I’ve been meaning to write more about the books I’ve read and enjoyed, so here is a little update on some of my best reads of 2024 so far. This is a personal list of course, and as I read widely it’s a little eclectic and based on my moods!
Please note: I have used Amazon Associates links in the post below, and I may earn a small commission if you buy through these links.
Romantic Comedy
When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein
I adore Ms Stein’s use of deep point of view and character voice, and her hilarious and often very steamy writing. The curvy ghostwriter heroine and hot footballer hero in this story both defy expectations and of course, get their happy ever after. The local accents from Northern England are cute and something different. And if you haven’t read any of the author’s erotic romances, such as The Professor, I recommend them too. I just realised I’m also going to rec another ghostwriter book, as below!
Do Me A Favor by Cathy Yardley
Last year I read and loved Cathy Yardley’s book, Role Playing, about two Gen X (fifty-ish) characters who find love while playing video games. This book is loosely linked in the same world, featuring a handyman single dad to young adults who dreams of being a clockmaker and a cookbook ghostwriter who’s really struggling since her husband’s death. I was hoping to meet Ms Yardley at the Trope Actually book signing in August but sadly she was ill. Anyway, this book was such fun, and I recommend it for foodies (I wanted to eat everything mentioned as a potential recipe in the story). This book has a lighthearted vibe despite a few heavy, emotional themes.
Contemporary Romance
Change of Heart by Kate Canterbary
Have you ever watched TV shows like E.R. or House M.D. and wanted all the doctors on the show to fall in love and have their own storylines? That’s what Ms Canterbary’s book series featuring doctors is like. This book features surgeon, Whitney, and her new resident, Henry (like a trainee doctor) who just happens to be a recent one night stand! This is an updated version of Wedding Crashers, with chosen family, forced proximity, forbidden/off-limits romance and all the feels. It’s super steamy and emotional too.
This was a recent release in Bowen’s world of True North, Vermont small town romances, often revolving around a business. This one is set around a cool bar and features the gorgeous Matteo, the black sheep of a large family. He’s returned to town after a long absence and he’s grieving the loss of his best friend. He reconnects with his former girlfriend who just happens to want to have a baby, solo, after getting divorced. He might just have to help her out… Loved this, all the pining, the searching for home and a sense of family.
Historical Romance
You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
I just learned the term ‘recency’, referring to historical romance that’s set in the recent past. This describes many of Cat Sebastian’s books such as this one, set in New York in the 1960s. This story centres on a grumpy newspaper arts journalist who is tasked with covering baseball, which he knows nothing about. Then in walks a young star player like an exuberant puppy, and he finds himself falling in love. This M/M (gay) romance is set in a time when the main characters have to keep their attraction and relationship hidden, and media scrutiny is the worst enemy of a gay baseball player. The relationship between these two is super sweet, and I also love the details of life in a city in an earlier time, the old-timer sports journalist character and the insight into a journalist’s life before the time of computers.
Romantasy
Yes, I was a little late to the party reading Fourth Wing, but I enjoyed it very much. The main character, Violet, is particularly interesting, as a chronic illness warrior with a serious muscle and bone condition. The setting in a war college where the cadets must learn to fight and whose lives are on the line, is not what you’d wish for Violet. But she’s tenacious and mentally tough, reminding me of Katniss from The Hunger Games series. I also loved the dragons in this world, the way they telepathically communicate to their human riders and their special abilities, shared with the humans. I also ploughed through Iron Flame and am awaiting the next in the series, along with half the world!
Paranormal Romance
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
This story could also be considered fantasy romance. I loved Ms Poston’s previous book, The Dead Romantics, and borrowed this one from the library without knowing much about it. Imagine my glee when I realised it’s about a romance reader and English professor, whose car breaks down, and she finds herself stranded in the small town where her fav romance series is set! All the characters and landmarks are there, plus a handsome and brooding bookshop owner who doesn’t seem to belong. But is the heroine dead, or alive? How does she know if this is a dream or reality? And does she really have return to real life if she falls for a fictional character? A must read for romance novel fans.
Historical Mystery
Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
I love KJ’s writing, and although she usually writes historical romance, this story is firmly in the mystery genre. The story is set in 1905 on the Oxford University campus, and years later as a former student, Jem, tries to unravel what happened when a classmate was murdered. There are lies and coverups, the elite, rich students versus the scholarship students like Jem, and a romance thread simmering below the main storyline.
Women’s Fiction
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book could almost sit in the Paranormal category. It’s a dual timeline narrative, but unlike other books in this style, the story shows what could happen in the heroine’s life if she makes a different choice one night and events unfold in real time, in alternating chapters. Either the heroine goes home with her ex-boyfriend, or she stays with her best friend and doesn’t rekindle that flame. Both choices have massive consequences. This is similar to the movie Sliding Doors, and the discussion of fate versus choice, and who is right for each person, is really interesting.
Young Adult
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
If a book can make me cry, sometimes it gets extra points! This was one of the books I purchased recently at the Romance Writers of Australia conference, after listening to Christina and Lauren give the keynote address. This book is one that they said resonates with readers, even years after release. This is a touching and sometimes heart-wrenching coming of age book about two young LGBT men who find each other and fall in love, despite living in an ultra conservative religious community. It’s also a story about writing a story, and how much truth someone should reveal about themselves and how much they should keep close to their heart.
That’s all for now. Except I just realised I’ve accidentally missed Australian books in this post, so maybe I’ll do a separate post on that later! You can also follow me on Goodreads and I’ll try to remember to post updates there. 🙂
