Another year, another ambitious TBR list that I will totally, 100% stick to (cue laughter). But seriously, these 15 books are screaming at me from my wish list, and I can already feel the excitement bubbling over. Grab your coffee, tea, snacks or whatever you might need, and let’s take a peek at 15 of the books I want to read in 2025.
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell has done it again, delivering yet another creepy thriller that’s bound to keep me up at night. Her knack for creating dark, twisty stories with complex characters makes this a no-brainer addition to my list. If you loved The Family Upstairs, you’ll probably want to snatch this one up too.
Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his twenty-something daughter Ash and wife Nina devastated. Shortly after Paddy’s funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail: a note and package from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of Paddy’s, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. This unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together—much to Ash’s dismay.
Martha is a small-town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage. But they never seem to have any money, and with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent—especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change.
But Nick and Al may not be who they say they are, leading these three women on a shocking collision course, wishing they had heeded a warning: Don’t let him in.
(Via Amazon)
Available 6/24/25
My Friends by Fredrik Backmn
Oh, Fredrik. You had me at A Man Named Ove. This new book promises to tug at the heartstrings and bring all the humor and humanity Backman does so well. Honestly, if it’s even half as good as Ove, I’ll be a mess of tears—and I’m okay with that.
Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.
Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.
Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.
(Via Amazon)
Available 6/3/25
The Crash by Freida McFadden
Is any list complete without Freaky McFadden? Absolutely not. Her thrillers are the definition of unputdownable. I can already feel the mind games and gasp-worthy twists coming, and I’m here for all of it.
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 occurs: 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.
(Via Amazon)
Available 1/28/25
We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes
I’ll admit it—I’ve never read Jojo Moyes. Gasp! But I’ve seen her books literally everywhere, from Costco to Target, and I think it’s time I join the club. This one looks like a perfect place to start.
Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.
(Via Amazon)
Available 2/11/25
I’ll Have What She’s Having by Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler’s sharp wit and no-filter humor are guaranteed entertainment. She’s the friend you invite to brunch who tells it like it is while sipping her third mimosa. If you need a laugh or a dose of unfiltered realness, this is the book to grab.
At ten years old, Chelsea opened a lemonade stand and realized she’d make more money if the drinks were spiked. So she added vodka to her recipe and used her earnings to upgrade herself to first-class on a family vacation—leaving her parents and siblings in coach. She moved to Los Angeles and got fired from her temp job when she admitted she didn’t know how to transfer calls. She’s played pickleball with the scions of an American dynasty. She’s sexted a governor. She shared psychedelics with strangers in Spain. When she accidentally ended up at dinner with Woody Allen, she was not going to leave the table without asking him a very personal pointed question. She went on national television and talked about having threesomes. She’s never been one to hold back.
But this life of adventure and absurdity is only part of her story. Chelsea knows what it is to truly show up for her family—canine and human, biological and chosen. She’s discovered how to spend time with herself, how to meditate, how to be open to love, and how to end a relationship with dignity. She is a sister to the many women who rely on her.
Surprisingly vulnerable and always outrageous, Chelsea Handler captures the antic-filled, exhilarating, and joyful life she’s built—a life that makes the rest of us think, I’ll have what she’s having.
(Via Amazon)
Available 2/25/25
The Note by Alafair Burke
Remember all those cozy mysteries she co-wrote with Mary Higgins Clark? Predictable? Sure. Fun? Absolutely. Honestly, isn’t predictability part of the charm of cozy mysteries? ‘The Note’ promises to deliver the same level of intrigue with a touch of nostalgia.
It was meant to be a harmless prank.
Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.
But even good girls have secrets. And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she’s had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.
When she finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation, May begins to wonder whether Lauren and Kelsey are keeping secrets from her, testing the limits of her loyalty to lifelong friends.
What had they gone and done?
(Via Amazon)
Available 1/7/25
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The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
I’m just starting The Perfect Marriage, so finding out there’s a sequel already lined up feels like hitting the book jackpot. Jeneva Rose’s thrillers always manage to keep me hooked, and I’m excited to see what she’s cooked up for this follow-up.
Till death do us part. Yours. Not Mine.
It’s been eleven years since high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress. Sarah has long since moved on, starting a family with her new husband, Bob Miller, and changing careers. Her life is back to being exactly how she always wanted … or is it?
After discovering Bob engaged in a one-night stand, Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. However, amid their ugly separation, new DNA evidence is uncovered in the case against Adam, forcing the police to reopen the investigation and putting Sarah right back in the spotlight. Everyone wants to know what really happened, most of all former Deputy Hudson, who is hell-bent on finding the truth.
But when the woman Bob slept with is reported missing, he and Sarah start to fight dirty, and a high-stakes game of cat and mouse ensues. Filled with page-turning suspense and Jeneva Rose’s signature twists and turns, this book will have readers wondering: Can Bob and Sarah achieve the perfect divorce? Or will it be “’til death do us part”?
(Via Amazon)
Available 4/15/25
25 Alive by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Twenty-five books into the Women’s Murder Club series, and I’m still obsessed. These books are like potato chips—you can’t stop at just one, or, apparently, 24. Bring on the mystery, the friendships, and all the drama!
Sergeant Lindsay Boxer’s friend and former partner is brutally murdered in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
SFPD homicide detective Lindsay Boxer knows her way around a crime scene.
But nothing can prepare her for the shock of recognition: the victim is Warren Jacobi, Lindsay’s onetime partner who rose to chief of police.
A top investigator until the end, Jacobi managed to leave Lindsay a clue.
Following a trail of evidence along the west coast, the Women’s Murder Club pledges to avenge Jacobi’s death before the killer can take another one of their own.
(Via Amazon)
Available 4/28/25
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Another trip to Panem? Yes, please! Suzanne Collins has an unmatched ability to craft dystopian worlds that pull you in and don’t let go. I’ll be honest with you, I am not a huge fan of dystopian worlds… but in this series? I love every freaking minute of it!
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
(Via Amazon)
Available 3/18/25
Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
When Nora Roberts isn’t writing captivating romances, she’s delivering atmospheric, thrilling mysteries. ‘Hidden Nature’ promises to be equal parts cozy and suspenseful—perfect for a weekend binge.
Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store―and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.
After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.
She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young―the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.
Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case―and she’s willing to risk her life again if that’s what it takes to stop the horror.
(Via Amazon)
Available 5/27/25
Never Flinch by Stephen King
What list would be complete without the King himself? Stephen King’s latest is sure to deliver chills, thrills, and all the creepy vibes we’ve come to love from him. He’s the master for a reason.
When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.
Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.
Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.
(Via Amazon)
Available 5/27/25
Never Say Never by Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel’s books are like comfort food for the soul. With her signature blend of drama and heartwarming moments, ‘Never Say Never’ is bound to be a feel-good read for 2025.
Oona Kelly Webster has much to be grateful for. A striking woman with red hair and green eyes, she has a loving family and a job she adores, editing a prestigious line of books. To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she and her husband, Charles, have planned a visit to France.
But then Charles drops a bombshell. He has been living a lie—hiding an affair for a year—and he is leaving Oona for a younger male lover.
Although devastated, Oona decides to travel to France without Charles. She arrives in a charming village an hour outside of Paris, and settles into the house she has rented, called La Belle Florence—named after the king’s mistress for whom it was built. But just as she’s catching her breath, she’s dealt another blow: Her company’s merger will eliminate her job.
In the space of a few months, everything she nurtured for decades has slipped through her fingers. The only silver lining is that she can remain in France, where the simple life in beautiful surroundings slowly begins to heal her, as does the little white dog she rescues, and her friendly neighbor hailing from Trinidad, who delights her with his openness and warmth.
Though she does not recognize him at first, she soon realizes her neighbor is a well-known actor. As their feelings for each other begin to deepen, Oona wrestles with the risks of opening her heart again—especially to a younger, very famous man.
(Via Amazon)
Available 1/7/25
Story of My Life by Lucy Score
Lucy Score has a way of writing romances that feel real and swoon-worthy without being over the top. This one’s bound to be packed with chemistry and all the feels. Can’t wait to dive in!
A Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek redemption romcom.
Hazel Hart was a successful romance novelist until a breakup drives her straight into writer’s block. Having failed (and failed some more) to deliver her new manuscript, she’s hiding from the world behind a wall of old takeout containers until her publisher lays down the law. If she misses her next deadline it’s The End.
Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA. Upon her dramatic arrival—involving an incident with a bald eagle—she discovers the charm of her new home may have been slightly exaggerated.
The house is a wreck and the town is struggling after their biggest employer shut down. Also, since her raccoon-infested home came with a seat on the town council our introverted heroine is stuck with a front row seat to all the small-town shenanigans.
But Hazel isn’t worried. Not since all six-feet-three inches of grouchy contractor Campbell Bishop slapped a bandage on her forehead and unintentionally inspired the heck out of her. There’s only one thing to do: Hire Cam and his equally gorgeous brothers to renovate her new spider museum…er…house.
Okay two things. A fake date for “research purposes” will really put her work-in-progress on track. Before Hazel knows it, she’s writing a romance novel and living one. At least until the drywall dust settles, the town she’s falling in love with faces bankruptcy, and growly Cam remembers why he can’t live happily ever after.
(Via Amazon)
Available 3/11/25
Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben
If there’s one author who’s a guarantee for twisty, edge-of-your-seat mysteries, it’s Harlan Coben. His books never fail to deliver, and ‘Nobody’s Fool’ is already calling my name.
A year after the devastating events that took place in Fool Me Once, Harlan Coben’s bestselling thriller and #1 Netflix series, a secret from former Detective Sami Kierce’s college days comes back to haunt him. Present day is hard enough for the disgraced Kierce, but his past isn’t through with him yet…
Sami Kierce, a young college grad backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning, covered in blood. There’s a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of his girlfriend. Anna. Dead. He doesn’t know what happened. His screams drown out his thoughts—and then he runs.
Twenty-two years later, Kierce, now a private investigator, is a new father who’s working off his debts by doing low level surveillance jobs and teaching wannabe sleuths at a night school in New York City. One evening, he recognizes a familiar face at the back of the classroom. Anna. It’s unmistakably her. As soon as Kierce makes eye contact with her, she bolts. For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment since that terrible day.
His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past—and prove, after all this time, he’s nobody’s fool.
(Via Amazon)
Available 3/25/25
Shallow River by H.D. Carlton
****This book comes with a slew of trigger warnings—abuse, sexual assault, violence, and graphic content—and trust me, you’ll want to heed them. H.D. Carlton’s novels are dark, disturbing, and deliciously addictive. If you can stomach the tough stuff, her storytelling will leave you reeling in the best way possible. She truly knows how to creep it real. And she’s an Oregon girl, just like me!
Shallow Hill is where souls suffer slow and miserable deaths.
When River McAllister escaped from Shallow Hill, she left her innocence behind–and some of her sanity, too. Now she’s rebuilding her life with her dream man and life couldn’t be better.
Ryan Fitzgerald is everything you’d want in a man. Attractive, rich, an aspiring lawyer, and would do anything to keep River. But that’s not the only thing that attracts her. It’s his attentiveness, his possessiveness… maybe not so much his temper.
When her relationship takes a dark turn, Ryan’s estranged brother, Mako, is the only one who sees it. He knows exactly what Ryan is capable of, and it’s not the first time he had to be a knight in shining armor.
River came from Shallow Hill, though. She’s never needed saving before. What Mako doesn’t see, is that River is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.
The only one who should be scared is Ryan.
(Via Amazon)
Available 2/4/25
So there it is—15 books I can’t wait to dive into in 2025. Will I read them all? Probably not. Will I have fun trying? Absolutely. What’s on your must-read list for next year? Drop your recommendations in the comments below!
If you still need to pre-order your copy of any of these great titles, you can get them here on Amazon. Or get on for free when you sign up for a free trial from Audible.
Until next time, keep it brash, keep it bookish, and keep it true to you!
