The Best Books To Read During Cozy Season

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Synopsis: A beauty and the beast retelling that will have you hooked! Feyre goes out for a hunt like she normally does. However, she finds a beast like nothing she’s seen before. A faerie that is just like the stories. What happens next leads her on quite the adventure full of Fae, danger, love, and an unexpected new beginning.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling

I don’t think this needs a synopsis haha! This is a series I’ve had sitting on my shelf for years and have never read. I love the movies so I need to pick up the books.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Synopsis: A wonderful King Arthur retelling. Bree is a normal high-school girl who gets the chance to go to a summer university program. She finds out about a Secret Society or King Arthur descendants and that her life may be more entangled in it than she could ever imagine.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Synopsis: Twin sisters have known they are witches for their whole lives but it’s a huge secret. One if the sisters dies mysteriously and the other goes on a quest to find out what really happened. This leads her on an adventure down to Hell where she meets the Princes of Hell. Her adventure is full of twists and turns. She starts to uncover some secrets with the help of Wrath, who she ends up being closer to than she originally wanted to be.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber A Logan

Synopsis: A spooky but beautiful story about grief and loss while also being about growth and finding yourself. A woman goes to Japan to start fresh after her mom dies and takes a job at a mysterious manor. The manor appears to have some secrets that end up being a bit too close to home for the main character.

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Synopsis: A twisty and turny thriller! A young woman finds out that a mysterious old woman has left her something in her will. She has no idea who the woman is but goes to the home to find out more. When she meets the woman’s family and realizes she is standing in the way of a very large inheritance, things take a turn.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Synopsis: A bookseller has found himself in the middle of an FBI investigation when someone starts killing people following his own list of “perfect” fictional murders. He helps the FBI untangle some of the famous mystery books and their perfect murders. A great spooky read with an unreliable narrator.

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P Manansala

Synopsis: A light-hearted and fun murder mystery series following Lila, a young woman who comes back home to help her family with their local restaurant. However, when she arrives back home someone she used to know dies in their restaurant! Lila and her family become suspects and from there, it is a wild ride of amateur sleuthing and family chaos.

There are currently 4 books in this series!

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Synopsis: An iconic Agatha Christie book that everyone should read. A group of people arrive on a private island. The host is a millionaire unknown to all the guests. Soon people start to die on the island and they realize it is somehow connected to a famous nursery rhyme that is in every room of the mansion. Who will be left alive by the end of the weekend?

The True Love Bookshop by Annie Rains

Synopsis: Tess owns a local bookshop and hosts a book club which is her pride and joy. She lost her husband three years ago and is trying to move on but is struggling. Then she has a run-in with her late husband’s best friend who is a private investigator. She decides this may be the way to get answers about her husband’s death. Along the way, she realizes her true feelings and discovers the answers she’s been desperately wanting.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting

Synopsis: An adorable cat sitter meets a hockey analyst (who isn’t a fan of cats) when he hires her to watch his mom’s cat. From the start, they have awkward and hilarious encounters. They seem so different but soon enough they discover they have more in common than they thought.

** I rated this 3/5 ⭐

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Synopsis: A second chance romance story that follows Macy, an ambitious woman trying to do it all, and her first love, Elliot. When they run into each other again it reopens wounds for Macy and bursts her well-constructed bubble. Told in the present and the past, Macy and Elliot learn each other’s views of what happened one fateful night. Will they find love again?

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

Synopsis: Ryan is an actor and he ends up back in town after his latest show gets not so great reviews. He decides to take some time off after working for so many years and after his mother dies. He struggles with his new family dynamic. Ryan meets a local baker when he visits her bakery and then gets to know her even more when he signs up for a Celebrity baking show and asks Lindsay to help him learn to bake.

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

Synopsis: Annie is looking for love. Preferably someone who will fit into her happy little life running her own flower shop. After many failed dates Annie starts to think she is the problem. Her decides that all she needs is a little practice and the perfect person to practice on: Will Griffin. Will begrudgingly agrees to go on practice dates with her but they start feeling more real than just practice.

The Last Daughter of York by Nicola Cornick

Synopsis: In the winter of 1483, Francis Lovell is Richard III’s Lord Chamberlain and confidant. Richard is trusting Francis and his wife, Anne, to protect his brothers last surviving son from rebels. Two years later, Richard is dead and Anne hides the Prince of York while Francis is hunted down. Running out of options, Anne uses the power of an ancient relic to send her and the Prince of York away to safety.

Present day, Serena is haunted by her twin sisters disappearance. When her sisters bones were found in an ancient vault, she starts looking into the local folklore and uncovers old family secrets.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Synopsis: Barcelona, 1945 – the city is recovering from the Spanish Civil War. A young booksellers son finds solace in a book called The Shadow of the Wind. When he looks for other works by the author he realizes someone has been destroying all of his books. Soon, he is on a quest to uncover a huge mystery and Barcelona’s darkest secrets.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

Synopsis: Eva was forced to flee Paris in 1942 after her father (a Polish Jew) was arrested. She starts working for the resistance and forges documents for Jewish children fleeing. She creates a book to document all of the children’s real names as they get erased from existence. 65 years later, Eva finds a picture of the long lost book and reopens old wounds of lost people, betrayals, and unsolved mysteries.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

Synopsis: In 1887, orphaned Veronica Speedwell buries her spinster aunt in London. After, she resumes her scientific pursuits around the world. An attempted abduction changes her plans and with the help of German baron and his friend, Veronica tries to figure out the plot against her.

There are currently 8 books in this series.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Synopsis: 18th Century London, a secret apothecary helps women get rid of the oppressive men in their lives with poison. However, the apothecary is jeopardized when a 12 year old makes a fatal mistake. Meanwhile, in present day London, aspiring historian, Caroline, stumbles on a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders. Caroline’s life collides with the past and not everyone will make it out alive.

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

Synopsis: An adorable story about a woman who takes over her aunt’s coffee shop in a small town. She has an unexpected run-in with the local cute farmer one morning. Right from the start they are drawn to each other but they appear to polar opposites! She is a ball of sunshine and he is a dark cloud. Will she be able to win over the grumpy farmer without becoming town gossip? 

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

Synopsis: Cassie is an artist struggling to pay her way. She finds an ad for a place that is super reasonable but knows there has to be a catch. Her new roommate sleeps all day, is out at night, and talks like he’s out of a regency romance novel. Cassie may have some feelings for her roommate but when she finds bags of blood in the fridge she has some questions that need answers.

The House Witch by Delemhach

Synopsis: Finlay joins the kitchen staff of King and Queen of Daxaria he is perfectly okay with serving as the royal cook. However, his secret identity doesn’t stay secret for long. After his powers are discovered he finds him head to head with knights, protecting the Queen, and uncovering a spy in the castle.

A story full of interesting characters, royal intrigue, delicious food, and will-they-wont-they romance.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Synopsis: Mika is one of a few witches in Britain and has to keep it a secret. Except she created an Instagram account where she “pretends” to be a witch (and she has quite the following). She gets a DM from someone claiming to have three young witches who need a teacher and Mika is too intrigued to turn it down. Mika travels to their home and finds out it is true. She spends her time teaching the young witches and finding a family (and possible love) like she’s never had before.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck

Synopsis: 500 years ago, Jack made a deal with the Devil. He is an Lantern, which is a watchmen who gauds the portals from the mortal world to the Otherworld full of nightmarish creatures. He has spent many years jumping from town to town making sure no one passes through the portals, until he meets Ember, a young witch. Ember feels a pull to the Otherworld and Jack must do everything in his power to keep her safe.

** I rated this 5/5 ⭐

Lovelight Farms by BK Borison

Synopsis: Stella tries to save her family’s Christmas Tree farm by entering a contest with a famous Instagram Influencer. There’s only one problem – she lied on the application saying she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend… but there is no boyfriend. So she ropes in her best friend, Luka, to fake date so she can have a chance to win the contest and save the farm.

Along Came Holly by Codi Hall

Synopsis: Holly has an ongoing feud with her grumpy neighbor, Declan. Holly has the jolliest shop on Main Street with her wonderful Christmas display. Declan never gets in the Christmas spirit so Holly pranks him which turns into an all-out war. Eventually, Holly needs Declan’s help with her display after some shady stuff happens and he reluctantly agrees. Declan starts to develop a soft spot for the woman he used to loathe but can he admit he’s falling in love with her?

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

** This was GREAT on audio, by the way!

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

Synopsis: Noelle is on her way back from an event when a blizzard closes down the highway and she and many other people are trapped. Noelle feels lost until she meets Sam who offers her assistance and they end up spending eight perfect hours together. They end up crossing paths again thinking it’s a coincidence but they find out maybe there is no such thing as a coincidence.

** I rated this 4/5 ⭐

A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette

A cozy mystery set at the beginning of winter!

Synopsis: Bronwyn has taken over the family ice cream business in Ohio. Its being renovated but it takes longer than expected which means she misses the summer season and has a “cold” opening on the first day of snow. To make matters worse, she finds a body in the snow that evening and soon her father is a suspect. She will need to run a new business and solve a crime with the help of her friends.

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

Synopsis: Melody’s mom used to be a rock star. Nowadays, Melody does everything to avoid the spotlight. Until, a producer offers her a lot of money to get her mom’s band back to together. To do that, Melody needs to be Beat again. He is the son of the lead singer. Can Melody and Beat move past their differences and possible spark to get their moms back together?