12 Of Our Favorite Books From 2023

One of the best parts of this year was all of the new book releases! From historical fiction, to fantasy, to romance, these releases captured our hearts with their exciting plots, adorable romances, and beautiful writing! Here are 12 of our favorite books of 2023!

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The Davenports By Krystal Marquis

We’re kicking off our list of top 2023 reads with Krystal Marquis’ debut novel, The Davenports! Imagine Bridgerton with an all-Black cast set in 1910s Chicago. Have we convinced you already? This YA historical romance follows four main female characters: Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose, and Ruby. Each girl is on her path to self-discovery, budding careers, and finding love. We loved reading the alternating points of view. And we can’t wait for the sequel to come out next May!

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Content Warnings: racism, slavery, violence

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KRYSTAL MARQUIS:
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The Severed Thread By Leslie Vedder

We had a fantastic time revisiting the amazing characters of The Bone Spindle trilogy in The Severed Thread! Following Fi, Shane, Briar, and Red’s race against the clock to save the kingdom of Andar was so much fun. The Severed Thread grabbed our attention and wouldn’t let it go. From action-packed fight scenes to Indiana Jones-style puzzles and uncovering artifacts, there was something exciting on every page. If you’re a fan of rich world-building, you need to read this trilogy! Not only was the history of this world intricate and detailed, but the magic system was vibrant and exciting. Plus who doesn’t love adorable romance subplots? We can’t wait for the final book in this trilogy to come out in 2024, until then we’ll be rereading the first two books on repeat!

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Content Warnings: violence, kidnapping, animal cruelty, blood, mention of animal death, child abuse, and death of a parent

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LESLIE VEDDER:
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Seven Faceless Saints By M.K. Lobb

Our next favorite book of 2023 is a fantasy! Seven Faceless Saints takes place in a corrupt world ruled by the disciples of saints. We follow Roz who is determined to dismantle this system while using her powers from the saint Patience. But that means she’ll also have to face Damian, the boy who broke her heart, and also happens to be the youngest captain of security in history. This book is action-packed! With exciting twists and turns on every page, you will fall in love with this gothic atmosphere. The mystery element gave the story even more depth, and we loved looking for clues and hints alongside Roz and Damian. We are so excited to read the sequel, Disciples of Chaos in 2024!

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Content Warnings: violence, murder death, death of a parent, war, mention of child deaths, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT M.K. LOBB:
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When You Wish Upon A Lantern By Gloria Chao

Is one of your favorite tropes friends-to-lovers? Then we have the perfect read for you! When You Wish Upon a Lantern follows two best friends, Liya and Kai, who have grown apart after a humiliating incident. But to save Liya’s family’s wishing lantern store, the two decide to team up and grant wishes to boost sales. One of our favorite aspects of this book is the beautiful character development! We loved reading about Liya’s determination and Kai’s growing confidence. Seeing them grow and develop together as well as individually, was inspiring! When You Wish Upon a Lantern also has a wonderful sense of community. We enjoyed learning all about the side characters and their hopes and dreams through their wishes. If you want to read something that’ll warm your heart, this is definitely the book for you!

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Content Warnings: grief, death of a grandparent, death of a sibling (mentioned), cancer (mentioned)

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GLORIA CHAO:
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Last Chance Dance By Lakita Wilson

Our next favorite book of 2023 was Last Chance Dance! In it, we follow Leila after her boyfriend dumps her right before graduation. But to ease her heartbreak she decides to participate in her school’s Last Chance Dance where students submit their unrequited crushes and see if they match. Except she’s surprised to find that she’s matched with all 3 of her crushes, plus her rival/chemistry partner Tre. We loved this concept and thought it was so unique! We were constantly rooting for Leila as she went on each date, and honestly couldn’t decide which relationship to ship the most! While it had a lighthearted and romantic tone, Last Chance Dance also explored topics like divorce and family dynamics. We loved the depth of this story!

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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LAKITA WILSON:
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Spell Bound By F.T. Lukens

Who doesn’t love an adorable cozy fantasy? Spell Bound follows the story of two rival apprentice sorcerers who team up to save their mentors. Our favorite part of this book was the characters! Especially our main characters Rook and Sun. Their banter was so much fun, plus their romance was such an adorable slow burn! The overall message of self-love and growth was also very heartwarming. We can’t wait to read F.T. Lukens newest book, Otherworldly next year!

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Content Warnings: violence, grief

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT F.T. LUKENS:
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The Boyfriend Candidate By Ashley Winstead

Moving into May books, our next favorite read from 2023 is Ashley Winstead’s sophomore rom-com, The Boyfriend Candidate! We could go on about everything we love about this book, but we’ll give you a rundown. The Boyfriend Candidate starts with a fake relationship between Alexis, a shy elementary school librarian, and Logan, an outspoken political candidate. Their chemistry at campaign events and on fake dates was unmatched, and we won’t stop talking about it anytime soon!

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Content Warnings: deceased parent

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ASHLEY WINSTEAD:
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Fake Dates And Mooncakes By Sher Lee

We’ve read so many gems from 2023, and Fake Dates & Mooncakes, Sher Lee’s debut novel, definitely fits the bill! It’s a feel-good LGBTQ+ romance between two teens from opposite worlds. The protagonist, Dylan Tang, enters a mooncake contest to try and save his aunt’s Singaporean Chinese takeout restaurant. But he gets distracted when the rich, oh-so-swoony love interest, Theo Somers, asks Dylan to be his fake date to a family wedding in the Hamptons! (Imagine.) 

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Content Warnings: deceased parents, mention of alcoholism

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHER LEE:
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Thieves’ Gambit By Kayvion Lewis

If you love heists, drop everything now and read this book! Thieves’ Gambit is all about a girl named Ross who is part of a legendary family of thieves. But when her plan to run away goes horribly wrong, her mother’s life is in danger. In an attempt to save her Ross enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a deadly competition of international heists where the prize is a wish for anything in the world. This book was action-packed! We have loved reading heist books in the past but a book that features multiple heists is the way to our hearts! The cast of characters was very exciting to read about. They each had their own complex background and personality. And the writing style kept us on the edge of our seats! With a cliffhanger ending we’ll be eagerly waiting in line to get the sequel as soon as it comes out!

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Content Warnings: kidnapping, violence, emotional abuse, death of a parent

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KAYVION LEWIS:
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Powerless By Lauren Roberts

2023 was a great year for debuts, and our next favorite read has blown up on TikTok since its release! Powerless by Lauren Roberts is a YA romantasy debut featuring the ultimate star-crossed lovers: Paedyn and Kai. Their forbidden romance has everything, from bantering and being reluctant allies to tender moments and finally falling. Powerless has the right amount of angst that comes with Paedyn and Kai’s ill-fated romance. We screamed at the cliffhanger, and we’re too excited for the release of its sequel, Reckless, next July!

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Content Warnings: death, gore, torture, murder, panic attacks, claustrophobia, death of a parent, deceased parents, classism, violence, child abuse

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LAUREN ROBERTS:
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Check & Mate By Ali Hazelwood

If you weren’t a chess lover before now, we guarantee you’ll be hooked once you read Ali Hazelwood’s latest YA romance, Check & Mate! It’s a slow burn, rivals-to-lovers romance between Mallory, a former chess prodigy, and Nolan, the current chess world champion. When Mallory rejoins the chess world as an unknown rookie, she defeats Nolan in their first game together. Check & Mate has our hearts! We couldn’t have asked for a better ending. It might just be in our Top 5 books of the year!

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Content Warnings: deceased parents

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALI HAZELWOOD:
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Raiders Of The Lost Heart By Jo Segura

Rounding out our list of favorite 2023 books is Jo Segura’s debut, Raiders of the Lost Heart! This steamy adult romance features two rival archaeologists turned lovers, Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía and Dr. Ford Matthews. These two became rivals after a misunderstanding that happened years ago, and they finally get to address it in an expedition in Mexico to find the remains of an Aztec warrior. The tension between Corrie and Ford is next-level! We need to see more romances with archaeology as a profession.

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Content Warnings: death, some violence, deceased parent, mention of cancer

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JO SEGURA:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE

What were some of your favorite books from 2023? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPop! You can also visit us on Facebook and Instagram!

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