My favourite books of 2024

My favourite book of 2024 besides my own was a romance (what a surprise). Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti came to me during a few days when for some still unknown reason, I was experiencing a terrible sleep pattern so, if I loved this book because it entertained me at 5am then I’m sorry for being at all misleading. This book is so difficult to write about without spoiling but there are pen pals, convincing enemies to lovers, dramatic third act break up, hidden identity, chemistry that made me hold my breath, a couple who really, really love each other. The only thing I didn’t adore about this book was that one of the side characters was a little 2-dimensional. If you’re into romance AT ALL, read this book.

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez and Strong Female Character by Fern Brady were both fantastic books under non-fiction. 

Back to Romance books for number 4… Set on You by Amy Lea was wonderful! It has a firefighter MMC, curvy gym-goer FMC, lots of banter and I love a bit of forced proximity. 

This year I found TJ Alexander. In January I read Chef’s Kiss and Chef’s Choice, both queer romances between characters who still have a lot to learn about themselves but the great thing is that they’re trying! They want to understand themselves and they are loved no matter who they are. I think I preferred Chef’s Choice because I loved the way the two main characters supported each other but I loved both! For the rules of 1-10, Chef’s Choice gets a spot on the list. 

Once Upon an Algorithm by Clara O’Connor was one of my favourite reads of the year. A STEM romance that wound the suspense up so tightly that the snap could have been more explosive but oh god, the yearning…

North Woods by Daniel Mason was a book club pick that I wouldn’t have read if I’d had a choice but I am SO glad that I did. Probably my favourite book this year, the book follows the story of the same patch of land in New England over 400 years, telling us the story of each inhabitant using multimedia chapters. The whole thing feels like an investigation and doubles down with many layers of metaphors. 

If I find a good looking book, I tend not to look to closely into whether it’s a series… This year I read Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams. A masterclass in showing how books don’t have to be spicy to be HOT, this book was so good, I thought about it for weeks afterwards. 

Last one before I tell you that my book of the year is my own… Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey is my favourite TB by far. I enjoyed the first in the series, It Happened One Summer but I didn’t feel (and actually still didn’t in this second one) that Piper and Brendan were convincing enough. This one gave me two entirely realistic characters with a combination of spice and slow burn that had me squealing. If you can’t tell from this list - I love a slow burn romance. I also read the Broke and Beautiful series this year. Ripped through all three books while incapacitated by the mountains, in the mountains in the first month of the year. 

OK! Congratulations on making it this far. My favourite book of the year is, for the first time ever, my own. Pick Me Up by Cecelia Joyce was published in December 2024 and I have never read a book so many times in my life. Pick Me Up is a contemporary ski romance that has slow burn elements, of course he falls first, there’s plenty of British humour and that delicious awkwardness that the English are so good at and it includes two of my favourite tropes as microtropes; forced proximity and fake dating. The main male character is a 31 year old, 6’3” snowboarder with dark curly hair and bright blue eyes. The female main character is 27 years old, unspecific height but I can tell you that she’s a self-confessed ‘tall girl’. She has red hair, unlimited love stacking up inside her, a quick temper and a terrifying competitive streak.

Available now in paperback from the website or as an ebook from the Kindle store, here.