25 of my favorite books in 2025

Remember when I said this newsletter would be sent twice a month? Well, then the end of the year happened, and with it a LOT of TV shows (admittedly, they were great TV shows) that yours truly had to cover in a professional sense — everything from Pluribus to Heated Rivalry, the show that became everyone's streaming obsession practically overnight.

The success of the former series should have come as no surprise — in Vince Gilligan we trust, after all, and I'd gladly watch Rhea Seehorn sit in a room and read a grocery list any day of the week. However, the fact that Heated Rivalry has left us all experiencing the television equivalent of a book hangover after that incredible finale just speaks to more of what the people really want: romance novels on television, adapted by folks who unequivocally GET why this genre has endured in the way that it has!

I know some people were convinced that the Bridgerton boom wouldn't lead to a seismic shift in terms of more romance adaptations onscreen, and I believe in my heart that we would've been swimming in them by now if it weren't for all the events negatively impacting the industry this year (full disclosure: I almost had the rights to MY book acquired by someone before the strikes happened!), but my hope is that Hollywood learns the right lessons from the little hockey romance show that could heading into 2026.

This week's recs are more of a look back at only a portion of everything I've read this year — not with any kind of best framing, since taste is obviously subjective, but these books brought me a lot of joy in a year that was full of ups and downs, and I hope they'll do the same if you decide to pick any one of them up for yourself! (Not all of these are romance, but let's be real, MOST of them are, and even the ones that strictly aren't do include some kissing.)

1. Lights Out by Navessa Allen - The dark romance you've probably seen all over your TikTok FYP, and with good reason.
2. Whisky Business by Elliot Fletcher - Small-town Scottish romance with a grumpy distillery owner; what's not to love?
3. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig - Gothic fantasy romance about a prophetess forced to team up with a knight whose future she can't see; bonus points for a lovable gargoyle!
4. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie - Think The Suicide Squad in a fantasy medieval era — unrepentantly bloody, hilarious, and heartwrenching.
5. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna - A magical inn, a witch who's lost most of her powers, an icy historian, and a talking fox.
6. A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena - A former dancer is tasked with infiltrating the court of her king's alluring enemy, but realizes she might be aligned with the bigger monster.
7. Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer - A princess is forced to marry a warrior, but unbeknownst to either of them, her lifelong childhood friend, an assassin, has been tasked with killing them both. (And yes, they ALL kiss.)
8. Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver - Desperate to land a promotion at the magazine where she works, a travel writer agrees to be teamed up with a new freelance photographer — AKA the one who broke her heart years ago — for her first big assignment in Iceland.
9. Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone - Read the entire Lyonesse trilogy, honestly, but the conclusion to Simone's spicy Tristan & Isolde reimagining had me gasping from start to finish.
10. Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson - Part love letter to Wuthering Heights, part fairytale, Gibson's latest (which kicks off a new series) is a lush, erotic gothic romance that will lure you under its spell.
11. Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi - A steamy paranormal romance that deals in both supernatural threats like angels and demons as well as emotional ones (what's a girl to do when both Lucifer AND his most loyal prince have their sights set on you?).
12. Huntsman by Naima Simone - Simone's newest series kicks off with a dark mafia retelling of Snow White — who, in this version, is the rightful heir to a crime family and ends up in the crosshairs of a devastatingly handsome, legendary assassin. Truly, this book will make you ask, "who's really hunting whom?"
13. Our Ex’s Wedding by Taleen Voskuni - A wedding planner and a vineyard owner have to come together to ensure the woman they both dated has the wedding of her dreams in this raucously hilarious, heartwarming rom-com.
14. The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino - Another lady knight book — here, Grey has dedicated her life (and secretly, her love) to her mage, Kier, but when the two are assigned a dangerous mission with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, she might be forced to reveal her own biggest, game-changing secret.
15. Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport - A sexy, ruthless fae romance unlike anything you've ever read before, and if the MMC doesn't give you major Killmonger energy, I don't know what will.
16. Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz - The former right-hand woman of an evil villain attempts to rebrand herself by starting over in a small village (and renting space for her flower shop from a prickly alchemist) in this charming debut cozy fantasy.
17. Bold Moves by Emma Barry - She's a chess grand master who's fought for every scrap of respect she's earned; he's a filmmaker on the rise who wants to adapt her biography as his next project. Oh, and they just so happened to date 17 years ago, but surely they can work together in a professional capacity without a hitch, right?
18. In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy - To flee an unwanted marriage, a Siren-in-hiding forges a dangerous blood bond with a reluctant king that has unforeseen consequences for them both.
19. The Christmas I Stole a Viscount by Alexandra Vasti - When a spinster kidnaps a rake to force him into marriage and purposefully ruin her own reputation, neither of them anticipates falling in love in this darling Christmas novella.
20. The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie - After a years-long struggle with infertility and a Hail Mary embryo transfer to her gestational carrier, Nicole discovers her husband's been cheating on her — and then finds herself on the doorstep of the man she's never fully been able to get out of her system.
21. When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee - This stunning fantasy, set in 1970s Singapore, is for those who want to burn the world down — literally. Adeline Siow has always been able to summon fire in the palm of her hand, but the death of a family member plunges her into a secret world filled with gangs, gods, and magic.
22. The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton - Read Holton's ENTIRE Dangerous Damsels series and thank me later, but this romance between the top rivals of a secret intelligence agency is off-the-wall delightful.
23. Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis - The wicked sorceress everyone fears meets her match in a meek librarian (who's actually a duke in disguise) in this sweet fantasy romance.
24. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst - Like the overgrown cottage this cozy fantasy romance is centered around, this book (and its main love story) slowly exposes more and more sweetness to take you by surprise.
25. The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn - OK, this one is cheating a little because it technically doesn't come out until 2026, but I read it early, and this captivating, achey, swoony slow-burn romance ensures that Clayborn is still on a streak of personally making me cry my eyes out over her books.

Kissing Books is a bimonthly newsletter about, well, exactly what it sounds like, plus other non-romance novels that might have varying levels of smooching in them. Questions? Comments? Reply to this email, or find me on Bluesky @carlylane. If you’re reading this on Ghost or someone forwarded this email to you, consider clicking that helpful button to become a regular subscriber, or leave a tip on Ko-fi.