Hey there, book lovers and boudoir enthusiasts! I’m a little late to the party (story of my life), but I finally rounded up my top reads of 2024. This year, I tackled 107 books - way fewer than my 2023 goal, but hey, I wanted to savor the stories and, you know, live in reality for a change. (Balance, right?)
One of my 2024 obsessions? Early-2000s fantasy. I went full nostalgia mode and devoured Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega and Mercy Thompson series. It was such a fun throwback, but it also got me thinking about how fantasy heroines have evolved over the years.
Here’s the tea: older fantasy novels often painted women in one-dimensional ways. They were tough or pretty or smart - rarely all three. Consider Hermoine or Katniss.
But modern fantasy? We’ve leveled up! Characters like Bryce from Crescent City are fierce, flawed, and fully realized. They’re tough, gorgeous, and brilliant—because, surprise, women can be all those things at once.
And let’s talk about the smut discourse for a second. (Yes, I’m going there.) There’s a lot of chatter on BookTok about how steamy scenes “cheapen” a story or make it less serious. But here’s the thing: women are complex. We can want political reform, epic adventures, and great sex. Modern fantasy gets that. Plus, these books talk a lot about consent and women’s pleasure - something that’s still revolutionary in a world where erectile disfunction gets more funding than women’s health research. (I mean, come on, 2025.) You can read more about that here.
Reading these stories feels empowering, not just for me, but for the next generation of women who see themselves reflected in these bold, multi-dimensional characters. It’s a reminder that we’re allowed to take up space, demand what we want, and own our desires - both in fiction and in real life.
So, whether you’re curling up with a book or stepping in front of the camera for a boudoir session, remember: you’re the heroine of your own story. And just like those fantasy heroines, you’re allowed to be bold, beautiful, and unapologetically you.
My Top Books of 2024
House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City Book 3) by Sarah J Maas
Do I even need to explain this? I love the Crescent City series - I like it even more than Throne of Glass (I know, I know!). This book was a major info dump which I know turned a lot of people off but I eat that shit up. I want to write more but I have a friend (hello, Allie!) who is just starting the series and I don't want to wreck it for her! Safe to say, this will be one of my favourite SJM books for... reasons. IYKYK!
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Truthfully, I did not like the Mortal Instruments series. Clary and Jace were annoying AF and I hated the whole brother/sister plot line. It wrecked the series for me. If I hadnt read the Infernal Devices series first, I likely wouldnt have tried anything else of Clare's. Luckily for me, I read the Infernal Devices first and fell totally in love with the characters. This whole series but in particular this last book, ruined me in best way. Jem might be on my top book boyfriend list of all time. Highly recommend this series!
Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters
The much anticipated book 2 of the Ashen Series! I LOVED this because we got to see more of the world in this book. I also really loved the addition of Saga (sister of Silla) and the beginning of her journey in this book. I love it when authors do a good job of writing about mental health struggles. Winters did a good job of incorporating those struggles without letting them take over from the other aspects of the characters. I cant wait for book 3.
Where the Library Hides
True story, one of my all time favourite movies is the Mummy with Brendon Fraser and Rachel Weisz. I love Egyptian lore and especially anything to do with Cleopatra. BTW have you been keeping up with Dr. Kathleen Martinez' quest for Cleo's tomb? If not, check this out. I am riveted. Anyway, if you love this kind of stuff, you will love this fictionalized story of Cleopatra's tomb. Whit and Inez have the best chemistry and the story is so captivating.
The Mist Thief by LJ Andrews
LJ Andrews is my comfort author. Her books are tropey and predictable but she writes the best fictional men. I stand by that. I love the Viking-inspired world building and that this series is an extension of her Broken Kingdoms series. Despite the connection, the characters in this one felt new and different. I liked that there was more political intrigue than some of the other books. I am greatly looking forward to the next books from this author, she is on my "instant buy" list, she always hits.
Bone Island by Nicole Fiorina
This is book 2 in the Book of Danvers series. I really liked book 1 of this series - it was dark, gothic, and romantic but book 2 hit different. It was a long book. Really long. Sometimes that felt unnecessary but when I finished it, it all made sense. Something that irritates me in romance novels is that the author just expects you to take their word for it unstead of showing how the romance comes to pass. Fiorina demonstrated the good, bad, and ugly in this book. It was beautiful and heart-wrenching. The foreword talked about the author's personal connection to this story so maybe that's why it felt more real than other romance novels that I read (despite this being fantasy). The characters are messy and it isn't a happily ever after and yet, it stands as an amazing love story. This was different and unexpected.
Fate Inked in Blood
I put off reading this book for a while because I was overwhelmed by the hype and worried that it wouldn't live up to it - but it did! I really liked this story. Sometimes I felt like it could have just gotten to the point and there was a lot of meandering but overall, I liked the story and world. I think the chacters have some growth which I will look for in book 2. The cliffhanger was predictable but I look forward to seeng where the author takes the story.
Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
I am not a dark romance girly but this book was everywhere in 2024 so I gave it a go. There were points of this book that were hard to read, I dont like gore or gross things but what saved this for me was the banter! I love how these two characters played off of each other. The wit and humour made this book one of my 2024 favs! Check trigger warnings before proceeding. If you like murder mysteries, this is for you. Book 2 was really fun - its an interconnected standalone series.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Something about me is that I will always love a witch story - I blame Practical Magic and Charmed. When I heard that this was a witch/witch-hunter series, I jumped on it! I loved the adventure and the unique magic system. I would say though, if you are going to make a character infamous for her bad-assery, then she must always be badass. I felt like the author only made her badass when it suited the story. You have to made the reader believe it, you can't just tell them to. Despite that, I liked this story and (spoiler) since I am writing this in 2025, book 2 is a really good wrap up! I liked the adventures and magic system!
Anathema by Keri Lake
This was unexpected. The world was a bit tricky to get into but I liked the mystery enough to keep going. It was dark and gothic but yet oddly sweet at times. The cliffhanger is really what sealed the deal for me. The last half of the book was what drew me into the whole story. I tried to get into other Keri Lake books but they were too gorey for me. This might be good if you're like me and don't necessarily love the horror vibes but want something a bit gothic... does that make sense?
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