Everybody, break out the serving dishes and invite your fancy friends over because today is National Cheese Ball Day. These unique hors douevers are popular around the holidays, but they are always good – even on Friday, April 17th. You know what else is always good? Books! Here’s today’s new releases.
The Photographer's Apprentice by Merry Farmer (The Zagreus Den Series)
Jonathan Moorgate has built a life outside society’s expectations, earning a reputation in London’s underground through his provocative photography and refusal to conform. His world shifts when he takes in Charlie, a troubled young man cast out for defying social norms. What begins as an act of impulse grows into a complicated bond, with Charlie offering loyalty and devotion in exchange for safety and purpose.
Their fragile existence is disrupted when they are drawn into The Zagreus Den, a secretive and dangerous society fueled by power and excess. Tasked with infiltrating a country estate to gather compromising secrets, Jonathan risks everything for access. When Charlie uncovers a captive victim, the mission becomes a fight for survival. In The Photographer’s Apprentice by Merry Farmer, freedom and desire collide in a world where every choice carries a cost and escape may no longer be possible.
Lighting the Forge by Jay Krauss (Founder’s Edition Series)
A man on the brink of death is given a final chance through an experimental virtual reality game, but the cost is permanent immersion with no way out. Sent into the world before its official launch, he builds a quiet life as a blacksmith, finding purpose and stability for the first time in years. For a while, he exists alone, shaping his own path. When players finally arrive, they mistake him for an ordinary character, disrupting everything he has created. His fragile peace is threatened by a world that refuses to leave him behind. Lighting the Forge by Jay Krauss is the first in the Founder’s Edition Series.
Unwritten by Emily Klepp
A woman rejects her wealthy family to build a life on her own, balancing a quiet career as a journalist with a secret identity as a bold writer. Her hidden world is threatened when her brother’s best friend, a man she has long admired, uncovers the truth. Forced into a dangerous situation together, she begins to see a different side of him that blurs the line between fear and attraction. Secrets, desire, and survival collide in ways neither of them expected. Unwritten by Emily Klepp is a dark romance with heavy triggers.
Here is a list of all of the new books releasing today:
New Book Releases for April 17th, 2026
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vince is the Entertainment Editor at Book Notification. His first book was Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss, and his passion for reading took off from there. He'll read just about anything, but can usually be found re-reading his favorite Pynchon novels and Seattle Mariners box scores.