Hot Stuff: The 6 best romance novels of fall 2024

As the seasons change, so too do the options for romance reading on our shelves.

The fall always brings some witchy titles with its changing leaves and spooky season vibes. But that doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of other types of romance in the mix, including stories with strong medieval fantasy tropes and celebrity-normal person tropes. Here are Entertainment Weekly's six favorite romance novels of fall 2024.

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Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London

After debuting with the glorious One to Watch, Stayman-London returns with her signature dry wit and flair for interrogating pop culture with this inventive spin on vampire fiction. Tess Rosenbloom is living a sort of half-life, working the night shift at a Brooklyn hotel after dropping out of grad school in the wake of surviving a sexual assault. Her primary solace is Blood Feud, a series of vampire novels that some believe might actually be about creatures who really walk the Earth. But the fan-fueled conspiracy theory turns real when one of the vampires turns up at Tess’ hotel begging for help, leading her to travel to a mysterious isle where she can’t help but fall for the sexy, brooding, misunderstood vampire, Callum. Fang Fiction leans perhaps a bit more in the women’s fiction category than the romance column in its structure, but it does offer up two bloody good romances — one between Tess and vampire Callum on the isle, and another between Tess’ estranged best friend, Joni, and Callum’s twin sister, Octavia. Stayman-London plays with vampire tropes with verve, indulging all of Tess’s fantasies (and thereby many readers’ as well). But even though the book brims with hilarious quips and darkly sexy, fun characters, it ultimately is a tale of survival and support. As Tess wrestles with overcoming the crippling anxiety and trauma of her experiences, she also helps Octavia and Callum to see that heroes are not always the ones we might expect. Stayman-London plays with tropes like the bad boy with a heart-of-gold while still finding nuance within them, interrogating the reasons behind why so many return to these narratives again and again. Fang Fiction is a delightfully meta take on fandom, vampire fiction, and a beautiful tribute to the healing power of fantasy and facing your demons. Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Grade: B+

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff

Big Fan: A Modern Romance by Alexandra Romanoff — "Big Fan" by Alexandra Romanoff.
831 Stories

Big Fan marks the first novel from 831 Stories, a new romantic fiction company. It follows political strategist Maya, who is currently picking up the pieces of her life after her husband’s infidelity and their messy divorce thrust her into the scandalous spotlight. To recover her once promising career, she needs to keep a low-profile, a necessity that is tested when she is recruited by Charlie, the former lead singer of Maya’s favorite boy band, Mischief, to help him launch his solo career. The two instantly share a spark and Maya is caught between pursuing her political ambitions and giving into a romance she never expected to happen. It’s a fun, frothy concept, one with a clear debt to Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You. But it’s more novella than novel, clocking in at only 176 pages. As such, it’s a tad slight when it comes to the storytelling, racing through plot and staying fairly surface level when it comes to character development. But the promise of something special is there. Romanoff writes with a crisp, clear voice, one that is skilled at indicting the sexism of the very notion of scandal while also delivering a steamy romance. The political setting allows space for refreshing arguments about issues like Universal Basic Income, underscoring the notion that romance is an inherently political genre. But a bit more heft could have granted us some time with Charlie’s perspective and truly built the slow-burn between these two adults trying to sort out what the skills they honed as teenagers look like as mature adults. Big Fan is a promising start for 831 Stories, but hopefully, their next title has a bit more meat on the bone. Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥 Grade: B

Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom

Carly Bloom has crafted a witchy romance that is as divinely perfect for autumn as a pumpkin spice latte (and just as frothy and sweet too). Delia Merriweather has spent her life humoring her family’s claim that they’re witches, despite their complete lack of magic. But when she unknowingly breaks a decades-old hex, she discovers that she actually is a witch — and a quite powerful one, too. It’s a delightful discovery, particularly since she started a fling up with Max, the nephew of her beloved, eccentric next-door neighbor. Too bad Max is secretly there to spy on the Merriweathers and is tasked with re-hexing them. But before she can even utter a spell, Max falls under Delia’s allure — and the two can’t deny the warm attraction that sparks between them. One that just might help them realize that everything they’ve ever been told about witches is a lie. Bloom never fails to write with a spritely wit and buoyant energy, and Hot Hex Boyfriend is her most enchanting read yet. While she may use the fantastical world of magic to spur inventive shenanigans among her characters, her themes speak to challenges faced by every human. Delia has spent her life in denial and ignorance of her true identity, and it is Max who helps her see the capacity for magic in her own life, both literally and figuratively. Questions of whether love is a spell or genuine arise, which speaks to the confounding nature of romance as a whole — and beautifully captures the vagaries of the heart. There’s a black cat who could give Sabrina’s Salem a run for his money and kooky aunts worthy of Practical Magic. Bloom’s novel casts a delightful spell that will have readers wishing it could work its magic long after the story ends. Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥 Grade: A

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Nadia El-Fassi conjures up an enchanting debut with this witchy love story. Dina Whitlock is a witch, and she’s mastered the art of channeling her magic into baking pastries and making tea blends that pass along warm, comforting feelings to customers at her cafe. But the one thing she can’t conjure a spell to fix is her love life, which has flailed thanks to the hex on Dina that ensures anyone who cares for her will get hurt. Dina’s anti-dating policy is challenged when she meets Scott Mason, a museum curator with yummy Roy Kent vibes. When they end up at their mutual friends’ wedding together, they can’t deny the potent chemistry between them, and before long, Dina is forced to question whether she can risk her heart (and Scott’s well-being) for a shot at a happy ending. El-Fassi’s pen bursts with magic — her descriptions of Samhain rituals or Dina’s enchanted home pop with feral, feminine energy that celebrates the matriarchy of witch lore. Plus, El-Fassi writes a rare romance novel that gives voice to the bisexual community. Dina is bi, and it’s her fear of coming out as such to her parents that has left the hex hanging over her for years. To free herself from her curse, Dina must not only open herself to love, but also to embracing and owning who she truly is to all who know her best. El-Fassi uses Dina’s magic as a metaphor for coming out in her relationship with Scott, underscoring how truth and self-revelation is a vulnerable, risky endeavor. The book bursts with a cozy, autumnal atmosphere that is contrasted with toe-curling sex scenes that send sparks zinging off the pages. Best Hex Ever is the perfect fall delight, casting a spell over readers with its blend of magic, self-love, and steamy encounters that proves as diverting and comforting as one of Dina’s signature blends. Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Grade: A

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher

This Will Be Fun: A Novel by E. B. Asher — "This Will Be Fun" by E.B. Asher.
Avon

Romance authors Bridget Morrissey, Emily Wibberley, and Austin Siegemund-Broka unite under this single pseudonym to tell this medieval inspired story that melds the world-building of Dungeons and Dragons with the snarky humor of Shrek. In the land of Mythria, the heroic “four” — best friends Beatrice and Elowen, handsome ex-bandit Clare, and valiant leader Galwell the Great — are celebrated far and wide for saving their country from the forces of evil. But after ten years, they haven’t spoken, split apart by their trauma and the cost of their quest. Still, when they are all invited to the wedding of Mythria’s queen, they have no choice but to show up — thrusting them once more into an adventure that will require all their strength and know-how. While the voices of Beatrice, Elowen, and Clare brim with unique flair, the story is a bit short on action. Most of the book is given over to rehashing the past or traveling to the wedding, with only short bursts actually dedicated to the swashbuckling the book promises readers. The bonds between Elowen and reformed assassin Vondra, as well as Beatrice and Clare, are what make the book truly sparkle. Elowen and Vondra are all repressed longing and lonely angst, while Beatrice and Clare are a delicious sparring couple, hung up on the wrongs they each committed against each other years prior. Watching them come together, even as they try to deny their feelings, This Will Be Fun is a delightful romp. We only wish the adventure that gets them there was as “fun” as the title alleges. Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥 Grade: B

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

Freya Marske crafts a cozy, low-stakes romantasy set in a world that borrows from the trappings of medieval legend (and an economy that seems modeled on Settlers of Catan). Mattinesh Jay has done everything in his power to protect his family from financial ruin, and now, he’s even willing to marry a girl he doesn’t love to ensure their stability. But first he has to get through the wedding and a potential sword challenge, which leads him to hire charming con artist, Luca Piere, to serve as his “best swordsman” and to give him sword-fighting lessons. Unfortunately for them both, they find each other infuriatingly attractive, even though their future plans depend on not falling for each other. As Luca helps Matti uncover a conspiracy against his family and their wool business, the two cannot resist one another. Marske creates a vivid, fascinating world, and her ability to craft intrigue while keeping her storytelling fairly breezy and light is a true gift. Matti and Luca are a devilishly attractive pair, and it’s not hard to root for their happy ending from the word go. Readers looking for an adventure that’s low on angst and big on warm world-building will find a delightful diversion in Swordcrossed. Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥Grade: B