15 Most Recommended Books Of 2024

Looking for the highly recommended books of 2024? Check out this list of  15 books of 2024 . The list includes some of the incredible books I read in 2024. I really think you should add all these novels to your 2025 TBR. I’m excited to share this list, which includes some of my most anticipated books of 2024. The list features gripping historical fiction, and steamy romance novels. Most of them are also great suggestions for book clubs. I also hope you’ll discover some under-the-radar authors.

15 Top-Rated Books of 2024

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Funny Story follows Daphne who finds herself in a complicated situation when she proposes to be roommates with her ex-fiancé’s ex-girlfriend’s ex. It’s funny and uplifting has everything you expect from Emily Henry Books. Also check out 35 book club questions For Funny Story.

Blurb: A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

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The Women Kristin Hannah

This is one of the unforgettable historical fiction I read in 2024. Set during 1965 the story is about nursing student Frankie McGrath joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. She challenges the societal norms and finding herself amidst chaos and destruction. The Women explores the experiences of women at war and their struggles after returning home. It’s uplifting, heartbreaking and really compelling. Also read 47 book club questions for The Women.

Blurb: An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era

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House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

If you want to add a popular fantasy romance to your 2025 tbr, check out this book. In this action-packed sequel, Bryce Quinlan finds herself stranded in a new and unfamiliar world. Filled with action and simmering romance, this story is a gripping journey of survival and resilience.

Blurb: Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

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First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

First Lie Wins  follows Evie Porter who lives a double life. Now in her new job, Evie takes on different identities for secret assignments. But her past catches up with her in a small town. It threatens the life she’s carefully built. This was one of the anticipated releases of 2024 and I really enjoyed it. Check out 35 discussion-worthy book club questions For First Lie Wins

Blurb: Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge.

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The Teacher by Freida McFadden

This is one of the best books I have read in 2024. It follows Eve, a high school math teacher, starts to believe there is something strange about the rumors surrounding a student named Addie. As she looks for answers, Eve learns that things are not what they seem. The Teacher is full of secrets, danger, and revenge. Check out 43 The Teacher book club questions.

Blurb: From the New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a chilling story of twisted secrets and long-awaited revenge.

Lesson #1: Trust no one.

Eve has a good life. She wakes up each day, kisses her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…

Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye.

Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says.

But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet.

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Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Bride was steamy, sweet and gripping. This is the smuttiest books I have read in 2024. It’s also perfect for fans of marriage of convenience romance. In this story, Misery Lark, a Vampyre, enters a marriage of convenience with Lowe Moreland, an Alpha Werewolf. What begins as an alliance quickly turns into something much darker and more passionate.

Blurb: A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

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Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Just for the Summer centers around Emma and Justin who start a summer fling to break each other’s curses. But things get tricky when they start to have real feelings for each other. As they deal with family problems and learn more about themselves, they begin to wonder if Fate brought them together for a reason. I really loved this second chance romance.

Blurb: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

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The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

How about an unforgettable historical fiction with magical realism? On a quiet street in Dublin, there is a hidden bookshop with a magical secret. Opaline, Martha, and Henry are three strangers who feel invisible in their lives. When they find the bookshop, everything changes. The Lost Bookshop follows these characters as they explore the shelves, they discover secrets and a world full of wonder where nothing is what it seems.

Blurb: On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

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The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

The Familiar is an amazing historical fantasy about Luzia Cotado, a servant with secret magical powers. Her talents catch the eye of Antonio Pérez, a disgraced nobleman. In 17th-century Madrid, Luzia must face tough challenges, her own feelings, and the risks of her magic. If you are looking for immersive books to read in 2025, get this book.

Blurb: In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

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A Fate Inked in Blood  byDanielle L. Jensen

If you are looking for really hot and spicy books to read, check out this steamy fantasy romance. A Fate Inked in Blood  follows Freya, a fierce shield maiden with magical powers. She is thrust into chaos after being forced into an unwanted marriage. You’ll love the action and romance.

Blurb: A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

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The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden

If you are a fan of Freida McFadden books, you will love this book. The second book in the Housemaid series follows Millie the she moves into a seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood.She quickly realizes something is off. Strange events and suspicious neighbors leave her questioning everything around her.

Blurb: I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors .

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

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When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

Next we have a swoon-worthy romantasy book recommendations. When the Moon Hatched follows Raeve, a fierce warrior, who is thrust into a world of danger when she meets Kaan Vaegor, a mysterious man haunted by his past. It’s a gripping fantasy full of twists.

Blurb: The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.

However.

There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …

They’re too poisonous to swallow.

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The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

The Reappearance of Rachel Price is about Bel, whose world is turned upside down when her mother, missing for years and presumed dead, suddenly reappears. As Bel starts digging into her mother’s past and what really happened, she uncovers chilling secrets that put her own life at risk. If you love reading bone-chilling thrillers with really good twist, check out this book.

Blurb: A new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.

Lights. Camera. Lies.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.

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Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Listen for the Lie was really addictive thriller. We follow Lucy who is accused of murdering her best friend, but she has no memory of the night in question. And now a new crime podcast has started to investigate the case. This was one of the engaging thriller audiobook I listened to in 2024.

Blurb: What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

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Daydream by Hannah Grace

If you are a fan of steamy sports romance books, you will love this book. It follows Henry and Halle who form an unlikely friendship. They explore their own dreams and desires while confronting their fears and insecurities. This is a swoon-worthy books like Icebreaker, the first one in the series.

Blurb: The new novel from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Icebreaker and Wildfire…

When procrastination lands him in a difficult class with his least favorite professor, Henry Turner knows he’s going to have to work extra hard to survive his junior year of college. And now with his new role as ice hockey captain – which he didn’t even want – Henry absolutely cannot fail. Enter Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior who finds herself befriended by Henry when he accidentally crashes her book club.

Halle may not have the romantic pursuits of her favorite fictional leads, but she’s an academic superstar, and when she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. But being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job and the novel she’s trying to write. New experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, though, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.

They just need to stick to their rulebook. Oh, and not fall in love.

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