The Most Anticipated Books to Read in 2025

Deciding what books to read in 2025? Explore my most anticipated books of 2025 and start filling your to-read list with exciting upcoming releases.

2025, could you come a little faster?

I know I’m supposed to want time to slow down and not want my children to grow up so fast. Yet, the upcoming releases of 2025 look so promising that I’m willing to rush things a bit.

If you are looking for the best books to read in 2025, I’ve got you covered. If you don’t want to scroll through my full list of upcoming releases, here are my most-anticipated books to read in 2025.

I’m starting with my 16 most anticipated books of 2025 because I couldn’t settle on just 10. I might update my list as more new releases are announced in the upcoming months.

As always, be sure to let me know in the comments what 2025 new releases you are most excited for!

Rebecca Yarros took the book world by storm with her dragon romantasy book, Fourth Wing. In the third book of the Empyrean series, Violet Sorrengail must venture beyond the failing Aretian wards to recruit allies. Violet needs an army and magic to keep her homeland, Xaden, and the dragons safe. But that means keeping a secret that could risk destroying everything. If it’s anything like the previous books, expect plenty of twists, drama and steamy sex in the most-anticipated book of 2025.

Publication Date: 21 January 2025
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Taylor Jenkins Reid is always a book club favorite so of course she belongs on my list of most-anticipated books to read in 2025. In the 1980s, Joan Goodwin loves her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University. Until she sees an ad for the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. Suddenly, Joan finds herself training to be an astronaut with a colorful cast of characters that teach her about the transformative power of love.

Publication Date: 3 June 2025
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Lila Kennedy already feels her stress levels maxed out. If a broken marriage, two wayward daughters, and a crumbling house weren’t enough, her stepfather seems to have managed to move in permanently. Plus her love life and career are becoming increasingly complicated. But when Lila’s estranged father shows up, Lila has really reached her limit. Yet it turns out she might have some lessons to learn from the man whom she’s not sure she can ever forgive. Jojo Moyes is always a solid choice when you are looking for intriguing contemporary fiction books to add to your 2025 reading list.

Publication Date: 11 February 2025
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When Samantha meets Xavier, a gorgeous veterinarian with the body of a Greek god, she’s smitten. Until he opens his mouth. But the disastrous first impression aside, Samantha and Xavier end up on the perfect first date that seems to last forever. Except afterward, Samantha begs Xavier to forget about her because her family situation makes dating impossible, even if he is the perfect guy. Known for her nuanced romance books that tackle difficult mental health topics, Abby Jimenez’s books are always the most anticipated books to read in any year.

Publication Date: 1 April 2025
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The daughter of a wealthy Black family, Ebby Freeman accidentally turns the headlines to herself during a failed wedding. Now the press is rehashing the death of her brother twenty years earlier in a home invasion. Fleeing to France, Ebby begins looking into her family history and researching a heirloom stoneware jar that was destroyed in that same home invasion. Will Ebby’s family’s past be the thing that sets her free in this multigenerational family drama from the author of Black Cake.

Publication Date: 28 January 2025
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Jeanine Cummins surprised the book world with the seven-figure advance on her debut novel, American Dirt. Now she has a new 2025 release about a multigenerational Puerto Rican family. In 1980, Rafaela leaves her home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moves her young family to Missouri. Not wanting to be like her socially isolated mother, Ruth gives up her language and habits to blend into life as an American teen. Decades later, Ruth’s daughter Daisy returns to Puerto Rico only to be critically injured in a hurricane. Now three generations of women must come to terms with the choices and secrets that have shaped their family.

Publication Date: 13 May 2025
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Single mom Birdie is doing the best she can to raise her daughter Emaleen in Alaska. When Emaleen gets lost in the woods, Arthur, the scarred local recluse, brings her home safely. Soon Birdie falls in love with Arthur and his existence in the isolated mountains. Moving in with him, Birdie soon learns that the Alaskan wilderness, and Arthur himself, have darker sides than she realized.

Publication Date: 11 February 2025
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Lili and Esti have been best friends since University and they become even closer when Esti’s son Theo is born. Since they are both Jewish, when Germany invades Northern Italy, Esti convinces Lili to flee with her. Eventually, they pretend to be nuns at a convent in Florence. Until disaster strikes and a critically wounded Esti begs Lili to take Theo and find safety. Known for her nonfiction WWII book, We Were the Lucky Ones, Georgia Hunter’s latest is likely to be a discussion-worthy historical fiction choice if you are looking for new books to read in 2025.

Publication Date: 4 March 2025
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In her 80s, Margaret Ives finally agrees to let an author write her biography about her life as an heiress to one of the most storied and scandalous families in the 20th century. Margaret agrees to fly two authors out for a one-month trial to see which will be her biographer. Eternal optimist Alice knows that this could be her big break. She just has to beat out the grumpy award-winning author Hayden. But Margaret is telling different things to each one of them and with an iron-clad NDA, they can’t collaborate, no matter how much chemistry they feel between them. Emily Henry is a popular romance author nowadays but her books are always hit and miss with me.

Publication Date: 22 April 2025
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Effervescent and ambitious Zoe and shy musical prodigy Cassie could not be more different even though they are sisters. Catapulted to fame as a pop duo sensation, the sisters spent a whirlwind year in the early 2000s until they abruptly broke up. Twenty years later, Zoe’s teenage daughter Cherry also wants to be a star and is determined to learn why the band broke up. Now Zoe, Cassie, and Cherry must face the consequences of the decisions they made and the decisions the music industry made for them.

Publication Date: 8 April 2025
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Theo fell in love with Connor in a whirlwind romance six months ago. Despite anonymous texts telling her to stay away from Connor, Theo knows it’s her chance to win over his wealthy family when she visits Idlewood, the family’s remote winter retreat. But at the family cabin, Theo finds a photo of herself as a child and begins to recall long-repressed memories that someone in Connor’s family will do anything to keep buried. I love Kate Alice Marshall’s domestic thrillers so I think this will be a great thriller book to read in 2025.

Publication Date: 4 February 2025
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An aspiring artist, eighteen-year-old Louisa unexpectedly finds herself in the care of a famous painting of a pier with three barely discernably teens sitting on the end. Determined to find the story behind the painting, Louisa sets out on a cross-country journey of discovery. Twenty-five years ago, four friends spent a summer together on the pier, avoiding their chaotic home lives creating a friendship that will change more than their lives. Backman is always a favorite choice for book clubs looking for a heartwarming message.

Publication Date: 3 June 2025
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Ever since her older sister Kasey went missing seven years ago, Nic’s life has been in a complete free-fall. Kasey’s car was found 100 miles from home in the same area as Jules O’Connor, another missing girl. Nic has tried to forget about Kasey until Jules’s younger sister Jenna shows up offering hope. Now the two younger sisters must decide how much they are willing to risk to find their missing halves.

Publication Date: 6 May 2025
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When his father has a stroke, Kyle McCray reluctantly returns to his hometown to care for him. Two and half years ago, Kyle abruptly left town abandoning his father, his friends, his employees, and Casey, his wife of sixteen years. When asked to coach the struggling middle school hockey team, Kyle finds a chance for redemption. But to stay in town permanently, he must make peace with Casey as the book slowly reveals what caused a love-filled relationship to implode. Just be sure to pack the tissues because books like this one usually lead to tears (at least it did for me).

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
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From the author of Still Alice, neuroscientist Lisa Genova paints a story about a young woman with bipolar disorder trying to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. Maddy has always felt like she doesn’t quite belong in her perfect Connecticut family. While a freshman at NYU, a stressed out Maddy begins swinging from deep depression to wild mania and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Now Maddy must come to terms with her diagnosis and the complex effects it causes on her relationships. 

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
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Dominic Salt and his three children live together on Shearwater, a remote island near Antarctica. Shearwater used to be full of researchers but now the Salts are the sole caretakers of the world’s largest seed bank. During a fierce storm, a woman washes ashore. As the Salts nurse Rowan back to health, they feel revitalized. Except Rowan is hiding the truth about her journey to Shearwater but the Salts have their own secrets to hide. McConaghy has made a name for herself with her climate fiction books, so I’m curious to see what she has in store with her March release.

Publication Date: 4 March 2025
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What are Your Most Anticipated Books to Read in 2025?

What books are you most excited for next year? Any guesses what the best books of 2025 are going to be? As always, let me know in the comments!

More New Book Releases & Best of Lists:

• The Most Anticipated Upcoming Books
• The Best Books of 2024
• Top Book Club Books for 2025
• The 2025 Reading Challenge

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