It’s that time of year where everywhere you look you see best of lists and I’m the type of person who absolutely loves these lists! As a huge romance reader I was very curious about what books would make Amazons list.

The Best Romance Books of 2024

1. This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
2. Funny Story by Emily Henry
3. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
4. Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
5. Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
6. Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
7. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
8. Bride by Ali Hazelwood
9. Between Friends & Lovers: A Novel by Shirlene Obuobi
10. Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver
11. The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
12. The Songbird & The Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent
13. The Striker by Ana Huang
14. Never Blow A Kiss by Lindsay Lovise
15. You Should be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
16. A Fate Inked in Blood: Book One of the Saga of the Unfated by Danielle L. Jensen
17. Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher
18. The Rom-Commers: A Novel by Katherine Center
19. Say You’ll Be Mine: A Novel by Naina Kumar
20. Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Personally, I’ve read eight from their choices and a few may even make my own best of romance list, you’ll have to wait a little longer to see mine…

I was so excited to get an opportunity to chat with Abby Abell, an Amazon editor about all things romance books. Check out our convo below.

1. Did any of the best romance picks surprise you? Did any manage to make the list that you didn’t anticipate being here? The fact that a book didn’t unseat Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us for the top spot was a surprise. It was our Best Romance of the Year So Far in June, and normally we kind of expect that a book may come out later in the year that nabs the top spot. While some fantastic romances published in the second half of the year, there wasn’t one that we felt as strongly about as This Could Be Us. It’s just such a beautiful, nuanced book, and while it’s absolutely a romance, it’s also about friendship and parenting and rediscovering yourself. Another book that I’m not surprised made the list but I want even more people talking about is Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto. It’s our #5 Romance, and I loved it so much. Smoldering, funny. I recommended it to everyone. Julie Soto has a lot happening in 2025, and I can’t wait to devour everything she publishes.

2. Did trends in the romance genre change much this year? If so what has changed? I wouldn’t say the trends changed this year, but shifts that I continue to be excited about are:
   1. The vulnerability of MMCs (male main characters) in romance. Whether it’s cowboys or werewolves or divorced dads, I love reading about strong, vulnerable men, and the recognition that vulnerability is strength. It also makes the love stories that much more nuanced and swoony.
   2. Broadening of sports romances beyond hockey. To be clear, I will read a hockey romance any day of the week, but I’ve loved seeing sports romances branch out to baseball, golf, Formula 1, even pickleball. It’s great that romance readers have so many options to choose from.  

3. Were there any specific tropes that seemed to be everywhere this year?

I may be biased because this is probably my favorite trope, but I feel like enemies-to-lovers was everywhere, from romantasies to romantic comedies, and done really well. It’s just such a delicious vehicle for building tension between the main characters, and there are so many flavors of it. A few of my favorite enemies-to-lovers romances from this year are Not Another Love Song, Bride, and Is She Really Going Out With Him?.

4. Predictions for trends for 2025 in the romance genre? As I mentioned earlier, I think we’ll continue to see sports romances branch out to more sports. I also think for romantasy, we’ll continue to see new worlds being introduced, or new spins on existing worlds (e.g., a new take on vampires). A Fate Inked in Blood was one of our Best Romance Books of the Year, and it’s a Viking romantasy. The second book comes out in May 2025 and I can’t wait.

5. What makes a book standout and become a best book of the year? Fundamentally, it’s the book we can stop thinking about and talking about and recommending to everyone. It stays with us whether we read it in January or September. There are so many ingredients that go into that (great writing, riveting love story, etc.), but ultimately, it’s the book that brings us the most joy and reminds us that love wins.

6. What cover trends did you see in the romance genre this year? The trend I’m most excited to see is more covers trying something outside of what’s become the norm of bright colors, bold fonts, and simple illustrations. Don’t get me wrong, I love these covers, but I’m also excited to see something new. An example, and I happen to be obsessed with these covers, is the Rebel Blue Ranch series. I love how retro and fun these covers are (also a fantastic Western romance series), and a departure from a lot of the romance covers out there.

7. If someone only wanted to read one book from this list what one would you rec? What one would you rec for someone brand new to romance? For the veteran romance reader, I have to go with our #1 pick, Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us. It’s such a rich, poignant, life-affirming book. For someone new to romance, I’d recommend either Funny Story by Emily Henry or Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan. These are heartfelt, smart romantic comedies, and I think the perfect gateway for someone who wants to see if romance is for them (spoiler alert: it is!).

Huge thanks to Abby for talking with me!

About Abby:

Abby Abell has always been in awe of authors and the magic they create with words. She’s spent much of her career in publishing and is never not reading, mainly fiction – romance, young adult, fantasy, literary, you name it. Her primary goal now is making sure her son shares her love of books, and so far, so good. She lives in Charleston, SC, with her husband, son, and two grumpy dogs. Some of her favorite books include A Prayer for Owen Meany, Normal People, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and everything by Emily Henry.