The Best of 2024 – Lisa’s List
2024 was, in a phrase, A Year for me. It was pockmarked with a lot of death and change. But I still managed to find some really great reads over the past few months; I gave out more A grades this year than I did any other year of reviewing. Here are my favorites of 2024.
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
We’ve had a lot of wonderful astronaut-centered romances this year, and none were more fun than this romantic romp that goes from fake dating to impress others straight to the moon.
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell
Wonderfully romantic and spirited, this story about a woman and man coming together over cycling and rebellion against societal norms gave me great joy.
The Bump by Sidney Karger
A warm-hearted and funny road trip across America sees a married couple trying to test the strength of their marriage while anticipating the birth of their first child via surrogate.
The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George
One of my favorite historical romances of the year; a piping hot story of a marriage of convenience turned real.
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
Kate Clayborn never misses, and this is another bright-souled, bright-hearted story in which the imperfect central couple fall in love.
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
A lovely heartbreaker of a romatasy tale traces the same two souls through multiple reincarnations; sighs with longing and with passion.
The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett
Elizabeth Everett writes my favorite stem heroines, and this is a beautiful and sensual story about the Victorian pharmaceutical arts.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
This is the first Ali Hazelwood novel I’ve really bonded with. Listen to the plaudits; they are correct.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
A woman, her life, and her multiple husbands and romances – all of which change up every single time she enters her attic. One of the best slices of fiction I’ve read all year.
A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira
I used to be addicted to sweeping historical novels, and Oliveira’s story about two émigrés who can’t stay away from one another even after they separately cross the ocean reminds me of those tales. Gorgeous.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
A fun, snappy, spirited holiday-set romance about two authors of mysteries forced to solve a dangerous real-life one when their host is mysteriously spirited away mid-getaway weekend.
I finished The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year on audio and enjoyed it very much! The narration by Saskia Maarleveld and Zachary Webber is excellent and enhanced the enjoyment for me. I thought it got off a little slowly, but it really picked up when the mystery started and I loved every part of that. Twisty, funny, and very well done. I’m so glad I saw your recommendation.
Yay, glad it was a good one for you too!
I hope 2025 will be a better year for you Lisa. Thanks for your list – Bride is a favourite of mine too, and several others that you read are on my TBR!
Thank you!
I’m sorry to hear about your rough year and am hoping for a better 2025 for you and yours.. From your list, I’ve read (and thoroughly enjoyed) Bride and The Kiss Countdown. I have The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year on hold at my library. I think I will add The Husbands to my hold list, too.
I really hope you like them both, thank you!
I loved Bride. The Other Side of Disappearing in my TBR. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is on my Amazon wish list, waiting for the price to drop, ha ha! The Husbands sounds intriguing so I may add that to my wish list. And the cover for The Love Remedy – how gorgeous! I am glad that despite the year’s challenges, you were able to find some joy in reading. Thank you for the list!
The price drop wait is the hardest part! Thank you!
I really enjoyed Bride and The Stranger I Wed too. And I have several others from your list on my tbr (Lowell, Clayborn and Everett). Looks like I may be adding one or two more from this list. Thank you for a great year of reviews, Lisa. Hope your 2025 is awesome.
Hope you like them all!
I’m so sorry about your difficult year. I hope things look up in the new one.
I don’t read much m/f these days, but I’m intrigued by all the buzz around Bride so I’m very tempted. Just yesterday I saw The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year recommended and since I enjoy mysteries I’m going to pick this up. Thanks for the recommendations!
ETA: Both these books are pricey on Kindle, but I found them at the library. The Ally Calder book has a lot of holds, so the wait will be long (that’s ok), but the Hazelwood is available and I’m going to try to check it out today.
Hope you enjoy!
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is on sale at Chirpbooks audio for $3.99 right now. It’s narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and Zachary Webber, who are very popular contemporary romance narrators. I snapped it up.
Let me know what you think when you finish it up!