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34 Exciting January 2025 Book Releases
Excited for new book releases in 2025? Here are the anticipated January 2025 book releases you won’t want to miss. From exciting debuts to the latest installments in new series, January is packed with great reads for your 2025 TBR. I’m especially excited for Freida McFadden’s books and many twisty thrillers. Plus, there are fun romances, including cowboy romance, enemies-to-lovers, and hot and spicy books. Don’t miss cozy fantasies and feel-good books too!
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January 2025 Book releases
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
Publication date: January 7
If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries with supernatural twist, this book will be great. A Sea of Unspoken Things is about sibling bonds, emotional trauma, and secrets in a rural California setting. This book looks like a great thriller books for book club .
A woman investigates her brother’s mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow
The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.
When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.
But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.
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Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
Publication date: January 7
Beg, Borrow, or Steal looks like a delightful, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy. This enemies-to-lovers romance story featuring two feuding teachers. The small town setting and snarky banter and will be definitely fun to read.
Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.
Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.
Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.
With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?
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Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
Publication date: January 7
Temple of Swoon is an adventurous romance set in the lush, perilous Amazon rainforest. The story follows Dr. Miriam Jacobs a quirky and determined archaeologist. There is also Rafael Monfils, a secretive journalist with his own agenda.
Her mission: find the Lost City of the Moon in the Amazon rainforest.
His mission: protect the holy temple . . . and his heart.
While her mentor may be the world’s most badass archaeologist, the only thing bad about Dr. Miriam Jacobs are her corny jokes. But when Miri is charged with leading an unmapped expedition through the Amazon for the fabled Lost City of the Moon, she finally has her chance to prove to her colleagues that she’s capable—and hopefully prove it to herself, too.
Journalist Rafael Monfils has joined the archaeological team to chronicle their search for the lost city. Or at least, that’s what they think he’s doing. Rafa’s real goal? Make sure the team does not reach the Cidade da Lua, stopping the desecration of the holy city and protecting his mother’s legacy. All he needs to do is keep them on the wrong path.
If only the endearingly quirky Dr. Jacobs wasn’t so damn tenacious—each of Rafa’s tricks and purposeful wrong turns only seem to fuel her determination. Even worse, he’s charmed by her goofy attempts to channel Lara Croft as they traverse the dangerous Brazilian rainforest. But they’re not the only crew hunting for the lost city, and soon the untamed jungle—and their untamed hearts—might be the least of their worries.
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All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
Publication date: January 7
All the Missing Pieces is a romantic suspense novel. It also includes the tension of solving a cold case with a love story. The main character Ridley is a true crime podcaster who is searching for her missing sister. If you are in to small town romance and romantic mysteries, you will love it.
Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step.
Ridley Sawyer knows what it’s like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished—because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.
Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn’t stop her from finding it for others.
Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.
Colt knows what it’s like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he’s not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn’t matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there’s more to Ridley’s story or that he can’t stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.
But when Ridley’s cold case turns hot and she’s thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley’s living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog’s affections. But she’s also proving that she’s so much more than his first impression.
And as they get closer to the truth, the game they’ve been playing might just turn deadly.
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Fight by Sloane St. James
Publication date: January 7
Fight is an intense and emotional romance set in the world of wildland firefighting. You can also expect workplace romance, enemies-to lovers romance. This is also a hot and spicy book to start your 2025 with.
Fighting wildfires is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do and I’m damn good at it. Being the captain of an interagency hotshot crew of wildland firefighters is high-risk, high-reward. The risk blindsided me five years ago when I lost one of my crew and was changed forever. Now the only rewards I allow are to work harder, smarter, and enjoy easy, sexy nights with strangers.
Until I meet Prescott Timmons. Her smart-mouth and adventurous spirit have me forgetting all of my rules—until her past shows up and lies start to feel too familiar. I swear to never spare her a second glance, but when she finds herself in a life or death situation with mother nature, my instincts kick in, and I take action. Stranded and sharing a bed again, we’re forced to face our truth. Do we let this fire burn out or fight?
The Path to Loving Him by Meghan Quinn
Publication date: January 7
This steamy sports romance with laugh-out-loud romantic comedy is all about hilarious mishaps, heartfelt moments, and sizzling chemistry. The Path to Loving Him is a great romance for your 2025 reading list.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new forced proximity, single dad romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh out loud, enemies-to-lovers, small town standalone romance delivers the perfect happily ever after.
What does one do when they completely blow an interview?
If you’re me, you pick up a one-night stand with the most gorgeous man you’ve ever seen..
That’s right, after a lousy interview that could have changed everything for me, I headed over to the local small town bar to sulk when the one man I shouldn’t want walked in. And when my friend convinced me to take him back to my hotel room, I didn’t think about it, I just did it . . . well, I did him.
It was an unforgettable night, but I didn’t stay for breakfast. Instead, I got out of there and tried not to think about him again.
Everything was fine until I received a call from the interviewer saying I got the job as the assistant baseball coach at Almond Bay High. I’d be working directly under the one and only Ryland Rowley–my one-night stand.
Now, I’m not only working with him but renting the apartment above his garage. And I have to deal with the fact that he’s the man I dream about and can’t have while not letting my attraction get in the way of keeping the harmony between us. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?
It should have been, except the plan falls apart when my shower breaks, and night after night I have to slip into his house to use the bathroom only to find him in the kitchen, staring me down with those hungry, single dad eyes.
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For One Night Only by Jessica James
Publication date: January 7
In For One Night Only, Former bandmates Valerie and Caleb are in a fake-dating scheme. You will love the songwriting, tension-filled rehearsals, and a love story intertwined with the band’s rise, fall. Perfect book for the fans of second-chance romance.
When two former bandmates—and bedmates—are thrust back into each other’s lives in a fake dating scheme for publicity, they’ll be forced to face the music. After her recurring role in tabloid headlines, Valerie Quinn’s musical TV show is on the network chopping block. Desperate for good press, she hastily reassembles her wildly beloved pop punk band, Glitter Bats. A reunion concert could be the former lead vocalist’s ticket to a media makeover, especially if it renews public speculation around her iconic situationship with bassist Caleb Sloane.The only problem? They haven’t spoken in six years. Caleb had the makings of a rock god, but fallout from the messy Glitter Bats breakup left him broke, anxious, and resentful of the industry. But when Valerie shows up at Caleb’s doorstep with that devastating smile and a plea for help, he reluctantly agrees to put on one last show. So what if the fandom assumes the two of them are back together too? They’ll play along. You know…for the press. Making music together not only revives the harmony between them, but also the discord that led to the band’s downfall. With their futures—and the Glitter Bats—in the balance, can they survive a romantic reprise?
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Steal My Heart by Laura Pavlov
Publication date: January 9
Steal My Heart is Easton who agrees to mentor Henley, his boss’s witty daughter. He has a rule against workplace relationships. If you are into office romance trope with plenty of spice, get this book.
Henley Holloway is my boss’s daughter and I’ve been assigned to mentor her.
The problem is, I’m not looking to babysit anyone.
But I’m determined to make partner at the firm, and this is the final obstacle in my way.
So, I agree to take the little princess under my wing.
I’ll work her so hard, she’ll beg me to leave her alone.
But from the first day she walks into the office and spills scalding hot coffee on my chest—I’m intrigued.
She’s a Harvard grad.
Her work ethic rivals mine.
She’s witty and funny and beautiful all at the same time.
I don’t want to like her.
I have a hard and fast rule about relationships, and I will not break it with my boss’s daughter.
That’s a hard no.
But she’s everywhere I turn, and I can’t seem to get enough.
Weren’t rules meant to be broken anyway?
From the moment we cross the line—I’m done for.
Henley Holloway has seeped her way into my heart, one that I didn’t even know still worked.
But sometimes loving someone isn’t enough.
I’m living proof of that.
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Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan
Publication date: January 14
Let’s Call a Truce is an enemies-to-lovers about Juliana and Ben. They go from rivals at work to forming a meaningful bond as they discuss work, parenting, and personal loss.
After Juliana Ryan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her with two grieving kids and a stunted career from years as a stay-at-home mom, she has no choice but to make it work all on her own. But her confidence crashes around her when she overhears her condescending but infuriatingly attractive new colleague, Ben Thomas, talking about how her kids and inexperience are a liability the company can’t afford. This sets off a feud between the two, as Juliana vows to prove him wrong.
Two years later, their feud rages on, but it may be charged with something they aren’t willing to admit. When they are forced onto a career-making project together, Juliana has no choice but to call a truce. As their lives become more intertwined in and out of the office, Juliana finds it hard to ignore Ben’s perpetual smile and charming determination. What started as a truce grows into more, as boardroom-clearing arguments turn to desk-clearing kisses. Could the man she deemed her nemesis understand her life–her stress and responsibilities–better than anyone?
But just when Juliana decides to open her heart again, Ben’s past threatens their newfound bliss, and she has to figure out whether this second chance at love is worth it after all.
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Phantom by H.D. Carlton
Publication date: January 14
A dark, gothic romance with suspense and forbidden romance, that’s what Phantom is all about. Set against the backdrop of a haunted manor, this story has romance, danger, and moral complexity. This is a good choice for lovers of books about haunted houses.
The married woman of the manor. The stranger outside. An intoxicating novel of dark temptation and dangerous desire by the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Cat and Mouse Duet.
November 12, 1944. This house holds on to souls for a lifetime. I thought I had given it to my husband when I vowed to love him until the end of time. I lied. Nothing could have prepared me for the day my phantom appeared outside my window. He was terrifying, yet hypnotizing, and I couldn’t deny my intrigue. I never intended to fall into a whirlwind romance with my stalker. Especially because he’s so much more than that. A criminal. A mobster. The man who offers me solace from the monster in Parsons Manor. There are many that haunt these halls, yet it’s only my husband I fear.
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Reckless Love by Willow Aster
Publication date: January 16
Reckless Love is the story of childhood friends-turned-lovers. You will love the themes of loyalty, unspoken feelings. It’s also a great pick for fans of steamy romance.
A sexy small-town, single dad, friends-to-lovers romance by USA Today bestselling author, Willow Aster
I fell in love with Rhodes Archer the night we met thirteen years ago.
We made a pact that night to never cross the just-friends zone.
However, Rhodes crossed that line by kissing me recently, and I can’t get over it.
I’ve loved him, ached for him, craved him for years, but I’ve never wanted to ruin what we have.
And now, when I’m a cheerleader for the Colorado Mustangs and he’s their superstar tight end, we’re not even supposed to be in the same room, let alone be together.
But, he is everything to me.
And that includes my godson, Rhodes’ adorable three-year-old son, Levi, who I love as my own.
It’s impossible to stay away from each other. And I don’t want to when I can still feel his lips on mine and the lingering touches between us.
The lines have blurred, and rules are being broken…
I just hope we aren’t being too reckless and break each other’s hearts in the process.
Reckless Love is book three in The Single Dad Playbook series. Each book can be read as a standalone.
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The Favorites by Layne Fargo
Publication date: January 14
The Favorites is set in the elite world of figure skating. Kat and Heath’s tumultuous relationship is told through flashbacks, present-day interviews, and dramatic revelations.
To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.
An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice
She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.
As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary. But she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.
Inspired by the powerful love and hate that fuel Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights, The Favorites is an exhilarating dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win.
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Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar
Publication date: January 14
In Flirting with Disaster a hurricane starts it all. Meena and Nikhil’s story is about cultural identity, ambition, and the enduring power of love. This second-chance romance about Indian-American couple is really worth reading in 2025.
She needs a divorce from her husband—but a hurricane threatens to dredge up their stormy, passionate past in this sizzling reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama from the bestselling author of Say You’ll Be Mine.
It’s been years since Meena has seen her husband, Nikhil . . . years since they first laid eyes on each other back home in Texas, years since they eloped in Las Vegas and she felt true happiness. A high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill, ready to move on (or at least, she thinks so) with another successful lawyer, Shake, Meena has returned home. This time, finally, to obtain a divorce.
But there’s one thing Meena couldn’t have accounted for: a hurricane forming in the Gulf, veering right toward them, giving them no choice but to hunker down in the home they had built together. Suddenly, she finds herself trapped amid gale-force winds and pelting rain with the man she once loved.
As they spend more time together, Meena begins to remember everything that drew her to Nikhil: His small-town charm, his thoughtful nature. . . his absurdly good looks. But things make sense with Shake. He’s steady and ambitious and wants exactly what she wants. She’ll stick to her plan, come hell or high water. But will her windswept heart make the right choice, when the storm settles and the eye passes over?
With sharp observations about second chances at love, ambition and Indian American identity, and with characters who share an undeniable chemistry, Flirting with Disaster is a modern romance with the sensibility of a classic.
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Just Like That by Lena Hendrix
Publication date: January 20
I want to read more single-dad romance in 2025 and this looks like a good one. This billionaire romance is about Hazel, JP King, her sister’s ex. They become co-guardians to her nephew. Just Like That seems to have some super exciting tropes too.
He’s my sister’s ex, a stubborn jerk, and completely off-limits.
Getting a man to give up custody of a son he didn’t know existed should have been easy. Trouble is, nothing with JP King is ever easy.
Suave, grumpy billionaires aren’t supposed to have strong hands or filthy mouths, and I never expected our snippy banter to be so much fun.
JP regards me as something he scraped off the bottom of his dress shoe, but when this reluctant single dad looks at my nephew, there’s a softness there he struggles to keep hidden.
He may be gruff and uptight, but something simmers beneath his controlled, polished exterior. Sure, I’m wild and reckless, but when we’re forced together as guardians, everything changes.
His cold and calculated exterior melts into hushed conversations and lingering stares. The more we fight, the harder we fall.
I’m scatterbrained, unconventional, and everything he’s been missing. The closer we get, the less we understand why we were ever at odds.
. . . until just like that our lives are turned upside down.
Just One Moment by Ronnie Mathews
Publication date: January 21
Just One Moment is a romance between a reserved hero and an optimistic, spirited heroine. Set in a charming coastal settings, the story is about building a future after life’s struggles. This is a perfect novel for the fans of small town romances.
Graham Sadler prefers to keep his circle small and enjoys the quieter side of life. When an invitation arrives for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding, the only person he can see being his date is the vibrant woman he hasn’t stopped thinking about since their first meeting. The only problem? He doesn’t know how anyone will believe they’re together. Or how he can fake anything around her.
Quinn Jackson hasn’t had it easy, but that doesn’t stop her positive outlook on life and constant smile. After years on the move, she has finally opened her dream bakery and is starting to feel settled in the quaint fishing town of Sutton Bay. All is going well, until it isn’t, and she’s too independent to ask for help. Enter the shy, sweet man who’s intrigued her for months and makes an offer she can’t refuse.
The line between real and fake starts to blur when they realize opposites absolutely attract. Their lives quickly intertwine, and two very different people bring out the best in each other. But will those differences and the people from their past stand in the way of the beautiful life they both desperately deserve?
Just One Moment is book #2 in the Sutton Bay series. A series of interconnected standalone stories set in coastal New England, with lots of feelings, swoon and spice!
The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann
Publication date: January 23
The Apple Tree is about Eve who has just graduated from high school but clueless about the future. And then we have a single dad who has a secret crush on her.
He’s a single dad starting over in a new town. She’s a relentless flirt with a penchant for trouble, ten years younger than him, and the babysitter. What could go wrong?
Eve has just graduated from high school, but she doesn’t know what’s next aside from working at the local motel, spying on Kyle, her neighbor, and stealing apples from his orchard. If she doesn’t figure things out soon, she’ll be stuck at home and treated like a child forever.
Kyle is a single dad and the new football coach who needs a babysitter for his adorable son. When he meets Eve, there’s an instant connection because she reminds him of someone—himself. But Eve is the preacher’s daughter, off-limits, and Kyle has already had his heart trampled by his ex.
After earning his son’s affection with her homemade apple sauce and youthful spirit, Eve asks Kyle to teach her things like driving his fishing boat and shooting his hunting bow. Despite his better judgment, he agrees, but swears Eve to secrecy so no one gets the wrong idea about them.
Their playful banter and innocent flirting crosses a line, and Kyle misses the heartbreaking secret Eve’s hidden in plain sight.
When tragedy strikes, can they find their way back to each other?
Burn the Wild by Ava Hunter
Publication date: January 23
Burn the Wild is the story of a runaway country-pop star with a rugged cowboy. You can expect a mix fun chemistry and a thrilling clash of past and present. This is also a great pick for fans of cowboy romances.
As the reigning country-pop princess, I’ve had everything this life has to offer, especially fame and fortune. But not what really matters. A minute to catch my breath and reevaluate my life. So when my world comes crashing down, I run to a place where no one knows me. A small mountain town where I can hide from my past.
Only I don’t get far. My first day in town, I’m assigned a babysitter.
Ford Montgomery.
A man who drives me crazy with his rude, broody attitude and his backward baseball caps. A man who’s my new boss for the summer. A wild, rugged cowboy straight out of one of my songs. Hard body and gorgeous face included.
But beneath the dirty mouth and the sexy smirk, there’s a pain in his eyes that matches my own.
As the summer heats up, passion sparks and we connect—on the ranch and in the bedroom. Ford shows me friendship, makes me laugh, but most importantly, we see each other’s scars and want one another anyway.
For the first time in my life, I know where I belong. In his arms.
The stage might be calling me, but my heart says it’s with Ford.
But there’s a price to pay for wanting this new life of mine. My past is watching. Ready and waiting to take my newfound freedom and love and snuff it out…for good.
The Moon & His Tides by Giana Darling
Publication date: January 23
The Moon & His Tides is filled with temptation and desire. This is a perfect hot and steamy romance for your 2025 tbr.
From Wall Street Journal best-selling author Giana Darling comes an MMF romance between an Italian chauffeur dreaming of stardom and the power couple who offer him the deal of a lifetime…
Everyone in Naples told me I was tall, dark, and handsome. An Italian with golden eyes made for fame on the silver screen, even when I was just the young patriarch of my broken, scattered family.
I may have beauty and talent, but opportunities are scarce in the theatre and film industry.
That is, until I become chauffeur to the lovely and glamorous Savannah Meyers, wife to one of the most revered actors in England.
She notices me…in more ways than one.
Before I can check my impulses, I find myself falling for Savannah and her promises.
Only, instead of enraging her husband, Adam Meyers, they approach me to make a very scandalous proposition.
Live with them as their lover, and they will make all of my wildest dreams come true.
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Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
Publication date: January 21
Earl Crush is a charming regency romance. It combines a marriage of convenience with espionage and sizzling attraction.
In Alexandra Vasti’s newest Regency rom-com, a reclusive earl’s life is turned upside down when a stranger shows up on his doorstep with an astonishing proposal—and an inconvenient connection to espionage.
For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of—a marriage of convenience. To, um, herself.
Unfortunately, the Earl of Strathrannoch has no idea who she is.
When a bewitching redheaded stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned—but when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.)
But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.
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If the Ring Fits by Camilla Isley
Publication date: January 25
If the Ring Fits is a lighthearted rom-com about a fake engagement that grows into something real. Adrian and Rowena’s unlikely connection has laughs , and sizzling chemistry.
When Life Gives You Lemons, Fake an Engagement
When investment banker Adrian and software engineer Rowena started the day, they didn’t expect to end it engaged! But Adrian has invented a fake fiancée to impress his CEO, regretting the lie almost immediately, and now he is in hot water. Meanwhile, Rowena’s career has just gone up in flames, leaving her unemployed, unexpectedly expecting with no father in the picture, and short of options.
When fate throws these two hot messes into a meet-cute of epic proportions, it’s a match made in rock-bottom heaven. They say love is blind, and with nothing to lose, Adrian gets down on one knee… and Rowena says yes!
The rules of engagement are simple:
Pretend to be madly in love
Keep their real lives separate
Absolutely, positively do NOT catch feelings
However, faking it is harder than they thought, especially when every overnight stay comes with only one bed and zero personal space—blurring that imaginary line between ‘just business’ and ‘definitely personal.’
Soon, their carefully constructed charade starts to feel alarmingly… real. Can Adrian and Rowena stick to their engagement pact, or will their fake relationship graduate to something authentically messy, complicated, and wonderful?
Find out in this hilarious, heartwarming tale of two strangers who said “I do” before they even said “Hello.” Because sometimes, the worst day of your life just might lead to the best mistake you’ll ever make.
If the Ring Fits is an age gap, marriage of convenience rom-com with a multi-millionaire MMC and a STEM FMC perfect for fans of Lynn Painter, Sarah Adams and Fallon Ballard.
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Spiral by Bal Khabra
Publication date: January 28
If you are looking for new hockey romance book to add in your reading list check out Spiral.This is the story of Elias and Sage and their unlikely partnership. It explores fame, ambition, and vulnerability. You will love the swoon-worthy moments, sizzling chemistry, and a feel-good story
He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.
Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.
Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.
Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they’ll call it quits.
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Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese
Publication date: January 14
Once Smitten, Twice Shy is a modern and steamy reimagining of Twelfth Night. Juliet and Will, who reluctantly agree to “practice” romance end up finding more than they bargained for. This is a perfect romance for the fan of Shakespeare-inspired romance novels.
Star-crossed lovers learn that practicing romance leads to the perfect happy ending in this steamy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, has sworn off love. But when she’s presented with the chance to revisit romance-purely for practice-with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe.
Quiet, shy Will Orsino knows happily-ever-after isn’t on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of the family business, marriage is. Resigned to the inevitable, but with no confidence he can woo a wife, he can hardly say no when fate hands him the alluring, unattainable woman he keeps crossing paths with, offering to help him learn the ropes of romance.
Neither of them looking for love, Jules and Will agree they’re the perfect pair to practice romance. Except that practicing to perfection leads to an irresistible attraction. Their once smitten hearts, though still twice shy, might have happily-ever-after written in the stars for them, after all.
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Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen
Publication date: January 28
Wedding Dashers is a really fun romance novels for the fans of happy books. This debut novel has witty banter, chaotic travel misadventures. If you are looking for fun road trip romances for 2025, you will love this book.
After a case of mistaken identity and an almost one-night stand, two stranded wedding guests have to find their way to their final destination together, in this riotously fun debut romance.
Ada’s little sister is getting married. Which should be a happy thought, right? But the once close sisters have been in a year long fight, the wedding is all the way in Ireland, and Ada is so broke that she just barely managed to get a ticket on a budget airline. And as if things couldn’t get worse, said airline just cancelled her connection. Which means Ada is stuck in London with no way to make it to the wedding.
Surely she’s hit rock bottom?
So, there’s no reason for her not to spill her heart out about the over-the-top wedding, her sister’s worryingly quick engagement, and the womanizing best man she’s dreading meeting to a handsome also-stranded stranger at the bar. Until she realizes the stranger is headed to the same wedding. Oh, and he’s the infamous best man.
Now, Jack and Ada must put their simmering attraction behind them to make it to Belfast before they miss the nuptials. But between flat tires, missed trains, and suspect hostels, Jack and Ada start to question whether their feelings are worth going the distance, or just a distracting detour along the way.
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The Crash by Freida McFadden
Publication date: January 28
The Crash is a snowbound thriller about Tegan who is stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle. When finds herself in a seemingly safe haven, things quickly turns dangerous.
The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.
Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.
She never arrives at her destination.
Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.
But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.
And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.
A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.
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The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain
Publication date: January 30
Set in 1780 London, this historical novel seems to be a story of resilience and rebellion. Daniel and his sister Pearl is navigating a ruthless world of the St Giles rookery. The Blackbirds of St Giles has all the elements to be a gripping historical fiction book club book.
Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for…
It’s 1780, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance.
But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.
The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free.
Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…?
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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Publication date: January 14
Beautiful Ugly has the themes of grief and obsession. When Grady sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife, the story takes a haunting turn. If you love atmospheric writing, and a slow unraveling of secrets this is a perfect domestic thriller.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
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Head Cases by John McMahon
Publication date: January 28
Want to read more crime thrillers in 2025? Check out this book. Head Cases introduces a quirky team of investigators tackling a complex murder mystery. There is riddles, high-tech sleuthing, and a menacing killer. If you love fast-paced books to read in one sitting, this is a good pick.
Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying—and commercial—series debut.
FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.
When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action. A second victim establishes a pattern, and the murderer begins leaving a trail of clues and riddles especially for Gardner. And while the PAR team is usually relegated to working cold cases from behind a desk, the investigation puts them on the road and into the public eye, following in the footsteps of a killer.
Along with Gardner, PAR consists of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Each of them must use every skill they have to solve the riddle of the killer’s identity. But with the perpetrator somehow learning more and more about the team at PAR, can they protect themselves and their families…before it’s too late?
With an enigmatic case that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and a thoroughly engaging ensemble cast, John McMahon’s Head Cases is a triumph.
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A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay
Publication date: January 14
If you are looking for funny mystery books for your reading list, check out this one. A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage follows Hazel and Fox, ex-serial killers turned parents. They face a new kind of danger as Hazel’s itch for the old life brings the police to their door.
The couple that kills together stays together…
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing, they’re ex-serial killers.
They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.
Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.
But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox’s back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.
This could save their marriage – unless it kills them first.
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Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Publication date: January 21
The highly anticipated sequel to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame continues Violet Sorrengail’s journey. Get ready to travel to theworld of dragons, magic, and peril. Onyx Storm will be a great book for lovers of intense, character-driven fantasy.
THE STORM IS COMING . . .
Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons.
No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun; and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre.
The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves – her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army.
They need power.
They need magic.
And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
But a storm is coming… and not everyone can survive its wrath.
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A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson
Publication date: January 7
A Language of Dragons is a debut fantasy books is set in 1923 London. There is dragons, dark academia, and mystery. We follow Vivian Featherswallow who dreams of stability through a dragon language internship. However, when she accidentally sparks a civil war. Her parents are jailed, and her sister goes missing. Desperate, Viv takes a mysterious job at Bletchley Park as a dragon language codebreaker. This novel checks a lot of boxes with its historical fiction set in England and dark academia setting.
London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.
At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?
An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.
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Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
Publication date: January 7
Set in the lush world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Immortal is all about forbidden magic and an electrifying romance. Liyen’s quest to protect her kingdom pits her against immortal enemies .
A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
“What the gods did not give us, I would take.”
As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.
Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.
But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.
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The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard
Publication date: January 7
The Starlight Heir is about blade smith Suraya who becomes embroiled in a dangerous hunt for the Starkeeper. If you are looking for charming swoon-worthy Romantasy with epic world-building, fast-paced action, and a romance check out this one.
When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.
But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who captures her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the Starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.
When the rebels attack, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the Starkeeper. But Roshan is guarding secrets of his own. And with no control over the power stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of a dark god, an immortal whose interest might be the biggest threat of all.
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The Baby Dragon Café by Aamna Qureshi
Publication date: January 16
This whimsical contemporary cozy fantasy is a charming novel. Saphira’s quirky café for baby dragons becomes the center of chaos and a slow-burn romance with a grumpy gardener, Aiden. If you are looking for feel-good books with humor and magical hijinks The Baby Dragon Café is a good choice.
When Saphira opened up her café for baby dragons and their humans, she wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to keep the fires burning. It turns out, young dragons are not the best magical animals to keep in a café, and replacing all that burnt furniture is costing Saphira more than she can afford from selling dragon-roasted coffee.
Aiden is a local gardener, and local heart-throb, more interested in his plants than actually spending time with his disobedient baby dragon. When Aiden walks into Saphira’s café, he has a genius idea – he’ll ask Saphira to train his baby dragon, and he’ll pay her enough to keep the café afloat.
Saphira’s happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t seem to do anything but irritate the grumpy-but-gorgeous Aiden, except that everywhere she goes, she finds him there. But can this dragon café owner turn her fortunes around, and maybe find love along the way?
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Motheater by Linda H. Codega
Publication date: January 21
This Appalachian gothic tale is a fabulous mix of environmentalism, mystery, and folklore. If you are looking for haunting plot, complex characters, and atmospheric and thought-provoking fiction, Motheater is a good book.
After her best friend dies in a coal mine, Benethea “Bennie” Mattox sacrifices her job, her relationship, and her reputation to uncover what’s killing miners on Kire Mountain. When she finds a half-drowned white woman in a dirty mine slough, Bennie takes her in because it’s right—but also because she hopes this odd, magnetic stranger can lead her to the proof she needs. Instead, she brings more questions. The woman called Motheater can’t remember her true name, or how she ended up inside the mountain. She knows only that she’s a witch of Appalachia, bound to tor and holler, possum and snake, with power in her hands and Scripture on her tongue. But the mystery of her fate, her doomed quest to keep industry off Kire Mountain, and the promises she bent and broke have followed her a century and half into the future. And now, the choices Motheater and Bennie make together could change the face of the town itself.
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Stephy George
