Going into a new year is always exciting. Whether you’re planning for a big life change or just want to start fresh, there is always so much to look forward to.

As someone who will be dealing with a big life change, I’m trying to keep things simple, going into the new year. The focus is going to be on myself and making things as easy as possible before my new addition.

The one thing that’s not going to change is my love for reading and looking forward to the new releases every single month. While I normally focus on romance books, I’m going to try to branch out this year and focus on other genres.

No worries if you love romance books, as I’ll still be reading those just as much, if not more than, as in previous years. However, we’re here to talk about some of the January 2026 book releases on my radar and what’s getting added tomy already extensive TBR list.

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1. Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden (January 27)

If there’s one author who can get everyone talking, it’s Freida McFadden. She writes some downright twisty stories and is one of the more polarizing authors out there. Dear Debbie seems like it’s going to be that trademark Freida fun and be twisty.

Dear Debbie follows Debbie, who is frankly having a bad time,e and she’s deciding to change the fates. This book is described as a “Good For Her!” story, so this one is for sure going on my TBR.

Next up is another non-romance pick and that’s The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead. This story follows Theo, who has to either manage a struggling band or ditch them. That sounds great until he meets Hannah, the lead singer, ger and things spiral from there. This sounds dramatic and juicy while also giving us all the heart of Daisy Jones and the Six.

3. Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (January 13)

Loving one author’s books is a feat, but loving two authors and having them work together is the jackpot. That’s exactly how it is with Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. The best friend writing duo is giving us Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl, which is releasing on January 13th.

This book follows Bram and Maddie, who have a steamy encounter before meeting again as Maddie is now Bram’s new nanny and is also working at the same university as him. In full transparency, I’ve already started this book and am loving it. If you love a good age-gap with a single dad and loads of dirty talk, this is for you.

4. Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around by LaQuette (January 6)

Next up is another romance, which is Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around by LaQuette. I’ve been wanting to try LaQuette for years so I’m going to try my hand with this release. This book follows Janae who after getting divorced ends up seeing her old high-school crush, Adam and it seems like the story goes from there. Aside from having a stunning cover, this one feels like it’s going to be a great one to start the year off with.

5. Dom-Com by Adriana Anders (January 27)

The last book on my radar for January is Dom-Com by Adriana Anders. This one is being published by Forever, which has published some of my favorite romances in recent years, so I’m even more excited. Dom-Com follows Rae and Grant who meet at a club for doms and subs but quickly find out they’re more connected in real life than they imagined. This one sounds like it’s going to be steamy and fun, making it the perfect book to pick up this new year.