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items Your ultimate TBR guide to the books currently destroying our feeds. From the "morally grey" heroes we can't stop defending to the "Romantasy" epics keeping us up until 3 AM. If it’s viral, it’s here.
Sections
10
The Tear-Jerkers
The Morally Grey
Spicy Fantasy
Dark Academia
Touch Her & You Die
Only One Bed
The Tear-Jerkers
Mandatory tissue warning. These are the stories that broke me, put me back together, and then broke me again.
A reimagining of the Iliad told from the perspective of Patroclus, an exiled young prince who lives in the shadow of the "best of all Greeks," Achilles. As they grow from boys to men, their bond turns into something deeper—only for the Trojan War to ...
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The novel follows four classmates from a small Massachusetts college who move to New York to make their way. Over the decades, the focus shifts to Jude, a man shrouded in mystery and trauma. It is a grueling exploration of the limits of human enduran...
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Lily Bloom has always worked hard for the life she wants. When she meets a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything seems too good to be true. But as Ryle’s true colors emerge and Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, reappears, Lily is forc...
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
In a world where a service called "Death-Cast" calls people to tell them they will die today, two strangers—Mateo and Rufus—receive the call. Through an app called Last Friend, they meet up to live a lifetime’s worth of adventure in a single day.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Aging movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. She chooses an unknown magazine reporter, Monique Grant, to write her biography. As Evelyn recounts the stories of her seven husbands, she finall...
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Morally Grey
For those who believe red flags are just a color palette. Featuring the anti-heroes we can't stop defending.
Oraya, the human adopted daughter of the Vampire King, enters the Kejari to prove she isn't prey. She’s forced into an alliance with Raihn, her greatest rival. It’s a blood-soaked game of trust where everyone has a hidden agenda.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night
By Carissa Broadbent
Two college roommates, Victor and Eli, discover that under the right conditions (usually near-death experiences), people can develop extraordinary abilities. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison to hunt down Eli, who has spent the decade "cle...
Vicious
By V.E. Schwab
Adeline is an author who moves into her grandmother’s old gothic estate, only to realize she’s being watched. Zade is a man who hunts the worst monsters in society (human traffickers) while simultaneously being the monster under Adeline's bed.
Haunting Adeline
By H.D. Carlton
Juliette has a touch that is lethal. The Reestablishment wants to use her as a weapon. While Adam (the "good guy") wants to save her, Warner is the one who truly understands the power—and the darkness—inside her.
Shatter Me
By Tahereh Mafi
A fractured, dark "reimagining" of Peter Pan set in a modern criminal underworld. James targets Wendy, the daughter of the man who ruined his life, intending to use her as a pawn in his game of vengeance.
Hooked
By Emily McIntire
Spicy Fantasy
Pure escapism for when you’re done with the real world. High stakes, higher tension, and shadow daddies.
Violet Sorrengail was supposed to be a scribe, but her mother—the Commanding General—forces her into the deadly Basgiath War College to become a dragon rider. The problem? Dragons don't bond to "fragile" humans, and many of the other cadets want her ...
Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
After the events of the first book, Feyre is grappling with trauma and a stifling engagement in the Spring Court. When Rhysand comes to collect on a bargain they made, she is whisked away to the Night Court, where she discovers that everything she th...
A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR #2)
By Sarah J. Maas
Poppy is the Maiden—chosen by the gods, she is never to be touched, spoken to, or looked upon. She lives a life of solitude until Hawke (Casteel), a new royal guard, enters her life and makes her question her duty, her heart, and the very gods she se...
From Blood and Ash
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Emilia is a witch living secretly among humans. When her twin sister is brutally murdered, Emilia seeks vengeance at any cost—even if it means summoning one of the Wicked. Wrath claims he’s on her side, but in Hell, everything comes with a price.
Kingdom of the Wicked
By Kerri Maniscalco
Persephone is a socialite looking to escape the clutches of Zeus. She crosses the River Styx into the territory of Hades, a man many believe is a myth. They strike a bargain: a public affair to ruin her reputation so Zeus won't want her, but the "fak...
Neon Gods
By Katee Robert
Dark Academia
Aesthetic reads for the obsessed and the studious. Think secret societies, candlelit libraries, and tragic brilliance.
A group of six eccentric classics students at an elite Vermont college fall under the influence of a charismatic professor. They begin to push the boundaries of morality and ancient rituals, leading them down a path that ends in a cold-blooded murder...
The Secret History
By Donna Tartt
Seven young actors study Shakespeare at the elite Dellecher Classical Conservatory. They play the same roles on stage as they do in life (the hero, the villain, the temptress). But when the casting changes and a real-life tragedy occurs, one of them ...
If We Were Villains
By M.L. Rio
Six of the world's most uniquely talented medians (magicians) are invited to compete for five spots in the Alexandrian Society—the most powerful secret society in the world. They are given a year to prove their worth, but they soon realize that the "...
The Atlas Six
By Olivie Blake
Set in 1830s Oxford, the story follows Robin Swift, an orphan brought to London to study at Babel—the world’s center for translation and "silver-working" (a magic system powered by the lost meaning between languages). As Robin climbs the ranks, he re...
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence
By R.F. Kuang
Alex Stern is a freshman at Yale with a dark past and a secret ability: she can see ghosts (Grays). She is recruited into Lethe House, the secret society tasked with monitoring Yale’s other eight secret societies, which deal in dark magic and forbidd...
Ninth House
By Leigh Bardugo
Touch Her & You Die
The ultimate "he hates everyone but her" collection. Zero chill, maximum devotion, and lethal protective energy.
In a dystopian world where Juliette’s touch can kill, she is being used as a weapon by The Reestablishment. While others fear her or want to "fix" her, Warner is the only one who embraces her power. His devotion is obsessive, lethal, and entirely foc...
Unravel Me
By Tahereh Mafi
Bridget von Ascheberg is a princess who suddenly finds herself next in line for the throne. Rhys is the stoic, elite bodyguard hired to protect her. He has two rules: protect his clients at all costs and never get emotionally involved. He breaks both...
Twisted Games
By Ana Huang
This is a dark romantic comedy about two rival serial killers who only hunt other killers. Every year they have a "competition" to see who can take out a target first. Rowan is head-over-heels for Sloane (Blackbird) and spends most of the book trying...
Butcher & Blackbird
By Brynn Weaver
Saoris lives in a world where humans are essentially cattle for the Fae. When she is captured and sent to the Fae realm, she is forced to rely on Kingfisher, a man whose shadow magic is as terrifying as his reputation.
Quicksilver
By Callie Hart
Paedyn is an "Ordinary" in a world of "Elites" (people with powers). To survive, she has to play a dangerous game of deception, which leads her straight into the path of Kai, the future Enforcer.
Powerless
By Lauren Roberts
Elena is the "sweet" sister of the girl Nico is supposed to marry. But the moment Nico sees Elena, the "Arranged Marriage" plans become a secondary concern to his obsession with her.
The Sweetest Oblivion
By Danielle Lori
Ophelia enters a deadly, magical competition within a haunted estate to save her sister. She is forced to strike a bargain with Blackwell, a man who is more shadow than human.
Phantasma
By Kaylie Smith
Only One Bed
There was an administrative error, and now my heart is racing. The best "stuck together" stories on the market.
Catalina needs a date for her sister’s wedding in Spain to avoid looking pathetic in front of her ex. Her insufferable (but handsome) colleague, Aaron Blackford, offers to help.
The Spanish Love Deception
By Elena Armas
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are rivals on the ice, competing for the top spot in the NHL. Off the ice, they have a secret, high-tension relationship that spans years.
Heated Rivalry
By Rachel Reid
Olive Smith is a Ph.D. candidate who fakes a relationship with a young, hot-shot professor, Adam Carlsen, to convince her friend she’s moved on.
The Love Hypothesis
By Ali Hazelwood
Lara is a princess trained as a spy who is sent to marry King Aren under the guise of peace, intending to bring his kingdom down from the inside.
The Bridge Kingdom
By Danielle L. Jensen
Picking up after the cliffhanger of Shield of Sparrows, Princess Calandra is separated from the man she loves and lost in a cursed realm. She has to stop being the one who needs saving and become the Guardian—even if it means embracing a darkness she...
Rites of the Starling (Shield of Sparrows, #2)
By Devney Perry
Natalie is a social media mogul who sells a curated "pioneer" lifestyle to millions. One morning, she wakes up in 1855 for real—no nannies, no industrial fridges, and no Instagram filters. She has to figure out if she’s in a reality show, a nightmare...
Yesteryear
By Caro Claire Burke
Set in the Shatter Me universe years after the original collapse, the story follows Rosabelle, a survivor determined to rescue her sister from a new surveillance state. She meets James, who might be a rebel ally or a massive risk to her carefully gua...
Release Me
By Tahereh Mafi
Continuing the epic Nyaxia saga, this entry dives deeper into the dark history of the vampire houses. It’s a story of legacy and the brutal sacrifices required to hold onto power when your enemies are immortal.
The Lion and the Deathless Dark (Crowns of Nyaxia, #5)
By Carissa Broadbent
A gritty, dark reimagining of Western myths and wicked folklore. It features a hero who is more nightmare than man and a heroine who refuses to be a victim.
West of Wicked
By Nikki St. Crowe
Grumpy x Sunshine
The pessimist who folds for the optimist. Witty banter, mismatched energy, and absolute domestic chaos.
Piper Bellinger. A fashionable, high-society "it girl" from LA who gets exiled to the Pacific Northwest by her stepfather. Brendan Taggart. A rugged, bearded sea captain who likes his quiet life in a small fishing town.
It Happened One Summer
By Tessa Bailey
Zahra Gulian. An idealistic employee who actually believes in the "magic" of the park and submits a scathing (but brilliant) proposal to fix it. Rowan Kane. A cynical, workaholic billionaire who is tasked with renovating his family’s theme park, Drea...
The Fine Print
By Lauren Asher
Nate Hawkins. The captain of the hockey team who is feeling the pressure of a chaotic season. Anastasia Allen. A competitive figure skater whose life is organized by color-coded planners and strict discipline.
Icebreaker
By Hannah Grace
Stella. A sharp, cynical woman recently released from prison who is just trying to get her life back on track. Aiden. A bowtie-wearing, perpetually cheerful department store manager who loves Christmas and believes in second chances.
Window Shopping
By Tessa Bailey
Miles. A chaotic, slightly disheveled guy who is nursing a broken heart. Daphne. A librarian who is the definition of "pulled together"—until her fiancé leaves her for Miles’s ex-girlfriend.
Funny Story
By Emily Henry
Ryat Archer. Cold, calculating, and a high-ranking member of a secret university society. Blake. While she has her own shadows, her vulnerability and resilience act as the light in Ryat’s very dark world.
The Ritual
By Shantel Tessier
Russ Callaghan. A quiet, shy, and somewhat awkward hockey player who struggles with his family dynamics. Aurora Roberts. A social butterfly who isn't afraid to say exactly what she’s thinking.
Wildfire
By Hannah Grace
Rory Miller. A professional hockey player who is grumpy, possessive, and tired of being the "rebound" guy. Hazel. A bubbly, determined woman who needs a fake boyfriend to make her ex jealous.
The Fake Out
By Stephanie Archer
The Slow Burn
For the readers with infinite patience. The physical tension is high, the payoff is huge, and the pining is painful.
Vanessa is the personal assistant to the top defensive end in the NFL, Aiden Graves. He is silent, stoic, and barely acknowledges her existence—until she quits. Suddenly, "The Wall" realizes he can't function without her and offers her a deal she can...
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
By Mariana Zapata
Sal is a professional soccer player whose childhood idol, Reiner Kulti, joins her team as a coach. The problem? He’s a legendary jerk who has no interest in being her hero.
Kulti
By Mariana Zapata
Jasmine is a figure skater whose career is stalling. Her only hope is to pair up with the arrogant, infuriating Ivan Lukov. They have hated each other for years, but now they have to spend every waking hour together on the ice.
From Lukov with Love
By Hannah Grace
Olive and Ethan are the only two people who don't get food poisoning at a wedding. To keep the all-expenses-paid honeymoon from going to waste, these two—who loathe each other—head to Hawaii pretending to be the newlyweds.
The Unhoneymooners
By Christina Lauren
Liz Buxbaum is obsessed with rom-coms and is determined to get her forever-crush to notice her. She enlists her annoying neighbor, Wes Bennett, to help her stage a "meet-cute."
Better Than the Movies
By Lynn Painter
Two young journalists, Iris and Roman, are competing for a promotion at a newspaper during a war between gods. They begin exchanging anonymous letters through magical typewriters, falling for the person on the other side of the ink without realizing ...
Divine Rivals
By Rebecca Ross
He Falls First
Because watching a confident man completely lose his mind over a girl is top-tier entertainment.
While this spans many relationships, one specific dynamic features a man who is utterly devoted to Evelyn from the moment he sees her, despite her complex life and other marriages.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
A sunny, "golden retriever" hockey doctor and a prickly, guarded physiotherapist. It’s a "why choose" romance that handles emotional depth and neurodiversity with a lot of heart.
Pucking Around
By Chloe Liese
To get his inheritance, Cal has to return to his family's lake house and spend the summer with Alana, the woman whose heart he broke.
Final Offer
By Lauren Asher
After a scandal, Asher is forced to train with a new coach, whose daughter is a reserved, disciplined dancer. Asher is the first to fall, and he falls so hard he starts questioning his "fame over everything" lifestyle.
The Striker
By Ana Huang
He’s forced to coach a children’s team in a small town, where he meets Adalyn, who is struggling to redeem her own reputation.
The Long Game
By Elena Armas
Hidden Gems
The books that aren't on every shelf yet, but should be. Supporting self-published authors who are changing the game.
Briar is a rigid, disciplined princess; Poet is the court’s sharp-tongued, irreverent jester. They are supposed to be worlds apart, but their intellectual banter leads to a secret connection that threatens the stability of the kingdom.
Trick
By Natalia Jaster
Iverson “Ivy” Pomeroy is a fae assassin bound by an enchanted collar to a king she loathes. To win her freedom, she must form a dangerous alliance with Thorne, a shadowy grim reaper who might be the only person more dangerous than her captor.
Heir of Illusion
By Madeline Taylor
Rune Ryker enters a cutthroat college for Immortal druids to find her stolen family. She has to share her living quarters—and eventually a single bed—with Prince Draven, the arrogant wielder of the same rare magic she possesses.
A Vow in Vengeance
By Jaclyn Rodriguez
Set in a holy city where sin is physically visible, Csilla—a girl born without a soul—is sent by the Church to assassinate a heretic descended from angels. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the very person she was meant to kill.
The Faithful Dark
By Cate Baumer
In a decaying kingdom of bone and stone, a botanical familiar named Nixie is expected to be silent and obedient. When the king dies, she’s thrust into a deadly contest known as "The Slaughter" and must team up with her enemies to survive.
These Shattered Spires
By Cassidy Ellis Salter
A woman returns to her family’s flower farm only to find a handsome, brooding stranger running her father’s business. They clash over every petal and dirt path until the proximity becomes too much to ignore.
Darling Daffodils Farm
By Brittanee Nicole