Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive a small compensation to help support my blog if you decide to make a purchase through my links at no cost to you.
If you suffered from thriller burnout in August, then I think you will be happy to see some of my Book of the Month predictions for September!
I actually had to do some thorough digging to even find mystery/thriller books for this list. September’s new book releases are very romance and historical fiction heavy, so hopefully BOTM will have a variety of genres for those who were disappointed in August.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know Book of the Month (BOTM) is my favorite book subscription service. I love the anticipation of finally seeing the seven monthly picks and always have fun trying to guess what may show up on the app on the first of every month.
If you aren’t familiar with BOTM, you can check out my full review of this subscription service. The basic idea is BOTM chooses 5-7 books from different genres every month and members can choose their pick when the books go live. You can also add on up to two more books for only $10.99 each.
If you don’t like any of the picks, you can choose to skip and save your credit for the next month, which is honestly the best part of this service to me. I don’t like subscription boxes that only offer one book selection that you don’t know ahead of time. If you are interested in trying BOTM, you can use my link to get your first book for only $5!
As usual, these are just my opinions and my predictions. It is fine if you disagree or think the predictions are terrible-we all have different reading tastes. Please remember to be kind in comments or messages because we are all readers with different tastes!
Table of Contents
Thriller/Mystery Predictions
The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Debut Author
From the co-host of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid, a thrilling debut novel told from the dueling perspectives of a notorious serial killer and the medical examiner following where his trail of victims leads.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Release Date: September 6, 2022
They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they’re sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire – it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.
All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon
Release Date: September 6, 2022
I really hope this is the mystery/thriller pick for September because I love isolated settings.
A remote hotel. A murder mystery. A missing woman. Everyone has a role to play, but what’s real and what’s part of the game? A twisty and fiendishly clever novel perfect for fans of The Guest List and Knives Out…
The Marsh Queen by Virginia Hartman
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Debut author
For fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, this “marvelous debut” (Alice McDermott, National Book Award–winning author of The Ninth Hour) follows a Washington, DC, artist as she faces her past and the secrets held in the waters of Florida’s lush swamps and wetlands.
Romance Predictions
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Release date: August 23, 2022
Repeat Author
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
Release date: September 20, 2022
Repeat author
An intoxicating and sparkling new romance set against a lush backdrop of Napa Valley wine country, where nothing goes to your head as fast as a taste of love—even if it means changing all your plans.
The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe
Release date: September 13, 2022
Debut Author
Okay the premise for this book is giving me The Love Hypothesis vibes, so I hope it is a pick!
In this smart, swoony, rom-com debut from Jenny L. Howe, two college exes find themselves battling against each other―and their unresolved feelings―for a spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program.
The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling
Release date: September 20, 2022
This follow-up to Erin Sterling’s New York Times bestselling hit The Ex Hex features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
Release date: September 6, 2022
Mazey Eddings, author of the “witty, fast-paced rom-com” A Brush with Love, mixes passion and humor to create a luscious love story between two people stumbling through life and learning to open their hearts. Through a series of mishaps, totally “platonic” single bed sharing, and an underground erotic baking scheme, Lizzie and Rake learn that even the biggest mistakes can have the most beautiful consequences.
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
Release date: September 6, 2022
From the author of The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.
The Boy with the Bookstore by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Release date: September 6, 2022
When a baker meets the bookshop owner of her dreams, and he turns into her nemesis, they’ll both have to read between the lines to avoid a career-ending recipe for disaster.
The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale
Release date: September 6, 2022
A laugh-out-loud funny and whip-smart romantic comedy from the author of The Shaadi Set-Up about a young woman who takes the place of her celebrity doppelgänger, and must fake-date the actress’s sexy costar boyfriend.
When in Rome by Sarah Adams
Release date: September 20, 2022
Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance from the author of the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.
Contemporary Fiction Predictions
I am leaving Carrie Soto is Back on this list because I feel like there’s a strong chance it will be a September pick or add-on due to the late August release date.
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Release date: August 30, 2022
repeat author, possible member riots if not a pick/add-on in August or September
In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary athlete attempts a comeback when the world considers her past her prime—from the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising. This book feels more likely to be in the September picks/add-ons because of the late August pub date. Also, I struggle to accept that a book set in 1994 should be categorized as historical fiction so I left it under contemporary fiction.
All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
Release date: September 13, 2022
Debut author
For fans of Everything I Never Told You and The Mothers, a deeply moving and unflinching debut following a young Vietnamese-Australian woman who returns home to her family in the wake of her brother’s shocking murder, determined to discover what happened—a dramatic exploration of the intricate bonds and obligations of friendship, family, and community.
The Book Haters’ Book Club by Gretchen Anthony
Release date: September 13, 2022
Debut author
Filled with humor, family hijinks and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters’ Book Club is the ideal feel-good read. It’s a love letter to everyday heroes—those booksellers and librarians dedicated to putting the right books in the right hands every day.
The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh
Release date: September 6, 2022
Debut author
This debut novel follows a family of estranged Vietnamese women—cursed to never know love or happiness—as they reunite when a psychic makes a startling prediction.
Historical Fiction Predictions
Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah
Release date: September 27, 2022
From the bestselling author of The Lost Vintage, a rare and dazzling portrait of Jacqueline Bouvier’s college year abroad in postwar Paris, an intimate and electrifying story of love and betrayal, and the coming-of-age of an American icon – before the world knew her as Jackie.
The Two Lives of Sara by Catherin Adel West
Release date: September 6, 2022
A young mother finds refuge and friendship at a boardinghouse in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee, where family encompasses more than just blood and hidden truths can bury you or set you free.
Lessons by Ian McEwan
Release date: September 13, 2022
From the best-selling author of Atonement and Saturday comes the epic and intimate story of one man’s life across generations and historical upheavals: from the Suez Crisis to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall to the current pandemic, Roland Baines sometimes rides with the tide of history, but more often struggles against it.
Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
Release Date: September 20, 2022
A mother and daughter find the courage to go undercover after stumbling upon a Nazi cell in Los Angeles during the early days of World War II.
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
Release Date: September 27, 2022
The award-winning author of Life after Life transports us to a restless London in the wake of the Great War–a city fizzing with money, glamour, and corruption–in this spellbinding tale of seduction and betrayal.
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye
Release Date: September 6, 2022
A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging. Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.
The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Release Date: September 20, 2022
Lynda Cohen Loigman’s The Matchmaker’s Gift is a heartwarming story of two extraordinary women from two different eras who defy expectations to realize their unique talent of seeing soulmates in the most unexpected places.
Literary Fiction Predictions
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
Release Date: September 20, 2022
Repeat author
A poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.
Fantasy Predictions
Ithaca by Claire North
Release Date: September 6, 2022
A daring reimagining that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It’s time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale…
Do you agree with my predictions? What are some of your August Book of the Month predictions? Let me know in the comments!
Shop my bookmarks on Etsy!
Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook so you never miss a new post from me! You can also join my new book club on Facebook!
Oooo I have my eye on so many of these!! I hope I’ll see these on my list to choose from. I have book of the month account. If I decide to choose any add-ons for the month, they charge $15.99 for each add-on, not 10.99. I think they went up because I was originally told 10.99, but that’s not what I was going to be charged for..
You should only be charged $10.99 for an add-on. I would contact customer service about it.