First to Finish by Rebecca J. Caffery (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Pole Position series. Poor Johannes is in a rough place with his secret boyfriend being a total asshole. Heartbreak all around really. And it’s affecting his racing. Luckily, his race engineer Caleb is super competent. And also super hot. The tentative build of their friendship and relationship was so much fun to watch. Plus Caleb is way better for Johannes than the old boyfriend. Loved this one.

Advance ebook provided by One More Chapter via NetGalley.

The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle (2026)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Princes of London series. Awkward first meeting for Dom and Tess who are at odds in a noblewoman’s library. Luckily, they meet again very soon at the site of an archeological dig. Attraction is strong between these two, but Dom is usually the carefree rake and Tess has been burned by a gentleman before. They have to work together at the dig and grow closer along the way. The flirtatious banter is delightful and I loved seeing Tess be the one to tame Dom. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Layla is about to have the most awkward week of her life, attending her ex-sister-in-law’s wedding in Paris while her ex-husband (the bride’s brother) is bringing his new girlfriend. Awkwardness made worse when she meets Grumpy Griffin on the airplane and then finds out he’s the groom’s best friend and best man. And Griffin is clearly operating under some chronic pain and major anxiety. Dual POV here as Layla and Griffin stick together to deal with the bride’s cold feet. Both Layla and Griffin are very guarded and not willing to overshare at first, but they just seem to have that instant energy connecting them. Finally learning Griffin’s backstory and how he became injured will break your heart. Ugh, the loveliest book. You should definitely read it. Avoid if you’re sensitive about a recent breakup, I think.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Set Point by Meg Jones (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Game, Set, Match series. Ines and Chloe have been rivals on the tennis court for years, mostly from Chloe being aggressive and unprofessional. Plus she ghosted Ines once after they kissed at a party. It doesn’t help that Chloe is now dating Ines’ former mixed doubles partner. Somehow, they get entangled together again as Chloe tries to clean up her act and Ines is working on a comeback. It’s bickering and tension for most of the book, until they finally start being honest with each other. Definitely some toxic parents and upbringing for Chloe that I’m sure contributes to her mental health. Ines is the mature one here, but definitely vulnerable with the way Chloe hurt her before. It’s messy and chaotic, but so much fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Collins Audio.

Nearly a Bride by Sabrina Jeffries (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lords of Hazard series. Loads of plot and intrigue here. Giselle needs help from the Earl of Heathbrook because she fears her passport from France to England is being questioned. Heath proposes a deal where they pretend to be engaged because he also needs help appearing the upstanding gentleman to gain custody of his younger brothers. There’s an overbearing cousin in the mix, along with whatever villain is chasing Giselle. There’s tons of action here, with danger around most corners. The romance here is fairly straightforward, with Heath trying his best not to ruin Giselle, and Giselle trying to resist being taken advantage of. Overall, the plot twists are a lot of fun to read and I loved how they all became a family.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Recorded Books.

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The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith (2026)

Fantasy romance. Book 2 of the Rose Bargain series. Continuation of The Rose Bargain and pretty much makes no sense if you didn’t read it. Ivy is our main character here, human lady married to a magical king, and in love with his human stepbrother instead. She’s trying to fight evil, save her sister, find her true love, and dissolve her marriage. There’s plotting and trials and danger all around. And hey, we did not unexpectedly end on a cliffhanger this time. Conclusion to the duology.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Family drama meets fake engagement situation here. Sutton is back in her small town to care for her mother who was recently in a car accident. Mom is a mean old lady who is totally unappreciative of Sutton and has all sorts of issues from when her husband left her. Sutton has her own control issues and gets dumped pretty much the first sentence of the book. She runs into her old high school friend who is trying to convince her own fiance to go to pre-marital therapy. The guy and his brother Elijah think the therapy thing is a joke and that a therapist wouldn’t be able to tell if complete strangers were faking a relationship. And so we start some sort of wager here and Sutton and Elijah are the strangers sent to therapy. But of course, they have amazing chemistry, and the therapy sessions are actually kind of helpful. Super steamy romance ensues. But of course, they live in two different towns and have their own individual baggage, so we get to see how it all blows up. Loved this book so much.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan audio.

Earl on Fire by Felicity Niven (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Henry is a stodgy old earl who ends up caring for his young granddaughter after his son passes away. Lucky for him (and her), little Mina is sweet and affectionate and Henry pretty much dotes on her. She tasks him with finding the author of some storybooks and to get married so she can have a grandmother. He tracks the author to some small village and encounters a delightful woman there instead. Susannah has been a bit of a village pariah (for reasons to be revealed later) and is wary of the handsome stranger. But when her circumstances change, she owns up to the fact that she’s the author he’s been looking for and she needs the employment. The romance here between people in middle age is sweet and fairly direct. No one has time to waste anymore. Definitely steamy and full of love, even with the social class differences between Henry and Susannah.

Advance ebook provided by Felicity Niven.

An Unforgettable Kiss by Alexa Aston (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Captivating Kisses series. Con and Rowena meet at a ball and he’s tasked to dance with her by his cousin. He’s totally intrigued by her, even though he’s not ready to marry and she’s adamantly against marriage. In fact, she dresses frumpily on purpose to avoid suitors. They both end up at the same house party and Con decides to pursue her in earnest. He’s got a lot of convincing to do, but I had faith in him all along. I always love a good “he falls first” scenario, especially when he wants to do the honorable thing always.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.