Books I’m Looking Forward To!!

Hey hey, welcome back!!

*throws confetti*

Who else is thankful for imaginary confetti that you don’t have to clean up??

*raises hand*

Anyway. To business!! Those of you who read the title already know what this post is about, but for those who didn’t pay much attention to it, this is a list of several yet unpublished books I’m anticipating. There turned out to be more than I thought. 😂

Without further ado, the list!!

The Blossoming Summer — Anna Rose Johnson

Expected publication: July 29

When English thirteen-year-old Rosemary is sent to stay with her American grandmother at the start of World War II, she uncovers the family secret: they are Anishinaabe.

The year is 1940. England is all Rosemary has ever known . . . but as World War II changes the world, her life is altered as well. With France conquered, she, her parents, and her little brothers flee to America to escape the coming Blitz. Her grandmother’s house in Northern Wisconsin is safe, but unfamiliar—and she soon discovers that her parents have kept a tremendous secret.

Rosemary and her family are Anishinaabe . . . and her father is not proud of it.

Grandmother, however, is. A fashionable, independent, and fiery-minded old lady, she begins to teach Rosemary Anishinaabemowin. Far from home, but newly connected to a once-hidden part of her identity, Rosemary develops a warm, close relationship with Grandmother Charlotte—and with a local boy whose love of gardening helps her to see the beauty in her unexpected circumstances. As Rosemary grows into her new life like a flower in bloom, she realizes that maybe she’s not as far from home as she thought.

Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Anna’s other two books, The Star That Always Stays and The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry. When I found out she was writing another book, I was so happy!! Anna’s books are really sweet middle-grade historical standalones (sheesh that’s a mouthful). They’re kinda reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables…a bit…

Also, just look how pretty those covers are. Gorgeous. *chef’s kiss*

My Favorite Color Is… — Eva Austin

• Expected publication: Fall 2025
• Sweet YA Contemporary Romance
• Small-town
• Christmas romance
• Fake relationship
• He falls first
• Did Audrey bring a fake date to Christmas? 🤔🎄

Thoughts:

Eva Austin has two other books, My Favorite Color is Your Something Blue and My Favorite Color is the Golden Hour. They’re fun, short, perfectly clean YA contemporary romances. I enjoyed them so much that I needed them on my (already crowded) bookshelf. They were worth it 😉

Anyway. This one doesn’t have a true title yet. Or set-in-stone publication date. Or a cover. But hey, it’s coming out this fall!! Yayyy!!

For your reference, here are Eva’s other books. Aren’t they fun??

Glass Across the Sea — Sara Ella

Expected publication: October 21

Light always finds a way to break free . . .

Noelle Perrault has felt drawn to the tales her glassmaker father told of the four Firefly artisans since she was a child. But when her mother falls under a curse, Noelle suspects the stories are more than mere fables. Their last hope is for her father to embark on a desperate journey to another realm, where he must seek a miracle. Alone but not defenseless, Noelle is forced to navigate battles that rise against her beloved home, while her dearest friend, the prince, vows to help her father.

Dante Marin is a prince prepared to bear the crown. But the king offers an ultimatum: find the fabled Firefly Vestiges, believed to hold the Lamplighter’s ancient power, or forfeit the crown. Only then will Dante be considered worthy of his birthright and given the freedom to choose his bride. But how does one hunt down a legend?

Connected by the past, but forced apart in the present, Noelle and Dante must discover the truth about the Firefly and Vestiges before they lose all hope—and each other—for good. But breaking a curse comes at a great sacrifice—one neither of them predicted. With a mysterious foe rising to power, will they survive, let alone succeed? Or will darkness shroud their future, shattering the light they’ve striven to restore?

Thoughts:

There is literally no way to tell you how excited I am for this book. I adore Sara Ella; she wrote one of my all-time favorite duologies: the Curious Realities. I wasn’t a big fan of her Unblemished trilogy (I adored the concept and setting and everything, but a few of her portrayal choices weren’t my cup of tea…if that logics), and Coral was…different. It’s about mental illness, only in a sort of Little Mermaid retelling? It’s not the sort of book you can fangirl about. It was painful. But ofc, gotta love a book that makes you feel something. aka cry.

But just LOOK at those covers. Are they gorgeous or are they gorgeous???

Anyway, I LOVE the Curious Realities duology. Clearly, an Alice in Wonderland retelling. Only way better than the original (am I allowed to say that about a classic…?). I’m entirely obsessed. Go read them and we can fangirl together. I actually wrote an entire analysis on it for my writing class, it was amazing. Professional fangirling. And then the professor asked if she could use it as an example for future classes, so that’s free promotion right there!! Book promotion should be my official job lol.

ANYWAY. Glass Across the Sea!! I have nothing to rant to you about it, because it’s not published yet or anything, but I’m so excited. 🥳🥳🥳

Inferno — Kara Swanson

Expected publication: Summer 2026

Everything must burn — to be reborn.

In this fiery sequel to the explosive fantasy novel, IGNITE, we follow young phoenix MARA, born with the power of a dying sun blazing in her veins, as she tries desperately to survive a world collapsing around her — and determine who to trust as the people she loves start to fear that the end of the world isn’t coming…

It’s already here.

You’ve watched Mara’s spark IGNITE…but will anyone survive her INFERNO, including Mara herself?

Thoughts:

So here’s another author I adore. Kara Swanson is solely responsible for my obsession with all things Peter Pan and partly to blame for my fascination with London. Her Heirs of Neverland duology is right up there with the Curious Realities as my favorite books.

First of all, look how gorgeous they are. Feast your eyes. Someone give Kara’s cover designer a raise.

There are no words to describe my love of the Heirs of Neverland duology. I can’t even.

As for Ignite, somehow I ended up on the street team for it and its sequel….😬 It’s been a struggle finding ways to help promote it though, since I have no social media and a relatively small sphere of influence. Expect future promotional posts, everyone. What’s truly tragic about Inferno is that it won’t be published for another entire YEAR. That’s a whole twelve months longer than I expected when I first finished reading Ignite last August. And ofc, Kara is the queen of cliffhangers (anyone here who has read Dust knows exactly what I’m talking about…). 😭😭😭 the suspense will kill me….

it’s crazy what situations we readers get ourselves into of our own free will. i chose this life.

Love Unmasked — Becky Dean

Expected publication: July 15

From the author of Hearts Overboard comes a swoony mystery-filled romance in which a girl on a school trip to Venice gets swept off her feet by a mask-wearing stranger…but does she know him already? Lose yourself in the masquerade—because sometimes, the greatest adventure begins when you unmask your heart.

People pleaser Evie Whitmore can’t believe her art and architecture class trip has brought her to Venice—home of gondolas and crumbling palazzos, and the inspiration for both her art and her hidden passion, Elven Realms, a series of novels set in the very city she’s about to explore.

Rumors about an underground Elven Realms fan club swirl, and Evie, wearing a costume and mask, sneaks out at night to find it. There’s no way she can tell anyone what she’s doing—not her friends, and certainly not Gabriel Martinez, the bad boy loner she’s been partnered with on the trip.

But Evie’s not the only one on this clandestine quest. She collides with someone else in disguise—a stranger whose eyes hold secrets. He calls himself Angelo, and he too loves the novels. Venice is a labyrinth, and as they unravel clues together, their connection deepens. Who is Angelo, really? And who does Evie want him to be?

Thoughts:

Oh honestly I forgot this book existed (is going to exist??). And this author. oops.

I enjoyed Becky’s other three books. A lot of YA contemporary romances seem…excessively cheesy OR full of things I don’t want to fill my brain with. I’m rather picky ig. I really enjoyed Love and Other Great Expectations (i wonder why…surely not merely because it’s set in England…🤔), so we’ll see if Love Unmasked is as enjoyable.

In Conclusion

So there’s that!! I’m not entirely sure how this turned from a brief list of anticipated books into me rambling about my favorite books…hopefully the chaos that is this post is still enjoyable. and somewhat logical.

Have you read any of these books? What unpublished books are you looking forward to?

Always,

Ava