Only the most thrill-inducing, toe-curling, un-put-downable books made this list...
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Time to read 8 min
When it comes to the title best books, we take that very seriously here at Bad Women Books. We are lucky enough to read a ton of books in a given year and so making our cream of the crop, the crème de la crème list is a hard feat indeed! With that being said, here are favorite reads of 2024 quarter 1, in no particular order:
The God and the Gumiho
for the assistant-to-the-villain banter
A sly and dazzling urban fantasy inspired by Korean mythology. A nine-tailed fox—a notorious, wanted criminal—teams up with a trickster god-turned-detective to defeat a violent demon.
The assistant-to-the-villain trope I've been fixating on ever since I sadly DNFed the aforementioned title by Ms. Maehrer. It's such an underrated trope and Sophie Kim absolutely bodied it! The banter between our two MCs was unmatched and had me kicking my feet. I need this turned into a k-drama ASAP!
The Road of Bones
for those who need some girl power
A woman on the run joins a crew of Viking mercenaries to escape an assassin sent by the queen.
I went into this book with zero expectations and I absolutely ate it up! I loved the growth that our girl goes through throughout the series. She's not perfect, which I appreciate, but her decisions make sense and when she makes mistakes, we see her improving from them. I also liked that she had to work hard to find and earn her power, it wasn't innately given to her. Absolutely joins any of my fantasy romance lists and book two kept with the streak and was 5 stars as well!
Indigo Ridge
for a cowboy romance meets mystery thriller
The new Chief of Police finds herself between a rock and a hard place when the rancher she had a one night stand with finds a body of a local girl on his property.
This had everything I love in a romance: cowboys, thrills, and unexpected twists. A perfect read for those who need a little more than just romance in their books. The community that Devney Perry builds celebrates every reason why people move to small towns. Word of warning: you will fall in love with all the characters and end up reading all six books back to back!
available on kindle unlimited
What the River Knows
for a diverse take on the Mummy
A historical fantasy romance set in Egypt where a Latin MC and her handsome rival search for Cleopatra's tomb, racing against other hunters and archeologists.
As a fiend for anything Mummy-inspired, I went into this with HIGH expectations...and it didn't disappoint! Probably my favorite aspect of this book was the master class of how the author showed instead of told us the MC's interest in our main gal. He was so smitten and truly embodied Rick from the Mummy!
available on kindle unlimited
The Endless War
for an epic, forbidden love story
The forbidden love between a king and the heir to his enemy's empire comes to a head as war looms on the horizon.
Wow, as one of my favorite fantasy series, it truly just gets better and better with each new installment. I love our soft boy Keris in this one—he comes into his own and really commits to his love for Zarrah. It's truly an epic love story and everything I was hoping for in the conclusion to their duology, while still surprising me with the twists and turns that Danielle Jensen is best at. I can't wait for book five!
available on kindle unlimited
Hearts that Cut
for the vibes of your favorite teen books
A descendant of the Fates faces off against the gods to save her soulmate, her sisters, and her friends.
Such an interesting storyline, unlike anything else I've ever read while still giving me that feeling I had as a teen when I found a series I would obsess over. Surprising, I thought this book was better than book one, which is so rare! Kika Hatzopoulou really beat that middle book slump and needless to say I'll be watching like a hawk for the Fairyloot edition so I can swoop in and add it to my shelf!
The Witch Queen of Halloween
for anyone obsessed with witches and slasher movies
A witch and a storm demon find themselves trapped in a haunted mansion on Halloween trying to break her curse.
The next installment of IAD!! Eek! Per usual, it was fantastic and I left it like I do the rest of the books in the series: desperate for more. As a mood reader, I definitely think its best read in October to get the full VIBES, but you won't be disappointed whenever you read it. If you haven't read any of the Immortals After Dark books, consider this your sign to stop everything and get to reading!
Throne of the Horde King
don't let the cover fool you: for a top tier fantasy romance
A warlord and priestess ward join forces to save their kingdom from a deadly fog and corrupt king.
Oof those covers, smh. It's really unfortunate because I think a lot of people will bypass this series even though it is INCREDIBLE. It has similar vibes to Elizabeth Vaughan's classic Warlands series: protective warlords (obvi), fearless FMCs, and tons of magic! There's six interconnected stand-alones in the series—all on KU—so really, what's your excuse not to give it a read?
available on kindle unlimited
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
for a cozy read on a rainy day
A faerie folklore professor and her handsome academic rival search for a back door to the Folk's realm while being pursued by faerie assassins.
Heather Fawcett's series is turning into a comfort read for me. It's atmospheric, endearing, heartwarming, and full of beautiful lore. And I just love our MCs and their wonderful quirks. This is a story that will resonate with you after you finish it and if you need a book for a stormy day in front of the fire, this is the one to pick up.
A Fate Inked in Blood
for those re-watching Vikings
A gods-blessed shield maiden finds herself trapped between the whims of a fanatical jarl, his fierce warrior son, a damning prophecy, and her growing power.
Oof this book. I really went through all the feels because I connected so deeply with our FMC Freya. If you're hoping this will be like the Bridge Kingdom, think again. It's very much its own story and truly encapsulates the plights of womanhood, and sadly I saw a lot of connections between Freya's time and our own. She is so powerful and gifted and yet trapped to the desires of men. It felt like a roller coaster ride of her fight for freedom. Not a quick or easy read, but truly sensational and I can't wait for book two.
Done and Dusted
for the girly pops in their cowboy era
An injured barrel racer returns home and starts to fall for her small town's bad boy who also happens to be her brother's best friend.
Contemporary romance is back and swinging for the fences! It has sexy cowboys. It has sassy cowgirls. It has a nosy locals. Secret, steamy liaisons. Overall, just an easy, quick, low stakes read that is sure to please. This is the book I give as gifts to anyone because I know it's going to be a hit no matter who I give it to. Lyla Sage is definitely an auto-buy author for me!
As You Desire
for a vintage romance with a touch of archeology
An archeology romance where a procurer and a scholar's friendship shifts with the arrival of a new rival in Egypt.
The 90s called and said they did romance better and man they weren't lying. This was perfection. Stunning. Gorgeous. Un-put-downable. Absolutely a must-read. Am I gushing too much? It's because I forgot why I love vintage romance novels so much—they just don't write them like that anymore! I devoured this book, fell in love with Harry, and will be re-reading it ASAP.
Engagement and Espionage
for Southern, small town shenanigans
The Banana Cake Queen and her maniacal mastermind fiance team up to solve a mystery in this cozy and hilarious romance.
Penny Reid is honestly such an underrated writer. If you love Ali Hazelwood and haven't read Reid's books, what are you doing? Run don't walk! I have such a soft spot for this series because Cletus is one of my absolute favorite characters. He and Jennifer are just **chef's kiss** and you'll be hard pressed to find a more perfect pairing. Add that to the sheer ridiculousness and hilarity that unfolds makes this a truly magical tale.
available on kindle unlimited
Inheritance
for a gothic tale by the queen of romance
A new caretaker inherits a haunted Victorian mansion full of cursed ghost brides.
Are we even surprised at this point? Nora Roberts is Midas in the romance realm—everything she touches turns to gold! Who knew that her take on gothic romance would be so divine? Literally everyone because she's that good. In true Roberts fashion, she spins us into a world we are all dying to visit and creates an FMC we can't help cheering for, while keeping us on our toes with a mystery that hasn't quite unfolded yet (where is book two 😭!).
Legendborn
for a coming-of-age fantasy
A high school student infiltrates a magical, Arthurian secret society that she believes is tied to her mother's death.
Just good old fashion YA fantasy! I feel like YA is a lot of times overlooked because of **cough cough spice** but really, when it's such good storytelling, you don't need the spice. This book was a testament to that, I loved the trials aspect, the two MCs (who will she choose??), and the deeper messaging of grief and parental relationships. Consider book two on my priority TBR.
P.S. I hate love triangles...this is not that. They aren't pitted against each other. Just wanted to clarify.
House of Bane and Blood
for a high stakes gaslamp fantasy
A Peaky Blinders inspired fantasy where two rival families agree to an arranged marriage to save their city.
Wow, a complete surprise for me! For someone who's never read gaslamp fantasy, this really did it for me! It was fast-paced, thrilling, and truly unexpected which made it even better. You never knew who to root for, who your enemy was, and who would save the day. This ended on a cliffhanger so needless to say I'm dying for book two!
available on kindle unlimited
Bride
for a gateway into paranormal romance
A vampire agrees to an arranged marriage to an enemy werewolf to find her missing best friend.
As a self-proclaimed paranormal romance expert, I have to say I really enjoyed Ms. Hazelwood's first foray into the genre. She really nailed the tried and true tropes readers are looking for while creating the tension and romance she's known for between her MCs. I think this is the perfect beginner book for anyone who is dipping a toe into shifter romances and for those of us with more experience under our belt—it's the perfect palate cleanser!
The Author
Shelby is a Polynesian-American living in the Southwest who loves reading, sewing, working on vintage cars, and spending time with her puppies: Zoe la Rue and Lulu Bellerini.