Reviewed by Kat   TITLE: My Christmas Reindeer SERIES: Reindeer Mate for Christmas Multi-Author Series AUTHOR: Wendy Rathbone PUBLISHER: Eye Scry Publications LENGTH: 137 pages RELEASE DATE: December 17, 2025 BLURB: Can a young omega reindeer shifter and Santa’s number one elf find love amid the chaotic demands of the North Pole Christmas season? Alpha Keir is a serious elf in charge of Santa’s Sleigh, a ground control team.

Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2025 Another year has passed in which books have brought all of us a much-needed escape and sense of comfort. Our Love Bytes team reviewed approximately 800 LGBTQ+ books in 2025, from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy, and everything in between. Each day for the next weeks, we will feature one of our reviewers’ top picks from books and audiobooks published in 2025.

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  Under Gorse and Stone AUTHOR:  Lily Morton NARRATOR:  Joel Leslie PUBLISHER:  Self-published LENGTH:  9 hours and 34 minutes RELEASE DATE:  December 24, 2025 BLURB:  Cary Sutton isn’t surprised when his boyfriend walks out on him during a holiday in Cornwall at Christmas. It’s far from the first time that someone's accused him of being cold—both inside and out.

Reviewed by True TITLE: Direct Nailing SERIES: Brannon Boys #3 AUTHOR: Katherine McIntyre PUBLISHER: Self-Published LENGTH: 214 pages RELEASE DATE: January 6, 2026 BLURB: Rory’s not supposed to hook up with his piercing clients. He’s definitely not supposed to go after his coworker’s dad… Rory When an older hottie comes into the tattoo shop asking for a Prince Albert, I can’t help but flirt.

RELEASE TOUR incl Exclusive Excerpt: HIDDEN GREED by Oliver Takely Milo looks like every twink you’ve ever met, but behind the cheeky smile is a man who craves control. Older men are his weakness, but none ever take him seriously. Until Edward. Length: 52k words Series: Sinful Knights, book 2 Prior Reading: not required Genre: contemporary…

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  Liam SERIES: The Calhoun Brothers AUTHOR:   Minerva Howe PUBLISHER:  Turtlehat Creatives LENGTH:  178 pages RELEASE DATE:  December 23, 2025 BLURB: Liam Calhoun has been looking up the mountain he lived at the bottom of for years, but in the last six months or so, the feeling has become urgent. Not only is his brother, Rory, up there with a pack of werewolves, but the old homestead at the edge of the treeline is calling to him.

Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2025 Another year has passed in which books have brought all of us a much-needed escape and sense of comfort. Our Love Bytes team reviewed approximately 800 LGBTQ+ books in 2025, from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy, and everything in between. Each day for the next weeks, we will feature one of our reviewers’ top picks from books and audiobooks published in 2025.

Reviewed by Taylin TITLE: Skin Game SERIES: Karne and Lundin: Subtle Deceptions #3 AUTHOR: Elle Keaton PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press LENGTH: 254 Pages RELEASE DATE: December 18, 2025 BLURB: Gabriel Karne is cautiously optimistic. Life seems to be settling down into a nice even keel. It’s a new year and the former con artist has a permanent-for-now address. Even Keith-the-cat seems to like it there.

RELEASE TOUR incl Exclusive Excerpt: Brokered Betrayals by Aimee Nicole Walker Length: 52,000 words Series: Sawyer and Royce: Felonies and Fatherhood Book Three Prior Reading: required Genre: contemporary, romantic suspense Tropes: established couple, law enforcement, fatherhood Trigger/Content Warnings: n/a Designer: Natasha Snow Years of dreaming. Nine months of preparing. Fatherhood has finally arrived for Royce and Sawyer Locke.

Here are the new releases for the week. Let us know if there's something missing & we'll add it to the list. Title Author Publisher Release Date Other Details Link Vengeance Beck Grey Pine & Moon 1/5/2026 Amagi Chronicles Amazon Ring My Kettlebell Lauren Kohout West Brookline Publishing 1/5/2026 Gym Rat Pack #1 Amazon

Jay’s 2025 For me, 2025 has been another tumultuous year. I'm still behind on my reading & had ventured off the genre for a little side trip (Dammit Donut!). But I'm trying to catch up on what I missed - and I can tell that 2025 was another banner year for books. I'll be looking through the rest of the Best of posts to get more recommendations.

Welcome to the December 2025 Audio Book of the Month! Here are all our Audio Reviews rated 4 hearts and up from the previous month, in no particular order. Please vote for your favorites. As with all of our Polls, you can vote for as many as you want, but you only get one visit, so make it count! The top two will go through to the Audio of the Year Poll!

Book of the Week Poll Welcome to the Love Bytes Book of the Week Poll! Here are the books which achieved a 4.25 and up review last week from our reviewers. As a reminder, the top two books from each week’s poll will roll into our Book of the Month poll at month’s end. Happy Voting! Please scroll to the very bottom for the voting section…

Book of the Week Winners! Here are the winning books of this week’s Book of the Week Poll. Both will go through to the Book of the Month Poll Reviewed by Cheryl K TITLE: Hold My Hand, It’s Christmas AUTHOR: K.C. Wells PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 222 pages RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2025 RATING:  BUY LINK: Amazon Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: Retool SERIES: The Last Picks AUTHOR: Gregory Ashe PUBLISHER: Hodgkin & Blount LENGTH: 240 pages RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2025 RATING:  BUY LINKS: Amazon

Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2025 Another year has passed in which books have brought all of us a much-needed escape and sense of comfort. Our Love Bytes team reviewed approximately 800 LGBTQ+ books in 2024, from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy, and everything in between. Each day for the next weeks, we will feature one of our reviewers’ top picks from books and audiobooks published in 2025.

Reviewed by Kat   TITLE: Nova SERIES: Daddy for Christmas 3 AUTHOR: Layla Dorine PUBLISHER: Desolate Press LENGTH: 155 pages RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2025 BLURB: Where’s the logic in forcing him to take a vacation, if they were just going to start blowing up his phone before he reached his holiday destination. Nova considered not answering the line of texts and questions, but it wasn’t worth the mess that would be waiting for him when he got home.

Reviewed by True TITLE: Pumped SERIES: Gymbos #2 AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold PUBLISHER: Self-Published LENGTH: 260 pages RELEASE DATE: January 2, 2026 BLURB: I’m just a nerd, standing in front of a bench press, asking it not to humiliate me in front of my gym crush I’ve never walked into a gym on purpose in my life, and I’m not sure which part is more shocking, the massive beefcake who immediately challenges me to arm wrestle or the fact that I kind of want to come back.

Book Title: A Job Well Done Author and Publisher: Rose Maefair Cover Artist: MILBART Release Date: December 21, 2025 Tense/POV: third person/alternating POV Genres: Contemporary MM Romance Tropes: Forced proximity, not quite enemies to lovers, hitman trope Themes: Awakening for one character Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 78 983 words/270 pages It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Reviewed by Mal TITLE: Worth the Risk SERIES: Worth It #3 AUTHOR: CF White PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 367 Pages RELEASE DATE: December 28, 2025 BLURB: Some risks are worth it. Jude Ellison thought he’d escaped him. A new town, a quiet job, two years of hard-earned peace. But when his abusive ex walks free on early release, Jude finds himself trapped all over again.

Reviewed by Jen TITLE:  Godless SERIES: The Ferrymen AUTHOR: L. Eveland PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 348 pages RELEASE DATE: November 24, 2025 BLURB: His bite marked me. His kiss ruined me. His return damned me. LORENZO I was built to kill—flawless, heartless, and loyal only to the man who made me. Now he's my next target. When a rare Judas Coin forces me to hunt Dionysus, I need his Rafael.

RELEASE TOUR - WORTH THE RISK by C F White 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤. Length: 387 pages Series: Worth It Book 3 Prior Reading: Recommended but not essential Genre: Contemporary, gritty, romantic suspense Tropes: Slow burn to intense heat, Demisexual awakening, Survivor/Protector, Heavy hurt/comfort, Undercover police officer and high stakes gambit, Forbidden attraction, Found family, Interracial romance, Forced proximity/only one bed…

Release Tour incl Exclusive Excerpt: A Cowboy Holiday by Lane Hayes Length: 40,000 Series: standalone Prior Reading: n/a Genre: Holiday, Contemporary, Cowboy Tropes: Single dad, grumpy-sunshine, small-town, holiday, cowboy Trigger/Content Warnings: n/a Designer: Reese Dante The cowboy, the rancher, and a little holiday magic... Tanner I met the grumpiest man on the planet and I’m head over heels in lust.

Reviewed by Mal TITLE: Winter Cowboy SERIES: Related to Cowboy Dreams AUTHOR: Kaje Harper PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 225 Pages RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2025 BLURB: Austin I made it to age eighteen as Frankie Morse—Frank, Junior—my dad's prized possession and sometimes punching bag. But only because Dad never knew I was gay. On my eighteenth birthday, I defied him, and ran.

Title: Incubus Author: Jonathan Wright Cover Art: Bryan Keller Genres: Action Adventure, BDSM, Dark Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense, New Releases, Paranormal, Romance Themes: Age Gap (Older Man), Capture Fantasy, Dark Romance, LGBTQ+ /Bisexual, Nonbinary, Transgender, Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft, Military, Veterans, and First Responders, Multicultural & Interracial, Voyeurism and Exhibitionism Series: Joseph Horn (#6)

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: 27 Kisses SERIES: Wedding Disasters AUTHOR:  D.K. Sutton PUBLISHER:  Self-published LENGTH:  220 pages RELEASE DATE:  December 23, 2025 BLURB: Christmas is just another day. But my employees are threatening to quit if they have to work Christmas. Again. When I lived in New York, avoiding the holiday was easy. Now I’m back in Mule Creek and in a secret relationship with my late sister’s husband, grumpy Irishman and diner owner, Aidyn Christy.