Fall 2023 Releases to Add to Your TBR

I just realized I never shared new releases for the end of the year! My 23 Most Anticipated Reads of 2023 post stopped at August, but you can still check it out for some books you may have missed this year! This list is much shorter with only 6 novels, but they include contemporary romances, a fantasy romance, and thrillers. And unless I specifically mention in the book description that it’s YA, you can just assume they are adult novels.

Contemporary Romance

The Long Game by Elena Armas

I did not think I would pick up another Elena Armas novel after The Spanish Love Deception, but this novel just sounds really fun?? I would also hope that a few novels into her career, the issues that I had with her debut (pacing and character development mostly) are resolved. The Long Game also seems to put a twist on a sports romance and the hero, Cam, is described as a “goalkeeping prodigy whose presence is somewhat of a mystery” which I just can’t say no to. Who’s with me?

A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this smalltown love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer.

Release Date: September 5, 2023 | Goodreads

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

Another soccer romance with comparisons to Ted Lasso in the same month? That show really had everyone in a chokehold. I never got into it, but I’m into soccer so there’s that. Well this is a rival teammates to lovers story with a World Cup backdrop which makes everything even more high stakes. And this is perfect for anyone planning to do a sports romance reading challenge this fall. (If anyone wants a post with some recs for that let me know!)

A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.

Release Date: September 19, 2023 | Goodreads

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

You may or may not be aware of my somewhat rocky relationship with Ali Hazelwood’s books. I absolutely swooned reading The Love Hypothesis, but then I DNF’d Love on the Brain. And as of the writing of this post, I have her latest novel Love, Theoretically sitting on my kindle where it’s been since the book’s release… about two months ago. However, Ali has been very busy writing! Her newest novel Check & Mate is her young adult debut (claps all around) and it’s… a chess romance? Hey, in the age post-The Queen’s Gambit I fully trust this endeavor. Plus it’s a rivals-to-lovers romance so points for that too. Also, its release shares the day with my birthday so that kind of means we all have to read this, right?

Life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Release Date: November 7, 2023 | Goodreads

Fantasy Romance

The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo

You may know this author by her To Kill a Kingdom series, but she’s back with a new YA novel and I’m kind of obsessed with the concept. Two fantastical characters who have endured their own forms of suffering team up and go against the Gods and maybe also fall in love? Sign me up! If you like mythology or dark fantasy romance (of the young adult variety) add The Night Hunt to your TBR this fall. Also, please let me know your thoughts on this cover because I’m feeling iffy on it personally.

A dark fantasy romance about a monstrous girl who feeds on fear and the Gods-cursed boy who falls in love with her.

Release Date: October 10, 2023 | Goodreads

Thriller/Mystery

Shadowheart (Unsub #4) by Meg Gardiner

Meg Gardiner is the author of the amazing thriller series Unsub that is basically perfect for anyone who went through (or is still in) an obsession with Criminal Minds. I read the first two novels in this series earlier this year and loved them; in fact I gave them both 5 star ratings. It’s been a few years since book 3 was released and I was hesistant to pick it up without knowing when book 4 would come out. And look here, like a gift, it’s releasing sooner than I could ever have thought. I would implore you to pick up this series before October so you won’t have to suffer the consequences of waiting on a cliffhanger or being spoiled for the newest installment of this chilling and high intensity thriller series.

What happens when two serial killers begin to compete with each other? | FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix faces a case from nightmares.

Release Date: October 3, 2023 | Goodreads

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

I have to admit I had a bit of a hard time trying to decide where to place this novel. It’s listed as a mystery/thriller, gothic, horror, fantasy, and romance on Goodreads and the description definitely pulls a lot of these elements in. So… we’re sticking with this category, but know going in that it’s definitely gothic and there’s probably some romance and/or fantastic elements. I mean, you can’t say “brooding men” and then not have romance in your book right? Anyway, beyond that there’s basically a small town with a creepy haunted house and our main character, Opal, and brooding man, Arthur, somehow get roped into the gothic mystery of it all. Sounds like fun! It’s definitely going on my TBR now.

A grim and gothic new tale… about a small town haunted by secrets that can’t stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Release Date: October 3, 2023 | Goodreads

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I stumbled across some nice surprises when doing the research for this post (and maybe another post for later on in the year, wink wink). Are there any new releases you’re excited to get to this year? Are there any I missed that you think I absolutely should have on my TBR? Happy reading everyone! Let’s all try and finish the year strong (I definitely need the encouragement because my Goodreads goal is pretty tragic at the moment).