firewhiskeyreader

I have read so many 2023 releases in the last four months. So many. Specifically, I’ve read 44 since May 1, 2023. And, what’s really exciting to me, is that I’ve really enjoyed so many of them and can’t wait to tell you about them. So let’s get started!

We are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Will They or Won’t They had an ending so bad that it ruined the entire book for me and Once More with Feeling dragged so much I couldn’t finish it. I’d feel bad about it, but I had such high hopes for them, that I’m left just feeling a blend of disappointment and irritation.

• ARC Review of Once More with Feeling

Tolerate It

These books are ones where reading felt a little exhausting and wasn’t always entertaining for me as a person. They aren’t bad necessarily, but for me, they weren’t engaging enough to actually have me wanting to read them. Or, alternatively, they were a good enough time to have on audio, while I wasn’t really giving them my full attention. You know, books I tolerated. 😉

• Review of Just My Type
• Review of Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher
• Review of Best Man with Benefits and Playing for Keeps
• Review of The Notorious Lord Kinghtly by Lorraine Heath
• Review of The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan

Mr. Perfectly Fine

Each of these books are ones that I would probably recommend to the right reader. “Mr. Perfectly Fine” is actually one of my favorite songs, after all. But basically, how I feel about these books is that I had a really solid time reading them and when I finished them, I sat the book down and haven’t really spent time thinking about them since. But when I sit here and think about them to write this, I’m like, “oh yeah! That book was fun.” But at the same time, they don’t leave me wanting to shout them from the rooftops like the books in the Bejeweled section or the Dear Reader tier.

• Reviews of Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
• Review of Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly
• Review of Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey
• Review of Love Me Today by A.L. Jackson
• Review of Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Review of Funny Guy by Emma Barry

Bejeweled

These 17 books are all pretty close to perfection, falling only just short of the ones I’m going to talk about in the next tier. But if you’ve been considering picking up any of these books, please let this be your sign to just do it. Okay, enough stealing slogans from Nike, let me make you a list of the reviews I’ve written for a small fraction of these books. Oops. I should probably write some more of those.

• Review of Single Dads Club by Therese Beharrie
• Review of Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron
• Review of The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong
• Review of Coach by Devney Perry and The Nanny by Lana Ferguson
• Review of The Best Laid Plans by Karla Sorensen

Dear Reader

Y’all, I loved all of these books so much. These are books that have stuck with me and make me want to read more books just like them. I will always and forever want more from Ilona Andrews in all of their series, but Fourth Wing was a total surprise! And I was thrilled that The Blonde Identity lived up to my hopes and dreams! And then, of course, delighted that Yours Trulywas the follow up to Part of Your World that I hoped it would be and Knockout was truly fantastic. The True Love Experiment though was such a pleasant surprise. I generally enjoy CLo, but this one was just SUCH a delight. Truly, Dear Reader, these books are my most loved and the ones I would most recommend if you’re INTERESTED, but I know my love for them is very individual so up to you. And Knockout by Sarah MacLean? Well, it about knocked me out, especially with that epilogue. How long do I have to wait for Duchess’s story, Sarah??

Closing Thoughts

I’ve moved these books around a good bit, but I think I’m finally happy with where they landed. That said, I really would recommend you picking up any of these books if you’re interested (except for the ones in We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, just save yourself). And I would love to hear about the books that you would put in your own Dear Reader tier, the books that you just want everyone to pick up.

xx