With the support of the publisher, Shelf Awareness celebrates the launch of Berkley XO, an imprint created by Berkley and Penguin Young Readers dedicated to publishing up to 10 titles a year with crossover appeal for both adult and young adult readers—or New Adult readers.

Christine Ball, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Berkley, and Jen Klonsky, President and Publisher of Penguin Young Readers, talk about the creation of Berkley XO, the books it will publish, the readers it will serve, how Berkley and Penguin Young Readers will work together, and more.

What was the spark behind Berkley XO, and what gap did you see in the market that this imprint is uniquely positioned to fill?

Christine Ball

Christine Ball: Berkley and Penguin Young Readers collaborated in informal ways over the years. We learned a lot from each other and had so much fun that a real partnership felt like a logical next step. We saw an opportunity to reach readers who enjoy YA and adult fiction, not by building a team from the ground up but by curating a new team of experts from both Berkley and Penguin Young Readers for each title on the list. Double the creativity and expertise! Berkley XO is the happy result.

How would you define "new adult" today and why do you think this category is resonating so strongly with readers right now?

Jen Klonsky

Jen Klonsky: There's a particular time in life where you have some independence, you don't live at home, your immediate world tips more toward friends and crushes and away from parents, you're figuring out who you are and who you want to be... but you're not yet tied to a mortgage, a forever job, or a family of your own. This is the heart of New Adult books, and they center what can be a very free, fun, and experimental time. Whether you're living in it or remembering it, New Adult is a time readers love diving into.

Who is the Berkley XO reader, and what are they looking for that they might not be finding elsewhere?

CB: Berkley XO readers love a good story that keeps you turning the pages and is told in a fresh, compelling way. Sometimes they find the stories in adult fiction, and sometimes they find them reading YA. It’s exciting to have an entire imprint dedicated to those crossover readers.

The imprint promises stories that are fresh, flirty, and fast-paced... how do you balance escapism with emotional depth?

JK: I don't think one exists without the other, and the Berkley XO books all showcase that. Our escapist reads include fully-realized characters who face significant obstacles, and our emotional books have well-paced narrative through lines and a good amount of action. Why choose when you can have it all?

With a highly curated list, how does selectivity shape the identity and impact of the imprint?

CB: Because we are assembling a new team for each title, the small size of the Berkley XO list allows us to keep a tight focus and make sure every Berkley XO publication is a special event.

What do you hope readers feel when they pick up a Berkley XO book, and what keeps them coming back for more?

JK: Satisfied and entertained! Whether it's a romance, a fantasy, or a thriller, you come to Berkley XO because you know the read will deliver.

Reap & Sow by Charlotte B. Plumb ($30.00, October 6, 2026, 9798217239689)

The penniless in Blackbridge have only two choices: sell the body or sell the soul. And thanks to Eda Shaw, business is booming.

Indentured to a capricious demon known as Mr. Night, Eda and her brothers arrange illicit Pacts on his behalf, luring the city's most desperate into trading years of their lives for their deepest desires. When a Pact goes awry and her brothers are arrested, Eda realizes she'll need an infernal ally of her own: Kit'rath, an infuriating demon with a curious penchant for humanity and the only being in Blackbridge that Mr. Night seems to fear. As they race to rescue her family and save the city from ruin, an undeniable connection sparks between mortal and demon. 

But Kit's help doesn't come cheap. Now, Eda risks losing her heart to the one who claims her years—and saving herself may prove the steepest cost of all. 

Rich with gothic atmosphere, sharp wit, and simmering romantic tension, Reap & Sow is a fantasy debut perfect for fans of Rachel Gillig, Hannah Whitten, and Heather Fawcett.

Author Charlotte B. Plumb sees her novel as "[A] light in the dark… Blackbridge is a city full of shadows and deceit, but therein lies the lesson. It's hard to see the good in humanity when you're in the thick of it. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective—even a demon's—to remind us of all the ways we're brilliant."

"A fresh voice, an electric and twisty plot, and a romance that strikes the perfect balance between hot and tender. Reap & Sow should be on every romantasy fans must-read list," says Brigitte Knightley, New York Times bestselling author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy.

Crash Course by Piper Lawson ($18, October 20, 2026, 9798217238583)

Shay MacDonald was raised to avoid two things: race cars and the Ashford family. But when an injury puts her mechanic father on bedrest, she vows to save his career by covertly covering his shifts at the Ashford garage and enrolling at Ashford Academy–an elite school that trains aspiring drivers and engineers, like herself, for the lucrative F1 circuit. 

Keeping a low profile is out of the question when she has a run-in with the Ashford brothers on day one. Theo and Jameson are racing royalty who know they can get away with anything. Theo, the charming and reckless playboy, tempts her to break every rule, while Jameson, the brilliant prodigy, unsettles her with a cold intensity that cuts deeper than she expects. 

Shay will always be the adopted daughter of a mechanic, trying to survive unnoticed in a world that was never meant for her. But Theo and Jameson's only reprieve from their father's sky-high expectations is Shay. She's a shiny new pawn in their old rivalry—or a prize worth risking everything for.

When a competition to work on the F1 circuit brings her further into their orbit, Shay is forced to work harder to protect her secrets. But the deeper she's pulled into the world of the rich and famous Ashfords, the more she realizes everyone is keeping secrets.

Secrets that could shatter her past, her future…and her heart.

Author Piper Lawson says, "I wanted Crash Course to explore what it feels like to chase a life that isn't meant for you. Set at an elite racing academy, it follows a young woman fighting to carve out space in a world shaped by power and legacy, and the connection that threatens everything she's worked for. It's about the risks we take when love confronts ambition, and whether one must yield to the other."

Drown the Bones by Alexandra Kennington ($27.00, November 3, 2026, 9798217240104)

As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the "spare" to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she'd rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.

When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von's death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother's ghost.

The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she's bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother's killer.

But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix's secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.

"Drown the Bones entwines grief and longing in this high-stakes romantasy where desire reaches across the unyielding barrier of death. Kennington renders Merridan and her charming, ghostly prince with exquisite tension and aching restraint, and fans of enemies-to-lovers and slow burn romance are in for a feast. A haunting, unforgettable romantasy!" says Logan Karlie, New York Times bestselling author of Dream by the Shadows.