Reviews of the 9 Books I Read in October 2025

1. Binding 13 (1) by Chloe Walsh

Binding 13 launches the wildly addictive Boys of Tommen series, centred on Johnny Kavanagh, the rugby golden boy, and Shannon Lynch, a shy, traumatised girl trying to survive high school with as little attention as possible.

Their worlds collide, slowly and tenderly, as both navigate healing, friendship, and the messy tangle of first love, with a cast of unforgettable side characters orbiting around them.

My Rating: ★★★★★

I finally understand why this series has a chokehold on TikTok readers.

This book is enormous but somehow never drags; instead, it feels like settling into a world you don’t want to leave.

Johnny and Shannon are impossibly easy to root for, and watching their connection grow is pure emotional nourishment.

The friendships, the Irish setting, the softness threaded through the chaos, it all worked. I devoured it.

2. Heartless (2) by Elsie Silver

In this small-town cowboy romance, grumpy single dad Cade Eaton meets Willa, the sunshine nanny who moves into his home for the summer.

Sparks do not just fly, they detonate. Forcing Cade to confront love, vulnerability, and the life he thought he didn’t get to have.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Elite romance. Elite chemistry. Elite everything.

Cade and Willa have that lightning-in-a-bottle dynamic that makes a romance impossible to put down.

The banter is sharp, the tension is delicious, and the emotional payoff feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket straight from the dryer.

If you want a comfort read with heat? This is it.

3. Secretly Yours (1) by Tessa Bailey

Gardener and free spirit Hallie falls for buttoned-up professor Julian Vos, who’s back in town temporarily to write a book.

As Hallie anonymously sends him secret love letters, their real-life chemistry starts simmering, with plenty of chaos along the way.

My Rating: ★★★

Cute, easy, and fun enough to finish in a day, but not one that’s going to stick with me.

There were moments of great humour and sweetness, but the romance felt a bit uneven, and the miscommunication dragged longer than needed.

Enjoyable, just not unforgettable.

4. Done and Dusted (1) by Lyla Sage

When Charlie, a barrel racer recovering from an injury, returns home, she ends up entangled with her brother’s best friend, Cash Eaton, the charming cowboy she absolutely should not want.

Trouble, tension, and delicious slow burn ensue.

My Rating: ★★★★★

This book is pure serotonin. The small-town vibes, the cowboy energy, the stubborn, spark-loaded back-and-forth between Charlie and Cash, I was hooked.

I can see why people adore this series; it feels like binge-watching your favourite comfort-show.

I grinned the whole way through and bought the second book straight away.

5. Untamed Heart by Gemma Morr

A gritty, emotional, star-crossed romance between a girl trying to outrun her past and a man who embodies every warning label she’s ever been given.

Their connection is intense, chaotic, and impossible to resist.

My Rating: ★★★★

This was dramatic in the best way. Messy, atmospheric, and fiercely emotional.

The writing is immersive, and the relationship has that “can’t look away” quality.

It leans into angst, which I loved, though sometimes the intensity overshadowed quieter character moments. Still, very addictive and beautifully written.

6. You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Ari and Josh might start as enemies, but their lives keep intersecting across years of New York friendships, relationships, and heartbreaks.

What begins as irritation slowly becomes something deeper and far more complicated.

My Rating: ★★★

I liked the premise and the snarky dialogue, and the NYC atmosphere shines.

But the pacing felt very slow, and the romance didn’t fully sweep me away.

Still, the messy, imperfect characters feel real, and the platonic-to-romantic evolution is satisfying enough to keep you turning the pages.

7. Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

After a political scandal derails her life, Aviva Grossman disappears, reinvents herself, and builds a new future.

But the past has a way of circling back.

Told through multiple voices, the novel explores shame, survival, and who society chooses to forgive.

My Rating: ★★★★

Gabrielle Zevin does character work like few others. This book is clever, sharp, compassionate, and full of surprising emotional punch.

It’s funny in that dry, observant way while still tackling big ideas about identity and reinvention.

A quick read but a meaningful one.

8. The Intruder by Freida McFadden

When a stranger begins turning up everywhere she goes, a woman is convinced she’s being stalked.

Until the truth begins twisting in ways she never saw coming.

Secrets unravel, loyalties crumble, and danger edges closer.

My Rating: ★★★★

Classic Freida chaos. Fast-paced, twist-heavy, utterly unhinged in the best way.

I flew through this in one sitting, suspicious of absolutely everyone.

The ending borders on outrageous, but honestly, that’s part of the fun. Perfect palate cleanser when you want pure entertainment.

9. Just Kids by Patti Smith

Patti Smith reflects on her early years in New York with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

Capturing their art, love, ambition, hunger, heartbreak, and the iconic creative world of 1970s Manhattan.

My Rating: ★★★★

Dreamy, raw, and beautifully told. Patti Smith’s writing feels like wandering through a gallery, with light, shadow, and emotion in every corner.

It’s a love letter to art and youth and the people who shape us.

Slower than my usual reads, but deeply worth sitting with.