2024 Top 5 Romance Authors
Today I’m celebrating my 2024 Top 5 Romance Authors. As many of you know if I’m busy writing YA fantasy, I’m reading romance books. In 2024, with the release of To be a Fae Rogue in the spring and completion of To be a Fae, the finale in the Realm Chronicles series, I’ve been all about reading and listening to romance. Most of my reads have been via the audiobook versions and they’ve all been wonderful productions.
These are my 2024 top 5 romance author reads. It was hard to pick individual books because I’ve read most of the Virgin River series books by Robyn Carr, many of B.E. Baker’s Finding Home and The Birch Ranch Series books, as well as all of Emily Henry’s romances.
Romance Author Robyn Carr
I was first introduced to Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series via Netflix. I like the story lines although the on again, off again romance between Mel and Jack has been frustrating to me. I get that for the series they had to amp up the drama and danger in the series, but I loved Robyn Carr’s original rendition where we see Mel and Jack’s story come to a faster completion. Each book in the rest of the series focuses on another couple in Virgin River and Robyn Carr was able to bring many more characters into the Virgin River family, making Robyn Carr one of my 2024 top romance author picks. They are clean romances with interesting story lines and we get to see many of the couples’ stories continue throughout the books.
Romance Author Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s romance, many of which feature book lover themes, quickly won me over. The have a more new adult feel to them with fun, PG-13 romance scenes. Happy Place by Emily Henry was one of my favorites. It follows a group of friends gathered at a beach cabin for the last time. And although we learn about many characters within the friend group, the main romance story line follows Harriet and Wyn, who you immediately want to root for. Emily Henry’s books are a bit heavier than Robyn Carr’s sweet romances which I can appreciate. Emily Henry has a great way of making characters and their stories real making Emily Henry an easy choice for my 2025 Top 5 Romance Authors pick.
Romance Author B.E. Baker
B.E. Baker was suggested to me by a friend and I quickly fell love with her stories. She is a sweet, clean romance writer. I began reading with her Finding Home series that follows couples in a friend group living in Atlanta, Georgia. I believe this series is also under another series name to attract billionaire romance readers. The billionaire aspect didn’t detract from the stories for me. The Finding Home series follows new adult age character romances with each book featuring a different couple. The B.E. Baker’s Birch Creek Ranch series has a bit of a different format in that it feels more like a soap drama. The books are written in first person through the POV of several different characters. In the series, two widows move with their children to a ranch in Utah after finding out that their late husbands’ uncle left them a cattle ranch. The only catch is that they have to live there and work the ranch for a year. Can these two widows and families heal after their tragedies? Read along to find out! The Birch Creek Ranch series made B.E. Baker and easy choice for my 2024 Top 5 Romance Author pick.
Romance Author Savannah Carlisle
The Library of Second Chances is Savannah Carlisle’s fiction debut novel. A sports writer, Savannah is now also following her passion for romance. I had the pleasure of interviewing Savannah on my podcast. The book is set on Fernandina Beach, FL, an island I visited in my teens for vacations. Lucy just lost her fiance’, friend, and the town library. What she did inherit is a book store. Logan just lost his fiance’ and a huge business deal and is looking to reboot his career by remaking the beach front on Lucy’s small island. The two go head to head on preserving versus updating the waterfront. At the same time, each is nurturing a relationship with an anonymous book reader through the town’s lending library nook. Are Lucy’s and Logan’s paths set to intertwine in romance? Or is there another happily ever after planned for each? This was a wonderful small town, sweet romance novel. I’m looking forward to Savannah’s next release.
Romance Author H.M. Shander
I’d read an H.M. Shander novel last year and had her Messages & Mistletoe on my TBR for over a year. Having read the holiday themed Messages & Mistletoe, and enjoyed it, I jumped to It all Began with a Note opener in The Accidentally In Love Set by H.M. Shander. I loved Tess’s and Jon’s characters. They were deep enough without being tragic. The book is a new adult fade to black book. Tess and Jon meet semi-accidentally when she slides a note under the wrong hotel room door. Instead of Camille meeting Tess, Jon joins her for a day on the beach. The two feel instant chemistry, but they’re on vacation. Could a holiday fling lead to realm romance? Tess is skeptical, so skeptical she doesn’t even tell him her real name. Can he convince her they can be more? With a couple of good romances from this author on my read list, H.M. Shander was an easy choice for my 2024 top 5 romance authors list.
I hope you enjoyed this list and will check out these great reads!
Happy reading!
Tricia/Maria Jane
Award-winning, and best-selling, fade to black, closed-door romance author Maria Jane believes in the power of love. She sees that love may look messy and take a winding path, but there is magic in the journey. Her books are filled with fun moments, sweet gestures, surprising turns, and characters searching for their happily-ever-after. Craving your next HEA and/or HFN read? Find all of Maria’s Perfect romances, formerly penned under Tricia Copeland, and dive into a fun love story today at mariajaneromance.com.