The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2026, Week 35’s New Books
My choices for this week include Contemporary Romance, Sweet Cowboy Romances, Holiday Romance, Cozy Culinary Mysteries, Psychological Thriller, Sweet Romances, Historical Private Investigator Mystery, Cozy Craft and Hobbies Mystery, Young Adult Romantic Fantasy Comedy, Time Travel Romance, Cozy Romantic Mystery, Crime Mystery, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Suspense, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, and Historical Romantic Fantasy.
It’s the last full week of August. I can’t believe how fast August went. So many books and so little time, it seems like.
I feel like the last week of the month is always such a long one. I have some books on my list and maybe some reviews. This is when we try to get in all the books we told ourselves that we would finish this month. Let’s see if Jen and I can do what we planned!
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 35 of 2026!
Just for the Season by Jo Lovett
Publication Date: August 24, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | StoryGraph | Amazon
Discover a sparklingly funny, romantic read from Jo Lovett
Frankie Winters’ life has fallen apart spectacularly, with her becoming single, jobless AND homeless all in the same day. Fleeing to the sea – more specifically to her gran and cousin’s hometown of Milbury Bay – feels like the right answer.
Marcus Brooks swore off women the moment his ex-wife walked out on him and his children. And after a tumultuous encounter with a certain stubborn stranger in the local café, he’s only more convinced he made the right decision.
But when Frankie decides she needs a fake boyfriend to reassure her eighty-five-year-old gran she’s doing just fine (even if she isn’t!), her gaze lands on the last man she should ask: the grumpy, unruly one she argued with over the last carrot cake.
Saying yes to Frankie’s insane plan might be Marcus’s biggest mistake yet… or the best decision he’s ever made. Because sometimes, the last thing you’re looking for is exactly what you need.
A Cowboy to Remember by Melinda Curtis
Bluegrass Blackwells #2
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Sweet Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
His family’s legacy…
Is their chance at loveDesperate for work, jockey Tamara Vaughn reluctantly agrees to train horses at the revered Blackwell Stables. She can’t avoid its connection to a smaller outfit in Texas, where her career veered off course and romantic feelings went unnoticed. Widowed horse breeder Nathan Blackwell never expected to work with Tamara again after the tragedy with his prized horse—but a doping scandal back home in Gold Finch, Kentucky, has left the ranch with few options. As they’re forced to team up, an undeniable chemistry builds, especially as Tamara helps his twin boys find their stride in bluegrass country. With her reputation and the ranch’s future riding on an emotionally charged high-stakes race, can she and Nathan also dare to become something more?
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
A Little Christmas Rivalry by Sandy Barker
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A rivals to lovers workplace romance, full of festive feels, sizzling chemistry and a heartwarming happy ever after! 🎄☕️
🌟It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to win. 🌟
Sophie Reid is at the top of her game. A brilliant advertising exec and a devoted single mum, she’s this close to landing the biggest campaign of her career – the coveted Christmas ad for Hargreaves, the retail giant.
Her biggest rival? Arrogant lone wolf Drew Parker, who won the campaign last year – and the year before. If only he weren’t so hot, maybe Sophie could get him out of her head.
Drew knows exactly what Sophie thinks of him, but he doesn’t care. He’s here to win.
But when they’re forced to work together on the campaign, the lines between rivalry and attraction begin to blur.
As the festive season draws nearer, work takes them to snow-covered Switzerland – and those guarded, icy walls begin to melt. Could this Christmas be the start of something neither of them saw coming?
A rivals-to-lovers romcom full of humour, heart and a touch of Christmas magic.
And Then There Were Bun by Vivien Chien
Noodle Shop Mysteries #13
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Things get spicy when Megan throws a surprise birthday party for Lana at Ho-Lee Noodle House that ends in disaster.
With the help of Lana’s parents and close friends, Megan packs the family restaurant with a guest list that includes friends―both old and new―to help celebrate her best gal’s birthday. But when one of their guests brings an unsavory plus one that Lana just happened to date back in her college days, tensions build between her old beau and her current boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau.
After a heated exchange of words between the two men, the evening returns to the smooth and enjoyable party that Megan had originally hoped for. But relief is short lived when Lana’s ex is found in the dumpster outside of Asia Village.
As if the circumstances and tragedy taking place on Lana’s birthday aren’t enough, the gang gets an even bigger surprise when Adam is the main suspect under scrutiny. Not only are there several witnesses confirming the verbal confrontation between the two men earlier in the evening, but it’s also reported that Adam disappeared from the party for a considerable amount of time. And unfortunately for him, not even Lana can back up his whereabouts. With Adam in the hot seat, his own partner, Matthew Higgins, must investigate the crime alongside their boss―the Chief of Police, Tom Riceton, who wants speedy results to keep away the threat of Internal Affairs knocking on their door.
As Adam struggles with the dynamic shifts in his personal life, being on suspension and shut out from his resources at the police department, he must rely solely on his skills as a detective and the ingenuity of Lana’s amateur sleuthing capabilities to solve the case and clear his name definitively.
Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cider Falls Festival by Traci Hall
Cider Falls Orchard Mysteries #1
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
For lovers of everything cozy and fall time, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall brings all the autumn vibes to a brand new series featuring a family of Washington State apple orchard owners who become entangled in a murder investigation…
In the foothills of Washington’s Cascade mountains, the Smith family’s Cider Falls Orchard is at its busiest amid the bustling autumn season—but when murder enters the mix, one bad apple may have spoiled the whole barrel . . .
If you care for the land, the land will care for you.
For generations, that’s been the Smith family’s motto. Between hayrides, apple picking, bonfires, and tasty apple treats, their Cider Falls Orchard provides an autumn bounty that draws locals and tourists alike. And now, Mcintosh “Macki” Smith—named after an apple variety, just like her siblings—is home too, after a bad breakup.
Macki is glad to be on hand when her parents are sidelined by an accident, and she’s even been persuaded to enter the Cider Falls Festival’s prestigious baking competition with her famous double crust apple pie. But someone has taken the contest to deadly serious levels . . .
It seems there are plenty of surprising motives for murder, especially after Macki learns that a crooked developer wants to buy and demolish the orchard—which makes her parents’ accident increasingly suspicious. But serving up the real killer will put her in unexpected danger, because someone in this picture-perfect town finds murder as easy as pie . . .
Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Twenty-five years ago in Seaside, Washington, a charming drifter named Sam met three inseparable teenage girls at the local amusement park. Days later, one of them was found dead, her body surfacing in a flooded cranberry bog not far from where she was murdered.
Barb and Nicolette were shocked to learn that the man they all met at Wonderland was the Carnival Killer. After he’s arrested for the murders of five young women – one of whom was their best friend, Lorelei – Nicolette moved to the city to pursue her dreams of being famous. Barb stayed behind in Seaside, eventually becoming a reporter for the local paper. Their past safely behind them, they’ve both moved on with their lives.
But when the Carnival Killer recants his confession and a new body washes ashore on the eve of Wonderland’s grand reopening, the secrets that Barb and Nicolette have worked so hard to bury begin to resurface, threatening to destroy everything in their carefully constructed lives.
Her Unexpected Reunion Wish by Mary Leo
Remedy Creek #1
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Sweet Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Some loves deserve a do-over…
Like theirsEllie Bancroft made a fortune as an inspirational speaker and writer telling the world that love conquered all. Now, after losing her savings, her reputation and even her fiancé, she knows better. All she has left is her parents’ old run-down house. But Ellie’s dreams of quickly fixing her childhood home, selling it and returning to sunny Florida rely on one guy: her high school ex, Kai Thornton. And the contractor’s definitely not going to make it easy for her. But when Ellie learns that Kai is widowed with an adorable toddler, she realizes he’s not the boy she left behind. And worse, he might be the man who convinces her to believe in love one last time.
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Killer Donuts by Ginger Bolton
Deputy Donut Mysteries #11
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
It’s fall in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, and Emily Fyne, owner of the popular local Deput Donut café is on a trail—a Donut Trail, that is—to tour pre-Halloween treats and activities, not to mention check out the competition. It’s all fun and games, until a murder that’s no trick . . .
Emily and her friends Izzy and Monique are traveling the Donut Trail in style in Deputy Donut’s vintage, donut-topped car. With them are Emily’s cat, Dep, and Monique’s tiny dog, Gigi. Amid the spectacular fall foliage they stop at an orchard that includes a bistro and a vast corn maze. But while sampling some apple cider, they find that not everyone shares their friendly, festive mood . . .
A cranky tourist not only scolds them for bringing their pets, but she also says she hates dogs—with cats a close second. No matter, Emily and company, their pets leashed, go off to enter the maze. But soon, boisterous teens barge in, wreaking havoc, tossing pumpkins, uprooting cornstalks—and attempting a dog-snatching . . .
As everyone scrambles to regroup, it turns out the dog-hating woman is missing. And when her dead body is finally discovered—with Gigi’s hair ribbon in her pocket—Emily and her friends are the top suspects. To clear their names, they’ll have to throw a killer off their trail while diving even deeper into a dangerous labyrinth of clues . . .
Murder at Rosecliff by Alyssa Maxwell
Gilded Newport Mysteries #14
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Historical Private Investigator Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
When a troublemaking party crasher is found dead in a fountain during an elegant soiree in Newport, Rhode Island, newspaper editor Emma Cross Andrews must clear her own society reporter from suspicion of murder…
August 1903. Emma and her husband Derrick are among the men in white tie and tails and the women wearing white gowns from the House of Worth at Tessie Oelrichs’s Bal Blanc, or White Ball, at Rosecliff, her grand cottage on Bellevue Avenue. There to cover the event of the season is young Ethan Merriman, society reporter for the Newport Messenger, the newspaper owned by Emma and Derrick.
It’s an utterly charming affair until a stranger intrudes flaunting a green-striped necktie and matching vest in defiance of their hostess’s theme. But his fashion crime is a mere misdemeanor compared to his intention to blackmail Mrs. Oelrichs by producing a compromising document supposedly signed by Tessie over a decade ago.
Insisting it’s a forgery but terrified of scandal, she agrees to his terms, but the blackmailer will not live to see payday. His body is found face down in a fountain before the party’s end. Beside him stands a very wet Ethan, who was seen being confronted by the man earlier in the evening. Coming to the aid of their luckless cub reporter, Emma and Derrick must sort through the white lies and blackened reputations to discover the identity of the true killer.
Murder at the Toy Soldier by Maddie Day
Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries #8
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
It’s a cold, wet, February on Cape Cod, but a murder at the local toy store blows an especially icy wind through town—and through bike shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeda’s sleuthing Cozy Capers Book Group.
Mac is extra busy these days as she and Tim do their best as working parents of a preschooler and a baby, not to mention Mac’s participation in the Cozy Capers book group. With Ella’s 4th birthday approaching, Mac uses her lunch break to shop for a gift at the Toy Soldier, which is run by June Fadiman.
Behind the counter is Zia Carven, a young woman Mac recognizes as a shopper at the Free Grocery food pantry Mac’s father sponsors. Zia finds Mac a kid-sized gardening toolkit Ella will love and offers to gift wrap it. In a rush, Mac plans to pick it up after work. But at 5:30, she finds Zia slumped over the counter, dead, dried blood on a toy rifle nearby. The first police officer to arrive is June’s son, August. Then June arrives and is upset to find the police won’t allow her inside.
Mac’s mother, Astra, confides that she’d been trying to help Zia, and now the police want to speak with her, which worries Mac. Then Mac discovers that Zia had been in town searching for her birth mother, which only multiplies the questions—and the suspects. Just one thing is certain: Mac and the book group will have to double down to find a killer who isn’t playing around . . .
Practically Magic by Jen Calonita
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Fantasy Comedy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
On the eve of Halloween, a sister’s well-intentioned love spell turns into a curse in this witchy, flirty rom-com perfect for fans of The Ex Hex, Gilmore Girls, and Practical Magic.
The Hadley sisters of Mystic Hollow are magic. Literally.
But for all the generations of witches behind her, Kat Hadley could swear that she’s utterly invisible to boys.
Then she learns that her perfect older sister, Harriet, cast a curse to protect her from heartbreak. Kat is so furious, she loses control—and it’s not just their sisterhood that shatters. It’s magic itself.
Suddenly, every spell a Hadley witch has ever cast starts reversing. Spells to do good start bringing evil. Curses to repel suddenly attract. And the veil between worlds begins to thin. If Kat and Harriet don’t do something fast, this Halloween might be Mystic Hollow’s last.
As they race to repair the balance of magic—and their relationship—Kat notices that every crush who’s ever rejected her is suddenly magically lovesick. Even her annoying class rival seems to have fallen under her spell. For the first time in her life, she feels practically magic. Who cares if it’s all just a spell?
- Love curse gone awry: Suddenly all of Kat’s crushes like her back. What’s real and what’s a spell?
- Sister witches: To save the town, Kat and Harry will have to learn to love themselves and each other.
- Spooky, flirty, cozy all for Halloween!: Packed with fall vibes, light romance, a few scares, and plenty of heart!
Season for Second Chances by Amy Vastine
Seasons Inn #4
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Sweet Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Autumn leaves are falling
And so is he…As manager of his family’s inn, Quinn Seasons can handle unpredictable events. Yet Lia Posey’s reappearance blindsides him. His high school sweetheart left Apple Hollow almost twenty years ago. Now she’s back, moody teenage daughter in tow, looking for a fresh start. The least Quinn can do is hire Lia as the inn’s pastry chef and offer her and Audrey a room. For now. Corn mazes and apple picking remind Quinn how much fun he and Lia had together when they were young, and could still have now—if she decides to stay. But as feelings rekindle between them, how can he trust that what he can offer Lia will be enough this time around?
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
The Carousel of Forgotten Places by S. Hati
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A romantic, time travelling fantasy filled with humour and a charming cast of found family, the perfect read for those craving a whimsical, cosy romantasy in the vein of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
First rule: Don’t mess with the timeline. Second rule: Don’t mess around with the time-god.
For 500 years, immortal timekeeper Ryka has run a cozy magical fair on the edges of time, managing the time threads and protecting the spirits that live there. She lives happily among a found family of quirky ghosts, a spectral cat, and even her insufferable boss, the annoying (and sexy) time-god Everest.
But when the carousel at the heart of the fair begins to show signs of time rot, a live human falls through time and ends up landing at their feet. With the fair descending into chaos, Ryka and Everest must team up to get this human home, find the source of the rot, and keep the fabric of time from tearing apart – all while hoping that the 500 years of feelings between them don’t get in their way.
The Dog Park Murders by Angela Barker
Dog Park Murders #1
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Cozy Romantic Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A cozy, seasonal romance-mystery in which a grumpy café owner teams up with a sunshiny pet groomer to solve a murder that’s shocked the small town of Labrador Falls. First book in the Dog Park Murders miniseries that’s a perfect blend of Only Murders in the Building and The Pumpkin Spice Café.
A killer has been unleashed in their small town…
Juliette Macintyre has never met a dog she didn’t love. For one thing, dogs don’t judge, unlike the human residents of Labrador Falls. Most locals look at her with suspicion because her father was once a dirty cop, even though Juliette is upbeat, helpful, and the best pet groomer around. She just needs to prove it…starting with new resident Joel Cunningham, an enigma wrapped in a checked shirt and a scowl.
Joel runs the Brewed Awakening café, where the coffee is as smooth as Joel is surly. He doesn’t serve pumpkin spice, he doesn’t chitchat, and he claims he doesn’t like dogs. Yet when Juliette stumbles upon a dead body in the dog park, strangled with one of her custom leashes, Joel becomes an unexpected ally.
He has no intention of opening up, to either his cute neighbor or the foster pup she foists on him. But he can’t let a biased detective frame Juliette for murder. Whoever killed the widely loathed Maurice Allsop may be desperate enough to strike again. If they can just ignore their chemistry and focus on the clues, Juliette and Joel might be able to solve the case—before somebody else bites the dust…
For fans of…
- Grumpy/Sunshine Romance
- Small-Town Cozy Mystery
- Amateur Sleuths
- Twisty-Turny Whodunits
- Pet Sidekicks
The Family He Always Wanted by Lisa Childs
Bachelor Cowboys #4
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Sweet Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Can his family of four…
Become her new home?Attorney Nolan Stokes doesn’t want his children to become too fond of another woman who’ll just walk away, especially not a fiery singer who holds him in contempt. Frankie Dempsey resents Nolan for how he handled her uncle’s estate and has sworn to leave Willow Creek for the open road. But when Nolan reveals his biological ties to her best friend’s family, Frankie’s curiosity is piqued—and his three spirited children begin to claim her heart. Nolan fears he’s risking everything for a woman destined to leave, but can he give his heart to Frankie, who just might bring his kids and him everything they ever dreamed of?
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen
Martini Club #3
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Crime Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
From New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen comes a harrowing and emotional thriller where ghosts of the Cold War return with a vengeance―and cannot be outrun.
When a renowned disease expert and Russian defector dies mysteriously during a global affairs conference in Purity, Maine, the tight-knit band of former spies in the Martini Club once again sees their quiet coastal retirement interrupted by international intrigue. And when a waitress at the conference hotel is found murdered, Ingrid Slocum sees chilling links to a disastrous mission that nearly killed her three decades ago.
Desperate to uncover the truth, Ingrid’s drawn back into the game by a magnetic ex-CIA colleague―and former lover―who was with her on the long-ago doomed mission. He convinces her to join him, and together they head to Amsterdam to track down her would-be killer.
Ingrid’s frantic husband Lloyd and Maggie Bird are close behind, but a clandestine network of assassins is intent on stopping them. Forced to question every allegiance, the Martini Club must rely on the skills they tried to leave behind. Because in this game of revenge and deception, the past never dies―it just hides in the shadows.
The Totally True Tale of a Helicopter Daughter by Kristin Wright
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Amazon
Most high school seniors worry about leaving home.
Lucy Schuster’s biggest problem? Home is coming with her.
When her controlling father announces he’s moving the entire family to her college campus, Lucy’s carefully planned future implodes.
Her mom is devastated at not being consulted. Her little sister is furious. Her boyfriend doesn’t get it. Only her best friend, Henry, knows the truth: if Lucy doesn’t stand up to her dad now, she may never get the chance.
To save both her family and her future, Lucy will have to prove that growing up means learning to let go—even when the people you love refuse to.
Vanished in Montana by Jenna Night
Big Sky Deputies #1
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Reopening a cold case
could awaken a dormant killer.While delving into a mother-and-daughter disappearance, true crime podcaster Julia Crane receives an ominous threat at knifepoint: Stop the investigation or else. Narrowly rescued by Deputy Max Lone, Julia is more determined than ever to solve the ten-year-old cold case, now with the military veteran by her side. But as the new partners track down clues, the relentless attacks by unknown assailants go from dangerous to life-threatening. With dwindling hope that the missing victims are alive, can Julia and Max uncover the truth…before they become the next ones silenced?
Flimflam Fairy by Elizabeth Pantley
Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore #1
Publication Date: August 27, 2026
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A fun cozy mystery adventure with an enchanted bookstore and a clever talking cat!
Best friends Willa and Lucy buy an enchanted bookstore full of charmed books. One wisp of magic later, they’re whisked inside a story, transformed into amateur sleuths, and joined by Banjo, a charming talking cat. There is no way out until the mystery is solved.
This adventure drops them in Whisperglow Village, a world of color, wonder, and fairies, where one of the most beloved residents in town has just been murdered, found clutching a cryptic note from a con man.
Villagers don’t lock their doors here. They never imagined this could happen, and they certainly never could have imagined whodunit.
Can Willa, Lucy, and Banjo unmask the killer, solve the case, and make it back to their own cozy bookstore before the story closes its final page?
~ ~ ~
If you like the idea of an enchanted bookstore with charmed books, check out the companion series – The Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club: 11 book series available in eBook, paperback, audiobook, and Kindle Unlimited.
Witchbane by Deborah Carr
Publication Date: August 27, 2026
Genre: Historical Romantic Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Dancing with the devil’s son
1640 Jersey
Rue Underwood has long understood that her magic could kill her. In an age where witches are reviled and hunted gleefully by men like Elias le Cerf, the notorious Witchfinder, it’s crucial that she remain hidden. But when whispers reach Elias’s ears of Rue’s abilities, he sends his new apprentice – his son, Theo – to find Rue and bring her in.
But after one chance moonlit meeting, everything changes.
In a world where witches burn, loving the enemy is the most dangerous magic of all…
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 35 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