Buzz Books Romance 2026

by Publishers Lunch (Other)

Genres: Romance

726 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always grateful to get some quick excerpts on potentially good books that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Unfortunately, the two books that looked interesting to me (Crash Course and Reap & Sow) are ones I already knew about and requested ARCs for.

[Lili Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buzz Books continues to provide these great compilation books of sneak peeks of upcoming genre releases. This is an excellent way to read a little sampling of each book before you decide to pre-order or purchase. It's a fun way to read some new or new-to-you authors without having to part ways with finances in this economy!
Thank-you, Publisher's Lunch and all the authors for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun experience. As a completionist, I was basically forced to go through every single book included. I would complain about the overrepresentation of fantasy romance and romantasy, and I feel like romantasy should be its own genre. Also, putting book six in a series into an excerpt collection is an odd choice.

Got the ick:

- Necessary Roughness - He used the word "muthafucka".

- The Lion - "I ask sweetly" and "I smile sweetly" one paragraph apart. There are different ways to portray sarcasm. It was more telling than showing. Her mother pressures her about marrying some dude, and most of it is summed up as "she continues talking". Also, he asks her for a blowjob out of nowhere the first time they meet. The cover is pretty, though. I've removed her other books from my TBR.

- Camera Stays On - They fuck right at the beginning. There's no buildup, an instant "good girl" drop, and I'm not interested. Also, one of the reviews mentions he hits his dogs. No, ty.

- The Ice Beyond - She writes him a letter about getting her period. Good for you, but also ew.

Not for me:

- Meet Me at Midnight - I hate magical realism.

- Back Where We Started - I'm not into celebrity romance.

- Our Dark Incantations - I usually dislike Dramione AND dark academia, plus they use Caster with a capital C.

- Heavensent & Hellbent - I'm not reading YA anymore.

- Read Me Like a Book - I hate magical realism. Also, there are other romance classics than just Pride and Prejudice...

- Mooncursed - Typical overwritten romantasy. I thought the description was five nonsensical sentences, and I hate this type of writing.

- Dragon of the Deep - If you've ever played The Witcher 3, this book definitely feels inspired by Skellige. This is a love triangle, which I avoid like the plague.

Authors I broke up with:

- The Daddy's Girl - I gave up on Sara Cate. Both of the previous books in this series were DNFs for me.

- Crown of Crimson and Crows - I've started and DNF'd two of Tessa Hale's series after the first book.

- Don't Fall - I've tried In the Gray by B.B. Reid before and DNF'd it. Even though the premise sounds good, I don't like her writing.

- Drawn Under - I've DNF'd Vengeful Gods by Elliott Rose recently, so I'm definitely not up for another taste.

- Kneel Before Me - I've read about half of Kiss of the Basilisk and was not impressed. I'm not going to continue this series.

Not vibing:

- Voice of Death - She meets the most beautiful guy ever on page one AND he's the prime minister's son. The country is called The Eternal Republic, their matching law is called "Match", and the algorithm running the country is "the Algorithm". I bet Silver Elite girlies will love this.

- Dreams of Ruin - Similar naming tendencies. Here, we have the Favored, who are indeed the favored by gods. She's some type of undercover medieval operative, yet breaks character immediately when people say stuff she doesn't agree with. It reminds me a bit of When the Stars Were Devoured.

- Reign - I can't take "she's a girl dressed like a man IN THE ARMY and everyone believes her" seriously. Her brother is a blacksmith. Is she built like a blacksmith?

Odd choices were made:

- Hooking Nash - The excerpt starts at chapter 3, and it made me confused.

Books further in the series:

- Crowned by Roses - Skipped. This series is on my TBR, but I was waiting for it to be finished. I don't want to spoil myself with an excerpt.

- Eldritch - I do prefer more romance in my fantasy, but I was still intrigued by this. I just wish most of the excerpt wasn't flashbacks. It didn't convince me to add Anathema to my TBR, though. Gothic is not my cup of tea.

- Casanova LLC - Most of the excerpt is the foreword explaining the connection to Thank You for Listening. I might go for this one if I ever pick up the original book, but it doesn't feel standalone-ish enough. Also, for coming out in 2024, surprisingly not many people picked this up?

Books I've read already:

- A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor - Fun why-choose erotica. I gave it 3 stars and never continued the series.

Not sure what to think:

- The Sex Detective - I googled what gonorrhea is because English is not my first language. Now I need to bleach-bath my eyes. I'm not sure if I love the idea of reading about a person searching STI connections, especially when one of those connections is supposedly the love interest. Also, the jokes are so odd, I think I love them. I will need one good review to convince me to add this to my TBR.

- To the Rotting End - This does sound good, but I'm wary of anything claiming to be "dystopian romantasy". If the reviews are good, I might reconsider, but for now it's a no.

Added to my TBR:

- Crash Course - I've never read an F1 romance, so I'm down to give this a chance. It's set in college, but the characters didn't feel too young. Seems fun and, dare I hope, is it a why choose?

- Reap & Sow - I love everything with demons and pacts. This sounds right up my alley.

- Zahra, Unapologetic - I like second-chance romance when it's well done. Additionally, I'm really interested in the cultural side. The banter sounds fun, and the cover is super pretty.

Set as DNF for statistical purposes only.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ 4.5

I was excited for the annual Romance edition of Buzz Books to come out, since I found this year’s Fall/Winter general one to be so useful in finding books for my TBR, which actually ended up helping me discover one of my favorite reads of 2026 thus far.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Buzz Books and Buzz Books Romance, it’s a periodical (twice a year for the former, once a year for the latter) free publication of curated featured books, which include a sample to read with a link to request an Advance Reader Copy or a link to a widget. This year’s edition has significantly less widgets than usual, but the selection includes a lot of books that I was intrigued to read an early excerpt of.

I didn’t even know Julia Whelan had a new release coming up, which I immediately requested. I haven’t yet read Sara Cate's work, but the sample has put her upcoming release on my radar.

Some other notable featured books in case you are looking for inspiration for your TBR and feel inclined to read read an early pre release excerpt:
- Keri Lake’s Eldritch for the gothic dark romance readers who have already started her Eating Woods series,
- Kathryn Moon’s trad release of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor for the why choose monster romance readers,
- Lindsay Straube’s Kneel Before Me for those who enjoyed the spicy camp of her monster romance Kiss of the Basilisk
- Piper Lawson’s Crash Course for a New Adult F1 Academy romance


This review is based on a copy provided by Publishers Marketplace via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance lovers, it’s time for our yearly preview of forthcoming romances to add to the top of our TBRs. The Buzz Books 2026: Romance sampler highlights some of the hottest upcoming releases, ranging from romantasy to the classic rom-com. In addition to the longer list included, this sampler offers extended previews of over 20 romance novels, all coming out within the next year.

The books I found most enticing include:

- Sara Jafari: Heavensent and Hellbent
- Anna James: Read Me Like a Book
- Kathryn Moon: A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor
- Anna Natasha: The Sex Detective
- Charlotte B. Plumb: Reap & Sow
- B. B. Reid: Don’t Fall
- Beth Revis: Dragon of the Deep
- Julia Whelan: Casanova LLC
- Mina Zafri: Zahra, Unapologetic

While I’m a bit burnt out on the oversaturated romantasy market, there are some that stand out as offering something original. I’m also excited for the romances that whisk us away to different countries or shine a light on diverse experiences.

The upcoming books do feature quite a lot of dark romance, dystopian romance, and sports romance—none of which I’m into myself. I wish there was even one historical romance in the mix. I would have also liked to see more diversity.

Buzz Books 2026: Romance is a valuable resource for anyone who wants a clear picture of what romance trends are emerging now, what books to look out for, and a preview of established authors and debut authors alike.

* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *

[MadReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always anticipate these Buzz Books collections. It’s fun to get a preview of upcoming releases, and I was particularly excited about this one since I primarily read romance. There was a wide variety of different subgenres in this, including contemporary, YA, dark, horror, erotica and romantasy. It did seem a bit heavy on romantasy but I love that genre so that didn’t bother me. There were a number of sequels included. The collection also included a heat scale which is helpful. In past collections, every single excerpt has had a link to find the book listing but a number of books were missing links in this one. Also, previous collections typically at least a third of the excerpts had widgets where you were able to read the entire book after downloading the sampler. There were only 2 widgets in this collection, both were debut authors, and neither was of any interest to me. I was previously familiar with 10 out of the 29 included authors. There were a few excerpts I was really excited to see in this book, most notably Julia Whelan’s Casanova LLC. I liked reading the background and how it came to be, as I enjoyed Thank You for Listening and didn’t realize the connection. There were a few books that were completely new to me that seemed interesting and will definitely be added to my TBR, including Reap & Sow, The Ice Beyond, Mooncursed, and Read Me Like a Book. I view these as an extra perk, and look forward to the next one.

Thank you to Publishers Marketplace: Buzz Books and NetGalley for the arc.

[Kenya Lassiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love romance and are always looking for your next book to add to your TBR, Buzz Books 2026: Romance is definitely worth checking out! This collection was such a fun way to discover upcoming romance releases and get a sneak peek at a wide variety of stories, authors, tropes, and subgenres.

With 29 exclusive excerpts, there was truly something for every kind of romance reader. I loved the variety, from contemporary and sports romance to romantasy, dark academia, Western romance, mafia romance, and more. Some excerpts immediately grabbed my attention and had me wanting to read the entire book, while others introduced me to authors and stories I probably wouldn't have discovered otherwise.

I also really enjoyed the heat scale, which is a fun addition for romance readers who like to know what level of spice they're getting into.
This was a fantastic collection for romance lovers and a great way to discover some of the books that will be creating buzz in 2026. I came away with several new books on my TBR and a whole list of authors I want to keep an eye on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers Lunch for the opportunity to read this collection. My review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Angie F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can always count on Buzz Books collections to add several books to my to be read pile and Buzz Books Romance 2026 is no exception. In fact, I find this collection even better because not only does it include summaries and excerpts as usual, but this one includes a heat rating as well as the tropes in the book right upfront.

The inclusion of the tropes, genres, and the spice/heat rating made it possible for me to go to the books that interested me and spend less time with the ones that I know I'm not the right audience for. Also, I really found it useful that the excerpts were lengthy enough to really get a sense of both the writing and the story. At the end of each excerpt, it was also very thoughtful to include social media links as well as a link to request or read or the book via NetGalley.

As a direct result of the thoughtful layout of this book, at least four upcoming releases have been added to my TBR. Three of them were completely new to me and one of which I was very happy to read the excerpt from.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone who is interested in the romance genre and wants to know what is coming up in the next few months.

Thank you very much for making this collection available for review via NetGalley. I always look forward to it.

[Chelsey Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers Marketplace: Buzz Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun way to sample new and upcoming popular books to see which ones you'd like to read most. I actually really enjoyed a lot of the stories, surprisingly even the YA genre. I'm really excited to pick up the full length books once they come out!

The books I was excited about most ( in no particular order) :

Necessary roughness by Danielle Allen

The Daddy's girl by Sara Cate

Crown of Crimson and Crows by Tessa Hale

Crowned by Roses by Elizabeth Helen

Our Dark Incantations by Wanda Hellmund

The Lion by Paisley Hope

Eldritch by Keri Lake

Read Me Like a Book by Anna James

Crash Course by Piper Lawson

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon

Camera Stays On by Tylor Paige

Don't Fall by B.B. Reid

Mooncursed by Holly Renee

Drawn Under by Elliot Rose

To the Rotting End by Sophia St. Germain

Kneel Before Me by Lindsay Straube

I highly recommend giving this book a read to find your new favorite up and coming romance reads for 2026!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buzz Books 2026: Romance has again a great amount of decadent excerpts for us!
Well, sometimes the excerpts were definitely too short because I really liked the beginning of the story! And sometimes I just couldn't get into it. But that's totally okay! Well, I found a few titles I'm really excited about it! So YAY! Finding new authors is always awesome! 😍

The good thing is that you can have a taste of different spice levels and romance types! If you don't like it? Continue with the next one. 😘

I'll give this collection 4 stars because last year I liked it more that you could select the excerpts by age (YA, NA or general adult). I'd like to add the idea of selecting by romance type (sports romance, fantasy, etc.). I think this one was available in 2024 or so... 🤔

Well, all in all it was a fun experience like the other years! 😁📖

Thanks a lot to Publishers Lunch for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read books samplers with a little teaser of upcoming book releases. I have found many books I’m interested in that I wouldn’t have necessarily been aware of otherwise.

Buzz Books 2026: Romance is a great example. I can’t wait to read some of the books in this 29-excerpt sampler. Each author is new-to-me. The sampler is a great way to read a little of the book and decide if you are interested, enjoy the content, like the voice and writing style, and want to read more.

This sampler includes Adult, New Adult, and Young Adult excerpts.

Sub-genres: SciFi, Sports, Contemporary, Enemies-to-Lovers, Romantasy, Age Gap, Second Chance, New Adult, RomCom, Paranormal, Dark, Mafia, Women’s Fiction, Dragons, Western, Forced Proximity, and more. There is something for everyone who loves romance and I grabbed myself a couple of them.

[CoffeeK8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love getting these Buzz book previews. There are always so many fantastic and new-to-me authors included. The highlights in this anthology include a variety of romance generes. The first is, Voice of Death by Morgan Bridges a dystopian romance between a healer and her new husband who is matched to her by a marriage algorithm. Our Dark Incantations by Wanda Hellmund about a healer with a secret who enrolls in a magic academy after a war to study white magic, only to be placed in a dark magic cohort. Moon Cursed by Holly Renee about the marriage between an unexpected bride and a cursed King and Dragon of the Deep by Beth Revis about a woman branded unlucky and stranded on a remote island until she meets up with a prince and a ship's captain who believe she holds the key to a secret (with dragons!).

Thank you to Netgally and Publisher's Marketplace for this ARC.

[Justina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded the Buzz Books 2026 Romance edition to find more romance titles for my TBR. I didn’t vibe with most of the options, so I didn’t finish many of them, but I’m pumped for some of the new releases (especially by Keri Lake and Kathryn Moon).

I’m rating it 4 stars because it saved me a lot of time - I could check out if I like the premises of the books and writing style of many different authors. Useful.

——————

I received this ebook free via NetGalley. I’m setting the status as „dnf” because I technically did not finish all of the provided chapters, when I didn’t enjoy one release I just skipped it to check out the next one.

[Larareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Edelweiss for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

This has such awesome previews and I had a great time reading! Just added new books to my TBR for the rest of the year because so many of them are sooo good and the little preview we got in this collection just made me want so much more!!!

Some of my most anticipated reads after reading this:
• Sara Cate The Daddy's Girl
• The Lion Paisley Hope
• Bb. Reid Don't Fall
• Elliott Rose Drawn Under
• Kneel before me Lindsay Straube
• To the rotting End by Sophia St. Germain

[Victoria Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many incredible books featured in this collection! I had already requested so many but I found some new ones I'm so excited for. I didn't see a link to request for Voice of Death by Morgan Bridges so I just made sure to add it to my own notes hoping it would pop up in NetGalley in the future? Or update later today? Same for Dreams of Ruin by Josie Bullard.
Also very excited for Reign by Bethan Croome! Huge thank you to NetGalley for compiling this.

[Tia Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this specifically for Our Dark Incantations by Wanda Hellmund and after ONE chapter I am somehow even more obsessed. I will 1000000% be reading this the second it releases. I NEEEEED HER!

But then… Eldritch by Kerri Lake?! To the Rotting End by Sophia St. Germain?! EXCUSE ME???

I went in for one book and came out desperately needing three. 😂

These Buzz Books are actually dangerous for my TBR. I need all of them immediately. My never-ending TBR continues…

[Wai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to grab this on NetGalley! I love that it includes excerpts from so many upcoming and exciting romance releases. I am especially excited for Kneel Before Me! I’ve read the first two books in the series, so I need to know what happens in this prequel! I think this is such a fun way to discover new books and authors as you go through the excerpts and add even more to my ever-growing TBR!

[Tiffany (areyoutellingstories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having the option to read a chapter or two of a book is an excellent opportunity to ensure the book is the right fit for a reader. We all know how tempting the pretty covers are, only to get inside and realize the writing style, the pacing, something within is not right for you. Thank you, Buzz Books, for the opportunity to narrow it down to the books we may truly enjoy!

[Kim L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love free samples?! 📚✨ I love these previews! They’re such a great way to discover new-to-me authors, fresh voices, and different writing styles that could potentially become new favorites. 💕

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Publishers Marketplace: Buzz Books, for the eARC of Buzz Books 2026: Romance! 📖✨

[AmesChicReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I had the opportunity to peruse this fall catalog. There are so many great romance books coming up and I was delighted to get a sneak peek! This helps so much in planning my future reads and what publishers as well as authors have in store for us. I really enjoy getting this every season and can’t wait for the next one.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You Buzz Books and Netgalley for this e-arc.

5 stars

Loved being able to see all the romance books that are coming out this year. Was very excited to read a snippet of To The Rotting End by Sophia St.Germain!!!!! Also loved to read a snippet of of Our Dark Incantations by Wanda Hellmund!!! So many great options can't wait for the release day!

[Amanda Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley!

Found some new books to check out, but as others have mentioned, this was heavy with romantasy recommendations. I'm most excited for Sara Cate, Paisley Hope, and Julia Whelan's releases.

[WannabeFMC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore these Buzz Books! It's so fun to get sneak peeks of upcoming releases as well as the ability to directly request or download the books. It's an amazing way to find new authors to be excited about.

Please continue releasing these!

[Mojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great selections! This defintely got my excited for a few titles that weren't even on my radar, like Bethan Croome's Reign and Tyler Paige's Camera Stays On .

[Myrrowyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good resource to make your TBR cry unfortunately not very much that looked interesting this time around.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buzz Books are great for seeing what’s coming out in the near future

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t miss this wonderful compilation of future Romance books!!!

[Tabathareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these buzz books! It’s such a great way to get a look at books coming out and getting a widget to read!

[LeeAnn Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awesome to see some of the books in here that I have already pre-ordered. I am even more excited about them now that I got to read a little bit of it!