Must Read Romance Books This Year (so far)

Love has definitely been in the air this year, and so have been some truly incredible new romance novels! From swoon-worthy historical tales to spicy contemporary reads and everything in between, 2025 delivered an unforgettable lineup for fans of the romance genre.

 As we get closer to the end of the year, there's no better time to catch up on the books that made our hearts flutter. Whether you're a long-time romance aficionado or just looking for your next happily ever after, we've curated a list of the must read romance books that are guaranteed to make you swoon. So grab a cup of tea, find a cosy spot, and get ready to fall in love with the best romance books of the year!

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

A dazzling and sweeping new novel from #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Emily Henry!

When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication.

The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing.

The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she’ll choose who’ll tell her story.

The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story – just like the tale Margaret’s spinning – could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad … depending on who’s telling it.

What Did I Miss? by Holly Brunnbauer

Makayla has many regrets: a Chiko Roll impulse buy, not visiting the Big Pineapple and marrying her high-school dud.

Now, newly divorced, determined to hold on to her independence and facing the Big Three-O, Makayla makes a list of all the things she missed out on while her friends were single and running amok in their twenties.

But when her one-night stand turns up again, and a revenge plot on her ex spirals out of control, she has to decide if some things are worth missing. And if Makayla can't sort herself out before her birthday, she might face the biggest regret of her life.

A fresh and feisty romantic comedy about what happens when you meet someone special before truly knowing yourself.

'I cackled and snort-laughed my way through this - an absolute ripper of a debut! Makayla will steal your heart in this fresh, feisty, and slickly written rom-com, with sharp dialogue, loveable characters and every page crackling

Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski

A sweeping queer love story about desire, friendship, mistakes and the possibility of second chances, for fans of The Paper Palace and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

FOR EMILY AND GEN, THIS IS LOVE...AT LAST.

Emily has a life many would envy: a Manhattan townhouse, two sweet children and an adoring husband, Jack. But Jack isn't what he appears, and Emily's marriage is secretly troubled.

During their rocky separation, Emily encounters someone she's tried not to think about for years: Gen Hall.

As teenagers, she was Emily's best friend, first love - and first heartbreak. Emily thought that she'd never recover from losing her. Now, separated by over a decade of mistakes and miscommunications, can they find their way back to each other?

What comes next is a sweeping queer love story about desire, friendship, and above all, the possibility of second chances.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Good things always happen at the lake. After all, it's where Alice took that photo, the image that changed her life.

Alice loves her career as a photographer, but sometimes she just needs to be in that magical place, back by the lake at Barry’s Bay.

Charlie was only nineteen when Alice unknowingly took his picture. Now, Alice is faced with the man who helped make her career. Summer with Charlie is a balm for Alice’s soul. But one night, when she looks up and sees his piercing blue gaze on her, things start to feel different.

But will the truth of their past drive a wedge between them, or bring them closer together?

The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig

A gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one devilishly handsome knight whose future is beyond her sight.

Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.

Salty Spiced and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti

Crazy Rich Asians meets Always Be My Maybe in this deliciously sugar-free rom-com from debut author Cynthia Timoti.

She's salty, he's spice - there's no room for sugar in this fake relationship, but it may be sweeter than they think...

Ellie Pang has had enough of her controlling family, who have been micromanaging her life since her type 1 diabetes diagnosis. When her parents orchestrate a public proposal from their business partner's son, a proposal that goes humiliatingly viral, Ellie escapes to the other side of the country to put her dream of opening a sugar-free bakery into action. After all, she's done her research. How hard can it be?

She hits a snag when her storefront turns out to be a dump and in need of major renovations. Worse, the only person who can help her turn things around is Alec Mackenzie, her brother's best friend and the man responsible for crushing her teenage heart ten years ago.

But Alec has a proposal of his own: he needs a pretend girlfriend in order to cement a business deal. All they need to do is feign love and affection, while trying not to maim each other. As the thin line between hate and fake-madly-in-love starts to blur, buried secrets resurface, and Ellie must learn to trust her heart.

Finding Grace by Loertta Rothschild

A gripping love story with a moral-dilemma at its centre: would you tell the truth about the past if it would cost you your future?

She thought it was fate. I knew it wasn't.

Honor seems to have everything: she adores her bright and beautiful daughter, Chloe, and her charming, handsome husband, Tom, even if he works one hundred hours a week. Her bestselling children's books mean that she's made a name for herself doing what she loves. But Honor's desperate longing for another baby threatens to eclipse everything that's good. When a shocking tragedy changes their lives forever, Tom is left to pick up the pieces.

Grace has made her London wine shop a second home for people like her - people who are running from their own pasts. Passionate, studious, and self-assured, she finds herself curious about Tom, who becomes a fixture at the shop.

As Grace falls for Tom, she shares things about herself that she's never told anyone.

Tom knows he needs to tell Grace the truth too. But the closer they get, the harder it is...

The Life Experiment by Jess Kitching

A poignant, life-affirming love story about two people whose lives are turned upside down when they enter an experiment that predicts when they will die. For fans of Beth O’Leary, David Nicholls and Matt Haig.

When OPM Discoveries puts out an ad seeking participants for The Life Experiment, a study that claims to help people searching for meaning, Layla and Angus are among those who apply. Little do they know they’re about to be told when they will die.

Layla, a corporate lawyer, has foregone all relationships for her career. Growing up on the poverty line, Layla fought tirelessly to better her circumstances, but stuck in the monotony of long hours, impossible deadlines and the London rat race, she wonders if happiness can be found behind a desk after all.

Angus, an esteemed Fairview-Whitley, is struggling with his family’s expectations after the death of his brother and a failed investment. Unsure what to do with his life, Angus is frozen in a cycle of late nights and lazy days, watching time pass him by.

Unaware that they are participating in the same experiment, Layla and Angus meet by chance the day they get their results. Their attraction is instant, but can they open their hearts to more when their time might be brief?

As the year winds down, there's nothing better than cosying up with a book that makes your heart flutter. These novels aren’t just stories; they’re an invitation to unwind, escape, and indulge in a little self-care. For the perfect evening in, we recommend pairing your next read with a luxurious bath - Simply add some Addition Studio Bath Brew to the tub, and let your worries melt away. Once you’re wrapped in a warm blanket, a touch of al.ive hand cream will keep your hands feeling soft as you turn the pages, and a swipe of lip butter will complete the feeling of pure bliss. So go ahead, find a quiet corner, and treat yourself to a moment of romance and relaxation. Build Your Own Booxies Now - Happy reading!