Favourite new release novels of 2025

It’s that time of the year I know most authors HATE… when no-name bloggers, bookstagrammers and BookTokkers like yours truly share their favourite books of the year. Taste (in anything… food, wine, books) is such a subjective and arbitrary thing that anyone’s opinion is kinda redundant… even if you consistently find commonalities. However I’m going there nonetheless 🙄 and sharing my favourite new release novels of 2025.

Regular readers of my annual lists will recall I’m not an ‘every child wins a prize’ type of person. I rate books harshly (dishing out only two 5-star reviews this year) and am ruthless in culling this list to a handful or less. In fact my favourite new release novels of 2025 is akin to 2019 and 2022 and only features THREE FOUR books, though obviously I read many good books (3-star and above) this year, and you can find books I’ve reviewed referenced by rating here.

The three four standout books I’m featuring are very different and I loved them for different reasons. (The link to my full review is in the title.)

Tenderfoot by Toni Jordan

Toni Jordan is one of my favourite Aussie authors and I’m looking forward to her debut novel Addition hitting our screens in the near future. I loved Tenderfoot for so many reasons. It’s beautifully written for a start. I adored young Andie our narrator, who we meet at a pivotal moment in her life. It’s set in a Brisbane suburb I once lived (in) and know well, features betting agencies (ie. TAB where my own mother worked for decades), and unfolds in the 1970s when I too watched Countdown on a Sunday night and played ‘elastics’ with friends. 5 stars

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

This is very literally an action-packed ride and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It’s set in the mid 70s and features a couple taking a roadtrip in their new swanky RV. Early in the trip they come across a young couple who are unprepared for hitchhiking so offer them a ride… which they come to regret A LOT. In my review I talk about a rollercoaster of emotions, from anger and frustration to fear and disappointment. Stevens paces this brilliantly and though this is all about the narrative and unpredictability of what could come next, she also dips into deeper topics of family and relationships, loss and grief. 5 stars

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

I adore Backman’s writing and sense of humour. His storytelling ability is extraordinary and he manages to give us likeable unlikeable characters (think: Ove and Britt-Marie). This unfolds in the present but also journeys back twenty-five years when a renowned artist painted three young boys into the background of a painting. In the present 18 year old Louisa is determined to learn their story. Backman creates two very different characters in Louisa and former-teacher Ted, but here he reflects on the formation of lifelong friendships – that union of kindred spirits… ‘your best humans’ and the aftermath of their loss. Incidentally, this is one of the most visited reviews on my website (along with Boy Swallows Universe and almost anything by David Baldacci!) 4.5 stars

Don’t Let Him in by Lisa Jewell (a late addition)

I bought and downloaded a copy of this in the Christmas / New Year period so belatedly adding it because I loved it. Like Stevens’ The Hitchhikers, this is a page-turning read. Our narrators are the daughter of a woman recently widowed who’s suspicious of a man who’s pursuing her mother; and another whose husband keeps disappearing without explanation. The plotlines don’t seem to be related, until we realise they are. I very much loved the way this plays out. It’s ultimately satisfying and when we think we know everything Jewell throws in some more twists. 4.5 stars

Given (Goodreads tells me) I’ve read 1058 books this year (so far) I’ve done well to narrow my favourite new releases down to just three four! **Edited on 30 December 2025**