I Planned 5 Books for My Fall TBR 2025 and Got 7 Gothic Romances Instead
I told myself I’d only pick five books for my Fall TBR 2025. Now I’ve got seven gothic and fantasy romances, full of dark academia, vampires, and dangerous love.
My Must Read Fall TBR 2025: Dark, Moody, and a Little Bit Unhinged
I sat down to plan my Fall TBR 2025, and I swore I’d keep it to five books. Just five cozy fall reads.
Spoiler: I failed immediately.
Because when fall rolls around, I crave stories filled with dark academia, brooding vampires, cursed love, and morally gray chaos. And somehow, that “reasonable” list turned into seven gothic and fantasy romances, all perfectly moody for the season.
If you’re curating your own Fall 2025 TBR and want a mix of atmospheric fantasy, gothic romance, and a touch of unhinged devotion, here’s what’s on my reading pile.
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7 Books on My Fall TBR 2025
Blood & Betrayals by Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune
Dark academia meets paranormal academy with a stalker mystery and found family tension.
Summer just wants to survive Avalon University, until she ends up with a feral vampire roommate, an angelic senior who won’t leave her alone, and a sadistic stalker.
Why it’s on my list: I’m obsessed with sharp-tongued heroines forced into friendships against their will and love interests with way too many secrets. Perfect for fans of Nocticadia.
Grab Blood & Betrayals on Amazon
The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia
Set in Victorian London, Elena is a botanist who poisons terrible men as her own twisted form of justice, until one of them walks into her apothecary alive.
Why it’s on my list: Feminine rage, morally gray women, and moody apothecary settings? Yes. This is basically Giulia Tofana meets absinthe and candlelight. Gothic perfection for fall.
The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino
An epic fantasy romance with a heartbreak guarantee. Gray is bound to Keir by blood and magic, she’s his blade, healer, and protector. But if she dies, all magic dies with her.
Why it’s on my list: It’s giving Rachel Gillig meets Kushiel’s Dart, full of devotion, pain, and gorgeous worldbuilding. Definitely my “rainy Sunday and emotional damage” read.
Grab The Second Death of Locke on Amazon
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Bloodstained by Jenika Snow
Dracula meets Nosferatu in this dark, gothic romance. Ivan lost his wife centuries ago and has lived as a monster ever since until he finds Clara, her identical reincarnation.
Why it’s on my list: Possessive vampire. Obsessive devotion. “You’re mine even after death” energy. This is my late-night, lights-off, absolutely feral fall pick.
Grim’s Delight by Abigail Kelly
When a failed assassination turns a human waitress into a vampire heir, she’s suddenly at the center of a crime family power struggle.
Why it’s on my list: Vampire mafia politics with forced proximity and tension that could ignite the night sky. If you liked King of Battle and Blood, this is your next obsession.
A Tongue So Sweet and Deadly by Sophia St. Germain
A half-fae heroine who can compel anyone with her gaze is forced into a dangerous political game that could destroy her world.
Why it’s on my list: Forbidden magic, fae courts, and romantic tension laced with betrayal, this one screams dark fae energy and fall escapism.
Grab A Tongue So Sweet and Deadly on Amazon
The Exorcism of Fairies by J.L. Vampa
Set in 1993 Dublin, this dark academia gothic fantasy follows Atta, a mortician’s daughter studying botany, who helps her professor exorcise fae possessions, and fights forbidden feelings in the process.
Why it’s on my list: Student-teacher tension, Irish folklore, and nineties atmosphere? Peak spooky season. Think Ninth House meets Practical Magic.
Grab The Exorcism of Faeries on Amazon
Final Thoughts
So yeah, my “five-book” Fall TBR 2025 turned into seven gothic, romantic, slightly cursed picks and I’m not even sorry.
If you’ve read any of these, tell me which one deserves to go to the top of my TBR. And if you’ve got your own dark academia or fantasy romance recs for fall, drop them in the comments because I clearly have no self-control.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be reading about morally gray vampires while pretending it’s raining outside.
If you’re not sure what else feels like a Fall read, check out the Fall book tropes I’m obsessed with right now and some other books that are perfect for your Kindle Unlimited Fall TBR. And check out even more Fall books if you need more recommendations.
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