Abby Abell says the 937-page fan-fiction-turned-romantasy 'Alchemized' was her top book of 2025

Hi angels! Welcome back to another episode   of Booked & Busy

And this episode  is brought to you by Amazon Books. [Music] Today's episode is going to be very special  because we are having Abby Abell 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 romantasy 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 of screen adaptations! So,  without further ado, let's introduce the guest,   Abby Abell

Welcome, Abby Abell, to  Booked & 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.  Interesting

So, how many books are you reading   per year? Oof! 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

Mhm.   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 romantasy

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 -- impossible  but 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   taste

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 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   what how... how-- Oh, 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

Um, 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

And 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 want to go through 2025  romantasy specifically

I'm a romantasy girlie.   I know! Let's 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 romantasy

So many good   books

We know! Yeah! So, the first one I'm going  to talk about is 'Alchemized' by SenLinYu

So,   top romantasy 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, no

Um, it is about, let's see  how many pages it is. 937

Tell us a little   bit about the book! So, what I'll say, so great  backstory with this

So, this started as Harry   Potter fan-fiction

Yes! No! called 'Manacled'  that the author wrote, SenLinYu, 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, if that sounds like a good   time to you, this is the book

This is the book.  Wow! This is the book

I know I've heard a lot   about it on BookTok

It's like all over my For You  Page

It's 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 my next-- Let me  know! I feel like I always need..

Yeah, I always   need someone to like push me over the edge to  be like, "Okay, I need to commit to this." It   is-- because it is a commitment and that's fair! Okay, so what are some of the other ones? Okay, so   then a couple of the others uh 'Silver Elite' by  Dani Francis

So this is dystopian romance which   is having a bit of a resurgence which I'm loving.  And so I think the difference between dystopian   romance and romantasy is romantasy has got more  of that magical element, dragons, monsters which   to be clear... love

Dystopia though is more of um  these futuristic societies and so that's what we   have here

Um and so this one follows Wren 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, Wren 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   romantasy book is sometimes they're a little  'pick-me' and I'm like girl, c'mon! C'mon, and   we-- and it's also like we all know where this  is going to get there

She's there

So, I love   Wren

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 intrigue here  because we don't know who the author is

So it's   Dani Francis, but we don't know who Dani Francis is

Oh, it's a pen name! Mhm

Interesting! And   we don't know for who

So, is it an established  author? Is it a new author? We don't know

Um,   but the sequel comes out this year

Yeah

And this  one ended with a jaw-dropping uh final page

So,   I loved this one

I think I prefer dystopian  romance

Oh! I'm not going to lie

I think it's   because I enjoy watching dystopian

Yes

Well, and  I think too dystopia, you know, The Hunger Games,   Divergent, like it really had a moment and then  it kind of --those are my favorites-- So good!   And then it kind of faded and now I feel like  it's coming back and I'm thrilled to see it.   Okay

So, 'A 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

So-- but I   love... like The Hunger Games is my favorite  movie

So that seems... ugh I love when it has   a map on the inside

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 as children and   they discover the secret that can kind of upend  society and then a magical class war starts

A   magical what? Class war

So kind of the haves and  the have nots as it relates-- I love when a book   has that -- I know! Yep! And years later, Patrick  kidnaps Nina

Oh? 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 read in 2025

It is  so good

It is gut-wrenching

But the sequel to   this comes out in maybe July and I cannot wait

I  love this

Yes

What's the trope in this? Sort of   Enemies To Lovers but also Forbidden Romance for  sure

They are on opposite sides

Okay

Um and   you can't trust anybody's allegiances

Okay.  Yeah

Yeah

So good

Okay

We have 'Ladies in   Hating.' 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   Vasti fan girl

She is so much fun. her Regency  romances are just an absolute delight

This one   follows Georgiana Cleeve and Lady Darling, and  they're competing Gothic authors

Um, and they   get trapped at a haunted mansion

Um, so we've  got Forced 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  books and it's LGBTQ

It is! Okay! Lovely that you   added some of those up

Absolutely! It's just  they're 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 'Deep End' by Ali   Hazelwood

I have heard incredible, incredible,  incredible things about this specific book

I   love Ali Hazelwood

I read 'Bride' by her

Oh  my gosh! Twilight with sex.... [Laughter] Yeah!   honestly like, yeah, kind of! So, give me a little  synopsis about this

Yeah

So, Ali Hazlewood,   so she published three books last year, which is  bananas, and they were all so good, but 'Deep End'   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

Um, 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? Um, I would say,   you know, the main characters are younger

Okay.  Uh, 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

For the emotional girlies out here.  Yeah

This is it! So good

So the last book from   the of 2025..

Did you read this? No, I haven't,  but my best friend did and she told me like has   to be on my TBR... like very very tippity top.  Yeah, it is a vacation in book form

So, Carley   Fortune is just so good

She is the queen of the  beach read

And so, this gives us Charlie Florek's   story

And so, we meet Charlie in Carley 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,   um, 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 2025

Oh my gosh

Smoldering

Wow

That's...   that's -- I know, there's so many

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

Um, I loved this book

It's  just a joy

This might be a hard question

If you   had to choose your top three..

Ugh! I know

I  know

From the 2025 list, which would the three   be? Okay. 'Deep End.' Okay

For the 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   romantasy they're... or they seem... like they  have quite different kind of backstories and   tropes and kind of that I feel like for me as a  reader I can't read too dystopian back-to-back or   two beach reads 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 5-hour long   podcast and so, not all-encompassing

I just have  to say that

Uh, but we've got some romantasy,   we've got some romance

So, I think thinking about  across genres um and things like that

Okay so,   the first book in the 2026 that we have in  person is 'A Vow in Vengeance.' Yes

Tell me

So,   by Jaclyn Rodriguez

It's a debut romantasy

It's  out now

Um, 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, I am addicted

Mine would be if   I have to find it on audiobook and listen to it  while I'm in the shower

Also, great

That would   probably be my like 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 a bit more of, and   I'm loving

I've never even seen a book about, or  involving that

And I 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 Forced Proximity.   We've got a Shadow Daddy, which is a thing

What's  that? So Xaden from 'Fourth Wing.' Yeah

You know   how he has the shadows? That

Yep

Oh, I didn't  even know that was a trope

It is a trope

I know.   Here we are and I'm saying Shadow Daddy

Okay,  next book

Yeah! We have 'And Now Back To You.'   Yes

B.K, Borison

So B.K

Borison 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 the 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 Forced Proximity, we get  Opposites Attract

And it is just so charming,   so vulnerable, so witty, sexy

Um and again like  B.K

Borison is an author like, when I read her   books, I feel giddy

Um and that is what this book  is

I loved this one so much

Wait, that's really   cute! It's really cute and perfect for the cold  weather

Yeah, the snowstorm that we're about--   The snowstorm that we're about to get! So, the  next one we have is 'The Night We Met.' Yes

So,   Abby Jimenez

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 um but then healed by the end as well.   And again, I know people are listening being like,  "Yes, I love emotional devastation." I've never   read anything from her

And I honestly... her  and Carley 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, that's 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 whittle 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 picking, you know,   picking a book that you're going to love

Now, we  have 'Our Perfect Storm,' Carley Fortune, she's   back! Um, 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

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

I'm   in

Next book is Starside

I... love Alex Aster.  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 on 'Booked & Busy!' Oh,  I listened

And it was so good

She was my first   author and I was like, "Wait, you want to come on?  Really?" I need to finish the rest of the series.   That is definitely on my TBR

But Starside, give  us a little synopsis for people watching

Well,   and I think I mean, you just did such an amazing  job

So, this is her adult romantasy 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 mortals

And we have a mortal heiress   um 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

I am here for it

Sign me up! And  it is also... it is sitting at home and it's like   oh my god I must read this book. 'Dolly All The  Time' in the next book

Yes

So Annabel Monaghan.   So I love Annabel 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 Annabel Monaghan, 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 scenes

So,  okay

Yeah

So, if you don't want to read that,   which is-- Yeah

Which is not my concern, but  um but this one is uh fake dating between a   single mom and then a wealthy family scion, like  a 'Succession' type

Interesting

Yes

Her books   are great for spring/summer

Yeah

Um and she's  just she's so good

Interesting

Yeah

The next   one is 'The Ballad of Falling Dragons.' Yes!  Yes

So, this one toes the line, I would say,   of fantasy/romantasy a little bit

This is the  sequel to 'When the Moon Hatched,' which was a   fantasy or romantasy that came out in 2024, and  it was HUGE! Um 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

That's  okay! And that's okay

Sometimes you need to let   them cook in their kitchen a little bit

To make  it like 100% ready

Next book is 'The Knave and   the Moon.' Yes

So Lady Knights had a big moment  in 2025

Um, 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 and the Moth' was just so filled  with yearning and betrayals and Enemies To Lovers.   And there is a shocking shocking twist at the  end

And this book is going to pick up with Sybil,   our leading lady, married or engaged to the king.  And I think this is probably everybody who's read,   you know, a lot of romantasy, one of their most  exciting, you know sequels coming out in 2026

The   last one is 'Rites of the Starling.' Yes! And so  this is a sequel to the 2025 'Shield of Sparrows.'   'Shield of Sparrows' was a romantasy that I  specifically loved because I thought the world   was completely different

Um, 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 slowburn Enemies To Lovers romance.  It's also being made into a film from Amazon MGM   Studios

Yeah

The first one? Yeah

And so this  is the sequel which I want to say comes out...   I think this comes out in May

Um again this  is the like I would say one of the most highly   anticipated sequels of 2026 and again one of the  more unique worlds that I feel like I read -- that   we're seeing

Okay

Can I add one more? Of course.  Um 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 um 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 on the list?" So, I just  had to get that in there

I'm sorry

No, you're so   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 BookTok and then  that's the entire author's career and that...   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  for like a proper second because... 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 it was Colleen Hoover

I was like, "Okay,   let's do this." Oh my gosh! Bananas! 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   stay on 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 page-to-screen

I think  it comes out in December

I think so

And the   casting is so insane

Insane by the way! So, the  next one would be 'People We Meet 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 one 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.  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 re-read before the movie comes out,  you have 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

So how did you feel?  It was very different

Yes

Like I was watching   I was like where's Croatia? 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 Poppy on on the screen

She was   great

In the book, I was a little like, "Oh my  gosh..." I agree! But on film, I was like, "This   actress is just..." Nailed it

Yeah! Completely  just took this character and brought her to life.   And I thought it was very impressive

So my next  one we're going to talk about is 'Heated Rivalry.'   I've been talking about 'Heated Rivalry' 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 as   a whole

What are some of the LGBTQ 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 -- that's crazy! -- 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 Ilia and Shane

So,  I mean, just yes

So, I think we're going to see   more of these LGBTQIA+, 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 their due

Um, but I think from a sports  perspective, a couple that I'm excited about,   there's one called I think it's "an Open Era,"  'The 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

Uh 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

So I'm in

Ugh, during the US Open!!  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 by Kate Golden

I've heard great like I've  been recommending this book by numerous people.   My team is like you need to read this

It is so  good

So, Kate Golden has already written a great   romantasy series, the 'Sacred Stone' series

Um,  she also wrote a rockstar romance last year that   I loved and I'm not normally a rockstar romance  girl

Um, 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

Oh my gosh, literally me! Um, and  so she enrolls in a school for demon hunters   and things immediately start going awry

There is  Enemies To Lovers

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

We have 'Beneath' by Ariel 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  synopsis about 'Conform?' Yeah

So, 'Conform'...   2025 dystopian romance

Um, so good

I was nervous  because I don't love a love triangle

Really? It   gives me so much anxiety

I just give me my  man

See, I love a love triangle... most of the   time because I like the back and forth and like  undecisiveness

I like reading that

I wouldn't   ever want to live that of course, but 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 is doing

So,   this is a prequel that takes place hundreds  of years before the events in 'Conform.' Wow,   I didn't know that

I have it sitting, I  have 'Beneath' sitting in my apartment right   now

Same! So, and I want to say that's March.  So, I think... yeah

So, I'm very excited about   that one

The last one is 'Broken Dove.' So,  I've already talked about Silver Elite

So,   this is a sequel to Silver Elite, one of my  favorite romant-- well, 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 Wren 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 um 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! This episode   was so fun

I feel like I was just getting book  recommendations

Oh my gosh, I could talk about   this...yeah, we got to do this again the second  half of 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 genres

So, if you're   a sci-fi fantasy fan or you're a romantasy fan,  you can dive into those specific categories

We   have our "Best Books of The Year (So Far)," "Best  Books of The Year

Um, and then also you can find   our reviews of books, um, 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 Booked & Busy and   for watching this beautiful conversation we had!