Wondering what BookBub readers are gravitating toward right now? We’ve pulled together examples of indie Featured Deals that connected strongly with our subscribers across a wide range of categories in 2025. From low-stakes adventures to seasonal mysteries to Navy SEAL romances, these self-published books showcase some of the kinds of content, tropes, and themes that are resonating with readers. While these are far from the only approaches that work, we hope they give you a sense of what’s appealing to your genre’s audience on BookBub — and inspire your own Featured Deal submissions!
Jump to your genre:
Romance
Erotic Romance: Wicked Praise by Juliette N. Banks
This promotion to our Erotic Romance category is a testament to the power of combining beloved tropes! With a one-night stand between a possessive billionaire protagonist and a shy girl from the other side of the tracks — plus a BDSM awakening and a playboy who falls for someone who’s not his usual type — this steamy, dark read collects a bounty of themes readers love.
Historical Romance: A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews
Mimi Matthews is a hybrid author who’s run both traditionally and self-published Victorian romances to our Historical Romance audience. This self-pubbed title tells the story of a bluestocking whose first social season is interrupted repeatedly by an icy viscount. Naturally, Mimi’s name recognition and praise from other authors, including Jodi Picoult and Kate Quinn, contributed to this deal’s appeal, but tropes like opposites attract and reluctant attraction made it wholly irresistible to our subscribers.
New Adult Romance: The Langfield Brothers Box Set by Brittanée Nicole
Box sets are a plus for readers across BookBub Featured Deals categories, and our New Adult Romance readers are no exception! This deal from Brittanée Nicole collects four books about billionaire brothers — a trend these subscribers adore — that are full of appealing tropes, from a boss-employee relationship to a second-chance romance.
Romantic Suspense: SEAL’s Target by Makenna Jameison
Navy SEALs remain evergreen favorites for our Romantic Suspense readers, and SEAL’s Target combines that interest with compelling suspense as Callie, the female protagonist, survives a plane hijacking thanks to Navy SEAL Wyatt. Slowly recovering her memory of the event, Callie learns the terrorists are still after her, but Wyatt is committed to protecting her.
Speculative Fiction
Fantasy: The Bartender Between Worlds by Herman Steuernagel
Cozy fantasy is taking the publishing world by storm, and BookBub readers are fully on board! The Bartender Between Worlds by Herman Steuernagel features the kind of low-stakes adventure and quirky, charming characters this growing subgenre is known for, making it a great content fit for BookBub readers.
Horror: Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates
Darcy Coates is a longtime BookBub partner and a mainstay of indie horror whose stories feature many tropes and themes that are popular with our Horror subscribers, including a haunted house, an endangered child, and an isolated Arctic setting. This spine-tingling story collection paired those appealing themes with an evocative cover.
Science Fiction: There’s Something Wrong with the Cats by C J Powell
If there’s one thing we know about BookBub’s Science Fiction readers, it’s that they can’t resist a unique hook — and There’s Something Wrong with the Cats certainly fits that bill! When Dan’s cats start displaying unusual skills, he’s pulled into a strange mystery. We think the polished cover, original plot, and general intrigue really drew readers to this series starter by C J Powell.
Supernatural Suspense: A Witch in Wolf Wood: The Complete Series by Lindsay Buroker
The only thing more alluring than a box set to BookBub readers is a box set that collects a complete series! Lindsay Buroker is a popular indie author across a few of BookBub’s speculative fiction categories, and this paranormal women’s fiction series is part of a trending subgenre that’s a home run for our Supernatural Suspense subscribers. Newfound magical abilities and supernatural mysteries abound in this charming box set.
Fiction
Action & Adventure: The Heretics Bible by J. Robert Kennedy
Archaeologist protagonists, ancient secrets, and impending disaster are all great content fits for our Action & Adventure readers, and this read by J. Robert Kennedy delivers on all three fronts with an archaeologist who discovers that an ancient artifact believed to be legend is actually real — and he must race to prevent a disastrous conflict between world religions.
Black Stories & Experiences: Man of Her Dreams by Tina Martin
This wintry contemporary romance by Tina Martin ran in December, when the seasonal appeal was hard for our readers to resist — and the story is full of tropes they love, including a fake relationship and forced proximity. The Black Stories & Experiences category’s readers particularly enjoy romances that focus on a woman’s perspective and journey, and this novel delivers perfectly.
Christian Fiction: Thrones in the Desert by Doug Peterson
The Book of Luke comes alive in this work of biblical fiction that drew our Christian Fiction readers in — these subscribers are big fans of Bible story retellings, so it’s no surprise they loved a book featuring characters who encounter Jesus and his disciples.
Cozy Mysteries: A Very Merry Murder Mystery: Books 1-3 by Rachel Beattie
Our Cozy Mysteries subscribers truly love a box set — and what’s more, they love a seasonal story! This festive trio of holiday mysteries combined both of those elements. Readers were delighted to follow along with Merry Gray, a sleuth who saves Christmas from all kinds of untimely murders. This box set was well-timed, with a run in October that was late enough in the year to feel seasonal, but early enough to feel exciting and fresh for the winter holidays.
Crime Fiction: FBI K9 Mystery Thrillers: Omnibus One by Tikiri Herath
Tikiri Herath’s omnibus combines three elements BookBub readers in this category are always happy to see: a small-town setting, a K-9 crime solver, and a box set. With idyllic coastal settings, an intrepid FBI agent and her K-9 partner, and three books for the price of one, this collection really stood out to readers.
Humor: Doorman Wanted by Glenn R. Miller
Our Humor subscribers love a story of a fish out of water, so this hilarious tale of a wealthy man who takes a job as a doorman hit the spot for them. The story features a cast of quirky characters and an inside look at a unique job — also big draws for these readers.
Teen & Young Adult: The Haunting Between Us by Paul Michael Winters
This supernatural, queer coming-of-age story hit all the right notes for our Teen & Young Adult audience. With a polished cover, praise from Kirkus Reviews, and appealing plot elements, including an m/m love story, The Haunting Between Us by Paul Michael Winters ticks all the right boxes. The retailer description calls the book “Heartstopper meets Haunting of Hill House,” speaking directly to these readers’ interest in supernatural tales and queer romance.
Thrillers: Ward D by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden, author of the runaway hit The Housemaid, got her start by self-publishing and continues to work with BookBub on Featured Deals for her self-pubbed titles! In this chilling thriller, a medical student faces her worst fear as she spends the night in a locked psychiatric ward… and then patients and staff start to disappear. This was a perfect fit for our readers’ taste for a locked-room setting and a countdown to morning that’s reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s books.
Nonfiction
Advice & How-To: The Anatomy of Stretching by Brad Walker
Brad Walker’s The Anatomy of Stretching hits a niche within our Advice & How-To category that’s hard to beat: It provides functional, at-home exercises that require little or no special equipment. With a wide range of applications and well over 100 stretches, this guide features illustrations and step-by-step guidance, both of which are appealing to this category’s readers.
This list is just a small sample of the excellent books we featured in 2025. Here at BookBub, we’re looking forward to another great year of helping indie authors find new, enthusiastic readers, and we can’t wait to see all the great books our partners promote with us in 2026. Yours can be one of them! While these promotions highlight some current trends, they’re far from the only books that succeed with our audience. Whether your book aligns with these examples or represents different trends in your genre, we encourage you to apply for a BookBub Featured Deal today.
