Reader Recommendations – Our Favorite Books of 2023

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!!! Time to round up our personal favorite book (or books!!) of 2023 and indulge in each other’s choices. I might just consider my impromptu TBR list. 😉

So far, the repeats I’m seeing over and over again as ultimate favorites are Fourth Wing (of course!!! 😉 ) The Seven Year Slip, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and The Smoke Series by Abbi Glines. All of them so different.

Now tell me… what is your absolute favorite book from 2023?

OUR FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2023

Mo: My favorite book this year was, Remarkably Bright Creatures. It was just a great story of love, loss, miracles, hope, and second chances

Paula: Remarkably Bright Creatures! …the best books I have read in years.

Maryse: That’s the second time I’ve heard that one mentioned as a favorite. I’m going to have to read it!! Thank you!!

David: I read The Stand by Steven King again. One of my favorites. I love it because of the plot and story.
I’m reading The Bourne Identity and enjoying it so far. And also, I’m a little biased, by Raging Spring by David Arduser was a pretty good book, too (wrote and ‘read’ that this year). 😅

Michelle: The Smoke Series by Abbi Glines! Love them!!

Kristen: the Smoke series by Abbi Glines because she got the over the top possessive heroes and loveable heroines just right

Karen: Smoke series by Abbi Glines. Loved all of them.

Nancy: GREAT series! they are

Michelle: yes!!! Love them all!!!

Karen H: My Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie Moreland. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read & listened to this story. It was the break I needed for my dark romance loving trope heart reads and the warm swoonies my insta-lust heart desires. It was refreshing and fun. Loved every moment on the page.

Karen S: I have to agree! Cupcakes, a cat and a swoony Italian…Dante and Brianna and Melanie Moreland gave me the best read of 2023 💜🩵🤍

Darlene: yes!! I’ve read this so many times and don’t even get me started on the audiobook! Perfection!!

Lorna: Had to give you 5. I had other 5 star ones but these stood out.

Lorna: I should have said that these were in no particular order.

Maryse: Excellent list!! I think Dannika is pretty great and I have a feeling Fourth Wing will be #1 for many (and I too, am not much of a fantasy reader).

Robyn: Immortal Guardians Series by Dianne Duvall. I lost my book reading MOJO a couple years ago due to life events. I tried reading here and there and even picked up old series reads to get back the joy of a book. I ran across book 1, Roland and Sarah’s story and fell in love with their world. So glad I found them.

Rae: Pen Pal by JT Geissinger. As a reader it gave me so much. Great storytelling, writing, characters. It had everything.

Maryse: Oh yessssss this one got me good! This is my favorite of the year, too!! It practically gave me a heart attack (my watch even told me so!! 😂 🤣)

R. Renee: I wanted to read Pen Pal but I just accidentally saw a review where they gave away the twist! Grrr!

Amber: I discovered Ivy Asher just a few weeks ago and am totally engrossed by her Lost Sentinel series. It’s RH but NOT like I’ve read before. The angst and discomfort between the guys doesn’t even factor. It just enhances the story. I’m going to devour everything she’s got!

Maryse: Oh I need to look her up! I love angst and discomfort!!! In books… only in books. 😂

Britt: my favorites in the different romance subgenres of RH. …The Lost Sentinel Series by Ivy Asher

 

Heidi: The Jacksonville Rays series by Emily Rath. I don’t know why that one hit so deep for me. but I loved the characters and the story

Maryse: I love when that happens. ❤

Kristen: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros because it’s an epic story like the Hunger Games or Vampire Academy with a badass heroine.

Maryse: Fourth Wing is probably gonna top the favorites list this year!

Ann-Theres: Fourth Wing!!!

Lena: Top 5:

R. Renee: These are a few of my favorites I read this year and marked as swoony!

Maryse: I wanna read The True Love Experiment!!! I have that one (one-clicked) and The Seven Year Slip, and I one-clicked Forth Wing too. I’m not a huge Fantasy fan, so I’m scared.

Kathe: Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann. It stuck with me for a long time.

Maryse: ME TOO!!! Unforgettable story and such a mess but one that was intense and unputdownable. I loved it too.

Dawnee: I actually did not have a 5 star read this year !!! A few 4 stars …. Maybe I should as just very picky this year !!!! The one that was a surprise 4 star was Tracy Brogan Highland Surrender. It was a great historical romance !!

MichelleS: I read Highland Surrender (T. Brogan) because I needed to just read my old favorite genres since I had so little time to read. I knew I’d enjoy that old feeling. It was a good one, for fans of the Scottish romance novels.

Aimee: I’ve discovered Heather Graham this year! Her books are a break from my typical romances that I like. I’ve probably forgotten a few but these were noteworthy!!

Alice: I always have a very hard time with this question but one that definitely sticks out is Maestro by Auden Dar. It is so emotional I almost gave up halfway because my heart was breaking. But I’m so glad I finished, it is such a beautiful story. A few favorites I’d like to add -

Sarah:

Michele: I loved the ever popular Fourth Wing & Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros …because of the dragons, great world building and enemies to lovers!

But there were several others I read this year that I also adored:

I could keep going with others because I can’t pick just one…so maybe a true year-end list is in order this year…

Anjanette: It was definitely a tie between Divine Rivals and Fourth Wing for me. I turned into a fantasy girlie towards the end of the year 😊

Tasha J: I finished Divine Rivals and it was amazing! I’m so sad it’s over, as I figured I would be and wish I had book 2. But, the chemistry was 👌 and the fantasy wasn’t too much. I don’t mind either way, but I think anyone who doesn’t enjoy fantasy would like this book also.

I’d say something like You’ve Got Mail/The Hating Game with a hint of mythology and magic and a war of the God’s going on. Now how am I supposed to follow that up? *Peeks over at stacks and stacks of books.*

Kimberly: *Well one my favorites that I discovered is not a new book-I am a big Charlie Hunnam fan and when he did the tv series lasted only one season-I had to check it out and I found it VERY entertaining and interesting…

• Published in 2004 “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts…. Wow what a Story.
• I also VERY VERY much enjoyed Darius by JR Ward…it was not released in book form until this year…