The Book Beat - March 2026
Bringing you this month’s bookish buzz, from hot new releases to screen adaptations. This month my most anticipated read is The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez.
Hi Book Lovers,
Welcome back to TBB—your check-in for what’s new, noteworthy, and worth your reading time.
March always feels like a turning-point month. The days stretch a little longer, the air starts hinting at spring (or if you’re here in Texas… let’s be honest, it’s basically summer already), and my reading mood shifts right along with it. Suddenly I’m reaching for beach reads, second chances, and the kind of stories that feel like a fresh start.
This month there’s also been a lot happening in the book world (do I say this every month? Maybe but it’s true!) We’re diving into the latest casting news from the Emily Henry universe, the absolute frenzy surrounding a possible ACOTAR announcement, and a few nostalgic publishing updates that have readers feeling very sentimental. There’s also some exciting book-to-screen news making the rounds—including adaptations tied to Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, and B.K. Borison—plus a new Ali Hazelwood collection that has romance readers paying very close attention.
🔥Hot New Releases
The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez (Mar 24)— ✹Top pick for me✹
This is the second book after Say You’ll Remember Me (can absolutely be read standalone), and the premise hinges on one of those tiny, life-altering decisions: which guy you ride home with after a concert.
Larissa makes her choice… and meets the perfect man. The catch? The perfect man is her boyfriend’s best friend.
If you’ve read Abby before, you already know what this means: emotional restraint, impossible timing, quiet longing, and characters trying very hard to do the right thing while their hearts are doing something else entirely. Add in co-parenting a slightly chaotic rescue Yorkie and the kind of everyday intimacy Abby writes so well, and I already know this is going to hurt in the best way.
Best friend’s girlfriend + slow burn + emotional tension + forbidden romance + rescue dog
Goodreads
Mistakes Were Made by Lucy Score (Mar 10)— ✹Top pick for me✹
I adored Story of My Life by Lucy Score — the first in this universe (though they absolutely work as standalones). This one centers on Zoey, Hazel’s best friend, who I loved in book one, so I am very ready to see her get her happily ever after. It’s a steamy small-town rom-com where she’s looking for one night and he’s looking for a wife.
Small town romance + opposites attract + landlord x tenant + one-night stand + slow burn tension + grumpy, planning-obsessed MMC
No Matter What by Cara Bastone (Mar 3)— ✹Top pick for me✹
Promise Me Sunshine (my review) was one of my favorite reads last year, so naturally I am dying to get my hands on Cara’s latest release. This one sounds like another tender, emotionally layered romance. After surviving a traumatic accident, Roz and Vin can’t seem to find their way back to each other — until a figure drawing class (and one very awkward nude-model situation) forces them to truly see each other again. Expect quiet yearning, emotional healing, and that soft, slow-burn intimacy Cara Bastone writes so beautifully.
Second chance marriage + slow burn + forced proximity + emotional healing + Brooklyn setting + soft & swoony vibes
Goodreads | Bookshop.org (buy local) | Amazon
How to Write A Love Story by Catherine Walsh (Mar 10)— ✹Top pick for me✹
The author of Holiday Romance and Snowed In (my review) has written a nother love story for us to devour! When an ambitious New York editor travels to Ireland to help the daughter of a legendary fantasy author finish her father’s final book, the plan is simple: beat the deadline and protect a literary legacy. B
Slooooow burn + forced proximity + books about books + Ireland setting
Once and Again by Rebecca Serle (Mar 10)— ✹Top pick for me✹
A dreamy, emotional “what if” romance with Rebecca Serle’s signature touch of magical realism. In the Novak family, the women are born with one extraordinary gift: the ability to turn back time — once. When Lauren returns to her Malibu childhood home and reconnects with her first love, she’s forced to question the choices that shaped her life… and whether one of them should be undone. I think this one has a perfect summer setting, so I am saving this for my summer TBR.
Magical realism + first love reunion + what-if romance + coastal California setting + family legacy + emotional slow burn
Just Friends by Haley Pham (Mar 3)
A second-chance, childhood-best-friends romance from BookTok favorite Haley Pham. Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up — until one impulsive kiss changed everything and a single moment shattered what they had. Now, four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown and applying for a job at a coffee shop… managed by the one boy she never really got over.
Childhood best friends + second chance + coastal small town + dual timeline + first love nostalgia + slow burn
Love Is an Algorithm by Laura Brooke Robson (Mar 31)
A smart, slightly existential romance about love in the age of data. Eve is a musician who believes feelings should be messy, loud, and deeply human. Danny, meanwhile, helped build a dating app designed to remove the mess altogether. When the two start dating, it feels promising — until Danny decides to “optimize” relationships with a new algorithm that measures compatibility and emotional health. As the app explodes in popularity and people begin outsourcing their love lives to AI, Eve starts to wonder: can you quantify something that’s supposed to be felt?
Tech-meets-romance + opposites attract + dating app chaos + artistic FMC + anxious tech bro MMC + modern love + emotional stakes
And a few romance honorable mentions that are hovering just slightly lower on my TBR (for now…) — Love Song by Elle Kennedy (Mar 17) returns to the beloved Briar universe with next-gen characters, summer house energy, and the kind of angsty, chemistry-loaded romance Kennedy always delivers. In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde (Mar 3) expands the Windy City world with more sports-adjacent swoon, sharp banter, and big baseball energy. And if you prefer your romance with a little bite, Game On (Into Darkness #3) by Navessa Allen (Mar 31) leans fully into dark, enemies-to-lovers tension — high stakes, morally gray edges, and the kind of heat that keeps you reading way past bedtime.
Beneath by Ariel Sullivan (Mar 24)— ✹Top pick for me✹
A dystopian romance prequel set centuries before Conform (a book I devoured!!), where humanity is still clawing its way back after nuclear devastation. Sasha Cadell has been surviving — not living — in an underground city since the fallout, burying her grief in long shifts in the Expansion Sector. But when a relentless (and infuriatingly attractive) commander recruits her for a secret mission to the surface, survival turns into something far more dangerous. Brutal training, high-stakes secrets, and an attraction that simmers under pressure — all while a new power rises that could wipe out what’s left of humanity.
Dystopian romance + underground city + elite training + forced proximity + high stakes + slow-burn tension
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum (Mar 10)— ✹Top pick for me✹
A buzzy thriller set in the world of podcast fame, survival stories, and secrets that were never meant to go public. Benny and Joy host one of the most beloved “against all odds” survival podcasts out there — built on friendship, humor, and carefully curated vulnerability. But when Joy and her husband vanish without a trace, and an unfinished memoir draft surfaces, Benny finds himself at the center of the investigation. As suspicion turns toward him and buried truths start clawing their way out, it becomes clear their biggest survival story might be the one they never told.
Podcast thriller + missing persons + best friends with secrets + unreliable narratives + fame & façade + dark + twisty + multi-layered
Across the Vanishing Sky by Catherine Cowles (Mar 3)
Small-town romantic suspense with secrets buried deep and a mountain-man MMC who absolutely did not plan on falling in love. Braedyn returns to Starlight Grove to raise her son and finally uncover what happened to her best friend who vanished years ago — but the more she digs, the more dangerous things become.
Small town + single mom + broody mountain man + romantic suspense + missing person mystery + protective MMC + high stakes
Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano (Mar 17)
Finlay is back — and this time it’s Vero who’s in trouble. This series is pure comfort chaos for me, so I’m more than ready to get into trouble with my favorite duo again. When her nanny/ride-or-die gets extradited to Maryland over a theft she swears she didn’t commit, Finlay packs her bags and heads straight into another chaotic, crime-adjacent mess. Between threatening notes, a ghosting ex-date alibi, and sorority funds that mysteriously vanished, the stakes feel a little too real this time. As always, expect sharp humor, escalating hijinks, and the kind of best-friend loyalty that makes this series so addictive.
Amateur sleuth chaos + ride-or-die besties + wrongful accusation + suburban crime caper + fast-paced + dark humor
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott (Mar 3)— ✹Top pick for me✹
Three women. Three infamous ex-husbands. One very bad summer in 1966. Beverley, Elsie, and Margot have one deeply unfortunate thing in common: they were married to serial killers. Now divorced, widowed, or otherwise untethered from the monsters who made headlines, they’re left to rebuild their lives under the weight of public scrutiny and whispered blame. But when a new string of murders rocks their California town, these underestimated ex-wives decide they might be uniquely qualified to help. After all… who better to catch a killer than the women who once shared a home with one?
1960s setting + female friendship + multiple POV + cat-and-mouse tension + dark suspense + underestimated women
Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (March 12)
A decades-spanning love story that begins on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in 1978 and lingers long after summer ends. Erica is spending her first summer in Paris before university; Laure is older, brilliant, reckless, and already living in the gray spaces of love. What starts as a spark becomes a connection that follows them through marriages, children, secrets, and the quiet ache of choices made — and not made. This feels tender, yearning, and a little devastating in that One Day / Normal People way.
Queer romance + decades-spanning + second chances + Paris setting + longing + “right person, wrong time” energy
How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson (Mar 31)
I loved Jenny’s first book — she is downright hilarious in that chaotic, brutally honest way that makes you feel both seen and personally attacked (affectionate). I don’t typically reach for a ton of nonfiction because my TBR is already fighting for its life… but this one? This sounds like exactly my flavor.
In this advice-meets-memoir, Jenny shares the real-life tools that help her function and create while navigating depression, anxiety, ADHD, and the general nonsense of being a human. Expect irreverent chapter titles, deeply relatable spirals, and genuinely practical reminders about rest, accommodations, celebrating small wins, and giving yourself permission to exist imperfectly.
Nonfiction + mental health + creativity + humor + practical advice + comforting chaos
What’s on your TBR for March?
💎 Backlist Gems
March feels like a turning point month. The light lingers a little longer, the air shifts, and suddenly everything feels… possible again. So for this month’s Backlist Gems, I’m leaning into second-chance romances — the stories about starting over, circling back, and realizing it might not be too late after all.
These are the books where love didn’t quite work the first time. Where timing was off, pride got in the way, life intervened, or someone walked away. And yet. Here we are again. A new season. A new opportunity. A chance to choose differently.
Because if February is about falling in love, March is about finding your way back to it.
💕🌸 Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
[On Kindle Unlimited] If you like your second chances with tension, florals, and a man who is down catastrophically bad, this is the one. A wedding planner is forced to work with her grumpy florist ex — the one whose heart she broke — on the biggest event of her career. The dual Now & Then timeline slowly unravels what went wrong, while the present-day proximity keeps the tension deliciously tight. Elliot is tall, dark, quietly obsessed, and the kind of hero who would absolutely rearrange his entire life for her. Add in over-the-top wedding details and lush floral design and I was fully swept away.
Second chance + grumpy x sunshine + wedding industry + dual timeline + emotionally repressed MMC + high heat + florals on florals
👉 [Buy the book]
💕🌊 Happy Place by Emily Henry
This is second chance romance with teeth. Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago… they just haven’t told their friends. So when their annual Maine summer trip rolls around — one last week in the cottage that’s about to be sold — they fake it. One bedroom. One friend group. A relationship that technically ended but never really untangled. Told in a Now & Then structure, the book slowly reveals what fractured them while the present-day proximity makes the yearning almost unbearable. This one is heavier than the title suggests — grief, identity, growing apart — but the chemistry never wavers. It’s sun-soaked and devastating all at once.
Second chance + fake dating + forced proximity + friend group dynamics + summer setting + aching yearning + emotional depth
👉 [Buy the book]
💕🌊 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Percy returns to her childhood summer town years after blowing up the best thing she ever had — and the boy she loved is still there. Told in a Now & Then structure across six summers and one very pivotal weekend, this one is drenched in nostalgia, longing, and that aching “what did we do?” energy. The lake vibes are immaculate, the tension is thick, and when it steams up? It steams.
Childhood friends to lovers + second chance + small-town lake setting + dual timeline + emotional longing + high heat
👉 [Buy the book]
🎬 From Page to Screen
The latest news in book to screen adaptations.
The romance-to-screen pipeline is not just alive — it’s thriving.
First up: First Time Caller by B.K. Borison is officially headed for adaptation. Variety confirmed the beloved radio-station romance has been optioned for film, which I am thrilled about! The story follows a hopeless romantic who crosses paths with a cynical radio host in a love story inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. The project has been picked up by Daryl Steiger’s romance-focused production company A Cup of Happy Productions, with Borison serving as executive producer. And if they manage to perfectly cast Aiden Valentine, I will be absolutely insufferable about it for months. (Fun fact: Borison has said she pictured Nick Miller from New Girl while writing him.) (My review of First Time Caller, my review for And Now Back to You)
Shifting into darker romance territory, Lights Out by Navessa Allen is currently in development at Netflix, according to Deadline. The BookTok-famous novel exploded after its 2024 release and follows trauma nurse Aly whose darkest fantasy takes a very real turn when a masked vigilante hacker named Josh breaks into her home. What unfolds is a dangerous, steamy romance where obsession, fantasy, and reality start bleeding together. I have yet to read this one and now the clock is ticking!
Meanwhile, Emily Henry continues her reign over the romance world. Casting news for Beach Read just dropped, and Phoebe Dynevor is officially set to play January Andrews — casting that feels suspiciously like someone reached into the Pinterest board in my brain. If you recognize her, it’s probably from her role as Daphne in Bridgerton. I can already picture her wandering a windy coastal town with purse wine in hand. Now the real question: who is going to play Gus? Tell me you dream cast below!
Another romance adaptation also quietly entered development this month. Production company Fifth Season has acquired the rights to Beautiful Bastard and plans to develop the wildly popular romance into a television series. The book, originally published by Simon & Schuster in 2013, was written by the duo behind the pen name Christina Lauren (Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings). Both authors will co-write the TV adaptation, with Bill Dubuque supervising. Dubuque will also produce alongside Kristen Campo — the pair recently collaborated on the Fifth Season/Netflix series His & Hers, based on the novel by Alice Feeney. Personally, I loved that adaptation, so seeing this team attached has me optimistic!
Thriller readers also have something to look forward to. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (read my review) has landed a television deal with Universal Television and Kevin Williamson attached — yes, the same Kevin Williamson behind Scream. If you’ve read the book, you know it’s tailor-made for sleek, twisty TV. So, identity games, morally gray decisions, and paranoia coming to a screen near you soon.
Historical fiction is getting its moment, too. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is being adapted for film with Trudie Styler attached to produce.
Rom-com fans also received news that personally delighted me: Nancy Meyers is officially returning to theaters for the first time in more than a decade. Town & Country reports her next film is slated for a Christmas 2027 release and will be an ensemble romantic comedy — which is all I need to hear. Nancy Meyers at Christmas? Expect cashmere sweaters, kitchens worth more than my house, divorced parents with impeccable taste, and at least one sweeping romantic monologue delivered beside a fireplace.
In other book-to-screen updates:
The official trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 dropped — and yes, Miranda Priestly still commands the room.
Remarkably Bright Creatures gave us a first look at its adaptation, and it already looks emotionally devastating.
Tell Me Lies wrapped its latest season.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is rumored to begin filming the movie at the end of April.
Off Campus has officially been renewed for season two.
And Boys of Tommen by Chloe Walsh has been picked up by Prime Video — which means Irish rugby angst may soon be living rent-free in all our homes.
📰 Bookish Buzz
Random news bites from the literary world—from fun headlines to upcoming releases from the authors we love.
Fantasy readers, gather. The romantasy rumor mill is also working overtime. The internet seems to be collectively holding its breath for an announcement about A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 6. The latest rumor floating around is that an audiobook production listing set a release date of October 27, 2026 — which does happen to fall on a Tuesday (aka the day most books release). Is it real? Who knows. But the timing has definitely caught readers’ attention.
Adding fuel to the fire: Sarah J. Maas is appearing on Call Her Daddy Wednesday March 4th at 8 PM EST, and readers are hoping she might finally answer some of our most persistent questions. 👀
In nostalgia news, it’s time to dust off the headbands and return to the Upper East Side. More than two decades after the first Gossip Girl novel was released — and over thirteen years after the CW series ended — Blair Waldorf is getting her own book.
As confirmed by Deadline, original Gossip Girl author Cecily von Ziegesar is returning to the world she created with a brand-new prequel novel titled Blair, centered on everyone’s favorite Manhattan socialite. Personally, I always loved Blair — and her many pearls of wisdom.
Here are a few of her most iconic quotes.
Speaking of fandoms having a moment, the Heated Rivalry phenomenon continues to make waves. Good Good Good Co recently compiled a roundup of positive headlines tied to the book’s impact — a surprisingly wholesome ripple effect from a hockey romance that has readers everywhere emotionally unwell.
And if you’re enjoying the Heated Rivalry adaptation content as much as I am, there’s also a great GQ interview with Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie making the rounds. Their friendship is genuinely delightful, which somehow makes the on-screen tension even better.
Another piece of book-world news that caught my attention this month: the New York Times recently published a fascinating article about the history of mass market paperbacks — and why they may be disappearing. If you grew up stuffing those tiny paperbacks into every bag and beach tote you owned, it’s a bit of a bittersweet read. If you run into the paywall, there’s a quick explainer video below that summarizes the highlights.
And now for a bit of romance publishing news I simply cannot skip: Ali Hazelwood is back with another project.
Her Kickstarter imprint AH² (AHsquared) is expanding into historical romance with a new collection titled Historical Trailblazers, slated for release in Spring 2026. Like the previous After the End collection, the project is reader-powered and designed to celebrate influential voices in romance. This collector’s boxed set will feature five beloved historical romances written by five authors who helped shape the genre — essentially giving these icons their long-overdue flowers. The project is also partnering with the Fated Mates podcast and audiobook powerhouse Julia Whelan’s Audiobrary, which is a pretty stacked lineup.
BOTM Announced the 2025 Lolly Winner - Wild Dark Shore. This book made my top reads list for last year - read my review here.
Finally, because publishing never sleeps, there have been a lot of new book announcements and cover reveals lately. A few that caught my eye:
📚 New Book Announcements
• Sarah Adams — Soulmates - Spring/Summer 2027
• Layne Fargo — The Ice Queens - 2027
• Mallory Marlowe — Entities to Lovers - October 2026
• Joss Richard — Let’s Kiss and Tell - August 2026
• Laurie Gilmore — Big Bad Wolf - September 20206
• Becca Freeman — Back Where We Started - October 2026
• TJ Klune — Murmuration - November 2026
• Lauren Connolly — The Monster Hunter’s Librarian - November 2026
• Ariel Lawhon — The Pirate Queen - September 2026
🎨 Cover Reveals
• Elin Hilderbrand — The Thoroughbreds - September 2026
• Rioghnach Robinson — Bad Words - October 2026
• B.K. Borison — Grim Tidings - September 2026
👀 On the Horizon
• Quicksilver Book 3 — expected November 2026
💙My BOTM (Book of the Month) Picks
It’s that time again — picking my Book of the Month box!
—> Not sure what I’m rambling about? Book of the Month is a monthly subscription where you pick one book from 5-6 curated options. You can also add extra books to your box (called “add ons”), but you can’t use an add on as your main pick. Still, it’s a fun way to grab more than one read! If you’re curious or want to join, you can sign up here for $5! (Psst, many of the books are also featured in the Hot New Releases section.) Here are the picks for February:
I was this close to grabbing almost everything this month, but I showed a tiny bit of restraint and limited myself to just two—though let’s be honest, there’s a very real chance I’ll be adding a few more next month. I snagged both This Story Might Save Your Life and No Matter What (Add On). Lastly, I added the audio for How to Write a Love Story. You can read more about my picks below.
Thank you for being here and talking books with me! Your support truly makes all the difference! If you enjoyed the newsletter, a like, comment or share helps it find its way to other readers like you.
Keep the pages turning,
