Bookouture has acquired two novels in a new escapist romance series by Debbie Johnson. Publishing Director Ellen Gleeson acquired World All Languages rights in ebook, paperback and audio, plus film and TV rights from Hayley Steed at Janklow & Nesbit UK.

Debbie Johnson has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and she has been published by One More Chapter, Orion and Storm. Her novels have been translated into more than ten languages and she is a winner of the Romantic Novelists’ Association Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year. Her work includes the bestselling Comfort Food Café series, the Starshine Cove series, and standalone novels The A-Z of Everything and The Moment I Met You.

The first title in the Mystery Bay series will publish with Bookouture digitally in April 2026, with a print publication to follow in 2027. Entitled The Bookshop for the Lost and Lonely, the protagonist discovers an invitation to a bookshop tucked between the pages of a novel. Accepting the invitation and heading to Mystery Bay, she finds a quirky bookshop, a beautiful village, and a second chance at love.

Ellen said,

‘The Bookouture team is jam-packed with certified Debbie Johnson fans, and it’s a true honour to have her on board. Debbie is a creative powerhouse, and her readers are in for a treat with this very special new series, which will be escapist, romantic, and packed with Debbie’s trademark warmth and wit – plus a dash of spice!’

Debbie said,

‘I’m thrilled to be working with the wonderful team at Bookouture, and am so excited about the stories we will be creating together.’

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