'I read 78 "basic bitch" books in 2025. There are only a few I can't stop thinking about.'

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My taste in books is niche, spicy and objectively basic. Nothing highbrow for me, thanks. I keep things low.

College romances. Ice hockey romances. Romance fantasy (or romantasy). Contemporary romances. Cowboy romances set on ranches. Deliciously slow-burn romance books, but only if they eventually lead to well-written smut.

Christmas romance books are the only niche subgenre left unread — I'll do better this year.

Watch: Have you read any of the MM team's top beach reads? Post continues below.

My top romance and fantasy books of 2025.

Although re-discovering (and re-prioritising) reading has brought me so much joy and connection this year, I have to admit… I'm at the stage where I'm reading so many books, I kinda can't recall what many of them are about.

I'm not trying to brag; to be fair, cover art changes a lot. Once I read the first sentence of the Good Reads synopsis, I can (usually) remember whether I've read it or not.

But of all the books I've devoured in 2025, there are only a handful that consume my thoughts on a weekly — if not daily — basis.

Hat Trick (D.C. Stars Book 4) by Chelsea Curto.

Image: Amazon.

Ice hockey romance readers have probably heard of the Off Campus books; as much as I love The Deal and can't wait to see Garret Graham in the TV adaptation, D.C. Stars is the superior series.

I've read them all except book three (couldn't tell you why) and book five (it's new, and next on my list), but Hat Trick is the one that had me reading 'til 3am.

When NHL — National Hockey League, for anyone new to ice hockey smut — Stanley Cup winner Riley Mitchell is in a car accident that leaves him an amputee, athletic trainer Lexi Armstrong is determined to pull him out of his depression, and maybe even back onto the ice.

Being friends with benefits wasn't part of the rehab plan… but it's a classic smut trope for a reason.

Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin Book 1) by Sable Sorensen.

Image: Amazon.

You know I've read almost every Fourth Wing, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Quicksilver romance fantasy comparison.

Some were epic (like Helen Scheuerer's Blood & Steel and The Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider). Others were average (like Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry). Dire Bound was so good, I was devastated to learn the sequel is still being written.

Similarly to Fourth Wing, Dire Bound sees humans train and compete in high-stakes trials to become Bonded; only they're bonded to direwolves who can communicate and channel powers, rather than dragons.

Game Changer and Heated Rivalry (Game Changers Books 1, 2) by Rachel Reid.

Image: Amazon.

These two books snuck in during the last month of 2025 thanks to the highly enjoyable Heated Rivalry book-to-screen adaptation on HBO.

When I saw the trailer for the queer rivals-to-lovers ice hockey romance, I powered through the book of the same name in a weekend. Now, I'm one of the millions of people irrationally obsessed with Hollander and Rozanov.

But here's the thing… Heated Rivalry is the second book in the series. It wasn't until episode three of the TV show brought in a dual timeline side quest that I picked up the first novel, Game Changer.

Both books and the TV show are all-consuming. I will read the remaining books in the coming months.

In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros.

Image: Amazon.

Yes, I read Rebecca Yarros' new release, Onyx Storm. I'm not an animal.

I did spend a lot of time thinking about that bloody book — mostly because I kept getting everyone's names mixed up — but this little-known contemporary romance from the same author got me good.

In the Likely Event starts 10 years on from a plane crash that sees two complete strangers form an undeniable connection. Only, when the pair randomly reunite a decade later, the chemistry is gone, and the relationship seems beyond repair.

Told from dual perspectives, jumping back and forth between the past and the present (much like Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation), this book has you asking how things could've gone so wrong — and if these two people can make it right.

Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn.

Image: Amazon.

Last but not least, the completely random dark horse book of the bunch.

I downloaded Till Summer Do Us Part because the cover art reminded me of an Emily Henry novel. The batshit but highly amusing plot, male character's hilarious POV and five chilli spice scenes had me chuckling on the couch like my husband watching TikToks on Reels.

After lying about being married to chummy up to her boss and one-up her smug married colleagues, the very single Scottie Price finds herself attending a couples retreat with Wilder Wells, a bored millionaire who is definitely not her husband.

Not-safe-for-work chaos ensues. It's laugh-out -loud funny; the perfect holiday read.

My extended 2025 reading list.

Pro tip: Having a Kindle Unlimited subscription ($13.99 per month in Australia) means I can 'borrow and return' books on Amazon as often as I like.

Are they always the newest, hottest, most high-brow literary releases? God no. But Kindle Unlimited adds new titles to its library regularly, and seems to specialise in books of the "basic bitch" variety.

TikTok and Good Reads were great places to start researching books, but I discovered most of my favourite reads of the year simply because they were available on Kindle Unlimited. It's how I've been able to read so many, without going into debt.

If you're interested, or just looking for a new book to read, here are all the other books I read this year… including a few DNFs (did not finish):

1. Face Off (D.C. Stars Book 1) by Chelsea Curto - ice hockey romance

2. Power Play (D.C. Stars Book 2) by Chelsea Curto - ice hockey romance

3. Hat Trick (D.C. Stars Book 4) by Chelsea Curto - ice hockey romance

4. The Wolf King (The Wolf King Book 1) by Lauren Palphreyman - romantasy

5. The Night Prince (The Wolf King Book 2) by Lauren Palphreyman - romantasy

6. Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin Book 1) by Sable Sorensen - romantasy

7. Onyx Storm (The Empyrean Book 3) by Rebecca Yarros - romantasy

8. The Book of Azrael (Gods & Monsters Book 1) by Amber V. Nicole - romantasy

9. Kiss and Don't Tell (The Agitators Series Book 1) by Meghan Quinn - ice hockey romance

10. The Unlikely Heir (Unlikely Dilemmas Book 1) by Jax Calder - MM rom-com

11. The Unlikely Pair (Unlikely Dilemmas Book 2) by Jax Calder - MM rom-com

12. Behind the Net (Vancouver Storm Book 1) by Stephanie Archer - ice hockey romance

13. The Fake Out (Vancouver Storm Book 2) by Stephanie Archer - ice hockey romance

14. Camera Chemistry (Love through a Lens Book 1) by Chelsea Curto - romance novella

15. Faking with Benefits by Lily Gold - spicy rom-com, did not finish

16. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - rom-com

17. Love Overdue by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus - rom-com

18. The Defender by Ana Huang - sports romance

19. The Chase (Brair U Book 1) by Elle Kennedy - ice hockey romance

20. Game Changer (Game Changers Book 1) by Rachel Reid - ice hockey romance

21. Heated Rivalry (Game Changers Book 2) by Rachel Reid - ice hockey romance

22. Bride by Ali Hazelwood - romantasy

23. Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal Book 1) by Rachel Schneider - romantasy

24. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood - rom-com

25. Mile High (Windy City Book 1) by Liz Tomforde - ice hockey romance

26. The Right Move (Windy City Book 2) by Liz Tomforde - basketball romance

27. Caught Up (Windy City Book 3) by Liz Tomforde - baseball romance

28. Play Along (Windy City Book 4) by Liz Tomforde - baseball romance

29. Rewind It Back (Windy City Book 5) by Liz Tomforde - ice hockey romance

30. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood - college sports romance

31. Beach Read by Emily Henry - contemporary romance

32. Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch Book 1) by Lyla Sage - cowboy romance

33. Lost and Lassoed (Rebel Blue Ranch Book 3) by Lyla Sage - cowboy romance

34. Bridesmaid for Hire by Meghan Quinn - rom-com

35. Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn- rom-com

36. Bridesmaid By Chance by Meghan Quinn - rom-com

37. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry - romantasy

38. The Deal (Off Campus Book 1) by Elle Kennedy - ice hockey romance

39. The Mistake (Off Campus Book 2) by Elle Kennedy - ice hockey romance

40. The Score (Off Campus Book 3) by Elle Kennedy - ice hockey romance

41. Book Lovers by Emily Henry - rom-com

42. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan - rom-com

43. Silver Elite by Dani Francis - romantasy

44. Gild (Plated Prisoner Book 1) by Raven Kennedy - romantasy

45. Glint (Plated Prisoner Book 2) by Raven Kennedy - romantasy

46. Gleam (Plated Prisoner Book 3) by Raven Kennedy - romantasy

47. Glow (Plated Prisoner Book 4) by Raven Kennedy - romantasy, did not finish

48. Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren Roberts - romantasy

49. Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy Book 2) by Lauren Roberts - romantasy

50. Fearless (The Powerless Trilogy Book 3) by Lauren Roberts - romantasy

51. Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1) by Callie Hart - romantasy

52. Reckless (Chestnut Springs Book 4) by Elsie Silver - cowboy romance

53. Hopeless (Chestnut Springs Book 5) by Elsie Silver - cowboy romance

54. Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth Book 1) by Kristen Ciccarelli - romantasy

55. Before We Came (Lakes Hockey Book 1) by Sloane St. James - ice hockey romance

56. Forged in Blood (Broken Bloodlines Book 1) by Sadie Kincaid - romantasy

57. Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn - rom-com

58. The Love Interest by Victoria Walters - rom-com

59. A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly (Compelling Fates Saga Book 1) by Sophia St. Germain - romantasy

60. Say You Swear (Boys of Avix Book 1) by Meagan Brandy - college romance

61. Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 1) by Helen Scheuerer - romantasy

62. Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 2) by Helen Scheuerer - romantasy

63. Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 3) by Helen Scheuerer - romantasy, did not finish

64. Phantasma (Wicked Games Book 1) by Kaylie Smith - romantasy

65. Unlikely Story by Ali Rosen - rom-com

66. A Little Too Close (Madigan Mountain Book 1) by Rebecca Yarros - contemporary romance

67. A Little Too Wild (Madigan Mountain Book 2) by Devney Perry - contemporary romance

68. The Plot Twist by Victoria Walters - rom-com

69. Off to the Races (Gold Rush Ranch Book 1) by Elsie Silver - cowboy romance

70. A Photo Finish (Gold Rush Ranch Book 2) by Elsie Silver - cowboy romance

71. Cocky Score (The Hawkeyes Hockey Series Book 1) by Kenna King - ice hockey romance

72. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover - contemporary romance

73. Icebreaker (Maple Hills Book 1) by Hannah Grace - ice hockey romance

74. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall - rom-com

75. In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros - contemporary romance

76. Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti - romantasy

77. Zodiac Academy 8: Sorrow and Starlight by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti - romantasy

78. Zodiac Academy 9: Restless Stars by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti - romantasy

For more book recommendations, listen to Mamamia Out Loud's Summer Bookclub podcast below.

Feature image: Supplied.