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 1,000 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.
“Kat’s” favorites
2025 was a hard year for so many of us. Books were my greatest escape from the realities in both my personal life and in our current political chaos. All these wonderful authors that I was given the chance to read and review gave me that escape. I wish that they all could be on here because there were so many amazing books that should be here. But, alas, I had to narrow it down to these few fabulous novels that inspired and comforted me. That encouraged me that people are resilient. That there is hope and all is not lost. I hope that they do the same for you 💕
Bloom: Part 2 by Gianni Holmes – Buy Link
I have no idea how someone could read the horribly damaged young man’s story and not be deeply impacted by it. The fact that he not only survived his childhood extreme trauma and learn to love was a testimony to the resiliency of the human mind, body and sole. Is he deeply troubled, absolutely yes! But he still found love.
Renegade/Resolution: Tracker series by Patricia Logan – Buy Link
This series about two competing paid trackers (I still call them bounty hunters but I’m old school) that not only learn to work together but fall in love and make a life safely together. It’s the story of true grit and perseverance, against all odds. Of taking on a Mexican cartel and winning.
Primordial Protectors series by Layla Dorine & TL Travis – Buy Link
I am completely enamored by this series. These protective and fearless dragons will do anything and everything to protect those that they love and they stand strong for Dragon Honor against rogue clans. Plus you really want to experience a very crispy Christmas delight. Make sure to experience the first Christmas with these four dragon toddlers. What a blast. I can’t get enough of this series and am waiting with bated breath for Infernal Ruby (Oden’s story) next this spring.
Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts series) by Zarina Aston – Buy Link
This epic saga has had me entranced and now we discover that fated mates King Kitsuki, a powerful dragon shifter, and Auslin, his gifted mage mate, have a third fated mate! Maseo is the son of of the evil King Nasume. Nasume has been obsessed with Kitsuki for centuries and will do anything, including raising an army of the dead, to get him. And when he discovers that his son is the King’s fated mate all hell breaks loose. I can’t wait for more of this amazing journey!
Luv by Numbers series by Sam E. Kraemer – Buy Link
I am a HUGE fan of polyamorous books and these three men just did it for me. The battles they fought were fierce to have the life that they needed together. There were a lot of roadblocks and stumbling, but in the end they were triumphant and made it worth the struggles.
Wood & Wonders (Heartcraft Market series) by Duckie Mack – Buy Link
Author Ducky Mack explained Onyx’s fluidity better than any author I have ever read. I finally started to truly understand who a fluid person might be like. It was very eye-opening and genuine.
Enforcer’s Little Warrior by JP Sayle & Layla Dorine – Buy Link
Sometimes you need a story that jots you back to harsh reality. Reality that evil lurks all around and Hitler wasn’t the only evil leader. Especially in this current day and age. This book opens your eyes to the level of evil that you can barely process. And the heroes that are out there fighting to extinguish it.
Ronen (Sweet Alps Legacy series) by Raiven Matthews – Buy Link
I have been hooked on the Sinclair family since I first met Quinn and Lachlan. Then Wade made himself leader of the omegas and you couldn’t pry my fingers from these books. (and, yes I have them in paperback form too!) Now we are getting to meet all these offspring that the Sinclair quadruplets, their feisty and loving omegas and friends. And that’s a whole lot of babies growing up and making a life. And I’m here for the long ride.
Brooklyn Kings series by Felice Stevens – Buy Link
This was a new-to-me author that I simply can’t get enough of! I was hooked from the very first chapter. These amazing athletes that had to hide their true lives/love in order to play the game of football all for our entertainment blew me away. The fact that one of the couples had to hide their love for each other for over 10 years just blows my mind. What a NFL football superstar does in the privacy of their own bedroom should hamper their ability to use their talent just because they fall in love with another man just is unfathomable. This series really brought that fact to light. How many of the men, that put themselves through this dangerous sport sport for our entertainment, have had to hide their true selves? Makes you think long and hard what we demand of our “entertainers”. Yes, they are paid very handsomely…but at what personal cost?
Fire in Cabin 27 by TL Travis – Buy Link
Some times a book just hits you and gives you a glimmer of hope. Hope that you think has passed you by. This book did that. Little things like this line gave me that: “For so long I was lost and no one cared to find me. Then along came a grumpy dragon who made everything right and showed me that I mattered.”
Everyone needs something to believe in. A hope that someday, hopefully sooner vs later, things will get better. This book did that for me. I didn’t want to just bury these thoughts in a review. But if you are someone that needs to read that there are still good people out there that care. That found family can be better for you or safer or healthier…then I hope that this books gives you that hope like it did me.
And as a special mention this whole complete Double – Booked for the Holidays Series. I hope that you enjoy these wonderful books as much as I did and they give you hope and escape. Buy Link
