Bookreporter.com Bets On...

With thousands of books published each year and much attention paid to the works of bestselling and well-known authors, it is inevitable that some titles worthy of praise and discussion may not get the attention we think they deserve. Thus throughout the year, we will continue this feature that we started in 2009, to spotlight books that immediately struck a chord with us and made us say “just read this.” We will alert our readers about these titles as soon as they’re released so you can discover them for yourselves and recommend them to your family and friends.

Below are all of our selections thus far. For future "Bets On" titles that we will announce shortly after their release dates, please visit this page.

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica

March 2026

Over the years, I have enjoyed Mary Kubica’s novels. But she has taken the craft of her thriller writing to a new level with the release of IT’S NOT HER.

In it, two families who are related --- Courtney Gray’s best friend, Emily, is married to her brother, Nathan --- are at a rustic resort in northern Wisconsin. We start with the oh-so-familiar vacation narrative about “who got the better cabin.” You know that if there are two places, this is bound to be part of the conversation. On the first night, Courtney’s daughter, Cass, begs to have a sleepover with her cousin, Mae, which Courtney allows. Courtney hears a scream in the night --- a blood-curdling one.

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

February 2026

Sadeqa Johnson has an interesting origin story for KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN. While doing research for her last book, THE HOUSE OF EVE, she came across an article about Mabel T. Grammer, an African American journalist whose “Brown Baby Plan” led to the adoption of 500 mixed-race German orphans after World War II.

Sadeqa tucked that idea away, but she pulled it back up after she submitted THE HOUSE OF EVE. From reading about this one woman’s vision for rescuing these children, she created her character Ethel Gathers, the wife of an American Officer assigned to Occupied Germany in the 1950s.

Blade by Wendy Walker

February 2026

I was able to immerse myself in the world of competitive ice skating thanks to Wendy Walker’s latest thriller, BLADE. Inspired by Wendy’s personal experiences as a competitive figure skater (she trained in Colorado from ages 13 to 16), the book captures what it is like to be a teen living on her own as she aims to shine in a sport that so many attempt and fail at.

Wendy draws on the joy, stress and loneliness of these young ladies, who are labeled “orphans” as they do not have parents with them. She also portrays the moms who have traveled with them and are obsessed with their skating.

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

February 2026

Alice Feeney is one of those authors who is known to spin me around. There are few times that I guess where she is headed. With MY HUSBAND’S WIFE, she had me questioning everything, starting with the title. I, like many others, think that this is her most brilliant book yet.

We begin with Eden Fox, who arrives at her home, Spyglass, to learn that her key will not open the door. Properly annoyed, she knocks loudly. Another woman answers, and she is clear that she is Eden Fox and the other woman must be mad. This claim is confirmed by her husband, Harrison, who says that he has no idea who this person is.

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

January 2026

I had the pleasure of meeting Belle Burden at a publisher event in November. After she told us her story, which is detailed in STRANGERS, I immediately requested a prerelease audio download. I love listening to memoirs on audio. After finishing it, I would share the book’s opening with friends, and they all said that it sounded like a really good novel. Then I would tell them that it’s a memoir.

So what did they react to?

In the first week of the pandemic, while Belle and her family were staying at their home on Martha’s Vineyard, life was going as well as it could be during those uncertain times. There were lovely fires in the fireplace, with wood that was carefully selected by Belle’s husband, and cocktails in the afternoon. Yes, there still was fear of COVID, but they felt safe where they were.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

January 2026

I thought it would be tough for Ashley Elston to match her previous thriller, FIRST LIE WINS. But she certainly did that, and more, with ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI.

Small towns often have their own hierarchy with those in power who call the shots. They typically are not elected; rather, they wield power because of money or who they know. Many have secrets that go back decades, all linked to their own nefarious deeds. In ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI, Ashley puts those who have this unelected power on the hot seat, as their deeds from the past come back. And this time judgment is made.

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

January 2026

When I pick up a Laura Dave book, I always know I am in for a treat. That certainly happened with THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME when it came out in 2021. Laura never meant to write a sequel; she thought the story was done with the epilogue.

However, after the success of the series adaptation on Apple TV+ --- which Laura and her husband, Josh Singer, had written and produced --- it was clear that more could be told, and fans wanted it. Even before she wrote the second book, Laura was doing script notes for Josh and the program’s writers to let them know where she saw the story heading for season two. Readers may recall that in the epilogue, Hannah sees Owen at a show where her work is being presented. Immediately there was a “what’s next?” feeling there.

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

December 2025

British royalty follows strict rules, so when you are the third heir to the throne, your life allows you a lot more latitude than those in line as one or two. Princess Alexandrina, also known as the third heir to the Queen of England, has taken up life in Australia, where she is just Lexi Villiers, who is studying medicine and living a very ordinary life. That is, until a helicopter lands on the farm where she lives.

Her grandmother’s right-hand man rushes to share the devastating news that her father (the heir) has been killed in a skiing accident, and her brother (the spare) is clinging to life. Lexi is whisked away by the chopper to a plane that will take her to England. While in the air, she is given a royal makeover so she looks regal as she touches down on British soil. By the time they land, her brother has died, and she is now the heir.

That is just the opener to THE HEIR APPARENT by Rebecca Armitage.

Boat Baby: A Memoir by Vicky Nguyen

December 2025

I have read many memoirs and books about the immigrant experience, but migration from Vietnam to the United States is a trail that I had not explored until BOAT BABY. Vicky Nguyen was just eight months old when her family left communist Vietnam by boat for a refugee camp in Malaysia. In the photo on the front of the book, she is about 18 months old. She learned to walk as her family was in the camp waiting for their next steps. They were sponsored by an organization in Eugene, Oregon, and moved there as their first stop in the U.S.

Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton

November 2025

LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by debut novelist Brisa Carleton is cocktail-inspiring historical fiction. I bet you never heard of that kind of fiction before! The book is set at The Savoy Hotel in London where Ada Coleman was the head bartender at the American Bar (one of only three women to have this role) from 1903 to 1925. She was the mixologist who created the famous Hanky Panky, which was first served at The Savoy.

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