Must-Read Fiction Publishing in Winter 2025!

Each season brings hundreds of new book releases, and I eagerly look forward to discovering the ones I’m most excited to read. Must-Read Fiction Publishing in Winter 2025 is the third of a four-part series showcasing the books that have captured my interest this season. Without further ado, let me share the fiction books that most caught my eye. Click on the book’s cover to add it to your Goodreads shelf.

The Must-Read Fiction Books Publishing in Winter 2025 List:

Publishing The Week of January 7:

In The Note, a seemingly carefree vacation in the Hamptons turns into a nightmare for May Hanover and her lifelong friends, Lauren and Kelsey, whose bond has weathered tragedy, scandals, and heartbreak. May, the responsible “Little Sheriff” raised by her strict Chinese single mother, has always been a rule-follower, but even good girls have secrets. A drunken prank involving two strangers spirals out of control, leading to a police investigation that forces May to question her friends’ loyalty and honesty. As tensions rise and buried truths surface, May must confront the limits of their friendship in this gripping suspense novel.

Publishing The Week of January 14:

In Julia Jarman’s heartwarming new novel, Widows Waive the Rules, lifelong friends Viv, Janet, and Zelda—members of the Widows Wine Club—embark on a luxury cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2 to lift Janet’s spirits after a recent blow. With tai chi, dance lessons, and cocktails, the trip promises to be the perfect escape. However, their relaxing voyage takes a surprising turn when they meet fellow widow Primrose Carmichael, who shares Janet’s surname and has a late husband named Mal—just like Janet. As uncanny connections between the two women emerge, Viv and Zelda take it upon themselves to unravel the mystery, proving that friendship and adventure know no age.

In Alice Feeney’s latest dark and twisty thriller, Beautiful Ugly, author Grady Green’s life is turned upside down when his wife, Abby, mysteriously disappears after a chilling phone call during which he hears her brakes screech and her car door slam. A year later, consumed by grief and unable to write, Grady retreats to a remote Scottish island to rebuild his life—only to encounter a woman who looks eerily like Abby. As secrets about their marriage surface, this gripping tale explores love, betrayal, and revenge, proving that people can change in the most unexpected ways.

The Favorites is an epic love story set in the ruthless world of elite figure skating, following Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, a passionate duo who rise from turbulent childhoods to become Olympic ice-dancing sensations. Their fiery chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship captivate the world—until a shocking incident at the Olympics abruptly ends their partnership. A decade later, an unauthorized documentary threatens to redefine their legacy, pushing Kat to break her silence and reveal the truth behind their all-consuming bond and dramatic fallout. Inspired by Wuthering Heights, this tale explores obsession, ambition, and the price of success.

Publishing The Week of February 11:

In this gripping tale of ambition and family secrets, Rachael Carmichael, a once-famous movie star turned recluse after her divorce from director Greg Foster, reluctantly allows her aspiring actress niece, Harley Roth, into her life. Desperate to achieve the fame her aunt once had, Harley seizes the chance to play Rachael in a potential biopic and uncover the truth about her aunt’s glamorous yet mysterious past. But as Rachael reveals long-hidden secrets, Harley begins to question her aunt’s honesty in a cutthroat industry where ambition trumps loyalty and fame always comes at a price.

In Anne Tyler’s Three Days in June, Gail Baines, a socially awkward mother of the bride, faces a whirlwind of events in the days surrounding her daughter Debbie’s wedding. After losing her job and feeling excluded from pre-wedding festivities, Gail’s life becomes even more chaotic when her ex-husband, Max, unexpectedly shows up needing a place to stay. However, the real upheaval comes when Debbie reveals a shocking secret about her fiancé, casting doubt on the wedding and forcing Gail and Max to confront their own shared past. With humour and heartfelt insight, Tyler masterfully explores love, marriage, and the complexities of family life.

Publishing The Week of March 11:

Set in the early 1990s, this enchanting novel follows the life-changing friendship between Frida Rodriguez, a free-spirited aspiring war correspondent in Paris, and Kate Fair, a reserved Seattle bookseller. Their bond begins with a simple book request but grows into a deep connection that inspires Kate to pursue her writing dreams, take romantic risks, and find strength in loss, while Frida discovers who she truly wants to become. Against the backdrop of personal and global upheavals, their friendship becomes a beacon of joy and resilience. A heartfelt ode to bookshops, booksellers, and the transformative power of books, this story captures the magic of youth before the digital age.

Publishing The Week of March 18:

In The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry weaves a captivating tale of mystery and legacy spanning decades. In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s idyllic childhood is shattered when her mother, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham—renowned author of a groundbreaking novel written in an invented language—vanishes off the South Carolina coast, leaving behind a grieving family and an unfinished sequel. By 1952, Clara, now an illustrator and mother to Wynnie, is drawn back into the mystery when a stranger from London claims to have discovered a dictionary of Bronwyn’s lost language. Compelled to uncover the truth, Clara journeys to England, only to face the deadly Great Smog and seek refuge in the Lake District. There, amidst danger and revelations, Clara must confront the secrets of her mother’s disappearance and the story she left behind.

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So there you have it! Must-Read Fiction Publishing in Winter 2025! Did I help you find a book or two to add to your reading list? Let me know in the comments!

As always, I hope that you have a wonderful day.

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