Every year, She Reads reaches out to readers to discover the books that they thought were the best of the year! This year we had over 8,000 of you cast your vote and the results are in. In our roundups of all the Best Books of 2024, we’ll include the number one book, chosen by you and some favorites from our professional book loving editors. We hope this reading year was as wonderful for you as it was for us!
Best Romance of 2024: Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez
Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez
Justin and Emma share a strange curse— everyone they date finds true love right after breaking up with them. When Emma discovers Justin’s viral Reddit post about his curse, she reaches out. Their solution? Date each other, break up, and let their curses cancel out. Emma, a traveling nurse, follows this wild plan to Minnesota, moving into a charming lakeside cottage. It’s meant to be a simple summer fling. But life throws curveballs— her difficult mother appears and Justin suddenly becomes guardian to his siblings. As they face these challenges together, their fake relationship grows real roots. Maybe their curses weren’t curses at all— just fate’s roundabout way of matchmaking.
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Love blooms in unexpected places this year, as 2024’s most captivating romance novels sweep us into worlds of heartfelt connection and delicious tension. From cozy small towns to glittering cities, these stories prove that love finds a way— sometimes through fake relationships that feel surprisingly real, snowbound encounters that melt the coldest hearts, or childhood friendships that spark into something more.
These fifteen books showcase romance at its finest: messy, beautiful, and utterly transformative. Whether you’re craving enemies-to-lovers heat, forced proximity sparks, or the sweet burn of slow-burn attraction, this year’s standout love stories remind us that the heart knows no bounds. Each tale weaves together humor, heart, and the kind of chemistry that keeps readers turning pages well past bedtime.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Daphne’s life is nearly perfect, she and her fiancé have just moved back to his hometown and she landed her dream job at the local library. This all comes crashing down when her fiancé realizes she is, in fact, not, the love of his life, but rather, his childhood best friend, Petra, is the one who will get his heart. Now stuck in a town with no friends, family, or a way out, she finds the one person who will be able to understand her, Petra’s former fiancé, Miles. In desperate need of a new living situation, Daphne convinces Miles to be roommates, and after a day of trudging through bad memories, they come up with a plan to get back at their formers partners with a little fake online courtship, posing together for all their summer adventures. But it is strictly for show, and there is no way Daphne will let herself fall for Miles’ gentle heart and spontaneous personality.
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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Ricki has always been the odd one out in her family of socialites. While her sisters were perfect in every possible way, she was impulsive, artistic, and longed for a life of passion, not parties. So when Ms. Della invites Ricki to rent out the lower floor of her brownstone in Harlem, Ricki jumps at the chance for a new life in New York. When she gets there, she realizes how alive the city feels, Harlem’s cultural hub will be great inspiration for her art while she gets settled and opens her flower shop. Then, one late night in February, she crosses paths with a handsome and mysterious man, who sends her world off it axis, leaving the two of them forever linked in the city of Harlem.
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The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Anna and Liam “West” Weston, married for practical reasons during college, are supposedly divorcing after graduation. Three years later, West discovers his massive inheritance comes with a catch— he must be happily married for five years. The problem? Anna, now a struggling artist, is technically still his wife, while he’s a Stanford professor from a wealthy family. When pressured to present his spouse to his affluent family, West reunites with Anna to maintain the charade. However, he soon worries that his family’s materialistic world might corrupt Anna’s genuine spirit, forcing him to choose between wealth and authentic love.
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Seven Summers by Paige Toon
Liv and Finn’s romance begins during a summer job in Cornwall, but ends tragically after one passionate night. Despite Finn’s music career in LA and Liv’s life in Cornwall, they make a pact to reunite each summer if they’re both single. Years later, Liv meets Tom, a mysterious newcomer to her coastal town. As their relationship blossoms among the summer wildflowers, Liv glimpses a chance at lasting happiness instead of her annual heartbreak with Finn. But when she uncovers the truth behind Tom’s arrival in Cornwall, she faces a difficult choice and must learn to trust her feelings.
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Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon
Successful dog boarder, Ashanti Wright dreams of expanding her business, Barkingham Palace, but her plans are derailed when Thaddeus Sims, a former army officer and self-proclaimed dog skeptic, buys her desired building. Thad reluctantly becomes a dog owner when he takes in his grandmother’s Standard Poodle, Puddin’. Unexpectedly, Puddin’ and Ashanti’s French Bulldog, Duchess, become internet celebrities through their sweet romance on Barkingham Palace’s livestream. When a video of the dogs sharing food goes viral, Ashanti and Thad are thrust into the spotlight, leading to an unexpected attraction between these opposites.
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I’ll Get Back to You by Becca Grischow
Murphy is a twenty-one-year-old lesbian stuck in Geneva, Illinois. She is struggling with college and working a dead-end job. When she reconnects with her former classmate, Ellie Meyers, sparks fly— until Murphy discovers Ellie’s mother is the professor about to fail her. They devise a plan: fake-date during the holidays to help Murphy pass her class and support Ellie’s dreams of moving away. But as they navigate family expectations and their growing attraction, what starts as a strategic arrangement becomes complicated by real feelings. Murphy must decide if protecting her heart is worth missing out on genuine love.
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Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot
Abby Cohen, the lone Jewish resident on her Vermont town’s tourism board, struggles to organize a Hanukkah festival while fending off Seth, her persistently cheerful café customer. When she seeks help online, she discovers Seth is also Jewish and strikes a deal: she’ll pose as his girlfriend for his family’s Hanukkah celebration in New York City and he’ll connect her with vendors for the festival. As they share traditions over latkes and Manhattan adventures, Abby’s carefully maintained emotional barriers begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly warming to Seth and his family despite her initial resistance.
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The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
Marcela Ortiz’s heart has belonged to her best friend for years. But when he gets engaged, her world tilts sideways. Enter Theo Young— her crush’s ex-NFL player brother— who drunkenly plans to confess his love for the bride-to-be. After stopping Theo’s mistake and letting him crash at her place, they arrive at the family brunch together. Everyone assumes they’re a couple. The lie seems perfect: he hides his feelings for the bride, she escapes her heartache. But late-night encounters spark unexpected heat. Their fake romance catches fire in library corners and tangled sheets. Soon, what started as a rebound threatens to become something dangerously real.
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The Design Of Us by Sajni Patel
Bhanu and Sunny are workplace rivals competing for the same promotion. During her family trip to Hawaii, Bhanu unexpectedly runs into Sunny at his friend’s wedding. When she spots his ex mocking his single status, Bhanu impulsively claims to be his girlfriend.
One white lie explodes when his ex tells the whole wedding party. Now they’re trapped playing lovebirds in paradise. Between Bhanu’s nosy family and Sunny’s excited friends, their fake romance feels increasingly real. As island magic works its spell, their competitive edge softens into something sweeter. But with a promotion battle looming back home, can their paradise romance survive reality?
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Gold Digger by Susie Tate
Oliver Harding, Britain’s sexiest Duke and billionaire, is smitten with Lottie, his clumsy but charming cleaner. Despite her terrible housekeeping, her chess skills and infectious laugh captivate him. But their budding connection shatters when she betrays his trust. Lottie’s life is all struggle— from foster care to raising her traumatized little sister with just pennies in her account. The privileged Duke could never understand her world. When Oliver finally realizes his entitled blindness, he schemes to win her back with a fake engagement. While Lottie tries focusing on survival, she underestimates both his determination and charm— backed by centuries of aristocratic persistence.
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The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Emma Wheeler lives for romantic comedies, crafting award-winning scripts while caring for her ailing father. When legendary screenwriter Charlie Yates needs a co-writer, it’s her dream break. Her sister takes over dad’s care and Emma races to LA. Reality crushes her fantasy. Charlie’s not just her cynical hero— he’s a love-hating grump who thinks rom-coms are worthless. But Emma won’t surrender. She’ll defend romance, even if it means kissing sense into him. That kiss changes everything. As their script evolves, their own love story breaks every rom-com rule Emma knows. Sometimes real love outshines even the best-written romance.
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