Happy Tuesday, y’all! This week, Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl set today’s topic as a Love freebie in honor of Valentine’s Day later this week. I decided to stick with my 2025 highlights and share my twelve favorite romances read in 2025. Some of the books may have been released in 2025, but several are older.
To make it hard on myself, I am sharing only one book per author. I’ll share these in the order I read them. All were at least a 4-star read for me. All titles are linked to Goodreads.
Without further ado, here are my twelve favorite romances I read in 2025.
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: November 2024
- Tropes: workplace, enemies to lovers, age gap
Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Time Loops
- Release Date: May 2025
- Tropes: meet cutes, grumpy/sunshine
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: July 2019
- Tropes: One Night Stand, Secret Dating, Enemies to Lovers
You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh
- Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: May 2025
- Tropes: Fake Dating
The Ripple Effect by Maggie North
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: June 2025
- Tropes: Fake Dating, Grumpy/Sunshine, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity
Back in the Burbs by Tracy Wolff & Avery Flynn
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: March 2021
- Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: April 2022
- Tropes: Long Distance Dating, Grumpy/Sunshine, City Girl/Country Boy, Age Gap
Honey and Heat by Aurora Palit
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: September 2025
- Tropes: One Night Stand, Enemies-to-Lovers, Secret Dating
You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Christmas, Sports
- Release Date: September 2025
- Tropes: One Night Stand, Small Town, Grumpy/Sunshine
Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary
- Release Date: November 2025
- Tropes: Second Chance, Workplace, Forced Proximity
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Hanukkah
- Release Date: September 2021
- Tropes: Second Chance
Yours for the Season by Uzma Jalaluddin
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Christmas, Multicultural
- Release Date: December 2025
- Tropes: Fake Dating, Nosy Families
And that’s my twelve favorite romances read in 2025. Have you read any of these? What were some of your favorite romances you read in 2025? Do you need a gift for the special bookworm in your life? Check out the love coupons for bookworms I made by clicking here.
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my other bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
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I haven’t read any of these but they look good
Thanks for sharing your #TTT
I’ve read five of these and enjoyed them, Pam. I usually enjoy the same books as you, so that means, I have some new additions to my TBR shelf.
These all sound super cute.
So fun! I still need to read You Started It. I think my favorite romance that I read in 2025 (although not published in 2025) was Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. I love her books!
Here is my TTT: https://thissideofstoryland.blogspot.com/2026/02/top-ten-tuesday-guess-romantic-quote.html
Great list! Some of these are on my TBR and I’m particularly excited to try Yours For the Season, Part of Your World, The Ripple Effect and Time Loops & Meet Cutes. 😍
That first one brings to mind the lyrics of “Leader of the Pack”…XD
You’re so right, it does!
several of these look super cute! I’m glad you loved them 🙂
Nice selection of romances. I read The Matzah Ball and enjoyed it. I haven’t read Abby Jimenez yet, but her books are on my wish list.
I haven’t read any of these yet, but they all sound amazing! I’ve been meaning to read Part of Your World for a while, hopefully 2026 will be the year 🙂
It’s always good to heaps of romances I haven’t read. I did enjoy Yours for the Season and would read anything by this author. Abby Jimenez of course has become a top favourite with me.
Fun that you were able to narrow it down to 12! Happy Tuesday!
Not my genre at all but they do have cute covers!
I just read and enjoyed Time Loops & Meet Cutes this week!
These books all look wonderful. I’ve heard only good things about The Matzah Ball. I’m glad you loved all these books. 😊
Time loops and meet cutes has such a good cover!
I love the title “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” Joe Jackson’s song immediately pops in my head
I rarely read romance, but I actually have read THE MATZAH BALL. It was cute.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
The Matzah Ball was such a fun read.
Nice! I don’t read romance, but I always enjoy the colorful covers. Bravo on your cute banner as well
I haven’t read any of these, but they all look pretty fun! My favorite romance-centric books in 2025 were Shadows of the Valley by Britt Howard and A Run at Love by Toni Shiloh 🙂
I’ve read my fair share of romances last year, but none of them are these 🙂
Hoping to read and enjoy Sophie’s and Jackie’s book looks all kinds of darling! 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my list today.
Looks like a wonderful collection of romances . The only one I’ve read is Yours for the Season.
Haven’t heard of most of these, so will have to investigate and add some to the TBR. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful list! I haven’t read any of these, but Time Loops & Meet Cutes is on my TBR.
Such great choices! I’ve read a few, and I see a few others on my TBR (especially the Jackie Lau book, which I really need to track down at the library). Fun list!
I read so little contemporary romance, so I haven’t actually read any of these! If you had to recommend just one, which would you pick?
Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens is more of a contemporary with a romantic plot. And I feel like you can’t go wrong with Abby Jimenez, her books feel more like slice of life reads with realistic characters.
I definetly need to check out the Jackie Lau book! I love a time loop story. 🙂
Good to know that these were your favorites! I’m always looking out for new romance recs and these look good, thank you!
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
I don’t know any of these, but I love some of those cover designs! Time Loops & Meet Cutes sounds fun, particularly, I might have to give it a shot.
These look good. Some great covers there too!
Have a great week!
I love Abby Jimenez! I have several of these other ones on my TBR too. Great list!
I haven’t read any of these but I really love the covers for The Ripple Effect and Secret Nights & Northern Lights! Going to have to see if I can track them down.
I really like the cover on Secret Nights and the Northern Lights.
Such great choices, Pam. Is She Really Going Out with Him? is a song by Joe Jackson, and I can only sing the title of You Make It Feel Like Christmas. Thanks for sharing.