OPINION: My 2023 book release ratings

We have just over three months left in 2023, and so many good books have come out already this year.

I’m going to jump on a BookTok trend and share with you the three 2023 release I felt were overrated, underrated and appropriately rated. In addition, I’ll share my three most anticipated releases coming in the last few months of the year.

Overrated

We might as well get the controversial one out of the way first! It’s worth noting that I did enjoy two of these books, but not to the extent they were touted.

I’ll start with the only one I wouldn’t recommend as a read. “What Lurks Between the Fates” is the third book in the Of Flesh and Bone fantasy romance series by Harper L. Woods. I started this series earlier this year and got to this book before I DNFd (did not finish) it.

The first thing making me cringe was that the main male character calls his female love interest, “little one.” I don’t know, it just feels like what you could call a child, not your lover. I didn’t like that at all.

He also told her if she wouldn’t be with him, he would be so upset he would destroy the world, and it would be her fault. Guilt trip much? Overall, I disliked the series and this book. I’m not sure how much it was actually “hyped,” but any is too much for me with this book. I give this series a generous 2-star rating.

The next book is “Happy Place” by Emily Henry. The book is about a couple who has split up but haven’t told their friends yet. The group goes on one last vacation together while the couple pretends to still be together and happy. Of course, it wouldn’t be a contemporary romance if they didn’t fall back in love.

I thought this book was fine. It was a nice perspective to see how things can devolve from the honeymoon phase, but it was nowhere as great as I had hoped. With 477,814 ratings on Goodreads, the book averages a 4.10 rating. I gave this a 4-star rating.

The last on this list is “The Final Offer” by Lauren Asher, the finale of the Dreamland Billionaires series. Again, I liked the series - it was good. But this series has been viral online, and I don’t think it lives up to it.

I think the billionaire finding someone who doesn’t care about his money trope is getting a little tired. I did like that this book delved into the mind of an alcoholic on the path to recovery, but it still didn’t live up to its expectations. With 142,687 ratings, it averages 4.28. I gave this a 4-star rating.

Appropriately Rated

Let’s get the big one out of the way — “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros. This book was all over my social media sites months before it was released, and this isn’t an author with a big fanbase. Her PR team went above and beyond and it paid off huge.

This book came out only four months ago and has accumulated a cult-like following. People who have never read fantasy before are now getting into the genre because of this book. With 496,218 ratings, it has officially taken the throne from Branden Sanderson’s “Way of Kings” with a 4.66 rating.

Here’s the deal — this book is great. It’s about a girl who always planned to be a scribe forced to attend a deadly war college for dragon riders. Yarros doesn’t hold back. There’s betrayal, plot twists and of course, heartache. The characters have depth, and who doesn’t love dragons? I gave this a 5-star rating.

“The Ashes and the Star Cursed-King” by Carissa Broadbent is the highly awaited sequel to “The Serpent and the Wings of Night.” With Sarah J. Maas’s fantasy worlds devouring social media, people needed somewhere to turn after completing her work.

Carissa Broadbent quickly became that fix with this series and “The War of Lost Hearts” trilogy, which is already complete.

Though I felt “The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King” started slower than the last, when it caught my attention, I couldn’t put it down. The series is about a human girl raised by the vampire king. It’s a story of perseverance, trust and politics. With 81,890 ratings, it earned a 4.22 average, and social media reviews have been largely favorable. I gave this book a 5-star rating.

Tied for my favorite contemporary romance read of the year is “Love, Theoretically” by Ali Hazelwood. If you have followed my reviews in the past, you know she is one of my favorite authors. Her books are called “STEMinist” novels because they focus on women in STEM careers.

This book is about a female theoretical scientist forced to work with her nemesis, an experimental physicist - the horror! It’s amazing, had me giggling outloud. With 173,700 ratings, it has a 4.20 average. I gave it a 5-star rating.

Underrated

The Bridge Kingdom is one of my favorite fantasy romance series that I think is criminally underrated. The newest installment, “The Endless War” came out on audiobook earlier this year, and it was phenomenal.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so just read the first chapter of “The Bridge Kingdom.” You won’t be able to stop. While “The Endless War” has a 4.22 average, it only has 2,452 ratings. More people need to experience this book.

The “True Love Experiment” by Christina Lauren is the sequel to “The Soulmate Equation.” I was fortunate to get an advance reader copy of the book, and it was amazing. My favorite part of the contemporary romance is the way it feels so real. Their love wasn’t about some big gesture, but about a thousand small moments.

With 66,573 ratings, it has a 4.21 average, but I don’t hear it being talked about anywhere. I gave this book a 5-star rating.

My last book is “A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon.” The name is way too long, but I thought the book, and urban fantasy romance, was so cute.

If you’re a big contemporary romance reader and you want to get into fantasy, this is the perfect book. It has little to no world building, it’s set in modern day and it just has the feel of a rom-com. This book was our reporter Erin Henze’s pick for book club, and while I was leery, it way exceeded my expectations.

This book has 11,966 ratings and a criminally-low 3.72 rating.

Most Anticipated

1. “Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros, sequel to “Fourth Wing.” Anticipated release date is Nov. 7.

2. “Fox Glove” by Adalyn Grace, sequel to “Belladonna.” This was just released last month, but I haven’t read it yet, so I’m counting it.

3. “A Curse for True Love” by Stephanie Garber, the final installment in the “Once Upon A Broken Heart” trilogy. Anticipated release date is Oct. 24.