The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2025, Week 2’s New Books
My choices for this week include Middle Grade Adventure Mystery, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy, Cozy Animal Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Comedy, and Cozy Culinary Mystery.
It’s the first week of January! How are we feeling about this new year? Did you decide on any New Year’s Resolutions? Did any reading challenges inspire your resolutions?
This week, I have more diverse options for you to choose from. Jen and I both have a book from this list on our list.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 2 of 2025!
A Copycat Conundrum by Lisa Yee
Misfits #2
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Middle Grade Adventure Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
When San Francisco is under strange attacks—like earthquakes affecting only two city blocks at a time—who’re you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that’s who! The Misfits are on the case in this hilarious illustrated series!
Oof! After solving the case of the Royal Rumpus, Olive Cobin Zang and her elite team of underdogs are on top of the world. As the awkward, crime-fighting Misfits, they’re acing every mission thrown at them from NOCK (aka No One Can Know, the covert agency they work for).
But when their classmate Zeke starts receiving threatening notes, the Misfits are stumped. They’re no strangers to danger, but this case is a total head-scratcher. Who would target kind, friendly Zeke . . . unless he’s not what he seems to be?
At the same time, unusual earthquakes start shaking up San Francisco just as priceless art goes missing, and the Misfits are called to investigate. Is it a coincidence that the city is under attack while Zeke is getting mysterious messages? Or is it all just a cover for a scheme bigger than any they’ve faced before?
For other Misfit adventures from Newbery Honoree Lisa Yee and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, don’t miss The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum!
Better Luck Hex Time by Amanda M. Lee
Moonstone Bay Cozy Mysteries #15
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Moonstone Bay is in a tizzy. Not only has a new village been discovered—it was hidden by magic for hundreds of years—but family members long thought dead are back and infiltrating lives that had changed in their absence.
It is not all smooth sailing.
Hadley Hunter is trying to keep things under wraps but she’s as excited to explore the village as anybody. There’s just one little problem. How did a body make it into the village when it was magically warded to keep people out?
A local shifter is dead and Hadley and her merry band of paranormal powerhouses are on the case. She thought the village had given up all of its mysteries. What if she was wrong, though?
Hadley’s dreams are being haunted, her future uncertain, her friends in turmoil. Is it an old enemy coming back, or is someone new—someone terrible—on the horizon?
Hadley is about to find out. She’s not going to want to hear the answer. Nobody is.
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee
Breathmarked #1
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A young warrior dreams of proving his worth in the elite Guardian Tournament, fighting not only for himself but the fate of everything he loves.
Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Heaven to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s pride―righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.
But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. He believes there is no future in Jun honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.
As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself and the very survival of everyone he cares about.
Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert
Campus Sleuth Mystery #1
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
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A mystery writer must solve a real murder case before an innocent girl is condemned in this series debut from acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Lorna Barrett.
Jennifer “Jen” Dalton is an author and educator at Clarion University in Virginia. She loves her job, but some of her petty coworkers look down on her for writing genre fiction. As members of the English department, they wish to encourage students to pursue higher literary aspirations. When a humiliating confrontation between an uppity professor and one of Jen’s students, Mia, escalates, no one thinks much of it. Until his dead body is found along with evidence incriminating Mia.
Jen knows Mia couldn’t have killed him, but Mia’s suspicious disappearance might as well be a proclamation of guilt. With the sleuthing skills Jen has acquired writing murder mysteries, she’s determined to solve the case and clear Mia’s name.
Along with the help of her fellow sleuthers—Christine Kubiak, a cafeteria manager; Zachary Flynn, the charming but annoying campus psychologist; and Brianna Rowley, a librarian—Jen must catch the real killer before there’s another murder on the books.
Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz
Lost Night Files #3
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Romantic Suspense
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An unsettling investigation teaches two deeply suspicious people how to trust in the next thrilling novel of the Lost Night Files trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.
Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, hires private investigator Gideon Sweetwater to catch the stalker who has been watching her. Amelia suspects the stalker may be connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost to amnesia—a night that upended their lives and left them with paranormal talents.
Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or an outright con artist, but he can’t resist the chemistry between them. He takes the case despite his skepticism. For her part, Amelia has second thoughts about the wisdom of employing the mysterious Mr. Sweetwater. She is wary of the powerful attraction between them, and deeply uneasy about the nightmarish paintings on the walls of his home. She senses they were inspired by his own dreamscapes.
Amelia knows she doesn’t have time to find another investigator, and Gideon is forced to reckon with the truth when he disrupts what was intended to be Amelia’s kidnapping. Now the pair is on the run, with no choice but to return to the haunting ruins of the old hotel where Amelia’s lost night occurred. They are desperate to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a dangerous drug that is designed to enhance psychic abilities. If they are to survive, they will have to trust each other and the passion that bonds them.
Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
A LibraryReads Pick!
Her mission: find the Lost City of the Moon in the Amazon rainforest.
His mission: protect the holy temple . . . and his heart.While her mentor may be the world’s most badass archaeologist, the only thing bad about Dr. Miriam Jacobs are her corny jokes. But when Miri is charged with leading an unmapped expedition through the Amazon for the fabled Lost City of the Moon, she finally has her chance to prove to her colleagues that she’s capable—and hopefully prove it to herself, too.
Journalist Rafael Monfils has joined the archaeological team to chronicle their search for the lost city. Or at least, that’s what they think he’s doing. Rafa’s real goal? Make sure the team does not reach the Cidade da Lua, stopping the desecration of the holy city and protecting his mother’s legacy. All he needs to do is keep them on the wrong path.
If only the endearingly quirky Dr. Jacobs wasn’t so damn tenacious—each of Rafa’s tricks and purposeful wrong turns only seem to fuel her determination. Even worse, he’s charmed by her goofy attempts to channel Lara Croft as they traverse the dangerous Brazilian rainforest. But they’re not the only crew hunting for the lost city, and soon the untamed jungle—and their untamed hearts—might be the least of their worries…
Wine and Whispers by Daisy Landish
Sophie Brooks Mysteries #1
Publication Date: January 11, 2025
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon | Jen’s Book Review
In the heart of wine country, secrets run as deep as the vines.
Sophie Brooks, a food blogger and digital nomad, heads to Sonoma’s wine country to explore its famous vineyards. But when a mysterious disappearance shatters the idyllic landscape, Sophie must uncover the truth hidden among the whispers and the wine.
Food blogger and digital nomad Sophie Brooks is on her first stop in Sonoma, California, where the wine flows as freely as the secrets. Eager to showcase the region’s farm-to-table dining scene, Sophie is ready to indulge in the local wines and meet the passionate people behind them. But when one of the vineyard’s owners goes missing, the peaceful countryside takes a dark turn.
As whispers of betrayal and old grudges swirl through the vines, Sophie finds herself caught in the middle of a mystery that threatens to unravel the very fabric of this picturesque wine country. With her sharp instincts and a love for uncovering the truth, Sophie must navigate the delicate balance between tasting fine wines and untangling deadly secrets.
Can she solve the mystery before the whispers turn into something more dangerous?
Wine & Whispers is the first book in the Sophie Brooks Mysteries.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 2 of 2025
Drop a comment if you like one of the books above or if you have one to recommend.
Thank you for stopping by,
Happy Reading!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you click the link and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. Mainly, this helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
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