Book Series I Finished in 2023

I read 101 books in 2023. Within those 101, I finished ten books series. I had a good year in terms of finishing series and I hope to keep that momentum going into 2024. This year was mostly the year of J. Bree (six of the ten slots on this list are for her). I would say largely it was a good year for series, but not as productive as I would have hoped in regards to my backlist series TBR. Let's go ahead and dive in! 

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The first series I finished this year was Hannaford Prep by J. Bree, the first series in the Mounts Bay world. However, not only did I read this once this year, I read it twice. Two of the ten spots on this list belong to this series and it truly deserved taking so many spots on my 2023 reading list. It's truly become a comfort series at this point and I'm so glad that I discovered it last year. It's not an example of peak literature by any means but it's super fun, addicting, and the characters have wormed their way into my heart. You can find my original series review here. 

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Then I continued with my Mounts Bay read-through with the Queen Crow trilogy by J. Bree. This trilogy follows side characters from Hannaford Prep after the fallout of the final book. This series is just as addicting, though I definitely still prefer HP if I had to choose. The romance is incredibly different and the plot stakes have changed. Mostly, it was just fun getting to experience more of this world and spend more time with the characters. You can find my review here. 

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My last series of the Mounts Bay read-through was the Butcher of the Bay duet by J. Bree. This is a prequel duet set before the events of Hannaford Prep and center two characters we love dearly. The duet is their origin story and how their romance came to be. This duet is very dark and graphic in ways I won't go into here. However, it's also about romance and healing and dealing with trauma. I loved getting to know the history behind these two characters as they've been such a staple on page in the other series. You can find my review here. 

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I finally finished the Bonds that Tie series by J. Bree this year. I then also reread it in October, putting it as the second series I read twice this year. I enjoyed it a lot on the first read through but I did think the last few books weren't as good as the first few. However, on my reread, I loved every moment and felt I came out of it loving it more than the first time. It's just an addicting series and this year was truly the year of J. Bree. You can find my original review here. 

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Then I reread the Mindf*ck series by S.T. Abby. This is a super dark serial killer romance series and it's so addicting. It's popular on booktok and I discovered it in 2022. I read it in one sitting that year and fell in love with Lana. Mindf*ck is one of those series where you actually root for the villain to succeed. It's not for the faint of heart though and if you're anticipating reading it I would recommend looking at all the trigger warnings in advance. You can find my original review here. 

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In the back half of the year I read WITSEC by Ashley N. Rostek. This is a why choose romance series about a girl in witness protection who moves somewhere new and falls for her new neighbors. Did I read this series in 24 hours? Yes. But were they good? Mhm I'm not sure. They were addicting but I think they were only good on the surface level. When you actually dive into an analysis of the series it doesn't stand up. I honestly have also forgotten most of it by now but you can find my review here.  

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Then I read the Pacific Prep series by R.A. Smyth. This is a why choose bully romance/organized crime series in the same sort of genre as Hannaford Prep. I was looking for something to fill that void from HP and I ended up finding this one. It was alright? Like with WITSEC, on the surface level it was good but wouldn't hold up under a deeper analysis. I was a bit disappointed by the end for sure. You can find my review here. 

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The last series I read this year was a reread of the entire Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. This is one of my favorite series and one that is truly a staple in my reading journey. It had been five years since I read the series for the release of Kingdom of Ash and I realized how much I was missing it. That combined with the upcoming SJM release made me want to reread it ASAP. So I just sat down and did it. It was truly such a fun experience reading these again and I'm already looking forward to revisiting them in the future. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "Iron Flame" by Rebecca Yarros

Title: Iron Flame

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Series: "Empyrean" #2

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Page Length: 623 pages

Publication Date: November 7, 2023

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Book 1 Review

*No spoilers for Iron Flame but potential spoilers for Fourth Wing*

Like many, Fourth Wing completely took me by surprise and pulled me into its net. I devoured it, loved it, couldn't stop thinking about it. I eagerly anticipated this sequel that was coming just six months later. Iron Flame arrived in the mail on the same day I finished work for the week. It was a sign. 

I dedicated the weekend to first rereading Fourth Wing and then tearing through the beast that is Iron Flame. Despite the initially medium-length page count, this sequel clocks in with a word-count longer than books like House of Earth and Blood, an 800-page behemoth. It's no wonder that it took me two days of straight reading to finish it. 

While there has been criticism for Fourth Wing, overwhelmingly people love it. However, Iron Flame seems to have my fellow book lovers split. People who loved FW hated IF's pacing and plot. I can understand and see everyone's criticisms for Iron Flame. Thankfully, though, I am in the camp of those who loved Iron Flame and my criticisms are far shorter. 

Once again, this series is by no means revolutionary or the incredibly written. They're not inherently complex or overwhelmingly beautiful. But what they are is fun and addicting. Fourth Wing pulls you in, has you flipping the pages until the sun has set and your eyesight as gone blurry because you just can't stop. The first book is just fun (until the end of course). It makes you fall for these characters and gets you emotionally invested.

Personally, Iron Flame felt much darker than Fourth Wing. Things are still fun at times but it's different. Tensions are higher, there's more to lose, and even more people are being killed off left and right. Rebecca is ruthless with her body count--no character is safe, which is particularly terrifying when there are so many lovable ones. 

Iron Flame is split into two parts. While they comprise the book that is Iron Flame, each part felt like it's own book. The pacing, conflicts, and plot focus are different (though still connected). I think this is an issue for a lot of readers as they felt the pacing was all over the place and the plot was confusing. To me, it makes the most sense to think of it with that separation between two parts rather than as a single book. 

There were a lot of tears spilled in this book. I cry easily at books and movies and this one got me right in the feels. There were also a lot of laughs, a lot of gasps, a lot of exclamations at various reveals or moments. While not entirely original, this series manages to evoke emotional responses which is why I've grown to love it. 

The ending completely threw me. I had various possibilities going through my mind of what kind of cliffhanger or situation we could end up in. What we got, though, was something I'd never even considered. I was absolutely shocked and I am nervous to see how we're going to sort through this situation moving forward (as we still have three more books to go). 

I will say, one of my few issues with this book was the miscommunication and the characters having the same argument over and over. Of course it provides tension to a relationship and something to keep the plot behind the relationship going. But I found it frustrating at times, like many others I've seen discussing it. I don't mind arguments, I don't mind a little miscommunication and tension, but it went above and beyond a lot of the time. However, I also recognize that even though these characters love each other, they are still in the very early stages of their relationship and haven't actually had that much time to truly get to know and experience each other without the stresses of the outside world. 

In an effort to avoid spoilers, it's hard to talk about certain reasons I loved this book. What it mainly boils down to, though, is that I connected hard to these characters in the first book and getting to experience new adventures with them was simply exciting. I am eagerly looking forward to the third book coming next year and I can only hope that Rebecca is somewhat nice to the characters moving forward (though I doubt it).  

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Favorite Books of 2023

One of my favorite blog posts to write every year is when I get to talk about my favorite books of the year. 2023 was an interesting reading year for me in that I read a lot of series and inter-connected works. I read 101 books, read 10 series, and found a lot of new favorites which I've narrowed down to my top 10 here. However, I am being a bit cheeky and including books in the same series/inter-connected saga as one entry (otherwise this entire list would just be J. Bree books). But enough of my waffling, let's go ahead and dive in!

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Coming in at number 10, we have Ensnared by Rebecca Quinn. This is a spicy rh post-apocalyptic series that I discovered in December and devoured. Now, only the first two books have been released thus far but the third is coming hopefully in the first half of the year. They are such easy books to read and the spice is so good as well. 

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Number 9 goes to Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong. This is a novella duology set in the Secret Shanghai world and it was everything good. I loved the characters these novellas were about, I loved the stories within them, I loved the domestic fluff. It was so good. Now, I've not get read the final Secret Shanghai book because I'm scared of the ending but this book got me so excited to see how it all wraps up. 

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At number 8, I have put Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. The hype around this book was unreal and totally justified, in my opinion. I blew through it and was absolutely enthralled. Rebecca's writing is so beautiful, so moving. The characters were lovely and I am beyond nervous to see how the sequel plays out when I finally get around to it. 

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Number 7 goes to Heartstopper, Volumes 3, 4, & 5. by Alice Oseman. I already enjoyed these graphic novels but hadn't read the newest ones yet. But season 2 of the show dropped this year and I devoured it. I knew it was time to read the next volumes (and get hyped for the 5th releasing in December). I loved them. Heartstopper is everything good and pure and wonderful. I loved just getting more of these characters' stories and I just want to take each and every one, wrap them in a blanket, and give them a cookie. 

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For number 6, I have The Bonds That Tie series by J. Bree. My journey with this one is a funny one. I read the first three books at the end of 2022, the next two at the beginning of 2023, and the final one many months later. It was enjoyable and fun but not quite as much as her other series. Then, in the fall, I got the urge to reread the series. Oh my lords! The first time was addicting but this time around was all-consuming. I love these characters, this world, this story. It's such a fun time and is just one of many books that has cemented J. Bree as a new favorite. 

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Number 5 goes to the Ironside Academy series by Jane Washington. Jane writes bangers, plain and simple. I've loved everything I've ever written by her and this newest series is no exception. It's fun, it's addicting, it's like watching reality TV and being unable to turn away. Which makes sense as it's about an academy for gifted that's also a reality show. It's addicting and the three books we got in 2023 were so good. I'm eagerly anticipating the next ones in the new year. 

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For number 4, I have Crown of Oaths and Curses by J. Bree. This is the first in J. Bree's newest series that started releasing in 2023 and I am obsessed with it. Like with all of her books, I think about this one constantly. It's also the first time I've started a series of hers without all the books being out which is a new level of excruciating. This is a super slow burn fantasy romance and I was here for every second of it. I loved the angst, I loved that they're true enemies, I loved it all. Of course, my love is only made stronger by the prequel novellas (which are essential reading in my opinion). 

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Number 3 goes to City of Souls and Sinners by Kayla Edwards. This is the second book in the House of Devils series, with the first book having been my number 1 book of 2022. The sequel was my most anticipated release of this year and I was not disappointed. This book is chunky and yet I flew through it so quickly. These characters are everything to me and this book was so full of angst and pain. It tugged on my heartstrings so much and I was basically a ball of anxiety. But I loved that. The cliffhanger was insane, though, so I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel coming in just a couple months. 

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I deliberated a lot on how to place these last two, but I think I've decided that this is the correct order. My number 2 slot goes to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Like many, FW grabbed me and didn't let me go from the moment I read the first page. I loved it so much. When IF came around, I also loved it. It was a different vibe from the first book, but I loved it nonetheless. I think about these books a lot and I'm nervous and excited to see where they go from here. 

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My top spot of number 1 is a bit cheeky because it goes to the Mounts Bay books by J. Bree. This includes the Queen Crow trilogy, Butcher of the Bay duet, and my most favorite, the Hannaford Prep series. All of these series are inter-connected in this world following the same set of characters, which is why I wanted to rate them in one slot. I'm absolutely obsessed with these books and think about them on a weekly, if not daily basis. I've already read the Hannaford Prep series twice and everyday I debate rereading them all over again. This year truly belonged to J. Bree and I loved every second of it. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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December 2023 Book Haul

Last month, last book haul of 2023! December was a rather small month for book buying and I'm quite proud of that. One of my goals that I'm continuing from 2023 into 2024 is to keep buying less and less books as I go. I'm being very intentional with my purchasing nowadays and that means that, while this haul is small, I'm really excited about what I have. I only got four books this month and one was a gift. Let's go ahead and dive in!  

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Up first is Heartstopper, Volume 5 by Alice Oseman. I absolutely love Heartstopper and this was such a beautiful volume in the series (yes I've already read it). These characters are so precious and this was such a fun installment after the quite serious topics of the last volume. I'm so eager to see volumes four and five come to life on the tv show (and I think Alice said both would be in the next season). This is a series that I know is going to be so foundational for a lot of kids and teenagers as they grow up and discover themselves and I'm just so glad that it exists. 

Then I splurged a bit and got the Stardew Valley Guidebook during a Black Friday sale. I recently started to finally play Stardew Valley and I knew I wanted this guidebook when that happened. I held off on purchasing it until I knew I was going to like the game and, well, I love the game. I use this guidebook nonstop while I play (even after putting over 100 hours into the game I still look at the guidebook daily). It's so beautiful and so informational and such a good resource. 

I then got Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat for Christmas. This cookbook has been on my radar for a while now but I officially put it on my wishlist at the beginning of 2023. I intended on buying it for myself many times during the year but never ended up clicking "Buy." When it showed up for Christmas I got so excited. I love cooking but I'm also very new to it. I can follow a recipe well but when it comes to making my own meals without guidance I'm still a newbie. I've heard this is a quintessential resource for learning the basics and I'm eager to dive into it in 2024. 

Lastly, I picked up Murdle: Volume 1 by G.T. Karber. This is a murder mystery logic puzzle book and I'm obsessed with it! Murdle is a daily game you can play online for free but I knew I wanted this book after I blew through the daily puzzles and was desperate for more. There's 100 puzzles in this first book and I've already gotten through 53 of them (only three days later at the time of writing). They're just so fun and I love a good logic puzzle. I can see why it's been so popular lately and I anticipate that I'll soon be getting the other volumes and blasting through those too. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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December 2023 Wrap-Up

And with that, the final reading month of 2023 has come to an end. I'm not going to sit and think too hard about 2023 but I will say that I had a pretty good reading year and that continued right into this last month of the year. I'm already excited about all the books I want to get to in 2024 and I'm hoping it will be just as good of a reading year, and a better overall year outside of reading. 

In December, I read nine books. I thought I was going to read more but some of these books were quite long (over 700 pages) and I also started playing Stardew Valley. I put around 115 hours onto Stardew Valley this month which is insane and the main reason why I didn't read more. However, I'm pretty happy with my reading month and I have been really enjoying SV so I can't complain. Let's go ahead and dive in!

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1. 

Title: Sauter

Author: Jane Washington

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Series Review

2. 

Title: Ensnared

Author: Rebecca Quinn

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review TK

3. 

Title: Freefall (from the Silk Anthology)

Author: Rebecca Quinn

4. 

Title: Kingdom of Ash

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

5. 

Title: Across Dark Seas

Author: Clare Sager

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Series Review TK

6. 

Title: Beneath Black Sails

Author: Clare Sager

Rating: 4.25 // 5 stars

Series Review TK

7. 

Title: Entangled

Author: Rebecca Quinn

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review TK

8. 

Title: Heartstopper, Volume 5

Author: Alice Oseman

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review TK

9. 

Title:  A Court This Cruel and Lovely

Author: Stacia Stark

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review TK

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November 2023 Wrap-Up

November 2023 Book Haul

Series Review: "Pacific Prep" by R.A. Smyth

Most Anticipated 2024 Releases

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January is going to be a busy month and it's leading up to one of my most anticipated releases of the last few years (House of Flame and Shadow), so I'm hoping to do an in-depth reread before it comes out. I already reread Throne of Glass in the last couple months of 2023 so this month is mainly for ACOTAR and Crescent City. Any other books are mainly a guideline, though I think I'll be able to get through these pretty easily...

1. [New Release Redacted under St. Martin's Press marketing boycott]

2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

4. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

5. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

6. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

7. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

8. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

9. A Kingdom this Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark (current read) 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

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