Mini Book Reviews – November 2025
Mini Book Reviews – November 2025: What To Read & What To Skip
Welcome to my regular round up of mini book reviews of what I’ve read this past month! I am sharing a few Christmas romances, a thriller that I devoured, and a few other solid reads! Plus, I’m added a book that I DNF’d this month, so you don’t waste your time with that one.
In my list of mini book reviews, I include everything I’ve read recently that I finished. I like to share both my five star reads and any misses to help you get a better idea of what you should read or might want to skip.
As always, I love to hear if you agree or disagree with my ratings! Let me know in the comments what you thought of my November 2025 mini book reviews.
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Mini Book Reviews – November 2025
Physical Books:
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
This is a reread of one of my all time favorite and most recommended fantasy books! The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fast-paced epic fantasy about a masterful thief who leads his crew in elaborate schemes to steal from the rich.
It’s endlessly fascinating to see what Locke comes up with and you’ll quickly fall in love with him and his ragtag crew! I highly recommend this whether you’re a seasoned fantasy reader or just diving into the genre. I’ve never read Book 2, so even though I normally take a break between books while reading a series, I’m eager to keep going this time! 5 Stars | Buy From Amazon
The Secret Of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden
You’ll be transported to Italy with this delightful, foodie novel! I always love how Rachel weaves food and relationships with a tiny dash of magic and this is no different! It’s a stunning tour through endless Italian dishes and gorgeous scenery. She did an incredible job evoking the sights, scents and feelings of the Italian countryside!
Our main character, Jules is facing the potential loss of her cooking show and a looming deadline for her first cookbook. At her mother’s request, she brings her half sister to visit her grandmother in Italy, despite the tough memories the place holds.
Over the summer, Jules rediscovers why she fell in love with this place, helps Alex find her own passions, and unlocks the good memories (and food) from her childhood. Plus, she discovers her first love is also back in town…I think this is my favorite of Rachel’s so far! 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon
Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely
I read this Christmas romance (Lauren’s 2025 new release) and her Christmas romance from last year, My Favorite Holidate and loved them equally! These are spicy, hilarious novels that are chock full of holiday cheer (and puns). I had such a blast reading them both, but since Merry Little Kissmas is new, we’ll focus on that one!
Not only is this a hockey romance + holiday romance, it also features a matchmaker!! I just think those type of storylines with characters who normally help others find love and then end up involved themselves are so much fun!
Isla Marlowe is a professional matchmaker who thrives on setting up everyone else. But love for her? That’s not on her to-do list. At least until a grumpy, single-dad hockey player who hates all things Christmas, ends up with her services after his teammates buy a matchmaking package for him. What starts off as a bet that Isla can find Rowan a date for the holiday gala, winds its way into fake-dating territory. Rowan reluctantly goes along but of course sparks start flying!
The boundaries between what’s real and fake begin to blur in the snowy, small-town Christmas setting. Rowan’s holiday resentment is rooted in deeper hurt, and Isla’s professional shield starts to crack under the warmth of Rowan’s daughter and the festive magic around them. | 4.5 Stars | Buy On Amazon
Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn
As much as I normally love Meghan Quinn, this was a DNF after about 10% for me. I hate to admit it, but the writing and characters were annoying and the addition of a “narrator” made the whole story confusing. It features rival Christmas tree farm owners and is a play on Home Alone, but not worth your time!
AudioBooks:
As always, I recommend using Libro.fm if you’re an audiobook listener!! Libro.fm directly supports indie bookstores, but costs the same as Amazon’s Audible! You can get TWO audiobooks for only $15 with my link and code CHOOSEINDIE.
Count My Lies by Sophie Stava
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I FINALLY got around to reading it this past month. I was waiting for the audiobook on Libby and I’m so glad I did because the character narration was masterful.
The lies keep adding up for Sloane Caraway and she’s perfectly happy about it. She’s always been this way, telling little half truths to make her life seem more interesting. So, when she sees a young girl crying in a park, she gets the attention of the attractive dad by saying she’s a nanny.
Soon, she’s completely invested in this family’s life, living in their brownstone and taking their daughter to her elite school. It seems like the ideal situation, all because she was willing to play pretend for a bit. Except Sloane eventually realizes that she’s not the only one keeping secrets. And the game she’s in could be much darker than anything she’s done in the past. | 4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon
eBooks:
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan
Jenny absolutely never fails to deliver a heartwarming book that leaves me feeling warm and happy! I don’t know how she does it but this is another hit from her! This one is perfect for readers because it’s set in the world of rare books! I flew through it and loved every second of the adventure.
Mirren Sutherland has stumbled into a pretty unusual career as antiquarian “book detective,” all thanks to a chance find of an old treasure book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas rolls in, she’s been hired by the young laird Jamie McKinnon to comb through his crumbling Scottish Highland castle to track down a legendary rare book that could literally save his family estate.
But of course things get messy in a fun way: on the train to the Highlands she bumps into her rival book hunter Theo Palliser and before long Mirren, Jamie and Theo are snowed in at the castle, surrounded by clues, old books, and secrets. | 4.5 Stars | Buy On Amazon
For more mini book reviews, check out What I Read in October 2025!
I love fiction set in a Christmas time frame! Sad when a novel just doesn’t pan out!
I liked. A Merry Little Ex-Mas on Netflix! It made me laugh. But I loved AliciaSilverstone since Clueless.
I’ll check out the Hallmark one you mentioned. Recommendations for movies and books always appreciated.
I love your mini book reviews and newsletters! They’re always so cozy and heartwarming. Thank you for posting!