Romance books are well and truly back, baby. Whether you like ‘em spicy and full of steamy scenes, heavy on the fantasy elements, or tailored to the season you’re in, there are so many stories out that it shouldn’t be hard to find one that fits your preferences. Amazon just released their own list of the best romance books of 2024, as determined by their panel of editors, who read thousands of books every year. These 20 titles rose to the top of the pack thanks to their unique storylines, diverse casts, and fresh take on one of the largest genres in literary history.
So, are you the romance reader who just can’t get enough books piled high on their nightstand to suit them? Or are you shopping for a holiday gift for your favorite romance-reading bookworm and wondering what titles might be best to slip under the Christmas tree? If you’re thinking about swiping back through their Kindle library to see if they’ve already read all of these, let me stop you right there — that’s like reading someone’s search history (private, a no-no, please do not). You’ll have to come up with some slick way of finding out which of these 20 books they’ve read and which they haven’t, but rest assured, any of these reads would be well-received as a gift.
01A book about romantic love, and a mother’s love for her kids
Soledad is a total Type A fixer, but her go-getter nature can’t prevent a huge betrayal from the man she loves most. After it all comes crashing down, a forbidden man from her past resurfaces. You see where this is going.
Reviewers say it’s a romance, yes, but the book’s portrayals of platonic friendships and motherhood are just as beautiful: “Soledad as a mom is so captivating to read. Everything she does is for the sake of her daughters and instilling such strength in them, but she does not lose herself in being just a mom … she shows her daughters how to love themselves as she is going through her own journey. Kennedy does an amazing job in creating such powerful women and taking us through their journey which makes us as readers really reflect on our own lives and find ourselves relating to Soledad in different ways.”
02An opposites attract romance novel
Daphne moves to her fiancé’s little Michigan town just as he realizes he’s in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Now stranded in a new place with no friends but wanting to keep her new dream job, Daphne agrees to room with the only person she knows who now has an opening in their living situation: Petra’s ex, Miles. They couldn’t be more different, but together, they hatch a little plan for revenge… that may or may not turn into something more.
03One about a little arrangement that turns into more
We all know someone like that — the person who dates people who then always go on to meet their soulmate next. Justin has this special gift (curse?), and somehow, it winds up getting around online. That’s when Emma reaches out. She shares the same pattern and thinks that maybe if she and Justin could date and break up, they’d be free of their little predicaments. So, will it really be just a fling, or will it be fate?
04A summer fling novel, because those never, ever turn into more
A professional organizer whose life is a wreck finally takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with a zipper, and the first time she steps out of her house, she meets a regulation hottie. Ali knows she’s in no shape for a new relationship, but a little fling couldn’t hurt, right?
“Annabel Monaghan has become one of my favorite romance novelists so far,” says one Amazon reviewer. “Summer Romance is her best work yet. The dialogue between Ali and Ethan is sharp and witty. I actually read this book twice because I loved their verbal connection so much. You really cheer for this couple.”
05A rivals-to-lovers romance
The fact that the cover is giving Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore at the pottery wheel in Ghost is a great sign. When a professional violinist and a rock star cellist cross paths, a rivalry springs up between them. But underneath that tension, there’s some serious chemistry brewing, and it only grows as they’re forced to work together on new compositions.
06Another gem from Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell’s writing never, ever disappoints, and that goes for Slow Dance too. As best friends in high school, Shiloh and Cary never understood why everyone swore they’d end up together. Now at 33, Shiloh wonders if she’ll bump into Cary at a mutual friend’s wedding. She’s divorced now and a mom of two — would he even want to reconnect? Turns out: He really, really would.
07A story with coastal vibes and forbidden love
In Bridget and Lucy’s friendship, part of girl code includes Lucy not having the hots for Bridget’s younger brother Felix and winding up in his bed every summer. But each time she visits Prince Edward Island, Lucy falls right back under Felix’s spell. When Bridget calls off her wedding and heads there for some peace and quiet, Lucy comes along for support. But what will happen now that all three of them are in the same place at the same time?
08A werewolf romance that is absolutely nothing like New Moon
Fair warning: This book will not be for everyone, but if you’re into ye olde vampires and werewolves tension, give it a try. Misery Lark is the daughter of a powerful vampire, and she’s to be married to Lowe Moreland, alpha of the Weres, to solidify an alliance between the two groups. Misery has her own reasons for agreeing, however, and Lowe can sense something is amiss from the start.
09This novel about friends who might be more
Influencer Josephine Boateng is known as Dr. Jojo, a self-love guru, to her thousands of followers. She’s not great at taking her own advice however, which she realizes when her best friend Ezra (whom she secretly loves) shows up to a party with her childhood bully as his date. Then there’s Malcom, a buzzy new writer, who she seems to have undeniable chemistry with. But when Ezra asks to be more than friends, all three of them will have to draw some lines in the sand.
“This book is quite simply YUMMY!!! It is a stunning work of storytelling that captures the heart and soul of its characters,” says one Amazon reviewer. “From the very start, I was drawn into the world of Dr. Jo, whose emotional journey had me fully invested in her life. Obuobi’s ability to paint such vivid pictures of the characters and their relationships is incredible—I could see and feel every moment as if I were right there with them.”
10A Western romance
Weston Belmont is an excellent heartthrob name — he’s a single dad, horse trainer, and regulation small-town hottie. When Skylar, a country music singer in a bad PR moment, happens into his small town, it seems she may finally find the peace she’s been so desperately craving with Weston. Amazon reviewers say the audiobook actors in Wild Eyes are exceptional, and that the banter between the two main characters is *chef’s kiss*.
11One for fans of the faking-a-relationship-for-personal-gain trope
We have Anna Green, a starving artist, and Liam Weston, a Standford professor and heir to a massive grocery store chain fortune. Anna married him in college for access to subsidized housing and just never really followed through on the divorce, though the two live as single people. But then Liam calls in the favor she owes him — he needs to have been happily married for five years to access his massive inheritance, and he needs Anna to accompany him on a family vacation to prove their love.
12The conclusion to a much-hyped trilogy
Booktok loves Carissa Broadbent’s Crown of Nyaxia trilogy, which starts with The Serpent & Wings of Night. It actually doesn’t even come out until July 2025, but Amazon’s editors already think it’s going to be a very big deal, apparently. In the conclusion, Mische must travel with Asar, prince of the House of Shadow, to the underworld to resurrect the god of death. But the sun god she is loyal to expects her to vanquish the death god forever. And as she begins to fall for Asar, Mische questions who she will ultimately choose to fight for.
13A sexy soccer romance novel
If you’ve read Huang’s previous works, you’ll recognize these characters as people who passed through in other stories. And now, they’re getting their very own two-book installment.
Asher Donovan is the start of the Premier League, but he’s trouble too. His recent trade to another team lands him playing next to his rival, and their competitiveness costs them the championship. So, his coach sentences them to a summer of bonding. That’s when he learns that the team’s trainer, Scarlett, just so happens to be his rival’s sister. And she’s stunning.
14A love story set in Victorian times for all you Bridgerton fans
A governess-slash-ex-spy hiding from her past becomes smitten with a solider-turned-detective? Say no more. Zach tracks down killers for the Metropolitan Police by day and attends the society balls he’s meant to — railroad magnate family and all — by night. When a beautiful governess blows him a kiss from across the room, he’s taken with her. But as they begin a romance and he starts uncovering her lies, he might realize work and pleasure overlap in unexpected ways.
15An LGBTQ romance that’ll knock your Sox off
Set in 1960s New York, this book is all about being true to yourself and what you want in life. Eddie O’Leary is the new professional baseball player in town, homesick and dreading having to give a bunch of interviews. Mark Bailey is begrudgingly there to ask him questions — he’s an art reporter, for crying out loud. Then suddenly, the two men can’t seem to stay out of each other’s orbit. But Mark swore he’d never be kept a secret again, and Eddie can’t be out as a pro athlete. So, what will they do?
16The perfect next read for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses
Think romantasy but instead of faeries, Vikings. Freya is a shield maiden blessed by the gods with the power to repel attacks. When her husband reveals her secret, she’s forced to serve her region’s jarl — and be guarded by his hottie-with-a-body son, Bjorn. But the stakes are high; falling for Bjorn means risking the safety of her people and the fate of the world itself.
17A story of high school crushes reconnecting after big life changes
Rafael Lopez is a billionaire and a single dad, still guarding his heart after a nasty divorce. He hires Ellie Sinclair, an unemployed songwriter he used to know in high school, to nanny for him on a two-week vacation. They don’t have much in common, so why do they enjoy each other’s company so much? And what happens when vacation ends?
18A meta rom-com read about, well, rom-coms
Emma wants to be a professional screenwriter, but most of her time goes toward being a caretaker for her father. When an opportunity arises to spend six weeks in L.A. rewriting a Charlie Yates rom-com — her hero — she leaps at it. But Charlie is kind of an arrogant jerk, and this script is truly awful. How does she get Charlie to realize what really matters in romance? You’ll just have to read and find out.
19A romance for you marriage-of-convenience trope lovers
Meghna Raman is secretly in love with her writing partner, and now he’s engaged. And asking her to be his best man. And she said yes. In an effort to move on quickly, Meaghna agrees to let her parents start the matchmaking process.
Karthik has agreed to his parents’ attempts at matchmaking to get them off his back, and it seems like Meghna could use the fake engagement to her benefit, so he agrees. Naturally, the two grow close, and feelings develop… yeah, you see where they’re headed, right?
20A romance with a lot of mental health threads
Our main characters: a traveling musician with ADHD and a tattooed, OCD Irish pub owner. The joint Jack just inherited could use some fixing up, and perhaps Raine will be the one to breathe new life into it — so he offers her a job to do just that.
“This is my first read by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, but I can’t wait to go back and read the rest,” says one reviewer. “The way she writes dynamic, imperfect characters is truly perfect. From the moment Raine sits down at the Local pub and meets the floofy cat, then Ollie Wollie, then Jack, this cast of characters endears you forever.”
So, which of these books were already on your faves list, and which did you just add to cart?
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