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I'm not gonna lie, 2025 was the year I DNFed (Did Not Finish) the most books ever. None of them were bad/spicy, they weren't offensive or vulgar, they were just boring.
Despite that, I still found tons of books I enjoyed, but these twelve were my absolute favorites. These were the ones that I devoured in one sitting (er, well, as "one sitting" as it gets when you have daily obligations that must take priority).
#1 Favorite
Ripped and Shipped by Savannah Scott - If I could choose a love story to be the poster child for what a perfect love story looks like, this would be it. I loved the chemistry and the subtle way it developed between these two. I loved how natural the love story felt and how seamlessly it all came together. I actually listened to this one 3x in a row on Libby because I loved it so much, and if it didn't have several month's waitlist, I'd be listening to it again right now. If you have not read this one, go to Libby and get on the waitlist now, you will not regret it.
Other Favorite Romance/RomComs
Heidi Lucy Loses Her Mind by Gracie Ruth Mitchell - If you haven't figured out that I pretty much love every Gracie Ruth Mitchell book ever written, you're probably new to my blog/posts. I am always blown away that each of her books is as good as the last because even great authors have flops and it's hard to consistently write amazing stories that feel so different yet mark every box in the outline. Well, if anyone can do it, Gracie Ruth Mitchell can, and out of all her books that I read this year, this one is one of my top favorites. I love a good mystery written in with a romance story and I pretty much fell in love with the MMC from the first page so this story was so easy to read and completely enjoyable. My favorite scene is their kiss (obviously) but it's because of how they get to that point, and what he says like he can read her thoughts. Like he knows her so well they don't even need words. It's part of a 2 book series and they're both fantastic reads, so if you love mystery books with your romance, don't forget to check out Juniper Bean Resorts To Murder.
Alice Taylor is More Than a Princess by Jen Atkinson - This is book 5 of the Bailey Brother series and it's my favorite. I almost didn't read it because I'd kind of lost interest in the series, but I'm so glad I picked this one up because it was the cherry on top. I love the characters, the hidden identity, the kindness she shows toward someone she's never met, even when the temptation is there to talk bad about him with the rest of the employees. Although not everything in this story is realistic/believable, I still loved it and I might even read this one again this coming year. If you want to read some of the other Bailey Brothers books, here's the order of my favorites to least favorites: book #5, #1, #2, #4, #3.
Misfortune and Mr. Right by Savannah Scott - I don't know if you heard about the Only Magic in the Building series, but it was an 8-author series and the authors are pretty much all A-listers for me. Sadly, a lot of these books weren't my favorites, I even DNFed some because they were bleh. But this one was one I was glad I got to read. I loved the premise, their backstories, and how they came together to become friends and then lovers in the end. One of things that I felt made this book stand out is that they don't realize they're falling in love, but you can see it in the way they act toward each other. I know other books have that, but this book just made me feel it in a way not many other books have. If you want to read some other books in this series, I also enjoyed "The Serendipity" by Emma St. Clair and "Clean Out Of Luck" by Carina Taylor.
All's Fair In Love and Blackmail by Gracie Ruth Mitchell - I read this whole series (well, the two that are out, at least) and loved both of them. This one actually had a part that didn't make sense to me, but I was willing to overlook it because I love the book that much, and because it's possible she explained it earlier in the book but I somehow missed the explanation. Basically the MMC blackmails the MFC (his childhood friend) into working with him for an article he has to write for his job. So they spend tons of time together checking out romantic venues for his article and well ... you see where this is going. It's funny and sweet and you'll love reading this story. The only sad part is book 3 isn't out yet. (But you can read book 2, "All's Well That Friends Well" as soon as you finish the first one).
Insta{Kiss} by Jen Atkinson - I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did, but I got hooked pretty fast and enjoyed the entire thing. It's an enemies to lovers where you get to see why they become enemies, the pranks they play on each other, and how that fire turns into passion by the end of the book. It's also sort of a Christmas romance, but only because it's set at Christmastime, I read it in the heat of summer and still found it thoroughly enjoyable. I also loved the other books in this series, so feel free to binge read all of them.
First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer - I think I kept seeing this one pop up on my Instagram feed (recommended by other readers, not as an Ad), and despite it being about one of my least favorite tropes (2nd chance after divorce but falling in love with the person they divorced) and one of my least favorite sports (baseball), I decided to give it a try. I wouldn't say I was immediately pulled in, but the story was compelling enough that I kept reading until I was hooked. This is a heartfelt love story about a divorced couple finding their love for each other again. Usually I roll my eyes at those stories, but this one actually made sense for why they would get divorced and then fall back in love (and I don't say that lightly, if something doesn't make sense in a story, I point it out). By the end, I also felt like I understood why people love baseball so much. The author did a great job of tying the spirit of sports into the romance between these two. The only weird part is that it's a dual POV but the man's POV is her nephew, not the MMC. Let me explain. There are 2 love stories here, one with the nephew and his gf, and one with the MFC and MMC. So that threw me off when the 2nd POV was her nephew b/c I was a little worried I was getting into something really weird, but yeah, it's just got 2 love stories in one, nothing illegal.
Recipe for Rivals by Kasey Stockton - I'm not big on small town romances because most authors don't know how to write small town romances so they end up making their characters do the same things as all the other books, which is going on hay rides and visiting pumpkin patches. Boring! Well, Kasey Stockton knows how to write small town romance so if you wish you could love small town romances but you don't, check out her books. You'll find they're a lot more real feeling and not so roll-your-eyes feeling because the people actually have real jobs, regular hang outs, and small town functions that don't revolve around corn mazes. I particularly loved this one because the MFC has moved here after a divorce and is starting her life over with her 2 kids and every time the MMC talks to her she thinks he's trying to ask her out so she keeps saying she's not interested and he's like "I don't recall asking you out" so that creates some hilariously awkward moments between the two of them that you feel in your funny bones. I enjoyed the other two books in this series as well so if you find yourself smiling as you read this one, you've instantly got two more good books to read.
Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell - This is a Christmas romcom, but honestly you could read it at any time of the year. I think I read this in October not knowing it was a Christmas romcom and I thoroughly loved it. Mitchel describes it as Home Alone meets 12 Days of Christmas and I'd say that vibe describes it pretty well. I know Christmas is over, but if you want to get one more romance in before you pack away the tree, check this one out.
Children's Book
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - I don't usually enjoy children's books (I honestly didn't enjoy them when I was a child either), but this one blew me away when I read it with my kids. I kind of regret living so many years of my life without reading it because the way he rewrites bible stories in a fantasy world is so on point and so touching, yet so relatable and understandable. Not every book in the series was as good as this one, but we ended up reading all of them as a family and had some great discussions from it as well. If you want to check out each book in the series, here's a link to all of them.
Non-Fiction
I don't read a ton of non-fiction because, well, it's boring. But occasionally I'll have a book recommended to me often enough that I decide to give it a try. I read Economic Facts and Fallacies (okay, well, I listened to it on Libby, of course) and it was so fascinating that I immediately got on the waitlist for Sowell's other book that I'd had recommended to me.
Economic Facts and Fallacies by Thomas Sowell answered questions about society that I'd always wondered about but never cared enough to actually look into it. For example: Why do we have alimony? I understood why we have child support in divorce, but never why alimony made sense. This books answers that (it's not even a main point of the book) in a way that makes so much sense. It also talks about things like wage gaps, urban problems (and why they get worse when the government steps in), academics, and so many other socioeconomic problems that are often talked about with no real answers. It's written for the general population to read and doesn't get bogged down with helping you understand complex graphics or charts.
Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell. As the title suggests, this book talks about race and politics, everyone's favorite topics (that was sarcastic, in case you didn't catch on). But honestly, it's much more about history than it is either of those things, and it was fascinating to see how the mass movements of people throughout history had these overarching effects on the development of so many different cultures in America. This is a very interesting read and again, it's written for the general public to read so the story line moves fast and keeps you engaged.