Best Reads of 2025
My Favourite Books From The Past Year
As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to look back and celebrate the books that truly stood out for me this past year — the ones that made me laugh, think, and stay up far too late reading just one more chapter.
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These are the books that I read during 2025 that had the WOW! factor for me and therefore each get my 5 Star Award badge.
5 Star Reads
Nine Minutes Eleven Seconds by L.V. Pederson
EVERYONE HAS SECRETS... SOME ARE JUST MORE DEADLY THAN OTHERS.
Madison Maxwell has lived with the guilt of her father’s death for twenty years. So when she receives an unexpected job offer from Know Inc., a Silicon Valley tech giant, she decides—why not move to California? It’s the land of fresh starts, where no one cares where you’re from or what you’ve left behind.
But her hopes for a new beginning quickly unravel when she learns she’s replacing the executive assistant killed in a hit-and-run, and her charismatic VP boss, TJ Khan, fills her with unease and triggers memories she’s fought so hard to forget. Soon Madison can’t tell if her mind is playing tricks on her—or if she’s staring into the face of the terrorist mastermind responsible for her father’s death on 9/11, the mass murderer the world believes died on the plane that dark day, now hiding behind the facade of his Silicon Valley success.
Desperate to prove she isn’t losing her mind, Madison gets closer to Khan—only to be confronted with a shocking revelation that shatters everything she thought she knew and thrusts her into the cross-hairs of a diabolical conspiracy FBI Special Agent Niles is racing to crack before it strikes on an unimaginable scale. But nothing is what it seems, and the closer she gets to the truth, the deadlier it becomes.
As her past and present collide, Madison must make an impossible choice. How far will she go—and what price will she pay—to make things right?
Tick...tick...tick...
A Body in 3B by Eryn Scott
In the heart of downtown Seattle, a quirky building is home to a cast of eccentric residents, both living and not.
When Meg Dawson moves back to the Morrisey after quitting her career as an artist, she thinks she's found a safe haven. But when she discovers a murdered resident, Meg realizes that her sanctuary may not be as secure as she thought.
It quickly becomes clear that the police are lacking an important piece of the investigative puzzle. Because of her ability to communicate with ghosts, Meg has information about the man’s death no one else knows. Ripley, Meg’s ghostly best friend, is confident they can solve the mystery and keep the rest of the residents safe.
Meg and her friend must navigate strange happenings and unravel the secrets of their building before it's too late.
This new series from Eryn Scott follows Meg and a lovable cast of residents as they navigate strange happenings in their downtown Seattle building.
The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd
Six weeks of friendship. A lifetime paying for it.
They were the cool girls. Two years older, oozing glamour. She could prove herself worthy of their friendship. She could do the dare.
Twenty-five years later, Lucy has a perfect life. She is still friends with the cool girls. All except one. Maddie. The one they never saw again after the dare. They don't talk about her. They don’t think about her. It is as though she never existed until…
Lucy gets a text from an unknown number. Why didn't you tell them where I was?
The past hurtles into the present and secrets push their way to the surface.
Who is the message from? Is Maddie back? Or is someone else set on exposing the truth and seeking revenge?
A gripping domestic psych thriller perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, S.E. Lynes and Lisa Jewell.
At the Ragtag Hotel: The Elevator Ride by Freya Novak
Introducing Dallas Dingo, the quintessential “jack of all trades” at the Ragtag Hotel.
On a sweltering, sticky afternoon, Dallas cheerfully navigates the hotel’s elevator, zipping residents up and down with a bright smile.
In this lively community, you’ll meet a diverse array of captivating a cheerful capybara flashing a toothy grin, a poised ostrich strutting with grace, a faint-prone quokka, a diminutive tarsier with large, soulful eyes, a whimsical armadillo rolling around playfully, and a worried okapi anxious about fitting into the elevator.
The atmosphere brims with anticipation as more animals squeeze in. Will they all manage to fit into the crowded, bustling elevator, or will someone be left behind? And what adventures await on the mysterious fourteenth floor?
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Five Cold Bodies by KJ Kalis
Read My Review - Buy on Amazon
Detective Max Grady couldn’t be more irritated…
Sent out to an abandoned barn with his partner, Cassie Reynolds, he’s forced into a high-stakes case where bodies are dropping faster than he can track them. The killer is outmaneuvering them, sticking to the shadows and giving him nothing to work with – no evidence, no DNA and no suggestion of who they are or why they are on a killing spree.
And time is running out.
Seven Weeks to Forever by Jennifer Farwell
Read My Review - Buy on Amazon
A timeless teen metaphysical romance featured by Publishers Weekly and called a "warm, sparkly love story" by Kirkus Reviews. Gold medal winner - Readers' Favorite Book Awards.
Love can be unstoppable, but is it enough for Cassidy and Riley?
Cassidy Jordan won't open her heart to anyone, and with good reason. She's a second-timer, returned from the afterlife after a devastating romance caused her death. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, all that stands between her and eternity is finding Riley Davis and helping him get his life on track. But nobody told her helping Riley would mean dating him.
When Cassidy realizes she's falling for Riley, she's faced with a choice: give him the life he's meant for and leave this life when it's time, or give up eternity for the true love she's never had, knowing Riley will die the same way she did in her first life and that her entire existence could end at any time.
A powerful love story for fans of teen metaphysical romance and sweet romance who enjoyed books like If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, and The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Fall in love with this captivating young adult romance today!
Merry Little Vengeance by Joan De La Haye
Read My Review - Buy on Amazon
Most people unwrap presents at Christmas—I’m busy wrapping bodies.
This year, though, my usual routine got personal. Going home for the holidays wasn’t exactly my choice, but when you’re a hitwoman with a complicated family and a past that refuses to stay buried, things tend to get... eventful.
Let’s just say some skeletons should stay buried; others demand justice. And me? I deliver it.
If you’re into thrillers spiked with snark, a touch of holiday mayhem, and a heroine who’s equal parts ruthless and relatable, Merry Little Vengeance will make your season bright—just not for those who prefer their holidays warm and fuzzy.
King of Christmas: A Choose Your Own Path Psychological Thriller by J.E. Rowney
Read My Review - Buy on Amazon
THE ONLY CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CHRISTMAS THRILLER BOOK - AND THE MUST READ HOLIDAY BOOK OF 2025.
Not every path leads to the truth. But every one brings you closer to him.
Eight missing children. One urban legend. A town that stopped asking questions.
They call him the King of Christmas—a red-suited figure said to haunt Pine Hollow, taking children who’ve done wrong. Always on Christmas Eve. Always leaving behind a trail of footprints in the snow… and a single silver bell for every home that's lost a child.
Jenny Matthews, now a Boston journalist, returns to the snowbound town she fled decades ago to investigate the disappearances.
Officially, she’s here to write about the legend.
Unofficially, she’s chasing something much closer to home.
The police won’t help. The town won’t talk. And this year a new family will receive a silver bell.
In this unique psychological thriller book, you decide what Jenny does next.
Will she uncover the truth—or become the next to vanish?
Will she expose the legend—or step straight into it?
Will she find redemption—or lose everything trying?
KING OF CHRISTMAS is a uniquely immersive Choose Your Own Path psychological thriller where your decisions shape the story. Every choice matters. Some truths are buried deep. Some paths lead to justice. Others to regret.
Choose carefully. The King of Christmas is watching.
And that wraps up my best reads of 2025! It might not have been my strongest reading year — I didn’t get through as many books as I’d hoped, and there weren’t quite as many five-star standouts as usual. My health made it a bit of a challenge to keep up with my reading goals, but the stories I did manage to finish truly made an impact and stayed with me long after I turned the final page.
Here’s hoping 2026 brings better health, more reading time, and plenty of unforgettable stories to get lost in — ideally with a good cup of tea in hand.
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What were your five-star reads from 2025? Which book topped your list this year? Let me know in the comments — I love discovering new recommendations!
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