September 2025 Most Anticipated

September!

September is hands-down my favorite month of the year and also my busiest. Not only is it my birthday month, but it’s also my dad’s, my husband’s, my mother-in-law’s, and about three of my closest friends… all within days of mine. Basically, it’s a nonstop parade of cake and celebrations, which means my reading time tends to take a hit. But that doesn’t stop me from keeping a very close eye on new releases, and this September’s lineup is so good it has me plotting how to sneak in extra reading time between parties.

While the beginning of September is filled with new horror and mystery books, the end of September is bringing all the holiday reads! I’m not quite ready for those yet but I’m putting them on my TBR as we get close to holiday season. I’ve been lucky enough to receive advanced copies of so many of these releases and will be posting reviews for many of the below in the coming weeks. Be sure to follow us to get updates when my reviews go live!

As I always do in my ‘Most Anticipated’ write ups, I’m sharing a few that I’m most excited for first. I then separate out new releases by their release date. I don’t go into too much detail on each of the books being released, because we’d be here forever, but you can always click on the image of the book to get more info.

So let’s talk about the 12 books I’m absolutely looking forward to the most / already loved that are releasing soon! Most of these are a sequel in a series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on them.

Tourist Season: The Seasons of Carnage Trilogy

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?: A Novel

September is packed with amazing reads! I already read both The Heartbreak Hotel and The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre so be sure to check out my reviews.

The Heartbreak Hotel Review

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre review

I’m all about cozy vibes with The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore, and ready for sharp horror twists in Rachel Harrison’s Play Nice and Nick Medina’s The Whistler. Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver offers thriller + romance, while Mona Awad’s We Love You, Bunny promises haunting obsession. Puzzle fans, The Killer Question by Janice Hallett is a must, and for slasher lovers, Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby delivers. Zoë Rankin’s is delivering atmospheric vibes inThe Vanishing Place. Sherry Thomas’s The Librarians blends mystery and bookish charm, and Sarah McCoy’s Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely serves up small-town secrets. For gothic YA vibes, there’s The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino, and The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill promises family feels. Finally, Rachel Linden’s The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake rounds out the list with food, family, and romance.

These are just some of the upcoming September releases that I’ve read and am in the process of reading, but if you keep scrolling there are so many other amazing books coming out soon. Be sure to subscribe to get weekly updates from SPEAKING OF…, and make sure to follow me on Instagram @speakingof.books for reviews of all books I’m reading and other recommendation lists!

If you’re looking for something in particular to read, feel free to comment below or DM me on Instagram, and I’d be happy to help out!