Do you ever read a book, fall in love, want to shout about it to the world – and then find out that no one seems to know it exists? This happens to me all the time, so I’m sharing my favorite underrated authors and their best books with you.
Anyone who has followed my blog or social media platforms for some time will know that I greatly prefer underrated books and authors to hyped ones. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of authors and novels that I think absolutely live up to the hype, but for the most part, I find myself enjoying lesser-known works of fiction just a little bit more.
I’ve been meaning to write a blog post like this for quite some time, so it was honestly a lot of fun to collect this list of names and put together a round-up of my favorite underrated authors (and the books I’ve read by them that I recommend the most)!
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21 Underrated Authors You Should Check Out
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Joanna Ruth Meyer
I first discovered Joanna’s work when I was looking for an audiobook from my library. Echo North came up as a suggestion and it sounded fun. It was love at first listen (and I’ve read that book 3x now)! I immediately flew through her backlist and can, without a doubt in my mind, call her my very favorite author!
My favorite book by this author: Into the Heartless Wood
justin a. reynolds
This was another case of “searching for an audiobook from the library.” I happened upon Opposite of Always and thought it was so creative. It was my first glimpse at magical realism and I was hooked. I’ve read both his YA and MG books and can firmly state that they’re all absolutely fantastic.
My favorite book by this author: Early Departures
Abbi Waxman
I’m not entirely sure how I came to find Abbi’s books, but I do know that when I read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I felt like someone had met me and then turned me into a book character. This immediately made me feel comforted by her books. I tend to find myself in nearly everything she writes.
My favorite book by this author: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
Alechia Dow
Alechia has this incredible gift for combining heartfelt stories with adventurous sci-fi to create absolute masterpieces. It was honestly hard for me to pick my favorite book because I love them both so much – and I can’t wait for whatever comes out next.
My favorite book by this author: The Kindred
Laura Jane Williams
Our Stop was the first book I read by Laura and I found it so refreshing. At the time, I had just begun to discover some fantastic authors in the UK (like Beth O’Leary and Josie Silver) and I couldn’t get enough of their cheeky dialogue and clever way of writing that just felt so different from American romcoms (in a good way). I’ve read all of Laura’s books (and been lucky enough to review two of them as ARCs) and I just adore everything she writes!
My favorite book by this author: The Lucky Escape
Farrah Rochon
Whenever someone asks for romcom recommendations, I’m quick to mention The Boyfriend Project. It’s such a fun series and I’ve genuinely enjoyed each and every story. After reading and reviewing The Hookup Plan, I’m anxiously anticipating when her next book is announced!
My favorite book by this author: The Dating Playbook
Ashley Schumacher
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve cover-read a book, but crazy enough, that’s what happened with Amelia Unabridged. Now, I’d say it’s one of my all-time favorites and I even read it more than once in the same year. It’s such a fantastic story and I think it’s especially appealing to people who have always treasured reading. I was thrilled to read and review Full Flight at the end of 2021 and it was an immediate pre-order for me. I just know that if Ashley writes it, I’m gonna love it.
My favorite book by this author: Amelia Unabridged
Leah Johnson
Leah’s debut novel certainly got its fair share of praise when it first came out, but then I noticed her name appearing less and less in the online bookish communities. This breaks my heart because her second book, Rise to the Sun, was just as great! I think Leah deserves all the hype for her heartfelt, inspiring novels.
My favorite book by this author: You Should See Me in a Crown
Kerry Winfrey
Around the same time I was discovering Abbi Waxman’s books, I also happened upon Kerry’s novel, Waiting for Tom Hanks. As someone who grew up on ’90s romance flicks (all hail Nora Ephron), I really appreciated the sweet nods in this novel. I was thrilled that she continued the series and I’ve loved all of her books so much!
My favorite book by this author: Waiting for Tom Hanks
Sara Ella
Despite Sara’s book, Coral, being on my TBR for years, I didn’t dive into her work until she reached out about reading and reviewing The Wonderland Trials. Let me tell you right now that I’ll certainly be prioritizing her novels now after such a wonderful experience reading her newest release!
My favorite book by this author: The Wonderland Trials
Dylan Newton
I was sent How Sweet It Is in a PR box full of goodies from the publisher in autumn of 2021. It was the perfect time to read the book since it’s set around Halloween, and I absolutely fell in love. Lucky me, I got to review the companion novel, All Fired Up – and even attended a virtual author event for the release day! Dylan’s books are filled with so much heart and I just need everyone to read them!
My favorite book by this author: How Sweet It Is
Lane Clarke
Lane is a debut author that deserves a major round of applause for her novel, Love Times Infinity. This book packs SUCH a punch and it absolutely blew me away. It was also such a blast to read because it’s the first book I’ve ever come across that’s set in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. It made the reading experience even more special. This book is perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Elizabeth Acevedo.
My favorite book by this author: Love Times Infinity
Timothy Janovsky
I picked up You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince a couple of years back during the holiday season and thought Timothy’s style of storytelling was so much fun. When I read Never Been Kissed I was totally hooked. These books are a blast. They’re sassy and sweet and just so much fun.
My favorite book by this author: Never Been Kissed
Elizabeth May
After making my way through probably three different series about fey that completely let me down, I was desperate for something different. I decided to give The Falconer a go, and I’m so glad I did. To this day, it’s one of my favorite fey series – and one of my most recommended fantasy series in general. It’s so creative and emotional!
My favorite book by this author: The Falconer
Melissa Wiesner
When I received The Second Chance Year as an ARC, I certainly wasn’t expecting to love it so much that I reread it again before the novel was out in the world. It became one of my favorite reads of 2023 and definitely one of my all-time favorite romances. I knew then and there that Melissa would be an auto-buy author for me!
My favorite book by this author: The Second Chance Year
Amber McBride
Me (Moth) was on display when I popped into a local coffee shop shortly after moving to a new town. I read the synopsis and mentioned aloud that it sounded so good. The barista working there began to rave about how it was truly the best book they’d ever read. My mom, who was with me, snatched it up and bought it as a little housewarming gift for my new home library. When I read it at the beginning of 2022, I completely got where that barista was coming from. It’s phenomenal!!! Do yourself a favor and add Amber’s books to your TBR, stat.
My favorite book by this author: Me (Moth)
Meredith Schorr
After reading the description for As Seen on TV on NetGalley, I immediately requested an ARC and was thrilled when I was approved. This book is beyond adorable – and it was so much fun getting to know Meredith a little better during Dylan Newton’s virtual release day author event. Now I’ve made it my personal mission to read everything Meredith writes!
My favorite book by this author: As Seen on TV
Kristina Forest
You know how there are just some people who suggest books to you and you don’t even question that you’ll love them because you trust the recommender so explicitly? That’s what happened with Now That I’ve Found You. I saw the recommendation, picked it up, and loved it with my whole heart. I’ve begun to make my way through more of Kristina’s books and I enjoy them so much!
My favorite book by this author: The Neighbor Favor
Erin Hahn
I genuinely have no clue how I found More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn, but I sure am glad that I did! During a summer when I was doing nothing but listening to contemporary audiobooks while painting my new house, this was a godsend. I will never forget listening to this as I chalk-painted my kitchen cabinets. And the rest of Erin’s books are just as fab!
My favorite book by this author: Friends Don’t Fall in Love
Emily Lloyd-Jones
If you’re looking for cozy fantasy that will absolutely blow you away, you definitely need to read Emily’s books. I’ve read The Bone Houses more than once now–both with a physical book and an audiobook–and it never ceases to astound me. It’s comforting, a little creepy, and has incredible chronic pain rep. Her YA fantasy books are stand-alone set in the same world!
My favorite book by this author: The Bone Houses
Ashley Wilda
I have such a special connection to Ashley’s debut novel, The Night Fox. Not only because it’s a hauntingly beautiful magical realism, but because I actually know the author in person. I even got to celebrate with them on launch day! This book is absolutely incredible (but make sure to have tissues handy).
My favorite book by this author: The Night Fox
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Which underrated authors do you wish more people knew about?
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What a great idea for a post! Having read several of these books and authors, I would absolutely agree with them being under-rated. Thanks for introducing me to some new ones too!
This post is totally up my alley! I can appreciate an overhyped book but I think there are so many under-rated jewels to be found. Also, I’m totally one of those people that goes against what’s trending so I can definitely appreciate this list LOL! Will definitely check some of these out!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
What an incredible list of books! I love checking out authors and stories that are usually under the radar. I’m especially drawn to Amelia Unabridged and The Wonderland Trials. Thank you so much for sharing your recommendations!
I haven’t heard of any of these authors or novels before, so thanks for sharing it!
Totally loving the way you have formatted this awesome list, as I feel it is much easier to read than your usual roundup posts! There are so many good books on here that I feel like deserve more eyes on their pages, so love that you have shared this wonderful selection. 🙂
If my typical round-ups didn’t include around 30+ books with synopses, I’d format them more like this. However, they’d be really, really long and cluttered if I did – so I keep them with the dropdowns, which makes them easier to read 🙂
Great post, and we definitely have those moments when we read something by an author the world has to know about. Thank you for sharing!
Amazing post. I have not heard of many of these authors. I will check them out as they sound interesting. Thank you for sharing.
We only know Leah Johnson! Thanks for sharing all these authors and books.
Oh so so glad for this list and so get when an overhyped book lets you down! I always love to find some underrated authors and get to read some of their things. I have Justin Reynold’s books on the list after you recommended Early Departures on Instagram as well as Into the heartless woods and The bookish life of Nina Hill!
I have only heard of a few of these authors including Justin A. Reynolds, but I haven’t read any of their books. I’ll definitely have to add a few of your favorite books to my TBR!
A Dress for the Wicked is such a fun read. Definitely worth a shot. Also, I loved Well Met. Hot Pirate with eyeliner? Yes please.
Great list! I have a couple of these on my TBR and I still need to finish The Falconer series.
When a barista recommends a book – Amber Mcbride, Me (Moth), I pay attention. This post is such a celebration of literary gems.