Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2025
Another year has passed in which books have brought all of us a much-needed escape and sense of comfort. Our Love Bytes team reviewed approximately 800 LGBTQ+ books in 2025, from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy, and everything in between. Each day for the next weeks, we will feature one of our reviewers’ top picks from books and audiobooks published in 2025. These lists highlight how diverse our tastes in reading are, and offer something for everyone. With thousands of fantastic new books each year, written by hundreds of creative and talented authors, it’s so difficult to narrow our lists down. We all have many favorite authors not featured here and wish we could acknowledge them all.
“Lady Macbeth’s” favorites
The Fall by Tal Bauer Buy Link
Tal Bauer is back and he gave us an incredible gift, the most beautiful MM romance of this year, a story of grief, loss, heartbreak, healing, hope, happiness and so so much love. Blair and Torey’s love is beautiful, the soulmates kind of love that Tal Bauer is a master in writing. Their relationship is a slow building of trust, awe, care, passion, love that Torey and Blair have for each other. Blair is thoughtful, tender, strong, the best partner for Torey, they really complete each other like two halves of the same unit. Their happy ending is not easy to grab and they have to fight for it, in and outside the ice, until finally, finally, every piece of the shattered happiness finds its place again.
Rhett (The Swift Brothers #3) by Riley Hart Buy Link
I have no words to describe how wonderful Rhett is, it was like when the restorers finish working on a paint and under several layers of worthless paintings, they discover a masterpiece.
Rhett is like this, a wonderful soul, a caring brother, a loving partner, an imperfect man and so so much more.
Absolutely Pucked (Punk as Puck #3) by E.M. Lindsey Buy Link
Since the first time Killian appeared in this book I was baffled by how much he’s different from the version of him we saw in Zero Pucks: he has a tenderness around him, a gentleness that has nothing to do with his current situation. He behaved horribly, but he’s really a good man who made a big mistake.
On The Land, We Shoot Straight by Sasha Avice Buy Link
Such a wonderful read, I truly loved it.
I adore this author’s writing, raw, emotional but not dramatic, simple and yet with a deep meaning: Sasha Avice chooses her words carefully so they hit you right in the chest. She built up Cole’s trauma by leaving little hints, a few words here and there and then she devastated me with the truth.
Forever Rebel (Rebel Kings MC#11) by Garrett Leigh Buy Link
This book was amazing, I’ll be forever grateful to Garrett Leigh for writing it.
It was unexpectedly romantic and I adored that there weren’t any dramas coming from rivals gangs or criminals, but it was just full of love for every character in this series. All couples and triads dynamics are changing now that the dangers are gone, and they’re trying to adjust and live more peaceful lives.
Poetry On Ice (Totally Pucked #1) by Jesse H Reign Buy Link
A thing I loved about this book is how Robbie has Ant completely wrapped around his finger: Ant is grumpy, stoic, arrogant, unattainable and yet, he can’t do anything against Robbie’s determination. He is the unflappable, top, who likes to dominate in the bedroom, who calls his partner with sweet girlie nicknames, but in reality, Robbie held the power since their first meeting. I wasn’t expect the sweetness, honestly: Ant doesn’t last long being grumpy around Robbie and I adored all the parts where he surrendered to him.
This And Every Life by Emmy Sanders Buy Link
Beautiful, emotional, moving, a bit heartbreaking but full of love and hope. It’s a story of love between men who are each other’s soulmate, the kind of love that can conquer all, that defies time, people and physical limits, the love that makes a man see through his partner’s eyes and contemplate a lifetime together.
To Beguile A Banished Lord (Regency Rossingley #3) by Fearne Hill Buy Link
This series keeps getting better and I’m enjoying it very much, Fearne Hill’s writing is captivating and I’ve been completely enthralled by the story. Their banter is awesome, Rollo is a brat as much as Lyndon is grumpy and little by little the younger man brings down the wall around the other and gives him the safety to open up.
Silver Lining (London Love #6) by Sophia Soames Buy Link
What a fantastic end for a great series! I really really loved this last book. Dylan and Stewart are swamped and overwhelmed by tenderness, comfortable hugs, sharing a bed, caresses and kisses and a newfound arousal, but also by their uncertainty about the physical development of their relationship, their fear about mingling their family, the challenges of the custody battle.
It seems too much sometimes, but they hold tight onto each other, both of them determined to make things work.
Only Temporary by Nicole Dykes Buy Link
I really liked Kellan and Phillip’s relationship revolved around commitment: both of them were adamant to not hurt the children and put them always first, even if their love was forbidden and could put their family in jeopardy. Seeing them working hard to become a family was amazing. The physical scenes are highly emotional, they show all the feelings Phillip ans Kellan have for each other and also how much they meant to one another.
