Here’s all the books I’ve been loving the last two months!
It was all about the holiday books these last few weeks – those are some of my favorite cozy reads of the season. And I will still read some into January too. Overall I read a bunch of great ones.
I do have a book of the month membership – I love it so much. I read SO many books from this box. I get so many of my new releases and debut author books there. You can sign up for one here.
Most of these books are linked through bookshop (if available!) and I highly suggest shopping through there because it will support your local indie bookstore. You can choose the local bookstore to support! I support Penguin Books when I buy which is my fave here in Pittsburgh.
Okay, keep me posted on what you’re reading below!
WHAT I READ IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2025
An Academic Affair – 4.5 stars
Oh how I loved this one! It was such a good story and full of tropes that I love. Here, we follow two people who have been academic rivals forever! There is fake dating, so much tension, a ton of of witty banter – all things I love in a story. It moved pretty quickly and I didn’t want it to end!
59 Minutes – 4 stars
This was in my book of the month box and normally I don’t think I would have read it, but I’m so glad I did. I needed a thriller and this was different – not murdery or anything. The premise of this book is a nuclear attack hitting england and the characters only having 59 minutes to figure out how to survive. It felt super real and suspenseful. I definitely recommend it. Loved the characters in this one.
Good Spirits – 4.5 stars
LOVE this author’s books and this was so cute. I am usually not a paranormal fan but in this book we’re talking about the ghost of christmas past and and how he haunts. It is so good! I loved it so much more than I expected and it was perfect for a cozy read in the holiday season.
Where He Left Me – 3 stars
Bouncing back to another thriller! I knew I wanted to get through one more once I read alllll christmas books. This was another book of the month for me. The story follows a wife whose husband goes missing and she is left alone in a house where he grew up. I liked the mountain setting but it moved just a little slow for me.
Before I Forget – 4.5 stars
This was soooo wonderful. I was initially afraid this would be a hard read for me. The story follows a daughter who decides to care for her father with alzheimer’s – moving back in and repairing their relationship. This is so heartwarming, heart breaking and incredible. The characters are so wonderful and the ending is just lovely.
Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal – 3 stars
Ah! This was a hard one for me. I read last year’s version of the book which was a funny take on the grinch. This one threw every possible line/plot from Home Alone into the book that it could. It takes place after the first book, but it could be stand alone. The characters are cute and it’s an enemies to lovers story, but the constant references to the movie were a little too cringe for me. And I love Home Alone everything!
Merry Little Kissmas – 4.5 stars
Another cute one! I love a good holiday book. In this story, our female main character tries to find a date for her brother’s best friend to the hockey gala (haha). Enter fake dating, grump/sunshine and so much christmas fun. It’s adorable and was a little deeper than a quick little romance read. Loved it.
Sleighbells and Snowstorms – 4 stars.
Also loved this one. It is SO christmasy and cozy and fun, with a little bit of crime thrown in. Our main male character is looking to catch a jewel thief and finds love where he least expects it. There is forced proximity, great tension and it’s so cute. Apparently there are other books with these characters and set in this town, but this was the first I’ve read and it was great.
Cowboy Casual – 3.5 stars
This was cute! I read a few different cowboy/ranch romances last year and they all seem sort of similar – but I don’t mind. A little predictable, fun and light. This one follows a couple who reunite when one of them moves back to the hometown (and one never left). I love a second chance romance (my fave trope!) so I enjoyed it.
Heated Rivalry
I feel like I can’t even give these fair ratings because I am *so* obsessed with the tv show. It’s one instance where I’m glad I read the books after the show, because I love the actors in the show so much so I could picture them! There is a whole series of these books based on gay hockey romance – and this one follows two rivals who are drafted during the same year. It almost spans ten years of their life and it’s so good.
The Long Game
This is the follow up to Heated Rivalry and I loved it just as much, again for the same reasons! I have to say that I’m not sure I would have loved these books as much as I do without watching the show. I think they would’ve just been a cute quick little romance read. But the show gives them so much more depth and the books gives the show the background you need. I highly suggest both!!
