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Must-Read New Book Releases Coming in December 2025
Looking for the best December 2025 new book releases to wrap up your reading year?
December tends to be a slower month for publishing, but there are still plenty of exciting titles worth adding to your TBR. This month’s list may be shorter than usual, yet it’s filled with must-read books perfect for curling up with during the holidays, from heartwarming stories to dark, twisty thrillers and everything in between.
Want to know which books I am predicting for Book of the Month? Check out my predictions list!
Related: December 2025 Book of the Month Predictions
Mystery/Thriller December 2025 New Book Releases
The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini
Release Date: December 2, 2025
The internationally bestselling author of The Woman on the Ledge returns with a twisty thriller about a missing child and three adults whose shared secrets and hidden history could prove deadly.
Friends and Liars by Kit Frick
Release Date: December 2, 2025
From “edge-of-your-seat suspense” (Booklist) author Kit Frick comes an insidious thriller about four estranged friends trapped in a powerful family’s deadly games at a luxe estate in the Italian countryside.
The Gallagher Place by Julie Doar
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Debut Author
A layered exploration of family secrets, sibling misconceptions, and an unsolved murder in this chilling debut set in New York’s Dutchess County.
The House Guest by Amber and Danielle Brown
Release Date: December 2, 2025
A year after her mother’s death, a fragile Iris joins her partner and friends at a remote lake house for a getaway. But when she sees a bloodied man burying something outside, she’s left questioning her sanity when the evidence is gone by morning. As strange events mount and no one believes her, Iris must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
No One Aboard by Emy McGuire
Release Date: December 2, 2025
The White Lotus meets The Last Thing He Told Me in this domestic mystery about a luxury sailboat found floating adrift in the ocean and the secrets of the missing family who set sail aboard it weeks before…
Watch Us Fall by Christina Kovac
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Four glamorous friends known as “the Sweeties” share a crumbling Georgetown house and a seemingly charmed post-grad life. But when Addie’s ex, Josh, mysteriously disappears, their world unravels. As Lucy grows obsessed with uncovering the truth, detectives begin to suspect the Sweeties themselves. Tensions mount, secrets surface, and the group’s glossy facade cracks in this suspenseful mystery about friendship, obsession, and the dangerous lies we tell ourselves.
Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L. M. Chilton
Release Date: December 9, 2025
From the breakout author of Swiped comes a compulsively readable, surprisingly funny, and genuinely thrilling pageturner about a TikTok true crime investigator, a ’90s serial killer that may not be as dead as everyone would like, a text thread from hell, and long buried secrets that just won’t stay in the grave where they belong.
Romance December 2025 New Book Releases
The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea
Release Date: December 2, 2025
A secret romance writer discovers that the hottest story of summer might just be the one happening between her and the Prime Minister’s bodyguard, from the international bestselling author of Set On You.
The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Two wolf shifters reluctant to love discover there’s no fighting the call of the wild in this steamy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.
Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Two people haunted by their exes find that love isn’t dead in this heartfelt romance from the beloved authors of The Roughest Draft.
Love in Plane Sight by Lauren Connolly
Release Date: December 16, 2025
With her brother’s grumpy best friend—and her longtime nemesis—as Beth’s flight instructor, her pilot lessons could be a plane disaster or their first-class ticket to forever.
In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Fourth book in the Rome, Kentucky series
A homecoming to Rome, Kentucky, sparks a new romance—and lots of drama—between two old family friends, from the New York Times bestselling author of When in Rome, Practice Makes Perfect, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal.
Contemporary Fiction December 2025 New Book Releases
Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen
Release Date: December 2, 2025
A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back―and in moving us forward―for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame.
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
Release Date: December 2, 2025
An irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart
Needle Lake by Justine Champine
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Two cousins on very different sides of teen girlhood spend a winter together that changes both of their lives forever.
When the Fireflies Dance by Aisha Hassan
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Debut Author
Inspired by a shocking true story, this haunting debut novel of love, brotherhood, resilience, and redemption set in Pakistan calls to mind the modern classics The Kite Runner and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.
Literary Fiction December 2025 New Book Releases
Television by Lauren Rothery
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Bojack Horseman meets Joan Didion in this smart, sly, and irresistibly stylish debut novel about a jaded movie star and the two differently conflicted women in his orbit.
Historical Fiction December 2025 New Book Releases
The Curse of the Cole Women by Marielle Thompson
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Three generations of women struggle with a curse unfairly placed on their ancestor in this gothic story of magic, queer love, and mother-daughter relationships, perfect for fans of Spells for Forgetting and Practical Magic.
Horror/Gothic Fiction December 2025 New Book Release
Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Three women. Three centuries. One legacy of fury, love, and a power that refuses to die. Horror meets historical fiction when a curse bridges generations, binding the fates of three women.
Confirmed pick for December 2025! Spotted in an NY Times ad online.
Fantasy December 2025 New Book Releases
Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal-Rana
Release Date: December 2, 2025
For fans of The Poppy War, She Who Became the Sun and The Will of the Many, a breathtaking fantasy novel about the daughter of an overthrown emperor from an exciting new voice
Fallen Gods by Rachel Van Dyken
Release Date: December 2, 2025
They said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied.
The Happiness Collector by Crystal King
Release Date: December 2, 2025
In this stunning contemporary fantasy novel for fans of V. E. Schwab and Kaliane Bradley, a historian’s dream job in Italy takes a dark turn when she discovers her employers aren’t exactly human.
The Library of Fates by Margot Harrison
Release Date: December 2, 2025
When its librarian keeper mysteriously dies, two former classmates must race to locate a rare book from their college years that can foretell your future if you confess a secret from your past—but someone is intent on protecting what’s hidden inside.
Something Wicked by Falon Ballard
Release Date: December 2, 2025
After a revolution topples Avon’s monarchy, candidates for the new presidency must prove their worth by killing the former rulers of their provinces. Callum, the dethroned king’s son, seeks the throne but must rely on Lady Caterine, a courtesan with the power to manipulate emotions, to face his guilt. As their forbidden connection deepens, they uncover a dark force within La Puissance that could destroy Avon unless they risk everything, even each other.
Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Short STory Collection
Spanning the genres of fantasy and science fiction, this collection features stories from beyond the bounds of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe.
The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Washed-up coffee commercial star Greta Perks discovers a magical café that transports her into the perfect world of her old ads. Living in idyllic Mapleville seems like a dream until Greta must decide between a flawless fantasy and her real, imperfect life.
An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
Release Date: December 30, 2025
A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.
We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark
Release Date: December 30, 2025
From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series.
Sci-Fi/Dystopian December 2025 New Book Releases
The Definitions by Matt Greene
Release Date: December 2, 2025
An elegant, haunting dystopian novel about individuals relearning how to navigate the world after a mysterious illness strips them of their memories
The Bird Watcher by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Release Date: December 9, 2025
A page-turning drama that explores the beauty of female friendship; the relationship between money, power, and sex; and the very human desire to protect the ones we love most.
More On The Blog
- How to Reset Your Reading Habit This Fall (with a 7-Day Challenge)
- Best New Fantasy Books of 2025
- Book Review: Overruled by Lana Ferguson
Which new book releases are you looking forward to in November 2025?
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