New Contemporary Fiction Books to Read in 2025
The new contemporary fiction books being published in 2025 that I’m looking forward to.
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Every year, publishers inundate us with lists of new books coming out. It’s always exciting to see what’s new and what we have to look forward to.
Of course, the lists are long and the hype is real. What’s worth your precious reading time?
I ask these same questions, and not every book is a winner. But these are some of the contemporary fiction books that have caught my eye in 2025.
Some of the authors I’m familiar with and excited to read again, while others are debut authors or are new to me. Watch this post for more new books as we move through the year, and for my updated reviews of the ones I read.
New 2025 Contemporary Fiction Novels
The Three Lives of Cate Kay
Author: Kate Fagan
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Source: Atria Books
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Famed author Cate Cay is an enigma to her fans. She has never revealed her true identity, and as her dystopian series reached new heights, speculation about the author behind the pseudonym increased. The Three Lives of Cate Cay is framed as a tell-all book, finally revealing the author’s identity and why she kept it a secret for so long. She tells her own story, but also offers the perspective of others who shaped it.
From her early years with her best friend Amanda that ended in tragedy, to a controlling relationship with a woman who both helped her hide and launch her career, to a collision with Hollywood that finally forces her to confront her past and her identity, Cate Kay’s story has aptly been compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I found this to be a fast-paced and compelling read, with short chapters, strong voices, and complex characters and relationships.
We Could Be Rats
Author: Emily Austin
Publish Date: January 28, 2025
Source: Atria Books
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
From the author of Interesting Facts About Space, this is a story of sisters who find their way back to one another. Sigrid is Austin’s signature quirky character, colored by trauma, humor, and a vivid imagination, while Margit struggles to understand her unconventional sister. This promises to be both funny and heartfelt.
The Snowbirds
Author: Christina Clancy
Publish Date: February 4, 2025
Source: St. Martin’s Press
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Kim and Grant have been together for 30 years and their lives–and relationship–feel stagnant. When they head to Palm Springs for winter, Kim is excited for new adventures. But when Grant disappears while on a hike, she’s unsure: is he in danger, or did he leave her? An exploration of relationships, midlife, and commitment.
Life Hacks for a Little Alien
Author: Alice Franklin
Publish Date: February 11, 2025
Source: ALC from Little, Brown and Company via Libro.fm
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
A young, neurodivergent girl, known as Little Alien, struggles to understand the world and her place in it. When she learns about the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, she thinks it may hold the key to herself–and connect her with others who have the same struggles. With comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, this promises to be an illuminating and heartwarming read.
Dream State
Author: Eric Puchner
Publish Date: February 18, 2025
Source: Doubleday
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
When Cece arrives at her in-laws’ Montana lake house to finish planning her wedding to Charlie, she is surprised to find that she has a connection with Charlie’s friend, Garrett. In a story spanning 50 years, the three–and their children–grapple with the decisions made that one summer.
I Leave It Up to You
Author: Jinwoo Chong
Publish Date: March 4, 2025
Source: Ballantine Books
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
After waking from a coma after two years, Jack Jr. finds everything in his high-powered New York life is gone to him. He returns to the Korean American community in New Jersey where his parents run a struggling sushi restaurant. There, he reconnects with his origins and his family, while making new connections with a potential love connection–and himself. A story of second chances and finding new paths after loss.
Woodworking
Author: Emily St. James
Publish Date: March 4, 2025
Source: Zando – Crooked Media Reads
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
A high school teacher in a small town in South Dakota befriends the only other trans woman she knows in town: one of her students. A story of friendship, growing up, and creating your own community when the one surrounding you is less than accepting. We need more stories like this, and we need more people to read them–I’m looking forward to picking up this book.
Cat’s People
Author: Tanya Guerrero
Publish Date: April 1, 2025
Source: Delacorte Press via Netgalley
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Five strangers in New York are brought together by a clever stray cat who suddenly falls ill. A heartwarming book that cat people will obviously love, but readers who also love uplifting stories of found family and unlikely friendships should also give this one a try.
Fun for the Whole Family
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publish Date: April 8, 2025
Source: Ballantine Books via Netgalley
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
After a childhood in which they bonded over their largely absent mother–and her infrequent returns for brief adventures–the four Endicott siblings rarely speak as adults. When Jude, now a famous actress, summons them to a small town in North Dakota, they each wrestle with their pasts and futures–as well as secrets that could change everything. From the author of the delightful The Unsinkable Greta James.
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Publish Date: April 8, 2025
Source: William Morrow
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Cassie and Zoe were known as the Griffin Sisters in the early 2000s, a pop band that achieved instant fame. One year later, they broke up. Now after two decades, the sisters no longer speak, and Zoe’s teenage daughter wants to know what happened. Weiner reliably writes page-turners, and I’m looking forward to her take on fame, secrets, and reuniting despite the challenges of the past.
Things Left Unsaid
Author: Sara Jafari
Publish Date: April 15, 2025
Source: St. Martin’s Press
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Ten years after they were close friends in school, twenty-six year old Shirin and Kian meet again at a party in London. After suddenly losing each other as teens, they hold tightly to this rekindled friendship at a time when they need it most. This contemporary novel definitely has a second-chance romance feel, but is said to also touch on racism, trauma, and mental health, giving it higher stakes than a typical romance novel.
My Friends
Author: Fredrik Backman
Publish Date: May 20, 2025
Source: Atria Books
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Eighteen-year-old Louisa embarks on a quest to learn the story behind a painting of three friends. The three–and the painter himself–find connection and respite in their time together on the end of a pier, depicted in the painting. If you’re a fan of Backman and books about friendship, this is sure to be a poignant addition to your TBR.
All the Perfect Days
Author: Michael Thompson
Publish Date: May 21, 2025
Source: Sourcebooks Landmark via Netgalley
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
When a country doctor suddenly discovers he has the gift of seeing how long his patients will live, he finds that this knowledge of his friends and neighbors may not be such a gift at all. A lightly magical book that may be a good choice for fans of The Midnight Library.
The Frequency of Living Things
Author: Nick Fuller Googins
Publish Date: August 12, 2025
Source: Atria Books via Netgalley
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Three sisters–two of them twins with a previously successful band, one of them a level-headed scientist–are pulled together when one of the sisters faces her opioid addiction and time in jail. When their mother re-enters their lives, they each need to determine what they can forgive and what they’re willing to sacrifice to save each other and their old dreams.
What contemporary fiction novels are on your radar in 2025?
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