These books are bound to be your favourite
October 2025 is shaping up to be a book lover’s paradise, packed with highly anticipated releases that promise to sweep readers off their feet. From a paranormal romance to magical underworlds, his month’s lineup of new books to read will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh and crave adventures. Get ready to clear your schedule—October is about to become your most addictive reading month yet.
The most anticipated books to read in October 2025:
Alchemy of Secrets
Stephanie Garber
For fans missing The Ballad of Never After, Stephanie Garber’s Alchemy of Secrets delivers another magical adventure. When Holland St. James discovers the Watch Man—a legend who predicts death—she learns she has until midnight to find the Alchemical Heart or die. Thrust into LA’s hidden magical underworld with a mysterious protector claiming to be sent by her sister, Holland must navigate deadly deceptions and lies where even finding the ancient object may not save her if she trusts the wrong person.
Release Date: 7 October
Mate
Ali Hazelwood
Dotted with a slow-burn romance and an enemies-to-mates element, this isn’t your typical werewolf romance— it’s a phenomenal story about political turmoil and centuries-long rift between species. But add in a possessive Alpha werewolf and an unbothered human hybrid, Mate by Ali Hazelwood is a feral, unhinged romance. The book follows Serena Paris, an orphaned, pack-less hybrid, trying to make sense of her new world. What she didn’t expect was to be made a target. With her enemies closing in, she can only count on one person, her mate—the Alpha of the Northwest pack—Koen Alexander, who she doesn’t like. But, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.
Release Date: 7 October
Take This Heart
Willow Aster
Set in Minnesota, Willow Aster’s first book in the Windy Harbor series is a sizzling, small-town enemies-to-lovers romance that’s brimming with a perfect storm of tension, spice and banter. The book follows Goldie, who has to work with Milo Lombardi, the man she fought with at an art event and kissed. Despite their explosive arguments and undeniable chemistry, family obligations keep them bound together, making it an irresistible read for anyone who loves watching sparks fly between two people who can’t stand—or resist—each other.
Release Date: 9 October
Red City
Marie Lu
Dark and deadly, Red City is a contemporary fantasy about a magical warfare—where criminal syndicates control a drug that enhances people into perfect versions of themselves and market it to the world’s elites—set in an alternate Los Angeles. The book follows childhood friends Sam and Ari as they find themselves on opposite sides of an escalating war between rival orginisations, Grand Central and Lumines.
Release Date: 14 October
Revolve
Bal Khabra
In need of a pick-me up in the romance department? Don’t fret. We’ve got you covered. In this sweeping romance, Sierra Romanova, an Olympian figure skater is on the hunt for a new pairs partner. Enter, Dylan Donovan, a reckless hockey player who gets kicked off his team. Ready to claim the spotlight, Sierra decides to work with Dylan and they might just be the perfect match on and off the ice.
Release Date: 14 October
Good Spirits
B.K. Borison
Besides Mate by Ali Hazelwood, here’s another paranormal romance to add to your list this month. Back with another whimsical holiday romance, B.K. Borison is gifting us with the ghost of Christmas past, but this time, bottled up as a charming, handsome one. Good Spirits follows Nolan Callahan, who goes on his usual haunting spree until he meets Harriet York, and his world gets tilted sideways—he’s suddenly wishing for a future. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover some threads bind them together and realise there might be more to life than the present.
Release Date: 21 October
Secret Haven
Catherine Cowles
If you’re looking for a second-chance romance with yearning, humour and spice, then Secret Haven by Catherine Cowles is just for you. The book follows Kyler Blackwood, a bruised and battered boy with a haunting past, who gets put in a foster home with the girl he kissed, Fallon Colson—forcing them apart and to pretend nothing happened. They spent years hiding their connection, but now, as adults, the lines between foster siblings and love are blurring; every touch and every smile is turning into a powerful bond they can’t seem to avoid.
Release Date: 21 October
Bonds of Hercules
Jasmine Maas
One of the most anticipated follow-up books of the year is finally here, and it’s brimming with god tier romance, rivalries and stakes. In the second book of the series, Alexis is tied eternally to the Underworld’s dark heirs. Reeling from the unexpected moment, she enlists in the Assembly of Death with her mentors, set on wreaking vengeance on her husbands and uncovering the truth behind her deadly powers.
Release Date: 28 October
Breathe With Me
Becka Mack
Deeply emotional and full of love, Breathe With Me is the final book in Becka Mack’s Playing For Keeps series. The book sees Cara Hunter and her husband, Emmett Brodie—one of the hottest hockey players in the country—struggling with infertility and discovering what it means to build and retain a foundation of love. More than a sports romance, this is a story about love and loss.
Release Date: 28 October
The Defender
Ana Huang
Set in the world of the English Premier League football, The Defender is a steamy sports romance about the captain of Blackcastle Football Club, Vincent DuBois and his new roommate, his coach’s daughter, Brooklyn Armstrong. When things get heated up during their forced proximity, they realise they’re in deeper trouble than they thought—their defences are crumbling and sparks are igniting.
Release Date: 28 October
Never Ever After
Sue Lynn Tan
Inspired by Cinderella, the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess is bringing us another fantastical story. This time it’s about skilled thief Yining, who must infiltrate the imperial palace to reclaim a stolen enchanted ring from her step-aunt, only to become entangled with a ruthless prince and a mysterious advisor in a deadly web of court politics and betrayal. Drawing from Chinese fairy tales, this sweeping fantasy romance subverts the classic happily-ever-after as Yining discovers that escaping her harsh mountain life may cost more than she’s willing to pay, forcing her to uncover her hidden past to secure a dangerous future.
