Must Read New Books By Genre: February 2025
Discover which books you should add to your reading list that are being published in February 2025!
February is off to an excellent start, especially for fellow romance readers! I have three incredible romance books to share, including two which I already read and loved!
I sorted my list by genre so you can easily find a new book you’ll love. There are options in romance, mysteries/thrillers, and fantasy this month.
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February Romance New Releases
I’ve adored the previous two sports romance books that Tessa Bailey wrote, so I know this is going to be amazing too! Dream Girl Drama features two side characters from The Au Pair Affair and the sparks are going to fly! Sig is Burgess’s hockey teammate and Chloe is one of Tallulah’s friends. However, these two have connections of their own.
After Sig’s car breaks down one night, he ends up walking to the nearby posh country club to call a tow. He meets the rebellious and alluring Chloe and the two hit it off. After a kiss and a promise to see each other again, Sig can’t wait to see where this goes. Until Sig goes with his dad to meet his new girlfriend…and finds out it’s Chloe’s mom. And there’s news – his dad and her mom are getting married.
This changes everything, but Chloe is still trying to get out from under mom’s controlling thumb so Sig promises to teach her all about Boston and help her become more independent. They promise to keep things platonic…but will they be able to keep their hands off each other?! | Buy From Amazon | Buy Exclusive Edition From Target
I’ve been following along with Ali’s journey relating to this book for ages on Instagram! She’s been dropping tidbits like selecting a title and picking a cover design and it’s making me so hyped to read the actual book! She’s heading into the sports romance genre with a steamy swimming novel!
Two college athletes are on the road to the Olympics – Scarlett for competitive diving and Lukas for swimming. He’s the golden boy while she keeps her head down and the focus only on her craft. A revealed secret unexpectedly brings them together and they form an arrangement to blow off steam while they’re facing down the pressure to make the Olympic team.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance featuring two swimmers or one involving the Olympics so this has so many aspects I can’t wait to get into! Plus, the first edition comes with beautifully designed sprayed edges so you’re going to want to order this now! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
I just finished reading this spicy romance and absolutely adored it! Elle Kennedy continues to crush it with her hockey romances. This is technically the third book in her Campus Diaries series and each one has been amazing in it’s own way. Plus, these can easily be read as standalones so you can jump right in.
Charlotte is a stick straight overachiever with a secret wild side. Almost no one knows about her late night hookups, until she matches with not one but two fellow Briar students on an app. These boys like to share and Charlie can’t deny she’s intrigued by the idea of two men worshipping her at the same time.
When she finally actually meets them in person, the two hockey players and Charlie sense an immediate connection. Normally they’d all keep it strictly sexual with no feelings, but there’s something special about this threesome. Except each of them have their own reasons that it cannot be public. | Buy From Amazon | Buy Exclusive Target Edition
Mystery/Thriller New Releases
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
A thriller that is perfect for this time of year because it takes place at a wealthy family’s isolated winter retreat. Theodora (Theo) met Connor six months ago and they fell in love during a whirlwind romance. Now, he’s taking her home to meet his family. But Connor is a Dalton and this powerful, rich family has secrets they want to keep hidden.
When Theo discovers a picture of herself as a child at this home, she’s shaken up and starts searching for answers. Plus, she’s started to receive threatening text messages and wonders if she’s really safe here. Theo wants to know the truth, but the Dalton’s may be willing to go to any length to keep their history from coming to light.
I’m always into this sort of isolated retreat with the threat of danger thriller! Wealthy families are a great subject for these type of books since you truly never know what protecting money and power will cause people to do. This sounds like a perfect option for curling up with a blanket and devouring in a few days! | Buy From Amazon
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
This is a new to me author, so I’m excited to give her a try. I love that the literal Amazon title says “Famous Last Words: A Suspenseful Domestic Thriller With Shocking Twists, Unravel The Deception.” What else do you even need to know, right? Trust me though, the synopsis makes this even more intriguing.
Camilla wakes up one morning to find her husband gone and a cryptic note in his place. She’s supposed to be dropping her daughter off at daycare for the first time and returning to her job as a literary agent. However, her world is upended when she gets a call about an ongoing hostage situation. As we all would assume, her first thought is that her husband is one of the hostages. But no, he’s the gunman.
Now, his note takes on a whole different meaning and she has to decide what to do next. It sounds like we as readers are going to feel like we’re right in this situation ourselves, making impossible choices and facing an unimaginable situation. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Close Your Eyes and Count To 10 by Lisa Unger
Even the title of this book is chilling!! It’s giving me Squid Games vibes. Per the description, “An extreme game of hide and seek turns deadly” in this new thriller from Lisa Unger.
What starts a social media stunt by well known daredevil Maverick Dillan turns into a test of true survival. Maverick has invited a number of contestants to a remote island to participate in the ultimate game of hide and seek. However, a raging storm and an unexpected threat turn the situation deadly. Adele, a single mother, is one of the participants and she’s willing to do anything necessary to get back to her kids.
I’m also intrigued because the description mentions a bit about trying to determine what is virtual and what is real. So I’m wondering (since this was designed as a social media event) what exactly they’re dealing with in this game! It’d be interesting if they threw in some alternate reality / virtual effects! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Fantasy New Releases
Gate To Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki
This time travel novel has been on my radar for a while! It’s a mix of historical fiction and fantasy, leaning more heavily toward the historical fiction side. It’s giving me a hint of Outlander action, but instead of Scotland our main character travels back in time to Japan during the last Samurai era.
Isla is in Japan searching for more information about her ancestors when a typhoon transports her back to 128 years ago. She ends up meeting both her ancestors and a charming Samurai named Kai. A whirlwind romance develops between them, but she’s wrestling with the knowledge of his ultimate fate. A Samurai rebellion is looming and he isn’t supposed to survive.
Isla is now forced to decide whether she should attempt to change history or focus on making her way back to her current life. I love all of the parallels to Outlander, but the setting and time period make this equally intriguing for different reasons. I’m also madly in love with the first edition paperback, featuring cherry blossom sprayed edges!! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
General Fiction New Releases
We All Live Here by JoJo Moyes
There is only a single paragraph description for this book but she could write anything and I’m going to read it! I’ll just include the whole thing ha!
Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.
JoJo Moyes is known for her understanding of women and our everyday lives, our joys and struggles. So I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes this story! | Buy From Amazon
Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
Eowyn Ivey wrote one of my all-time favorite books, The Snow Child, about a girl who appears to a childless couple in Alaska and appears to come from the snow itself. I keep hoping that she’ll recreate that magic!
In Black Woods, Blue Sky she returns to Alaska with a darker fairy tale. Birdie is working as a waitress in Alaska, making a life for her and her daughter. One day she meets Arthur, a soft spoken local recluse her brings her daughter back after she gets lost in the woods. Birdie quickly falls for Arthur and they eventually become a trio, living together in Arthur’s secluded cabin.
It’s an idyllic life at first, living off the land and far away from civilization, but soon Birdie discovers Arthur is more mysterious and dangerous than she could have ever imagined. This seems to have the same magical realism quality of The Snow Child, but with a darker edge! I’m completely hooked by this synopsis and need to know more about Arthur! | Buy From Amazon
Let me know in the comments which one you’re most looking forward to reading!