Bubbling up with Helena

This was a different reading year for me. I started the year very pregnant, which did not lend itself to a lot of reading. Then, of course, I was deep in the newborn trenches. Again, not a lot of reading happening there. Eventually, I did get back more into a reading groove, but I didn’t read as many books as I did last year.

I did spend a lot of time reading to my son, which was so special. I can’t wait to continue sharing my love of books with him.

Here are some of my favorite reads of the year.

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

• Summary: Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created, but never imagining she’ll actually get it. Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities. Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani’s job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it’s worth taking a risk on a second chance.
• Why I Loved It: I actually read this book twice in 2025, and I loved it as much the second time as I did the first. You can read my five star review here. It is not only a beautiful romance novel with charming characters, but it is a lovely tribute to Amsterdam.
• Who I Recommend it For: Fans of second chance romance and marriage of convenience, but also anyone who loves to travel.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

• Summary: An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost. When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he not only agrees to help, but also finds himself thawing. Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone… and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.
• Why I Loved It: I am not usually a witchy book girl, but I loved this one and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. This book felt like drinking a warm cup of tea. The characters and world jump off the page.
• Who I Recommend it For: Anyone who is looking for a cozy magical read.

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee

• Summary: She’s read every romance…except her own…Irene Park loves romance novels—so much so she’s made a career of them as an online book reviewer with a massive following. But Irene’s real life dating story? Non-existent. So when she starts her freshman year of college, she sets her sights on finding true love using the one thing she really understands…romance book tropes. If only it were that easy. Enter Aiden Jeon, Irene’s online book review rival and biggest nemesis. When Aiden challenges her to see who can find love-by-trope first, he becomes the one person standing in her way to getting everything she wants both professionally and personally, too. So when the competition takes an unexpected turn, forcing the two of them to have to partner in the ultimate trope, fake dating, Irene is not prepared for everything she believed about romance, and Aiden, to flip on its head. As Irene tackles the challenges of college life, struggles to figure out what she really wants for herself, all while trying to win the race for love, Irene realizes the answers may not be found in a romance novel. Happily Ever Afters seem so easy on page. But for Irene to find her ultimate HEA, she’ll have to get her nose out of the book and become the main character of her own story.
  • Perfect for fans of:
    • 📚 Enemies to Lovers
    • 💘 Fake Dating
    • 🏫 College Rom-Coms
    • 💬 Banter for Days
    • 🎥 A+ Pop Culture References
    • ✨ Books about loving books
• Why I Loved It: Well, you can read my full gushing review here. Lee’s work is so much fun. It’s hard not to smile while reading a book by her.
• Who I Recommend it For: Anyone who likes romance novels.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

• Summary: In seven days Jet Mason will be dead. Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder. She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm. Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend. She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something: Jet is going to solve her own murder.
• Why I Loved It: Jackson’s work has rocked my world. She writes thrillers like no one else. This one had me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want to stop reading it.
• Who I Recommend it For: Anyone who loves a good thriller or murder mystery, especially one with a lot of twists and turns.

Isn’t it Obvious by Rachel Runya Katz

• Summary: After a meet-disaster, a podcaster and her producer fall in love over email without realizing they know (and hate) each other in real life. When high school librarian Yael’s secret podcast starts to take off, she decides to hire Kevin, a remote freelance editor/producer so she can manage juggling her mental health, day job, and the queer teen book club she’s been hosting at school after hours. To maintain her anonymity, they communicate strictly via email and Kevin only knows her by her podcast persona, Elle. Little does Yael know that Kevin, who in real life goes by his middle name, Ravi, is the same man she tore apart for climbing out of her bedroom window after a one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. And she certainly never expects him to show up to volunteer at her book club. In person, Yael and Ravi clash until their sparks turn into something more. Over email, Elle and Kevin are starting to fall hard when they decide to keep things strictly professional. But when Ravi discovers the truth, will keeping it a secret mean the end of everything he’s built with Yael/Elle? And what happens when she finds out? Will they fall twice as hard, or cut ties in more ways than one?
• Why I Loved It: This is yet another one that I reviewed and gushed about. You can read my review here. I loved the Jewish and mental health representation in this one but also the love of books the main characters exude.
• Who I Recommend it For: Former English teachers like me.

Honorable Mentions

• The Rival by Emma Lord
• For the Record by Emma Lord
• Gone before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben
• Disney Adult by AJ Wolfe
• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins