February can be a tough month, generally speaking. The weather is atrocious in most parts of the world and Valentine’s Day looms ominously, regardless of one’s relationship status. But, in the case of the literary arena, it’s a fantastic month for new books. And maybe the terrible weather and high-stakes “holiday” will be made better by a new story or new character, both of which are omnipresent in the following new books. 

The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons

I was instantly an Amy Bonnaffons fan when I read her first book, The Wrong Heaven as it too had quirky tendencies. Now she’s back with another charmingly bizarre tale of love and death and the fine line they share. Rachel finds herself smitten with a golden-haired stranger waiting at the bus stop each day. When she finally introduces herself, she learns Thomas is in fact, dead. He must complete a 90-day trial on Earth before crossing over and at no point should he find love thus acquiring ‘regrets.’ Bonnaffons marries love, death, relationships and sex perfectly in this February release.

Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough

Marcie married into a life of wealth thanks to her uber-rich husband, Jason. Now, when Jason can’t seem to stop focusing on Keisha, his boss’s new wife, Marcie feels her life slipping away one dollar sign at a time. For fans of Liane Moriarty and Lisa Jewell, Dead to Her is an extreme burst of energy you might need this month.

Rock Needs River: A Memoir About a Very Open Adoption by Vanessa McGrady

Vanessa McGrady will (whether accidentally or not) make you want to be a better person. In her memoir, Rock Needs River, McGrady writes – warmly but with blunt honesty – about a very complicated open adoption. Years after trudging through paperwork, McGrady becomes a mom through adoption and welcomes a baby girl into her life. When Grace’s biological parents become homeless, McGrady invites them into her home, an unusual path that certainly lacks guidelines. Through honesty and compassion, McGrady’s uncommon path of generosity is alive and well in what surely will be a bestselling memoir.

The Women in Black by Madeleine St John

Delightfully charming, The Women in Black will excite many self-proclaimed fashionistas. For Patty, Fay, Magda and Lisa, working at Goode’s, an upscale department store, is a high priority in the 1950s. Each woman has aspirations outside of selling high-end goods but by working together, their lives will change forever.

$9 Therapy: Semi-Capitalist Solutions to Your Emotional Problems by Megan Reid and Nick Greene

Just because it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. and the wind chill is at an all-time low this month, doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. And with $9 Therapy, you will. With lively art and amusing anecdotes, this is just what you need to get through the last signs of winter while poking fun at the society in which we live.

Indelicacy by Amina Cain

A cleaning lady in a museum wishes for a better life, one filled with riches and money. When she lands a husband in a higher tax bracket, she realizes her problems have not gone away and when she is the one hiring a maid, true motives come into focus. Indelicacy isn’t just a story about wealth and power but the anxieties that surround what we want and what we think we should get.

Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah

Beth knows not to drive by Flora’s house. After all, Beth hasn’t seen or spoken to her old friend in 12 years. The falling out was too dramatic and the friendship ended there and then. With all this being said, the next time Beth passes the neighborhood, she finds that she can’t help herself. But what she sees is far more shocking than she could’ve expected, Flora has aged naturally but her children, Emily and Thomas are the same age they were 12 years ago.

Too Much: How Victorian Contraints Still Bind Women Today by Rachel Vorona Cote

Too Much highlights the historical constraints that are still present in the treatment of women – from fictional characters to women in modern pop culture. Vorona Cote weaves historical representation, theories and storytelling into a well-researched and timely novel.

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Carolina Santos is still embarrassed by her past. After all, what wedding planner is left at the altar of her own wedding? But, as fate would have it, she has to work with one of the best marketing executives in the city, her would-be brother-in-law. The two have to come together for the sake of their individual careers but Carolina is out for blood after Max encouraged his brother to forgo the marriage. Of course, the tension might not be all negative in this romantic comedy from Mia Sosa.

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Cracked Up to Be is a YA novel I wish I had growing up. The pressures of high school, secrets, scandal, relationships, it has it all. Parker was the perfect student until a devastating party begins to unravel her. She can’t keep it together but she’ll do anything to keep something a secret. When a new student and an old enemy threaten her very existence, Parker learns a thing or two about control.

(Feature image courtesy of @tessreadsbooks)

*Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. These picks are editorially selected, but if you purchase, She Reads may get something in return. We are a participant in the Bookshop Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Bookshop.org while simultaneously supporting local bookstores.