It’s that time of year again; these are the books that I liked best this year. This is my very subjective, very personal list. I loved a lot of books this year; I mostly read romances and romcoms, and those books tend to keep me happy. But to be honest, I forget a lot of them as soon as I’ve moved on to the next. So the ones that stay with me are the ones that end up on my annual list. I’ve read over 350 books this year, so I had plenty to choose from. There were just too many memorable books to limit my list to ten.
I hope you find this list useful and interesting!
WAYWARD GIRLS by Susan Wiggs: bestselling author Susan Wiggs delivers a powerful and haunting work of historical fiction set in late 1960s Buffalo, New York. When teenage Mairin is sent to a reform school run by nuns—supposedly for her protection—she instead finds herself trapped in a brutal institution where punishment, secrecy, and forced labor rule the day. Alongside a small group of fellow “wayward” girls, Mairin fights to survive—and, years later, to heal from the trauma that shaped their lives. Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Wiggs’s latest novel shines a light on a dark chapter of recent history and the enduring strength of the women who lived it.
Read my full review
THE PECULIAR GIFT OF JULY by Ashley Ream: When 14-year-old July arrives on the tiny island of Ebey’s End to live with Anita, the sharp-eyed grocer she’s never met, both their lives begin to change in extraordinary ways. Anita has built her world around quiet observation—she can tell her customers’ secrets by what they put in their baskets. But July brings something new: an uncanny intuition that guides her to offer just the right thing—a pie, a magazine, a bit of kindness—that somehow transforms the lives around her. As July adjusts to island life and forms an unexpected friendship with the pastor’s shy son, her search for her birth mother sets in motion a chain of revelations that lead to a moving, magical conclusion.
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NIGHTSHADE by Michael Connelly: Michael Connelly launches a gripping new series with Detective Sergeant Stilwell, the exiled mainland cop now running the small, chaotic police substation on Catalina Island—a dumping ground for misfit officers. When a decapitated buffalo and a priceless statue stolen from the island’s exclusive yacht club set off a chain of crimes, Stilwell finds himself drawn into a case that’s anything but routine. The investigation turns deadly when a body surfaces in the harbor—and his old nemesis, Detective Ahearn, arrives to take charge. Forced into an uneasy partnership, Stilwell must outmaneuver both the killer and the politics that nearly ended his career.
With sharp prose, layered plotting, and a vividly atmospheric island setting, Connelly proves once again that no one does crime fiction better.
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HER ONE REGRET by Donna Freitas: In her bold and emotionally charged new novel, Freitas delivers a haunting feminist thriller that grips from the first page. When Lucy Mendoza disappears from a supermarket parking lot, leaving her baby behind, her husband is the prime suspect. Her best friend Michelle knows something sinister lurks beneath the surface. But as the investigation unfolds and secrets emerge, Lucy becomes something far worse than a suspect—she becomes a monster, a woman who dared to regret motherhood. With raw honesty and unflinching insight, this novel confronts the taboo of regret and the impossible standards mothers face. Freitas’s personal note at the end—revealing her own fears and silence—makes this story not just powerful, but necessary.
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CRUEL SUMMER by Maisey Yates: When Samantha’s husband, Will—the high school sweetheart she’s loved for more than two decades—asks for an open marriage, her world collapses. Suddenly, the life she thought was solid—three grown kids, a cozy home, a thriving career—feels like a lie. Reeling from heartbreak, she agrees to a summer separation, determined to hold onto her dignity while Will chases the freedom he thinks he’s missed.
Then Logan, Will’s best friend and the last person Sam wants to see, shows up at her door with an unexpected offer: join him on the road delivering restored classic cars. It’s supposed to be a temporary escape. But miles and miles of open highway lead Sam to uncomfortable truths about the choices she’s made, the woman she’s become, and the love she thought she understood.
As she rediscovers her own voice—and as Logan’s long-buried feelings come to light—Sam faces a heart-wrenching question: if Will comes back, will she still want the life she once fought to save? A poignant exploration of identity, loyalty, and the courage to rewrite your story, this novel is a testament to the power of honesty and the unexpected paths to healing.
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THE INCREDIBLE KINDNESS OF PAPER by Evelyn Skye: In this enchanting tale of love, magic, and second chances, childhood pen pals Chloe and Oliver—once affectionately known as “Clover”—forge an unbreakable bond that’s suddenly severed when Oliver mysteriously disappears. Years later, Chloe, reeling from the loss of her job, begins leaving yellow origami roses inscribed with messages of hope across the city. Her small act of kindness sparks a viral movement—and unknowingly reconnects her with Oliver, who finds one of her roses and responds in disbelief. What begins as an anonymous exchange soon becomes a rediscovery of love, forgiveness, and the quiet magic that links two hearts meant to be.
A radiant, feel-good novel about love lost and found, and the extraordinary power of kindness to heal even the deepest wounds. Perfect for readers who believe in a little everyday magic.
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LOVE IS A WAR SONG by Danica Nava: When pop superstar Avery Fox sparks national outrage by posing in a culturally insensitive photo shoot, her glittering career comes crashing down. Desperate to repair her image—and her fractured sense of identity—Avery’s mother sends her to the one place she’s never been: Red Fox Ranch in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, home to the grandmother she’s never met.
What Avery expects to be exile turns out to be a revelation. At the ranch, she finds not scandal, but roots—a sprawling extended family who welcomes her without judgment, and a quiet, grounded man named Lucas Iron Eyes, who helps her rediscover what it means to belong. As Avery trades tour buses for horseback rides and headlines for honesty, she begins to see the difference between performance and truth.
Richly drawn and emotionally resonant, this is a powerful story about heritage, healing, and finding one’s place in a world that’s too often quick to define you.
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ANY TROPE BUT YOU by Victoria Lavine: When best-selling romance author Margot’s secret “Happily Never After” file—filled with cynical alternate endings to her own novels—gets leaked online, her career implodes overnight. Canceled by fans, dropped by her publisher, and heartbroken, she retreats to a “wellness resort” her sister books for her—only to discover it’s a rustic lodge in the wilds of Alaska with no Wi-Fi, no phone signal, and far too much snow.
Stranded and sulking, Margot is forced to join the inn’s ruggedly charming owner, Forrest, and his guests in a series of outdoor adventures—all while secretly plotting her comeback as a mystery writer. As sparks fly and her real-life story starts to resemble one of her own romcoms (complete with forced proximity and one tent), Margot might just find that the only thing harder than surviving Alaska… is believing in love again.
A sharp, funny, and heart-melting romcom about second chances, self-discovery, and the courage to rewrite your own ending.
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STORY OF MY LIFE by Lucy Score: Hazel, a bestselling romance author reeling from divorce, writer’s block, and the loss of her NYC apartment, impulsively buys a rundown house in a tiny Pennsylvania town. What she doesn’t expect is to inherit a seat on the town council—or to clash (and spark) with Cam, the town’s grumpy but gorgeous contractor.
Their chemistry jumps off the page, and what begins as a fake relationship quickly becomes something much more. Between the laugh-out-loud moments, the steamy scenes, and the lovable cast of small-town eccentrics, I couldn’t put this book down. It’s classic Lucy Score—heartfelt, funny, and full of charm. It was pure joy from start to finish, and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series.
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THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry: Patti Callahan Henry once again proves why she’s one of today’s most imaginative and emotionally resonant storytellers. In this mesmerizing tale set against the haunting backdrop of 1950s London, Clara Fordham embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about her vanished mother—Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, a literary prodigy who wrote a single, world-renowned book in a language she invented as a child before disappearing after a tragic fire.
Years later, when Clara learns that her mother’s long-lost papers have surfaced in London, she and her young daughter, Wynnie, set out through the fog and danger of the Great Smog in search of answers—and perhaps, redemption. What she finds instead is a tangle of mystery, memory, and love that will change everything she thought she knew about her family.
Richly atmospheric and deeply moving, this is a story of mothers and daughters, the power of imagination, and the unbreakable bonds that connect us through loss, hope, and the passage of time. Perfect for readers who love literary mysteries, multigenerational family stories, and beautifully written novels that linger long after the final page.
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BONUS: DEBUT OF THE YEAR!
WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK? by Sara Hamdan: This stunning debut novel shines with heart, humor, and humanity as it explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and family across generations.
Mia, a second-generation Palestinian American, hides her passion for stand-up comedy from her traditional grandparents, who raised her after her parents’ death. But when a secret video of her act goes viral, her rising fame threatens to expose her grandparents’ undocumented status—and long-buried family secrets.
As Mia grapples with fear and ambition, a mysterious journal from her grandmother’s past opens a window into 1940s Palestine. Woven together with wit and emotional depth, the dual narratives trace the echoes of exile, resilience, and love that shape one family’s legacy.
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2nd BONUS: My favorite audiobook of 2025!
WRITING MR. WRONG by Kelley Armstrong. Narrators: Patricia Santomasso & Sean Patrick Hopkins: Romance novelist Gemma’s debut book tour takes an unexpected turn when a morning show host ambushes her with Mason Moretti—the NHL playboy who inspired her Scottish hero and broke her heart in high school. The interview goes viral, and their publicists see gold: a fake relationship to boost her sales and rehabilitate his reputation.
Gemma agrees reluctantly, still nursing old wounds. Mason seizes the chance to prove he’s not the boy who let her go. What follows is a refreshingly mature romance—no forced miscommunication, just two adults honestly navigating their baggage while staged photo ops blur into genuine reconnection. Their chemistry burns slow and builds hot as friendship rekindles into something deeper. Kelley Armstrong’s versatility shines (she’s mastered everything from fantasy to thriller), and the audiobook production is exceptional—dual narration plus text message sound effects that add surprising authenticity.
A thoroughly satisfying second-chance romance that feels both real and swoon-worthy.
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Limiting myself to a specific number of favorites in any given year is not easy. This year in particular was quite difficult for me to narrow down a list, so in the spirit of sharing, here are some more books that I loved —
JOE NUTHIN’S GUIDE TO LIFE by Helen Fisher (2023)
BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey
THE GUEST COTTAGE by Lori Foster
SONGS OF SUMMER by Jane L. Rosen
THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO by Adriana Trigiani
THE DUKE AND LADY SCANDAL by Christy Carlyle
DREAM GIRL DRAMA by Tessa Bailey
SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME by Abby Jimenez
WILD AND WRANGLED by Lyla Sage
THE PROVING GROUND by Michael Connelly
DOGGED PURSUIT by David Rosenfelt
MURDER TAKES A VACATION by Laura Lippman
HONORABLE MENTION: AUDIOBOOK
Posted by Stacy Alesi 
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 