I love discovering new authors almost as much as I love sharing them with others. There are so many incredible writers out there who deserve a spotlight moment, not just the Sarah J. Maas and Emily Henrys of the world!
So instead of saving them all for a year-end roundup, I decided to break it down by quarter. In Q1 2026 alone, I read 27 new-to-me authors and these 6 are the ones I can’t stop thinking about. 🙌🏼
My #1 of this quarter is hands down, Liz Tomforde! If you’ve read the Windy City series, you already know. 😂 Of the 42 books I read January thru March, five of them were Liz Tomforde. Five! That should tell you everything.
The Windy City series is a 6 book sports romance series of interconnected standalones. Normally that means that you can read them in any order and be fine. That’s true of this series, BUT I highly recommend you start at the beginning. The series follows a group of friends so you’ll get to see a lot of them overlap within all the books. The first one is ‘Mile High‘ and focuses on the Chicago hockey team. And yes… I might have more of a connection to this series having grown up 30 minutes outside of Chicago 😉
Next up (and honestly in no particular order) is Chloe Liese’s ‘Two Wrongs Make a Right.‘ This book is the first in a romance trilogy featuring 3 sisters and each book is a different Shakespeare retelling- such a cool concept. The FMC (female main character) is autistic, and it was the first romance I’d read with a neurodivergent female lead. I absolutely loved it and I need more like it! I will definitely be reading the rest of this series, but she also has a new book coming out April 14th. I’ve had on hold at the library for weeks and can’t wait to jump in 🤩
If you’re looking for a fantastic historical fiction book, I highly recommend Sarah McCoy! We chose her latest novel ‘Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?” as our book club book for our February book·cation. It did not disappoint! I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah and her presence and passion made me love this book even more. She is the sweetest soul who pours everything she is into her books and this one was especially personal.
The book was inspired by three actresses from the 1960s, one of whom Sarah has had a deeply personal connection to for over ten years. It follows a young actress who hits the pinnacle of her career in her 20’s and isn’t sure what’s next. A beautiful story of love in all its forms and finding out who you are and where you belong.
I had the privilege to read an ARC (advanced reader copy) of Grace Reilly’s newest romance book ‘Yes, Chef‘ and it kind of blew me away. What I loved the most was that both main characters have ADHD. They don’t just mention it in passing. They talk about their experiences, being diagnosed, and how it shapes their everyday lives. I found it so insightful and well done. It honestly helped me understand people I love with ADHD a little more ❤️
This book also has great spice, an ‘enemies to lovers’ trope, and a fun cast of characters! It will be published July 12, 2026 and I suggest you go preorder or put it on hold at the library now!
If you’re a fantasy lover, I recommend ‘Wild Reverence‘ by Rebecca Ross. This book is apparently a prequel to her Divine Rivals series 🤷🏻♀️ but I haven’t read that and found this to be a completely beautiful standalone. The magic system was so unique and the love story absolutely delivered. Will I end up reading Divine Rivals now? Maybe. But honestly, I’m happy with this one exactly as it is. It has very low spice, just like the Divine Rivals series, so it could be considered YA (young adult), too.
Lastly, we have another ARC! I was sent this book by Avon Books to read ahead of publishing and I read it in 24 hours. ‘Out of Her League‘ by Ava Rani was a romance I didn’t know I was looking for! It had fake dating which is my favorite trope and the MMC (main male character) is an almost retired Premier League soccer player. My husband loves Arsenal so to read a book where someone was involved in his favorite sport made it feel even more special. ⚽️
After a destination wedding in Paris- where they try to make her ex jealous- they have to come home and figure out if the spark actually works in real life. I loved that the book didn’t end with that fantasy reality. Plus, the FMC is super career-driven and the MMC is supports and encourages her. We love to see it! And zero miscommunication trope? Yes please 👏🏼 Can’t wait to read more of her books!
If you love discovering new authors and sharing them with people who get it, you’d feel right at home at a book·cation weekend. It’s a reading retreat for people who want to get away for uninterrupted reading time + opportunities to connect with fellow book lovers. Come share your favorite authors and add more to your TBR 📚
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