Your Winter Is Booked: New Novels to Curl Up With This Season

Book of Luke by Lovell Holder

Release: Dec. 2

Traitors is back and Survivor season 50 is coming, so what better time to dive into a novel set in the high stakes world of competitive reality TV? The novel follows reality TV alum-turned-stay-at-home dad Luke, an OG contestant on the show Endeavor who returns for its milestone 20th season. The book flips between the two timelines as Luke is forced to confront the tragedy that marred his first appearance on the show and the heartbreak that thrust him back into the ever-spinning web of reality TV.

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

Release: Dec. 2

Lexi has turned down from her duties as a member of the British royal family and carved out a life for herself in Australia. That is, until she learns her father and brother have died, leaving her next in line to the throne. Thrust back into a role she tried to abandon, Lexi must contend with her royal responsibilities—plus the ever-complicated family dynamics—and decided once and for all if this is the path she wishes to follow.  

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

Release: Jan. 6

A shocking event dismantles the precarious safety Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter Bailey have been living under since the events of The Last Thing He Told Me, setting them of on an Odyssey that may restore peace to their lives—and allow Hannah’s husband Owen to finally return home. 

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover

Release: Jan. 13

Hoover is back with her first new novel in years, this time an expansion of her 2020 short story “Saint.” The book follows novelist Petra, who retreats from the public eye following backlash to her book’s film adaptation. Determined to set her career and life back on track, she finds her muse in a detective, leading to blurred lines and a mess that might just make her cancelation look like child’s play.

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

Release: Jan. 20

Looking for a book to scratch that Daisy Jones itch? Look no further than the Future Saints, a band reeling from the death of their manager with one last chance to make it big. Enter Theo, the record exec tasked with making this happen, setting them all on a collision course to produce a masterpiece or die trying. 

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Release: Jan. 20

Almost four years after the release of her explosive memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, the iCarly alum is heating up the literary space once more, this time with her debut novel Half His Age, following a 17-year-old who embarks on an affair with her teacher. 

Vigil by George Saunders 

Release: Jan. 27

Prepare for a riveting journey to the other side. The Lincoln in the Bardo novelist’s latest follows a seemingly unrepentant oil tycoon as his death companion ushers his soul into its final resting place. But to get there they both must contend with the cost of the life he led, its toll on the people around him and the world at large.

The Exes by Leodora Darlington

Release: Feb. 3

Natalie has a complicated dating history—as in, all her exes have ended up dead. Now, her marriage to James is on the brink of collapse and the secrets she’s long buried seem to finally be catching up with her. Not to mention the monster within desperate to come out. The Exes is such a fun, engaging read that once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put down.

Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon

Release: Feb. 3

Decades after the death of soap star Susan Bliss, her now-adult children are still trying to reconciling her larger-than-life TV persona with the mother who died when they were just 7. The dual timeline follows Susan’s rise to fame in the ‘80s and how each of her children have contended with her absence and the legacy she left behind.

Adrift by Will Dean

Release: Feb. 17

Writing is not for the faint of heart, and Peggy and Drew, who live on a canal boat with their son, know that all too well. However, unable to cope with Peggy’s rising success, an unmoored Drew leads his family into isolation, deepening the divide until the cracks lead to a massive break. 

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

Release: Feb. 17

The House of Eve novelist continues her reign of historical fiction must-reads, with this gripping post-WWII story following three seemingly unconnected people: Ozzie, a Black army soldier who falls in love with a German woman; Sophia, a girl growing up in the ‘60s who uncovers a secret about her past; and Ethel, who in the wake of the war is determined to provide a life for a group of mixed-race children abandoned in Germany.

Kin by Tayari Jones

Release: Feb. 24

This moving portrait of friendship follows Vernice and Annie, two girls growing up in Jim Crow south. While they are brought together by shared circumstances—each growing up without their moms—their paths diverge as they come of age. But through the hurdles and heartbreak life throws their way, their bond never breaks.