Best of the Year 2024

Since The Hope Chest Reviews is not dedicated to the latest book releases, the majority of the books on this list were not published in 2024. Instead the list is compiled from the books that were read and reviewed during the 2024 calendar year. If you would like to view our picks from past years, please visit the archive.

Author of the Year - Winner

Jim Butcher (4 - 5 star reads this year)

Author of the Year - Runner-Up

Nalini Singh (3 - 5 star reads this year)

Best Overall Romance

Maverick Wild by Stacey Kayne (5 stars)

Best Alternate Reality Romances

The Beloved by J. R. Ward* (5 stars)

Reaper by Larissa Ione (5 stars)

King of Sword and Sky by C. L. Wilson (5 stars)

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (4 ½ stars)

Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe by Larissa Ione (4 ½ stars)

Best Contemporary Romance

Down London Road by Samantha Young (5 stars)

Best Erotic Romance

Change by Sherri Hayes (5 stars)

Best Historical Romance (American)

Maverick Wild by Stacey Kayne (5 stars)

Best Historical Romances (Britain & Other Countries)

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley (5 stars)

A Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley (5 stars)

The Wild Child by Mary Jo Putney (5 stars)

Delicious by Sherry Thomas (4 ½ stars)

Best LGBTQ Romances

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (5 stars)

Skin Deep by D.P. Denman (4 ½ stars)

Best Romantic Suspense

Die for Me by Karen Rose (4 ½ stars)

Best New Adult Romances

Down London Road by Samantha Young (5 stars)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (5 stars)

Skin Deep by D.P. Denman (4 ½ stars)

Best Romance Novellas

A Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley (5 stars)

Partners in Persuasion by Nalini Singh (5 stars)

Texture of Intimacy by Nalini Singh (5 stars)

Falling, Freestyle by Vivian Arend (4 ½ stars)

Best Romance Novelettes & Short Stories

Pancakes by Nalini Singh (5 stars)

Masks by Evangeline Anderson (4 ½ stars) 

Best Young Adult Fiction

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan (4 ½ stars)

Best Children's Fiction Picture Books

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison (5 stars)

Dragolin by Stephen Cosgrove, Robin James (5 stars)

It's the Bear! By Jez Alborough (4 ½ stars)

Best Children's Non-Fiction Picture Books

A Is for Awesome!: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen, Derek Desierto (5 stars)

Mother Nature Nursery Rhymes by Mindy Bingham, Itoko Maeno, Sandy Stryker, Penelope Colville Paine (4 ½ stars)

Best Children's Middle-Grade Fiction

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate (5 stars)

Santa Paws to the Rescue by Nicholas Edwards (5 stars)

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj (4 ½ stars)

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (4 ½ stars)

Best Children's Middle-Grade Non-Fiction

The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party by Marian Calabro (5 stars)

Finish the Fight! By Veronica Chambers, The New York Times (5 stars)

Best Fantasy Fiction

Skin Game by Jim Butcher (5 stars)

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (4 ½ stars)

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman (4 ½ stars) 

Best Fantasy Novellas & Short Stories

Job Placement by Jim Butcher (5 stars)

Best Historical Fiction

Christy by Catherine Marshall (5 stars)

Best Inspirational Fiction

Christy by Catherine Marshall (5 stars)

Best Biographies/Memoirs

A Gift from Bob: How a Street Cat Helped One Man Learn the Meaning of Christmas by James Bowen (5 stars)

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth, Joni Rodgers (5 stars)

The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon* (5 stars)

Becoming by Michelle Obama (5 stars)

Best Non-Fiction Books

Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent's Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age by Julie Bogart (5 stars)

Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor by Caleb E. Campbell* (5 stars)

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez (5 stars)

Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe by Larissa Ione (4 ½ stars) 

Best Christmas Stories

A Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley (5 stars)

A Gift from Bob: How a Street Cat Helped One Man Learn the Meaning of Christmas by James Bowen (5 stars)

Santa Paws to the Rescue by Nicholas Edwards (5 stars)

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan (4 ½ stars)

Most Surprising Winner

Christy by Catherine Marshall (5 stars)

Funniest Reads

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth, Joni Rodgers (5 stars)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (5 stars)

Biggest Tearjerker

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (5 stars) - It might seem strange that this book is simultaneously one of my funniest reads of the year and also the biggest tearjerker, but I honestly ran the full gamut of emotions while reading it. In addition to all the LOL moments, there were also times of angsty goodness that left my heart in my throat and tears in my eyes.

Sweetest Romance

The best romance I read this year that has milder content.

Pancakes by Nalini Singh (5 stars) 

Steamiest Romances

For me, the steamiest romance doesn't necessarily have the most erotic content (although this time they do). Instead it's the book(s) that best combine hot, sexy scenes with a deep emotional connection that really make the pages sizzle.

Change by Sherri Hayes (5 stars)

Down London Road by Samantha Young (5 stars)

Masks by Evangeline Anderson (4 ½ stars)

Most Impressive Debuts

Only two of these were 2024 releases, but all were the debut books for these authors and quite impressive for a first effort.

Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor by Caleb E. Campbell* (5 stars)

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth, Joni Rodgers (5 stars)

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison (5 stars)

The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon* (5 stars)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (5 stars) 

Best Overall Heroes

Alex Claremont-Diaz & Prince Henry (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston)

Best Overall Heroine

Cora Mae Tindale (Maverick Wild by Stacey Kayne)

Most Tortured Hero

Liam Newman (Skin Deep by D.P. Denman)

Most Tortured Heroine

Cora Mae Tindale (Maverick Wild by Stacey Kayne)

Hottest Heroes

Cameron MacCabe (Down London Road by Samantha Young)

Mark Jacobs (Masks by Evangeline Anderson)

Most Perfect Couple

Alex Claremont-Diaz & Prince Henry (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston)

Most Evil Villains

Nicodemus (Skin Game by Jim Butcher)

Moloch (Reaper by Larissa Ione)

Most Memorable Supporting Characters

Kyle Renbourne (The Wild Child by Mary Jo Putney)

Garret Daines (Maverick Wild by Stacey Kayne)

Alice Henderson (Christy by Catherine Marshall)

Goodman Grey, Michael Carpenter, Waldo Butters (Skin Game by Jim Butcher)

Ian Mackenzie (The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley)

L.W. & Bitty (The Beloved by J. R. Ward*)

Will & Lizzy (Delicious by Sherry Thomas)

Blade (Mine by J. R. Ward*)

Daniel Vartanian (Die for Me by Karen Rose) 

Most Memorable Child Characters

Zuri (Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison)

Emma Jackson (Deefur Dog by R. J. Scott)

Peter Hatcher & Fudge (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume)

Minni (Thirst by Varsha Bajaj)

Most Memorable Animal Characters

The Tairen (King of Sword and Sky by C. L. Wilson)

Deefur (Deefur Dog by R. J. Scott)

Bob, Ivan & Ruby (The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate)

Bob the Cat (A Gift from Bob: How a Street Cat Helped One Man Learn the Meaning of Christmas by James Bowen)

Santa Paws & Abigail (Santa Paws to the Rescue by Nicholas Edwards)

Most Unique/Unusual Romance Leads

Characters with occupations or circumstances you don't often see in romance.

Meriel Grahame (The Wild Child by Mary Jo Putney) - Regency lady who cannot speak due to childhood trauma spends her days caring for plants and animals

Verity Durant (Delicious by Sherry Thomas) - Famous cook with a scandalous reputation

Victoria Ashford (Her Dark Master by Jennifer August) - Victorian writer of erotic stories

Sophie Johannsen (Die for Me by Karen Rose) - Archaeologist

Liam Newman (Skin Deep by D.P. Denman) - Go-go dancer

Felix (Partners in Persuasion by Nalini Singh) - Horticulturist

Alex Claremont-Diaz (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston) - Son of the U.S. president

Most Unique/Unusual Romance Plots

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

The Wild Child by Mary Jo Putney

Delicious by Sherry Thomas

Best Opening Lines

"A chicken will never break you heart."     - Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy

"Hart Mackenzie. It was said the he knew every pleasure a woman desired and exactly how to give it to her."     - The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

Best Overall Quotes

"It is amazing what a woman can do if only she ignores what men tell her she can't."     - India Black (India Black by Carol K. Carr)

"Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?"     - Becoming by Michelle Obama

"His money went largely toward books, which to him were like sacred objects, providing ballast for his mind."     - Becoming by Michelle Obama

"Dash said, "From the time I was a baby, my mom took me to the library at least once a week. Librarians were like Mary Poppins to me. They always knew how to match a book to my mood or to whatever I was going through at the time. I could always find peace in books."

"And escape."

"Escape sure. But it wasn't so much about getting away, as going to. You can go anywhere in a book. Books are adventure. Knowledge. Possibility. Magic."     - Dash (The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by David Levithan, Rachel Cohn 

Funniest Quotes

"What are you waiting for?" Shanna asked. "He's dying! Do it!"

Conner looked at Angus. "Ye do it. It was yer idea."

"Nay? Ye were the first to suggest it. Ye do it."

"I'm no' touching him." Conner said.

He nudged Phineas "Ye do it."

"I don't even know how!" Phineas poked at Robby. "You do it."

"Why me?" Robby turned to Angus. "Ye're the expert. Ye do it."

Angus grimaced. "I'm no' doing it. I hate the bugger."

"Stop it!" Shanna screamed "You--Forget it! I'll do it myself."

"Shanna you don't know how," Roman said. "God's blood. I guess I have to do it."

"You guess?" Shanna cried "Are you going to let him die?"

"He threatens to kill me every time he sees me."     - Shanna, Roman, Conner, Phineas, Angus, & Robby (Vampire Mine by Kerrelyn Sparks)

"The phrase 'see attached bibliography' is the single sexiest thing you have ever written to me."     - Prince Henry (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston)

"Alex snatches a shirt and boxers at random from the floor, shoves them at Henry's chest, and points him towards the closet. "Get in there."

"Quite," he observes.

"Yes, we can unpack the ironic symbolism later. GO."     - Alex Claremont-Diaz & Prince Henry (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston) 

Most Emotional Quotes

"I hate this so much. I know. But we're gonna do it together. And we're gonna make it work. You and me and history, remember? We're just gonna fucking fight. Because you're it, okay? I'm never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you. So, I promise you, one day we'll be able to just be, and fuck everyone else."     - Alex Claremont-Diaz (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston)

"Some lovers were fortunate enough to grow old together. They'd grown old apart. She did not think him any less handsome. She only wished that she'd been there when the first line on his face had appeared, so that she could have stroked and kissed and cherished it."     - Verity Durant (Delicious by Sherry Thomas)

"Hart caressed the letters of baby Graham's name. "Mac likes to say, We're Mackenzies. We break what we touch. But this little Mackenzie... he broke me."     - Hart Mackenzie (The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley) 

Most Romantic Quotes

"When he put the old-fashioned mechanical toy on her palm, she stopped breathing. It was a tiny representation of an atom, complete with colored ball bearings standing in for neutrons, protons, and on the outside, arranged on arcs of fine wire, electrons. Turning the key on the side made the electrons move, what she'd thought were ball bearings actually finely crafted spheres of glass that sparked with color. A brilliant, thoughtful, wonderful gift for a physics major.

"Why magnesium?" she asked, identifying the atomic number of the light metal. His hand on her jaw, his mouth on her own. "Because it's beautifully explosive, just like my X."     - Hawke & Sienna (Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh)

"What I feel for you ... It's all-consuming,he breathed, leaning his forehead against mine again. ‘It's almost debilitating. It's too much. It's ... I can't even describe it, but being with you is ... there's this intensity inside me all the time, this ... constant pull, desperation ... it's like you're branded on me or something. And it bloody well burns."     - Cameron MacCabe (Down London Road by Samantha Young)

"No, Madame, my life will have finally begun. I do not need the blessing of the Liberal establishment to practice law. I do not need the approval of Society to keep Fairleigh Park. And I will gladly be shunned on her behalf."

Tears came again, hot and sweet. This was how a prince slew dragons for his princess.

"You are mad, Mr. Somerset." The dowager duchess's voice trembled.

"I have loved her from the moment I first saw her, Madame. She has left me and I have left her. And now that we are at last together, nothing, save death, will part us again. Not you. Not the Liberal establishment. Not the opinion of every last man, woman, and child in England." He bowed. "If you will excuse me, I've been away from her far too long this day already."     - Stuart Somerset (Delicious by Sherry Thomas) 

Sexiest Quotes

"I'm going to fuck you so hard, sink so keep inside of you, you'll never work me out from under your skin. Never."     - Cameron MacCabe (Down London Road by Samantha Young)

"Should I tell you that when we're apart, your body comes back to me in dreams? That when I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I've just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined? That I can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache? That, for a few moments, I can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all?"     - Prince Henry (Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston) 

Prettiest Covers

Sexiest Covers

Most Interesting or Unusual Covers

*This book was published in 2024. 

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