\It’s officially Autumn! If you have already started your twenty-fifth binge of Gilmore Girls, have gone apple picking, and can’t wait to pull out a chunky sweater, this list of the best new books that give fall vibes might be for you. If you like your fall reading list to be chilly and suspenseful or would prefer a cozy romance, there’s a book here for you. Be sure to visit your local library’s website to place these on hold or start a tab on Bookshop.org. Reading these books during the longer days will be an act of self-care!
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
Set in a small Vermont town as quaint and quirky as Stars Hollow, Julie Olivia’s debut is a book that oozes fall vibes. From descriptions of crunching leaves, the nostalgic 90s references, and the dual settings of a bed and breakfast and bakery, this is the type of book you curl up with on a quiet weekend with copious amounts of tea and snacks.
Synopsis: My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small-town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.
I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run, Vermont, was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently, my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.
Cliff is inescapable. He knows precisely what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.
Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe. Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards. So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.
Available now via Berkley. Order here.
Fallen City by Adrianne Young
If you’re looking for a book with fall vibes, consider a fantasy novel; Adrianne’s first book in a new duology is perfect for you. Adrianne Young knows how to write a romance, so there’s no doubt she will deliver on this romantasy with a side of political intrigue.
Synopsis: Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name and maintain its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city’s Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.
Maris Casperia was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel’s inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess, who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War, have made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set in motion that will entangle their lives in a divine way.
As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris end up on opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.
On Sale November 4, 2025 via Saturday Books. Order here.
If Not For By Baby by Kate Golden
Autumn vibes can be whatever you want them to be. If you want your autumn TBR to feature a rock star and backup singer falling in love, Kate Golden has just the book for you. This contemporary romance is just as bold and beautiful as it’s cover promises it to be.
Synopsis: Clementine Clark isn’t looking for love. Growing up with a single mom who weeps over a new guy each week tends to have that effect on a girl. But Clementine doesn’t mind being the rational one—she’s even buried her musical dreams so deeply within herself that she hardly notices the hole it’s left in her life.
That is, until her best friend calls her with a life-changing opportunity: to join Irish megastar Halloran on his first US tour as a backing vocalist. Clementine wants to reject the offer, but the pay is enough to change her and her mom’s lives. Overnight, Clementine goes from serving enchiladas at the Happy Tortilla to belting high notes before a cheering crowd.
But the whiplash of trading small-town Texas for sold-out stadiums is nothing compared to the rush of performing with the enigmatic Thomas Patrick Halloran. Poet, introvert, and lyrical genius, Halloran quickly gets under Clementine’s skin. The two couldn’t see the world in a more different light. And yet, over the course of the next eight weeks on tour, the romantic rockstar might just strike an unforgettable chord in Clementine. But will it be enough for an encore?
Available now via Berkley. Order here.
Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler
Books about fresh starts feel like fall vibes. Maybe because it gives school starting and turning over a new leaf (no pun intended). This romance about two estranged besties on a treasure hunt should be at the tippy top of your TBR.
Synopsis: Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.
Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now. Surely things will be different?
Except Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.
Available now via Berkley. Order here.
All of Us Murdered by KJ Charles
Is there any other type of book that screams fall vibes than a gothic mystery? In KJ Charles’ deft hands, readers are in for a treat with this queer romance.
Synopsis: When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative’s remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn’t possibly get worse.
Then the master of the house announces the true purpose of the gathering: he intends to leave the vast family fortune to whoever marries his young ward, setting off a violent scramble for her hand. Zeb wants no part of his greedy family. But when he tries to leave he’s unable to. The walls of Lackaday House are high, and the gates firmly locked. As the Dartmoor mists roll in, there’s no way out. And something unnatural may be watching them from the house’s shadowy depths…
Fear and paranoia ramping ever-higher, Zeb has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his heart. As the gaslight flickers and terror takes hold, can two warring lovers reunite, uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House–and live to tell the tale?
On Sale October 7, 2025 via Poisoned Pen Press. Order here.
The Everlasting by Alix Harrow
Alix Harrow’s brand might as well be autumn vibes. From her debut, The Thousand Doors of January, to Starling House, her books were made to be read during the fall season. So get cozy and pick up this genre-bending epic.
Synopsis:
Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruitment posters. But her life, the truth of it, is forgotten.
Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.
But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
On Sale October 28, 2025 via Tor Books. Order here.
Soul Searching by Lyla Sage
You couldn’t make a list with fall vibes without including a paranormal romance. If you love Lyla Sage’s western romances, you’ll fall hard for this new small town and the spooky happenings at the heart of it.
Synopsis: Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antiques shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts who have always been her companions have recently gone silent.
But just because she’s returned home doesn’t mean she has to stay with her parents or crash on her twin sister’s couch. Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it is absolutely crawling with more ghosts who are freezing her out. And Collins hates to be ignored.
Brady Cooper is absolutely and totally fine. Seriously, there’s no secret reason why he decided to uproot his life and suddenly move to Sweetwater Peak. He just needed a change of pace. At least that’s what he tells himself. And everyone else.
When he agrees to let the elusive Collins Cartwright stay in his spare room, he doesn’t know that she’s absolutely bonkers—constantly talking to herself and having conversations with no one—or that she looks like that. But as they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts who have been pushing them together—wondering whether their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent.
Available now via Dial Press. Order here.
Overdue by Stephanie Perkins
Nothing says Autumn vibes like a librarian romance. Stephanie Perkins’ writing is always delightful, thrilling with her adult novel debut.
Synopsis: Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They’ll take a one-month break to date other people, then they’ll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship—and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.
Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burning romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.
On Sale on October 7, 2025 via Saturday Books. Order here.
Sisters In the Wind by Angeline Boulley
Angeline Boulley’s novels always give fall vibes. Maybe it’s because they seem to carry a suspenseful element and a certain air of mystery that keep the pages turning when the nights get chillier.
Synopsis: Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state”. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson, with an interest in her case, comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.
Five years in the foster system have taught her to be cautious and thoughtful. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend”, a tall and fierce-looking woman who says they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father had hidden from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister, and more siblings, a grandmother who’d look after her, and a home where she would be loved.
But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she’s hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of?
When the past comes for revenge, it’s fight or flight.
Available now via Henry Holt & Co. Books For Young Readers. Order here.
Bonus Recs: If you’re looking for a darker novel with fall vibes, we recommend The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin, set in the New Zealand bush. Another thrilling pick with autumn vibes could be She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena.
The Second Death of Locke by VL Bovalino
The Second Death of Locke is an epic romantic fantasy, and if that doesn’t scream fall vibes, what will? There’s just something about epic romantic fantasies–they’re so engrossing and meant to be read as the leaves fall with a too-large cardigan after a day of apple picking.
Synopsis: Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier. She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to wield. They are bound together by blood and magic, but there is one truth Grey dare not reveal . . . not even to Kier.
When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into a dangerous mission, Grey will need to decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to protect her secret.
For Grey is no ordinary magical well, and if she dies, all magic dies with her.
Available now via Forever. Order here.
The Deathless One by Emma Hamm
Another highly anticipated romancy, The Deathless One has the type of fall vibes that remind me of stormy nights for stormy, rage-filled characters.
Synopsis: Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when an incurable plague overruns the land, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.
But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.
Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.
Available now via Gallery Books. Order here.
The Devil She Knows by Alexandra Bellefleur
A woman makes a deal with a demon to win back her ex in this fun sapphic romance with a twist. If you’re looking for an antidote for your book hangover after reading Zomromcom by Olivia Dade, this rom-com bursting with fall vibes is the answer.
Synopsis: Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell.
In less than 24 hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, she’s trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman claiming to be a demon.
Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone claiming to be an evil supernatural entity. She’s pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And she’s here to offer Samantha a deal she can’t refuse. Six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade—Samantha’s soul. There’s a glaring loophole in their contract, one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn’t fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back.
Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes . . . with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another.
As Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the Devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after.
On Sale October 21. 2025 via Berkley. Order here.
The Hearth Witch’s Guide To Magic and Murder by Kiri Callaghan
Nothing says fall vibes like a cozy witchy mystery novel. This one features an unexpected partnership between a 500-year-old witch and her mortal neighbor as they work to solve a supernatural crime.
Synopsis: When a surge in London’s supernatural crime threatens to expose Fey society, the Winter Council turns to an unlikely solution: Avery Hemlock, the changeling they sentenced to 500 Years of Nightmares. Inherently lacking social grace and missing approximately two centuries of world knowledge, Avery must find a way to acclimate and solve the case or lose her probationary freedom.
Left at the altar and dropping out of medical school, Saga Trygg attempts to rekindle her faith in life, humanity, and witchcraft. But when her new neighbor, Avery, accidentally reveals the Fey that have been living among humanity all along, Saga realizes magic is far more than prayers, intention, and candles.
Navigating an unfamiliar world, the two form an unexpected partnership. However, shortly into Avery’s investigation, they discover the threat might be closer to Saga than either of them imagined. Avery will do anything to protect the first friend she’s had in more than two hundred years.
On Sale October 7, 2025 via Poisoned Pen Press. Order here.
Bonus Rec: If you’re looking for another cozy fantasy with fall vibes, A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford is filled with magic and a thread of mystery.
Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald
Fall vibes sometimes mean grabbing your favorite emotional support mythology retelling. If you’ve read The Song of Achilles or Circe for the thousandth time and are looking for a fresh new take on your favorite myth, try Bea Fitzgerald’s Girl, Goddess, Queen for a fresh take on Persephone.
Synopsis: Thousands of years ago, the gods spun a myth based on a lie. They claimed that though Persephone was to be a prize-bride for the most deserving god, Hades kidnapped her for himself. That she was just a pawn in the complicated politics of Olympus. That her mother, Demeter, was so distraught that she caused the Earth to start dying. The real story is much more interesting.
Persephone wasn’t taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her. Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld’s annoyingly sexy, arrogant, and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core. But consequences can be deadly, especially when you’re already in hell . . .
Available now via Sourcebooks Fire. Order here.
Bonus Rec: Hekate by Nikita Gill is another fresh take on a myth by an incredibly talented author and poet that you won’t want to miss this fall.
An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
Is it even a fall vibes list without featuring a dark academia book? Kamilah Cole’s book isn’t out until December, but you need to pre-order it now. It’s that good.
Synopsis: Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones–and forbidden magic–of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.
Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an Ivy League institution whose history is deeply intertwined with occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.
Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can’t convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic…this time, she may lose herself for good.
On Sale December 30, 2025, via Poisoned Pen Press. Order here.
Bad Indians Book Club by Patty Krawec
With Indigenous Peoples’ Day around the corner, educate yourself with a fall-themed book written by Indigenous voices. We recommend Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec’s Bad Indians Book Club as an informative nonfiction text about indigenous storytelling.
Synopsis: When a friend asked what books could help them understand Indigenous lives, Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin, gave them a list. This list evolved into a book club, then a podcast about a year of Indigenous reading, and ultimately led to this book. The writers in the Bad Indians Book Club refuse to let dominant stories displace their own and resist the way wemitigoozhiwag — European settlers — craft the prevailing narrative and decide who they are.
In the Bad Indians Book Club, we examine works on history, science, and gender, as well as fiction, all written from the perspective of “Bad Indians” – marginalized writers whose refusal to comply with dominant narratives opens up new worlds. Interlacing chapters with short stories about Deer Woman, who is on her own journey to discover who she is, Krawec leads us into a realm of wisdom and medicine, where the stories of marginalized writers help us imagine alternative ways of seeing the world. As Krawec did for her friend, she recommends a list of books to fill in the gaps on our own bookshelves and in our understanding.
Becoming Kin, which novelist Omar El Akkad called a “searing spear of light,” led readers to talk back to the histories they had received. Now, in Bad Indians Book Club comes a potent challenge to all the stories settler colonialism tells–stories that erase and appropriate, deny and deflect. Following Deer Woman, who is shaped by the profuse artistry of Krawec, we enter the multiple worlds Indigenous and other subaltern stories create. Together we venture to the edges of worlds waiting to be born.
Becoming Kin, which novelist Omar El Akkad called a “searing spear of light,” led readers to talk back to the histories they had received. Now, in Bad Indians Book Club comes a potent challenge to all the stories settler colonialism tells–stories that erase and appropriate, deny and deflect. Following Deer Woman, who is shaped by the profuse artistry of Krawec, we enter the multiple worlds Indigenous and other subaltern stories create. Together we venture to the edges of worlds waiting to be born.
Available now via Broadleaf Books. Order here.
Bundle up and get the order carts ready. What would you add to your autumn TBR?
Brianna Robinson is a book publicist and Sarah Lawrence College alum. She lives in New York with too many books and two enthusiastic dachshunds. You can find her on twitter @blrobins2.
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