Best April 2026 Book Releases to Add to Your TBR
Looking for the best April 2026 book releases to fit your exact mood? I’ve rounded up 25 of the newest romance books hitting shelves, including my top favorites.
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to come out of the depths of my reading slump and April is coming through with some amazing new book releases for us romance readers. Anything from fantasy curses and vampires to dukes, road trips and murder. I’m sure there will be more than one book that will become a new obsession for me. Yes, I have my predictions, but more on that later.
Every month I go digging to see what new books are on the horizon, and sometimes I even manage to read them before release, and I’ve put together a list of the ones that most caught my attention across contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy and dark romance and even some mystery/thrillers. So if you’re in the mood for yearning, danger, banter or a little bit of all the above, I think you’ll find something on this list.
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My Top 3 April 2026 Book Releases
Now listen, I haven’t read all the books I’m excited for that release in April yet. I’m always behind with my ARC commitments and I’ve made peace with that. BUT, I do have some standouts already to tell you to mark your calendars for.
Isle of Wrath by Claire Contreras
This one releases April 8, 2026 and it’s her introduction to the romantasy genre. I’ve loved her contemporary but this one really hits well. It’s a romantasy with a gothic and dystopian vibe to it. The heroine has hidden her magical powers but when her twin brother is gravely injured she makes a deal with a goddess to save his life and ends up soul bound to the goddess’ warrior and has to journey with him to break a curse on the land of Lunaris. If you enjoyed The Jasad Heir you’ll want to try this one. Be warned though, cliffhanger!
The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish
Do you like secret letters? Then this is the perfect epistolary romance for you. It comes out April 28, 2026 and we have enemies in real life who yearn on paper, anonymously. The duke is trying to modernize publishing with a new machine, and the heroine could be left without a job because of it. Very much like You’ve Got Mail as the name suggests. Witty, romantic and just a lot of fun. Plus, look at that cover!
Grab The Duke’s Got Mail on Amazon
West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe
And rounding out my recs is, you guessed it, a Wizard of Oz retelling coming out April 14, 2026. I can’t recall reading a ton of these but this was a fun, cursed take on it and I had more fun than I was expecting with it. I started reading Nikki St. Crowe a couple of years back and this one definitely delivered. Witches, mercenaries, a dark and dangerous stranger and plenty of steam. I can’t wait for the next installment.
Now I’ve put together a list of 22 more books that bring the perfect vibes for Spring and Summer reading.
Contemporary Romance April 2026 Book Releases
The funny thing about contemporary romance is that it’s the genre I like and read the least, but here we are with the most picks for this month. Go figure!
Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai
This one comes out April 7, 2026 and it’s about a con woman and a lawman that team up and go on a cross country road trip to save their families. It gives me heist vibes and I’m always here for a good adventure romance. Family trauma, messy families and bad decisions, I’m there. If you don’t get around to it in April, I think it would be a perfect summer romance too! And I always enjoy Alisha Rai, so high hopes for this one.
Grab Enemies to Lovers on Amazon
The Art of Loving You by Natasha Bishop
When I tell you I’ve been waiting for this book! I didn’t get around to reading the ARC yet but it’s up soon on my schedule. It comes out April 14, 2026 and it’s about a scavenger hunt road trip from beyond the grave. The heroine is a model turned influencer and the hero is an artist and they are brought together by the death of her mentor. Oh and it’s a second chance romance. Sign. Me. Up. Also, this is book 2 in the Forever Falling series and I cannot tell you how much I loved Only for the Week. If you didn’t read it? Go back immediately and rectify that.
Grab The Art of Loving You on Amazon
Summer Official by Rebekah Weatherspoon
This one comes out April 14, 2026 and it was going to go on my list because of the fact it’s a new Rebekah Weatherspoon and I love her books. Immediate add. This is a young adult sapphic romance about two girls that are somewhat forced to spend the summer together. Grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract and discovering their sexuality. Everything from the cover to the setting are perfect for the season and I haven’t read a young adult by this author yet, but I did enjoy Seeing Red by her, which is a sapphic romance set in college. So I think she’ll do the exploration of sexuality really well in this one.
Grab Summer Official on Amazon
Boots Beneath Her Bed by Taylor Esposito
This one has been on my TBR since I heard the publicist talk about it. It’s a debut cowboy romance that releases April 21, 2026 and we have a heroine who gets a job as a horse trainer, but she has secrets in her past, and the ranch foreman and owners son who doesn’t trust outsiders. I think this sounds perfect if you love Elsie Silver and it really sounds to me like it’s going to deliver on the emotion.
Grab Boots Beneath Her Bed on Amazon
Rhythm is a Heartbeat by L.H. Cosway
Listen, L.H. Cosway is queen. Period. If she writes it, we all need to be reading it. This one comes out on April 28, 2026 and is a single mother romance but there’s more to that. The heroine was married to the lead singer of a world famous rock band. They were childhood sweethearts and his drug addiction destroyed their marriage. Now he’s in recovery, the band is on hiatus and he wants to be around more for his daughter. Catnip! But also, if you’re a long time fan of L.H. Cosway, this is a Six of Hearts next gen novel (Jay and Matilda’s son is the hero). You can read it as a standalone though.
Grab Rhythm is a Heartbeat on Amazon
Historical Romance April 2026 Book Releases
The yearning, the opposites attract and the feistiness in these books is going to shake up April because these are all about unexpected love. Maybe even most inopportune.
Can’t Get Enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell
Staple author in the genre and one I enjoy every time. This one comes out April 7, 2026 and features a marriage of convenience between a grumpy war hero duke who made a battlefield promise to become guardian of the heroine but he ends up marrying her to save her honor. I’m a sucker for this premise and the heroine sounds like genuinely a menace, which only makes it all the better.
Grab Can’t Get Enough of the Duke on Amazon
How to Fake It in Society by K.J. Charles
I saw this pitched as Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch and I was immediately sold. Who am I kidding? I saw K.J. Charles and knew I had to read it. This one comes out April 28, 2026 and we’ve got terrifying gangsters, money scams and the most unlikely of romance, falling in love with the man you have to cheat. The intrigue is already eating me up!
Grab How to Fake It in Society on Amazon
Nearly a Bride by Sabrina Jeffries
Another historical romance staple author has a new book out April 28, 2026. This is also the second in a series of (but you can read as a standalone). We have a rakish Earl who was in detention inside Napoleon’s France and lost guardianship of his younger brothers seeking to get it back by finding a respectable fiancee. April is all about new beginnings and this one fits perfectly in reinventing yourself, especially for a lofty cause.
Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy April 2026 Book Releases
You know this is where my heart lies. I am always on the lookout for something new in the paranormal genre and can’t wait to try new things.
Love at First Bite by Katherine Dyson
This one I’ve read and it’s a cute paranormal romcom that is light and fluffy with just a little bite, out April 3, 2026. A grumpy sunshine set on the English seaside, it leans slightly more into the women’s fiction-y romance territory but if you’re looking for a fun, laid back good time, it’s a good choice. Our good girl heroine has to spend some time reporting on a Goth Weekend, totally out of her element, and ends up sharing accommodation with a tattooed, hunk of a man, bar owner who just happens to be a vampire.
Grab Love at First Bite on Amazon
Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens
Here’s the thing. I had this pitched to me as perfect for fans of Anne Rice and… say no more. This is one of my most anticipated reads of this month and up next on my TBR. It comes out April 21, 2026 and it’s about a reclusive witch who fled her bloodline having to rise to be the greatest amongst them. It’s New Orleans, it’s witches, and it gives me vibes of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice. Whether you’ve read the book or watched the TV series, you know the family drama of witchy hierarchies is always a good time.
Grab Witch Queen Rising on Amazon
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Fantasy and Romantasy April 2026 Book Releases
Sometimes romantasy is the classic books you expect, and other times you have to branch out of that mold. I’m always here to deliver something that steps away from what everyone else is reading in the genre.
Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
April 7, 2026 is the release of the second installment in the super popular Shield of Sparrows series. A princess journeying across a cursed realm to find out the truth about her family. Angela here at Under the Covers loved the first book and can’t wait to read this one and she actually picked the first book for me to read as one of my 26 in 2026. Will this be the Booktok darling of the month?
Grab Rites of the Starling on Amazon
An Elixir of Wanderlust by Alistair Reeves
If you haven’t read the Rune Tithe series, and you like cozy fantasy, then you need to get on it. This is book 3 and comes out April 14, 2026 (you can read as standalones). It’s about a witch coming home for his grandfathers’ funeral only to realize the black waters of the Spring have something dangerous hunting everyone he loves. Plus there’s a sexy new towns’ healer that can help him. What I know this one will deliver having read this series, sweet and spice all wrapped up together. And found family for days.
Grab An Elixir of Wanderlust on Amazon
The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire by India Holton
If you’re more in the mood for a historical fantasy adventure, then look no further than the Love’s Academic series. Book 3 comes out April 21, 2026 featuring two history professors and best friends forced to fake hate to protect their reputations. Deadly antiques, rampaging ghosts and all around magical mayhem. That’s what you can expect from this series and I’m looking forward to this one. Always a great India Jones-esque adventure.
Grab The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire on Amazon
Dark Romance April 2026 Book Releases
Sometimes you want pitch black, and sometimes you want to laugh with murder. These 3 books are giving me every single mood.
Chrysalis by B.B. Reid
The second, and final, installment in the Men of the Wilds duet is releasing on April 14, 2026. This is a twist on the tale of Goldilocks and we have a disgraced pop star and her mountain men. The story starts with Crucible, so if you haven’t read it go and catch up. I’m really excited to dig into this duet because I’ve been really into retellings lately. In case you can’t tell by my love of West of Wicked I mentioned above.
My Dreadful Darling by H.D. Carlton
Queen of dark, unhinged romance herself has a new book, first in a new duet, coming out April 21, 2026. I’ve only read a novella by this author but I can tell you this is where you go if you want super dark. The heroine is the daughter of a serial killer trying to live a normal life at college, and the hero is the son of a woman murdered by her family looking for revenge attending the same university. But he is not the only one that wants to hurt her. I’m all over this premise and already can’t wait to read it. Ends on a cliffhanger and please check the authors’ website for trigger warnings.
Grab My Dreadful Darling on Amazon
Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke
For the dark romantic comedy girlies, like myself, this one is coming out April 21, 2026. A clueless waitress hired to serve at a high end, private wedding and walks in on a dead bride, becoming an accomplice (or witness) to a mafia murder. The soon-to-be husband? Tells her to marry him or die. Yikes! I think this will be perfect for fans of Brynne Weaver and Navessa Allen, so I’ve got my eye on it.
Grab Married to the Mafia on Amazon
Cozy Mystery April 2026 Book Releases
As a romance reader, sometimes you just need a little murder investigation and that’s exactly what you’ll get with these cozy mysteries perfect for romance readers.
Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer by Bellamy Rose
This one comes out April 14, 2026 and it’s the second in the Pomona Afton series, all about a spoiler heiress who finds herself solving a murder. I love reading about rich people problems! This time she’s putting together a gala for her struggling charity until, in the middle of the party, she discovers the body of one of her biggest donors. This is the most unlikely detective you can find and I love reading about their dysfunctional families. Plus we get a little romance with Pomona’s boyfriend who never really fits in.
Grab Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer on Amazon
Flirting with Murder by Amanda Sellet
This one comes out April 21, 2026 and it’s a cozy mystery young adult novel. It’s pitched as The Agathas meets Thursday Murder Club with romance. And it’s perfect for the romance reader because it’s rivals to co-detectives that have to team up to save their eccentric grandparents while on a trip in Florida. The hijinks these teens are going to get in while being around elderly people and investigating is just peak Florida spring. Plus I can feel the enemies to lovers sparks already. And I happen to live in Florida around retiree communities so I’m all in on this one.
Grab Flirting with Murder on Amazon
A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper
I’m used to reading Molly Harper’s paranormal romantic comedies, but here we are in a fun cozy mystery and I can’t wait to dive in. This one also comes out April 21, 2026 and it’s about Harlow and Lainey, teenage friends who ran a mystery solving fandom, now coming to work together on an investigation for Harlow’s true crime tv show. It’s a decades old disappearance investigation at a now decrepit island hotel bankrolled by the frat bro duo that used to be fans of the teenage duo and want them back together for this. Is this going to be a double romance? I hope so! If this doesn’t have my name written all over it, I don’t know what does.
Grab A Cute Little Murder on Amazon
Mystery/Thriller April 2026 Book Releases
One of the things I love to read when the weather starts to get a little warmer is mystery and thrillers. Whether there’s a romance element to them or not. If you also want to branch out a little bit in between your romance reads, check these out by some favorite authors.
The Woman from Nowhere by Kristen Ashley
I’m going to lead with a romantic suspense here while the other two don’t have romance because we can’t leave Kristen Ashley out of a roundup, now can we? Another favorite author of Under the Covers. This one comes out April 14, 2026 and is book 5 in the Misted Pines series. Yes, you can read as standalone. A woman reinvents herself after heartbreak in the sleepy small town, has a amazing one night stand with a man, and the next day discovers she’s living next door to a cult where women go in and never go out. I’m a sucker for a good cult book and a soft and atmospheric mystery. Bonus points for the former Navy SEAL hero!
Grab The Woman from Nowhere on Amazon
The Missing Ones by A.R. Torre
Listen, I love me a good A.R. Torre book and this one comes out April 14, 2026. I did read it already and it may not be one of my favorites by her, but she always delivers the community drama, and this one in particular has the perfect spring/summer vibe. Not pulse pounding, but a great beach read with tension. Five years ago, three residents of a gated estate community vanished without a trace, and now there’s three women that find themselves at the center of the investigation as it circles closer. Country club, appearances and secrets.
Grab The Missing Ones on Amazon
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
If you, like me, love stories about grumpy and independent elderly women then look no further than this one coming out April 21, 2026. Mabel if 81 years old and minding her own business until her neighbor turns up dead. Rumors fly immediately because she wasn’t always demure and quiet, Mad Mabel, Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. Is she a cranky old lady with a past or a cold blooded killer? I’m living for this story and need it immediately.
Which One Are You Adding to Your TBR?
I think this list is packed with goodness, no matter your taste. And also delivering all kinds of fun storylines to make your April reading just a little bolder. Run with it. Let me know in the comments which one you are adding to your TBR or if you’re reading this later, which ones did you read? And don’t forget to catch my most anticipated books of 2026 list to see if there’s anything else on the horizon that you need to write on your calendar or request at your library.
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