For NetGalley members, it’s never too early to start planning next year’s TBR. To lend you a hand, we’ve rounded up highly-anticipated books across an array of genres that are hitting shelves in 2025. Many are even available for request on NetGalley and to read in the NetGalley Shelf app!
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
Bestselling author Cate Kay has a secret and she’s finally ready to unveil it—even if it means returning home to confront her past, the identities she’s taken on before, and the tragedy that changed her life.
Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria
Beloved romance author Alexis Daria returns next year with the story of a divorced school teacher who wanted some no-strings fun and the hotelier who knows that their connection deserves more than just one night together.
The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li
Vivian Yin’s estate may be in decay but that doesn’t stop two families from trying to claim it. When they both move in, strange and mysterious things begin to happen and Vivian’s daughters fear that something terrible has awoken there.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
V. E. Schwab lovingly referred to this as her “toxic lesbian vampires book” and a “spiritual successor to [The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue]” in our last interview, which is all we needed to hear to request it!
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
A bookstore provides sanctuary in this young adult debut. Liz has been hiding in a New Jersey bookstore since a storm decimated civilization. The last thing she expects is company in the form of out-of-towner Maeve.
A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander
In this trans Regency romance, Lord Christopher Eden reluctantly is on the hunt for a wife in the hopes of fulfilling the terms of his father’s will to keep his estate. It would be an easier task if he could stop thinking about James Harding, his new valet.
Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
Travel back to 1919 to meet Jessie Redmon Fauset, the woman at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, as she discovers greats like Langston Hughes, makes a name for herself, and gets entangled with W. E. B. Du Bois.
Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon
Ojibwe sleuth Cash Blackbear returns next year and this time she is racing against the clock to find a killer and save a young Native girl from entering the foster system after the murder of her father.
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman
Isaac Fellman takes readers on a journey of hurt, healing, and trans self-discovery through the eyes of Griffon Keming, who looks into the lives of his late adoptive parents via a journal left behind.
If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal
Rochelle Coleman needs a job to top off her college applications and she’s willing to do anything to make that happen—even if it means working underneath her academic nemesis Amira, at a historic Black-owned movie theater.
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
Patti Callahan Henry draws inspiration from a real literary mystery to tell the story of an author’s sudden disappearance in 1927 and her daughter’s decades-long search for answers that leads her to London in 1952.
Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen
The Hua family curse is something Chryssy never believed in. But after countless breakups, her lack of a love life seems to be proof that it’s real. Could a run-in with famed cellist Vin Chao change everything?
Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars
After London drag queen Lady Lady is found dead in her dressing room—the victim of a poisoned box of chocolates—her drag daughter Misty Divine steps up to crack the case before the killer strikes again.
Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill
Cozy fantasy fans, get ready to travel to a world of fae and magic. When a witch is cast into her lake, Jenny Greenteeth (local legend and lake-dwelling monster) decides to save her and team up against the evil that threatens them both.
We Are Villains by Kacen Callender
Head back to school in 2025 with this dark academia YA novel. Milo and Liam become unlikely allies at Yates Academy when they each set out to find out the truth behind the death of a fellow student.
The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley
Historical fiction with a sprinkling of magic is in store for readers who pick up this 1613-set novel about a messenger for the King gifted with second sight and sent to convict an innocent man of murder.
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
Readers looking for rompy, sexy, fun will not want to miss out on Kimberly Lemming’s latest romance. Aspiring biologist Dorothy ends up trapped on an alien planet and needs to team up with a lion, a war criminal, and a hot alien to survive.
Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi
Obsession and love combine in this work of psychological suspense. Claire’s perfect future is ruined when she’s ghosted by her fiancé after learning that he’d been leading a double life. But Claire won’t go down without a fight.
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
Makana Yamamoto’s sci-fi debut is a heist novel that targets a tech trillionaire. After eight years on an icy prison planet, Edie is done with crime. But then Angel shows up and needs Edie’s help for one last job.
No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally
In this young adult thriller, a teenager’s drive home turns into a nightmare. After celebrating at a bonfire with her classmates, Brooke realizes she’s being followed home and fears it’s someone who knows her connection to “the incident.”
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
The lines between codependent friends blur in this novel about humanity and possession, where cutting-edge technology allows Enka, a struggling artist, to inhabit the mind of Mathilde, an artist on the rise.
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod
Set four years after Pride and Prejudice, this sapphic romance explores what happens when Mr. Collins dies and a newly widowed Charlotte Lucas finds support, friendship, and more in the arms of Mary Bennet.
A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin
Reality TV star Maya assumed her life would be glamorous after marrying into the aristocratic Sterling family. But when an heiress is killed and the family goes into lockdown, Maya worries about the secrets they may be hiding.
And They Were Roommates by Page Powars
Teens get a second chance at love in this YA novel. Before he transitioned, Charlie had his heart broken by Jasper. But now that they’re roommates, and Jasper doesn’t seem to remember him, Charlie realizes they can start over.
Isaac’s Song by Daniel Black
Amidst the AIDS crisis and the attack on Rodney King, Isaac, a queer Black man in 1980s Chicago, is struggling to embrace his identity. It’s only through writing his own story that he begins to understand himself and his family more.
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
Historical fantasy and romance combine in this 1910s New York City-set debut where Benny, a Boricua blacksmith, begins to fall in love with Río, the merman he unknowingly built a cage for, and must find a way to free him.
We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin
Conspiracy theorists terrorize a family in this psychological suspense. A mother must fight to protect her daughter when a group targets them, believing the young adult novel she wrote predicts the apocalypse.
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
For those lucky enough to find it, there’s a pawnshop in Tokyo where you can sell your regrets. When it’s broken into and her father goes missing, the owner teams up with a physicist to find him and what’s been taken.
Capitana by Cassandra James
Cassandra James kicks off a new YA fantasy duology next year. Ximena Reale dreams of becoming a Cazadores, a pirate hunter, and when the Empire’s queen is kidnapped by one, she sees her chance to prove herself.
Which 2025 release is at the top of your TBR?
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