Most Anticipated Novels of Early 2025
New Books from Hot Authors You Won’t Want to Miss
I remember as a kid feeling like there’s so much build-up to the winter holidays and then — whoomph, they’re done, leaving this kind of dolldrums vacuum in their wake. Thankfully, this is not the case for me now because once that new year hits, I’m immediately turning my attention to my favorite authors and looking to see what they may have coming out soon.
Honestly, it’s like Christmas all over again, especially in 2025 where there seems to be a lengthy list of potential hits coming from many tried-and-true authors. I’ve rounded up all the books that have me most excited, in this list of the most anticipated novels in early 2025. Many libraries let you place holds in advance, so use this list to get an early spot in line now!
A Sea of Unspoken Things
— by Adrienne Young
— Publishing January 7, 2025
Fans of Adrienne Young will find all the things she does best in this book — a strong female lead character, James, returns to her hometown following the untimely death of her twin.
While the incident was declared an accident, James and their mutual friend Micah are less sure. The pair begin to dig up old truths, digging up their failed romance in the process.
Young is a master at creating atmospheric novels, and this was no exception. This was an entertaining and enjoyable read for me — four stars overall! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Heart of Winter
— by Jonathan Evison
— Publishing January 7, 2025
If you want to read the perfect love story, give this one a try — not because it will give you the sugary sweet high of a Hallmark love, but because it perfectly illustrates the realistic rollercoaster of a deep-lasting commitment. This book cuts deep — bring the Kleenex — but you'll be left cheering for the characters’ relationship as if it were your own.
Abe and Ruth have been together since college. Now, after 70 years of marriage together, Ruth falls ill. With everything he loves at risk, Abe must learn how to care for Ruth and protect the life they have built in ways he never has before. Five stars — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Stolen Queen
— by Fiona Davis — Publishing January 7, 2025
This dual timeline novel shows two sides of main character Charlotte Cross, first in 1936 when she is an archaeology student in Egypt and later in 1978, as curator of Egyptian art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
When a disturbingly familiar artifact comes across her path, then goes missing, Charlotte gets drawn back to Egypt, a place she swore she would never return to. Charlotte has a deeply tragic past that she’s kept hidden in her new life, but everything she worked hard to escape is rushing to the surface.
While this wasn’t quite a five-star read for me, it was nonetheless compelling, immersive, and well worth the read!
Death of the Author
— by Nnedi Okorafor — Publishing January 14, 2025
Nnedi Okorafor has earned herself a solid reputation with books that weave together mind-bending speculative sci-fi and a heavy dose of cultural tradition, so I’m excited to pick up this novel — though this gorgeous cover alone would be enough to draw me in!
Following the loss of her job and rejection of her novel, the main character, Zelu, decides to write a novel like no other written before, a book about androids and artificial intelligence in a world following the extinction of humanity. The fallout from writing this unique book is something the author — and the world — couldn’t possibly predict.
The Queens of Crime
— by Marie Benedict — Publishing February 11, 2025
Marie Benedict delivers again, and this may just be my favorite novel of hers to date! Intrigue, female empowerment, and justice mix with remarkable character development to create her latest historical fiction, The Queens of Crime. The novel is centered around author Dorothy L. Sayers, who bands together with four other famous female crime writers to solve a real-life mystery. When a woman is found strangled in a local park, the police are quick to dismiss the case. The five detectives decide they’ll get to the bottom of the murder and build up their credibility in a man’s world in the process. Another five-star read for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Quiet Librarian
— by Allen Eskens — Publishing February 18, 2025
After the murder of her best friend, Hana is swept into a search for answers, leading her back to the dark secrets they shared during the Bosnian War.
Hana was once Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of Bosnia — where Serbian soldiers slaughtered her entire family. This thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend — the deadly Night Mora. Now, it seems someone is out for revenge.
Allen Eskens is the award-winning author of The Life We Bury. Here, he’s crafted another winning novel, “about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love.”
You Killed Me First
— by John
Marks
— Publishing February 18, 2025
John Marrs has graced us with many impactful books, including The Passengers and The One, and he’s back this year with a standalone novel, You Killed Me First.
The novel focuses on the dynamics between three women — Margot, Anna, and Liv — and the flimsy friendship they nurture with each other under false pretenses. Each brings her own secrets to the relationship, which fester and build tension, culminating in the moment where the book begins: bound and gagged, a woman awakes, trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. How did she get here, and how will she get out?
Early reviews for this book are looking strong!
Kills Well With Others
— by Deanna Rayburn — Publishing March 11, 2025
Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age surprised me in all the best ways — delivering a gritty book of murder, espionage, and female empowerment — so I’m eagerly in line to read book two in this series, Kills Well With Others.
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. Together, the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out their organization’s mole and hunting down a gangster and assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before. It will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.
A Map to Paradise
— by Susan Meissner — Publishing March 18, 2025
Those who like slow-paced, character-driven stories with a light side of intrigue, A Map to Paradise is for you. Acclaimed author Susan Meissner is back, this time with a historical fiction novel centered around the communist Red Scare in Hollywood during the 1950s.
Melanie is a rising star in Hollywood when she suddenly finds herself unfairly accused of being a communist sympathizer. Tucked away from the public eye, Melanie's only company is her hired domestic helper Eva, and her agoraphoric neighbor Elwood. When Melanie and Eva find Elwood's sister June digging in the garden before dawn, they become concerned for Elwood's wellbeing. Is Elwood sinking deeper into agoraphobia, or did something nefarious happen?
The Story She Left Behind — by Patti Calahan Henry
— Publishing March 18, 2025
Callahan Henry’s The Secret Book of Flora Lea was nothing short of magical, so I’m excited to see that early reviews of The Story She Left Behind suggest another knock-out hit on its way. Inspired by a true literary mystery, this promises to be a “sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.”
The book alternates between 1927, when a renowned author disappears, and 1952, when the daughter she left behind is now a mother herself. When approached by a man who promises to unlock the secret of her mother’s disappearance, she sets everything aside — and at risk — to discover the truth.