When her father returns eleven years after he walked out on her family, Qianze is dubious. But she’s always wanted to know more about her family’s history, so she decides to hear him out. But the dark story he weaves about his involvement as a Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution and her grandmother’s life in Japan-occupied China is more horrifying than she ever could’ve imagined. Along with the history, he’s come to deliver a half-remembered prophecy, one that leaves Qianze stalked by strange visions night and day. —Rachel Brittain

A second-chance romance awaits you in Julian Winters’ Last First Kiss! If you’re familiar with Winters’s previous novel, I Think They Love You, you’ll be happy to find out that this new release stars Denz’s cousin, Jordan, and his best friend, Jamie. You were teased about them in the last book, and it’s finally time to get their happily ever after!

Get ready to go through the ups and downs of a second-chance love, especially one that pulls at your heartstrings so much. Jordan is focused on the family business, but when his boss assigns him to plan a wedding, he bumps into Jamie, and all those old feelings come flooding back. —Silvana Reyes Lopez

I first heard of this book directly from Williams at a writing conference. The Emmy Award-winning producer and podcast host told me the first line, and I was hooked. The Dupree women only give birth to daughters, but that’s not the only mysterious thing about them. In 1995, 14-year-old Tati goes down a rabbit hole trying to find out who her father is, but just uncovers more secrets and questions. Like, why did her grandmother Gladys leave Land’s End, Alabama in ’53, and what happened to Jubi when she tried to pass for white in 1917? At the beginning of it all is the story of one enslaved ancestor who paid the ultimate price for freedom. —Erica Ezeifed

While we generally learn about the Underground Railroad in school history classes, as a whole, small and large-scale resistance against enslavers and enslavement in the United States (and abroad) is rarely if ever covered. This book is based on true stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, even when the consequences could be devastating. From those seeking freedom to those who have already found it in name if not in reality, Burn Down Master’s House is a decisive portrait of resistance in the face of utter brutality. —Rachel Brittain

Want a road trip story that isn’t set in the U.S. and features a bisexual disaster of a lead character? This is one for your TBR.

Krishna is in at her dream college, yet she feels like a complete mess. She’s spent the summer in India flirting with Amrit, her neighbor, but nothing came of it. Krishna is convinced she’ll be the only college freshman who has never even been kissed.

So, when her flight back home is delayed, and she receives a flirty text from Amrit, Krishna decides she’s going all in, right now. Amrit is miles away at a family wedding, so Krishna reaches out to her cousin, Priti, for help. Priti needs to dial in more help, too, in the form of her best friend, Rudra Desai–that’s who has the car.

The three are on the road to this wedding so that Krishna can have her happily ever after with Amrit before it’s too late. Except, well, feelings might be bubbling up inside Krishna for someone else on this trip (ahem, Rudra), whose heart may already belong to her cousin. —Kelly Jensen

This Southern Gothic debut novel is set in the forests of Southern Georgia, where Judith Rice once fled to escape the grip of her abusive mother. Judith spends 13 years in her crumbling house in the woods, hiding from the past and gaining a reputation as a wise woman and a healer. But then a strange and beautiful woman shows up on Judith’s doorstep, threatening to destroy the shelter and safety that Judith has worked for years to create for herself. The woman sparks a strange desire in Judith, opening up memories of Judith’s past that she thought she had long buried. —Emily Martin