Eight of my eagerly anticipated fall romances

Cue the handfuls of autumn leaves

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I love fall. It’s one of the best parts of living on the East Coast. I love a chunky cardigan, an oversized mug, that perfect streak of days when the sky is brilliantly blue and the leaves have started changing, and, of course, the excuse to read a whole lot of witchy and paranormal romance. I’ve already pulled a sizable stack of seasonally appropriate books out of my shelves to have around me—quite literally around me, as I stare down the stack of books sitting at the end of my couch—but there’s quite a few September and October romance releases I’m looking forward to as well.

Per usual, this is a selection deeply tailored to my reading tastes, featuring witches, a dash of Hollywood, quests, and a title that I partially added to my TBR because its cover prominently features the Golden Gate Bridge.

1. Perfectly Wicked by Lindsay Lovise (September 17th)

   We have a magical family apple orchard, a ghost hunter, a dollop of family secrets, and some intriguing sisterly relationships. It feels like every witchy romance out there gets compared to Practical Magic but this one might actually deliver? Also, early reader reviews mentioned a hedgehog sidekick and there’s no way I can miss out on that.

2. The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain (September 24th)

   This chef-cookbook ghostwriter romance lured me in with its Golden Gate Bridge cover. As a San Francisco native, I have to at least try any romance set in the Bay Area and I’m particularly intrigued by the promise of a slow, deeply emotional, enemies-to-lovers romance that might have me desperately rooting for these two people to just kiss already.

3. The Finest Print by Erin Langston (September 24th)

   Langston’s Forever Your Rogue was one of my favorite romances of 2023 and I started vibrating with excitement when she announced her next novel. This is also a working-class romance, with a printer/journalist hero and a heroine looking for a publisher for her gruesome mystery novel, which is still vanishingly rare in historical romance. I already have my copy pre-ordered.

4. Adam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen (September 24th)

   The setup for this is so good: in order to inherit her aunt’s house, chaotic academic Evie Lang has to go on a pre-arranged matchmaking tour in Vietnam…where she immediately clashes with uptight Adam Quyen. I love a romance with a strong travel component and this also promises a rich look at identity and family. Nguyen is the pen name for Thao Thai, who wrote Banyan Moon, so I’m also hoping for some gorgoeus prose.

5. Bad Reputation by Emma Barry (October 1st)

   Emma Barry is one of those under-the-radar authors whose books I want to shove into everyone’s hands, from her smart small-town romance Chick Magnet to the deeply swoony Space Race-set historical romance series she co-authored. Her new novel is a workplace romance about an actor and a newly minted intimacy coordinator on a Bridgerton-esque TV series and it sounds like a deliciously done slow burn.

6. Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi (October 1st)

   More witchy romance, this time set in the UK and with a heroine who runs a magical pastry shop and has a hex on her love life. This looks like the perfect balance between cozy and spicy and the early reviews I’ve seen also suggest that there’s some really lovely portrayals of female friendship and a soft, emotionally intelligent hero. (Two of my favorite things!)

7. This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher (October 7th)

   A romantic fantasy about a group of now-estranged friends who once saved their magical land and find themselves thrust into a new quest when they reunite to attend a royal wedding. This is pitched as The Princess Bride meets People We Meet on Vacation and that was enough for me to add it to my TBR, especially since I’ve been on the lookout for lighter romantic fantasy that still has a strong plot.

8. The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long (October 22nd)

   I will read as many Palace of Rogues romances as Julie Anne Long wants to write. (Actually, writing this, I remembered I still need to read book seven.) The eighth installment in this historical romance series centered around iconic boardinghouse The Grand Palace on the Thames is about an estranged couple forced back into proximity to each other when scandal hits. And I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fabulous.

Let me know your anticipated fall romance reads in the comments!

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Currently reading: The Someday Daughter by Ellen O’Clover, a deeply emotional, nuanced YA contemporary because something about September makes me want to read YA.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• Finally braving the line at Librae Bakery in Cooper Square for a babka filled with lemon curd and a walk through the East Village to soak up some sunshine.

• The deluge of pumpkin products at my local Trader Joe’s. (I’m sorry, I love it.) Right now, I’m fond of the teeny tiny pumpkin-spiced pretzels.

• Once Upon a Mattress on Broadway, which is a laugh-out-loud delight. Sutton Foster and Michael Urie are wonderful as Princess Winnifred and Prince Dauntless and I’d highly recommend it if you’ll be in NYC in the next few months.