to get my hands on Silas’s sister and best friend’s story. I’m a sucker for a hero who has been trying to hide his feelings for the heroine for so long, especially when the yearning is already evident.
Now he’s charged with protecting her, they’re staying under the same roof and all those buried feelings are getting a lot harder to ignore. This setup is catnip for me, and I’m SO ready for those feelings to finally come to the fore.
Once Upon a Lie
by Max Monroe
Releasing October 20, 2026
Romantic Suspense | Undercover Cop | Mob Romance | Protector Hero
Max Monroe has been a bit hit or miss for me, but I’m immediately intrigued by this setup. An undercover cop moves in next door to a mob princess to surveil her, only to discover she’s nothing like he expected and may actually need his protection.
Now he’s falling for the very woman he’s been lying to from the start while trying to keep her safe. The undercover element alone gives this romance the kind of tension that makes me need to know how everything is going to unravel.
The Christmas Curse
by Alix Kelinda
Releasing October 20, 2026
Grumpy/Sunshine | Neighbors to Lovers | Holiday Romance
I’m always looking for new romance authors to fall in love with, and this debut sounds way too fun to pass up. Devra is convinced her family is cursed because something disastrous happens every December, so naturally the last thing she wants is a Christmas-obsessed new neighbor covering his house in holiday decorations.
I cannot resist a holiday grump paired with someone who takes Christmas very seriously, and their escalating neighborly feud sounds like exactly the kind of festive chaos I want to read about. I’m taking a chance on this debut and hoping I’ve found a new holiday romance author to watch.
Undone
by Peyton Corinne
Releasing October 27, 2026
Hockey Romance | College Romance | Forbidden Romance
How are we already at book four of the Undone series?! This series has utterly consumed me, and I’m not sure I’m ready for Toren and Lillian’s story when it means getting that much closer to saying goodbye.
There is SO much to unpack here between Toren’s bad-boy past, what’s going on with his assistant coach and Lillian’s controlling father. Plus, these two have been lingering in the background long enough that I’m more than ready to see what happens when the focus finally lands on them. If I’ve learned anything from the previous books, this one is going to suck me right in and give me all the feelings.
The Keeper
by Ana Huang
Releasing October 27, 2026
Soccer Romance | Single Dad | Nanny Romance | Grumpy Hero
I haven’t read Ana Huang’s Gods of the Game series yet, but give me a grumpy soccer player who’s also a single dad falling for his daughter’s nanny and suddenly I’m very interested.
Noah doesn’t want Carina disrupting the carefully controlled life he’s built for himself and his daughter, which of course makes her becoming their live-in nanny all the more appealing. Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching the new season of Ted Lasso, but grumpy soccer men are definitely on my mind right now. Thank you, Roy Kent!
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