The Best Romance & Romantasy Books of 2025 and Most Anticipated of 2026 | Booked & Busy w/ Olivia Ponton

Hi, angels. Welcome back to another episode of Bookton Busy. And this episode is brought to you by Amazon Books. Today's episode is going to be very special because we are having Abby Able join us from the Amazon Editors team. They are a group of literary experts whose jobs are to quite literally read thousands of books to help us understand what our next favorite read is going to be. In this episode, we will be diving into the best romance and romance to see books of 2025, the most anticipated reads of 2026. And the big romance trends that we will hopefully be seeing in 2026 and hopefully loads of pages screen adaptations. So without further ado, let's introduce the guest Abby Able. Welcome Abby Able to Bookton Busy. I'm so excited to be here. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. Thank you for coming. So for those who don't know, we have a beautiful Amazon editor here today. First of all, I just want to go through like what does an Amazon editor do on the day to day? Yeah, absolutely. So we are a group of seven so small but mighty. And so we have kind of a wide range of publishing experience. We are book lovers. And so we read thousands of books a year across genres before they publish to pick out the books that we think readers are going to love the most from kind of the huge selection that Amazon has to offer. Time is precious. And so we want to kind of create this curated list of books that we love and that we think readers will love to say. So how many books are you reading per year? So I'm definitely reading well over a hundred. You know, I've decided I don't want to know. It's like how much I'm spending on skincare. It's nobody's business, not even mine. But well over a hundred and definitely across the team thousands. Okay. Your day work life. Explain kind of what that looks like. And are you guys like in an office together? Are you guys all? We're all over. So I'm in Charleston. We've got New York. We've got Seattle. And so we have meetings where we're talking about the books we're reading. We're generally reading books months before they're going to publish. And so we're reading across genres. And then we all kind of specialize in a genre as well. So I love literary fiction. I love fantasy. But I specialize in romance and romance to see. Okay. So I'm reading a little bit of that. And then we're getting in rooms. We're debating. We're whittling down from, you know, 75 to 100 titles a month down to what we think the best kind of top 10 books are per month. Wow. So what makes a book get into that like top 10 to 12 books per month? Like what? It's not so. Great question. No, there's so many things. So I think one, you know, we want variety. So I think we really want a book for a reader of every day. So with romance, what I'm thinking about is like, I want the best written books, obviously, that I think are going to be the most fun and that I love the most. But I'm also thinking about, okay, that regency romance reader who wants a period romance. Like is that on the list for the enemies to lovers reader? Like the tropes. Am I covering a wide variety of tropes? And so we're really kind of looking for that because we want whether you read one book a year or 50 books a year, we want you to be able to find something on our list. I've always been curious about when you guys send the list. I'm like, how does someone get on that list versus like, how do I feel? And it's impossible. And I think like our biggest fear is always, oh gosh, are we going to miss something? Because there are so many incredible books and it's subjective. But we've been doing this a long time collectively. We trust our instincts. And we trust that we're picking books that are really going to resonate. And I think there's also that combination of the best sellers are probably going to end up on the list sometimes. But also there are those amazing debuts and hidden gems that we really want to draw more attention to as well. I think that's special because some authors don't get as much light. So it's good that you guys shine that onto them. Absolutely. So I'm going to go through 2025. Yeah. Romanticies. Yes. Specifically, I'm a man, interesting girl. I know. Go through. I guess a few of them that made the list and give the people that are watching a little bit of a synopsis on the books. And if they want to pick them up, they were on the list for 2025. They were. So I will say one 2025 phenomenal year for Romanticie. So many good books. We know. Yeah. So the first one I'm going to talk about is Alchemized by Sennlin you. So top Romanticie of 2025. My personal top book of the year. Really? Yes. It's daunted me a bit because of how large the book is. We actually have it right here. It is not for the faint of heart. No. No, no, no, no. It is about, let's see how many pages it is, 937. Tell us a little bit about. So what I'll say. So great backstory with this. So this started as Harry Potter fanfiction. Yeah. No. Called Manacled. That the author wrote Sennlin you. And then it was picked up by a publisher and she rewrote it. And we got Alchemized. Which is just a fascinating story. It is an incredibly dark romantic fantasy. Okay. So, you know, beware going into it. But it is so all consuming. It is so beautifully written. There's enemies to lovers. The world building is spectacular. This is one of those books that I just the second I could pick it up. I had to pick it up again. I could not like it consumed my life. And yeah, it's almost a thousand pages. But I think like if all of those things like emotional devastation, and that sounds like a good time to you, this is the book. This is the book. Wow. I know I've heard a lot about it on book talk. It's like all over me. It's where you pay all over. And I mean, it is, you know, it's dark. And I think it is not for everybody. And I think that's completely fair. But for me, I just thought it was spectacular and something you could get lost in. So I can't recommend it enough. Well, then this is maybe next. I feel like I need. Yeah, I always need someone to like push me over the edge to be like, okay, I need to commit to this. Because it is a commitment. It is. Yeah. Okay. So what are some of the other ones? Okay. So then a couple of the others silver elite by Danny Francis. So this is dystopian romance, which isn't having a bit of a resurgence, which I'm loving. And so I think the difference between dystopian romance and romanticy is romanticy's got more of that magical element drag and monsters, which to be clear love dystopia, though, is more of these futuristic societies. And so that's what we have here. And so this one follows Ren, who's this incredibly powerful psychic, and she becomes a spy in this enemy's elite training program under Commander Cross Redden. So a couple things with this book. One, Ren is this unapologetic badass, which I found so refreshing. I think sometimes we get these heroines who like, they're timid at first. No, she knows she's exceptional and she owns it. And I loved that. That is my one thing. Sometimes when I'm reading a fantasy or romanticy book is sometimes they're a little pick me. Yes. And I'm like, girl, come on. Come on. Come on. And it's also like, we don't know what this is going to get there. She's there. So I love Ren. And then the other things I'll say about this one is it's incredibly sexy. Really? Yes. Uh, twisty. And then there's some entry here because we don't know who the author is. So it's Danny Princess, but we don't know who Danny Francis is. Oh, it's a pen name. Mm hmm. Interesting. And we don't know for him. So is it an established author? Is it a new author? We don't know. Um, but the sequel comes out this year. Yeah. In this one ended with a jaw dropping, uh, final page. So I loved this one. I think I prefer dystopian rumours. Oh, I'm not going to lie. I think it's because I enjoy watching dystopian. Yes. Well, and I think to dystopia, you know, the Hunger Games divergent, like it really had a moment. And then it's kind of faded. And now I feel like it's coming back. And I'm, I'm thrilled to see it. Okay. So, forbidden alchemy. So this one surprised me. So I said that this was a cross between the Hunger Games and Peaky Blinders. I've never watched Peaky Blinders. Okay. And I love like the Hunger Games is my favorite movie. So that seems it's I love when it has a map. I know. Give me a map all day. Um, and it's yeah, so beautiful. So this is, um, a little bit grittier. And so this follows Patrick and Nina. They meet his children and they discover the secret that can kind of up end society. And then a magical class war starts. A magical what? Class wars. Oh, kind of the haves. Yeah. Have it relates when a book has, yeah. And years later, Patrick kidnapped Nina to help him with the rebel cause because he is on the rebel side of the war. And she agrees the chemistry between these two is some of the best chemistry. I run 2025. It is so good. It is gut-wrenching. But the sequel to this comes out in maybe July. And I cannot wait. So I love it. I love love it. Yes. What's the trope in this? Sort of enemies to love rooms, but also forbidden romance for sure. They are on opposite side. Okay. Um, and you can't trust anybody's allegiances. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So good. Okay. We have ladies in, so yeah. So now we're going to romance. Okay. And so these were some of our top romances of 2025. So with Bridgerton coming out, I had to include a Regency romance. And so I'm an Alexandra Vasty fan girl. She is so much fun. Her Regency romances are just an absolute delight. This one follows Georgina Cleve and Lady Darling and their competing Gothic authors. And they get trapped at a haunted mansion. So we've got force proximity. We've got enemies to lovers. And of course, their rivalry turns into, you know, intense chemistry. And her books are just, they're so witty. They're so charming. They make you just like want to like squeal and kick your feet as you're reading them. So I just I love her. And it's LGBTQ. It is. Okay. Lovely that you added some of those apps. Absolutely. It's just there's so much fun. This is part of a series, but you can read each of them as a standalone. I love series like that. I do too. It's nice to just be able to pick up when you want to pick up. But yeah. So next we have deepened by Ali Hazelwood. I have heard incredible, incredible, incredible things about this specific book. I love as Ali Hazelwood. I read Bride by her. Oh my gosh. And Twilight with sex. Yeah. Honestly, like yeah, I know. But so give me a little synopsis about this. Yeah. So Ali Hazelwood. So she published three books last year, which is bananas. And they were all so good. But deepened was the one that surprised me the most. And I read this back in January of last year. And I couldn't stop thinking about it the whole year. And so this follows a diver and a swimmer at Stanford. And they discover a shared secret. And so they enter into this mutually agreed upon arrangement that of course becomes so much more. And so this book is surprisingly vulnerable and honest and sexy in a way that surprised me. I kind of don't want to say too much more. But I did not stop thinking about this book all year. I loved it so much. So what kind of reader is this for? I mean, I would say obviously if you're an Ali Hazelwood fan, which who isn't. I would say, you know, the main characters are younger. Okay. So they're in college. So that's something to know. But I would say if you're into I would say a bit more of an emotional romance. That has a this is for you. The emotional girl is out here. Yeah. This is it. So good. So last book from the last of 2025. Did you read this? No, I haven't my best friend and she told me like it has to be on my team. Like very very very tapety top. Yeah, it is a vacation in book form. So Carly Fortune is just so good. She is the queen of the beach read. And so this gives us Charlie Florek story. And so we meet Charlie in Carly Fortune's first book every summer after. Okay. He's the older brother who we don't like just setting that expectation now. We get his story here. Alice. She and her grandmother go to the lake that they used to visit as kids. She immediately meets Charlie and sparks fly. It's life affirming. It's sweet. It's sexy. I did not want it to end. And I will say Charlie Florek was my top book boyfriend of 20. Oh my gosh. Wow. That's that's I know. There's so that's a title. It's so good. I will also say that every summer after the first book by her is being turned into a show on prime video and Charlie Florek will be one of the characters. I love this book. It's just a joy. This may be a hard question. If you had to choose your top three. Oh, I know. I know. From the 2025 list. Yeah. Which would the 3B. Okay. Deep end. Okay. Surprising vulnerability and sexiness alchemized because I was just completely consumed. And then one golden summer because it's just so warm and just like you can tell as I talk about it that I'm like giddy. So I just I think those would be my top three. But I mean very hard question. And I think while they're all still in the genre of romanticy, they're they seem like they have quite different kind of back stories and tropes and kind of that. I feel like for me as a reader I can't read two dystopian back to back or two B-trees back to back. I feel like I have to kind of switch up. You got to switch it up. So now that we talked about 2025, we're going to go forward and talk about 2026. Obviously we don't have the physical books with us in person because they are still coming out right now. But kind of talk me through how you figured out which of these books should be on the list, which books have you read, which have been your favorite. Totally. So first to call out this is the best books of 2026 or the most anticipated of 2026 so far. So like this does not even get us through June. And this is not everything. I mean we would have a five hour long podcast. And so not all encompassing. I just have to say that. But we've got some romanticy. We've got some romance. So I think thinking about across genres and things like that. Okay. So the first book in the 2026 that we have in person is a vow in vengeance. Yes. So by Jacqueline Rodriguez, it's a debut romanticy. It's out now. And so I said that this one passed my toothbrush test, which I know I'm obsessed with a book if I have to turn on my Kindle app on my phone and keep reading as I'm brushing my teeth. It's like, okay. Oh, I am addicted. Mine would be if I have to find an audio book and listen to a laminate shower. That would probably be my yes. My test synopsis about this synopsis. So this is a world of immortals and mortals. And the magical world is centered around tarot cards, which I'm seeing. Yeah. And I'm loving. I've never even seen a book about. Yeah. And I know nothing about tarot, but it's so interesting and unique. And again, I will always love dragons. I wish they were real. I would want one. That being said, it's great that we're branching out. And this book does a great job with the world building. And the tropes here are enemies to lovers. We've got force proximity. We've got a shadow daddy, which is a thing. What's that? So Zaden from Fourth Wing. Yeah. You know how he has the shadows. Oh, yeah. Oh, I don't even know if that was a trip. It is a trope. I know. I'm saying shadow daddy. Okay. Next book. Yeah. You have. And now back to you. BK Morrison. So BK Morrison has been around a while. She's great. I think she's becoming more and more of a household name, which makes me really excited because she's so good. So this is a second book in a series, but they can be read as a standalone. And so each book is loosely based on a classic romantic comedy. So this one's based on when Harry met Sally. Interesting. And so it's about competing meteorologists who are forced to work together when a big winter storm is coming. We get force proximity. We get opposites attract. And it is just so charming, so vulnerable, so witty, sexy. And again, like BK Morrison is an author like when I read her books, I feel giddy. And that is what this book is. I loved this one so much. She that's really cute. It's really cute. And perfect for the cold weather. Yeah, the snow storm that we're about to know storm that we're about. Yes. The next one we have is the night we met. Yes. So Abby him and us. So she is a huge name in romance. And she is. She's so good. Her stories are so human. I kind of always expect to be emotionally devastated. But then healed by the end. Well, and again, I know people are listening to be like, yes, I love emotion. I've never read anything from her. And I honestly, her and Carly Fortune, I don't know how I have never read anything by them. I mean, I think it's there's so much out there. So there's so many books. There's so many books. And that's why it's great that you guys are here to tell us. Yes, exactly. We can little it down. Time is valuable. We're not getting it back. And you know, reading a book is a commitment. And so you want to make sure you have help, you know, picking a book that you're going to love. Now we have our perfect storm. Carly Fortune, she's back. I'm so excited. So this one is about Frankie. And I have not read it yet. It's sitting on my bookshelf taunting me. Frankie gets dumped right before her wedding. Okay. And so her estranged best friend, George, convinces her to go on her honeymoon with him to kind of heal her broken heart, but also their friendship and potentially more. That's, I mean, that's all I need to say. Next book is star side. I love Alex Astor. She's an author that I know I could read any book by her and be completely obsessed with. I think her writing style, her world building, her just personality as a whole. I think shines through her books in a way that I've never seen with an author before. And it's like little bits and pieces of her jumbled up into this like incredible storyline. And we had her. Oh, I listened to it. And it was so good. My first author. And I was like, we, you know, come on. Really? I need to finish our series. That is definitely on my TBR, but star side, give us a little synopsis for people watching. Well, I think I mean, you just did such an amazing job. So this is her adult romanticy debut, which I mean, she's just going to kill it. Like, I just feel so confident, even summer in the city, which was her adult romance last year. Like that, even the world building in that of New York City, which sounds ridiculous, but it was this beautiful love letter to the city as much as anything else. And so this one is also Immortals versus Immortals. Okay. And we have Immortal Ares who wants revenge against the gods who burned down her village and killed her family. There is a magical quest. There are monsters. There is enemies to lovers. I don't need to know anything else. So I am here for it. And it is also it is sitting at home. And it's like, I must read this book. Dolly of all time. Next book. Yes. So Annabelle Monahan. And so I love Annabelle. Her books. She writes women that I want to be best friends with, which I think is sometimes tough. Like, you don't always resonate with the female lead. Yeah. And it depends. And that's fine. And sometimes it's an escape. But with Annabelle Monahan, I want to be best friends with them. And so they're always incredibly smart and witty and charming. I will say they're more closed door in terms of the sex scene. So. Okay. Yeah. So if you don't want to read that. That's good for you. Isn't it? Yeah. Which is not my concern. But this one is fake dating between a single mom and then a wealthy family sion. Like a succession type. Interesting. Yes. Her books are great for spring summer. Yeah. And she's just she's so good. The next one is the ballad of Fallen Dragon. Yes. Yes, yes. So this one toes the line. I would say a fantasy romanticy a little bit. This is the sequel to When the moon hatched which was a fantasy or a romanticy that came out in 2024 and it was huge The writing is just incredibly beautiful and Lyrical the love story will like make your heart ache and so this is the sequel to that and so I think this is one that Everybody is very excited about and we've been waiting a little bit longer for this one. Okay, and that's okay Sometimes you need to let them cook in their kitchen a little bit a hundred percent make it like a hundred percent Ready next book is the name in the moon. Yes, so lady nights had a big moment in 2025 And this book I would say was the biggest lady night book everybody loved it So it's kind of a gothic fairy tale. So this is the sequel that comes out This one might be a little bit later it comes out in July, but I would say like the night in the moth was just so filled with yearning and the trails and Enemies to lovers and there was a shocking shocking Twist at the end and this book is going to pick up with civil or leading lady married or engaged to the king and I think this is probably Everybody who's read you know a lot of romanticy one of their most exciting, you know, sequels coming out in 2026 The last one is rights of the Starling. Yes, and so this is a sequel to the 2025 Shield of Sparrows. Shield of Sparrows was a romanticy that I specifically loved because I thought the world was completely different So it's kingdoms that live under constant fear of monsters and then there is a uniting of kingdoms to figure out how to protect them It's got this really great delicious slow burn enemies to lovers romance. It's also being made into a film from Amazon MGM Studios. Yeah, and the first one the first one and so this is the sequel, which I want to say comes out I think this comes out in May. Again, this is the see like what I would say one of the most hotly anticipated sequels of 2026 and again one of the more unique That I feel like I read that we're seeing. Okay. Can I add one more of course? Which I'm just horrified that I didn't include it to begin with and it's score by Kennedy Ryan So Kennedy Ryan is just such a beautiful storyteller, okay, and like scorchingly hot writer and so score is a second chance romance and it's about a screenwriter and a musician who come together 10 years after their breakup to work on a biopic about the Harlem Renaissance And so I just know that this book is going to be like a love letter to New York It's going to be poignant. It's going to be heartbreaking. It's going to be incredibly sexy and as I was like looking through the books I was like how did I not include Kennedy Ryan? So I just had to get that in there. I'm sorry. No, I'll stop fine I know I like hearing these things because that's what we as readers want to know is the people who are reading the hundred Books a year. What do you actually like from these books that we just talked about in 2026? I want to talk about trends because I feel like now with social media One book can get blown up on book talk and then that's the entire author's career and that day that really blows you up So what kind of trends are you seeing in the 2026 most anticipated? Yeah So I think page-to-screen adaptations are huge and I think again, you know romcoms used to be huge and then I think they fell they became uncool and I don't know why but they're coming back And I think we're seeing this great page-to-screen adaptation moment. I want to talk about page-to-screen adaptations Okay, I feel like a proper second because yeah, there was a lot There was a lot. I think I watched all of them that are That we're going to be talking about today. I would say my most anticipated one that is on this list is Verity Colleen Hoover is one of the authors that got me into reading she was definitely a comfort author I read pretty much every single book by her but Verity was one of the First books that I read I don't always read a synopsis about a book before I look into it and I start reading and Verity I didn't really know what the book was about. I saw the cover. I knew that I liked Colleen Hoover. I was like, okay, let's do it Oh my gosh, I was tossed around reading this book. I could talk about this for 30 minutes I was in Tahiti with a bunch of my friends. I Could not put this book down. I was bringing it with me on boat rides when everyone was going diving I was like guys I need to stand the boat. I need to I need to I need to read this book So that one I'm very very very excited to see the pages green I think it comes out in December. I think so and the casting is so insane by the way. Yeah, so the next one would be People we met on vacation. What did you think about the did you watch it? I did. Okay. What did you think? I loved it. So I have so when I love Emily Henry, I've read all her books. She is just a master I haven't read people we meet on vacation in a long time. I okay in a long time And I tend to believe that that is the way to do it with page-to-screen adaptations I think when you read the book too closely or you reread before the movie comes out You had these expectations that they have to be the same and they're never going to be and so I didn't have those And so I enjoyed it. I read it right before I watched it. How did you feel? It was very different. Yes Like I was watching it was like press christia wait this didn't happen But then I also think on the other side they hit a lot of Things that I didn't think they were going to be able to like the emotions the feelings The portraying the characters a certain way like I loved pop you on the screen. She was great In the book I was that I like oh my gosh, I agree But on film I was like this actress is just yeah completely just took this character in broader life And I thought it was very impressive So my next one we're gonna talk about the heated rivalry I've been talking about heat arrival really rivalery all weekend with my friends Because one of my Friends he's an older gay man and he just watched it for the first time And he was like I've never cried so much during a show. I love it I think it also is giving a huge push to LGBTQ romance. Yes as a whole what are some of the LGBT Q anticipated books for 2026 or loved ones from 2025 Yes, so we talked about ladies in hating loved that one I think since we're on heated rivalry So Rachel Reid has announced the seventh book that will come out. I know in September I don't want to say too much about it in case people haven't watched heated rivalry But it will be about Ilya and Shane. So I mean just yes So I think we're gonna see more of these LT LGBTQ IA plus you know Sports romances in particular, but I think it also like you said it's worth noting like there are just some great Queer romances that I feel like don't always get there do But I think for a sports perspective a couple that I'm excited about. There's one called I think it's an open era the open era. It's a tennis romance. I love tennis So I'm very excited and so it follows the number one tennis player in the world He's openly gay and then the number two tennis player who may or may not be gay And so they strike up a friendship Off the court, but then they have this intense rivalry on the court during the US open Oh, I'm in during US. I know. Next we are going into the dark academia, which is my personal Favorite anything that is dark academia. I know I'm going to be obsessed with and I guess we'll just go through the most anticipated for 2026 with that. Yes. I agree I love dark academia. It's one of my favorites So I think a few so first is half city. I've heard and great like I've been recommended it is by numerous people My team is like you don't wait that it is so good So Kate golden has already written a great romanticie series the sacred stone series She also wrote a rock star romance last year that I loved and I'm not normally a rock star romance. Yeah girl And so this one is about a demon hunter who enrolls in a school which I mean give me Give me a school give me a training program and I'm in um And so she enrolls in a school for demon hunters and things Immediately start going awry. It's just a lot of fun And it's so well done. Kate golden is such a great writer. So I Loved this one and I want to say this comes out in February. So very very soon. That's number one Have beneath by aero Sullivan. Yes. Did you read conform? Yes That is probably the book that I've thought about the most this year since reading Anyways, do you want to give a little snops back? Yeah, so conform 2025 dystopian romance So good. I was nervous because I don't love a love triangle. It really so much anxiety. I just give me my man I love a love triangle most of the time because I like the back and forth and like undecisiveness I like reading that I would never want to lift that Of course. Yeah, and so I think like conform was just so good and such a unique world And so beneath I think this is really interesting what the author's doing. So this is a prequel that takes place hundreds of years before The events in conform wow. I didn't know that. Yeah, I have it sitting. I've been it sitting in my apartment right now Yeah, and I want to say that's my March. So I think, yeah, so I'm very excited about that one. The last one is broken up. So I've already talked about silver elite. So this is a sequel to silver elite, one of my favorite romant or wealth, dystopian romances of 2025. And so this picks up after the events of book one. So I don't want to spoil too much, but what I will say is we're definitely getting a love triangle. We're getting more shocking secrets, we're getting shifting alliances. And now, Ren is with the Rebels. I cannot wait. And this one is sitting on my bedside table and just waiting to be devoured. So it is going to happen soon. So that is pretty much the wrap up of the episode. But I want to leave it off with any final words, any other book recommendations that you've been thinking about or anything that you're excited for 2026 with reading. So first, thank you so much for having me. This is so much fun. I would say that one, we barely scratched the surface of what 2026 is going to bring. There's so much good romance. If there's one that just came to the top of my head as we've been talking, star shipped by cat Sebastian, it is a gay contemporary romance. It is one of my most anticipated books of the year. And I can't believe I didn't talk about it. - So you heard it here. I think I'm just giving book recommendations. - Oh my gosh, I could talk about this. Yeah, we got to do this again. - It's your job. - Have a the year, I love this. - Okay, so now we're going into how Amazon editors can help you guys figure out your next read. - Yes, absolutely. So we offer best books of the month, which overall, and then across genre. So if you're a sci-fi fantasy fan or you're a romance fantasy fan, you can dive into those specific categories. We have our best books of the year so far, best books of the year. And then also you can find our reviews of books, author interviews and things like that on our Amazon book review. - And if you want to hear from more Amazon editors, you can go to amazon.com/amazonbookreview. - Thank you everyone for watching this episode of Bookton Busy and for watching this beautiful conversation we had. (gentle music)