January 2027 Book Releases
I am so excited about the January 2027 book releases. January marks the beginning of the year and really sets the tone for the rest of the year. These are my most anticipated books.
Kirsten and I scour all our resources to choose the books we are most excited to read. This month, I am really excited to see many fantasy and thriller books being published, which is a change from January 2026. I am also noticing a trend toward fewer historical fiction books. I hope this is just a temporary trend since many of Kirsten’s and my all time favorite books, and favorites of the last few years have been historical fiction.
I declared last year was the year of books about books. I am not sure about the trends yet this year, but I will keep you posted when I get a few more months of data!
Why do I make these lists of most anticipated books? When Kirsten and I highlight books we want to read, we hope if gives you some books to add to your TBR. When you request them early at your local library or preorder them from your local bookstore, you help generate buzz. The result? You are helping authors and sending the message that you support the book community!
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!
The Most Anticipated January 2027 Book Releases
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Fiction Book Release
Pure Ox by Mateo Askaripour –Jump to Section
The Best Historical Fiction Book Release
Belle Haven Finishing School by Adele Myers –Jump to Section
The Best Fantasy Book Release
A Court of Forgotten Melody Sarah J Maas –Jump to Section
The Best Thriller Book Release
Daisy by Katie Cotugno –Jump to Section
The Best Romance Book Release
People in Love: A Novel by Claire Daverly –Jump to Section
The Best Nonfiction Book Release
Dumpling Therapy by Miranda Brown –Jump to Section
The Best YA Book Release
Red Flags by Sophie Jo- Jump to Section
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
January 2027 Fiction Book Releases
Pure Ox
Author: Mateo Askaripour
Release Date: January 5, 2027
Genre: Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestselling Author of Black Buck
Plot
Ox is a sanitation worker in Brooklyn. He loves his job and working in service to people, but his dream has always been to be a writer. When he discovers a literary agent has moved into a house on his route, his partner convinces him to leave a copy of his book on the doorstep. Soon, Ox enters a world and industry that he always wanted, but not everybody is welcoming him. When the sanitation workers go on strike, Ox is forced to choose between the duty we have to ourselves and the duty we have towards others.
Plot
I cannot wait to read this pick from the January 2027 book releases. Beverly Atwood is trying to figure out how to navigate life after the death of her husband. When she connects with George on a seniors dating site, she feels a connection with him. When he confides that he needs money to care for his sick grandson, Bev decides to sell her prized antiques to help him. Slowly, Bev realizes that these objects have sentimental value as well. She begins to open her eyes to the other people around her. This is a story about love, friendship, and finding yourself.
Instant Classic
Author: Kate Fagan
Release Date: January 26, 2027
Genre:
More info: Bestselling Author of Reese’s Book Club Pick The Three Lives of Cate Kay
Plot
Marion May is a filmmaker who is under contract for one more film, and she needs this one to be a success after previous failures. When she meets Jaz Jones, a WNBA player with a great idea for a film, Marion dives into gathering the history of Harper Kidd, a rising star in women’s basketball in the 1950s. Forced to leave a game that she loved only to come back years later, Marion is determined to tell Harper’s story and in doing so, confront parts of herself that she has kept a secret. This book is a love letter to women’s sports.
January 2027 Historical Fiction Book Releases
Belle Haven Finishing School
Author: Adele Myers
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Author of Tobacco Wives
Plot
Birdie and her cousin Rue are at the Belle Haven Finishing School, where orphans can be given a chance at a better future. But unusual rules and atmosphere have Birdie questioning the true intentions of the school. Thirty-five years later, in 1987, Charlotte Davenport is a New York Times reporter convinced that a cover-up took place at the finishing school to protect a university professor behind an unethical experiment. Based on the real-life “Monster Study” of 1939, this intergenerational story will bring two women together.
In One Brief Moment All Eternity
Author: Elif Shafak
Release Date: January 12, 2027
Genre: Biographical Fiction
Plot
This is a fictionalized story about Gustav Flaubert, the author of Madame Bovary, and the women who influenced him and his writing. This is also a story that gives voice to women who were silenced in the world. It is an expoloration of why writers do what they do and where the characters come from.
The Jewel of Sugar Hill
Author: Fiona Davis
Release Date: January 26, 2027
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times bestselling author
Plot
I am so excited to read this historical fiction pick from the January 2027 book releases. Elisa Brown is determined to break into high society. When she meets Aaron Burr, she admires his political aspirations and vows to win his love. Her ultimate goal is to purchase the most beautiful house in Manhattan. This is the Morris-Jumel Mansion, which was built in 1865. In 2010, Abie is an architect who must choose between saving her family’s money and legacy or saving the mansion, after her father falls from it in dubious circumstances.
January 2027 Fantasy/ Sci-fi Books
A Court of Forgotten Melody
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: January 12, 2027
Genre: Fantasy
More info: A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 7 of 7
Plot
Will this be the stunning and epic conclusion of the ACOTAR series? Alliances are crumbling, bonds will be tested, and power will shift. While you are waiting for this long-anticipated new book, check out A Court of Thorns and Roses Books in Order to refresh your memory.
Lochbound: A Novel
Author: Rebecca Templeton
Release Date: January 5, 2027
Genre: Fantasy Romance
More info: Little Mermaid meets Scottish Folklore
Plot
Iris has been cursed to live each night walking the shores of Kilmara as a broken-hearted woman who never ages. By day, she is Moirech, a monster imprisoned in Loch Moine. When bodies begin to appear on shore, the villagers are sure that she is responsible. They summon a hunter, Henry, to slay the monster. Iris must break her curse before she is killed. But as the hunt for the monster continues, she and Henry find themselves drawn together. What is she willing to do to gain her freedom?
Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie
Author: Heather Fawcett
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre:
More info: Emily Wilde Book 4 of 4
Plot
Emily Wilde is the foremost scholar on faeries, and happens to be married to Professor Wendell Bramleby, a faerie who has just regained his throne. When one of their friends goes missing in the black forest in Germany, Emily will have to decide how ruthless she can be to save her friend. She will have to explore the dark faerie realm. Check out Guide to The Emily Wilde Series!
The Magical Cheese Emporium
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre: Fantasy
More info: #1 New York Times bestselling author, fourth standalone in the spell shop series
Plot
Eloren was an assistant librarian at the great library. But when it burned down, she had no choice but to return home. Now she is stuck in her grandmother’s shop, The Magical Cheese Emporium, on a small island. She has one struggle after another (unicorns won’t let her milk them), but her childhood friend Garyn, is much more handsome than she remembers. When the governor imposes taxes on small businesses, she knows she is not going to let someone else exploit good people.
Firstdawn
Author: Lana Harper
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre: Fantasy
More info: Author of Payback’s a Witch
Plot
I have not read many books with Demons, but I cannot wait to read this one from the January 2027 book releases. Danica is a private investigator in Chicago who has spent her whole life battling her inner demons and nightmares. Her reality shatters when she is pursuing a Target one night and realizes there is a stranger beneath her skin when her reflection starts to flicker. She is desperate for answers and must turn to two half-demons and follow them into their world. There she will find answers about her real heritage and the truth about her world.
Thrillers and Mysteries for January 2027
Daisy: A Novel
Author: Katie Cotugno
Release Date: January 5, 2027
Genre: Thriller
More info: contemporary reimagining of The Great Gatsby aftermath
Plot
Daisy Buchanan is married with two children and leads an idyllic life on the outside. Nobody knows what it takes her to get through the day since Jay Gatsby, the love of her life, was killed two summers ago. When Daisy’s best friend, Jordan Baker, is found dead in the pool after her husband’s 40th birthday, Daisy is convinced that anybody who gets close to her winds up dead. She is determined to figure out why.
Miss Archer
Author: Jordan Harrison
Release Date: January 5, 2027
Genre: Gothic/ speculative Fiction
More info: Debut novel from a Pulitzer Prize finalist and playwright.
Plot
Dre Archer has been recruited to work as a governess for a five-year-old boy named Albie. He believes it is 1884, and everyone working at the family’s Grand Victorian Manor works to maintain this illusion and keep out the modern world. Miss Archer must act like she is in a period drama, complete with corsets. But she begins to question why the family is so strict about maintaining the illusion of living in the 19th century. As she gets closer to the truth, she must go to greater lengths to protect Albie, whom she has come to love as her own.
Ten Years Gone
Author: Wendy Walker
Release Date: January 12, 2027
Genre: Thriller
More info: USA Today Bestselling author of Blade
Plot
Griffin Ford has just been released from prison after serving 10 years for a crime he did not commit. But within hours of his release, someone attempts to abduct him. Clearly, someone does not want the truth from 10 years ago to be revealed. Claire Keaton was in love with Griffin 10 years ago. He told her to forget him, but she never did. On the day of his release, she receives a text message that makes her doubt everything. She thought she knew. Griffin and Claire have to make sense of the past and find out who is responsible.
The Things You’ll Never Know
Author: Ashley Audrain
Release Date: January 12, 2027
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestselling Author of The Push
Plot
This is a story of Fiona, a woman discovering the truth about her life after she dies. Fiona watches her body be taken away and quietly moves among the members of her family as it becomes clear that everybody is hiding something. Can Fiona even trust herself? When her teenage daughter discovers her diary, she also discovers Fiona’s betrayal. This is a story about Books About Mothers and Motherhood told from a unique perspective.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
Author: Susan Dennard
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre: Romantic mystery
More info: Lakeside Murders Book 1 of 2
Plot
I cannot wait to read this book that has a little bit of everything to love. It is a cozy romance with a small-town mystery and a little bit of enemies-to-lovers romance as well. Wren Peters is home on Blackbird Island for winter break, and is planning a New Year’s Eve festival.
When she has a nightmare about a man being chased into a frozen lake, and he turns up dead, she is freaked out. She is forced into a secret alliance with Archer Sullivan. Their families have been feuding for generations, but the two must work together to uncover the secrets before the killer strikes again.
Plot
Three couples are vacationing in paradise for two weeks in Mexico. They quickly become friends and make the decision to vacation together. It feels fun and effortless, but no one suspects that one couple is playing a game: seduce your target however you can. They have played this game before, but this time, boundaries are pushed, and this might be the one game that goes too far.
The One We Buried
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Release Date: January 26, 2027
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
More info: New York Times bestselling author
Plot
Thirteen years ago, Nic, Alanna, Talia, and Jess were sent to Sanctuary Springs, a program for gifted but troubled girls. Dr. Sheffield and her daughter ran an experimental program that promised the girls would emerge as different women during their three months at the facility. None of the girls ever talked about what happened on the island.
When Nick is attacked and her fiancé is killed, she returns to the sanctuary where Talia has built a wellness retreat. Soon, Nick is convinced that her fiancé’s murder is linked to what happened all those years ago and is determined to confront the truth about that time.
Romance: January 2027 Book Releases
Plot
Nora and Robin have been together for a decade and agreed they didn’t need a wedding. But when Robin proposes, Nora knows the answer is yes. On the night of their engagement party, Bren shows up on her doorstep. They had grown up best friends who always thought they would end up together, but when her heartbreak turned their lives, Bren left, and the distance between them became insurmountable.
now that he is back, Nora has to ask herself what she truly wants. This is a love triangle that asks about the what-ifs and choices that have shaped our lives.
People Pleasing
Author: Hannah Bonam-Young
Release Date: January 5, 2027
Genre: Romance
More info: Book 2 of 2: People
Plot
Nadia is reluctantly heading home to help her brother, Nik, with the opening of his new brewery. She is not surprised to see Aleks; he is her brother’s business partner, but she is not sure she is prepared to spend time with him again.
Alexs and Nadia easily fall into old routines when they are back together, but Nadia is not sure she can stay home or that Aleks will ever ask her. Is giving in to something between them a recipe for pain?
Plot
Bianca wants to spend her life making documentaries, but is currently stuck photocopying movie manuscripts. When she is a finalist for a film making grant, she has to impress the judges. She decides to propose a documentary about Brazil’s first all female Samba school. The president and the founder is Bianca’s aunt. The problem is that Bianca has never been to Brazil, does not speak Portuguese, and has never met her aunt.
When Bianca finds a letter from her aunt to her late mother, she must make a choice between uncovering the truth and making a name for herself.
January 2027 : Best Nonfiction Book Releases
Dumpling Therapy: My Mother, Chinese Food, and Five Thousand Years of Not-So-Ancient Recipes
Author: Miranda Brown
Release Date: January 5, 2027
Genre: Memoir
More info: Perfect for Nonfiction Food Books
Plot
In this memoir, Miranda Brown put together her family’s story across two millennia through secret letters and recipes. When Miranda was young, she didn’t understand why her immigrant mother did not cook like other Chinese women. After her death, Miranda was determined to master classic Chinese cooking. And doing so, she propelled herself into the history of Chinese food.
Garden Club Women: The Hidden Force Behind a Century of American Change
Author: Meredith Henne Baker
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre: Nonfictiom
More info:
Plot
This is a sweeping non-fiction history of women’s garden clubs and their overlooked role in community improvement and conservation across the United States. Conservationists like Lady Bird Johnson and the Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer are names history may have forgotten for their role in protecting thousands of acres of endangered land from California to Florida. I cannot wait to read this pick from the January 2027 book releases.
Family Across Town: My Father’s Double Life, a Memoir
Author: Aynah V. Askanas
Release Date: January 19, 2027
Genre: Memoir
Plot
Aynah grew up in a suburb of LA with her three siblings. Something about her childhood always felt like it was not quite right. As an adult, she discovered that her father had another family with two daughters who lived just across town. This memoir explores family dysfunction and the cost of secrecy across generations. How can a family heal?
Best YA January 2027 Book Releases
Plot
This pick from the January 2027 book releases looks like a YA, gender swapping version of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Poppy has incredibly high standards and bails at the hint of a red flag. Cam has never dated anyone for longer than a month before bailing.
When Poppy’s friends challenge her to give someone a chance for two months, she decides that it should be Cam. But Cam has decided he will not end his next relationship; he will let the girl endthings. He will do whatever he can to put Poppy off. But what will happen when the two of them can find love despite their flaws?
Gilded Wings
Author: Emily Theide
Release Date: January 12, 2027
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
More info: Fantasy romance with dragons
Plot
Stella runs to the city to escape a betrothal. She knows that in her world, there is danger from dragons, and the jewels worn by the rich are a means of magical protection. Gentry is a newsie who has secrets of his own. When he discovers that he is missing something priceless, he needs to hunt down the beautiful girl whom he believes is the thief. Stella and Gentry must go undercover in the elite circles to find what is causing the growing number of dragon attacks on the city.
More January 2027 Book Releases
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 January 2027 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
What are the most anticipated books from the January 2027 book releases?
There are so many great books releasing in January that it was hard to pick just one. Pure Ox by Mateo Askaripour, Belle Haven Finishing School by Adele Myers, A Court of Forgotten Melody by Sarah J Maas, Daisy by Katie Cotugno, People in Love by Claire Daverly , Dumpling Therapy by Miranda Brown, and Red Flags by Sophie Jo are some of the books we are really looking forward to reading.
When do January 2027 books come out?
Books are released on Tuesdays so books will be released on January 5, 12, 19, and 26th.
What are the best debut novels coming out in January 2027?
There are two debut novels on my list of January 2027 book releases. Miss Archer by Jordana Harrison is a speculative thriller and Red Flags by Sophie Jo is a YA romance. Things You’ll Never Know by Ashley Audrain and Daisy by Katie Cotugno are two thrillers that also seem to be great books for book clubs.
Which January 2027 books would make good book club picks?
Pure Ox by Mateo Askaripour and Belle Haven Finishing School by Adele Myers are two books that stand out as great picks for a book club. If you want to see more great book club books, you can look at the Beyond the Bookends Starter Guides and Book Club Questions for our favorite book club books.
Should I preorder January 2027 books, and why does it matter?
When you request them early at your local library or preorder them from your local bookstore, you help generate buzz. The result? You are helping authors and sending the message that you support the book community! Most importantly, all the book preorders count toward the first week’s sales. This can help get authors on bestseller lists.
The more interest, the better placement in the bookstore, which can lead to more sales. It’s a snowball effect in the best way!
Epilogue
Which January 2027 book releases are you most looking forward to reading?
