The Best Books I Read in 2025
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My reading goal for 2025 was 150 books.
I regret to inform you that I absolutely ignored that plan.
I read 210 books this year.
Despite my best intentions to slow down and read with more heart♥️, it became one of the best reading years I have ever had. One of those reading years where pages disappeared faster than I meant them to. I devoured stories like time was limited, and this was my last chance to savor the love of the worlds that were created.
And somehow, through all that reading, a handful of books stayed with me. These are the novels, stories, and worlds that rose above the rest. My best books of 2025!
January: Dreamcursed by C.K. Franziska
A dark fantasy novel where nightmares bleed into the waking world.
This was one of those rare books where I knew, in one chapter, that it was going to be special. Heliosia pulled me under immediately, a world steeped in danger and dread where the setting feels just as alive as the characters moving through it. I loved how the atmosphere does the heavy lifting. Turning every shadow into a thread and every quiet moment into tension. Balor’s vulnerability made the story work for me; he isn’t fearless (in fact, far from it), he’s human, and that hesitation made the stakes feel sharper. By the end, I was reading with my heart in my throat, already certain this would be a book I’d still be thinking about months later (and it is!)
Read this if you like:
- Dark, immersive fantasy worlds
- Flawed, reluctant rulers
- Stories that grow heavier and more ominous as they unfold
→ Read my full review of Dreamcursed
February: The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig
A romantasy steeped in omens, folklore, and slow-burning longing.
I didn’t expect this one to make my best-of-list. There was a brief moment at the beginning where I wasn’t sure we’d click. But once it settled into its rhythm, it completely had me. Rachel Gillig’s prose is dreamlike and deliberate, the kind that asks you to slow down and savor the unease. The Aisling Cathedral, the Diviners, the weight of the destiny, all of it feels quietly sinister and beautifully controlled. And then there’s the heart of it: the slow ache of Rory and Sybill, the kind of yearning that lingers long after the final page. Bartholomew (the gargoyle) is now permanently lodged in my brain—and honestly, so is the longing for the rest of this story.
Read this if you like:
- Gothic, atmospheric romantasy
- Slow-burn romance that hurts a little
- Folklore-heavy worlds with a sense of fate
→ Read my full review of The Knight and the Moth
March: Devour the Dark by Nikki St. Crowe
A dark, obsessive fantasy romance that refuses to let go.
I think about Roc, Hook, and Wendy weekly—if not daily—and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Nikki St. Crowe writes the kind of stories I could live inside forever, and this one was no exception. I anticipated it fiercely, and when I finally reached the end, all I felt was grief that I had to leave. Not because it wasn’t enough, but because I never wanted it to be over. I closed the book already wanting to reread, already mourning the fact that I’ll never get to experience it for the first time again. That ache? That’s how I know its earned its place on this list.
Read this if you like:
- Books you want to reread immediately just to stay
- Dark, obsessive fantasy romance
- Characters who live rent-free in your head
April: Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
A quiet, unrelenting psychological thriller that tightens its grip without ever raising its voice.
Five stars and one frayed never.
This is the kind of thriller that creeps in slowly, all whispers and unease, until you realize you’ve been holding your breath for chapters. I loved how deliberate the pacing is. Nothing is wasted, nothing is flashy. Just a tension building and coiling tighter and tighter as past and present begin to merge. The twists don’t exist for shock value; they feel inevitable, earned, and deeply unsettling.
And beneath the mystery is something sharper: a story about women, disappearance, and what happens when no one listens closely enough. By the end, I wasn’t just rattled…I was haunted.
Read this if you like:
- Slow-burn psychological thrillers
- Atmospheric dread over jump scares
- Stories where the why matters more than the reveal
→ Read my full review of Forget Me Not
May: Ascension by S.T. Gibson
A character-driven fantasy romance where dark magic and desire spiral together.
I am cheating a little with May since I didn’t have a favorite for the month. Ascension was technically read at the end of April, but since it is my list, it is my rules.
Ascension is a masterclass in restraint and emotion: lyrical without excess, intimate without losing control. I loved how the story moves through secret societies and demon summoning, yet never loses sight of what really mattered. Ambition, identity, and the ache of wanting too much.
Rhys is unraveling in ways that feel painfully human, Moira holds the center with quiet strength, and David is pure gravity. He continues to be magnetic and impossible to look away from. The triangle is messy, tender, and beautifully complicated. By the end, I felt undone in the best way.
Read this if you like:
- Dark, poetic fantasy romance
- Messy, emotionally rich character dynamics
- Stories where power and longing are inseparable
→ Read my full review of Ascension
June: Glory by Rhianna Burwell
Pure indulgence with zero interest in subtlety.
This was exactly what I needed it to be. Glory doesn’t posture or pretend. It shows up knowing its purpose and commits fully. There’s something deeply satisfying about a book that understands its lane and stays in it, delivering heat without apology or distraction. No unnecessary padding. No false depth. Just a story designed to be devoured in the moment and enjoyed for what it is. Sometimes that’s not just enough. It’s perfect.
Read this if you like:
- Straightforward, no-frills spice
- Books that know exactly what they’re doing
- Reading for pleasure, not analysis
July: Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner
A fierce, fast-moving sequel that widens the world and raises the cost.
Where Godkiller burned slow (oftentimes too slow), Sunbringer ignites immediately. The stakes rise from the first page as the story expands. There are new POVs, new conflicts, and the dangerous return of King Arren all crashing together. I loved watching the characters sharpen under pressure, especially Kissen, whose rage begins to evolve into something more layered and human. Elo’s struggle with loyalty and trauma adds real emotional weight, and Inara and Skedi (we STAND Skedi) remain one of the most grounding, resonant bonds in the series. Even with a few pacing hiccups, this is a sequel that doesn’t have middle child syndrome.
Read this if you like:
- High-stakes fantasy sequels
- Expanding POVs and escalating conflict
- Character growth forged through chaos
→ Read my full review of Sunbringer
August: Dragon’s Crown series by G. Bailey
A bingeable fantasy romance series made for turning off your brain.
This series was pure guilty pleasure, and I say that with the highest affection. I tore through all five books in two days, barely stopping long enough to come up and turn the page. Was it the best writing I read this year? No, no, it wasn’t. But it didn’t need to be. The Dragon’s Crown series knew exactly what it was offering to me at the time: fast pacing, familiar tropes, and a world that was easy to sink into without overthinking a single thing. Sometimes reading isn’t about depth or analysis, but the enjoyment had while flipping through the pages. And this delivered that perfectly.
*sigh* I think I need a reread.
Read this if you like:
- Bingeable fantasy romance series
- Familiar tropes done for fun
- Books you inhale without thinking twice
September: Rising Reign by Tessa Hale
A finale that makes saying goodbye ache.
While I first finished this book, my reaction was simple: It. Was. PERFECT.
And even after sitting with it.
Turning it over, questioning it, noticing the spider web cracks within that feeling never really left.
Rising Reign hit me with that particular kind of grief that only comes from leaving a world you weren’t ready to let go of. These characters lodged themselves deep; I still catch myself replaying scenes, missing them, wanting to start the entire series over to stay a little longer. It’s fast-paced, emotional, and written with Tessa Hale’s signature pull. The kind that makes rereading feel inevitable, and written in the stars. Loving it wasn’t neat. It didn’t fit into tiny little boxes, but that is exactly why it stayed.
Read this if you like:
- Emotionally immersive fantasy romance
- Series finales that leave you tender and undone
- Characters you mourn when the story ends
→ Read my full review of Crescent Kingdom
October: Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone
A consuming, obsessive romance that takes over completely.
Hear ye, hear ye…this book became my entire personality. Bitter Burn demanded everything: my time, my attention, my ability to function like a normal human who eats and sleeps. Sierra Simone has me in a chokehold YET AGAIN, delivering something intimate, intense, and deliciously devastating.
And Mr. Mark Trevena…watching his story come full circle was deeply satisfying and somehow still not enough. I didn’t want to leave these characters. I didn’t want it to end. That kind of fixation doesn’t happen often. And yet when it does, it earns its place.
Read this if you like:
- Obsessive, emotionally charged romance
- Characters who take over your thoughts
- Books that leave you wanting more, even when they deliver
November: An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
A moody dark academia fantasy that leans more toward feeling than in answers.
It is true, per my Goodreads, that I didn’t give An Arcane Inheritance five stars. In fact, I gave it three and a half. But what this story doesn’t make up for in answers, it creates in atmosphere. And this is where the book pulled me in first…the atmosphere. The gothic halls, the secret societies, the eerie rituals, and a constant sense that something dangerous was unfolding just out of sight.
What stayed with me the most was Ellory’s experience as a Black girl navigating Warren University. Her isolation, the microaggression, the weight of expectation. All of it felt sharp and painfully real. While the magic system and pacing didn’t always deliver clarity or momentum in the way that I expected (or even really wanted), the ending drew me back in and made the journey worthwhile. It was such an ambiguous ending, and by the time I closed the book, I was invested. Not because it was perfect, but because its mood and themes were steadfast.
Read this if you like:
- Atmospheric dark academia
- Stories centered on identity and belonging
- Slow, moody reads that prioritize vibe over plot
→ Read my full review of An Arcane Inheritance
December: Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
A tender, quietly magical love story about recognition and choosing to live.
This book didn’t rely on shock or twists. It relied on feeling, and it trusted that to be enough. I loved how Good Spirits unfolds with intention, letting Nolan and Harriet slowly recognize what’s always been there between them. Nolan is broody most gently, devoted without needing to say much, the kind of grump whose world orbits one person entirely. Harriet, wrapped in cheerful armor, broke my heart and stitched it back together as she learned to stop forcing herself into places that never fit. Together they’re soft, kind, and deeply endearing. So much so that I laughed, teared up, and then just let the tears stay. By the end, my heart was so full in that bittersweet way that tells you a book was exactly what it needed to be.
Read this if you like:
- Gentle, emotionally rich romance
- Grumpy/sunshine with real tenderness
- Stories about belonging, growth, and chosen joy
→ Read my full review of Good Spirits
Looking back at these twelve books, I don’t just see a list of favorites.
I see a year lived in fragments. In obsession, comfort, grief, indulgence, longing, and joy. Some of these stories wrecked me. Held me when I needed something easy. Some reminded me why I read in the first place.
This list isn’t definitive. It isn’t prescriptive.
It’s still three days in the year, so it may shift…it may not 🤷♀️.
Read These to Find a New Fave:
My Highest Rated Book Each Month So Far This Year
Book Spotlight: An Incarnation of Shadow and Light
DNF Diaries: The Librarians, Beautiful Idea, Weak Execution?
Now I want to hear from you.
What was your book of the year?
The one you still think about.
The one you can’t let go of just yet.
