11 Books Coming in 2021 You Don't Want to Miss
As the sun rises and sets, demarcating the first days of 2021, there is no way to know for certain what this fresh new year will hold.
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the only thing truly certain is uncertainty.
But there is one thing I am confident in asserting, even with 2021 still in its infancy. I can say, without a doubt, that the inevitable highs and lows of this year will be punctuated by a whole crop of beautiful new books.
Here are 11 books, coming out in the first half of 2021, that you definitely need to add to your TBR.
The Marriage Code
by Brooke Burroughs
Release Date: January 1, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Multicultural Romance
Three Sentence Summary: Emma might not be able to do anything about the fact that her love life is a bit of a mess, but she’s determined to make her professional life a success — even if that means stepping on someone’s figurative toes. Rishi — the man on whose toes Emma has trampled — has his own problems, though, as his traditional Indian parents expect him to marry, and soon. When Emma promises to make it up to Rishi by writing an algorithm that will help him find the perfect bride, she finds herself surprised by the person to whom this formula points.
Why You’ll Love It: With a truly original love story set against the backdrop of Bangalore, India, this book shines. Author Brooke Burroughs must be following her own secret algorithm to so successfully win readers’ hearts with this sparkling debut.
Love Songs for Skeptics
by Christina Pishiris
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Three Sentence Summary: Real life is nothing like those fairytale interludes you hear described in poppy love songs, at least in Zoë’s experience. Ever since she missed her one opportunity to profess her love to her best friend, Simon, she’s been chronically single and tragically loveless. But now — just when Zoë’s professional life is growing complicated — Simon returns, giving her the second chance she has so long desired — but might still be too chicken to take advantage of.
Why You’ll Love It: Overflowing with tropes, this vibrant and engaging debut by Christina Pishiris will, like your favorite love song, speak directly to your heart.
Not My Boy
by Kelly Simmons
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Three Sentence Summary: Hannah hopes that moving to a new neighborhood will provide the fresh start she and her son need. Not only is Hannah working to learn how to live as a single woman — a crash course made necessary by her recent divorce — but also she’s trying to give her son a chance to redefine himself following some messy episodes that put him in the crosshairs of his peers. But when a young girl goes missing only days after their arrival, Hannah begins to wonder if some things that you wish would become relics of the past are destined to be defining elements in your present.
Why You’ll Love It: As beautifully written as it is emotion-stirring, this domestic thriller from the increasingly prolific Kelly Simmons is one that will stick with you long after you devour the last page.
What Waits For You
by Joseph Schneider
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Three Sentence Summary: When a horrifying spate of murders hits the Hollywood Hills, Detective Tully Jarsdel is tasked with ending the reign of terror. A former academic who employs unorthodox methods, she seems the perfect person to uncover the identity of this killer, whose particular brand of horror involves hiding in the houses of their victims prior to carrying out the attacks. The question remains, though, how many more people will have to die before Jarsdel can bring the perp to justice?
Why You’ll Love It: This newest Joseph Schneider novel is gritty and terrifying. It’s sure to have you triple-checking your locks and staying up well past your bedtime.
Black Widows
by Cate Quinn
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Three Sentence Summary: Though they live together in rural Utah, Rachel, Tina, and Emily are about as different as three women can be. They are kept together by one person, though: Blake, the husband they all three share. When Blake turns up dead, these widows have to decide whether they will let their suspicions of each other divide them or, instead, work together in hopes of surviving a trauma that will be more life-upending than they ever could have imagined.
Why You’ll Love It: If you’ve ever watched Dateline, you know that the spouse is usually the murderer. But what if there were three? Cate Quinn delivers on her naturally compelling premise, penning a mystery that keeps readers on the edges of their seats.
Let Her Lie
by Bryan Reardon
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Three Sentence Summary: Documentary filmmaker Theo Snyder experiences a jarring fall from the top when, fresh off a critical success, he makes a potentially career-ending mistake. Seeking to redeem himself and sell a story the studios just can’t refuse, he decides to focus his next film on a notorious serial killer, Jasper Ross-Johnson. Much to his chagrin, Theo learns that redemption won’t be easy — or safe — when his investigation digs up horrifying new information that suggests that the killing might not truly be over.
Why You’ll Love It: Theo Snyder makes a compelling protagonist in this Bryan Readon novel. A man out of his depth but driven by newfound duty to stop a tragedy before it happens, he is someone for whom readers can’t help but root.
Do No Harm
by Christina McDonald
Release Date: February 16, 2021
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Three Sentence Summary: A devoted doctor married to a police detective, Emma wouldn’t seem like the type of woman who would cross personal and professional boundaries and sell illicit drugs. But when her son, Josh, receives a devastating cancer diagnosis, she’s willing to do anything to fund his treatment, including breaking the law. But Emma’s actions won’t be without consequences as someone soon turns up dead and she finds herself in the crosshairs of a police investigation headed up by her very own husband.
Why You’ll Love It: In this timely thriller, Christina McDonald forces readers to really ask themselves how far they would go to save the life of the person they hold most dear. An exploration of love, family, and loss, it pulls at the heartstrings and makes you question your loyalties.
The Lost Apothecary
by Sarah Penner
Release Date: March 2, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Three Sentence Summary: In eighteenth-century London, women had little recourse when under the control of violent and oppressive men. Fortunately for these hopeless women, hidden in the twisty cobbled streets was an apothecary shop that offered the poisons these women needed to escape their lives of torment. But when a young girl makes a calamitous misstep, she sets off a series of catastrophes that will echo through the centuries, impacting the life and safety of Caroline Parcewell, a modern-day aspiring historian who calls a very different London home.
Why You’ll Love It: In her stunning debut, Sarah Penner builds a rich and intoxicating world that readers wouldn’t want to live in but somehow find themselves reluctant to leave.
Life’s Too Short
by Abby Jimenez
Release Date: April 6, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Three Sentence Summary: When you expect your days to be numbered, you strive to make the most out of each one. It is for this reason that Vanessa Price quit her job and started trotting around the globe. But Vanessa’s days of leisure come to an abrupt end when she suddenly takes custody of her half-sister’s baby and has to muddle her way through motherhood with only the sexy “baby tamer” Adrian Copeland to assist her.
Why You’ll Love It: Since exploding onto the scene with her debut, The Friend Zone, Abby Jimenez has consistently penned romances that make you cry and laugh in equal measure.
The Last Green Valley
by Mark Sullivan
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: Literary Fiction
Three Sentence Summary: Though they are of German descent, Emil and Adeline Martel have long called Ukraine home, farming land that has been in their family for centuries. As WWII draws closer to an end, this duality results in the couple facing an impossible choice: Should they stay in Ukraine and risk being sent to Siberia by the soviets, or follow the retreating Nazis, whose beliefs they despise but by whom they have been promised protection. But making their choice is just the beginning of what will become a grueling experience that will test their love, faith, and strength.
Why You’ll Love It: In this novel, Mark Sullivan captivates readers with a heartbreaking story of triumph over tragedy. Beautifully written and supremely engaging, it will leave readers breathless.
Local Woman Missing
by Mary Kubica
Release Date: May 18, 2021
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Three Sentence Summary: Shelby Tebow’s disappearance from her quiet, safe community seemed like an isolated tragedy, but when Meredith Dickey and her daughter, Delilah, also disappeared, the town realized they might be experiencing a terrifying trend. Fortunately though, the disappearances didn’t continue and the town, once on edge, calmed as the cases grew cold. But when Delilah suddenly returns eleven years later, bringing with her horrifying truths, the community is once again thrown into turmoil.
Why You’ll Love It: Mary Kubica is an auto-read author for many lovers of thrillers, and with this newest novel she proves that she deserves to maintain that coveted position.
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