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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,624 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Holidays on the Ranch

Greta Rose West Why did I love this book?

I think I finished this story in something like nine hours. Carolyn Brown is a go-to for me when I want to feel warm, southern comfort.

Her characters are solid and there’s usually a funny aspect, like in Holidays on the Ranch there is a long-standing family feud happening in Burnt Boot, Texas that makes for some laugh out loud moments, but there’s also hope and found family and just all around feel good stuff. You can’t go wrong with a Carolyn Brown book.

By Carolyn Brown,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Holidays on the Ranch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A long-standing feud, an unlikely love story, and New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown's Texas twang make for a lively Christmas romance at the ranch! Perfect for fans looking for their next Christmas classic:Romance between old friendsLots of hot cowboy lovin'Characters that jump off the pageWacky, small-town neighborsAuthentic Southern voice and inimitable sassOut of the army and looking for some peace and quiet this Christmas, former sniper Finn O'Donnell heads to the sleepy town of Burnt Boot, Texas. But Finn hasn't spent even one night at his new ranch when an army SUV pulls into the driveway and a…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Friend Zone

Greta Rose West Why did I love this book?

Another unputdownable book! This was my first Abby Jimenez story, and I was hooked from pretty much the first page. There’s so much sass!

The main characters Josh and Kristen get stuck together planning their best friends’ wedding. The Friend Zone is filled with hilarity, witty band references, and sexy banter, but there are also deep emotional issues. My editor recommended this book to me. He must know me well because I fell in love and will read anything Ms. Jimenez writes forevermore!

The second book in the Friend Zone series, The Happy Ever After Playlist was just as good, and I’m about to crack open book 3.

By Abby Jimenez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Friend Zone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fall in love with this hilarious and heartwarming USA Today bestselling romantic comedy that LJ Shen calls "an absolute treat."

Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen -- especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Shane

Greta Rose West Why did I love this book?

Shane is the second book in the Remington Ranch series by SJ McCoy. I laughed out loud throughout this entire book.

The whole series is good and worth reading ASAP, but this book will live rent-free in my head till the end of time. I still laugh to myself about one scene involving an art class. Ms. McCoy writes romance full of family, beautiful scenery, dreamy guys, and formidable women. I’m hooked!

By SJ McCoy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shane as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Shane Remington has it all. He has a great family. He’s built his guest ranch into a great business. He’s a good-looking guy and he knows it. Everyone loves him. He may not have a woman, but that’s okay, he can have any woman he wants—and usually does. There is one woman who seems impervious to his charms though, and for some reason it bothers him.

Cassidy Lane has it all, too. She’s a talented artist, who has made it commercially. She’s successful in her work and in her life. Whatever she wants, she makes it happen. She came to…


Plus, check out my book…

Rivers Between Us: A Small-town Western Romance

By Greta Rose West,

Book cover of Rivers Between Us: A Small-town Western Romance

What is my book about?

Fall in love with Sheriff Carey Michaels and his ex-best friend, Frannie, in the first book in the Wisper Dreams Series, with new characters and some of your favorites from Greta Rose West’s internationally bestselling Cade Ranch series. A story of strength, redemption, and friends who become lovers, Rivers Between Us is a steamy standalone, with a downright satisfying HEA. Come on back to Wisper, Wyoming, where love doesn’t come easy but the fall is hot.