September 2025 TBR: The New Books I’m Most Looking Forward To

September is packed with exciting new standalone releases from a mix of familiar favourites and authors I’ve been meaning to try. In September 2025 TBR: The New Books I’m Most Looking Forward To, I’m highlighting the titles that caught my attention—whether it’s because I’ve loved the author’s previous work or I’ve heard great things and want to see what the buzz is about. From heartfelt fiction to twisty thrillers and everything in between, these new releases are at the top of my to-read list this month. Click on the book’s cover to read the full synopsis and/or add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Publishing The Week of September 9:

Debut author Tessa Calloway is living a dream as her bestseller All This Could Be Yours propels her on a whirlwind book tour, earning standing ovations in every city while her husband and children celebrate from their new dream home. But her success quickly turns sinister when she realizes she is being stalked by someone determined to destroy both her career and her family. Haunted by an impossible decision she once made—a bargain that now feels like a deal with the devil—Tessa must confront the chilling truth that every triumph comes at a price. As the threats close in and her darkest secrets risk exposure, she faces the terrifying possibility of losing not just her career and family, but her life.

Lauryn Harper’s carefully constructed five-year plan unravels after a workplace mishap lands her in the Ryser Charity Department—unfortunately located in her hometown, the very place her powerful corporation devastated and she once fled. Determined to impress her boss and return to city life, Lauryn is horrified to face old ghosts, especially her estranged best friend, who insists the department fund and revive the town’s beloved Greenstead Fall Festival. Agreeing in hopes of a quick escape, Lauryn instead finds herself caught up in small-town chaos, community spirit, and an unexpected second chance at friendship and belonging—forcing her to reconsider whether home is something worth running from after all.

Publishing The Week of September 16:

Lauryn Harper’s carefully constructed five-year plan unravels after a workplace mishap lands her in the Ryser Charity Department—unfortunately located in her hometown, the very place her powerful corporation devastated and she once fled. Determined to impress her boss and return to city life, Lauryn is horrified to face old ghosts, especially her estranged best friend, who insists the department fund and revive the town’s beloved Greenstead Fall Festival. Agreeing in hopes of a quick escape, Lauryn instead finds herself caught up in small-town chaos, community spirit, and an unexpected second chance at friendship and belonging—forcing her to reconsider whether home is something worth running from after all.

Publishing The Week of September 23:

In Someday, Now, Tembi Locke reflects on family, change, and belonging as she navigates the bittersweet transition of her daughter Zoela leaving for college. A child of divorce, an adoptive mother, a widow, and now part of a blended family, Tembi seeks grounding in the summer of 2023 by renting a seaside home in Sicily, a place rich with memories of her late husband’s family. Amid the island’s history, mythology, and personal nostalgia, she explores the complexities of middle age, motherhood, and remarriage, especially once her new husband Robert joins the trip. Blending intimate storytelling with recordings from her travels, Tembi crafts a moving meditation on love, resilience, and the ways family continues to evolve, offering listeners a transformative journey that stands beautifully on its own while resonating with fans of From Scratch.

In The Time Hop Coffee Shop, former TV star Greta Perks, once famous for her Maple Gold coffee commercials, finds her life crumbling as her career fades, her marriage falters, and her daughter grows distant. When she discovers a magical coffee shop and wishes for the idyllic life from her commercials, she awakens in the flawless town of Mapleville, where every day feels picture-perfect and filled with second chances. At first enchanted by the chance to rewrite her story, Greta soon realizes that perfection may come at a cost—and she must ultimately decide whether to embrace an idealized fantasy or return to the messy, authentic life she left behind.

Publishing The Week of September 30:

June Wood’s life takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious email offers her and her estranged former best friend, Adam Harper, the chance to claim a coveted West Village brownstone—if they can live together there for a month. Still reeling from the cancellation of her TV show, June returns to New York to face both the opportunity and the unfinished business between them. As they navigate the magical fall in the city, old resentments, misunderstandings, and long-buried feelings resurface, forcing them to confront the past they once ran from. But with their friendship already broken once, they must decide whether risking it again could finally lead to something more.

In this festive adventure from Fern Michaels, longtime friends Frankie, Amy, Rachael, and Nina—known as Santa’s Crew—reunite for the holidays, only to discover that Salvation Army donation buckets are being stolen around town. Determined to stop the thieves, they join forces with Annie and Myra of the Sisterhood, who are on their own mission to recover a shipment of stolen children’s toys meant for charity. Together, the two groups set off on a lively, fast-paced hunt through New York City, working to outsmart the culprits, save Christmas for those in need, and create a holiday filled with justice, friendship, and unforgettable memories.

Jill Jacobs has despised Christmas ever since her hometown sweetheart shattered her heart on the holiday three years ago, prompting her move to L.A. to chase her screenwriting dreams. But when she reluctantly returns to suburban Illinois for the holidays, a wild night leaves her waking up inside what feels like a Heartfelt Christmas movie—complete with snow-dusted streets, cheerful neighbors, her loving family, a too-perfect high school crush who owns a bakery, and her rugged ex in flannel. The only escape is to follow the movie’s script, which means enduring holiday bake-offs and faking a sugary romance with her old crush, all under the watchful eyes of her ex, if she hopes to make it home by Christmas.

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Whether you’re building your own August TBR or just browsing for your next great read, I hope September 2025 TBR: The New Books I’m Most Looking Forward To gives you some inspiration. I’d love to hear which new releases you’re looking forward to this month—drop your picks in the comments! Here’s to a month of great books and even better reading moments!