The Best of 2024 – Laura’s List

My first ‘Best of’ list for All About Romance and my second year of reading only romance.

Katherine Center said that romance is not about predictability, it’s about anticipation. In my case, with one exception, (Kaliane Bradley’s début) I started each novel already loving the author and hoping desperately that their 2024 book would be as good as I hoped. They were all better!

Turns out I don’t always need tropes. I love freshness, original ideas, throughlines and complications. All of these books will be on my re-read list and are favourites, not just for 2024.

So in author alphabetical order, here are my favourite books of 2024.

Well Bred by Adriana Anders

Anders writes sexy so well. This reverse age gap, breeding kink, erotic romance has plenty of tropes, but it’s also fresh and super hot. Bad boy Jake is out of jail and working in Kit’s diner. She wants a baby but sets plenty of rules around the making of it. He’s up for it, and then progressively bulldozes all her boundaries.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Kaliane Bradley is a British Cambodian writer and this, her début novel, is fabulous. It’s original, genre-bending and a little bit queer, with such elegant writing. The standard and creativity is way above what I’d expect for a first book and I was completely charmed by all of it.

It’s speculative fiction, set in the near future when a shady British government ministry brings five historical characters back to life. There’s a large cast, with five characters and their handlers, and all the government hangers-on. It’s poignant and hilarious with a satisfying romance between Commander Graeme Gore (from 1847) and his (unnamed) handler. Of course there’s also villainy and as always with time travel, it gets complicated. From Graeme’s unorthodox heroism, to the big plot twist, I loved every page.

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn

The most angsty book on my list, Kate Clayborn’s layered romance involves two people struggling to be together under the weight of professional disappointment, parental abandonment, found family and various secrets and lies. There’s a story with the story, a road trip, more than one epiphany and enough tenderness to break your heart. The hard stuff is here but it’s stealthily done and quietly told.

At First Spite by Olive Dade

Olivia Dade writes the most heart-wrenching vulnerability, and this gorgeous, tender novel is full of it. Dr Matthew Vine is so locked down he has lost himself in his work and responsibility. Athena is a good person, but she’s a bit of a mess. There are mental health challenges for both of them, and the portrayal of Athena’s depression is thoughtful and nuanced, and Matthew’s care for her made me cry. Some -ex drama, pining, steam, and swoon kept it moving – and it’s also very funny with enough silliness to break up the angst.

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

So much joy in a ridiculously sexy witch and werewolf erotic romance from the Queen of Dirty Talk, Charlotte Stein. Seth and Cassie get it on, save the town and themselves. Yes, there’s some bullying in the prologue, but read on, because there’s plenty of comeuppance and it’s funny and dirty and very sweet – what a combination!

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

This is the cutest teeny novella from Amazon’s Original Stories The Improbable Meet-Cute collection. It’s closed door and really just an idea from Sally Thorne (who can still do no wrong after The Hating Game). I was completely charmed by this romance between the overlooked sister (Rosie ‘Clamshell’) and the gorgeous firefighter (Leo ‘Romeo’) who rescues her when she gets stuck in a Flotation Tank on Valentine’s Day. They don’t even see each other until the very end, and yet the chemistry is delicious. A fairy tale and so good!