Book Recommendations: 25 of my favourite books - Part one
Here is part one of my 25 book recommendations blog series, including romance novels to historical fiction, for anyone who enjoys snuggling up with a good book.
I turned 25 last week, which means I'm officially at the age where I can say I'm having a quarter-life crisis. As a bibliophile, books and reading were a big part of my birthday. I received books as presents, took a bookish-themed quiz, and even had a birthday cake decorated with some of my favourite books.
On the morning of my birthday, I shared a post on my BookTok and Bookstagram accounts that marked Chapter 25 of my life. Included in the post were 25 book recommendations of books that I have loved reading this year.
I did a similar post for my 24th birthday in 2025, so I tried to recommend new books this year. Because I love recommending my favourite books, I thought I'd share these recommendations with my blog readers over the course of two blog posts.
So, if you're looking for a new book to read, or perhaps want to try a new genre, continue reading for the first half of my 25 book recommendations.
25 Book Recommendations - Part One
If We Were Villains
Genre: Dark Academia
Author: M.L. Rio
Synopsis: "Oliver Marks has just served ten years for the murder of one of his closest friends – a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened ten years ago.
"As a young actor studying Shakespeare at an elite arts conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same roles onstage and off – villain, hero, tyrant, temptress – though Oliver felt doomed to always be a secondary character in someone else's story. But when the teachers change up the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into life.
"When tragedy strikes, one of the seven friends is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless."
My Thoughts: I read If We Were Villains for my university studies, but it fast became one of my all-time favourite novels. It is so intriguing; I loved M.L. Rio's writing style and just found myself so consumed with the characters and their stories.
Escape Me
Genre: YA Dystopian
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Synopsis: "James Anderson needs a new plan. He’s ready to make real moves to destroy the looming threats against their world, but no one is taking him seriously. James is tired of being underestimated by his own family. He wants five uninterrupted minutes alone with Rosabelle. He wants to kill Sebastian. And he’s done waiting for permission.
"Rosabelle Wolff needs to stick to the plan. Which means she needs to stay away from James and the dangerous feelings he brings out in her. When she’s near him she loses control, and she’ll need absolute control if she has any hope of convincing Sebastian―and through him, Klaus―that she’s still carrying out the original plan to destroy the rebel regime. In the meantime, Warner needs to stay out of her business.
"Aaron Warner Anderson is trying not to kill Rosabelle. They might be reluctant allies, but that doesn’t mean they get along. Every day is a new kind of hell for Warner. He’s worried about his wife; he’s worried about his world. He can’t decide what to do about James until he understands Rosabelle’s true motives―and when he’s finally delivered the answers he needs, the stakes prove astronomical. All roads lead to heartbreak and destruction, no matter what choice he makes."
My Thoughts: The Shatter Me series is one of my favourite series that I will never stop recommending, and Escape Me is book three in the spin-off. I read this in under 24 hours and absolutely loved everything about it.
Heavenly Bodies
Genre: Fantasy
Author: Imani Erriu
Synopsis: "In a world ruled by the Stars, cruel and merciless gods, Elara has been cursed by fate.
A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.
Yet when the Star of Wrath and War descends to hunt Elara, the neighbouring kingdom sees an opportunity to take her from her home, the Kingdom of Night, to Helios, Kingdom of Light. Where she strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince. There, Elara is forced to either let Prince Lorenzo train her into a weapon worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars, or to accept her fate.
But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light – and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins. And with it all, the undeniable, star-crossed pull between them…"
My Thoughts: Heavenly Bodies was one of the first fantasy novels I read this year and I'm so glad I picked it up. The concept and worldbuilding is brilliant and I loved the romantic plot, which ended on a cliffhanger. I will definitely be reading book two, Fallen Stars, soon!
Shield of Sparrows
Genre: Romantasy
Author: Devney Perry
Synopsis: "I’ve spent my life kneeling to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king. I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.
"But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.
"Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know. Everyone wants me to be something I’m not a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?
"And what if for the first time I reached for it?"
My Thoughts: Initially, I was wary of reading Shield of Sparrows because I'd heard such good things about it, I worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. However, I am so glad I did read it because I became obsessed with the novel and went to buy book two straight after finishing it.
Mate
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Synopsis: "Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left - if he'll have her.
"As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn't matter if Serena doesn't reciprocate his feelings; nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.
"But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her - and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation..."
My Thoughts: I love Ali Hazelwood as an author, but before reading Mate (and its prequel, Bride), I had only read Ali's STEM romances. But I really enjoyed reading Mate because it was unlike other books I'd read and was just so full of banter, which made for a fun reading experience.
Great Big Beautiful Life
Genre: Romance/Contemporary Fiction
Author: Emily Henry
Synopsis: "When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island to write her life story, Alice knows this is it: her big break.
"The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, has been invited there for the exact same reason.
"The proposal? A one-month trial period, after which Margaret will choose who will get to tell her story and unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century.
"But Margaret isn’t telling them everything, only giving each of them pieces of a past filled with scandal, wealth and heartbreak. 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. But the truth about Margaret Ives is only part of the story."
My Thoughts: I had high hopes about Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry before reading it. I love EmHen's novels, and the same can be said for GBBL because I read it on holiday in Granada, loved it and cried in a Spanish café at the end.
Love Wells Kept
Genre: Western Romance
Author: Bailey Hannah
Synopsis: "Jackson and Kate have been happily married for over ten years and live a beautifully chaotic life raising two young children on Wells Ranch. But when Jackson sustains a severe head injury that sends him into a coma, years of his memory are gone by the time he wakes. Doctors are confident it will return with time, but Jackson feels like a stranger in his own life. How can he have a wife and children but not know them?
"Kate tries to remain strong for her family, but she secretly mourns the loss of the man she knew and fears he may never return. She leans on her Wells Ranch family, who she needs now more than ever. It's scary and difficult, but she won't give up on Jackson and their love, no matter how long it takes.
"Despite early struggles, Kate and Jackson share tender moments that stir something in Jackson, even though he doesn't fully understand it. As more time passes, bits and pieces of Jackson's memories return, and he starts slowly rediscovering his instincts as a husband and dad. And though Jackson and Kate's love story may need a rewrite, they'll come to discover this new chapter might just be stronger than all the ones that came before."
My Thoughts: Love Wells Kept was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026, and it did not disappoint. It's the final book in the Wells Ranch series, and it was great to go back to that fictional town and experience the emotional rollercoaster of the fifth book.
And Now, Back To You
Genre: Romance
Author: B.K. Borison
Synopsis: "Jackson Clark likes life neat, predictable, and preferably viewed from the comfort of his radio booth. Delilah Stewart prefers hers wild, spontaneous, and preferably in the eye of the storm, out in the field.
"For years, the two have clashed like thunder and lightning - until they’re partnered against their will to cover the snowstorm of the century. Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal. If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side.
"But, when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah weather the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains, stay in the mountains?"
My Thoughts: And Now, Back To You is the second novel in the Heartstrings series, and it's inspired by the Nora Ephron classic, When Harry Met Sally. I found myself laughing, smiling and kicking my feet the entire way through this book, which is a sign of a great romance.
Into the Fading Twilight
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Catherine Cowles
Synopsis: "After a year in captivity, Nova Monroe is back in Starlight Grove—but she’s not the same woman who vanished. She lives on the edge, chases adrenaline, and refuses to be caged again. Cliff diving. Mountain biking. Anything to feel alive and outrun the memories clawing at her.
But the single dad with shadows of his own won’t let her face it alone. Especially when she finds herself needing a place to stay.
"Kol Archer has made it his mission to protect her. As a Forest Service investigator, he’s no stranger to rugged terrain or battling for control. But nothing prepared him for Nova—her fire, her fight, the way she makes him feel something he thought was lost.
"The closer they get, the more dangerous things become. Someone doesn’t want Nova to move on. And Kol is determined to stop them—no matter the cost.
"Because for the first time in forever, Nova’s not just surviving. She’s learning how to live, how to trust, and reminding Kol he can, too. But as darkness looms, the truth could destroy them both…"
My Thoughts: I'm obsessed with the romantic suspense genre at the moment, and specifically, books that Catherine Cowles has written. Into the Fading Twilight blends Criminal Minds with romance and it's perfect for fans of romance novels but also thrillers.
The Rebel Witch
Genre: Romantasy
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Synopsis: "Rune Winters is on the run from the republic who condemned her and the boy who betrayed her. Her friends, her home, and the life she knew are lost.
"An ocean away, her only ally is the unlikeliest one: Cressida Roseblood, the deposed witch queen intent on taking back what she thinks hers – the crown, the country, and Gideon Sharpe with it.
Gideon will not allow the terrors of his past to rise again, even if this means hunting down every last witch. But there is only one witch who holds the key to Cressida’s return…and Gideon’s heart.
"And he will stop at nothing to find her. Rune Winters will meet her end. Even if it ends him too."
My Thoughts: It took me a while to get round to reading The Rebel Witch, book two in the Crimson Moth duology. Having now read it, I wish I didn't wait so long to pick it up because it was the perfect continuation of book one and I loved the enemies-to-lovers aspect.
Winter Garden
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Kristin Hannah
Synopsis: "Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her family and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and travelled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But these two estranged women come together at their father’s deathbed standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, to hear the one last promise he extracts from the women in his life.
"It begins with a story like no other. A captivating, mysterious love story that spans sixty-five years and moves from war torn Leningrad in the 1940s to modern-day Alaska. The three women are brought together by a story so unexpected and extraordinary that when Meredith and Nina finally learn the secret of their mother’s past and uncover a truth so terrible, it will shake the very foundation of the family and who they think they are.
My Thoughts: Kristin Hannah is an incredible storyteller; her historical fiction books are some of my favourite to read. However, Winter Garden might just be one of the best I've read. I found this novel so gripping, terrifying, and fascinating. I cried so much towards the end, but loved every second of the reading experience.
All Together for Christmas
Genre: Festive Romance/Family Drama
Author: Sarah Morgan
Synopsis: "Becky is stranded at the airport, so when she bumps into her brother’s best friend, Will, and he suggests they drive home together, Becky reluctantly agrees. For the first time, Becky is dreading Christmas, and only Will knows why. Can she trust him to keep her secret?
"Rosie married Declan after a whirlwind romance, and now the cracks are starting to appear. Rosie and Declan have agreed to hide their problems from her family, but will this Christmas bring them closer or drive them apart?
"Hayley can’t wait for her first Balfour family Christmas with Jamie, but she’s worried about her place in this close-knit family. Will there be room for her too? And how will they react to the secret she and Jamie have been keeping?
"All this secrecy could derail everyone's happy holidays. Can the siblings open up to each other in time to enjoy a perfect family Christmas?"
My Thoughts: If you know me, you know that Sarah Morgan's Christmas books are some of my all-time favourites. I have read almost all of her work, but All Together For Christmas is one I will forever recommend because it was so heartwarming and emotional that you just can't help but relate to it.
These 12 books are some of my favourite ones that I've read in the past year. However, there are still more book recommendations to come, so if you want to know what other books I'll be recommending, come back in a couple of weeks to find out.
Until next time...
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