Happy new year Bookish Bees and Fairies.
I have been resting a lot and did not think I would do this but it’s basically a tradition now so why not?
Love was the theme of my reading journey in 2023 and I enjoyed reading some books so much. They made me feel seen and very appreciated and I can remember giggling and kicking my feet up in the air because of how lovely and sweet some of them were and how much positive impact it had on me. I read 150 (one hundred and fifty) books this year which is such a big number for me. I also discovered new authors, genres and new styles of writing and I loved absolutely everything as a reader. My favorite thing to do while reading, is to immerse myself into the book and let the magic engulf me. There is so much happiness and excitement when I read which makes me glad because I had been in a very big reading slump for a while so this makes me elated.
BOOKS THAT ERNESTINE LOVED
I will like to recommend the books I enjoyed so much this year. These books made me so happy and I loved reading and stopping to play out my emotions before picking them up. It brought so much drama, love, betrayal, romance, sorrow, happiness and every feeling you will hold dear to your heart.
10. SINCERELY, HER GANGSTA BY MYA
This is a sweet romance book that will make you smile and be very happy. I enjoyed it so much and the characters will either make you fall in love with them or hate them. It also makes you learn a few things that you can apply to reality. The main characters; Honesty and Sincere will take you on a journey of finding yourself and love in the process. Let me tell you, I was smiling hard reading this and the mention of Sincere having healthy hair and grills made it even better for me. Honesty had days where she reminded me of myself and the way she pushed regardless of the obstacles in her way made me so excited. I loved how they stuck together and was mature in settling any form of miscommunication. I loved how supportive her family and friends were, and the way he took care of her children and did not mind stepping up made me understand how much they loved each other. If you’re looking for a short and really sweet romance book with black characters, then you will enjoy this. The representation also made me feel so seen and it is really important. My Goodreads Review
9. APPLYING PRESSURE BY SHVONNE LATRICE
“The Bible states a man who finds a wife finds a good thing; let that man find you while you sit pretty.”
Applying Pressure: A Love Story by Shvonne Latrice
I would have not rested well if this book wasn’t on my list of favorites. Let me tell you that I was stunned reading this book and it is so unhinged. It is so addicting and will draw you into the world so easily. Ocean Pendrell applied pressure let me tell you and the title of the book is not a reach. He did more than applying pressure and won at the end of the day. He came with big energy and did not disappoint. Myomi Ford navigating her love life despite having a career where she always succeeded made me very emotional and I am happy she and her friend stopped settling for less and allowed the people who really liked them to step up and love them. There is no moral lesson to derive from this book and it is also very entertaining and very dark and unhinged. It is also funny if you have my kind of humor. It is also has a younger MMC (Male main character) and and older FMC (Female main character) which really drew me to it. If you want to read a romantic unhinged book that will entertain you, then this is the book for you.
8. THE SACRIFICE BY SHANTEL TESSIER
There will always be a dark romance book in my list of favorites and it is definitely not surprising. This is the third book in the LORDS series. The first is The Ritual, the second is The Sinner and this is the third which happens to be my favorite out of it. I loved the characters and the world building so much. I also loved the romance between the main characters and how much they fought for their love. I really don’t have a reason why I liked this book but I loved the epilogue at the end and I’m a sucker for sweet epilogues. If you’re into dark romance then this is for you.
7. POSITIVELY YOURS BY JUNG LEE, KANGKI (ILLUSTRATOR)
This is a romance Manhwa that comes in 7 (seven) volumes. This is about a woman named Hee-won who decides to have a wild night and ends up getting pregnant with the one night stand who happens to be Doo-joon. I loved how regardless of the hardships, he stood by her and always defended her while letting their romance bloom fully. He always made it known that he would marry her and he had fallen for her. They fell in love later, and it was such a beautiful thing. If you love this type of romance, then you will enjoy this manhwa.
6. ONE LAST JOB BY ANISE STARRE
“Good, because all you have to do is ask, and I’d buy it for you.”
She raises a brow. “Anything?”
“Anything.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when I’m in the market for my second home. It’ll be something on a lake and very expensive. So you better start saving now.”
She’s joking, but I’m not. If she’s asking, I’m buying.”“That’s all I’ve ever wanted really. A home of my own. Some place I can decorate how I want to. Somewhere I actually belong.”
“But sometimes failing feels like an even worse alternative. So I stay on top of them to make sure I can’t fail.”
“He treats every inch of my body like it’s something to worship, and I’m more than happy to lie back for a minute and let him work his magic.”
One Last Job by Anise Starre
I enjoyed this romance book so much and I had a fun time reading about it. The yearning to own a home made me feel like Amber Wyatt understood how I always feel. It is a sweet workplace romance and the characters will either make you hate them or love them. I’ll be honest, when I was a few chapters in, I did not understand why Finn Hawthorne was always having those conversations with Amber and I was so scared at first, but later on realized it was his dry humor and also a way to cope with his own life. Their meeting is not one to be delusional about, neither is their journey but what amazed me is how they were able to build such a strong relationship from scratch, regardless of their toxic work spaces and still find their way with career and family. Very impressive and I enjoyed it so much. My favorite part was when he bought her a house. Her dream house yes!. It should be enough convincing as to why you should read this book.
5. TWISTED LIES BY ANA HUANG
“Adult friendships took work
and conscious effort to maintain, but the ones that stayed were the ones that mattered most.”“If I didn’t shake things up, I’d be an unfinished manuscript forever. A thousand potential words that never made it onto the page.”
“Love was accepting me for who I was, flaws and all.
Love was believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Love was quiet moments and soft kisses, breathless exhilaration and rough hands all rolled into one.
Love was what Christian gave me.”“Once upon a time, I hadn’t believed in love.
Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
Now, I realize that love was the last piece that’d been missing in the puzzle of my life.
With it, I was finally whole”.
This book is the fourth book in the twisted series and my best. The first is Twisted love, second is twisted games, third is twisted hate. I will advise to read all three before reading this one. I enjoyed the slow burn and fake dating trope between Stella and Christian. Reading this book, felt like a warm hug because I read it at the right time and do not regret it. Stella resonated with me so much and I loved how she always chased her dream no matter how out of place it seemed. Even after so much time passed, she decided to keep going till she got the best at the end. I loved how Christian loved her that he loved himself. I adored their sweet romance. If you’re looking for a romance book with irredeemable characters with eyes on the goal, then this will be for you. My Goodreads Review
4. AGAINST THE LOVELESS WORLD BY SUSAN ABULHAWA
“But let it be a lesson for you. Never trust a man, girl. Never trust a man.”
“Abandoning the imposition of a calendar helped me understand that time isn’t real; it has no logic in the absence of hope or anticipation.”
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
I have written about this book before in my Post and I will always talk about how excellently written this book is. This book shows how events can turn the hands of time for a person and how cruel the world can be. Even faced with hardships, the perseverance and hope for better burns while reading and it will make you angry, emotional. Very educative and I will always recommend.
3. COLLIDING WITH FATE BY A.E. VALDEZ
“Quinn and I, we collided with fate. Fell, crashed, and fucking burned. But we fell together, crashed together, and we fucking burned together. Nothing is perfect. But me and her, us
Colliding With Fate by A.E. Valdez
–we’re perfect for each other. When our son asks me if I believe in fate, I’m going to tell him the story of us… of how we came to be.
How we collided with fate.”
This book actually made me so happy and it’s funny because I never guessed I would love it the way I did. The way this book navigates grief, love and hope sold me fast. It makes communication so easy and this was the first book that I read that handled miscommunication with so much care and attention. Quinn and Kyrell had a tough time learning to love each other with so much baggage but they conquered. It is a love so sweet and delicate that you will be stunned while reading. My Goodreads Review
2. DIVINE RIVALS BY REBECCA ROSS
“I’ve always wanted to write about things that matter. To write things that inspire or inform people.”
“Because I want to write about things that matter. I want my words to be like a line, cast out into the darkness.”
“If only she could bottle this moment. If only she could drink from it in the days to come, to remember this feeling of warmth and wholeness and joy. As if all of her pieces had come back together, far stronger than they had been before she had broken.”
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
The way I was not prepared to like this book that much, and as always, it took me by surprise and blew my mind. It ended up being a very sweet historical fantasy book. The world building is magnificent and superb. The way letters and writing played such an important part in making the book whole soothed me and from a writer’s point of view, it is brilliant. My book blog Review
1. ONLY FOR THE WEEK BY NATASHA BISHOP
“Can’t I have the freedom to just…be? To love myself enough to be comfortable in my own company? ”
“May you learn that it is okay to be selfish with yourself”
Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop
This book made me understand that I am obsessed with vacation romance books and it made me so happy. The magic of traveling through your imagination and the pages of the book is lovely but when it is a story that makes you so happy, the romance transcends what you have known, it is ethereal. A beautiful blend of drama and romance. Very simple and straight to the point with depth from the characters. If you love romance and vacations then please read this book. It is also my favorite book of 2023. My Book blog Review
These books stood out for me and I would not have it any other way.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
The books in this category were mostly short books and the series that entertained me and filled me with joy and laughter.
HIS MAJESTY BY SHON
A second chance romance novella between Majesty and Josiah. I am not a fan of second chance romance books but this novella used Josiah as a point of contact and I enjoyed the groveling and the beautiful love story.
ON US SERIES BY NINA
If you know you cannot handle madness and toxicity, then these are not the books for you. The amount of times I got angry and wondered if something was off had to be uncountable. The drama is very intense and the character Development was definitely eminent. A win for romance with Avery and Lake Porter and a wild ride knowing the Porter Brothers.
LIBERATED BY KIMBERLY BROWN
A novella about finding yourself and letting go. Very inspiring and a ticket to knowing who you are before anything else in life.
SHE DESERVES A KING BY BROOKE RENEE
A very short a sweet urban novella and I am looking forward to the first book in the series. I loved how much I smiled reading it,
A GENTLE REMINDER BY BIANCA SPARACINO
A beautiful book about finding yourself and navigating life regardless of the hurdles thrown and choosing yourself first in all that you do.
Authors I newly discovered, made me fall in love with another side reading so much and their stories brought me immense joy with their books.
SHVONNE LATRICE who has made me want to read anything she writes because her stories are so fun and interesting that I look forward to reading more.
ANISE STARRE who has a lovely writing style with the sweetest romance plots and I look forward to reading more of what she writes.
These books made last year bearable for me as I had the best time reading them. I hope to discover titles that will make me happy this year even though I will have a tight schedule. I have fallen in love with unhinged stories and become a hopeless romantic waiting for my magic to come through. It is such a beautiful thing to read and thank you for going through my best books of 2023 with me. These stories dealt with so many themes and helped me in becoming a better version of myself.
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