9 Romance Books You HAVE to Read in 2024

This year I have broken my record for most books read in a year. I will likely hit at least 50 books by the end of this year. The secret? I didn't try to read things for clout or because I felt like I had to, but because I wanted to and was truly enjoying them. This means I read a lot of romance. I read a good selection of new romance and romance that had been published a few years ago. Here is a list of some romance books I've read this year that it is time to pick up.

#1: Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

Sarah Hogle is by far one of the most criminally underrated romance authors. Her lead characters are funny, flawed, and frustratingly clueless sometimes. They can be brash and brazen, rash and reckless. Her very real characters have mental illnesses and have complicated relationships with family. I read two books by Sarah Hogle this year and I finished both of them within a day. While both are great, Twice Shy was my favorite.

#2: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

This book is completely charming and a true slow burn romance. Seeing the characters come to understand one another and see different sides of each other made this a great read. When I first picked this up, I expected it to be a very middle-of-the-road book for me, but I ended up loving it and it introduced me to a subgenre/trope I didn't know I liked: professional athlete romances.

#3: Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman

This is a gorgeous second-chance romance. Told through both the modern perspective and flashbacks, past misunderstandings and misconceptions come to light as the characters work together and the main character aims to rebuild her damaged reputation. It has elements of famous characters without it being the plot of the book or in your face. A very fun book that is masterfully written.

#4: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh

Okay, so this is a tad more than just a romance book, but there is a romance central to the plot of the book. However, this was also my favorite book I read this year and I stayed up reading it until the early hours of the morning: the universal indicator of a good book. The romance—while there are tropey elements that make it fun—is mind numbingly subtle at first. This does lead toward the Young Adult genre, but it is right on the line of New Adult and is different a book I think both older teenagers and adults alike can enjoy.

#5: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

As the beginning of a series following four suffragists in Victorian England, this book immediately hooked me and I placed the next two on hold immediately. The next installment comes out in 2024 and I will for sure read it. It can be a bit heavy with politics, but I did find it interesting and learned more about the time and the suffragist movement of the time. The author has a good grasp of the time period and the attention to detail is impressive and certainly comes through.

#6: Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

Yes, I'm including another book from the series, but I had to because this is my favorite so far. While it is technically third in the series, I read it first. The books do not strictly have to be read in order, but it does help. This book perfectly fulfills the opposites attract trope and a slight enemies to lovers trope. It was frustratingly obvious at times what the character's individual motivations were, which kept me reading as I waited for it to be discovered. Also, if you have an interest in early photography, this has some fascinating insight.

#7: The Stand-In by Lily Chu

This book has all the hallmarks of a hyped romance book. However, compared to other well known romance titles, this one gets relegated among them. Instead of a story of mistaken identity, this story involves using one average woman's likeness to a Chinese celebrity to both of their advantages. It's cute and heart-warming. A perfect cozy read that has only implied spice for those who prefer their books at a lower heat level. Though, it is still definitively an adult/new adult book.

#8: The Flatshare by Beth O' Leary

This book deserves a read purely for its unique concept. Two people with opposite schedules share a flat (furniture and all) and split the rent. Be warned, this book is LONG and very much slow burn. Personally, I found it well paced and there was just enough to keep me going. However, I know some prefer faster paced romance and this one can be a bit of a slog if you fall into the category. With that said, this book is very pure and involves basically falling in love through notes left to one another which is simply charming. As the reader, you feel the anticipation of waiting for a reply to the most recent note as much as the characters do.

#9: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

With a realistic science fiction concept, this book was the first one of the year that kept me up at night. It is enemies to lovers and soulmates and just plain fun to read. Not all Christina Lauren books hit for me, but this one is the reason I went on to read two more of their titles this year.