The Ultimate Reading List: My Top 10 Must-Read Books of All Time

As I'm writing this, I've read 70 books this year so far... DAMN. I can safely say that I've read some of my favourite books of all time this year, and it wouldn't be a bookish blog if I didn't share them with you. If you're looking for romance book recommendations, this post is for you! I've also found you some of the best deals for these books, so if you're interested in buying any of the books mentioned, you can just click on the titles.

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10. Wildfire by Hannah Grace

Wildfire is the second book in the Maple Hills series, set after the plot of Icebreaker (which is a really great sports, college, hockey romance book if you're looking for recommendations).

Synopsis:

When Russ and Aurora cross paths at a university party, a drinking game ends with them spending the night together. The next day, Aurora slips away before Russ learns her full name. This anonymity ends when they both turn up to their first day of work as camp counsellors. A job they had both chosen to escape Maple Hills for the summer. Given their history, there's still an obvious tension between the two but the camp has a strict “no staff fraternising” rule. Russ doesn't want to risk heading home early but Aurora has never been one for rules. As things heat up, they'll have to resist or risk starting something they just can't stop.

I think that I preferred this to Icebreaker, which I think a lot of people would be surprised with! There was just something so comforting and cosy about a summer camp book, and then it's just completely elevated when you have forced proximity and spicy romance! If you like the sound of a hockey player MMC, slow burn, college romance, tense family dynamic, SPICY, one night stand read, this one is for you.

9. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Well, this was a book that I didn't think would be in my top 10 books of all time, but here was are! I was absolutely shocked at how much I loved Fourth Wing, as this was the first romantasy book I read.

Synopsis:

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general-also known as her tough-as-talons mother-has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you're smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away . . . because dragons don't bond to "fragile" humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother's daughter-like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She'll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. Alliances will be forged. Lives will be lost. Traitors will become allies . . . or even lovers. But sleep with one eye open because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

As soon as I started seeing this book all over my TikTok For You page, I knew I had to pick it up because I just had to know what all the hype was about. Trust me, it's worth it! I think that this is the perfect book to read if you're wanting to explore the fantasy genre but don't really know where to start. I don't think that this was fantasy heavy at all, which is one fo the reasons I really enjoyed it. Don't even get me started about the dragons in this book, they seriously made it for me and contributed to the story so well. You should 100% read this book if you love enemies to lovers, the fantasy genre, anything to do with dragons, an academic setting and slow burn romances.

8. Final Offer by Lauren Asher

Where to start?! Final Offer is the third and final book in the Dreamland Billionaires series, which is one of my favourite series! There was just something so special about Cal and Lana's story, and I really am a suck for a childhood friends to lovers book.

Synopsis:

Callahan

I'm the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.

Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.

No one knows the real me but her.

Lana Castillo—my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.

When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.

I kept my word until my grandfather's will changed everything.

To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house

before selling it.

The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.

Turns out Lana doesn't just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.

Alana

Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.

He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.

When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.

But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather's lake house.

The biggest flaw in his plan?

My name is on the deed.

Something that I really loved about this book was that both of the main characters had their own flaws, but were also perfect in their own ways. Getting a book about Cal was something I wanted when I first started reading the series, and his character arc and development was just perfect. You will love this new adult book if you're a fan of second chance romance, forced proximity, friends to lovers and the single parent trope!

7. The Deal by Elle Kennedy

My favourite hockey romance book that I've EVER read. The Deal is the first book in the Off Campus series, which is a hockey series following a friendship group of 4 guys and their love interest.

Synopsis:

She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she's carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush's attention, she'll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice...even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it's going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realise that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

I wish I could re-read this book again for the first time. Off the top of my head, I think that this was the first sports romance book I read, and it hooked me into the trope straight away! The chemistry between Garrett and Hannah was SO strong from their first first encounter, and the banter between Garrett and his friendship group was just hilarious. If you love hockey romance books, college/university age, fake dating, friends to lovers and dual POV, you will DEVOUR this book!

6. Twisted Games by Ana Huang

This is my favourite book that Ana Huang has written, despite it being the second book in the Twisted Series. This felt like a fairytale and real life all wrapped up in one, and it was just such a creative and fun storyline. Rhys Larsen will forever be once of my top book boyfriends (definitely husband material!), but you HAVE to read this to understand the hype!

Synopsis:

Stoic, broody and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules: protect his clients at all costs and do not become emotionally involved. Ever. He has never once been tempted to break those rules . . . until her. Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She's nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed. Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defences until he's faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her. Take her.

Because she's his.

His princess.

His forbidden fruit.

His every depraved fantasy.

Regal, strong-willed and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses. But when her brother abdicates, she's suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted. And as she navigates the intricacies - and treacheries - of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can't have.

Her bodyguard.

Her protector.

Her ultimate ruin.

Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom . . . and doom them both.

PRINCESS x HER BODYGUARD?! Does that not sell it to you just from that trope? There may be another one so I may be mistaken, but I've never come across a book with this trope before, and I honestly don't think anything else could top this! Twisted Games is SO spicy, and something that I love is that you'd never know by looking at the front cover! I loved that we got to see Bridget and Rhys grow individually and together in their relationship so much throughout the book, but something else that I loved was there there were so many twists that I really didn't see coming, and that really kept me on my toes whilst reading. You will love Twisted Games if you love tropes like the age gap, slow burn, ridiculously spicy and forbidden romance!

5. Happy Place by Emily Henry

I felt so many emotions whilst reading this book, and I loved that it was so much more than a romance book; it was a love story. Yes, we all love spicy books (haha), but reading a book with a really in depth and moving story line about two people in love sometimes tops all else, and Emily Henry did this so well.

Synopsis:

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world. Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone. But the cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week. But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

This book was beautifully written and covered so many deep and really important topics (I'd search TW before reading just to be safe). I laughed, I cried, I felt all of the emotions! I absolutely loved the found family element to Happy Place, as well as the flirty banter which Emily always writes SO well. Can we talk about the TENSION in this book?!?!!? Wow. Not just the sexual tension, but the emotional tension, too, which I found so moving. Friendship was a huge part of this book, which I always love to read. I love it when the side characters are actually big parts of the story, and how it wouldn't be the same without them. This one is for my readers who love second chance romance, angsty, moving and semi-spicy books!

4. Hopeless by Elsie Silver

Gaaaahhhh I love this book so much. I very kindly received an advanced copy of Hopeless, which is the final book in the Chestnut Springs series, and I am SO grateful because it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! This was the most beautiful and perfect ending to my favourite series of all time, and I'm beyond happy that we finally got Beau's story - what a way to end the series!

Synopsis:

Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past. I'm the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks. He's thirty-five and all man, I'm twenty-two and all . . . virgin. He's also my fiancé. Correction: my fake fiancé. We start out as a bet. He doesn't believe that anyone holds my last name against me. So he offers me his to prove a point. It's a win-win. He gets a break from his concerned family's prying, and I get a chance to shed my family's reputation while I save up to ditch this small town. He says all I have to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend I can't keep my hands off of him in public. But it's what happens between us in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines . . . It's what transpires behind closed doors that doesn't feel like pretending at all . . . This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date. He once told me he'd never fall in love. And yet here I am, head over heels for my fake fiancé.

Beau and Bailey's story felt so different to the other books in the series. There was something so moving and meaningful about both of their stories, and I felt so emotionally connected to both of them on so many levels. I also LOVE seeing virgin heroines in books, I think it's super underrated. This was actually only the second book I've read where I've seen that trope, but Elsie Silver did it SO well, and Bailey is definitely one of my favourite female characters that I've ever read in a book. Beau was so emotionally and mentally wounded, and watching him grow throughout the book was beautiful to read. He wanted to escape his trauma so badly, and Bailey helps him do it without even knowing it. A beautiful couple and a beautiful ending to this series. You HAVE to read the entire Chestnut Springs series, but especially this one if you love grumpy x sunshine, age gap, fake fiancé, virgin heroine x tortured hero, "he falls first", engagement of convenience/fake engagement and forced proximity!

3. Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score

This was by far my favourite book in the Knockemout series, and very kindly got sent an incredible PR box from the publisher! From the very first book, we were all BEGGING Lucy Score to write Lucian and Sloane's story, and when I read the book, it was everything we asked for and needed to bring this town and these characters to a close.

Synopsis:

Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. Determined to erase his abusive father's mark on his family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building his empire. The more money and power he gains, the safer he feels. Except when it comes to one feisty small-town librarian. Although they are bonded by a dark secret from the past and their current mutual disdain, Sloane Walton only trusts Lucian as far as she can throw him. Until their bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, fanning flames of desire that can't be put out. But with Sloane eager to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse. And when Lucian learns the hard way that leaving Sloane is impossible, he vows to do everything he can to keep her safe. Whatever the cost . . .

This one is for my billionaire romance and grumpy x sunshine lovers (who also love sexy book men, i.e. Lucian Rollins, i.e. suit daddy). As a book lover, I always loved and related to Sloane on so many levels, and she's such a beautiful character to read about. Things We Left Behind was the perfect conclusion to the Knockemout series, and this is one of the best enemies to lovers so buckle up for a whole bunch of tension and the spiciest spice in the whole series. If you haven’t started this series, you’re seriously missing out.

2. Reckless by Elsie Silver

This is the best book in the Chestnut Springs series! The characters in this series are honestly the best characters in an intertwined series I've ever read. All of the characters are in all of the books, some may not be as likeable as others, but then once they get their own book and we got a true insight into them and why they are the way that they are, it's THE BEST feeling. A prime example of this is Winter, who's the FMC in this book. I didn't warm to her when we first met her in Flawless (the first book in the series), but once we got to know her in Reckless, I fell in love with her and her story.

Synopsis:

Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider, notorious ladies' man, scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package. And he's looking at me like I might be his next meal. I'm almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look at Theo is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak. The man is hard to trust-and even harder to resist. Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard I try to freeze him out, he melts my icy exterior and pulls apart all my defences. Then I spend the singular hottest night of my life with him. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. A secret.

THEO. MF. SILVA. I need him in real life. He is the epitome of what every woman would want and deserve. He raised my already unrealistic expectations of men to a level I didn’t even know they could reach! The accidental pregnancy from a one night stand trope is one of my FAVOURITES, and I also really enjoyed the fact that the book didn’t so much focus on Winter’s pregnancy, but once she’d had Vivi and Theo learning how to be a father. Can we take a minute to appreciate Winter’s character development from Flawless through the Reckless?! It was honestly one of the best character arcs I've ever read, and I'm genuinely so happy that Winter and Theo got their happily ever after with Vivi. You have to read Reckless if you love the sound of cowboy x doctor, opposites attract, reverse grumpy x sunshine and found family.

1. Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Archer's Voice is my favourite book of all time. I wish that I could express what I felt for these characters as I was reading the book. This was possibly the most beautifully written book I've ever read in my entire life, and if there's one book I have to recommend you to read, it's this one.

Synopsis:

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

A very short synopsis compared to a lot of other books, but I loved going into this book blind. I'd seen it all over my TikTok for years, but for some reason never decided to read until August 2023. I didn't know anything about this book before reading, and I think that's what made it so much more emotional and moving for me. Beautiful, cruel, devastating, emotional, perfect. A beautiful, breathtaking story that was so much more than a romance book or a typical love story. The story has such beautiful layers, and the character development was just perfect. With every piece of Archer’s life that was revealed, my heart broke for him even more. I sometimes struggle to picture scenes in a book and the setting, character etc, but I literally felt like I was in the book as I was reading it. I could literally tell you what the diner looked like, and what Archer’s home looked like - I felt so connected to the story. Watching Bree and Archer’s connection build was such a beautiful thing to read. Each of their interactions were detailed perfectly, and having mute representation within a story this important was incredible to read. Their expressions, glances, gestures and interactions were perfect. Male virginity representation in books are some of the most underrated, and Archer Hale was just perfect, like literally the definition of perfection in my eyes. Bree was the perfect heroine for this story. She was a good person, so kind hearted and warm, sweet and caring - everything that Archer needed which is why I just loved them together so much. I felt every single emotion when reading this book. I honestly cannot recommend this New Adult book enough. If you want to feel EVERYTHING, you have to read this book.

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I hope you can see how much I love these books through my mini reviews. I can safely say that I would recommend all of these books to anyone that is trying to enter the world of reading and doesn't really know where to slump, or even if you're a huge bookworm but you're stuck in a reading slump - these books are perfect!

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