2024 was the year of reading, having read or listened to over 250 books. Never in my life have I consumed so many books, nor had so much fun reading. So I thought it would be fun to share the best romance books I read in 2024.
My favorite genre is romance (duh), with hockey romances being my absolute favorite of all.
The tropes or genres I love the most:
- Friends to lovers
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Fake dating/engagement/relationships
- Forced proximity
- Why Choose
- Sports romances (hockey first, then football, then any other athlete)
- Witchy or magical
The tropes or genres that just aren’t my jam:
- Dark romances / mafia /
- Morally grey MCs
- Bullying / assault
- Romantasy
- Werewolf / shifter / omega verse
How I rate books:
Most of the books that I read get a 4-star rating. If I made it all the way through and enjoyed it, it gets a good review. Occasionally I’ll come across a book that was on ly okay but not great — usually due to too many grammatical errors or sllllooowwww plot lines, and those will get a 3-star review. Those are few and far between, though, mostly because I am quick to bail on a book I’m not vibing with (hence why there are over 50 in my DNF— did not finish — pile.
For a book to get a 5-star review in my world, though, it has to be really really good. Not just enjoyable but substantial. They usually have me crying at some point or thoroughly disappointed that I’m done. They are also the stories that I binge read or devoured an entire series in mere days.
Which, as I go through my GoodReads tally, was way more than I expected.
I told you all of that so I could share all of this: here are the 67 books (!!) that qualify as the best romance reads and got a 5-star review from yours truly. (Yes, they are all affiliate links.)
The best romance books I read in 2024:
- It’s A Wonderful Midlife Crisis (Good To The Last Death, #1) by Robyn Peterman
- Told You So by Leeanne Slade (on Audible)
- You Only Die Twice by Brynn Kelly
- The Witch Hitch (A Cupcake Coven Romance, #2) by Elizabeth Bass
- Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec
- The Killers series by Brynne Asher: Vines, Paths, Gifts, Veils, Scars, Souls, The Tequila
- The Deal (Off-Campus, #1) by Elle Kennedy
- Irresistibly Dangerous (Irresistibly Yours #5) by J. Saman
- Reluctantly Yours (Unexpectedly in Love, #1) by Erin Hawkins
- The Chemistry of Levi by Brynne Asher
- The Almost Romantic (How to Date, #3) by Lauren Blakely
- Rules of Our Own (Rule Breaker, #3) by Jessa Wilder
- The Cottonwood Cove series by Laura Pavlov: Into The Tide, Under The Stars, On The Shore, Before the Sunset, After The Storm
- Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
- The Echo Of Old Books by Barbara Davis
- Double Pucked (My Hockey Romance, #1) by Lauren Blakely
- Until It Was Love by Pippa Grant
- A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic (Adenashire, #1) by J. Penner
- Accidental Magic (Myrtlewood Mysteries, #1) by Iris Beaglehole
- Western Wildcats Hockey series by Jennifer Sucevic: Hate You Always, Love You Never, Never Mine To Hold, Never Say Never
- Puck One Night Stands (Chicago Racketeers, #1) by Emma Foxx
- Here For The Cake: A fake dating, beach wedding romance by Jennifer Millikin
- The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1) by Christina Lauren
- Give Me More (Salacious Players Club, #3) by Sara Cate
- Fake Out Hearts (Love and Hockey #3) by Nikki Lawson
- Shameless Game (Shameless Sport #1) by Kelly Finley
- Playbook (The Holland Brothers, #2) by Rebecca Jenshak
- The Bully’s Dare (Truth or Dare Duet #1) by Adora Crooks
- The Doctor’s Truth (Truth or Dare Duet #2) by Adora Crooks
- The Summer We Fell (The Summer, #1) by Elizabeth O’Roark
- The It’s Only Temporary series by Megan Bryce: Some Like It Charming, Some Like It Ruthless, Some Like It Perfect, Some Like It Hopeless
- Stuck on Them by Maya Nicole
- The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
- The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
- The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy by Kaydence Snow: Variant Lost, Vital Found, Vivid Avowed
- The Runaway Series by Devney Perry: Runaway Road, Wild Highway, Quarter Miles, Forsaken Trail, Dotted Lines
- Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray
- Night Sweats and Hockey Nets by Marika Ray
- Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti
- Axes & O’s by Kayla Grosse
- The Marriage Hex (Celestial Witches, #1) by Sarah Blue
- Failure to Match (Bad Billionaire Bosses, #2) by Kyra Parsi
- Not Safe For Work: A Steamy Fake Dating Romance by Lindsey Lanza
- My Neighbor’s Secret by Lauren Rowe
- Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door (Riley Thorn, #1) by Lucy
Score
Affiliate Link Disclaimer:
*These are all affiliate links, meaning that if you click a link and buy something as a result, I make a small commission on the sale (at not cost to you). Which is very much appreciated.
What about you? Are you a romance reader? What were your favorite books that you read in 2024?
