Welcome to my mid-year favourites where I am going to talk about my top 10 books, some of which are 5, 4.5 and 4 stars reads from January up to June. One of my goals for 2025 was to branch out into genres that in previous years I wouldn’t typically read and I can happily say I have discovered some great books so far from setting myself this goal!
A genre that I would find particularly intimidating in previous years was Fantasy (and Romantasy) but I can now say after discovering some 5 star reads, it has become one of my favourite genres to read! Another genre that I would normally avoid is dark romance but I was recommended to try the Mindf*ck Series earlier in the year by my sister and cousin and it did not disappoint. That being said, I will still avoid this genre completely because I am just not that girly but the Mindf*ck Series pleasantly surprised me!
Anyway, lets get on to talking about my favourite books of the year so far in a little bit more detail…
Powerless by Elsie Silver
Book #3 in the Chestnut Springs series. It has friends to lovers, spice, road trip vibes, one bed and forced proximity. I absolutely loved Jasper and Sloane’s story!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Book #1 in The Empyrean series. It has chronic illness rep, enemies to lovers, war college, dragons and slow-burn. Give me a Xaden now please! This is action-packed from the very start and the cliff hanger at the end…
Paint It All Red by S. T. Abby
This is the last book #5 in the Mindf*ck series. It has serial killer x fbi agent, bad girl x good guy, dual POV, badass FMC, touch him/her and die and spice. Under 200 pages and it is packed with so much drama all the way through – I read this in one sitting! *make sure to check out the trigger warnings as it involves some heavy topics.”
Lightlark by Alex Aster
Book #1 in the Lightlark series. It has enemies to lovers, forbidden romance and a deadly competition/game. I see a lot of mixed opinions about this book from reading reviews but I absolutely loved it! I need to continue the series to figure out whether I am team Grim or Oro???
Hopeless by Elsie Silver
This is the last book #5 in the Chestnut Springs series. It has age gap, fake engagement, virgin heroine, tortured hero and forced proximity. Just like with book #3, I absolutely loved Beau and Bailey’s story!
Fate Be Changed by Farrah Rochon
Book #17 in the Disney Twisted Tales series. You can jump into this series with whichever book you feel like as they are standalones within a big series. This is an alternative retelling of Merida from the film Brave. So easy to read as they are YA (young adult) and the story was bingeable.
Death Note II by Tsugumi Ohba
Book #2 in the black editions of Death Note. This is a manga series and honestly the plot is so clever but insane at the same time. After reading this, I have no idea where the story is going to go but I am HERE FOR IT!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Book #1 in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. It has enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, slow burn romance and fae. I kept putting this book off for ages but I am so glad I finally got around to it. Definitely has a slow start but once the book picks up, it gets good! I need to continue the series to figure out whether I am team Tamlin or Rhysand???
Vox Machina: Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp
As a big fan of Critical Role and D&D, I knew I was going to really enjoy this book. Listening to the audiobook alongside reading the physical copy helped with my enjoyment, especially because it is the actors from Critical Role who voice their own character in the audiobook. Packed full of adventure!
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
I’ve read The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary before and enjoyed it but I ended up enjoying this one more. It has second chance romance, road trip, dual POV and timeline and forced proximity. Marcus was an annoying character but Deb made up for it with her witty and funny personality. It was nice to see the backstory of both characters along with their relationship in the present.
After reading this and seeing my taste in books, do you have any recs for me to try?
Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you rate them?
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