The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Savage Queen

Victoria Evers Why did I love this book?

As one of the many people who was bullied in high school, the idea of falling for the person making your life miserable isnt an easy sell for me.

Perhaps Ive just had some unfortunate luck picking out bullyromance books, but the ones I read prior to Savage Queen featured jerky guys and meek heroines who didnt stand up to their tormentors. I pretty much gave up on the sub-genre, and I couldnt be more grateful for this recommendation.

Everything Im usually so frustrated by is nowhere to be found here. Alley Ciz delivers not only angst and romance but were introduced to a heroine who gives as good as she gets.

When the king of the high school sets his sights on Savvy, demanding she submit to his rule, our heroine is ready to put him in his place, and Im here for every second of it. Definitely a must-read!

By Alley Ciz,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

I grew up a queen among men.

Proud.
Strong.
Royalty.

I’ll do anything for the ones I love, even if it means allowing myself to be forced from my kingdom.

I may be stuck having to play Samantha St. James inside the gilded halls of my new school, but I’ll always be Savvy King at my core.

Now Jasper Noble and his merry band of douchebags expect me to yield.

That’s funny.

They think they’re tough.
Gods among men.
I know they’re nothing but ordinary bullies.

With threats coming from all sides, my adversaries will come to learn—I don’t bend…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Serial Hottie

Victoria Evers Why did I love this book?

Is the hot new guy next door really a serial killer? Will I be his next victim? In a season of extremely dark (and highly sexualized) romances exploring this topic, I was in desperate need of a lighter read but still intrigued by the premise.

Lo and behold this quirky coming-of-age romance for the young adult crowd. Its relatable suburban setting mixed with the perfect blend of campiness and an underlying layer of mystery makes Serial Hottie feel like John Hughes meets The Burbs.

There's something so delightfully 80s about it if that makes sense. I spent the entire night reading this with a smile glued to my face until the very last page. If you're looking for the teenage Haunting Adeline, this isn't it.

If you're looking for an intense murder mystery, this isn't it. If you want a lighthearted contemporary romance that just so happens to have a serial killer on the loose, I can't recommend Serial Hottie enough.

By Kelly Oram,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Serial Hottie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy's affection before. So when the hottest boy she's ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she's the center of his universe, naturally she's going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right? The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she's convinced…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Rhapsodic

Victoria Evers Why did I love this book?

In place of the large-scale, world-ending conflicts I read about in so many other books throughout the year, Rhapsodic was such a breath of fresh air for me. It blends many different sub-genres so effortlessly that it would be hard to find a romance reader who can’t find something to love here.

Do you love a feisty heroine? A gorgeous bad boy fae who looks like Geralt of Rivia wearing classic rock shirts and leather pants? Delicious flirtations and humor? A sweet romance with the perfect slash of spice? It’s all here.

What I loved in particular about this is its mystery elements. While a villain standing on top of a building threatening to destroy the world is scary, there’s something far more unsettling when the external threat is character-driven and close to home, peering through your windows at night.

Even better, Thalassa introduces us to a paranormal romance/urban fantasy setting that is easy to digest for newcomers to the sub-genre while slowly peeling away the layers to the expansive high fantasy world beneath.

It’s an addictive read that will leave you turning the pages until there’s no more.

By Laura Thalassa,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From bestselling indie author Laura Thalassa comes the newly revised and edited first book in her smash-hit dark fantasy romance between a siren and the "bargainer" she owes countless favors to.

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past.

For the last seven years Callie has been wearing a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she once received. Only death or repayment will fulfill her obligations.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Insidious: The Marked Mage Chronicles

By Victoria Evers,

Book cover of Insidious: The Marked Mage Chronicles

What is my book about?

What's worse than being hunted by a devil? Discovering you've been mated to one. 

All I wanted was a fun night out on the town. What I got was a death warrant. As it turns out, the quaint little hamlet of Mystic Harbor, Maine, houses more than sandy beaches and adorable B&Bs. Beneath the New England charm rests a deadly world where dark sorcerers, shifters, demons, and angelic hunters all vie for power—a power I now possess.

I was just your average seventeen-year-old girl. Now, someone wants me dead, and someone even worse wants me alive. Hell's mystifying Crown Prince of Lust has just marked me to be his Mate, and this handsome devil won't stop until he claims what is his.

Book cover of Savage Queen
Book cover of Serial Hottie
Book cover of Rhapsodic

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