Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2024

Another year has passed in which books have brought all of us a much-needed escape and sense of comfort. Our Love Bytes team reviewed approximately 1,000 LGBTQ+ books in 2024, from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy, and everything in between. Each day for the next weeks, we will feature one of our reviewers’ top picks from books and audiobooks published in 2024. These lists highlight how diverse our tastes in reading are, and offer something for everyone. With thousands of fantastic new books each year, written by hundreds of creative and talented authors, it’s so difficult to narrow our lists down. We all have many favorite authors not featured here and wish we could acknowledge them all.

True’s Favorites

 

1 Never Leave, Never Lie by Thea Verdone – Buy link

A story with an extraordinary plot, with two beautifully, heart-wrenching, layered characters, a hate-love relationship, with an off-charts chemistry! The story is at times upsetting and bittersweet, but thank goodness they have their happy ending, or else I would have burned my iPad to ashes.
This read brought me to deeply emotional tears!
Dang, what a story!

2 Oleander by  Scarlett Drake – Buy link

I’m speechless, this was a masterpiece. The writing was lyrical and excellently done.
I could tell about all that happened, about all the deeply moving feelings, about how it’s a contemporary story but feels historical, or how hate turned into heat into love, or how dark secrets need to stay secret,
or about the hundred different faces of Caspien from cruel to soft to menacingly, or about all the mysteries.
But no, that would be sad, it’s an experience, an experience you have to go through yourself!!

3 Sleep (the whole London Love series!!) by Sophia Soames – Buy link series

If you haven’t read anything by this author start right now! Every piece of work is a pearl, so precious!!
I think it’s fair to say this author falls in my category of favorite authors.

I was floored by this story, my freaking goodness, completely floored.
I’m hyped to spoil all the beauty of this narrative, I won’t, gosh, that would take away all the joy, all the snark, all the complicated situations, the adoration, the affection, all those wonderful moving moments, the generous love so freely given, all these layers.

4 Fen by Barbara Elsborg – Buy Link

What an amazing story, I have no words to express the greatness of this book.
This author didn’t just write a story, she created the most momentous, compelling story.
How she developed Fen and Ripley’s layered characters and the journey they go through, was just magnificent.

5 Rowan & Alfred by Lucie Fleury – Buy Link

Love Bytes review link

This was a fabulous story! Utterly fabulous! This is how you write fantasy novels! All the stars and more!!

After reading my review and seeing all these hyperboles, you will understand why I was floored by this story!!

 

6 Proof of Life (The whole series Scars and Stripes) by Raquel Riley – Buy Link

Love Bytes review link

A unique friendship, that goes beyond being friends! Buddy’s for more than twelve years. Not afraid to show their affection for each other.

Both are stationed in Afghanistan, a team working together, until there’s a devastating grenade impact, and there are only two left.

What they have been through is indescribable, I had to stop reading more than once because of my tears.
My heart hurt for them. On the other hand, they are so bluntly downright with their dark sense of humor, I laughed out loud.
The author did such a great job of keeping the much-needed humor present.

7 When We Meet Again by Hayden Hall – Buy link

What a breathtaking story! I love this side of the author, it was downright poetic.
The flow was amazing, all the feelings high and low were sensible, the buildup was wonderfully structured, the atmosphere was super intimate.

I loved everything about this story, it’s delicate, precious, two beautiful souls that are bonded from first sight. The author did an outstanding job, it was beautifully written, and so much more than I could imagine, it’s an engaging very intimate read.

8 The Unlikely Pair by Jax Calder – Buy link

One word: Fabulous!

Dang, what an adventure!
The slow turn from despises each other to likes felt natural. How they go from uptight haughty guys to get dissolved of all their high walls, where their ego disappear, I must say it was all quite convincing!
A masterpiece!

9 Second Shot by Con Riley – Buy Link

Watch how two beautiful souls collide and give themselves to each other!! With that, we can see them rise and bloom and glow. I love the significance of intimately holding hands.

This author writes purely poetically, not one line is without feels, it’s all so up my lane.

All attention goes to someone’s qualities, to uplift people. THIS is what’s important! It made me so emotional. Be still my heart!
I devoured the whole story, I laughed, cried, and swooned.

Another masterpiece!!

Let’s all uplift each other!!

10 The Wicked Chase (four novella’s in one) by Lola Malone – Buy link

Collared – Trapped – Hunted – Marked

Four novellas, four masks, four chases through the dark forest, eight winners!
A secret brotherhood of the Alpha Fraternarii

Dark, delicious, super intense, intriguing, and oh-so captivating!

 

I wish it was a top 20 so many amazing books!!

True.