5 Small Town Series to Fall in Love with in 2025!

I don’t know about you, but 2025 has been an absolutely killer year for small town romance. There is just something about a fictional town with nosy neighbors, one singular coffee shop that makes the best cinnamon rolls on earth, and a brooding hero who drives a truck that really soothes the soul, right?
If you’re looking to get hooked on a brand-new series, you are in luck. I’ve rounded up five of the best series starters that hit the shelves this year. They’ve got everything we love: swoony tension, cozy vibes, and enough drama to keep the town gossip mill running for decades.
Here are five books you need to add to your TBR pile immediately:
1. Story of My Life by Lucy ScoreSeries: Story Lake
Release Date: March 2025
Lucy Score basically reigns supreme over the rom-com world, and she did not come to play with this one. Story of My Life kicks off her new Story Lake series, and it is hilarious. It follows Hazel Hart, a romance novelist who buys a historic home in tiny Story Lake, PA, only to find out the house is a total money pit (raccoon infestation included). Enter Campbell Bishop, the grumpy contractor who has to fix it. It’s got that Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek energy that we all desperately need. If you like your small towns with a side of chaotic town council meetings and very large, very grumpy men, grab this one.
2. Crossroads by Devney PerrySeries: Haven River Ranch
Release Date: June 2025
Devney Perry is the queen of Montana romance, and she’s back at it with the Haven River Ranch series. Crossroads is a second-chance romance that will absolutely wreck you in the best way possible. Indya returns to the ranch she visited as a kid, now as the new owner, and has to face West Haven—the boy who taught her how to play poker and then broke her heart. It’s emotional, it’s atmospheric, and the tension between these two is thick enough to cut with a knife. Plus, the setting is so vivid you’ll want to pack your bags and move to the mountains immediately.
3. Better than Never by Erin Brockus (Me!)Series: Sunset Siesta
Release Date: October 2025
Okay, look, I know what you’re thinking. "Erin, did you really sneak your own book onto a list of bestsellers?" Yes. Yes, I did. I have no shame. But hear me out! Better than Never is the first book in my new Sunset Siesta series, set in the Florida Keys. It features Julianne, a hyper-organized accountant, and Eli, a dive instructor who is allergic to schedules. They hate each other, obviously. Then they get stuck together for an underwater wedding stunt because… well, because I clearly enjoy torturing my characters.
I like to think it’s a fun, steamy escape, but honestly, I’m just happy I managed to finish writing it without throwing my laptop into the ocean. If you like enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and guys who look really good in wetsuits, you might actually tolerate this one. (Please read it, my dog needs premium kibble).
4. Fever Dream by Elsie SilverSeries: Emerald Lake
Release Date: 2025
If Elsie Silver writes it, I am reading it. No questions asked. Fever Dream starts her new Emerald Lake series, and it brings the heat. We’re talking a professional bull rider, Emmett, who goes on a reality dating show called Romance Ranch to save his family’s farm. It sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen, right? But then he meets Julia, the show’s producer (or at least, someone who is definitely not a contestant), and things get messy. It’s forbidden, it’s angsty, and it has that signature Elsie Silver banter that makes you giggle and kick your feet.
5. All the Missing Pieces by Catherine CowlesSeries: Shady Cove
Release Date: January 2025
Nobody does romantic suspense and small-town feels quite like Catherine Cowles. All the Missing Pieces launched her Shady Cove series earlier this year, and it set the bar high. It’s got that perfect blend of "I’m terrified for everyone’s safety" and "Aww, look how cute they are." The mystery is gripping, the found family aspect is heartwarming, and the romance is the kind of slow burn that pays off big time. If you want a small town that feels safe but also has a lurking danger (and a very protective hero to handle it), this is the one for you.

Happy reading. Let me know in the comments which series you’re diving into first!