The Haus of Hamilton Book Club’s Favorite Reads of 2025

ROUND UP

Our 2025 HoH Book Club Picks Ranked!

The Book Club rated and ranked the 12 books we read in 2025. Here are the results.

We did it! As a group, we read a minimum of 12 books together in 2025… We read one book per month (with some bonus meetings when multiple members were reading the same books). And many Book Club members read way more, and exceeded their individual reading goals. Way to go!

When picking our Book Club picks, we take a few things into consideration:

• Requests and recommendations, especially if folks are in the mood for a specific sub-genre, trope or mood

• Mix of best-selling and debut authors

• Diversity in author and character identity

• Variety of sub-genres, tropes, plot lines, writing styles, and/or mechanisms

• Seasonality and trends to join cultural discourse, when possible

• TBR lists to limit re-reads and introduce new authors, tropes, sub-genres, etc.

Ultimately, our goal is to help our readers discover their next favorite read. And that requires some exploration into new sub-genres, expanding our horizons by exploring new tropes, and pushing the boundaries of themes, writing style, and authors. While they may not love every book we recommend, we hope our club members learned something about themselves and their preferences along the way.

At the end of the year, we asked the Book Club to rank each of these books in from their least favorite to their top choice. Funnily enough, you’ll notice that the highest-ranked books didn’t always equate to the most favorited. Here are the results!

Interested in joining our Book Club? We’d love to have you.

What the Book Club Loved

#12 | AUGUST: Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler (Amazon)

We weren’t particularly thrilled with the magical realism nor the writing of this book. To many, it was quite obvious through her sentence structure and character development that it was the author’s first published novel. While we appreciated the descriptions of tennis, the excitement of the rivalry, the overall story fell short for those who aren’t big fans of the sport.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 2.5/5

#11 | OCTOBER: Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London (Amazon)

This was a total "vampire lite" trip that felt like a campy TV script—cheesy, fun, and honestly, plenty cringe! We lived for the whimsical podcasts and the "everything but the kitchen sink" nods to Buffy and Twilight, and the satirical tone really endeared us to this weird little niche world. However, the actual writing and sentence structure left a lot to be desired, especially when handling some of the more sensitive plot lines. Everything was wrapped up in a pretty bow that felt a little too simple. And don't even get us started on the romance—it felt totally rushed! We were practically begging for a love triangle or a threesome to add some much-needed dimensionality and steam, but instead, we just got a tease that left us hanging.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 2.5/5

#10 | NOVEMBER: The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (Amazon)

This book was absolute holiday royalty—cheesy at first, but it quickly dove into some surprisingly deep territory like greed and consumerism! We were obsessed with the next-level sass, from the hilarious group chat name changes to the on-the-nose pop culture puns that kept us laughing through the immersive world-building. The love story was a serious slow burn that felt a little rushed over a one-month timeline, and while the dirty talk was "wonderfully delicious," we were left wanting more!

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 4/5

#9 | FEBRUARY: Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny by Rebekah Weatherspoon (Amazon)

If you’re looking for a total "snack" of a book to reset your brain after a heavy read, Rafe is exactly the palette cleanser you need. The steam is easily the best part—it’s seriously hot—though we did find ourselves wishing for just a bit more build-up and foreplay to really make it sing. We absolutely loved how the story flips social norms on their head, giving us a super realistic look at the mental load of a single mom and the quiet heroics of a caregiver who actually anticipates needs. While their communication is incredibly healthy and built on genuine respect, the breakneck speed of the romance kept us from being totally swept away.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 3.25/5

#8 | DECEMBER: Audacity by Elodie Hart (Amazon)

We definitely weren't ready for the level of spice in this one, but man, did we enjoy every second of it—from that "pose recreation" audition to the prima nocta roleplay, the heat was off the charts! While Elodie’s writing is polished and she handled the religious themes with total grace, the actual plot felt a bit thin; we were left craving more drama, more context, and a much more complex conflict. Our leads, Athena and Gabe, felt almost too perfect and well-adjusted, which left very little room for those big, juicy character arcs we love. Even though their ultra-wealthy lifestyles weren't exactly relatable, their chemistry felt grounded and realistic, making them a well-matched pair even if their "epic love" felt a bit more like a transaction. We just wish they’d had that awkward talk about their relationship status and the "payment for services" thing a whole lot sooner!

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 3.75/5

#7 | APRIL: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Amazon)

This book started with some of the best chapters we’ve ever read, but man, did that twist turn our excitement into pure anxiety! Abby perfectly captured the grueling, timely reality of the caregiver experience and the weight of long-distance love, making Xavier and Sam’s relationship feel like a literal "opposites-attract" lifeline. It was a torrential downpour of misfortune without reprieve, making their exhausted visits feel heavy and burdensome. We were right there in the trenches with them, but after surviving that emotional rollercoaster, the total lack of steam felt like a major letdown; we truly deserved a win after all that stress!

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 4.25/5

Favorite Review

“THIS BOOK. SWEET JESUS. MY GOD… I can’t get anything done because I just have to pause and sit in shock.”

- CASSANDRA

#6 | MAY: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Amazon)

Carley Fortune basically wrote a love letter to her favorite places, capturing that "nostalgia blur" perfectly—even if we were dying for a dual POV to get inside Charlie’s head! The sexual tension and yearning were top-tier. While we didn't totally buy the "just friends" trope for two people with this much chemistry, we loved watching type-A Alice find her voice and grow into a version of herself that could actually handle a second chance at love. Charlie was a great supporting ray of sunshine, but let’s be real: Nan was the true star as the perfectly inappropriate wingwoman we all hope to be one day. It’s a beautiful look at how timing and self-growth matter just as much as chemistry when building a life together.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 3.75/5

#5 | JULY: PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly (Amazon)

This was such a conflicting read—the plot and that letter-writing device were total wins, but the actual writing felt like a tug-of-war between a beautiful exploration of grief and an overwhelming pileup of tropes. We absolutely adored Maddie and Dom for their messy, realistic trauma; they were flawed and relatable products of some pretty immature parenting, and we were cheering them on even when they were taking massive steps backward. However, the romance felt more like a trauma bond than a typical love story, and the shift into intimacy gave us total whiplash—going from deep mourning to juvenile dialogue like "cum sandwich" was a choice that just didn't land for us. While we wished for Dom's POV and more immersive descriptions of their travels, the book really excelled as a story of self-love and the "ugly, brutal reflection" of what it means to survive loss.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 3.75/5

#4 | JUNE: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Amazon)

This was such a mixed bag—we were absolutely obsessed with how Tia built these rich, complex characters who fought so hard to break generational trauma, but the actual structure of the book kept us on our toes in a way that wasn't always easy to follow. While the pop culture references and NYC vibes were spot on, the jumping POVs and that "Hallmark" ending felt a bit jarring for a story that otherwise felt so real and gritty. The love story itself was non-traditional and captured the heavy ache of losing a first love so well that we’re still rooting for them to have a sequel where they actually get to have some fun! Because let's be honest, the intimacy in this one felt less like a good time and more like "trauma-spice"—it was hard, fast, and desperate, leaving us breathless during that Dream Room scene but ultimately wishing the characters felt a little less burdened.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 3.75/5

#3 | SEPTEMBER: Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt (Amazon)

Tarah’s writing is absolutely astounding; she has this incredible way of using specific word choices to humanize the heavy, complex ache of trying to move on when you’re still stuck. We were completely swept up in the "intents" (pun intended!) outdoor action and the surprisingly spicy BDSM introduction! Seeing a therapy-going MMC like Ellis who actually puts in the work was such a breath of fresh air, especially alongside Wren’s beautifully delicate journey through motherhood and postpartum self-love. Ultimately, this story proves that sometimes you have to grow up individually before you can grow together, and watching this family find their way back to a healthy relationship was as inspiring as it was heartbreaking.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 4.25/5

#2 | JANUARY: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Amazon)

Don’t let the "smutty-faery" marketing fool you—this isn't that! RY has built a world we are straight-up obsessed with. The dragon-rider bonds are unique, the magic is addicting, and the way the history is snuck in through Violet’s nervous ticks and those clever epigraphs? Genius. It makes learning the lore actually entertaining rather than a chore. The pacing is so relentless you’ll feel like you’re dodging death in basic training right alongside the characters.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 4.5/5

The Best of the Best: The Book Club’s Top Pick

#1 | FEBRUARY: First-Time Caller by BK Borison (Amazon)

BK completely blew us away with this one—honestly, Aiden and Lucie are the new standard for a friends-to-lovers arc! The writing is absolute perfection, using quippy, intentional dialogue and clever transcripts to build a world where you feel every ounce of "grown-up" yearning without ever needing an info dump. We were obsessed with their transition from flirting to falling, and those small, giddy details—like the crumbling pillow fort and the pineapple pizza—made their connection feel so real. While we wouldn't have minded even more steam, the way they approached intimacy was incredibly cute, and the supreme tension was a more than worthy substitute. With a distinct, supportive cast of side characters rooting for them, this story is a beautiful masterclass in character development that left us feeling completely giddy.

Read our full review!

THE HoH BOOK CLUB RATING: 4.75/5

Favorite Review

“First-Time Caller broke me into a thousand beautiful pieces and then glued me back together with glitter glue.”

- JESS

Until the next chapter!

xo, Victoria

P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.