The Best Romance Novels of 2024

Kennedy Ryan deserves the hype. A writer who, again and again, builds poignant narratives around exquisite love stories, bridging the gap between so-called “women’s fiction” and romance, Ryan has had a record 2024. As the attention around her books hit new highs—This Could Be Us became an instant bestseller in March—it’s been a thrill to watch readers engage with her wise (and wise-cracking) books. This Could Be Us is the second entry in her Skyland series, following a seemingly perfect protagonist whose life implodes along with her relationship. As she rebuilds, a new opportunity for love presents itself—but only if Soledad Barnes has the strength to trust a second chance.

How does Yulin Kuang find the time? Already an accomplished Hollywood creative, Kuang is only growing her influence as the writer of fellow romance author Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation screenplay and the director of the same author’s Beach Read feature film. But this year, Kuang has a story out that’s all her own: How to End a Love Story opens with the remarkable first sentence, “All things considered, her little sister’s funeral is a boring affair.” So begins this marvelous work of contemporary romance—a complex, provocative tale about a terrible accident, an accomplished young woman, a traumatized young man, and the big question of blame when the two find each other impossibly drawn together.

The celebrated Abby Jimenez gives “it’s just a fling!” a whole new meaning in this ideal beach read, which follows a convenient summer set-up. Justin seems doomed in his relationships; every time he and a partner break up, that partner goes on to find their soulmate soon after. Emma’s heard about this so-called “curse” and wants to put it to the test, especially since she boasts the exact same problem. So when she and Justin start fake-dating, convinced it’ll break their respective “curses,” it’s pretty inconvenient that their complicated families start interfering...along with some unexpected feelings. Far more layered than the frolicking couple on its cover might suggest, Just for the Summer is yet another hit.

There’s an immediate musicality to both the language and the atmosphere of this wonderful novel, which, of course, is fitting, given both the title and the setting. Tia Williams’s latest after the 2021 bestseller Seven Days in June, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is an enticing blend of contemporary and historical fiction, magical realism, and glittering romance. Williams plants readers in Harlem, where the titular Ricki has opened a flower shop in a bid to escape from the influence of her well-known Atlanta family. In New York (and under the watchful eye of her aging neighbor, Miss Della), Ricki meets the musician Ezra “Breeze” Walker, and a supposedly ordinary connection—and a supposedly normal leap year—becomes extraordinary.

Pride and Protest author Nikki Payne boosts the drama (and the spice) in this Sense and Sensibility retelling that kicks up oft-trodden ground without betraying the source material. When Nora and her sister arrive at their inherited beach house in rural Maine, their lives have been upended: Their father has died, Nora’s the victim of a recent scandal, and neither of them knows how to run a proper inn. But when local (unauthorized) tour guide Bear shows up, it’s only a matter of time before they learn they work well together—in more ways than one.

Tender and thoughtful, sensitive but smart—a welcome departure from romance fiction that leans too heavily on tropes to the detriment of characterization—Shirlene Obuobi’s Between Friends & Lovers does indeed introduce a love triangle, but that’s merely the scaffolding for a deeper exploration of anxiety, depression, trauma, healing, and identity. Obuobi’s protagonist is the brilliant, resilient Dr. Jojo, an Instagram influencer and physician who’s in love with her long-time best friend. But when Jo meets debut novelist Malcolm, she not only finds her affections pulled in more than one direction, but she starts to understand the changes she needs to make in her own life—online and off—to make room for real love.

One of the most popular books of the year is, mercifully, also one of its best: Emily Henry’s Funny Story is every bit as charming and enveloping as the (many, many) EmHen acolytes have come to expect from the author. Funny Story is indeed funny, if also intended to provoke some strong secondhand embarrassment: Protagonist Daphne Vincent moves in with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex, Miles Nowak, after she gets dumped in the run-up to her wedding. But Henry is careful not to milk Daphne’s plight as a mere gag; in treating heartbreak with the seriousness and intimacy it deserves, Henry has crafted a romance that feels as complicated and ludicrous as relationships themselves.

The third and final installment in Nisha Sharma’s Shakespeare-inspired romance series—though it can be read as a standalone—Marriage & Masti is a steamy, hilarious saga inspired by Twelfth Night. Sharma displays such skill in remixing familiar romance territory (accidental marriage, a shipwreck, a friends-to-lovers revelation, found family), always taking care to immerse readers in the South Asian influence her If Shakespeare Were an Auntie books celebrates with pride. She writes protagonists Veera and Deepak with such humor and heart, making Marriage & Masti a worthy ending to a reader-adored trilogy.

A queer sports romance and a triumphant debut from KT Hoffman, The Prospects is a heartstring-pulling tale of two minor-league baseball rivals who realize they play much better together. When Beavers player Gene—the first openly trans athlete in professional baseball—starts to recognize a connection that has nothing to do with field position between him and teammate Luis, he’s forced to learn that big, complicated feelings might, in fact, be what’s best for them both.

As featured in ELLE’s best books of summer 2024: “I love a romance with a touch of magical realism, and Ashley Poston’s latest fulfills every reader’s dream: actually getting to live in the world of a book. When Eileen Merriweather initially sets out for her annual book club retreat, she instead winds up stranded somewhere strange but familiar: Eloraton, setting of her favorite author’s Quixotic Falls series. As she catches the eye of the Eloraton bookstore owner, she soon realizes her actions have impact on the locals’ stories—and she might be able to help them find their happily ever afters. This is a grumpy-meets-sunshine tale with plenty of book-lover tropes sure to delight.”

A debut high-school rom-com from author Arushi Avachat, Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment itself takes the structure of a Bollywood film, with all the delight and drama expected of the genre. It’s refreshing to root for Avachat’s protagonist, Arya, as she helps her family prepare for her sister’s wedding, all while juggling school, work, ample interfamilial strife, and the enemies-to-lovers lure of her student council rival. A sweet, colorful coming-of-age tale with the right serving of romance.

As featured in ELLE’s best books of summer 2024: “Ember Lee Cardinal, “a sometimes liar, but mostly an overall good person,” wants a good job—a salaried job, a stable job. But she keeps getting rejections, and so she attempts a little lie: She’ll tally the box next to ‘white’ rather than ‘Indigenous’ when she submits her applications, and she’ll pretend she’s earned her accounting degree. Sure enough, she gets the job, but now ‘the truth’ has become an altogether sticky subject. At work, she meets Danuwoa Colson, a fellow Native and the Technix IT guy, and the chemistry is immediate. But when a co-worker threatens to uncover their clandestine office relationship, Ember’s lies begin to spiral out of control. Danica Nava’s debut romance is a big-hearted romp of a first novel.”

Casey McQuiston was already a big name in romance, but after the success of Amazon Prime’s Red, White, and Royal Blue adaptation in 2023, their work has leaped into a new tier of popularity. As ELLE associate editor Samuel Maude wrote earlier this month, McQuiston’s latest, The Pairing, is a pleasure, taking “readers around the world for a tummy-growling food and wine tour, with its two main characters—Theo Flowerday and Kit Fairfield—examining their failed relationship along the way. It’s a great addition to the McQuiston library.”

As featured in ELLE’s best books of summer 2024: “Kirsty Greenwood’s The Love of my Afterlife takes a slice out of The Good Place to create a cheeky rom-com full of light and laughter. Not that there isn’t some serious subject matter here: The plot starts with a dead woman, the quirky Delphie, who’s just choked to death on a burger. In the afterlife, she meets a sympathetic therapist who grants her an extravagant opportunity: Delphie can return to Earth for 10 days to hunt down the mystery man she first encountered in the afterlife. (This man, Jonah, ended up in the afterlife by accident, so he’s already back in the realm of the living.) But if she can’t find this potential soulmate and seal their fate with a kiss, then Delphie has to return to Evermore—and say goodbye to any future with Jonah.”

I was immediately drawn to Lost and Lassoed’s vintage-style cover after it flooded my Instagram feed this year. I can’t pretend I’ve read many western romances, but with Lyla Sage’s books, I can certainly understand the appeal. The third entry in Sage’s Rebel Blue Ranch series (the second of which, Swift and Saddled, also came out this year), Lost and Lassoed is a rivals-to-lovers drama set on the Wyoming ranch Sage’s readers have come to appreciate as an escapist second home. An ideal pick for an era in which “cowgirl couture” is thriving.

As featured in ELLE’s best books of summer 2024: “Promises, promises. Every year, Lucy and Bridget enjoy a vacation to Prince Edward Island, and every year Lucy and Felix (a PEI local) wind up tangled in a summertime fling. It’s casual, of course—or so they swear. But when a personal crisis of Bridget’s draws Lucy back to the island, Lucy swears she’ll focus solely on her best friend. But something about Felix has changed, and she’s not sure she can settle for a situationship this time around. This Summer Will Be Different is a blissful romance novel, the kind you want to visit and never leave.”

Taylor Swift’s most yearning lyrics meet Bridgerton’s pastel glitz and The Parent Trap’s central conceit in Emma R. Alban’s buzzy series opener. This queer Victorian romance unites two debutantes as they attempt to maneuver their widowed parents together, only to realize the real attraction is right in front of them. Sticklers for historical accuracy might struggle with immersion, but those eager to soak in the emotions will find a conceit to relish. Just make sure you have “Dress” on repeat.

Mason Deaver, the author of I Wish You All the Best—now a film directed by Tommy Dorfman—returned this year with the LGBTQ romantic fantasy Okay, Cupid, the light-hearted story of a real-life cupid-in-training who gets a little too involved with their latest attempt at matchmaking. Falling in love with a human is a No. 1 no-no in Deaver’s cupid community, but that can’t seem to stop Jude from following their own arrow. Queer joy abounds in Deaver’s whimsical tale.

A panic-prone mathematician on the brink of a field-defining discovery falls for a second-chance romance in this thoughtful novel with traces of Lessons in Chemistry. In a genre too often dismissed as frothy, author Sara Read is game to tackle serious topics—mental health, legal troubles, family trauma, grief—while spinning a no-less warm and inviting tale of unlikely love.

A neurodivergent opposites-attract romance set primarily in a remote Irish pub, Last Call at the Local has all the trademark warmth of its setting, but with the added care its subject matter necessitates. Protagonist Raine is an avid explorer, and her ADHD only makes her rolling-stone lifestyle feel more inevitable. Pub owner Jack, on the other hand, has OCD, and absolutely no plans to abandon the family business he knows (and loves). When Raine starts working (and living) at the Local, their forced proximity brings unexpected feelings—and life-changing choices—to the fore. Last Call at the Local goes down with all the pleasure of its namesake.