r/RomanceBooks • u/Llamallamacallurmama Living my epilogue 💛 • Jul 08 '25

Book Club Suggest Your Favourite 2025 Debuts - August 2025 R/Romancebook Club

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We're trying something new this summer! For r/RomanceBooks August Book Club short list, we're inviting our subreddit community to suggest their favourites! We'll use these suggestions to help guide our selection of the ultimate shortlist for voting.

The theme for July is Your Favourite 2025 Debut. The books suggested must be published in 2025, currently accessible to the public (no arcs), and must be the author's debut romance (their first book in the romance genre). Any period, any genders, any grouping, any style!

We particularly encourage Own Voices stories, queer and BIPoC authors and characters, and books that are relatively easily accessible to a variety of readers.

So, do you have a book you'd like to recommend? Comment below and share why you think your choice would be a great pick for the book club, upvote someone else's rec, or suggest future themes!

33 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

9

u/VitisIdaea Her heart dashed and halted like an indecisive squirrel Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 09 '25

I really enjoyed {Enemy of My Dreams by Jenny Williamson}, a MF historical romance between a Roman princess and a Visigoth leader. (Edit: I realized I should note that I read an ARC, i.e. got the book for free, but the book has been out for a while now and I genuinely really liked it.)

3

u/OK-CaterpillarCall he's UNHINGED??? say less. 💘🔪📚 Jul 08 '25

Oh wow - this looks amazing.

4

u/VitisIdaea Her heart dashed and halted like an indecisive squirrel Jul 08 '25

It's definitely not your typical historical romance, I thought it did a great job of getting some of the heavy historical drama vibe from ye olde bodice rippers while at the same time having updated social attitudes for the modern reader. (Consent, LGBTQ+ side characters... um, some pot smoking...)

3

u/OK-CaterpillarCall he's UNHINGED??? say less. 💘🔪📚 Jul 08 '25

Sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing.

2

u/Anastasiadipdip Reginald’s Quivering Member Jul 09 '25

Woah I love this setting and so unique for HR!

2

u/admiralamy give me a consent boner Aug 02 '25

I just checked this out from the library! Thanks for the rec

1

u/VitisIdaea Her heart dashed and halted like an indecisive squirrel Aug 02 '25

Hope you enjoy!

2

u/admiralamy give me a consent boner 27d ago

I read this in one day! It was so good! Thanks for the rec.

1

u/VitisIdaea Her heart dashed and halted like an indecisive squirrel 27d ago

Oh yay, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

4

u/Hunter037 Probably recommending When She Belongs 😍 Jul 08 '25

{He's To Die For by Erin Dunn} my gush post

3

u/Immediate-Answer-259 Jul 09 '25

I was glad to read your gush post because I was turned off by the cover (seemed amateurish to my eye) but obviously the content seems quite different! It's on my hold shelf.

1

u/romance-bot Jul 08 '25

He's to Die For by Erin Dunn
Rating: 4.15⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: queer romance, mystery

about this bot | about romance.io

3

u/Pyjbananasamas Slick Folds strikes again! Jul 08 '25

I'm not quite done it yet, but {The Crash Course by Evie Everly} is so cute! It's a college good girl / bad boy love coach set up.

2

u/fruitismyjam attempted murder breaks trust 💔 24d ago

Thank you for mentioning this book! I don’t think I would’ve come across this book if not for your comment. I started it the other day and am about halfway through. You’re right—it’s really cute! I’m a sucker for a shy girl/bad boy romance, and there’s already been so many sweet moments. 🥰

2

u/Pyjbananasamas Slick Folds strikes again! 24d ago

Yay! So glad you're liking it! I absolutely adored it!

3

u/tiniestspoon punching fascists in corset school 💅🏾 Jul 09 '25

{Yours, Eventually by Nura Maznavi}

M/F, Pakistani American cishet MCs

Contemporary, set in California, USA

A contemporary Persuasion retelling in a Pakistani American family. It follows the emotional beats of the OG closely but these characters and their lives stand on their own. Asma and Farooq are college sweethearts separated by her family when he drops out of college to work on his start up while she focuses on medical school. Eight years later, his business takes off and he's rich, eligible, and in her orbit again. Austenian shenanigans ensue.

Highly recommend to fans of {Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin} or {Unmarriagable by Soniah Kamal}

I haven't read it yet but it's on my list {Single Player by Tara Tai}

3

u/Immediate-Answer-259 Jul 09 '25

I loved {Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare}. I would call this F/F CR time slip own voices as I have read that the author is queer. Please read the blurb on romance.io as I don't find myself capable of describing this book well just that I loved it so much! 4.5 ⭐ 4 🔥

One note: I'm calling this a debut and I'm not the only one. However, the author has co-authored a couple of other books so hopefully it still counts! The others also came out in 2025, so maybe co-debuts? I hope you'll give it a try.

2

u/Dont-take-seriously Jul 08 '25

I love this idea. {Darkbirch Academy by Krista Graves} matches. I stopped halfway. The story is tropey but well-written. The FMC attends the enemy academy as a 'white witch' to murder the male who might destroy her entire 'black witch' coven, but is waylaid by the dragon professor. It lacks the supporting characters, but for a first book? Excellent.

2

u/starfin19 Jul 08 '25

{The Broposal by Sonora Reyes} MM; adult debut (they previously published YA books) my megathread comment

4

u/LATlovesbooks Jul 08 '25

I really enjoyed {You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon}. It's CR MF. The MCs are cishet white, although there are a few diverse side characters. I was able to get it from libby. The MCs are getting their MFA in Poetry and so did the author, but I don't think that's what you meant by own voice.

1

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3

u/Llamallamacallurmama Living my epilogue 💛 Jul 08 '25

A poster with a multicoloured background that appears to be a very closeup shot of a light brown loose weave fabric, slightly crumpled, with a rainbow of light shining across it as though through a prism. In the center are four coloured rectangles stacked on top of each other with the words "Suggest Your Debut Favourites" on them, and above and below that are three transparent rectangles with question marks in them.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25

[deleted]

2

u/Llamallamacallurmama Living my epilogue 💛 Jul 08 '25

Thanks - this wasn't published in 2025, unfortunately!

2

u/tthenry26 Jul 08 '25

Oh I just seen that part, I apologize. I’m going to delete the comment so post is not congested.

1

u/VitisIdaea Her heart dashed and halted like an indecisive squirrel Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25

Two more I'm looking at, but haven't read yet:

{A Bloomy Head by Winifred Butterworth} - MF historical set in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, trans MMC/cis FMC. Cheesemaking! Mystery! Kobo Plus! (It came out December 24, 2024, so I think it counts.)

{Out With Lanterns by Hillary Bowen} - MF historical set in the wake of WWI. I believe both MCs are cis in this one. My library doesn't have it, so there's that.

2

u/romance-bot Jul 09 '25

A Bloomy Head by J. Winifred Butterworth
Rating: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: historical, regency, queer romance, mystery

about this bot | about romance.io

5

u/VitisIdaea Her heart dashed and halted like an indecisive squirrel Jul 09 '25

I had the wrong author down at first but u/romance-bot figured it out! Three cheers for our diligent robot friend!