everything I read in 2023

Hi friends! I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start. I’m so excited to share this post with you, it is one of my favourites that I write every year. As you probably know if you follow me on Instagram I love to read! In 2023 I read 61 books, so let’s get into them…

1. The Midnight Library – I started this book in 2022, but didn’t have the chance to finish it before the end of the year. When I first started the book I was intrigued but didn’t feel compelled to pick it up all the time. About 1/2 way through though I started really enjoying the storyline and couldn’t put the book down. I found that this book really made me consider life in an interesting way, it’s fascinating to think about the many paths that life could take and how the smallest changes can make big differences. Overall a great first book to start the year with. 
2. Return to Us – I heard about the Willow Creek book series through a reel on instagram and was instantly hooked. This one told the story of high school sweethearts that have spent 10+ years in love with each other and were brought back together due to unforeseen circumstances. 
3. Could Have Been Us – This Willow Creek book tells the story of a girl in love with her best friends brother and the secrets they’ve been keeping for the past 15 years. I truly don’t even know if I took a break while reading this one I couldn’t put it down. 
4. A Moment for Us – This Willow Creek book was a bit disappointing for me. While this book has some series chemistry, I feel like there were parts of the story where I was just annoyed with the main characters. 
5. A Chance for Us – In my opinion the Willow Creek book series ended on a high note. A fake wedding with instant chemistry?! Sign me up. Again I read this book in a day, the chemistry was 10/10 and for the most part I enjoyed the storyline. The fun thing about these books too was getting to read little bits about the characters from previous stories. 
6. Magnolia Parks – I believe I heard Kenzie Elizabeth talking about this book, and since I typically enjoy her book recommendations I thought I would give it a go. Let me tell you the love triangles in this book are really something else. I also think it’s fun to read and watch things about elites, and I love a book that takes place in London. With that being said, at times the writing style was kind of confusing and it gets kind of annoying how much the characters can’t make up their mind. With that being said it certainly was entertaining and I will probably continue to read the rest of the series. 
7. Daisy Haites – This is the second book in the magnolia parks series and definitely a lot darker than the first. There were elements of this book that were a tad suspenseful but it was also interesting to hear a story in a similar timeline as daisy haites from a different perspective. While I wasn’t obsessed with Daisy’s storyline and the way things ended off I will definitely continue to read the books. 
8. A Long Time Coming – I love a best friends falling in love storyline and this one had me hooked. The characters were so much fun and I instantly loved them and couldn’t help root for them. There cute traditions they held as neighbours were so sweet and I loved how the story ended. 
9. Lost Roses – Despite finding this a tough book to get into at first, I ended up really enjoying it. It was told from multiple perspectives and I found that the chapters were always being left on cliffhangers which kept me wanting to get back to each characters stories. I often love reading books from the world wars but find they often take place in Paris so it was really interesting that this one mostly took place in Russia and Paris was the city they dreamed of escaping to. It was such a beautiful story of friendship.
10. Never Marry Your Brothers Best Friend – This was another little romance book that made for a very quick read. When Luna’s brother encourages her to help his friend Carter with a business deal, they’ve got to make it look like sparks are flying whether they are real or fake. Wasn’t a must read in my opinion but it kept me entertained. 
11. Miss Pearly’s Girls – I really enjoyed this book. It was really easy to get into and the storyline continued to surprise me without being overly suspenseful. I really enjoyed the story of reconciling relationships between sisters and it made my heart feel warm and fuzzy in the end. 
12. The Paris Orphans – this is truly one of my favourite books I’ve read in a long time. It took me a little bit to get into it and then I simply could not put it down. The story is told from two perspectives, Jess’s in 1942 and D’Arcys in 2004. It’s clear that something ties the stories together but how continues to be a mystery throughout the stories being told. The story was full of surprises and I had tears rolling down my cheeks by the end. 
13. To Love Jason Thorne – Despite being a very quick and easy read I never got super into this story. I always love the idea of childhood friends reconnecting and falling in love, but there were so many awkward and uncomfortable moments throughout this book I felt like it was hard to love the characters. 
14. To Hate Adam Connor – This was the 2nd book in the To Love Jason Thorne series, I didn’t think this one was spectacular either and very predictable but it was fun seeing how the story played out. There were a few funny moments in this one Another very quick and easy read. 
15. Chase Me – I feel like I had heard really great things about this book but I didn’t ever get very into it. Roxy dreams of being an Actress in NYC but is currently working as a telegram singer during which time she meets a guy who is instantly head over heels for her. I thought that the dynamic between Roxy and her roommates was funny but the book as a whole wasn’t great in my opinion. 
16. The Off Limits Rule – I thought this was a very cute easy read. A girl & her son move back to her home town and there are instant sparks with her brothers best friend who is strictly off limits according to her brother. I thought it was cute and will definitely read more books by Sarah Adams 
17. The Temporary Roomie – This is the follow up book to “The Off Limits Rule” and I also thought this one was cute and I’m pretty sure I read it in one sitting. It was very predictable but included many pranks that kept things fun. 
18. The Match – This is another Sarah Adams book. I didn’t get into this one as much as it was centered around service dogs and a love for dogs which I just couldn’t relate to as much but I still thought it was a sweet story and an easy read. 
19. Fifth Avenue 5 A.M. – I’ll start off by saying that I had to start this book 3 or 4 different times because I found it really difficult to get into. With that being said, once I got into it I thought it was really interesting. At times it was really difficult to follow because they discussed all the key people involved in the making and filming of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and would often switch between referring to them by their first and last names. After reading this book I definitely want to go back and watch the movie again because I think I will have a whole new appreciation for it. 
20. Elements of Indigenous Style – I actually read this book for work but since it was a book i read cover to cover I wanted to include it in my 2023 reads. I thought it was really interesting and I learned a lot from it. I think that it can be applicable even if you aren’t writing or publishing as I learned a lot about harmful and insulting language by reading it and what is and is not appropriate. It was a quick read and I would recommend it. 
21. One Day You’ll Thank Me – I’ll be honest, when the show was first released I was a big fan of Southern Charm, and Cameron was always my favourite character. I stumbled across this book accidentally but thought I would give it a read and I have to say I thought it was really entertaining and I have even more respect for her as a person now. If you aren’t familiar with her then it might not be worth reading but if you too were also a Southern Charm fan then I would recommend it. 
22. Reluctantly Yours – I found this book pretty meh. It was very predictable and I wasn’t obsessed with the characters, but it was a quick and easy read. 
23. Happy Place – I love Emily Henry’s writing style but I have to be honest this one was not a favourite of mine. The storyline of going to the place that makes you happy for the final time ever is pretty sad to start off with and then to have it be a less than ideal experience just made me sad for all the characters. 
24. God Bless This Mess – I’ve always liked Hannah Brown so I always knew this book was something I wanted to read. I never actually watched her on the Bachelor or Bachelorette, but have watched all of her YouTube videos and followed her on instagram for quite some time. I thought it was really interesting to hear more about her story and found this a pretty interesting read. With that being said, if you weren’t familiar with her already it might not be as interesting. 
25. Winter in Paradise – This book took a little bit to get invested but once I did I could not put it down. It is the story of Irene Steele who’s husband is killed in a helicopter accident on an Island she didn’t know he was visiting, with a woman she didn’t know existed. It was written in a little bit of a mystery style but wasn’t scary which I loved. After reading this I was hooked and needed the rest of the series ASAP
26. The Matchmaker – I needed another Elin Hilderbrand book to hold me over until I could continue the Winter In Paradise series and I heard good things about this one. I’ll be honest in the beginning I wasn’t interested in this one at all. I thought the characters were kind of strange and I couldn’t really connect with them, but the more I read it the more I liked it, and by the end it had me in tears. The story is truly about a matchmaker, and I loved that they included the stories of the people she has matchmade over the years as part of the storyline. 
27. What Happens in Paradise – This is the second book in the Winter in Paradise series and I think this might have been my favourite, I could not put it down. This series has been so fun to read and once I got hooked I needed to finish the book in the day. 
28. Trouble in Paradise – This was the third and final book in the Winter in Paradise series, and maybe my least favourite of the three but it tied up a lot of ends from the previous two books and all in all I loved the series as a whole. 
29. The Jetsetters – This book was kind of meh for me. It told the story of a mum who won a story writing contest and was able to take her three grown children on a European cruise. Each of the children were going through a lot in life and I found the storyline to seem pretty depressing throughout. There was no point at which I felt really hooked on this book and it isn’t one that I would recommend. 
30. The Five Star Weekend – I simply loved this book. It started off slow and I found the characters to be pretty awkward but in the matter of a weekend I grew to love each and every one of them. I love the idea of a five star weekend, it is absolutely something I would try and do a few decades from now. However hopefully there would be less twists than this five star weekend. 
31. Hotline – A coworker of my suggested this book to me and I decided to pick it up without reading what it was about (I think it is kind of fun to read books this way). I thought it told a really thought provoking story of a young girl and her son who had immigrated to Canada. There is so much about life that so many of us take for granted and this book really forced me to think about those things. It wasn’t a book that I needed to speed read through but I thought it was beautifully written. 
32. If He Had Been With Me – I typically don’t love books that are based on high schoolers because I find them to be really cheesy and immature. While this book certainly had parts that I didn’t particularly enjoy it was also such a beautiful and heartbreaking love story. I will definitely be reading the follow up when it comes out! 
33. Pineapple Street – I thought this was an interesting book. It didn’t have much of a story line to it, but I still really enjoyed it. It tells the story of an upper class family in New York and the girl marrying into the family. The best way I can describe it is a coming of age story despite taking place in a relatively short period of time. 
34. Midnight Sun – I could not put this book down. I truly think I may have liked this one better than the original Twilight book. It is interesting because it is the same story but told from Edward’s perspective and despite knowing what was going to happen I felt so captivated by it. 
35. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow -I have heard very mixed reviews about this book and I can truly say I did not understand what the hype was about. I found it incredibly challenging to get into this book and even once I got into it more I still didn’t like it all that much. 
36. The Summer of Broken Rules – I thought that this was a fun summer book and cute story but I wasn’t in love with it. It doesn’t go on my list for a must read but makes for a fun summer read. 
37. Every Summer After – This book was so sweet and nostalgic that once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. I loved this one for a summer read. 
38. Adelaide – I wasn’t a big fan of this book to be honest. I found it to be a quite depressing story and I felt unsettled reading it. If you are currently dealing with emotional things or processing a lot I would recommend holding off on reading this one. 
39. Magnolia Parks the Long Way Home – As has been the case with the other books in the Magnolia Parks Series I couldn’t put this one down. 
40. Daisy Haites The Great Undoing – What is so interesting about these books is reading one, and then reading the same timeline from different perspectives. It is so interesting how my perception of the characters changes and once again I couldn’t put this down. 
41. Romantic Comedy– I thought this book was okay but I wasn’t obsessed with it. It was an easy enough read but I felt like there was never a real point I got hooked on it. With that being said I thought it was interesting to read a story from the perspective on a writer on a late night show. 
42. A Court of Thrones and Roses – I went into this book entirely unsure of what to expect, I had just heard so many people talk about it. Despite being someone who usually is not at all interested in fantasy books, this one really hooked me in. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. 
43. The Person You Mean to Be – I thought this was a really interesting book and I really appreciated how many stories and statistics it shared. I felt like the whole time I was reading it, it made me really think about thew ay that I was living my own life. 
44. A More Just Future – I loved this book, I just finished Dolly Chugh’s first book but something about this one really stood out to me. Not only did it share many stories and statistics that were really interesting, I think there was a lot I related to regarding the context of the book. Being children of immigrants to the United States and being grateful for opportunities I’ve had because of my citizenship while also grappling with the many many things about the country that continue to be disappointed by was put so eloquently in this book and I have so much respect for Dolly Chugh as a person. 
45. My Own Words – I decided to listen to this book because I was excited that some of the portions of the book were read by Ruth herself, it was incredible to learn more about her story and I found myself with tears streaming down my face on multiple occasions, however, I will admit that sometimes it was a bit tough to follow the story because of the complicated stories it included. With that being said I do think it is so important for more people to hear her story. 
46. Bossypants – This book was very meh to me. I am not a big Tina Fey fan but I heard it was funny. At times it was but I would say unless you are a big Tina Fey fan and really want to learn more about her story it isn’t worth adding to your reading list. 
47. Funny You Should Ask – I LOVED this book. The book alternates between 2 storylines 10 years apart featuring the same characters. It made it so much fun to read and so hard to put down because you alternate learning about what happened in the past that is affecting their dynamic in the present. I found this authors writing style to be so enjoyable and I just couldn’t get enough.  
48. Love & Other Words – This book was so similar to Every Summer After that I felt like I had already read this story before but I didn’t like the characters as much. Not one I would recommend. 
49. The Shift – As a single twenty something I think this was such an important book to listen to. While I don’t agree with everything that is said in this book and I don’t think I have the same thoughts on dating as the author, I think the book provided a lot of good food for thought and I’m really glad I listened to it. 
50. Carrie Soto is Back – This book took me SO long to get into. I can say that in the end I really enjoyed it but you have to be prepared to really stick with it. 
51. American Royals – While this was definitely a cheesy young adult fiction I got sucked into the world and will keep reading these books for now. 
52. Majesty (American Royals 2) – I feel like the couples in the American Royals series that I was interested in happened so I don’t know that I will keep reading past this point. 
53. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane – Despite finding that this book started off really slow, it is absolutely going to go down as one of my favourite books I read this year. It was a beautifully written story of tradition, family, loss, and growing up and I loved that it told the story from two perspectives. Once I really got into the book it was full of twists that I didn’t predict and I felt myself getting chills while reading it. Absolutely beautiful! 
54. Spare – I absolutely loved listening to this book. It was narrated by Harry which added so much emotion to it. I felt like I had tears in my eyes half the time I was listening to it but I absolutely loved it. Highly recommend! 
55. A Court of Mist and Fury – These books are so unlike anything I have ever read before but I seriously cannot put them down. Loved this one and cannot wait to read the 3rd book in the series. 
56. Ask Again, Yes – This book wasn’t like any book I have read before but I thought it was a really interesting coming of age story and by 100 pages in I was hooked and did not want to put it down. It had twists at the end that I didn’t see coming and I would highly recommend it. 
57. So This Is Christmas – I thought this was a cute easy read but wasn’t quite as christmasy as expected. It felt more wintry to me as it told the story of a NYC business women going to work for a royal family in the most wintery of towns. 
58. The Christmas Fix – this was a cute little christmasy read. I loved the story line of it being about a fixer upper tv show star and always love friends to lovers. Warning this one is more spicy than expected. 
59. Christmas romance – This was the cutest holiday read, I could not put it down. It tells the story of two friends who have been flying home to Ireland over Christmas time every year and discover there might be more there than just a friend. 
60. Snowed In – This is a sequel to Christmas Romance and I also loved this one and couldn’t put it down. It tells the story of one of Andrew’s brothers from Christmas Romance and his fake girlfriend for the holiday season. 
61. The Rebound – Since I had loved both other Catherine Walsh books I had read I thought I would read another. This one I didn’t like as much but I still really like her writing style so I will continue to read her books. This one was about a girl who left her hometown for the big city life in NYC but after losing her job and having her engagement ended she must return home and rediscovers her childhood best friend. 

That was everything that I read in 2023, be sure to let me know if you read any of these books or if you read anything in 2023 that I need to read this year. If you want to stay up to date with what I’m reading, follow me on GoodReads!

XO Cassidy Hannah