The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2026, Week 23’s New Books
My choices for this week include Sweet Romance, Sweet Cowboy Romances, Police Procedural Mystery, Sweet Holiday Romance, Action and Adventure Fantasy, Thriller, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, and Young Adult Sweet Romance.
It’s the last Sunday of the month, and tomorrow officially marks the start of June. I can’t believe that it’s that time of year already! It’s almost summertime, and we are trying to find some time to sit outside without being eaten alive.
This list is short, but not as short as the other two from earlier this month. We may even have a review or two for you. However, you never know with us.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 23 of 2026!
A Family Worth Fighting For by Jacquelin Thomas
Polk Island #3
Publication Date: June 1, 2026
Genre: Sweet Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
The sweetest reunions…
Can be worth the waitPhotojournalist Patrick Brown has spent years chasing stories across the globe. Writing an article about his college girlfriend London Worthington’s honey farm brings a welcome change—and a shocking discovery. He’s a father! Now all that matters is making up for lost time. London hadn’t planned to keep four-year-old Bella a secret. But when Patrick’s determined mother forced them apart, leaving her pregnant and alone, she vowed to build her own life. Bella adores having her daddy around, and London can’t deny he still makes her heart flutter. Even if she doesn’t trust him to stay on tiny Polk Island. Can Patrick prove he’s serious about rewriting their story…with a happily-ever-after?
Her Texas Plus-One by Carol Ross
Flame, Texas #2
Publication Date: June 1, 2026
Genre: Sweet Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Their little lie…
Looks a lot like loveLaw school never prepared Philadelphia attorney Hailey Lawson for this. But with a big case on the line, she needs to find a boyfriend for the company retreat—even if he’s fake! And if he weren’t her enemy, firefighter Trevor Fritz, with his clear blue eyes and deep, Texan drawl, would be perfect. With time (and eligible men) in short supply, Hailey has no choice: she’s striking a bargain with the too-handsome cowboy. But once the retreat is over, it’ll be her turn to play pretend—as Trevor’s girlfriend at his ex’s wedding in the small town of Flame, Texas. And no one’s ready for the chaos, or the real feelings, that will follow…least of allthem!
Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg
Edison Bixby #1
Publication Date: June 1, 2026
Genre: Police Procedural Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In a world carefully constructed for murder, solving crimes takes a keen mind and eye in a witty, clever, and fresh reinvention of the whodunit by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.
Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and, due to a traumatic brain injury, impulsively rude. He’s also a brilliant insurance investigator who solves baffling crimes by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible. Enter Wally Nash: a struggling actor hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.
Their first case together looks like a simple accident. Caroline Crowley took a nasty fall down a staircase at a shopping mall in front of dozens of witnesses. Video clearly shows the deadly misstep. But Bixby is certain she was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. The mall itself made the crime intentional, if not inevitable.
Now Bixby must prove his outrageous theory before a very cunning killer gets others on his hit list to murder themselves, too.
The Hometown Hero’s Fourth of July by Tanya Agler
Ruby Canyon #1
Publication Date: June 1, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
From first love to rival bids…
To forever?Newly retired pro quarterback Josh Golden returns to Ruby Canyon, Wyoming, to open a kids’ football camp. Except Erin Perkins, his high school sweetheart, is bidding on the same property—the Triangle W ranch. Erin manages the Triangle W and wants to keep it as a working ranch for military veterans like herself as they adjust to leaving the service. Josh hasn’t seen Erin in fourteen years, but he’s thought about her. A lot. Even in spite of their land dispute, she still charms and challenges him. As the ranch’s fate divides the town, Josh finds himself facing the biggest decision of his life—fulfill a longheld career dream or rekindle a love sweeter than any 99-yard touchdown?
The Rancher’s Vow by Alexis Morgan
Heroes of Dunbar Mountain #8
Publication Date: June 1, 2026
Genre: Sweet Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
A curveball…
Or a fresh new start?Some guys never leave their hometown. Professional baseball player Trace Calland couldn’t wait to escape Dunbar, Washington—only now he’s back, with a damaged shoulder and his ballplaying career on the line. Trace is hoping his new physical therapist, Avery Unger, might be just what he needs. No coddling. No fangirling. Just professional care. Which is proving to be a problem now that something is sparking between them, because Trace needs to focus on healing and getting back to his team. And while Trace’s old dream may be in danger of being over, something—or rather someone, namely the talented, beautiful Avery—might take its place.
The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Genre: Action and Adventure Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish in this richly imagined, wholly original debut.
Dr. Jo Ness prefers jellyfish to people. Her best friend, Aldo, was the exception, but he died seven months ago. So she spends her days hidden away at an underfunded aquarium with her specimens and a draft of the jellyfish guide she and Aldo had been working on together. His voice is alive in the notes in the margins, and it’s enough. Almost.
Until she receives a call from Nadia, one of the few other humans she’s loved but whom she hasn’t heard from in years, asking for her help. Nadia tells her a grand tale of a giant jellyfish terrorizing her tiny island off the coast of Maine and sends a grainy video of the creature. Frankly, the footage looks fake, but Jo drops everything to fly across the country to see Nadia again, and to find this supposed sea beast. She couldn’t save Aldo, but perhaps she can help Nadia.
But when Jo arrives on Shattering Point, Nadia is nowhere to be found, and the islanders she meets each have something different to say about the creature they’ve dubbed Clementine . . . a jellyfish who changes all who see it.
At turns an ode to classic sea monster stories and a vibrant tale of human connection, The Jellyfish Problem is an unforgettable debut that announces a new talent.
Lie in the Bay by Holly Danvers
Little White Lies #2
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Genre: Thriller
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Experience the dark side of the white picket fence in Holly Danvers’ latest Little White Lies thriller. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Lucy Foley.
A neighborly smile hides a multitude of sins . . .
The residents of Bayshore Lane excel at three things: throwing unforgettable waterfront parties, spreading the juiciest gossip, and taking their darkest secrets straight to the grave.
Take Jenna, Gabrielle, and Dublin. Each harbor something they’d rather die than confess―a forbidden desire, a dangerous scheme, a hidden agenda. In their postcard-perfect neighborhood, these are truths that can never see the light.
But when whispering over cocktails turns sinister, long-buried secrets begin clawing their way to the surface. Jenna’s perfect life starts to fracture, Dublin’s world is reduced to ashes, and Gabrielle risks losing everything she loves.
Someone on Bayshore Lane knows more than they’re saying. And one of them is determined to make this carefully curated circle pay for the sins they thought were long forgotten.
Lie in the Bay is a page-turning suspense thriller that digs deep into those little white lies that have the potential to turn deadly. It’s Desperate Housewives meets Revenge and Little Fires Everywhere.
A Medium Specialist by Lynn Cahoon
Haunted Life Cozy Mysteries #6
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
The Music of Us by Emerald Alexandrea
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Genre: Young Adult Sweet Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A fun and flirty contemporary YA novel between a cat café barista and a boy band pop star that hits all the right notes! The Music of Us is a laugh-out-loud friends-to-more romance perfect for fans of Kasie West, Beth Reekles, and Lynn Painter.
If life came with a playlist, Lucy’s current era would be “stressed girl summer.” While her friends are out enjoying the last summer before college, Lucy has her hands full managing her mom’s quirky cat café. But with the fancy new coffee shop across the street, how will she attract enough customers to adopt the cats—or even pay the rent?
In a desperate moment, Lucy emails her ex-best friend (and first crush) Jake Moody, who’s now the resident bad boy in the massively popular boy band the Usual Suspects. Lucy hasn’t spoken to him in years—not since he kissed her and left for auditions without a backward glance. Which she’s totally not holding a grudge about, thanks for asking.
To her surprise, Jake is all in on hosting a livestream performance to raise support for the café—and salvage his image after his most recent scandal. As Jake and Lucy work together to corral his bandmates and plan the livestream, she finds her old feelings resurfacing despite her firm intentions to keep her distance. Is it possible the old Jake she knew is still hiding under his new rebellious image?
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 23 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.
Leave a Reply