Romance New Releases from February 2026 (contemporary romance, historical romance)

Racing Hearts by Ann Adams (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Kath is hyper obsessed with routine and rowing and she’s had a terrible racing slump. Her coach basically kicks her out of the Olympic training center and she’s stuck back with her unreliable mother and a new coach with unusual methods. Adrian is mostly just being flexible to the rowers’ needs and trying to help with the athletes’ mental health as part of their training. Kath of course is totally resistant, until she realizes that she’s got everything to lose if she doesn’t actually try things his way. He’s amazing and awesome and super good at coaching both Kath and the high school boys, in a way that is so endearing. And then we get the romance bit where Adrian is also an amazing boyfriend, though Kath insists it’s temporary and she won’t catch feelings. Right. I loved this book so much, with Kath’s journey into being less rigid and more accepting of love.

Advance ebook provided by Dell via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

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The Wild Card by Stephanie Archer (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 5 of the Vancouver Storm series. Tate and Jordan have had a bit of a contentious relationship for years, when Tate’s boss and hockey team owner tasks him with monthly check ins with Jordan, the nearby bar owner and woman who is estranged from her team owner father. The underlying attraction is definitely simmering throughout. And then they’re forced into even more proximity when dear old dad wants to sell the team and Jordan steps up to try to keep the team together. We get Jordan figuring out her life and how hockey fits into it, Tate trying not to sexually harass his new employee but also being totally protective of her, and both of them learning to trust each other and open up. Super sweet interactions between Jordan and Tate’s nine year old daughter, plus the whole book is super steamy. I do enjoy a protective partner, so him rescuing her from her crappy apartment and getting along with her violent cat is a bonus.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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An Urgent Kiss by Alexa Aston (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Captivating Kisses series. Tragic prologue for Hugo, who grew up with a stutter and a cruel and abusive father. He’s all grown up in this story, taken the title of earl, and ushering his younger sister through her debut. He happens to meet his sister’s friend Tia, believes her to be too outspoken and a bad influence, but is also distractedly attracted to her. Lady Tia is the younger sister of a duke, not necessarily looking to marry this season, and happy to make friends. She dislikes the arrogant Hugo, but that’s because he’s stiff and socially awkward, not because he’s actually arrogant. It’s pretty clear that they fall in love here, once she realizes that he’s a really nice guy. Fun family dynamics on Tia’s side, with all her siblings and cousins.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Clover Lake series. If you love a messy set-up, this book is for you. April is doing rough financially, so she takes an art teaching job at a local resort. And then it turns out her roommate and co-teacher is Daphne, the woman that he ex-fiancee cheated on her with. Ouch. Daphne is in an equally tough spot, having recently been dumped by said woman, and also did not know about April’s existence. It’s messy and angry and chaotic, plus they’re attracted to each other. Throw in some actual competition between the two in the form of a chance to show at an art gallery, and it’s heartbreak waiting to happen. I loved reading these two defensive and heartbroken people open up to each other and slowly start to let their walls down.

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

And Now, Back to You by BK Borison (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Heartstrings series. Opposites attract here with the grumpy straightlaced Jackson and the bubbly and chaotic Delilah. Except she isn’t really that chaotic, her toxic boss is trying to sabotage her. Jackson does radio weather, Delilah does TV weather, and their respective bosses team them up and send them to the mountains to cover a snowstorm. Reading these two interact and truly get to know each other is a joy. Like, this book was such a delight. And I especially loved that Jackson is raising his teenage sisters with such care and affection. Humor and steam and emotional angst all rolled into one.

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

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Academic rivals Frances and Lewis have a meet cute on their flight to a conference, and then are assumed to be dating by the conference organizer. And then they keep up the ruse through the conference because Frances doesn’t accidentally want to be called a liar. It turns out Lewis is not a mean guy, but just a socially awkward one who made one academic mistake on the advice of his mentor, and Frances is totally obsessed with prioritizing her work over any other type of relationship. I enjoyed seeing them communicate and air out their disagreements and then also nerd out together over science. This was a couple that was really fun to read, especially when they were supporting each other instead of getting in each other’s way. Super cute, steamy, and emotional.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Still Into You by Erin Connor (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Journalist Sloane has an opportunity to write an article on her ex-boyfriend Dax’s band. And she’s trying to keep things totally professional, even though it’s clear that he’s making heart eyes at her. They pretty much had a whirlwind summer together three years ago before she broke it off to go back to college and pursue her own career. Now, they’ve reconnected and it’s a chance for Sloane to see if she can juggle it all. The whole book is told from Sloane’s POV (and audiobook narration is mostly done by Karissa Vacker), with excerpts from interview transcripts of all the band members (with a different narrator for each band mate). It’s interesting seeing Sloane try so hard to prioritize her career, when Dax is clearly ready to commit and be a supportive partner for her. Loved the levels of yearning here and that the original breakup wasn’t so messy that it makes the re-do impossible.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Cozy mystery with a dash of romance. Pip is the assistant to a group of seven authors (in various genres) and they’re on their first book cruise. And then the head-boss, mystery writer Hugh, is murdered on practically the first day. Everyone on board the ship is a suspect, but especially the other six writers. There’s a mystery to solve, but at least Pip and Nash get to grow closer together. This one was fun to read, a little predictable, and reminded me a lot of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

One & Only by Maurene Goo (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. A smidge of magic here in the form of Cassia’s family matchmaking talent. They do this thing called face reading, and it helps find someone’s past life, past love, and their one and only soulmate. And as Cassia is about to turn 40, she’s still looking for her fated, a man called Daniel that her grandmother read in her face. But she meets great guy Ellis instead, and then it turns out Daniel is his boss. Oh, the mess and angst. And it’s really a story of finding your fate, but having someone else who matches you just as well. Or maybe there are multiple possibilities when it comes to love. It’s all Cassia’s point of view here, and despite the love triangle, everyone is great and we can see how easily Cassia can fit with either Ellis or Daniel. I loved the family dynamics here and how all the characters interact. Loved this book.

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

The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We spend most of the book with Marianto being sad her boyfriend needed a break from her and trying to figure out how to win him back. She loses her boyfriend and her job and needs to re-evaluate her life, but she just wants all of it back. She comes up with a scheme to win her boyfriend and her job back, but her new boss Simon is pretty skeptical. He’s pretty much perfect, being the lead singer of her favorite band and being an awesome relationship coach. But how long will it take for Marianto to realize that Simon is a better fit for her? The romance part here between our endgame couple is a little light considering we spend so much time hung up on the ex-boyfriend.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Scout is a former rocket scientist turned sex toy engineer who has an inconvenient crush on her co-worker Hudson. He’s got the best sort of cinnamon roll energy, even if he’s totally naive about all the toys at the company. When Scout decides she’s got to let go of her virginity, she propositions Hudson for the job, in exchange for teaching him about all those toys. She wants to keep things strictly physical, since she can’t have any distractions from her work, but he’s clearly smitten with her. Lots of issues for Scout related to her parents, her genius-level intelligence, and a former toxic relationship. She’s got a whole lot of self-discovery to go through before finding her happily ever after. Loved this book so much.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

It’s All in Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Strangers from an online chronic illness message board meet and fake date. Skylar is just trying to be helpful and prevent Pike’s mom from calling the cops for a wellness check, and maybe sorta lies that she’s Pike’s girlfriend. It does not go over well. But they meet in person and establish some ground rules for their fake relationship. Basically, they’re both navigating life suffering from chronic pain and their respective medical conditions. And as they slowly start to trust each other, it’s amazing to see how supportive they can be. Lots of insecurity and self-doubt for each, but they’re the best advocates for each other. I loved seeing these two turn their fake relationship into a real relationship, and see all the support they get from their social circle. Seriously, one of the best books with chronic disability representation I’ve read.

Advance ebook provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. I finished this one in a day because I was totally hooked. (That might not be saying much because I am fully capable of finishing a book a day when I’m on a roll). Tilly is a grieving widow who has been left a gift from her late husband at the local bookshop. A book a month, with a handwritten letter from her late husband, and each book is meant to inspire something in her life. It’s an emotional journey here as Tilly navigates her grief, and her relationship with her family, friends, and work. I loved seeing what new adventure her husband sent her each month. And the cute bookstore owner Alfie provided plenty of emotional support throughout the year. Super slow burn on the romance here, but I loved it all the same. Mostly told through Tilly’s point of view, but we get glimpses of Alfie’s perspective through the year as well. Excellent book, though it leaned more towards contemporary fiction than a traditional romance. The feelings I had reading it reminded me a lot of Overdue by Stephanie Perkins.

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