It’s officially fall and what would the season change be without a new addition of Miranda’s Book Nook? True to fashion, I’ve compiled a (TBH, lengthy) list of the latest books that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Oh, and yes, there are some very highly-rated reads (hello, five-star alert!) on here. So, settle in and keep reading for a selection of new fall 2023 book releases that I can’t get enough of and should be on your radar this upcoming year. As always, happy reading!
Reign (American Royals IV) by Katharine McGee
I was so beyond excited and grateful for this ARC because this American Royals series has been EVERYTHING to me, and so, to say I was thrilled to learn how it all ends is an understatement. Reign features as compelling of language as ever, and it’s truly perfect for fans of the existing series yearning for more of the same ladies’ (Beatrice, Sam, Nina and Daphne, respectively) alternating perspectives.
Beatrice, for her part, remains in a coma after her Rivals car accident, which means that Jeff will be acting monarch since Sam ran off to Hawaii with boyfriend Marshall. For Daphne, it’s a dream come true since she is one step closer to being a princess since she just got Jeff to take her back. Will Beatrice recover and will she remember everything? Will Samantha return and will duty threaten her HEA? Is Jefferson still in love with Nina despite his rekindled romance with Daphne? Is Daphne really getting everything she wants? Can love save the throne or will everyone’s secrets destroy the monarchy for good?
Reign is so much fun and literally the perfect way to wrap up the series as we get even more insight into the protagonists’ inner psyches as they grow up. It’s such a sweeping conclusion to a beloved series and I truly loved watching the foursome’s growth as individuals. For Beatrice, I loved *finally* getting Connor closure (because he + Bea were my OTP for the past three books) and getting to a point of understanding her relationship with Teddy. For Samantha, I really enjoyed watching her find her place outside of the monarchy. Daphne was the toughest for me to like but here, I could understand her more and yassss that epilogue, I loved where she ended up. And then Nina, oh, I seriously loved her princely love triangle, like seriously, GET IT GIRL, but yet her own desires were still the No. 1 priority. Quite simply, I loved this one and am already counting down the days before I can re-read it.
Rating: Four and a Half Stars
Available: Now
The Love Plot by Samantha Young
Rating: Four Stars
Available: Now
Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot
Rating: Four and a Half Stars
Available: Now
The Name Drop by Susan Lee
Rating: Four Stars
Available: Now
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
No one quite does romance novels like Tessa Bailey, plus what could be better than two children of former rockstars scheming to reunite their feuding, diva mothers in time for the holidays? It truly is like a holiday version of The Parent Trap, which makes it so gosh darn fun!
Melody and Beat (yes, their given names) grew up on opposite coasts with opposite personalities, but had one thing in common: Their moms would never ever speak about, let alone reunite with, their former Steel Birds duo. Literally, 15 years later, fate brings Mel and Beat back to together with an offer they can’t refuse: Star in a reality TV show about reuniting the band and actually getting the band back together for an obscenely large payday. Sure, they might have had teeny secret crushes on each other back then, but now the spark is brighter than ever while they set off to parent-trap moms Trina and Octavia. But, could secrets and scandals threaten literally everything?
Told in dual points of view, Wreck the Halls is fun and cute with such snappy language. I mean, I’d expect nothing less from Tessa Bailey but I truly did not want to put this book down.
One thing: Maybe don’t read this book in public if you don’t have a good poker face. It does get spicy, but again, would expect nothing less from Bailey.
Rating: Four Stars
Available: Now
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Obviously, if you pick up a Josie Silver romance then you know you are in for a well-written, heartwarming and compelling love story. And A Winter in New York did not disappoint.
A Winter in New York starts with a chef, Iris, relocating to New York City from London in search of a new life after escaping a traumatic relationship. Iris decided on NYC to follow in her mom Vivian’s footsteps after hearing her gush about the city and the NYC-set romantic comedies long before her death. Early on, Iris stumbles upon a local gelateria — which matches one that her mom had a photo of. She returns to the shop and meets owner Gio, who admits that their business is on the brink of closure since his uncle Santo suffered a health scare and no longer remembers the secret recipe. Iris has one of her own, a secret one that was passed down from her mom, and so she offers to help Gio try to replicate Santo’s recipe.
There’s a baking together trope, an intriguing secret (with interconnecting parts across generations) and a found family realization. While the novel is mostly told from Iris’ perspective, we do get a brief peek into her late mom Vivian’s side — and that gave me, like, serious Daisy Jones & the Six (IYKYK) vibes. It’s such a cute and compelling read that I was oh so eager to find out what was happening next.
CW: Abusive relationship (Not the main love interest), Death of a parent
Rating: Four Stars
Available: Now
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Honestly, after reading Icebreaker, I was a tad hesitant to pick up this one solely based on the title and cover. No hate or shade to Icebreaker, but I just didn’t vibe with it. But, as a former camp girlie, I knew I had to give Wildfire a second chance — and I was so glad I did!
Just like Icebreaker, we are back in the land of Maple Hills’ collegiate hockey team. This time it is goalie Russ’ turn in the spotlight. His love interest is Aurora, the estranged daughter of a Formula One team owner, with whom he has a one-night stand on the last day of the spring semester. While Aurora dips out early the next morning, they soon meet each other hours later … during camp counselor orientation. Camp, which is Aurora’s true happy place, does have one big rule for staff: No co-mingling between counselors. Of course, who wants to follow that rule after the best hookup you’ve ever had?
Wildfire, told in dual perspectives, is written with such compelling language that just drew me in from chapter one and I could hardly put the book down. That in itself was a bit different for me from how I read Icebreaker, sooooo, sorry. But Wildfire has such fun, witty banter and actually good writing. Also, unlike Icebreaker, Wildfire is more plot-heavy than spice-heavy to me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s still spice, but hello: it is a slow burn. It’s cute, well-written, frothy and indulgent. Wildfire will surely have any camp girlie thinking it’s not too late for one more year on-site — even if it’s been years.
CW: Gambling Addiction, Children of Divorce, Children of Addicts, Estranged Family
Rating: Four Stars
Available: Now
The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird
Rating: Three and a Half Stars
Available: October 10, 2023
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
Rating: Three and a Half Stars
Available: October 10, 2023
A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Rating: Four Stars
Available: October 10, 2023
Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn
Rating: Four Stars
Available: October 17, 2023
Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel
Rating: Three and a Half Stars
Available: October 24, 2023
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan
If you’re a fan of Rosie Danan’s previous romances, you will certainly enjoy this one — especially if you are a fan of U.K.-set books, British book boyfriends and supernatural entities. OK, well more supernatural-adjacent because this novel is about two mortals trying to break a fae’s curse, though the fae is somewhat of an urban myth to them.
In this romance novel, Riley is a curse-breaker hoping to turn her family’s talent for dealing with the supernatural into a legitimate business. She’s hired to break a lengthy curse at a Scottish castle but doesn’t know that there’s a disgraced archaeologist, Clark, on site hoping to turn around his own career. The pair instantly butt heads and want nothing to do which one another. However, with a forced proximity trope at play, they might discover that the only way to defeat the curse is together.
Do You Worst, told in dual points of view, is full of Danan’s signature witty and compelling language that had me very intrigued to keep reading AND find out if they’d break the curse And yes, true to style, the spicy scenes do get extra steamy and NSFW.
Rating: Three And a Half Stars
Available: November 14, 2023
Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I swear Didn’t See That Coming was without a doubt, 100 percent, the most adorable teen rom-com that I’ve read in the longest time! Set in the same universe as author Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Well, That Was Unexpected, we get to follow Sharlot’s BFF Kiki and her love story. While I have yet to read Well, That Was Unexpected, I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on too much of the story, Didn’t See That Coming does very much feel like an independent novel.
Kiki is a gamer girl with oodles of self-confidence … except online, where she assumes a fake identity as a boy (Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, anyone?) to avoid harassment from the majority male players. Her online BFF, Sourdawg, doesn’t even know the truth! Although, after Kiki transfers to an elite high school in Indonesia for senior year IRL, her carefully crafted e-persona is at risk when she realizes that Sourdawg is there.
Didn’t See That Coming is a fun, quirky, and indulgent YA rom-com that reads so quickly. Like, it seriously had me dying to figure out what would happen next in this modern-day version of She Loves Me/ You’ve Got Mail. This book has secret identity, friends-to-lovers, and love triangle tropes. Although, one of the dudes is a blackmailing, bullying slimeball while the other is a sweetie cinnamon roll who exhibits, like, DREAM BOOK BOYFRIEND BEHAVIOR. So, who’d you rather pic?
Like truly, this book was so flipping adorable and satisfying yet plenty unique and original) that I couldn’t help but completely get lost in this world. I quickly found that my book rating just kept going up and up. So, guilty on that one.
Rating: Five Stars
Available: November 28, 2023
The Stage Kiss by Amelia Jones
If you know me, then you know that I have a weakness for a modern adaptation of Pride & Prejudice — and this book is double that. While it is a modern take on Austen’s classic novel, it is also set behind the scenes of a musical inspired by P&P. The Stage Kiss is a delightful slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance set in the world of theatre. Oh, plus spice. Lots of spice. Lots. Oodles.
Eden is the standby for Lizzie Bennet on the Liz & Darcy musical tour, finally called up to take over for the D.C. run. As she steps into the spotlight, Tony winner Brennon is also joining the show as her love interest. After their initial meeting where he made a less-than-desirable first impression, Eden dreads having to fall in love with Brennon on stage night after night. But, of course, be careful what you wish for because showmances are a real thing.
The Stage Kiss, told in dual points-of-view, is fun and cute — with a super sweet romance/HEA once the slow burn reaches its boiling point. Author Amelia Jones writes with compelling language that was intriguing to follow along and had me so curious to discover what would happen next in this version.
Rating: Three and a Half Stars
Available: December 12, 2023
Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.