HOW TO FAKE A LOVE STORY d’Aashna Avachat

She wants to break his heart. He wants her to fall in love. A messy revenge romcom for fans of Lynn Painter and Sandhya Menon.

HOW TO FAKE A LOVE STORY
by Aashna Avachat
Penguin Workshop, January 2027
(via KT Literary)

Photo Credit: Emily Zeng

Now that Lakshmi has returned to her hometown for her senior year of high school, she’s determined to “live a little”—as her new friend Emily would say. That means searching for love, chasing an adrenaline rush, and of course, studiously ignoring her former best friend and crush, Adil.

But after Adil carelessly meddles in Em’s relationship, her heartbreak leaves the girls wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine. What if Lakshmi broke his heart? She has her own reasons for wanting to get revenge, after all.

Meanwhile, Adil isn’t sure why Lakshmi left without so much as a goodbye. He’s been doing his usual thing. But when his romantic expertise is called into question, his friends issue him a challenge: to prove himself, Adil will have to get a girl of their choosing to fall in love with him. And they know one who never would—Lakshmi.

Adil needs to win Lakshmi over and Lakshmi needs to break his heart. They might know how to fake a love story, but as ulterior motives give way to genuine feelings, will they be able to build a real one?

Aashna Avachat is the author of Love Craves Cardamom (Penguin Random House/Joy Revolution, Spring 2025) and the editor of the anthology Study Break (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 2023). She is a graduate of Harvard Law and lives in Chicago.

Aashna Avachat is a writer, reader, and lawyer from California. She studied English and Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley and law at Harvard Law School. She is also the author of Love Craves Cardamom (Penguin Random House/Joy Revolution, Spring 2025) and Mischief Girls (Delacorte, September 2026). When she’s not working, she’s probably reading on a sunny patch of grass, going on long walks to grocery stores, or being cozy with one of her many foster cats. Visit her online at aashnaavachat.com.

WHAT ROUGH BEAST de Mindy McGinnis

Long-held grudges and ancient evils come to roost in this psychological, speculative horror that’s Don’t Let the Forest In meets Stranger Things.

WHAT ROUGH BEAST
by Mindy McGinnis
HarperCollins, October 2026

In a small town like Bethington, nothing stays buried forever…

Ava Germaine has learned her lesson: see something, don’t say something. Cast out at school, the only place she can find peace is Restoration Acres, the town’s animal sanctuary. Though the place sometimes seems more like an animal graveyard than a rehabilitation center, Ava’s job there is at least a constant distraction from the night everything went wrong—and the boy she still holds responsible.

Micah Harding is always prepared for the worst. As the sheriff’s son, he tries not to do things that reflect poorly on his family, especially since his dad helped him cover up his worst mistake yet. But he knows his secret is bound to come out.

Hailey Wagner is sick of being judged. And finally, things are going according to plan—until Ava Germaine starts talking. So if Hailey has to shut her up…she will.

As a strange entity begins to stir, ready to awaken—Ava, Micah, and Hailey find themselves wrapped in a centuries-old exchange, while barreling towards the truth of what ties their fates together.

Mindy McGinnis is the author of several young adult novels, including How Girls Are Made, Under this Red Rock, A Long Stretch of Bad Days, The Last Laugh, The Initial Insult, Heroine, The Female of the Species,and A Madness So Discreet, winner of an Edgar Award. She writes across multiple genres, including postapocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy. While her settings may change, you can always count on her books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. Mindy lives in Ohio. You can visit her online at mindymcginnis.com.

MATCHA & MATCHES de Cara Tanamachi

Love & Gelato meets the cozy café romance trend in this irresistible opposites-attract summer fling story set on an idyllic trip to Japan.

MATCHA & MATCHES
by Cara Tanamachi
Avon A/HarperCollins, April 2027

THE VACATION FLING COLLIDES WITH THE CAFÉ CRUSH: Matcha & Matches serves up a new swoony, contemporary romance where a girl unexpectedly find love—and herself—in charming café aboard, proving that sometimes the best romance comes with splash of matcha foam.

TIKTOK-FRIENDLY TROPES: Combining forced proximity and rivals, MATCHA & MATCHES might hook BookTokers with the tropes they crave, but they’ll stay for Rina and Takashi’s unmistakable chemistry.

LAYERS BENEATH THE ROMANCE: The novel gains extra emotional heft by diving headfirst into Rina’s complex family dynamic: growing up with divorced parents, trying to bond with a father who’s lives an ocean away, and navigating cultural gaps she’s only just beginning to understand.

MORE TO COME: Readers won’t have long to wait for a new Brewed with Love book—next stop is Mexico! Horchata & Hearts is planned for Summer 2027.

Cara Tanamachi is the USA Today bestselling author of The Takeover, and the Diverse Writers and Readers International romance book literary award winner, The Second You’re Single. She also writes under the name Cara Lockwood, authoring 40 books, including I Do (But I Don’t), which became an original Lifetime Movie. She wrote the novelization of The Dater’s Handbook, a Hallmark movie starring Meghan Markle.

THIS DREAM WILL DEVOUR US de Emma Clancey

The Inheritance Games meets Caraval in this YA contemporary fantasy debut about a girl thrust into the intoxicating and dangerous world of magical high society.

THIS DREAM WILL DEVOUR US
by Emma Clancey
Amulet Books, April 2026
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Sometimes you have to kill a dream to escape a nightmare.

Nora is the opposite of lucky. She’s still wrangling her late father’s debts when a mysterious illness lands her brother in the hospital. But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she wins the lottery to attend the Lamour family’s exclusive, magical Dream Gala.

If Nora can win over the Lamour heirs, she’ll get a coveted spot on their magical training program—and the money she needs to save her brother.

There’s just one problem: Nora never bought a lottery ticket.

Determined to discover who wants her at the gala—and why—Nora plunges headfirst into magical high society. Caught up in a decadent world of brutal billionaires and cutthroat celebrities, Nora is soon in over her head and entangled in a messy love triangle.

When her search for answers uncovers a sinister conspiracy, will Nora stay silent or risk the wrath of a family powerful enough to get away with murder?

“Debut author Clancey’s unusual, perfectly paced, queer-centered narrative will leave readers struggling to find a good place to put the book down and stop reading…A page-turner that shows what our reality would be if magic were a drug in our capitalist society.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“The high society of morally bankrupt profiteers and social- media driven celebrity make a perfect backdrop to a mystery dripping with bad actors, false leads, and wicked fast pacing. The development and use of levic indicts a healthcare system built on addiction and profit, adding a timely and emotional facet to this cleverly crafted page-turner.” ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Emma Clancey is a fantasy writer and medical student living in Sydney, Australia. In 2024, she was awarded the Ray Koppe/Australian Society of Authors Young Writers Fellowship. When not writing or horrifying her friends with unsolicited medical facts, she’s likely jabbering about her latest reads on Instagram @emma.clancey.

STAGTOWN de Punko

A young woman investigates the strange events terrorizing her hometown in this heart-pounding horror graphic novel.

STAGTOWN (Volume #1)
by Punko
Ten Speed Graphic/Crown Publishing Group, September 2026

Something mysterious is happening all around Stagtown: Cameras are appearing everywhere on the streets, and even in the corners of apartments and homes. Cutting one down only spawns more in its place. Someone is surveilling the residents and now that Frankie is back home from college, she is going to discover who—or what—is behind this.

After the shocking death of her neighbor Jeremy, Frankie becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind these occurrences. Armed with Jeremy’s box of cryptic clues, a loyal cat companion, and the help of Jeremy’s friend Felix, Frankie embarks on a perilous journey through town. Her quest leads her to a sinister marble house, a blood-stained carousel, a dark underground cellar filled with traps, and more. Each encounter brings her closer to the horrifying truth, culminating in a desperate attempt to escape Stagtown once and for all.

With beautifully haunting illustrations and a terror-filled story, Stagtown is a masterpiece of psychological horror. This volume includes the complete first season of the Webtoon comic, along with exclusive interactive puzzles and never-before-seen sketches.

 

Punko is an alternative comics artist. They won runner-up in publisher Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga competition and published their popular gothic, dark fantasy graphic novel series Bizenghast with the publisher.