The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2026, Week 44’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Culinary Holiday Mystery, Sweet Holiday Cowboy Romances, Sweet Holiday Romances, Sweet Romantic Comedy, Cozy Mystery, Historical Romantic Fantasy, International Mysteries, and Sports Romance.
Halloween is coming up this Saturday! Bella is turning fifteen, and she’s definitely showing her age in the way she moves. I am cuddling her whenever I can.
Another short list this week. I’m reviewing one of these books. Jen and I also added some other books to our TBR lists.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 44 of 2026!
A Classic Case of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber
Literary Dining Mystery #3
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Cozy Culinary Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Personal chef and caterer Allie Catt combines her love of fiction with her love of food in the scenic North Carolina mountains—but amid her latest themed event, based on Dickens’s beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, a rare-book expert’s goose is cooked…
In the charming town of Bramblewood, not far from Asheville, Allie’s preparing for a special seasonal soiree: a literary-themed dinner party that’s a tribute to Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It’ll take place at the Amber Lantern, the quaint inn recently opened by her best friend’s mother, Noeline—and the holiday spirit has even led a Scroogelike local businessman to lend his prized first edition of the nineteenth-century novella for the event.
With the voices of carolers ringing in the air and the community theater staging a special performance, it looks like it will be a happy Christmas—until the priceless book disappears and someone murders the expert who authenticated it. And if the police have their way, Allie’s lawyer friend Freddy will be dragged away in chains like Marley’s ghost…
The crime has also cast a shadow over Noeline’s fledgling business, so Allie feels doubly obliged to find the real killer among the gathered guests and local visitors—and put an end to this nightmare. It’s time to investigate them all, every one . . .
A Cowboy in Uniform by Amy Vastine
Bluegrass Blackwells #4
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
It starts with a lie…
Could it lead to love?Returning to Kentucky for Thanksgiving, military veteran Caleb Blackwell is eager to reconnect with his young son. But when his ex leaves four-year-old Nolan in his care for three weeks, he feels like a green recruit running drills. Not only that, but his family is relying on him to rehabilitate their prize racehorse after a doping scandal. New farmhand Brielle Lawson’s kindness adds a little sunshine to the struggling single dad’s days—even if she doesn’t know one end of a horse from the other. And she’s finding a place in his guarded heart. But when he learns her true reason for getting close to his family, can he forgive her secrets?
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley
Deep Dish Mysteries #6
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Jen’s Book Review
The sixth book in the delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.
Chef Delilah O’Leary is going where no deep dish pizza chef has gone before: a swanky wellness retreat, where she’s agreed to cater for a crowd of the who’s who. Instead of cashing a fat check for an easy gig, though, she encounters a diabolical plot with more layers than one of her signature pies.
The exclusive event, hosted by superstar guru Rhiannon Frost, promises inner transformation―but when a spiteful attendee turns up dead during the guided meditation, Delilah smells more than incense in the air. Every guest has a motive…and access to a sinister walled garden brimming with exotic poisonous plants.
With her restaurant short-staffed, and her boyfriend, Detective Calvin Capone, splitting his time between bartender duties and undercover sleuthing, Delilah’s got her hands full. Can she slice through the lies before the killer strikes again? Or will this luxe getaway turn into a one-way trip to the great beyond?
Stealing the Sheriff’s Heart by Janice Carter
Home to Maple Glen #2
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Protecting the town…
And losing his heartPodcaster Annika Morrison has come to Maple Glen, Vermont, for her half sister’s Thanksgiving wedding. But once she arrives in the small town, she has another reason to stay—pursuing a story on local folklore that might ruffle feathers, including those of newly appointed sheriff Nate Gallagher. Nate has something to prove in his new job—and has his own secrets to hide—so he’s determined to keep an eye on Annika. Amid fall festivities and Appalachian colors though, the line they draw between personal and professional quickly blurs. Neither can deny the connection, but will her search for the truth break their bond, or can they claim a happy ending to a story they never expected?
Stupid Matchmaking Love by Amy Boyles
Stupid Love #3
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In this bewitching romance that follows a magical meet-cute gone awry, two reluctant soulmates are forced into a live streaming matchmaking competition―and are determined to fail spectacularly.
If there are two things massage therapist Cristina Palmer is done with, it’s men (thanks to her manipulative ex) and magic (it can make a girl lose control). All she wants is to run the spa at the new Summit resort, make her clay figurines, and avoid her frustratingly attractive boss, Rhett Maddox.
Unfortunately, magic has other plans.
To boost publicity, the resort is hosting the very first magical matchmaking competition in Mystic Meadows. But when Rhett and Cristina are paired as supposedly perfect soulmates, they’re determined to prove the magic wrong. Six weeks of live stream challenges designed to make them fall in love? Easy. They’ll simply fail.
Except their chemistry is anything but fake.
And the stakes aren’t, either. A six-figure grand prize could bring Cristina’s manipulative family crashing back into her life―and getting close to Rhett means risking her heart all over again.
Because the real challenge isn’t the competition.
It’s trusting each other.
And maybe―just maybe―embracing the magic.
Thanksgiving with the Firefighter by Tanya Agler
Ruby Canyon #2
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Can a small-town firefighter…
Win a city girl’s heart?Structural engineer Amelia Foster is in Ruby Canyon, Wyoming, to help her sister through a risky time during her pregnancy before starting a top-notch project back in sunny Miami. Meeting neighbor Dan Mitchell, she clicks with the widower’s young twins, Leo and Lexie, and can’t say no to babysitting when the fire chief is short on options. But Amelia’s well-meaning efforts don’t go smoothly, causing Dan to rethink the arrangement—just as the kids grow attached and he and Amelia draw closer. When a twist of unexpected danger causes Dan to race to Amelia’s rescue, their feelings are finally forced into the open. Will they realize that their hearts are not meant to be apart?
The Liars’ Book Club by Ellery Adams
Secret, Book, and Scone Society #9
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In the latest installment of Ellery Adams’ USA Today bestselling series, as clouds gather over the Great Smoky Mountains, an absent groom, a stolen historical document, and a book club coming apart at the seams stir up a different sort of storm in this engaging mystery. How far will one book lover go to keep a secret?
As the townsfolk of Miracle Springs, North Carolina, know all too well, water can be healing—or devastating. With a big storm coming, residents are stocking up on essentials. Hoping to beat the storm, Nora is sitting in the Unitarian Church with her fellow wedding guests, all of whom belong to Sheldon’s Blind Date Book Club. As rain hammers the stained-glass windows, the bride, Jess, waits in the back of the church—but where is the groom? When a branch crashes through a stained-glass window, Jess finally tells the guests to go home.
With the help of her friend Sheldon, Nora escorts Jess to the Lodge. It’s now become clear that Jess’s fiancé Ravi is missing. But there’s no searching for him now, as the Miracle River has flooded and they’re stuck on this side of town. By morning, they awaken to widespread devastation and a call from Sheriff McCabe. A body has been pulled out of the river, dressed in a tux.
On top of this tragic turn of events, Jess returns home to find her house has been spared from the raging water, but ransacked, with an extremely valuable folio from an illuminated manuscript now missing. As Miracle Books becomes the community hub for information, shelter, and hope, Nora and the Secret, Book, and Scone Society put their heads together to solve the murder and the theft.
But then a second body is pulled from the river . . .
Their Colorado Christmas by Eliza D. Collins
Tillacos Ranch #3
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Sweet Holiday Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Snowbound for the holidays…
And falling for a cowboy!Alessia Votova is fascinated by the world of rodeos and cowboys, which is nothing like her home in Portofino, Italy. Finally getting the chance to visit a real working ranch, she’s greeted by polished businessman Lane Tyler. Lane isn’t quite the cowboy she was expecting, though Alessia has learned the hard way that appearances can be deceiving. A massive snowstorm suddenly forces her to bunk down with Lane’s close-knit ranching family, and Lane proves that he’s got the heart of a true cowboy. After years of protecting her own heart, can Alessia let go of the past, take a chance on love and embrace a future with Lane?
To Dream in Darkness by Ann Liang
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Genre: Historical Romantic Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
Two gods strike a bargain that leads them on a journey with devastating consequences in this lush historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.
China in the age of brilliance, where gods freely wander the three realms. Amongst them is the cruel and beautiful Death God, who has never failed to collect a soul on time. Until now. For when he seeks out Rujia, the noble god of healing―and the only god he is fated to kill with his own hands―she makes him an offer he can’t refuse: she will help lift the excruciating, century-old curse placed upon him if he gives her a one-month reprieve.
Rujia knows she isn’t as noble as everyone believes. Her deal with Death is merely an excuse to buy herself time while she figures out an escape plan. But when her plan causes the Celestial Palace’s collapse and the beloved crown prince’s disappearance, she and Death are both held responsible. The only way to avoid the wrath of all the other gods is to travel across the realms and safely retrieve the crown prince themselves.
Yet the journey proves far more treacherous than expected. As the unlikely alliance between them blooms into more, and Death’s resolve to kill Rujia weakens by the day, neither can outrun their intertwined fate without devastating consequences: A mysterious plague. An empire-destroying flood. A thousand deaths―and rising―to restore the balance Rujia’s disrupted. And if Rujia continues to live despite the will of the Heavens, this is only the beginning…
An Inkling of Death by Anna Beer
Oxford Mystery #2
Publication Date: October 28, 2026
Genre: International Mystery
Old papers hide dangerous secrets. Old houses hide even more.
Eve Brook, literary consultant and newly minted sleuth, expects a peaceful autumn: a hunt for ‘Hobbit gold’ in the papers of a forgotten contemporary of Tolkien and Lewis.
Instead, in a crumbling Victorian villa in Oxford’s Norham Manor, she uncovers unsettling truths about her city’s past, disturbs an unquiet ghost, and crosses paths with someone hiding secrets of his own.
New Year, and an invitation to a house party in a Jacobean manor deep in the Chilterns, offers a welcome escape; a few days to forget the musty papers and the darkness they reveal in a setting straight from the pages of her beloved crime fiction.
But then, the body is found.
Only months after her first case, Eve Brook is pulled into a new murder inquiry far more personal, and far more dangerous, than anything she’s encountered before. And this time, she must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.
Murder at the Book Club by Colin Wade
DCI Chloe Taylor Mystery #2
Publication Date: October 28, 2026
Genre: International Mystery
Two years after solving The Murder at the Manor, Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor has another murder on her hands. A member of a local book club has been poisoned, but the motive for her murder is unclear.
Taylor’s initial investigation is hampered by the fact that one of the book club members, Rosemary Channing-Brearley, is a personal friend of the Chief Constable and a member of the Police Commissioner’s crime panel. The worst type of social climber, she lords her superiority over Taylor and the rest of the book club.
Two more brutal murders follow, both involving members of the same book club. Two suspects are quickly identified, and Taylor comes under increasing pressure to convict them based on seemingly compelling evidence. But the more her team investigates, the more convinced they become that dark secrets within the book club, and a deep hatred of Channing-Brearley, are key to solving the case.
As Taylor tries to balance the stresses of work with her husband’s desire for them to have another child, her resilience is stretched to the limit as she searches for the truth.
Can she solve the Murder at the Book Club?
The Game Plan by Laura Carter
Wild Card #3
Publication Date: October 31, 2026
Genre: Sports Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | StoryGraph | Amazon
A fake dating ice hockey romance to fall in love with! Perfect for fans of Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid and Chelsea Curto 🏒 🥅 💕
When Sienna Jamieson’s partner – in life and work – decides to trade her in for a younger, slinkier model, she’s at risk of losing everything… and being deported. That’s how she comes to be crying on the shoulder of her manchild client and ice hockey star, Jax Harris, on a Las Vegas chapel crawl with him and his New York Dragons teammates.
Jax Harris has been called many things – hockey sensation, superstar, playboy, irresponsible, irresistible, and most likely to spend time in the sin bin. But waking up in his Las Vegas suite with his PR in his bed and a jelly ring on her wedding finger is the first time he’s been called an accidental husband.
Sienna needs their fake relationship to last just long enough to get her life – and visa – back on track. And dating Sienna seems to be having a positive impact on Jax’s reputation on and off the ice.
All they need to do is stick to the game plan. But one of them is about to have a shift change. Can their marriage of convenience become something more?
TROPES:
Sports romance
Hockey romance
Fake dating
Marriage of convenience
Workplace romance
Opposites attract
Grumpy x sunshine
Haters to friends to lovers
Found family
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 44 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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