Suleikha's Top 20 Romance Books of 2025

It's time to put 2025 and a year's worth of reading behind me so I can start fresh! Narrowing down my 20 favorite romances out of 220 books total was so hard. I tried to stick to two rules: The book had to be released in 2025, and I could only pick one book by an author—even if I liked two of their current releases. Yes, there are a few titles here that aren't strictly genre romance—but the love stories in them had a big impact on me, were integral to the plot, and did end with an HEA/HFN! (For some of my non-romance favorites, check out my year-end newsletter.)

1. No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel

2. Goaltender Interference by Ari Baran

3. August Lane by Regina Black

4. Call Me Yours by Elizabeth Bright

5. Two Secrets to Surrender by Grace Callaway

6. In a Rush by Kate Canterbary

7. Copper Script by KJ Charles

8. Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa

9. Ghost Business by Jen DeLuca

10. There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev

11. Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt

12. Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi

13. Scotch on the Rocks by Eliot Fletcher

14. The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

15. Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer

16. The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh

17. Willing Prey by Allie Oleander

18. Read Me Slow by Charish Reid

19. Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Match by Aydra Richards

20. Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan

Honorable mentions: Not Here to Make Friends by Jodi McAlister, Where Have All the Scoundrels Gone by Louisa Darling, and My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long, all of which came out in 2024. Much like The Everlasting, last year's Starling House by Alix E. Harrow doesn't fall under genre romance. But it ended up being one of the most romantic books I read in 2025. In fact, I read it twice! Another book I read twice this past year was Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale so I obviously want to name-check that as a favorite as well! I even got all thinky about it in my newsletter.

2026 titles to look out for: I snagged an ARC of The Duke by Anna Cowan and tore through it. It's fantastic and definitely going to end up on a lot of Best Of lists. I also have an ARC of Soon By You by Dahlia Adler. I'm only partway into the book and enjoying how falling for Arielle is making uptight MMC Judah totally unravel. Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh is primarily suspense and the FMC spends most of the book unconscious, but Tavish's love for Diya is the driving force of the story and it was such a satisfying read! Still on my TBR and additions you should make to yours? Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik and Dom-Com by Adriana Anders.

See my Top 20 romances of 2024.
See my Top 20 romances of 2023.