Happy 2022! I’m welcoming the new year as I do most years—with a little hope, a little trepidation, and a wish for every year to be a little bit kinder than the last. Beyond that, I haven’t done much thinking about what the new year will bring, since longtime friends and readers know that I make resolutions for my birthday rather than January 1.

But while safely home for the holidays, I’ve had lots of questions about what my year in new books looks like, and while my mother’s email list is extensive, I thought it might be fun and easier to put them here in one place. So here’s what I worked on last year-—for you to read this year.

January 2022

THE APPEAL by Janice Hallett, January 25

The crime debut of the year in the UK (if you go by the Sunday Times, as I do), a very modern epistolary novel about an amateur theatre group who rallies to raise money for a family in need, but when one person turns up dead, everyone’s motives are in question. This is one of the most inventive novels I’ve read in years, and although it came out last year in the UK, Americans should fall in love, too! (Janice’s next book, THE TWYFORD CODE, will be out in 2023 here).

February 2022

THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION by Elena Armas, February 1

A breakout TikTok sensation in 2021, we’re publishing a new edition February 1, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Readers have continued to flock to this romance, which won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut Novel, and we have a sequel coming later in the year (find it below)!

March 2022

A GIRL DURING THE WAR by Anita Abriel, March 1

A heartfelt novel set during Italy in WWII about a young art student who flees to Florence and finds herself torn between a young partisan and her work, with hope for what her life will be after the war.

April 2022

TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE by Martha Waters, April 5

Martha’s previous novels, TO HAVE AND TO HOAX and TO LOVE AND TO LOATHE, belong to the growing trend of Regency rom-coms—set in a historical context, but with the modernity of a contemporary rom-com—that has only grown since Bridgerton graced our screens. They are some of my favorite novels to edit, and with Emily and Belfry’s marriage of convenience, she’s turned what could be a very staid and traditional take on the trope on its head.

THE PATRON SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES by Christine Simon, April 12

THE PATRON SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES was the funniest book I read in 2021. Set in a small town in Calabria, the self-appointed mayor (and vacuum repairman) of his village invents a rumor that a famous movie star will be filming his next role in town. Things spin wildly and hilariously out of control. A true delight about the power of community and connection.

May 2022

PLEASE JOIN US by Catherine McKenzie, May 24

Catherine has written a number of heart-pounding thrillers, but this one is truly exceptional. A lawyer on the cusp of 40 receives an invitation to join a women’s networking group at a pivotal time; her husband thinks there’s something fishy about it, but when she attends their retreat, she finds it’s all it promises to be. Until she’s called to a congresswoman’s apartment late one night and asked to help dispose of a body.

June 2022

MEANT TO BE MINE by Hannah Orenstein, June 7

Young women flock for Hannah’s books for tales of young professional women dating in New York, and this one is no exception—but with a twist. The protagonist’s grandmother predicts the day everyone in the family meets the love of their life, and on her predestined day, she finds herself seated next to a handsome musician on a plane. Can you really predict love?

Fall 2022

THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT by Elena Armas, Fall 2022

Remember THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION? Its sequel, THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT, about Lina’s best friend Rosie and her cousin Lucas will be out this fall. And that’s about all I’m allowed to tell you about it.

FLIGHT RISK by Cherie Priest, Fall 2022

Cherie Priest’s rollicking romp of a mystery GRAVE RESERVATIONS introduced us to Leda Foley, a travel agent and inconsistent psychic who teams up with Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt to solve a cold case. Leda, Grady, and the gang are back here in another PNW mystery featuring two cases—a husband and wife—that may or may not be connected. I predict it will thrill.

KISS HER ONCE FOR ME by Alison Cochrun, Fall 2022

Alison’s debut, THE CHARM OFFENSIVE, ended up on a number of “best of” lists, and KISS HER ONCE FOR ME delivers another great love story about a young barista who gets involved in a fake engagement scheme with her landlord—only to fall for his sister. Perfect for the holidays, and to end the year on a high note.

And now I’m off to edit for 2023! May 2022 be bright.