New Releases I’m Excited About: Early 2021 Contemporary Fiction

Hi friends! It’s that time again when I look at my overflowing TBR lists (I would be looking at my TBR bookcases but they’re still all packed in boxes and YES I’m getting twitchy about it, why do you ask? lol) and then I look at all the delicious new books coming out …. and I resign myself to never ever getting caught up – but what a problem to have! Today we’re starting out with Early 2021 Contemporary New Releases (January-April).

Here is the schedule of posts for the week so you can zero in on your fave genre!

TODAY: Contemporary Fiction (non-Amish & non-suspense)
Thursday: Historical Fiction (non-Amish & non-suspense)
Friday: Mystery/Suspense (non-Amish)
Saturday: Amish Fiction
Saturday: Speculative/Youth
Sunday: Non-Fiction

In my continued quest to streamline these posts I’m only selecting a few I’m most giddy about to spotlight here. I’ll also include links to all the January-April 2021 releases, each in their own list by month. You can also keep up with 2021’s new books as I learn about them by bookmarking the ‘2021 Releases‘ page on my blog menu & checking it each month!

You ready to break out your TBR lists? <cracks knuckles> Let’s do this!

Umm… real quick disclaimer: After scanning through this list you may think, “I thought she was narrowing this down?” Oh, my friends. This IS narrowed down…. 😉

spotlight on titles i’m most giddy about

(click on book title to go to its goodreads page if available)

A FUTURE FOR HIS TWINS
(Widow’s Peak Creek #1)
Susanne Dietze
Love Inspired / January 1, 2021

Tomás Santos and Faith Latham both want to rent the same building in town, and neither is willing to give up the fight. But Tomás’s young twins want a new mom—and they’re sure Faith’s the perfect fit. Can these little matchmakers inspire Tomás and Faith to put their differences aside and become a family?

AN UNEXPECTED ARRANGEMENT
Heidi McCahan
Love Inspired / January 1, 2021

Hoping to start over, Jack Tomlinson intends to leave his hometown—until twin babies are dropped on his doorstep. He needs help, and the best nanny he knows is Laramie Chambers. As they bond over the babies, Jack can’t help but feel drawn to Laramie. But proving he’s not just her friend’s irresponsible brother could be a bigger challenge than suddenly becoming a dad…

SECOND CHANCE CHRISTMAS
(Turtleback Beach #3)
Rula Sinara
Harlequin Heartwarming / January 1, 2021

A second chance. That’s what former navy SEAL Damon Woods asks for when Zuri Habib comes to Turtleback Beach with a nephew who looks just like him. After her sister’s death, Zuri believes Caden deserves to know his father—even if he did break her teenage heart. Can Damon and Zuri forgive each other and give a grieving boy the family he needs this Christmas?

FOR THE LOVE OF JOY
(Coastal Hearts #5)
Janet W. Ferguson
Southern Sun Press, LLC  / January 1, 2021

Years ago, a Dear John letter and then an IED explosion overseas rocked Davis Donnelly’s world and left him unclear about his marital status. He’d signed divorce papers, but broken mentally and physically, he’d never bothered to find out if his marriage actually ended. Now that he’s about to start a new position as an outreach minister, it’s time to settle things once and for all. At the moment he tracks down his wife—or former wife?—she takes a tumble while chasing a little boy. Her son. And that’s when life flips upside down. When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her.

ALL OF YOU, ALWAYS
(Walker Beach Romance #1)
Lindsay Harrel
Blue Aster Press  / January 4, 2021

Going undercover is Bella’s only hope. Her mission? Convince Ben to sell his inn, and she’ll get the information needed to locate the family she’s never known. Should be simple, right? After all, he’s behind on his mortgage, and a recent earthquake has rocked the town—and his finances. His beachfront property is ripe for the picking. But the big-city executive didn’t count on him being so stubborn. So rooted in family and tradition and everything that small-town America stands for. She also didn’t count on him being so attractive and wounded and … good. And Bella has to wonder if the ends really justify the means. But more than that—can love survive a lie?

Also giddy about the other 3 books coming out in this series in early 2020

ALL THAT WE CARRIED
Erin Bartels
Revell  / January 5, 2021

Estranged sisters embark on a hiking trip on the tenth anniversary of their parents’ deaths in an attempt to reconnect. In the wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula they’ll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

HOPE FOR FAMILY
(Hope Ranch #5)
Elizabeth Maddrey
JoNaTiMa Books / January 5, 2021

He needs a wife. She wants to belong. Nobody has to fall in love.  Jade Clarke didn’t expect the Hewitts to roll out the red carpet when she showed up at Hope Ranch. But they did. And they invited her to stay. As much as she craves their acceptance and love, she’s suspicious of anything that comes without strings. When Tommy Russell’s ex-wife tries to use his unmarried status against him in their custody battle, he blurts out that he’s actually in a relationship with Jade. Jade agrees to go along with his fake relationship during his daughter’s next visit., but his daughter wants to be part of their wedding and is pushing for them to make it official while she’s in town. Tommy hesitates, but better alternatives are hard to find, and Jade is actually on board. Theirs wouldn’t be the first marriage of convenience in history. Will marrying Jade be the answer to Tommy’s prayers or a catastrophic complication?

NICOLE
(Sewing in SoCal #3)
Sarah Monzon
Radiant Publications  / January 7, 2021

Who has time to date when she’s trying to raise a miniature human by herself AND save the planet from its irresponsible inhabitants? Not to mention my winning personality (snort) and my curves-have-curves figure (eyeroll) don’t exactly attract the opposite sex. If I were to consider a romantic relationship, my dream guy certainly wouldn’t be immature, everything-is-a-game Dr. Drew Bauer. The man raises my body temperature faster than global warming does the Earth’s! But life seems determined to keep throwing us together, especially now that one of my SoCal sewing sisters is engaged to his best friend, in which case there can only be one of two outcomes: 1. I kill him in a fit of annoyance. 2. My common sense escapes me, and I fall in love with him. Honestly, I’m not sure which would be worse.

EVERYTHING BEHIND US
(Murphy Brothers #3)
Jennifer Rodewald
Rooted Publishing  / January 12, 2021

Neither wants to relive the past, but they need each other to face the future. Connor Murphy lives by a code of honor and service. Dignified, duty-bound, and responsible, he’s spent the past eight years as a single enlisted airman, determined never to mess up another person’s life the way he did Sadie’s. Of course, that last part was easier before Sadie rolled back into town.
Sadie Allen never intended to return to Sugar Pine—her hometown hosts too much regret—but she can’t face her health crisis alone. Not with a four-year-old depending on her. Even so, Connor Murphy’s proposal of a marriage of convenience wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. She can’t fault his reasoning—her prognosis is grim and her son could use a father—but her heart aches at the thought of a marriage without romance. Especially to the one man she’s never gotten over.

GLORY FALLS
(Madison River Romance #3)
Janine Rosche
Berkley Books / January 12, 2021

Screenwriter Cecilia “Blue” Walker is victim to life’s worst plot twists. Having lost her daughter to the depths of the Madison River and her husband to the arms of another woman, she finds herself yearning for something to restore her brittle faith and once-vibrant career. Hope arrives in the form of her childhood friend, Thomas Beck, a firefighter with a legacy of larger-than-life rescues who doesn’t see himself as a hero. Haunted by his past, Thomas only agrees to a movie adaptation of his story if Blue, his longtime crush, is the screenwriter. However, as Blue and Thomas work together to bring his heroism to the big screen, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood threaten to shed light on secrets that could tear their fragile relationship and their lives apart.

STILL THE ONE
(Deep Haven Collection #1)
Rachel D. Russell
Sunrise Publishng / January 12, 2021

It’s never too late to finish a love story… Cole Barrett, former Army Ranger, has a new mission objective. Sell his grandfather’s house and put Deep Haven, a place that holds too many hurts, in his rearview mirror as fast as possible. Recently divorced, single, and unattached, Cole just wants a new life as a US Marshal. Unfortunately, there’s a tenant in the garage apartment who’s refusing to move. Even worse? It’s his childhood crush, Megan Carter, and her son.
Wedding planner and single mom Megan Carter loves Deep Haven. To her, it’s the place where she makes dreams come true—at least, everyone else’s. She’s oh, so close to fulfilling her own dream… until Cole Barrett returns to Deep Haven. Even if he’s not back to fulfill a silly childhood promise to marry her, but she never expected him to evict her! Return to Deep Haven with this magical tale about the one who got away…and came back.

WRITING HOME
Amy Anguish
Anaiah Press / January 19, 2021

Christiana Jones dreamed her whole life of living in Huntsville, Alabama, so she can’t figure out why it doesn’t feel like home. Her relationships—on social media and in real life—seem shallow and empty. When she unearths a stack of her grandparents’ letters, it spurs an idea. Jordan White is taken aback when his cousin Tina suggests he become penpals with her childhood best friend. What could a Louisiana boy have in common with a girl two states away? But every letter they exchange has him wishing for more. As they grow closer through their written words, the miles between them seem to grow wider. Can love cross the distance and bring them home?

CATCHING MR. RIGHT
(Seasons of Alaska #7)
Carol Ross
Harlequin Heartwarming / February 1, 2021

Louisiana angler Victoria Thibodeaux needs the spokesperson contract with Romeo Reels to keep her business going and give her daughter a better life. But her hard-won confidence sinks to the bottom of the bayou when her rival, Alaskan fisherman Seth James, arrives. With his smooth-talking charm, handsome Seth could steal both her job and her heart, unless secrets from her past catch up with her first…

A HOME FOR HER BABY
Gabrielle Meyer
Love Inspired / February 1, 2021

Forced to sell her bed-and-breakfast, Piper Connelly’s happy to stay on as manager–until the pregnant widow discovers her former high school sweetheart is the buyer. While Max Evans has changed from the boy who once broke her heart, Piper’s not so sure about working with him. But what if the perfect home for Piper and her baby is right here with Max?

AN UNLIKELY PROPOSAL
Toni Shiloh
Love Inspired / February 1, 2021

Trinity Davis must not have heard firefighter Omar Young correctly. Did her handsome widowed best friend just suggest they get married? Omar needs a mom for his adorable little girls, and it’ll fix Trinity’s financial woes. But saying “I do” isn’t just business. Especially when the only vow they’re in danger of breaking is their promise to not fall in love…

CHOOSING HIS FAMILY
(Colorado Grooms #6)
Jill Lynn
Love Inspired / February 1, 2021

Rescuing a single mom and her triplets during a snowstorm lands rancher Finn Brightwood with temporary tenants in his vacation rental. But because of his past, Finn’s reluctant to get too involved in Ivy Darling’s chaotic life. When he starts falling for the three rambunctious little girls—and Ivy—he can’t help but wish this family would stick around for good.

‘TIL I WANT NO MORE
Robin W. Pearson
Tyndale House / February 2, 2021

When the man she loved years ago returns to town, one young woman’s complicated past rises again, threatening to expose her well-kept secrets. All grown-up now, Maxine has pledged her heart and ring finger to Theodore Charles, the man she’ll promise to love, honor, and obey in front of God and everybody. At least that’s what she’s telling anybody who will listen. The only folks buying it are the dog and the readers of her column, however. Her best friend and family aren’t having it—not even Celeste, the double bass–playing thirteen-year-old the community of Mount Laurel, North Carolina, believes is Maxine’s adopted sister. And apparently, neither is the newly returned JD, who seems intent on toppling Maxine’s reconstructed life. As her wedding day marches ever closer, Maxine confronts what it means to be really known and loved by examining what’s buried in her own heart and exposing truth that has never seen the light of day.

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE
Christina Suzann Nelson
Bethany House / February 2, 2021

After years of estrangement, the lives of Zara Mahoney and her twin sister, Eve, are suddenly and completely intertwined again. Eve’s troubled lifestyle causes the state to take custody of her two children and contact Zara and her husband, asking them to consider foster care. Newlywed Zara thought she’d finally been given a fresh start and feels wholly unprepared to care for a niece and nephew whose existence she wasn’t even aware of. Meanwhile, Eve may have a real chance to start over this time with the help of Tiff Bradley, who’s dedicated to helping women everyone else has given up on after facing a heartbreaking tragedy in her own family. Over the course of one summer, all three women’s hearts and lives hang in the balance as Eve desperately works toward a new life. Can they redefine their expectations of how life should be to find the hope they–and those they love–so desperately need?

THE SOLDIER’S UNEXPECTED FAMILY
Tanya Agler
Harlequin Heartwarming / March 1, 2021

Major Aidan Murphy arrives in the charming small town of Hollydale to take full guardianship of his six-year-old nephew. Only there’s a slight problem–his vivacious, fiery co-guardian. School teacher Natalie Harrison has no intention of letting Aidan take her best friend’s heartbroken little boy away. Now Aidan must convince Natalie that blood is stronger than love…even if his heart tells him otherwise.

A BROTHER’S PROMISE
(Bliss, Texas #2)
Mindy Obenhaus
Love Inspired / March 1, 2021

Major Aidan Murphy arrives in the charming small town of Hollydale to take full guardianship of his six-year-old nephew. Only there’s a slight problem–his vivacious, fiery co-guardian. School teacher Natalie Harrison has no intention of letting Aidan take her best friend’s heartbroken little boy away. Now Aidan must convince Natalie that blood is stronger than love…even if his heart tells him otherwise.

HERS FOR THE SUMMER
(Wyoming Sweethearts #4)
Jill Kemerer
Love Inspired / March 1, 2021

Eden Page reluctantly agrees to babysit Ryder Fanning’s five-year-old identical twin daughters–but only for the summer. After that, she’s taking charge of her own life, even if it means leaving behind her family ranch that Ryder now owns. But this cowboy, who’s determined never to marry again, could give her everything she wants…including the family and childhood home she loves.

HIDING IN ALASKA
(Home to Owl Creek #4)
Belle Calhoune
Love Inspired / March 1, 2021

Forced to reinvent herself in witness protection, Isabelle Sanchez begins working for an Alaskan chocolate company under the alias Ella Perez. Her new warmhearted town is a peaceful refuge—as is the company of chocolate empire heir Connor North. She may never be able to tell Connor the truth about her fresh start…but can they find love despite her secrets?

FACING THE DAWN
Cynthia Ruchti
Revell / March 2, 2021

While her humanitarian husband Liam has been digging wells in Africa, Mara Jacobs has been struggling. She knows she’s supposed to feel a warm glow that her husband is nine time zones away, caring for widows and orphans. But the reality is that she is exhausted, working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage their three detention-prone kids, failing at her to-repair list, and fading like a garment left too long in the sun. Then Liam’s three-year absence turns into something more, changing everything and plunging her into a sunless grief. As Mara struggles to find her footing, she discovers that even when hope is tenuous, faith is fragile, and the future is unknown, we can be sure we are not forgotten . . . or unloved.

CAN’T BUY ME LOVE
(Deep Haven Collection #2)
Andrea Christenson
Sunrise Publishing / March 16, 2021

He can’t buy his way out of trouble this time… Housekeeper-slash-entrepreneur Ella Bradley prides herself on being ready for anything. After all, with a father who died—and lied to her—and a stepmom and stepsister who despise her, she has no one else to depend on. But on the biggest night of her life, she’s unprepared to be trapped in an elevator with the man of her dreams. Wealthy prince-to-a-fortune Adrian Vassos wants nothing more than to shed his reputation as a party boy and prove that he is a savvy businessman. Even, a gentleman. But when he’s trapped with a woman who knows his reputation but not his face, he gives into the temptation to be someone else—and lies. When serendipity brings them together again—this time to work off community service—can their combined sentences spark a new ending? Maybe…if Adrian’s lies don’t find him out. Again. The magic of Deep Haven enchants in this modern-day Cinderella story.

MATCHMAKER’S BEST FRIEND
(Independence Islands #9)
Kari Trumbo
Celebrate Lit Publishing / March 30, 2021

When they dated ten years ago as teens, it almost destroyed their friendship. So Pen Reece did the only logical thing. She lied about how she felt—and still feels—about him. She’s still paying for that lie. A brilliant plan to set Mike and a friend up and get over him has one problem. It’s breaking her heart. When Pen pushed him away, Mike Gaines assumed she just didn’t understand his faith. People like her persnickety aunt even claim he’s part of a cult—ridiculous, but it’s true. Still, if she wants him to play the part of a big brother, fine. At least he can stay close this way. At first, Pen’s attempt to set him up with one of her close friends hurts. But what if it’s the perfect opportunity to show her what she’s missing if she sees him with someone else?

A MARRIAGE OF INCONVENIENCE
(Stop the Wedding #6)
Amy Vastine
Harlequin Heartwarming / April 1, 2021

Wedding planner Sophia Reed never imagined she’d meet her perfect man during a bank robbery. Evan Anderson is handsome and funny and makes Sophia believe in love at first sight. There’s only one small hitch—he’s engaged to someone else, and Sophia is planning his wedding! But Evan’s wedding is purely a business arrangement…and true love might just turn this almost-perfect wedding into a beautiful catastrophe!

HOW TO MARRY A COWBOY
(Wishing Well Springs #2)
Cathy McDavid
Harlequin Heartwarming / April 1, 2021

Wedding planner Sophia Reed never imagined she’d meet her perfect man during a bank robbery. Evan Anderson is handsome and funny and makes Sophia believe in love at first sight. There’s only one small hitch—he’s engaged to someone else, and Sophia is planning his wedding! But Evan’s wedding is purely a business arrangement…and true love might just turn this almost-perfect wedding into a beautiful catastrophe!

REBUILDING HER LIFE
(Kendrick Creek #1)
Ruth Logan Herne
Love Inspired / April 1, 2021

After a fire devastates her hometown, Dr. Jess Bristol returns to save her mother’s clinic—and comes face-to-face with her high school sweetheart. Over twenty years ago, Jess helped put Shane Stone in jail…and later learned he was innocent. Now they must work together to restore their town. Though Shane has put his past behind him, can the adoptive single father forgive the woman he once loved?

IS IT ANY WONDER?
(Nantucket Love Story #2)
Courtney Walsh
Tyndale House / April 6, 2021

Twelve years ago, Cody Boggs and Louisa Chambers made a pact that no matter where their lives took them, they’d return to Nantucket Island’s Brant Point Lighthouse on July 30, their shared golden birthday, and continue their tradition of exchanging birthday wishes. But that was before a tragic accident upended both of their lives, irrevocably pulling them apart. Their worlds collide just months before that particular day when Louisa’s fledgling event planning company is hired by the local Coast Guard station, where she discovers Cody has recently returned to the island as the second in command. As they plan a regatta fundraiser, hoping to promote positive PR in the community, neither can deny the fireworks each encounter ignites. But working together also brings up memories of the day Cody’s father died, revealing secrets that have Cody and Louisa questioning everything they thought they knew and felt about their families and each other.

BLACKBERRY BEACH
(Hope Harbor #7)
Irene Hannon
Revell / April 6, 2021

Katherine Parker is on the cusp of having everything she ever wanted–fame, money, and acclaim. So why isn’t she happy? In search of answers, she comes incognito to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast for some R&R. Maybe in her secluded rental house overlooking the serene Pacific she’ll be able to calm the storm inside. Coffee shop owner Zach Garrett has found his niche after a traumatic loss–and he has no plans to change the life he’s created. Nor does he want to get involved with his reticent new neighbor, whose past is shrouded in mystery. He’s had enough drama to last a lifetime. But when Katherine and Zach are recruited to help rehab a home for foster children, sparks fly. And as their lives begin to intersect, might they find more common ground than they expected . . . and discover that, with love, all things are possible?

ALL THAT REALLY MATTERS
Nicole Deese
Bethany House / April 6, 2021

Molly McKenzie’s bright personality and on-trend fashion and beauty advice have earned her an impressive social media following, as well as a big paycheck each month. When her manager-turned-boyfriend says she has an audition to appear as a host on a makeover show that nominates underprivileged youth, her dream of further fame seems to be coming true. There’s just one catch: she has little experience interacting with people in need. The program’s director, Silas Whittaker, challenges her at every turn, but she swiftly grows more attached to the kids–and him–every day. As Molly experiences an acceptance unlike anything she’s known, she wrestles with the lies she’s been believing about herself for years. She thought she knew what mattered most in life, but maybe she’s had it wrong this whole time, and there’s more to being truly seen than what she’s built her entire life on.

BOOKSHOP BY THE SEA
Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson / April 13, 2021

After her mother was bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie became a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a book shop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children. But now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth just got a new job, the family house is sold, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance to run an extreme sporting business in Florida. When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove – and with the hotels booked to capacity – he asks Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. But can Sophie trust Aiden to stick around? And does daredevil Aiden have the courage to risk his heart?

add these to your wish list

all the new releases by each separate month
(amazon affiliate links used)

Books i want to read that aren’t up yet

When Forever Fades by Andrea Boyd (January)
Dreams Last by Chloe S. Flanagan (February)
Downsizing by Lin Stepp (April)
Edisto Song by Lin Stepp (April)
The Secret Place by Camille Eide (April)

my fave covers?

What about you? Which Early 2021 Contemporary New Releases are you most anxious to read? Which covers are your favorites?

If you don’t see your book mentioned here or in my amazon lists, I apologize! It’s impossible to keep up with all the books LOL! Please feel free to leave your release info for Christian / clean fiction in the comments.