Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
There were so many amazing 2025 debut romance books this year. In the last five years, romance readership has grown. And, to me, it feels like that has led to an increase in new romance writers being published. But it’s hard to know what debuts are worth your time. By definition, there is no backlist to judge the authors by. And with so many books being published, it can feel overwhelming to find new authors in the highly saturated market that exists. Because word of mouth is the best way to discover new authors, I wanted to share five of my favorite debuts from my favorite genre. These five 2025 debut romances are emotional and sexy. Some are funny. Some are heart-wrenching. All are, of course, romantic.
The list includes debuts from different subgenres: contemporary, historical, and romantasy. They include many of my favorite tropes, like enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, billionaire romance (with a twist!), found family, second chance romance, forced proximity, and more.
We follow them through the story of two ex-best friends forced to live in the same brownstone for a month, to a romantasy featuring a blacksmith falling in love with a merman, to a fabulously fun dual timeline 1890s Gilded Age romance. There’s one romance where the heroine finds love by leaving her entire life behind, and another about finding love by returning home. These five romance debuts are so worth reading. I’m already waiting with bated breath to see what each of these authors writes next.
All Access members, read on for five underrated romance debuts of 2025.
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard
Five years ago, June and Adam were best friends and roommates sharing a West Village brownstone in New York City. It didn’t end well, and June wants to keep the past in the past. But then, their former landlord dies and leaves them a surprise in his will. If she and Adam move back into the brownstone and live together for a whole month, then they will own it. It’s an offer that’s too good to pass up. They agree to be adult and mature about it. But living together brings up old resentments and conflicts… as well as beautiful memories, suppressed feelings, and an undeniable physical attraction. Five years ago, Adam and June’s attempt to be more than just friends led to an epic, life-shattering disaster. If they give their love a second chance, will it be different this time?
A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love by Alice Murphy
In the present day, Phoebe is a historian hired by the very handsome billionaire Armitage to research a photograph suggesting a relationship between one of his ancestors and the famed plus-size Vaudville performer. In 1890s Gilded Age New York City, Thomas is a wealthy theater owner who falls in love with Evelyn at first sight and is determined to make her the star of his new show. Throughout the dual timelines, two romances develop featuring two plus-size heroines, comprehensive historical details, and a lot of fun. Historical romance feels like it’s in a bit of a downturn recently (publishing, if you’re listening, the readers are here for it, I promise!). So, it was especially delightful to read such an exuberant, wistful new voice in the genre. This is not a tight, traditionally plotted romance novel — some might call it historical fiction instead. But if you like historical romance at all, then you will love this book!
Girl Next Door by Rachel Meredith
For a delightful rom-com, check out this very funny contemporary romance. MC is a freelance writer whose editor, and best friend, shows her a copy of the latest best-selling romance novel, insisting that one of the heroines closely resembles MC. From physical descriptions to memories from high school no one else would have known about, MC thinks the book must have been written under a pen name by Nora, her next-door neighbor growing up. Her editor agrees and gives her the assignment to go home and uncover Nora as the book’s author — an epic scoop, if a morally dubious one. Nora and MC never got along well as children. And, at first, they don’t as adults. But soon their rubbing up against each other antagonism leads to a sexier form of rubbing up against each other. MC and Nora have more in common than they originally realized, including the fact that they are keeping some pretty big secrets from each other.
Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan
When Eve leaves her seemingly perfect life in NYC to live alone in the Tennessee mountains, she tells everyone it’s for a writing retreat. It’s believable because after years of hard work, she’s found success as a playwright, and now it’s time to write her next play. But the truth is, her personal life is in shambles. She’s leaving behind an ex-fiance, parents she needs to go no contact with, and a series of disappointments that feel too big for her to bear. Her plan is to write and stay alone. But life keeps throwing her together with her neighbor, Jamie — a single dad adjusting to a new custody schedule after a contentious legal battle. Neither is looking for something serious. But they seem to fit together like a question fits with an answer. If you are sensitive to reading about issues related to fertility and pregnancy, please check the content warnings. The writing is lush, the feelings are deep, and the romance between these two is unforgettable.
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
Speaking of lush writing, if you are a romantasy fan, it’s time to read this queer, historical merman romance set in 1910s Coney Island. Benny is an orphaned, Puerto Rican blacksmith commissioned to make a glass tank for a sideshow in Coney Island’s famous Luna Park. He learns that the cage he made will house a captured merman named Río. He falls deeply in love with Río and discovers a found family among the other sideshow curiosities. But he can’t find his happily ever after with a soulmate chained in captivity. With beautiful art and beautiful writing, the love story of Benny and Río and their world jumps off the page.
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Enjoy these very swoony 2025 debut romances! And if you still are looking for new romances to read, take a look at this list of the best 2025 romance books.
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