This is but a smattering of the hot, new books that are coming out in 2025 that we’re excited about. Did we include your most anticipated? If you have any more recommendations, let us know in the comments!
Title: Mystery Royale
Author: Kaitlyn Cavalancia
Publication Date: 2025 January 7
Official Blurb:
The only thing sixteen-year-old Mullory Prudence has left of her mom is a warning: “Run if the strange finds you.” But mysterious warnings don’t pay the bills or help take care of her sick Gran. And they certainly don’t make her miserable after-school job any more bearable. When unexpected letters start appearing in peculiar places––sealed in bags of dog food and hidden in the refrigerator––Mullory knows she should avoid them to heed her mother’s warning, but her curiosity thinks otherwise. She uncovers an invitation from Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of Mystery Royale for the chance at a sizable inheritance.
Dizzy with the prospect of billions, Mullory enters the game only to unearth the true prize––the illusionary magical properties of Xavier Stoutmire, a recluse without an heir. A recluse who was expected to keep his magic in the family, especially when there isn’t enough for each member. With a prize worth killing for, the game is simple: be the first to solve the mystery––who killed Xavier Stoutmire? One week full of lavish parties dripping with enchantments, in a mansion brimming with clues of the past, and everyone’s a suspect. To win, Mullory will need to untangle a twisted family web and decide who she can trust…
Whitaker Stoutmire, the golden boy who’s harboring deadly secrets?
Ellison Stoutmire, his closed off twin, who saw something she shouldn’t have?
Lyric Stoutmire the youngest sibling, exiled by the family and burning with resentment?
Or Mateo Cruz, the only other outsider whose reserved manner allows him to hide in the shadows… At least at first.
But most of all, Mullory must ask herself, why? Why her? A question most strange, indeed.
Why I’m Excited:
The trope of a “reclusive rich person makes a game for their fortune” is always going to suck me in. What I can say I’ve never seen before, though, is a protagonist named MULLORY. – Stephanie
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Title: The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting
Author: Natalie C. Parker
Publication Date: 2025 January 7
Official Blurb:
Tru has been hiding all her life. Her parents taught her to conceal her bastion Talent: indestructible skin, muscles, and bones. In a world where Talents are common and varied, no one trusts a bastion—they’re too powerful. Hiding failed to keep Tru’s parents alive, but moments before their murder, Tru’s mom pointed her to Logan Dire, a famed recluse assassin who adopted and trained orphaned Tru. At seventeen, she’s still hiding. Not even her closest friends know her true name or Talent, or that she’s balancing high school with knife and stealth training (while crushing on her BFF’s older sister). When assassins interrupt a mundane babysitting job booked through BountyApp—where lethal hunters find work and babysitters for their kids—Tru flees with a one-year-old strapped to her chest and spiraling questions: Who killed her parents? Whom can she trust? What does it mean to be a bastion? And is it ever OK to kiss a girl who’s trying to hunt you down? From an award-winning author comes a masterfully plotted thriller that holds character and relationship on a par with action and nail-biting suspense.
Why I’m Excited:
I really enjoyed the Seafire pirate adventure series from Parker, and this unique and fun-sounding story about an assassin babysitter sounds like it’ll be quite a romp. – Stephanie
Title: A Language of Dragons
Author: S.F. Williamson
Publication Date: 2025 January 7
Official Blurb:
London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.
At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?
An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.
Why I’m Excited:
This debut novel promises an intriguing reimagining of WWII, where the codebreakers at Bletchley Park are working to break the code of … dragon language. Yes, please! – Mandy C.
Title: Interabled: True Stories About Love and Disability from Squirmy & Grubs and Other Interabled Couples
Author: Shane Burcaw and Hannah Burcaw
Publication Date: 2025 January 14
Official Blurb:
YouTube sensations Shane and Hannah Burcaw are back with a groundbreaking, uproarious collection of essays and short stories about what it means to be in an interabled relationship.Follow the lives of several couples as they navigate their love story in an ableist world. Sometimes tear-jerking, sometimes funny, but always heartwarming, this moving collection comprised of interviews and short stories – with interludes from Shane and Hannah about their own dating and marriage journey – will have readers laughing and sobbing as they discover true stories of love and commitment.With their signature wit and hilarious voice, authors, bloggers, and entrepreneurs Shane and Hannah Burcaw have put together a true story collection of sweet and unforgettable love stories about interabled couples.
Why I’m Excited:
Shane Burcaw (who has severe physical disabilities due to spinal muscular atrophy) and his wife Hannah, interview other couples where one or both partners have a disability. I’m sure their humor will shine through here as in their previous book.
Title: The Queen’s Spade
Author: Sarah Raughley
Publication Date: 2025 January 14
Official Blurb:
In this riveting historical thriller that’s loosely inspired by true life events, The Count of Monte Cristo meets Bridgerton as revenge, romance, and twisted secrets take center stage in Victorian England’s royal court when Sally, a kidnapped African princess and goddaughter to Queen Victoria, plots her way to take down the monarchy that stole her from her homeland.
A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge . . .
The year is 1862, and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all else: revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial “humanitarianism,” which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.
Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle—even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once again: marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.
Loosely inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, The Queen’s Spade is a lush and riveting historical thriller perfect for fans of A Dowry of Blood and Grave Mercy.
Why I’m Excited:
REVENGE AGAINST THE BRITISH CROWN, FUCK YEAH. – Mandy W.
Title: Needy Little Things
Author: Channelle Desamours
Publication Date: 2025 February 4
Official Blurb:
Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than gift. This isn’t the first time one of her friends has landed on the missing persons list, and she’s determined not to let her become yet another forgotten Black girl.
Not trusting the police and media to do enough on their own, Sariyah and her friends work together to figure out what led to Deja’s disappearance. But when Sariyah’s mother loses her job and her little brother faces complications with his sickle cell disease, managing her time, money, and emotions seems impossible. Desperate, Sariyah decides to hustle her need-sensing ability for cash—a choice that may not only lead her to Deja, but put her in the same danger Deja found herself in.
Why I’m Excited:
The premise reminds me of the show Found (minus Mark-Paul Gosselaar in a basement). -Mandy W.
Title: Under the Same Stars
Author: Libba Bray
Publication Date: 2025 February 4
Official Blurb:
It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.
In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom’s Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.
In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are in the first weeks of COVID lockdown and hating Zoom school, when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.
Why I’m Excited:
There are so many books I never think of again, but there’s something to Libba Bray’s writing where random scenes will pop into my head years and years after I’ve read them. I’m so curious how this book will come together. – Stephanie
Title: All Shall Mourn (None Shall Sleep #3)
Author: Ellie Marney
Publication Date: 2025 February 5
Series: None Shall Sleep
Official Blurb:
Simon Gutmunsson is on the loose… Since the disastrous events of the College Killer case, the FBI is coming to terms with the fact that while catching one sociopath, they’ve released another. Chillingly manipulative, frighteningly intelligent, and wholly insane, Simon Gutmunsson is the worst of the worst. Now he’s free, and on the run with his twin sister Kristin, and nobody in the FBI is smart enough to keep up…
Travis Bell’s last investigation for FBI Behavioral Science nearly killed him. Supported by family and his partner Emma Lewis, now Travis just needs to get back on his feet. But Emma has been recruited to help the FBI hunt the ultimate sociopath, Simon Gutmunsson, and there’s no way Travis is letting her go into this battle alone…
Emma Lewis has gained some perspective on life, and as her emotional walls come down, she realizes that only by working as a perfect team will she and Travis have any chance of beating the Gutmunsson twins at their own terrifying game. So in a journey that will take them from Moroccan souks to Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, the stage is set for Simon and Kristin and Emma and Travis to meet up in an epic final showdown.
Why I’m Excited:
While I find is unbelievable that her publisher didn’t pick up this third and final book in the series, I am so grateful that Marney’s able to publish this on her own. I can’t wait to read what twisted business Emma, Travis, and Simon get up to! – Mandy C.
Title: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3)
Author: Heather Fawcett
Publication Date: 2025 February 11
Series: Emily Wilde
Official Blurb:
Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.
Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.
Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic-and Emily’s knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
Why I’m Excited:
I don’t want this to be the end, but I also want to see where Emily ends up! – Stephanie
Title: The Amber Owl (Heartwood #1)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publication Date: 2025 February 25
Official Blurb:
Stasya lives in an isolated farming village on the edge of the mysterious Heartwood Forest with her unusual dog for company. Thought odd by the locals, she is tolerated for her rare gift with animals. Engaging with her fellow humans is difficult, with one goatherd Lukas, who shares her love of storytelling.
The peace of Heartwood is shattered when a group of soldiers descends, under orders from the Ruler of the Northlands. Their to hack a path through the forest and find the fabled treasure said to lie deep within. Under the grueling decree, Stasya’s village falls into chaos. The task is clearly impossible. The forest is alive with bears and wolves, and the old tales speak of evil spirits, monsters and uncanny beings. Nobody has ever gone deep into Heartwood Forest and returned safe and well.
When Stasya raises her voice in protest she is removed from her beloved home and transported to court – a different world. Word of her special skills has reached the Ruler’s ears, and Lady Elisabeta has a job for her. But Stasya will not break her vow to protect the forest, even under the most appalling threat. Help comes from an unlikely quarter.
Secrets abound; dangers lie everywhere; and it is hard to tell friend from foe. As Stasya and her band of unlikely allies embark on a perilous mission, it becomes apparent that uncanny forces may indeed be involved. Maybe the old tales of the Hermit are true.
Why I’m Excited:
A new fantasy by Juliet Marillier??! Say no more! – Stephanie
Title: I Am Made of Death
Author: Kelly Andrew
Publication Date: 2025 March 4
Official Blurb:
Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother’s medical bills. When he’s offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas — the hearing child of a Deaf adult — jumps at the opportunity.
But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.
She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.
A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn’t said a word in years — not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.
Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn’t hers. It’s something with teeth.
Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She’s finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can’t afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he’s quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole.
Why I’m Excited:
The premise isn’t something I usually go for, but I’m also highly susceptible to a kickass cover. – Mandy W.
Title: Something Like Fate
Author: Amy Lea
Publication Date: 2025 March 1
Official Blurb:
For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One—the great loves of their lives—before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.
Until now.
When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.
Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.
Why I’m Excited:
This book was pitched to me as inspired by the rom-com Only You, which I LOVE, and, with all the rom-com retellings we’ve seen over the years, I’m frankly surprised this hasn’t already been done! – Stephanie
Title: Fable for the End of the World
Author: Ava Reid
Publication Date: 2025 March 4
Official Blurb:
By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.
Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.
Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.
When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.
For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.
As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.
And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.
Why I’m Excited:
Reid has become one of my go-to authors, and I’m really excited to see what she does with a dystopian world—and a sapphic romance between a taxidermist and an assassin. – Mandy C.
Title: Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle #3)
Author: Tracy Deonn
Publication Date: 2025 March 4
Series: Legendborn Cycle
Official Blurb:
Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.
But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.
Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them…or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.
As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.
Why I’m Excited:
I’ve been on Team Bree from the beginning of this series. Although I’m sorry to see the end, I’m really excited to see what happens. (And who Bree ends up with!) – Mandy C.
Seconded by Mandy W. and Stephanie
Title: Our Infinite Fates
Author: Laura Steven
Publication Date: 2025 March 4
Official Blurb:
They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.
Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.
The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:
1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.
Why I’m Excited:
Reincarnated star-crossed lovers! – Mandy W.
Title: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Publication Date: 2025 March 6
Official Blurb:
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guest’s shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.
When she learns about an old spell book that could hold the secret to restoring her power, she finds herself turning to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous and icy historian who might be the only person who can help her unlock the book’s mysteries. The fact that he also happens to be her one-night stand from years ago is totally irrelevant.
Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and trying not to fall in love is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone…and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.
Why I’m Excited:
Sangu’s debut was a feel-good, heartwarming witchy romance/slice-of-life that ended up blowing up (for good reason). I think I’m definitely going to need the cozy vibes of this new release by March. – Stephanie
Title: Go Luck Yourself (Royals and Romance #2)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publication Date: 2025 March 11
Series: Royals and Romance
Official Blurb:
Someone has been stealing Christmas’s joy, and there’s only one clue to the culprit—a single shamrock.
With Coal busy restructuring Christmas—and their dad now having a full midlife crisis in the Caribbean—Kris volunteers to investigate St. Patrick’s Day. His cover: an ambassador from Christmas to foster goodwill. What could go wrong?
Everything, it seems. Because Prince Lochlann Patrick, Crown Prince of St. Patrick’s Day, happens to be the mysterious student that Kris has been in a small war with at Cambridge. They attempt to play nice for the tabloids, but Kris can’t get through one conversation without wanting to smash Loch’s face in—he’s infuriating, stubborn, loud, obstinate, hot—
Wait—hot?
Kris might be in some trouble. Especially when it turns out that the mystery behind Christmas’s stolen magic isn’t as simple as an outright theft. But why would a Holiday that Christmas has never had contact with, one that’s always been the very basis of carefree, want to steal joy? Can a spare prince even hope to unravel all this, or will Kris lose something way more valuable than his Holiday’s resources—like his heart?
Why I’m Excited:
I had SO much fun reading the first book in this series—The Nightmare Before Kissmas—and I’m super excited to read Kris’s love story, too. (Iris better get a book someday, too, though!) – Mandy C.
Title: Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publication Date: 2025 March 18
Series: The Hunger Games
Official Blurb:
When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town.
As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Why I’m Excited:
Have I read the first prequel yet? No. Will I read and review it before this next one comes out? Questionable. Am I still here for the series that’s literally the reason I started writing for this site? CUSS YEAH I AM. – Mandy W.
Title: Holy Terrors (Little Thieves #3)
Author: Margaret Owen
Publication Date: 2025 April 1
Series: Little Thieves
Official Blurb:
It’s been nearly two years since Vanja brought down the cult she started, and she’s still paying the price. As the Pfennigeist, she bucks the law in order to help the desperate and haunt the corrupt all across the empire—and no matter what, she works alone.
But an impossible killer is tearing through royalty, and leaving Vanja’s signature red penny on every victim. Suddenly the Pfennigeist is no longer a folk hero but a nightmare. When even the Blessed Empress falls, the empire’s seven royal families must gather to elect her successor within a matter of weeks, or risk the collapse of reality itself… even though it puts every house in the killer’s sights.
Vanja tells herself she’s wading into the royalty’s vicious games only to save the name she made, and the loved ones also in jeopardy. But the Order of Prefects has also put their sharpest official on the case, the one who swore he’d always find Vanja—until she broke his heart. Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad may no longer be the boy Vanja knew, but they’ll have to work together one last time to have any chance of surviving the deadly catastrophe coming for them all.
With bloody conspiracy, sinister magic, and old adversaries closing in, it will take everything Vanja has to save not just the people she loves, but the future she’s fought for. In this thrilling final chapter of the Indie Next series Little Thieves, New York Times-bestselling author Margaret Owen shows us the pain and beauty of choosing which demons to face, and which to forgive.
Why I’m Excited:
Another series I’m dreading the end of; I’m really not looking to a continued case of TEABS for all of 2025. But I am looking forward to this book, which promises to be just as irreverent as its predecessors. – Mandy C.
Title: Meet Me at Blue Hour
Author: Sarah Suk
Publication Date: 2025 April 1
Official Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Yena Bae is spending the summer in Busan, South Korea, working at her mom’s memory-erasing clinic. She feels lost and disconnected from people, something she’s felt ever since her best friend, Lucas, moved away four years ago without a word, leaving her in limbo.
Eighteen-year-old Lucas Pak is also in Busan for the summer, visiting his grandpa, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. But he isn’t just here for a regular visit—he’s determined to get his beloved grandpa into the new study running at the clinic, a trial program seeking to restore lost memories.
When Yena runs into Lucas again, she’s shocked to see him and even more shocked to discover that he doesn’t remember a thing about her. He’s completely erased her from his memories, and she has no idea why.
As the two reconnect, they unravel the mystery and heartache of what happened between them all those years ago—and must now reckon with whether they can forge a new beginning together.
Why I’m Excited:
A second-chance romance, evocative soundscapes, and realistic immigrant family stories make for a charming read. -Regina Peters
Title: The Summer I Ate the Rich
Author: Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Publication Date: 2025 April 22
Official Blurb:
Brielle Petitfour loves to cook–but with a chronically sick mother and bills to pay, becoming a chef isn’t exactly a realistic career path. When her mom suddenly loses her job, Brielle steps in and uses her culinary skills to earn some extra money. The rich families who love her cooking praise her use of unique flavors and textures, which keep everyone guessing what’s in her dishes. The secret ingredient? Human flesh. Inspired by Haitian zombie lore, The Summer I Ate the Rich scrutinizes the socioeconomic and racial inequity that is the foundation of modern times.
Why I’m Excited:
The title sold it for me. If we eat just one, the rest will fall in line. – Brian
Seconded by Mandy W.
Title: The Corruption of Hollis Brown
Author: K. Ancrum
Publication Date: 2025 April 22
Official Blurb:
Hollis Brown is stuck. Born to a Blue-Collar American Dream, Hollis lives in a rotting small town where no one can afford to leave. Hollis’s only bright spots are his two best friends, cool girls Annie and Yulia, and the thrill of fighting his classmates.
As if his circumstances couldn’t get worse, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger named Walt results in a frightening trap. After unknowingly making a deal at the crossroads, Hollis finds himself losing control of his body and mind, falling victim to possession. Walt, the ghost making a home inside him, has a deep and violent history rooted in the town Hollis grew up in and he has unfinished business to take care of.
As Walt and Hollis begin working together to put Walt’s spirit to rest, an unspeakable bond forms between them, and the boys begin falling for one another in unexpected ways. But, it’s only a matter of time before Hollis’s best friends begin to notice that something about Hollis isn’t quite…right.
With the threat of a long overdue exorcism looming before them, will Walt and Hollis be able to protect their love and undo the curse that turned their town from a garden of possibility into a place where dreams go to die?
Why I’m Excited:
Each one of Ancrum’s books that I’ve read feels completely different than the one before—but none of them are lacking in powerful prose and fascinating plot. I’m sure this book will be great, too! – Mandy C.
Title: If We Were a Movie
Author: Zakiya N. Jamal
Publication Date: 2025 April 22
Official Blurb:
Rochelle “The Shell” Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle’s college application is missing that extra special something: a job.
When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances of getting into her dream school. There’s only one problem: Amira works there . . . and is also her boss.
Rochelle feels that being around Amira is its own kind of horror movie, but as the two begin working closely together, Rochelle starts to see Amira in a new light, one that may have her beginning to actually . . . like her?
But Horizon’s in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon’s chances of staying open slim, it’s up to the employees to solve the mystery before it’s too late. But will love also find its way into the spotlight?
Why I’m Excited:
Enemies to lovers romance while trying to save a struggling movie theatre sounds DELIGHTFUL. – Mandy W.
Title: Love at Second Sight
Author: F.T. Lukens
Publication Date: 2025 April 29
Official Blurb:
Tired of being known as the artsy oddball, fifteen-year-old Cam Reynolds hopes to fly under the radar when he changes high schools as a sophomore. It shouldn’t be too hard, considering he’s a human going to school with kids who have super-cool paranormal powers, like his best friend and witch, Al, and longtime werewolf crush, Miguel.
Then Cam has a psychic glimpse of the future in front of most of the student body, seeing a gruesomely murdered teen girl from the point of view of the killer. When Cam comes to, he knows two things: someone he goes to school with is a future murderer and his life is about to change. No longer a mere human but a clairvoyant, one of the rarest of supernatural beings, Cam finds himself at the center of attention for the first time.
As the most powerful supernatural factions in the city court Cam and his gift, he’ll have to work with his friends, both old and new, to figure out who he can trust. Because the clock is ticking, and Cam and his friends must identify the girl in the vision, find her potential killer, and prevent the murder from happening. Or the next murder Cam sees might be his own.
Why I’m Excited:
Lukens writes terrifically funny, swoony, and unique novels. This novel, featuring an MC with second sight, his best friend, a witch, and his crush, a werewolf, sounds like another success. – Mandy C.
Title: The Floating World (The Floating World #1)
Author: Axie Oh
Publication Date: 2025 May 13
Official Blurb:
Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.
Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.
Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn’t realize she’s the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined…
Why I’m Excited:
I loooved Axie Oh’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and while this storyline seems like one told many times before, I trust in her writing to make it fresh, shiny, and fun! – Stephanie
Seconded by Mandy W.
Title: You Started It
Author: Jackie Khalilieh
Publication Date: 2025 May 20
Official Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has big plans for Senior Year. She’s made a list of things and places in Toronto she and her boyfriend of three years, Ben Cameron, need to check off before graduating. And the biggest plan of all: a very special night for the two of them at the upcoming Winter Formal. But then Ben arrives back home after a summer away with an unthinkable announcement: he wants to break up.
And when Jamie discovers him with Olivia Chen the next day, she is determined to get him back. Even if that means fake dating the younger, curly-haired, TikTok dancer, Axel Dahini, whose bicycle she accidentally ran over.
Though she and Axel have nothing in common aside from their shared Arab heritage—she’s a messy, type A with anxiety, he’s carefree but meticulous—their forced time together brings them to better understand one another. And for Jamie, it just might mean learning that not all experiences or people need to be crossed off a list.
Why I’m Excited:
Not gonna lie: the Toronto bucket list has me intrigued (esp. how many I’ve done). -Mandy W.
Title: These Vengeful Gods
Author: Gabe Cole Novoa
Publication Date: 2025 May 27
Series:
Official Blurb:
Years ago, the descendants of the god of Death were murdered. The few that remain are in hiding, including Crow, a teen who survived the genocide and hides their magic to stay alive. After fleeing their village, Crow now lives with their uncles in the lowest part of the the Shallows.
Life in the Shallows is tough, but Crow’s even tougher. Hiding their magic has made Crow resourceful, cunning, and unbeatable — which comes in handy as a fighter in the city’s lucrative underground fighting ring.
Then, Crow’s uncles are arrested for harboring Deathchildren.
With fists tightly clenched, Crow vows to set their uncles free. But to do that, they’re going to need to enter a world that threatens Crow’s very existence. Carefully navigating the politics of the wealthy and powerful, they enter the Tournament of the Gods — a gladiator-style competition where the winner is granted a favor. As they battle their way towards the winner’s circle, Crow plans to ask the gods for their uncles’ freedom as their reward.
But in a city of gods and magic, you don’t ask for what you want.
You take it.
Why I’m Excited:
Gods! Gladiators! Gruesome (probably)!- Mandy W.
We’ll see you back here in June for Part 2!
