Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at emily.ecm@gmail.com.
Young adult lit fans! You do not have to wait much longer for some of the most highly anticipated YA novels of the year. Three of the most exciting 2026 YA novels are coming before the end of winter! So if you’re hoping to add a few more YA books to your TBR, get your library holds and your book wishlists ready. These are going to be your new faves.
Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean (Sarah Barley Books, February 3)
Looking for a unique and heartwarming romance with just a touch of time travel? Love Me Tomorrow is going to be the perfect early-February read to get your heart ready for Valentine’s Day. This one follows seventeen-year-old Emma Nakamura-Thatcher, who is searching for proof that love is real after her parents’ messy divorce. Then she receives a strange letter from someone claiming to be the love of her life… from the future. Is this all a joke? Or is it real? And who is the letter from?
To the Death by Andrea Tang (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, February 10)
To The Death is a genre-bending new YA novel that is a true page-turner. Tamsin Blackwood and Samantha Chan are both part of a magical dueling circuit, but they have different goals. Tamsin is trying to escape her father and make a name for herself. Samantha is thirsty for revenge. Their individual desires will have them pitted against each other, but the more time they spend with each other, the more they can’t deny the affection they have for one another. Will ambition and vengeance win out in the end? Or will it be love?
They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours (Wednesday Books, February 17) (AOC)
This speculative mystery is perfect for the reader who keeps Halloween in their hearts, even in the dead of winter. Simone Washington is known for her epic Halloween parties. But this year’s party is a special celebration for her eighteenth birthday: an invite-only stay at Doll’s Head Lake, a place that is said to be home to a witch named Regret. Unfortunately for Simone and her guests, the legends turn out to be very real, and Regret has an ultimatum. Simone must release the witch from her curse, or not everyone will make it out of Doll’s Head Lake alive.
Book Radar
Sign up for Book Radar to receive exciting book deals and must-read forthcoming titles.
What YA books are you looking forward to reading this winter? Check out the most-anticipated YA books of 2026 for more!
English (US) · 