20 Second Half of 2021 Book Releases on My Wishlist

Yes, it’s me again with another “oh my gosh, how are we halfway through 2021” post. Are we even surprised at this point? Today I’m sharing 20 books that I am excited to read in the second half of the year! September-November is a HUGE release season so I’m very excited for these. I have ARCs of a couple so I’m looking forward to seeing what makes it onto my Fall Reading Guide!

July

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It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey—I’m nearly done with this one and wow what it worth the wait! It’s my perfect romance: broody love interest, spicy scenes, a storm, and a small town with a lot of heart. Loving it!

Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin—July 27—The completion of the Serpent & Dove series with the third book! I’m in the minority in that I really liked Blood & Honey so I’m really excited to finish off the series.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby—July 6—I included this one on my Summer Reading Guide and I’m excited to finally read it! It sounds heartbreaking so I’ve been saving it for when I’m in the right mindset.

It’s It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams—July 20—I love this series! We’ve had Lyssa Kay Adams on Read It Or List It twice and she’s such a delight. I’m excited to read The Russian’s story!

August

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The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang—If I could go back and read The Kiss Quotient for the first time, I 100% would. I have such a great understanding of the genre now than I did when I read it in 2019. Her latest book in the series sounds so good! “When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She's going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.”

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange—One of my favorite books of 2019 was Ask Again, Yes by Marybeth Keane and this book sounds like it is written in a similar vain. I’m from an Irish Catholic family, like the one at the center of this story, so I think it will be a book I can really relate to.

The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon—I have been ready for this book since last summer! I loved The Boyfriend Project so I’m really excited for the next one in the companion series.

September

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Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney—Confession: I have never read any Sally Rooney. Is this the one I start with? Time will tell. “Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?”

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead—Colson Whitehead’s books are always a must read and I am PUMPED for his newest release set in Harlem in the 1960s.

A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria—September 21—Probably the book I’m most excited for because I LOVED You Had Me at Hola last summer! It’s a sexy second chance romance about childhood friends who reunite when forced to work on a project together.

The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo—September 28—I really liked Ties That Tether so I’m excited for Jane Igharo’s second book! “When a woman travels to Nigeria to attend the funeral of the father she never knew, she meets her extravagant family for the first time, a new and inspiring love interest, and discovers parts of herself she didn't know were missing.”

October

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Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz—October 12—I recently read the first book in this series and it totally warmed my heart. It was so good, we even covered it on Read It Or List It! The second book brings us right back into Ari and Dante’s world, where we see their relationship and the challenges they face in a world that seems to be against their very existence.

All the Feels by Olivia Dade—October 26—Ohh I’m soooo excited for this romance! I was a huge fan of Spoiler Alert so I’m excited to hop back into this companion series. This one follows Alex, another actor on the fictional Game of Thrones style TV show, Gods of the Gates. Alex has continually gotten himself into trouble so the network has hired Lauren, a former ER therapist, to be his handler. But when another scandal may force Lauren to lose her job, she’ll be faced with what to choose: work or Alex.

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday—October 26—Another October release I’m hyped for after loving the author’s last release, A Princess for Christmas! This cover is calling my name and I love a steamy holiday romance. Sign me up!

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper—October 5—I’m not normally a witchy/Halloweeny kind of reader but this one sounds like something I’d enjoy. I’ll be happy to get into the Fall spirit! It’s blurbed as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word, two shows I love!

November

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Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves—November 2—I love Tracey Garvis Graves’ writing and this cover is giving me Daisy Jones & The Six vibes. It’s about a 35 year recently divorced music teacher who misses her days as the lead singer in a in a band who meets the recently separated father of one of her students. The two chat, become friends, and then more than friends but with both of them on-the-rebound, it’s uncertain whether heartbreak will occur.

The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams—November 2—Have I screamed about how much I love Denise Williams enough? This is the second book in her companion series (are we sensing a theme here?) and it’s the story of Wes, the personal trainer we met in Naya’s book, How to Fail at Flirting.

Never Fall For Your Fiancé by Virginia Heath—November 9—Calling all Bridgerton fans! if you’ve been looking for something to quench your thirst for season 2 and historical romance, this is the book for you!

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong—November 16—Is this another sequel? Yes. Oops. But it’s the follow up to These Violent Delights, a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai.

December

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Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera—December 28—Alright, it would only be appropriate to end this list with another sequel 😂 If you haven’t read What If It’s Us, it’s a great late summer/early Fall read and then you’ll be ready for the continuation of Arthur and Ben’s story!