Best and Worst of 2023

 Best

                

First Place:            The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway
Ashley Schumacher
                                ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this Renaissance Faire romance, Madeline Hathaway's summer plans include grieving, grieving, and grieving, but a pesky bard at the Ren faire won't let her summer slip away without forming any new memories. A sweet romance with a resilient core, Ashley Schumacher perfectly balances fantasy motifs, witty banter, and healing from parental loss. Though the romantic lead at times feels a bit too much like wish-fulfillment, this soft and sweet romance is worth a few hours of escape. 


Runner-Up:         Forget Me Not                                          
Alyson Derrick
                                ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this small town romance, Stevie and Nora have big plans in place to finally escape the closet until an accident leaves Stevie without her memories and Nora without the girl she loves. With undeniable chemistry at its core, Alyson Derrick creates a world of small town bigotry and resilient characters who manage to find each other all over again. Though this book comes with a plot that is well-trod already, this soft romance will have you falling in love with young love all over again.


Runner-Up:         Gwen & Art Are Not in Love                       
Lex Croucher
                                ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this queer medieval romcom, Gwendoline and Arthur have been betrothed since birth, and the only thing they agree upon is that they hate each other (and that their romance, for another particular reason, just isn't going to work out). A fake-dating, lavender romance for the ages, Lex Croucher builds a great pseudo-medieval atmosphere and creates a wild cast of characters you can't help cheering for. Though this book might wrap up a bit too nicely for the realists among us, these quirky characters nonetheless deserve their happily-ever-afters.




Worst

                                     


First Place:             Hunterland                
Dana Claire
                                    

In this contemporary fantasy, monster hunter Liam Hunter can handle any supernatural spook sent his way, but whatever is happening at Falkville Falls High is brand new territory. With flimsy worldbuilding and a protagonist who is unintentionally a walking red-flag, Dana Claire creates a beastly tale that leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. Though this book is brimming with the monsters it promises, the world and the characters to back up the plot just don't make it to the page. 



Runner-Up:           Murder on a School Night                            
Kate Weston
                                    ⭐⭐

In this "feminist" thriller, Kerry and Annie will do whatever it takes to worm their way into the popular group, but they thought that meant sussing out a cyberbully--not stumbling across a body. Though this thriller should be quirky and fun, Kate Weston builds up a world of irritating characters who feel more like the one-dimensional cast of an early 2000s high school movie than anything else. The off-beat humor and trainwreck friends might be a nice touch to a genre that takes itself too seriously, but ultimately everything about this book just comes on too strong. 



Runner-Up:             The Witch and the Vampire
Francesca Flores
                                    ⭐⭐

In this Rapunzel retelling, Kaye doesn't believe that her best friend Ava left for "boarding school" like everyone says--not when she's seen a vampire lurking in the tower room Ava called home. Though the characters have history, they lack any of the chemistry to make their plot intriguing, and the rules Francesca Flores sets out for this world just don't quite make sense. Though this all-consuming forest could bring a creepy, undead twist to the Rapunzel story, these vampires really lack any bite. 


Comments

  1. I enjoy Schumacher's books. I found the faire to be so much fun in Gwen Hathaway. I think her first book is still my favorite, but this was good too

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  2. Gwen and Art is on my TBR! Glad to see it made the best!!

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  3. Both of those Gwen books look like so much fun, especially the Ren Faire one. I think I would really like both of them. Onto the TBR list they go. And thanks for commenting on my blog earlier! :D

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  4. I haven't read any of these but Gwen and Art is on my TBR!

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  5. I have not tried any of these books, but I do want to :)

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  6. These are all new to me, I ned to check your best reads for 2023.

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  7. Fantastic lists. I am familiar with your best of.

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  8. The Vampire and the Witch didn't seem to be a big hit. I can remember seeing other less than stellar reviews of it.

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  9. I was not a big fan of The Witch and the Vampire either. I don't know why but it just never grabbed me. The cover is gorgeous though.

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  10. love reading Alyson Derrick.....
    # Have a great day

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  11. I have not read any of these but now I know which ones to stay away from.

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  12. The Witch and the Vampire sounds good to me.

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  13. Oh wow a lot of these books sounds excellent. Nice to see an embracement of the queer community. There were some misses but you also read a lot of good ones too.

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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  14. Thanks for posting all these in depth reviews here! : )

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  15. I've heard great things about Gwen & Art Are Not in Love and The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway also sounds like such a lovely read.

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  16. I'd love to check out Forget Me Not. Thanks for sharing your best and worst reads of 2023!

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  17. I love that you focused on both the best and worst books of 2023! I'm definitely intrigued by The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway! I remember your review of Murder on a School Night, and I'm not going to read it even though I like thrillers. Also, I'm definitely going to avoid Hunterland.

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