Our Most Anticipated Indie Book Releases of October 2025 are here! Featuring ten gripping, heart-pounding, and beautifully crafted stories across romance, mystery, fantasy, and suspense. From dark academia and paranormal intrigue to small-town secrets, cozy mysteries, and swoon-worthy romance, these indie titles promise to captivate readers with unforgettable characters and rich, immersive worlds.
Whether you’re in the mood for a thrilling page-turner or a cozy escape, October’s lineup has something for everyone.
The Monsters They Made Us by Frank J. Camacho
Dark secrets run deep in Driftmoor, a coastal town where curses cling to the bloodlines of its founding families. Dorothy arrives at Driftmoor Academy determined to reinvent herself. But after a near-fatal accident, she awakens powers she doesn’t understand and a past someone tried to bury. The halls whisper, nightmares claw at her sleep, and death seems to shadow her every step. She’s not alone—three other heirs carry their own cursed legacies. There’s a boy marked by the sea, a golden girl whose perfection hides fractures, and a son raised in shadows never meant to be his home. Bound by bargains made long ago, each must decide whether to wield their inheritance or let it consume them.
Atmospheric and unsettling, this dark academia debut will leave readers breathless and hungry for more.
Available October 1, 2025
Casual Cowboy by Holly Renee
Blaire Monroe was the only girl he ever loved—and the only one who shattered his heart. Ten years later, she’s back in town, hiding out on her grandmother’s strawberry farm after a broken engagement. It’s like the past never happened. But Blaire was never someone you could forget. She’s wildfire, reckless and untamed, and the second they’re in the same room, sparks ignite and history comes rushing back. The tension is scorching, the pull undeniable, and soon they’re tangled in the same dangerous chemistry they swore they’d left behind.
Passionate, raw, and brimming with second-chance heat, Casual Cowboy proves some loves can’t be buried.
Available October 7, 2025
Photograph by Brian Freedman
Private investigator Shannon Wells has built her career helping women with nowhere else to turn. A year ago, Faith Selby hired her with a chilling request: Find out who I really am. Shannon uncovered fragments of a hidden life, but the truth remained locked away. Now Faith is dead. And the only lead is a haunting photograph of a little girl standing in the rain outside a roadside motel. The search for answers pulls Shannon from sun-soaked Florida to the shadows of a Michigan town, where every secret threatens to shatter the present.
Cold cases don’t die easily, and Photograph proves it in a haunting, atmospheric story of secrets and survival.
Available October 7, 2025
Bitter Past by C.J. Carmichael
A young hiker vanished into the Montana wilderness twenty years ago, leaving behind nothing but questions. Sheriff Zak Waller has never stopped believing it was murder—and now he finally has the authority to prove it. But with no suspects and no evidence, he’s chasing shadows. When investigative journalist Joelle Medler arrives, convinced the disappearance is part of a larger cover-up, the two uncover secrets long buried in the rugged town of Lost Trail. But someone is watching, someone who will kill to keep the past hidden.
A gripping police procedural with small-town intrigue and heart-pounding twists—perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Karin Slaughter.
Available October 7, 2025
Bobek: The Wild One by Todd Fischer and Caidin Ferrigno
Nicole Bobek was more than a figure skater—she was a force. With a flying ponytail, fearless jumps, and a wink to the judges, she stole the spotlight in the 1990s and forever changed the sport’s image. But behind the sequins and standing ovations was a young woman wrestling with identity, expectations, and the relentless pressure of perfection. Her journey spiraled from Olympic dreams to public scandal, from ice rinks to courtrooms, as she battled addiction and personal demons in the harsh glare of fame. Now, in her own unflinching voice, Bobek lays bare the triumphs and heartbreaks that shaped her.
BOBEK: THE WILD ONE is a raw and riveting memoir about survival, reinvention, and the unbreakable spirit of an athlete who refused to be forgotten.
Available October 8, 2025
The Spy Who Wore Long White Gloves by Ciji Ware
Lacy Farrington Forbes never imagined herself as a spy, but the outbreak of WWII pulls her from London ballrooms to the frontlines of danger. Volunteering with the Red Cross, she funds and supports a field hospital near the Russian-Finnish front, only to find herself caught in a web of espionage, military orders, and secret missions. Dr. Charles “Pem” Pembroke III, a brilliant young doctor, struggles with duty and desire as he navigates battlefield hospitals and forbidden attraction to Lacy. Surviving close encounters with Nazi troops and the chaos of war, Lacy is recruited by MI5 to prevent sabotage across England, while Pem designs hospital trains to save wounded soldiers. Amid bombs, espionage, and the Blitz, the two must reconcile love, loyalty, and survival.
In The Spy Who Wore Long White Gloves, Ciji Ware blends daring missions, suspenseful intrigue, and forbidden romance with rich historical detail.
Available October 14, 2025
Scorched: A Ballad of Fire by Reese Sherron
Serene is on a desperate quest to find her missing sister, Tilly, when a touch of enchanted stones transports her to the mysterious Realm of Azure. In this perilous world, danger lurks around every corner, from fire-breathing dragons to ruthless royals who would see her dead. Protected by two enigmatic princes, she must navigate deadly battle games, forbidden by the gods, where only the strongest survive. As the first woman to compete, Serene must fight to become one of the chosen eight—or die trying. But the greatest threat may not come from the arena or the gods—Serene may face it from the very person she has sworn to protect.
Scorched: A Ballad of Fire is a gripping dark fantasy adventure of courage, betrayal, and forbidden trust that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Available October 16, 2025
Seabreeze Harvest Jan Moran
The Seabreeze Inn is buzzing with excitement for its grand harvest celebration, showcasing the beach house’s stunning renovations and drawing locals and returning guests alike. Ivy and Bennett are determined to make the evening unforgettable, filled with warmhearted traditions and seasonal festivities. But unexpected surprises begin to threaten the carefully planned event, testing their creativity, patience, and teamwork. With her reputation and the inn’s future at stake, Ivy must act fast to keep everything from unraveling. Can she save the celebration before it turns into a disaster?
Perfect for fans of small-town romance and seaside escapes, Seabreeze Harvest is a feel good beach story of romance, friendship, resilience, and the power of second chances.
Available October 20, 2025
Kindred by L.E. Sells
Vincent Baptiste has lived in isolation since his transformation during the siege of Omaha Beach, believing he is meant to remain alone. But when an occult book reveals a blood prophecy linking a vampire and a human from a powerful enemy, Vincent begins to question his solitary existence. Investigative journalist Yvonne Malone is on the trail of a mysterious drug that’s turning humans into monsters, and her path collides with Vincent’s in ways she can’t ignore. As danger escalates from a growing paranormal threat, they must navigate secrecy, trust, and desire to survive. Their connection may be the only thing standing between them and annihilation.
Kindred delivers a paranormal romance full of forbidden attraction, slow-burn tension, dark intrigue, and a high-stakes bond that will keep readers turning pages for every twist and heated encounter.
Available October 25, 2025
PJ Norris and the Village with the Gnome Dilemma by S. Usher Evans
PJ Norris continues his search for dragon shifters and arrives in Padstow, a town alive with magic-mining gnomes and humans who’ve built their lives around them. When a magical surge throws the town into chaos, Firewing Investigations is called in to uncover what—or who—caused it. The prime suspects? A trio of mischief-making kids more interested in causing trouble than helping at the local inn. PJ and Grant must navigate their antics while uncovering the deeper secrets hidden beneath Padstow’s magical streets. With each clue, the town’s mysteries grow stranger, and the hunt for a dragon shifter becomes ever more urgent.
PJ Norris and the Village with the Gnome Dilemma, the second book in the Firewing Investigations, enchants readers with its charming magic, quirky characters, and cozy fantasy thrills.
These upcoming indie releases prove that great stories don’t just come from the big publishers. Packed with hidden gems, unforgettable characters, and exciting plots, they’re perfect for readers looking to discover something fresh and original—often at a fantastic price. Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and explore these standout titles from talented indie authors.
