The best books of 2025

This list is part of the best books of 2025.

Join 1,210 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2025

Book cover of The Water Keeper

Patricia Bradley ❤️ loved this book because...

You must read all four of the books in the series (I hope there's a fifth!). Murphy Shepherd totally captured my heart!

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Emotions
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Charles Martin ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Water Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A riveting story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds by New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin.

Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he's dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.

When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida's Intracoastal Waterway, Murph's mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of The Letter Keeper

Patricia Bradley ❤️ loved this book because...

It continued the story of Murphy Shepherd, a character I'd come too love in The Water Keeper. And Bones, his mentor!

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Charles Martin ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Letter Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

USA TODAY Bestseller | ECPA Bestseller

Combining the heart-wrenching emotion of Nicholas Sparks with the edge-of-your-seat tension of John Grisham, New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love in this second book in the Murphy Shepherd series.

Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could--survivors of human trafficking. His life's mission is helping others find freedom . . . but then the nightmare strikes too close to home.

When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought…


My 3rd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of The Record Keeper

Patricia Bradley ❤️ loved this book because...

This is the 3rd book in the 4-book series and I wish there were more! Charles Martin really puts you in his characters shoes. And if you're reading the series, don't stop with this one. Be sure to read the last one--The Keeper! And then you'll wish for more.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Charles Martin ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Record Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Because you're worth rescue."

The unrelenting third installment in the Murphy Shepherd series from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin.

Murphy Shepherd's last rescue mission very nearly cost him his life. He'd like nothing more than to stay close to his wife and daughters for a while. But Bones's nemesis must be stopped, and there are so many who still need to know they are worth rescuing.

As the cat-and-mouse game moves into the open, Murphy is tested at every turn-both physically and mentally. Then the unthinkable happens: his beloved mentor and friend is taken. Gone without a trace.…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Shadows of the Past

By Patricia Bradley ,

Book cover of Shadows of the Past

What is my book about?

While she's stalking the truth . . . someone is stalking her.

Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve--the disappearance of her father twenty years ago. When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate. But as she works to uncover the truth, someone else will do almost anything to keep her from it.

Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife--a tragedy he believes he could have prevented. Now that his estranged brother is the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him. But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

Join the chase as Taylor and Nick search the murky shadows of the past for the keys to unlocking the present--and moving into a future they never imagined.

Book cover of The Water Keeper
Book cover of The Letter Keeper
Book cover of The Record Keeper

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