The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2026, Week 41’s New Books
My choices for this week include Romantic Fantasy, Sweet Holiday Romances, Historical Fantasy, Cozy Holiday Mystery, YA Sweet Romantic Fantasy, Cozy Animal Mystery, Cozy Mystery, International Holiday Mystery, Cozy Holiday Crafts and Hobbies Mystery, Psychological Thriller, and Cozy Paranormal Mystery.
We are in the month of the Spooky Season! I love fall and cozy sweater weather. How are you liking this month so far? I am not keeping up with my reading goals right now. Hopefully the cooler weather will slow things down and let me spend more time reading.
For week 41, I found some amazing reads. Jen and I have some of these books on our list.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 41 of 2026!
Heart of the Trove by Robin Clearbrook
Dragons of Eolia #1
Publication Date: October 5, 2026
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Amazon
Stealing from a dragon means death. Falling in love with one could be even worse.
In a city ruled by dragons, blacksmith Lydia lives with a secret that could spell her doom. She can steal their magic, and if she drops her guard, her only fate is a painful death.
That’s why she plans to stay far away from them. Especially from Zephyr, the handsome and infamous dragon prince, everything she hates and fears. The same prince whose nose she breaks with a punch.
When the dragon prince begins spying on her every move, and she’s caught in a scheme that could end the king’s life, her secret comes to light.
The prince gives Lydia a choice: be his personal blacksmith and help him save his father, or die.
With sixty days left to craft the perfect sword while forced to live at the royal castle, Lydia will soon learn Zephyr won’t let her go without a fight. Especially not when he looks at her like she’s part of his trove already.
And when her hatred for the prince risks becoming something much more dangerous, she will need to remember that a dragon’s wrath leaves nothing in its wake…
Puppy Toys & Sleigh Bells by Jennifer Faye
Kringle Falls Christmas Parade #1
Publication Date: October 5, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
She’s searching for ghosts from Christmases past while he’s trying to escape his past…
Office manager, Leah Mitchell longs to know who her father and extended family are, but her mother took that information to the grave. So when out of the blue Leah inherits her grandmother’s estate, she flies across the country anxious to find answers to old questions. However, when she arrives in Kringle Falls, she finds she has a bed and breakfast to run.
After an antagonistic divorce, Shaun Higgins is focused on his construction business as well as volunteering alongside his father at a local animal shelter. When he’s asked to deliver some rescue pups to the New England area, he agrees. But when he arrives in Kringle Falls, he’s greeted by an ice storm. It leaves him and one of the rescue pups seeking shelter at the Kringle B&B.
He quickly finds the innkeeper charming. Still, he has zero interest in getting involved with anyone. However, when his stay in Kringle Falls is extended, as a furry matchmaker draws them together. In the soft glow of the Christmas tree, feelings begin to grow. Together will they be able to find what has been missing from their lives?
A Cove of Witches by Nancy Taber
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Her ancestors need her. Is she powerful enough to save them?
If Simone, a clairvoyant police cadet, doesn’t solve the mystery of her family’s relationship with the phantom ship, the Doirons past and present will be in peril. Only Simone can break the spell.
But when visions of a spectre morph from frustrating to overwhelming, Simone risks losing not only the career she craves, but her family’s otherworldly abilities. She races to uncover her ancestors’ secrets and lies, generations of witches surviving the unthinkable. In 1781, Sébastienne’s spellcasting leads to accusations of witchcraft she must escape to save her sister from a treacherous marriage proposal. In 1719, Yvonne leverages her influence over the shadows to shield her daughter from a spymaster’s threats.
And all the while the phantom ship waits, blazing in a hidden cove in Prince Edward Island, calling through the generations. Simone must protect her family’s legacy, or be forever haunted by the phantom ship.
In this companion to A Sea of Spectres, author Nancy Taber has created a fast-paced and thrilling adventure full of folklore, history…and witches.
A Magical Scottish Christmas by Ellie Henderson
Rowan Bay #3
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Amazon
Curl up this holiday season with a hot chocolate, a warm fire and a perfectly magical Christmas romance! ❄️🎄
A snowbound village. A cosy inn worth fighting for. And a Christmas that could change everything.
Three years ago, Lily Thomas came to Rowan Bay looking for a fresh start. She found it at a cosy inn on the shores of Loch Lomond — and made it the heart of the village.
Now the owners are selling to a faceless hotel chain, and Lily has until New Year to save the place she finally calls home.
Luckily, she knows exactly who to ask.
Hamish Galbraith runs the village whisky distillery, volunteers with mountain rescue, and is currently dog-sitting a Labrador called Kevin. He’s also been Lily’s closest friend since the day she arrived.
Which is precisely why she’s tried so hard not to fall for him.
But as snow blankets Rowan Bay and Christmas markets, festive afternoon teas and a very special whisky launch bring Lily and Hamish closer, friendship starts to feel dangerously like love.
Then a face from Lily’s past walks through the inn door — threatening everything she’s built.
With Christmas approaching and the whole village behind her, can Lily fight for the home she’s built . . . and finally trust her heart?
This small-town, Scottish, Christmas romance is perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Julie Caplin, Cressida McLaughlin, Donna Ashcroft, Mandy Baggot, Jenny Colgan, and anyone who curls up with a Hallmark film!
🎄 Festive holiday romance
🎄 Small-town
🎄 Friends-to-lovers
🎄 Snowed in close proximity
🎄 Gorgeous match-making dog called Kevin!
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder by Jacqueline Frost
Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries #7
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Jen’s Book Review
Mistletoe and murder go hand in hand in the seventh installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mysteries from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.
New parents Holly White and Sheriff Evan Gray are sleep deprived but incandescently happy to be celebrating their baby’s first Christmas. Their family, friends, and neighbors are spoiling the newest addition. Adding to the perfect holiday season is the recent completion of their newly built home. All that’s left to do is move in and send off those change-of-address cards. But their cup full of cheer turns sour when Holly discovers a dead body.
It all started with a sweet trip down memory lane—Candy Cane Lane and Toyland were two of Holly’s favorites as a child, and she had been looking forward to sharing them with her baby. Then she stumbled upon the body of Greysen, the animal keeper, left among the reindeer at the petting zoo.
Earlier in the day, Holly witnessed a fight between Greysen and a stranger. Stranger still, the reindeer petting zoo had originally been empty that day—no reindeer in sight until they reappeared along with a corpse.
As Holly fights to keep the Christmas spirit alive, she is Greysen’s only chance at justice—and her baby’s only chance at a happy first Christmas.
Ghosted by Wendelin Van Draanen
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Genre: Young Adult Sweet Romantic Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
Can a girl and a ghost get their happily ever after? Find out in this sweet new teen romance from the award-winning author of Flipped.
Gemma and Jimmy have known each other practically all of Gemma’s life, but it isn’t until she starts high school that she notices that eternally-fifteen-year-old Jimmy is… well… dreamy! He’s kinder and funnier than the other boys her age, and she feels like her best self when she’s with him.
Meanwhile, Jimmy is shocked to realize that Gemma is growing up. Soon enough she’ll overtake him in age, and then one day, she’ll lose interest in him entirely. He knows it’s selfish to want her to stay close forever, but he can’t help it.
The problem is… their romance is doomed to fail. Jimmy is a ghost. No one except Gemma can see him, and he can’t leave the graveyard where he lives. How could they ever have a shot at love?
Set in a cozy small town and told in dual POV, this page-turning romance from the bestselling author of Flipped has all the high-stakes emotion and grandeur of a great first love story. Readers will be rooting for Gemma and Jimmy to make it, despite every obstacle thrown their way.
Murder on Thin Ice by Laurie Cass
Bookmobile Cat Mystery #6
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
Sleuthing is past due in the fourteenth installment of the Bookmobile Cat Mystery series by national bestselling author Laurie Cass.
A small-town bookmobile librarian and her rescue cat refuse to go by the book when an elderly patron’s body is found at the bottom of a small lake.
It’s winter in northwest lower Michigan, which means librarian Minnie Niswander and her cat, Eddie, are staying cozy in the bookmobile. But not everything is as it should be.
When an elderly housebound patron, Gerald Arnold, fails to answer his door, Minnie knows something is wrong. Her fears are confirmed when the police discover Gerald’s body beneath the surface of a small frozen lake.
Minnie knows that the kind and cautious Gerald would never have been so careless as to fall through the ice, and she suspects foul play. But law enforcement rules the old man’s death an accident, and Minnie knows she will have to take the investigation into her own hands.
As she and Eddie dig deeper, Minnie is troubled to learn that Gerald—and many of her friends—had been suspects in a decades-old cold case. Were the two murders connected? If so, it looks like justice is long overdue.
Death Hits the High Notes by GG Calpo
Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery #2
Publication Date: October 7, 2026
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Trouble is brewing at Whitman’s Port Choral Society as choir members drop dead and Detective Jonathan Storm raises more questions than answers in his investigation. When Stefan, the choir’s soloist, gets weaker by the day, Meg and her friends take matters into their own hands. And if a murder investigation was not enough to elevate anyone’s blood pressure, Meg finds herself in danger tied to her past that she’s struggling to understand. Will Meg and her friends stop the killer before Stefan becomes the next victim-and before Meg’s past catches up with her? Join these golden-age sleuths as they follow the clues, protect their own, and prove that friendship is the strongest weapon against a killer.
A Christmas Bookstore Murder by Sue Minix
Bookstore Mystery #8
Publication Date: October 8, 2026
Genre: International Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Can she close the book on a killer close to home?
It should be the most wonderful time of the year, but when a stranger turns up dead after a Christmas party, the festive season is about to be anything but merry for the small town of Riddelton…luckily local crime writer turned amateur sleuth Jen is on the case.
When Jen’s friend Angus is arrested for the murder, she knows he must be innocent, but can she prove it?
As she investigates, Jen uncovers a trail of grief spanning generations past, a stolen future, and a killer who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried… even targeting Jen herself. The stakes have never been higher.
Can Jen uncover the truth and bring the killer to justice in time for the holidays?
All’s Wool That Ends Wool by Rebecca McKinnon
Clear Creek Mysteries #7
Publication Date: October 8, 2026
Genre: Cozy Holiday Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Wedding Bells Are Ringing
Christmas Threats are SingingHoliday cheer has spun through the tiny Rocky Mountain town of Clear Creek, leaving everyone excited for the annual Christmas festival. But the real event of the season — Jemma and Brandon’s wedding — won’t happen until the tourists head home.
While Jemma is fulfilling her one festival assignment of helping vendors set up, she learns a man has swapped the ornaments he’d listed on his application for a book he’s written about the string of local murders. To avoid reigniting everyone’s emotional distress, the event organizer asks him to leave. When Jemma and Brandon check back, instead of finding an empty booth they find the man dead.
Before Jemma can reassure anyone that her focus is on the wedding, not the investigation, unsettling gifts that twist The Twelve Days of Christmas start appearing at her shop. The holiday tune has never been more threatening.
The killer’s grudge is personal, but Jemma has more to protect this Christmas than her life. She needs to wind up the investigation so she and Brandon can finally tie the knot!
Her Stepmother’s House by K.L. Slater
Publication Date: October 9, 2026
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
First, she took my husband. Then my daughter moved in. And now my little girl is accused of murder…
I can’t wait to see my sixteen-year-old daughter Brie, and get back to sharing secrets over cozy dinners together. But when I arrive at her stepmother’s stunning house to collect her, she stares at me coldly, like I’m a stranger. A silver stud gleams in her nose, and she’s dropped out of college. And she doesn’t want to come home…
Brie’s eyes slide away from me, as her stepmother Leanne puts an arm around her shoulder. The message is clear. We stand together and you’re on your own. I’m forced to spy on my daughter, watching as she embraces a much older man, and I vow to do whatever it takes to protect her.
But then the call comes in the middle of the night. Brie’s shaking voice telling me she’s in jail, and that she killed her new boyfriend. It can’t be true.
I thought things couldn’t get any worse. Yet hours later, I learn that Leanne has told the police I’m unstable, to look at the bottles in my bin and the lies I’ve told at work. When footage emerges of me threatening Brie’s boyfriend in the street I feel the net closing in. Someone is framing me and my daughter. I know we are both innocent. Will anyone believe me?
A completely unputdownable and twist-packed page-turner from number 1 bestselling author K.L. Slater. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Freida McFadden and Alice Feeney will be hooked.
Murder Leaves an Echo by Lucy Harrowell
Alderfield Witch Mysteries #1
Publication Date: October 10, 2026
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Mara Whitmore came home to Alderfield to run her family’s historic inn—not to solve a murder.
But Mara is a witch, and some objects remember more than people do.
Hours after respected civic leader Judith Prescott leaves Hawthorn House, she is found dead. Then Mara accidentally touches the dark green folio Judith left behind.
The echo hits hard: cold air, damp wool, paper pulled sharply against leather, a surge of panic—and a single word.
Tomorrow.
Mara’s gift doesn’t give her names, dates, or explanations. The fragments are real. What they mean is another matter entirely.
And the Alderfield Mara returned to after thirteen years away is not the town she remembers. Judith’s death exposes family resentment, an old professional grievance, hidden civic tensions—and more than one person with something to lose.
At first, the echo seems to point Mara in one convincing direction.
But the echo isn’t wrong.
Mara is.
With Detective Sergeant Daniel Hart following the evidence, Mara must separate what she sensed from what she assumed before a false interpretation hides the truth about Judith’s murder.
Because echoes don’t lie. They just don’t tell the whole story.
Murder Leaves an Echo is the first book in The Alderfield Witch Mysteries, a small-town paranormal cozy mystery series with a historic Vermont inn, a touch of slow-burn romance, a tuxedo cat, and a complete murder mystery in every book.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 41 of 2026
Drop a comment if you like one of the books above or if you have one to recommend.
Thank you for stopping by,
Happy Reading!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you click the link and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. Mainly, this helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
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