The Nora Theory

2024 has already been an exciting year for romance readers, and it’s only February. We’ve already been given the gift of House of Flame and Shadow, which will no doubt end up being one of my favorites at the end of the year. The Dark Olympus series continued with Midnight Ruin, another immediate favorite. The year is far from over, and there is plenty left to come. Here are some of the most exciting releases coming in 2024 for romance readers.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli – February 20

Heartless Hunter is an upcoming enemies-to-lovers romantasy, from an author I’ve never read before. I saw the teaser on BookTok and between that and the gorgeous cover, I decided that this is a new fantasy realm I’m excited to dive into. Something has to fill the void left by Crescent City and Empyrean, and this story about a witch and a witch hunter just might be it.

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair – March 12

I have been waiting patiently for the final installment of the Hades x Persephone series since I read the rest of the series in 2022. The release date for A Touch of Chaos has been pushed back a bunch, but it’s finally arriving in March. These books are retellings of the myth of Hades and Persephone, and they are a perfect blend of sweet and spicy, with just a sprinkle of intrigue and darkness.

The Home Wrecker by Sara Cate – March 25

Sara Cate is moving on from the Salacious Players series with a whole new world, one of Christianity and reckoning with faith. Of course, because it’s Sara Cate, there are still sex clubs involved. The Home Wrecker is the second in The Goode Brothers series, standalones following deeply religious brothers who battle with love and faith. Based on the description, this book is about a married couple and a third party who shows up and sends their whole world into turmoil and promises to be even more spicy and compelling than the first in the series.

Princes of Legacy by Angela Lawson – May 10

The Royals of Forsyth University series is back with the final book in the third section of the series. Each of these college why choose dark romances surrounds one faction of the secret society that governs this very dramatic, very suspenseful college universe. The Lords and The Dukes were first, and Princes of Legacy is the third book featuring the Princes. There is likely one more series within a series left in the Royals world as a whole, but each section can be read as its own series.

Honey Cut by Sierra Simone – June 18

The second book in The Lyonnesse Trilogy hits shelves this summer. I’m waiting for the trilogy to be complete before reading, but Sierra Simone is an automatic read for me, no matter what she’s writing. The New Camelot series and the Priest books are among my all-time favorites, so I can’t wait to read this series when it’s done.

Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath – June 25

The best hockey romance series is back in 2024 with Pucking Sweet, an MMF romance featuring more members of one very sexy, very sexually adventurous hockey team. The Jacksonville Rays series are all interconnected standalones, and the first two books in the series were absolutely top-tier, so I’m sure this third book will be just as mind-blowing.

Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas – July 30

It’s been a while since we’ve had something new from another one of my favorites, Penelope Douglas, and I could not be more excited to read what she’s come up with. Five Brothers is set to be a contemporary romance, where I suspect the heroine will have some sort of love triangle (pentagon?) with the different brothers. The tropes in this book have not yet been revealed, but whatever they end up being, I’m sure it will be spectacular.

Dark Restraint by Katee Robert – August 6

The devil works hard but Katee Robert works harder. Their release schedule makes me tired just thinking about it, but they manage it somehow and that means we’re getting another Dark Olympus book this year, this one Ariadne’s story. The Dark Olympus series is a series of interconnected standalones that are all super spicy retellings of different aspects of Greek myth, and they just keep getting better and better. Dark Restraint promises all kinds of spicy fun.

God of War by Rina Kent – August 29

God of War is the final installment of Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods series, a series of interconnected dark college romance standalones. This last book in the series is Ava and Eli’s story, something that the author has been hinting at throughout the series. The fifth book in the series was my favorite so far, so I’m excited to see what the next book brings.

Madness by Shantel Tessier – some point in 2024

The official release date for the next installment of The Lords series is still to be determined, but the placeholder date is December 29th, which indicates that this book should be out by the end of the year. Shantel Tessier’s books are known for being so dark and kinky that they play with the line of uncomfortable, and I’m sure Madness will continue in that tradition. For readers who like authors that push the limits, this will be an exciting book to look forward to.

Rogue X Ara Prequel by JD Linton – hopefully

The Rogue X Ara series is one of my favorite romantasies out there right now, and it doesn’t get enough love. JD Linton is an indie author, so her books tend to be released more quickly. I know from Instagram that this prequel is what she is currently working on, so I have hope that it just might be ready for readers by the end of the year. If we are really truly blessed by the stars, maybe we’ll get the prequel and the third book in the series, but that seems ambitious. Either way, I’m excited about what’s coming next in this universe.

The Empyrean Series Book 3 by Rebecca Yarros – a girl can dream

Yarros has said that the third book in the Empyrean series will take longer to hit shelves than the second did, so she can take care of herself and her health. The first two came out very close together, especially for traditionally published fantasy novels. There is still a chance it will be out before the end of the year. If that ends up being true, this is definitely a new release to be excited about in 2024.

Note: some of the links included here are Amazon Affiliate links, which means if you purchase through said links, The Nora Theory gets a cut.