January 2027 Book Releases: Romance & Fantasy to Watch

January’s reading list mixes familiar fantasy worlds with contemporary and witchy romance. Four selected releases arrive across the first three weeks of 2027, with two sharing 12 January. Use the calendar to plan release week, then read the short selection notes to decide which book fits your mood.

This is a curated shortlist, not a complete list of every book published this month. Dates were checked against author and publisher information on 2 November 2026 and can change; editions and territories may differ. No unconfirmed spice ratings have been assigned.

Browse the monthly release guides: January 2027 · February 2027 · March 2027.

January 2027 release calendar

January 2027

4 releases

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

1

2

3

4

5The Rivalry ResetAmy Lea

6

7

8

9

10

11

12A Court of Forgotten MelodySarah J. MaasSuch Familiar MagicNatasha Ngan

13

14

15

16

17

18

19Emily Wilde’s History of Dark FaerieHeather Fawcett

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

What to read in January

The Rivalry Reset by Amy Lea — 5 January

For readers who want rivalry with a peculiar twist: a head injury leaves Marnie’s broadcasting cohost without his memories of their feud. His new affection makes their existing working relationship considerably more complicated. The sporting connection comes through their hockey show, rather than a familiar player-and-fan setup.

Publisher or author details.

Spice: not rated

Enemies to loversAmnesiaContemporary romanceSports romanceWorkplaceStandaloneAdult

A Court of Forgotten Melody by Sarah J. Maas — 12 January

A returning-reader choice for the ACOTAR shelf. This instalment follows A Court of Splintered Harmony, so plan your catch-up before release week. The official announcement leaves much of the story under wraps; we are keeping unconfirmed pairings and plot theories out of the guide.

Publisher or author details.

Spice: not rated

RomantasyPart of a seriesAdult

Such Familiar Magic by Natasha Ngan — 12 January

Family magic takes centre stage when Laila Chu damages an ancestral potion and must seek help from childhood nemesis Anthony Lim. A British Chinese magical community and an English seaside setting make this a different kind of winter escape. The calendar uses the 12 January US date; the listed UK edition follows on 14 January.

Publisher or author details.

Spice: not rated

Enemies to loversParanormal romanceSmall townStandaloneAdult

Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie by Heather Fawcett — 19 January

Emily’s fourth adventure turns towards the Black Forest, a missing friend and a mystery that even the Folk find unsettling. Choose this for scholarly curiosity and dangerous folklore. It continues an established story: begin with Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries if you have not met Emily and Wendell yet.

Publisher or author details.

Spice: not rated

FantasyCosy fantasyForestPart of a seriesAdult

Choose your January reading mood

For a new story, begin with The Rivalry Reset or Such Familiar Magic. For a returning world, catch up on the earlier ACOTAR or Emily Wilde books first. You do not need to read every release: choose the premise you keep thinking about and leave space for your existing TBR.

Explore the covers and tags beside each description, or browse the complete book directory. You can suggest a missing release for a future update.

For the wider winter reading list, see our most anticipated January–March 2027 releases.

Release information last checked: 2 November 2026.