February 2026 Book Releases
I am so excited about the February 2026 book releases, and I cannot wait to get my hands on these books. It is always so much fun finding the upcoming new books. I included a list of the books I am most excited to read, along with a brief summary of each book.
This month, there are some fantastic picks. I love seeing some of the trends that are popping up this year. The books about books trend continues this month with a new book by Kate Quinn. This book is a work of magical realism, which is not something we have seen from Quinn Before. I believe this is the year of the bibliophile.
Another trend that I noticed is the number of magical cat books. This month, I have two! I read a few last year that I loved, and I’m so excited that this trend is on an upward trajectory. The first is by the author of the Emily Wilde series, and the second is a book translated from Japanese. I can’t wait to read these books.
In the world of nonfiction, I have noticed more books that mix a memoir with nature. This month it is about Owls, but last year Kirsten and I read about Rabbits and Bats!
I am also excited about the four debut authors we have on the list of new books for February 2026. I hope you will add a few of them to your TBR.
If you want some in-depth reviews before the books are published, you can check out our Beyond the Bookends Book Club. We host a monthly Zoom meeting where we share our favorite upcoming books with you. We give you the scoop on what to read and what to skip!
You can help authors by going into your favorite reading app and adding these books to your To Be Read pile. You can also head to your local indie bookstore and pre-order the books you know you will love. This helps the authors a lot. All the books on this list are linked to Libro.fm and Bookshop.org. Both of these sites are associated with independent bookstores!
Most Anticipated February 2026 Book Releases
Most Anticipated Fiction
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page- Jump to Section
Most Anticipated Historical Fiction
The Fourth Princess by Jamie Chang- Click here to read more
Most Anticipated Fantasy/ Sci-Fi
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan- Click here to read more
Most Anticipated Thriller
Little One by Olivia Meunter- Click here to read more
Most Anticipated Romance
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Reese- Click for more
Most Anticipated Nonfiction
Supernintendo by Keza MacDonald- Click here to read the synopsis
Most Anticipated YA
*February 2026 Book Releases Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you.
February 2026 Fiction Book Releases
Plot
Tilly is trying to navigate life without her husband Joe, who died five months ago. When she gets a call from a local bookstore saying a birthday gift from her husband is waiting for her, she is shocked. Alfie, the owner of the bookshop, explains that her husband left her a year’s worth of books. He carefully chose one book a month to help her navigate the first year without him and included a note with each one.
Superfan
Author: Jenny Tihghui Zhang
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Fiction
More info: National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree
Plot
Minnie is a freshman in college when she discovers a boy band called HOURglass. The online forums have a fandom unlike anything she has experienced before. She quickly falls for Halo, who feels familiar. When a scandal threatens to expose him, Minnie thinks she is the only one who can help him. Halo’s secret is from a life he desperately tried to leave behind after a tragic accident while he was in high school.
Family Drama
Author: Rebecca Fallon
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Fiction
More info: Debut Novel
Plot
In this haunting debut, 7-year-old twins Sebastian and Viola are devastated at the loss of their mother, Susan. When they grow up, Sebastian and Viola discover that their mother used to be a famous Soap star. Sebastian wants to know all about the woman whose absence was all-consuming, but Viola shies away from her memories until she meets her mother’s famous co-star and is forced to confront her feelings and learn about her mother after all.
So, I Met This Guy
Author: Alexander Porter
Release Date: February 10, 2026
Genre: Fiction
More info: UK Bestselling Author
Plot
Maggie, a 40-year-old gallery owner, has just been conned by the man she thought was the one. Now, she wants to find him and get it all back. Enter Flick, a charming young reporter who is happy to spend her summer traveling around Europe looking for the villain of Maggie’s (and probably a few other women’s) story. I cannot wait to read this book from the February 2026 book releases
More Than Enough
Author: Anna Quindlen
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Genre: Fiction
More info: Bestselling Author
Plot
This one is for the book lovers because it centers around a book club. Polly confides in her book club before anyone else, sharing about her infertility struggles and her difficult relationship with her mother. When she receives an ancestry test as a joke, but it links her to a stranger, the book club is by her side to help her investigate.
Plot
Growing up in Michigan was so terrible for Sarah that she escaped at 19 to Ireland, where she goes by Saoirse and lives with her husband and daughters in a life she loves. When her art gets unexpected acclaim, the new spotlight she’s under threatens to unravel the secrets she holds close and threatens to bring the danger she escaped from with it.
February 2026 Historical Fiction Book Releases
The Fourth Princess
Author: Jamie Chang
Release Date: February 10, 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Bestselling Author
Plot
A gothic novel set in old Shanghai? Sign me up! It’s 1911 and Lisan Liu is the newly hired secretary for wealthy American, Caroline. She’s moved into Lennox Estate, which will be Caroline and her husband, Tom’s, new home. But the estate holds dark secrets, and both women soon get caught up in its deadly history.
Fireflies in Winter
Author: Eleanor Shearer
Release Date: February 10, 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Bestselling author of River Sing Me Home
Plot
The perfect historical winter tale has arrived from the February 2026 book releases. It’s set in 1796 Nova Scotia, where Cora, newly arrived from Jamaica, is experiencing her first winter when she discovers Agnes, who is hiding from her past. Together, they form a plan to secure Agnes’s freedom as her pursuers get closer to her.
Keeper of Lost Children
Author: Sedeqa Johnson
Release Date: February 10, 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Bestselling author of The House of Eve
Plot
Ethyl Gathers is living in Germany in the 1950s with her GI husband when she finds an orphanage filled with children of German women and Black American GIs. Ozzie Phillips volunteers for the desegregated army in Germany in 1948. And in 1965, Maryland, Sophia Clark discovers a secret that turns her world upside down. This historical fiction is told from the perspective of these three individuals whose lives will come together in the most unexpected way.
A Slow and Secret Poison
Author: Camella Lowkis
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info:
Plot
Hartford Manor is a crumbling home in the southwest of England, where Lady Arabella Lasacy lives as the last member of her family. She is convinced that a curse killed everyone else and is coming for her next. Vee Morgan accepts the job of gardener at the estate and hopes for a fresh start. Soon, Vee’s past catches up with her, and Lady Arabella’s deadly past is revealed.
February 2026 Fantasy/ Sci-fi Books
The Red Winter
Author: Cameron Sullivan
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Genre: Fantasy
More info: Deluxe Edition
Plot
I keep hearing about this debut fantasy everywhere, and with a huge first-run printing as part of a two-book deal, I knew I had to read this book. It is a twist on history! In 1785, the beast of Gévaudan has returned to the French countryside. Professor Sebastian Grave, a monster slayer, knows the beast and its bloody history.
The centuries-old Professor has his own inner demon, literally, named Sarmodal, and yet, the beast nearly cost him his life. Now the beast is leading the continent into war.
Cameron reimagines European history from Rome to Joan of Arc and the French Revolution.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter
Author: Heather Fawcett
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Fantasy
More info: Bestselling Author of the Emily Wilde series
Plot
If you have been following the blog for a while, you know that I love Heather Fawcett. I am so excited to read this book about a cat rescue in Montréal in the 1920s and the magician who helps save the shelter. Many of you may know that I was born in Montreal and my son is living there. But add in some magic and cats and I am sold on this cozy fantasy book.
The Astral Library
Author: Kate Quinn
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Historical Fantasy
More info: Bestselling Author of The Alice Network
Plot
2026 really seems to be the year of the book about books. Alix grew up in the foster care system and took refuge in books at the Boston Public Library. When she finds a hidden door, she enters a hidden library where people can escape into their favorite books. There, she also meets the Librarian, the guardian of the Astral Library. When an enemy to the library threatens to destroy it, Alix and the Librarian flee through Sherlock Holmes and other literary favorites. Can they determine what the enemy wants before it destroys everything?
Messenger Cat Cafe
Author: Nagi Shimeno, translated by M. Jean
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Magical Realism
More info: Translated from Japanese
Plot
Fuuta, the tabby ca,t has passed into the afterlife but longs to see his beloved owner, Michiru, again. He applies for a position at Café Pont, a cafe between worlds where messenger cats can give messages from the dead to the living. Fuuta must deliver 5 messages to see his beloved Michiru again.
Mysteries and Thrillers for February 2026
Little One
Author: Olivia Muenter
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Thriller
More info: Bestselling author of Such A Bad Influence
Plot
Catharine grew up on the farm she loves, surrounded by her family, with her charismatic dad as the center of her universe. But when her community-focused farm turns into something more sinister, Catharine is forced to leave the home she loves. Now, she’s getting questions from a reporter asking if she knew about her former home turning into a cult – can Catharine go back to get answers and rescue the sister she left behind?
Blade
Author: Wendy Walker
Release Date: February 1, 2026
Genre: Thriller
More info: USA Today bestselling author
Plot
Who knew that Wendy Walker is a former competitive skater? She uses that background to give us a psychological thriller set in the world of elite figure skating. Ana Robbins was poised to go to the Olympics when a tragedy caused her to leave the skating world at 16. Now, she is 30 and a successful attorney.
When her former coach is killed, she is brought back to the world she thought she had left behind. She is defending Grace Montgomery, a young skater who is days away from facing a first-degree murder charge. Ana is determined to uncover the truth, even if it means exposing her own secrets.
A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage
Author: MK Oliver
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Plot
This funny mystery is all about Lalla, a woman trying to do it all – help her husband make partner, get her daughter into an exclusive private school, secure her dream home, and host a damn-good birthday party for her 4-year-old. All of which hits a snag when she murders a thief attempting to break into her house, and kinda likes it. Now she needs to frame a friend, dispose of a body, and figure out how to hide her past from the police.
Plot
Melissa Ferguson writes the best clean romances, so I’m excited to read her mystery romance debut from the February 2026 book releases! It’s set on a cruise ship when Pip, organizer of an author cruise and personal assistant to a famed writer, finds her employer has been murdered. Soon, she’s using her amateur detective skills to solve the mystery with the help of Nash, her friendly Western author pal.
How to Get Away With Murder
Author: Rebecca Philipson
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Genre: Thriller
More info: Debut Novel
Plot
Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave from Scotland Yard for six months. When a 14-year-old is murdered, she knows it’s time to return to work and find the killer. The only clue leads to a self-help book in the victim’s backpack called “How to Get Away With Murder” by a man named Denver Brady. He claims that he is the most successful serial killer of all time. Each chapter in his book describes his perfect murders. Sam knows she needs to find him before someone else dies.
Romance: February 2026 Book Releases
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me
Author: Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Reese
Release Date: February 10, 2026
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Plot
Adam and Jules have been married for 25 years, and their life – and love – is beginning to feel dull. When they discover the old mix-tapes they used to make for one another, they also discover they can use them to travel back in time and fall in love again, nce more. This pick from the February 2026 book releases is a time travel romance book like no other!
One & Only
Author: Maurene Goo
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Romance
More info: Author of Throwback
Plot
Cassia Park is the descendant of a long line of matchmakers – who are so scary accurate they have a 100% guarantee, until Cassia can’t find her fated love. As she turns 40, she decides to have a fling with a younger man, only to meet his boss – and find the man she’s been fated to marry.
Plot
Sophie Sullivan writes some of my favorite romances, so I’m looking forward to reading this one! Charlotte and Grayson are looking for different things in life. Charlotte is a counselor who is trying to outrun her famous parents despite going viral video changing her plans, while Grayson is happy running the Get Lost Lodge in quiet seclusion. They embark on a summer fling, with no plans to catch feelings…until they do.
The Halifax Hellions
Author: Alexandra Vasti
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Historical Romance
Plot
This delightful novel is a two-in-one romance featuring about sisters. It’s a novella about each sister’s journey to love. One who has run off with someone she despises (or does she?) and the other who is coming to her aid with a beloved friend…who might become more.
The Ex-Perimento
Author: Maria J. Morillo
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Romance
More info: Debut Author
Plot
Maria “Marianto” Camacho has the job of her dreams and a boyfriend who is perfect on paper until she loses them both overnight. Now she has to come up with a plan to win them back. She is going to document experiments to get her ex back. This seems like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days” but in reverse! Marianto realizes the easiest way to do this is to fake date Simon Arreaza, the lead singer of her favorite Indie band. What if things don’t go as planned?
February 2026: Best Nonfiction Book Releases
Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play
Author: Keza MacDonald
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot
Nintendo, the video-gaming company, was the cornerstone of many a childhood. This book dives into the history of Nintendo, game by game, as it looks at where the company started and where it’s going in the future.
Leaving Home: A Memoir in Full Colour
Author: Mark Haddon
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Memoir
More info: Acclaimed Author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Plot
This is Haddon’s portrait of himself as an artist, as a child, and as an adult. His experiences as a child shaped the person he became and how he understands the world. He had to create a home for himself and a life, something he never felt as a child growing up. This pick from the February 2026 book releases looks like a stunning portrayal of Haddon’s life.
The Company of Owls
Author: Polly Atkin
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: Longlisted for the 2025 Wainwright Prize in Nature Writing
Plot
In this memoir, Polly Atkin is writing a love letter to the world. She contemplates life by watching a clutch of owlets that live in a tree near her home. She wonders when humans should intervene and when nature should take its course. She thinks about relationships and the company we keep through the lens of observing the beautiful animals.
Best YA February 2026 Book Releases
Love Me Tomorrow
Author: Emiko Jean
Release Date: February 2, 2026
Genre: YA Romance
More info: Bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
Plot
After a few years writing adult novels, Emiko is going back to her YA roots, when 17-year-old Emma begins receiving letters from the future – or at least from someone claiming to be the future love of her life. Can she figure out who is writing her these notes?
Expert Tip
Looking through books can be daunting if you are trying to add some books to your TBR. Remember that this list of the most anticipated February 2026 book releases is for fun. You may add books to your TBR stack and never read them. That is OK! I have two tips to help narrow down the choices for you.
- If you do not want to look through all the descriptions, I selected a top pick from each genre. I narrowed it down for you!
- If you have a favorite genre that you like to read, head over to that section and pick from those books.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Epilogue
Which February 2026 book releases are you most looking forward to reading?
