If you’re looking for a book that will keep you gripped, this page-turner has been named as one of the best books of 2025. In a list by Penguin, Buckeye by Patrick Ryan took top spot for being the top novel not to miss out on.

The novel is set in Bonhomie, Ohio. A synopsis on Goodreads says: “A stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. 

“Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. 

“Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way – until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened.

“Later, as the country reconstructs in the postwar boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie – but nothing stays buried forever in a small town. 

“Against the backdrop of some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the consequences of that long-ago encounter ripple through the next generation of both families, compelling them to reexamine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

“Sweeping yet intimate, rich with piercing observation and the warmth that comes from profound understanding of the human spirit, Buckeye captures the universal longing for love and for goodness.”

As the weather turns colder, you might be looking for the perfect autumn read and Ryan’s novel is one which will not disappoint. 

One person on Goodreads said: “A heartbreaking novel, that transports you to every decade it covers. 

“This book brought tears to my eyes, it’s so deeply sad. A wonderful, wonderful book, that has stayed with me since the moment I finished reading it. I could not put it down.”

Another person on Goodreads said: “Well drawn sympathetic characters, sad but realistic storyline. Very well written. I loved the book and highly recommend it to everyone.”