When my favorite authors announce a new book, I almost immediately run to submit my preorder. I have quite a few auto-buy authors that I barely need to read blurbs for anymore before I hit that button. This year, though, I also branched out and preordered some books by debut or new-to-me authors. So, were these preorders worth the price?
Homecoming by Kate Morton - Morton is one of my favorite authors, and it's been a few years since she released a new book. The minute she announced this one, I preordered it, and it was so worth the very long wait! Kate Morton has such a way of writing Gothic mysteries - in this one, in the past, a mother and her children are found dead near a river on Christmas Eve, and in the present day, a struggling journalist takes up the story, finding she has a connection to it. Morton's writing is lush and rich, and every time you think you've figured it out, Morton surprises you with another twist.
5 stars
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis - Davis is another one of my favorite authors, and I'm always excited to see which iconic NYC building she chooses to set her next story in. In her newest novel, Radio City Music Hall takes center stage, with main character Marion earning the chance to become a Rockette, despite her father's misgivings. While Marion is trying to adjust to her new life, the Big Apple bomber strikes Radio City, and Marion is drawn into the police investigation. This is my favorite Davis book to date - the writing is incredible and the story is a good mix of mystery and women's fiction.
4.5 stars
Bear With Me Now by Katie Shepard - I was drawn in by the title and cover of this one (Shepard is a debut author). On a wilderness therapy retreat, Teagan is saved from a bear by Darcy, who then returns with him to NYC to be his sober companion (although he's not an alcoholic). Fun premise, but the execution didn't work for me. The way Darcy pursued a relationship with Teagan felt immoral and unethical, and she's also completely unqualified to be a therapist in any form. Just questionable on a lot of levels.
3 stars
The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead - Another one where I was completely hooked by the cover, and also the blurb sounded really cute (new-to-me author). What happens when a shy librarian decides to have a one-night stand with
a handsome stranger? Well, in this case, a freak lightning strike
causes a fire at their hotel before any of the good stuff happens, and
when they are photographed fleeing for safety, she finds out he's
actually a gubernatorial candidate and they start a fake relationship to
keep the press from gossiping. This was so fun, so sweet, and I loved Alexis' journey through the story.
5 stars
The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor - Gaynor is an author I've read before but not extensively (although I've highly enjoyed her collaborations with Heather Webb!). My sister preordered this for me, because the premise was hard to resist for me. I love WWII historical fiction and this book introduced me to an aspect that I was unaware of - I knew British children were evacuated from London to the countryside, but I didn't know they were also sent to other countries. The tragedy in this book (the torpedoing of a ship carrying British children to Canada) is based on a real life event, which Gaynor brings to life in the most heartwrenching of ways. Reading about Alice, the children, and other passengers clinging to life in the Atlantic while Lily desperately tries to find out what happened to her children was riveting. Definitely a must-read for WWII historical fiction fans.
4.5 stars
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The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams - Beatriz is an author I've loved for years and she is quite prolific. If you want to get completely immersed in a setting and time period, you read Beatriz. Her newest book is about Emilia, a young woman whose father works for a rich family summering on their island. This summer, the first after WWII, brings a new, but mysterious, woman to the island, who ends up causing chaos in Emilia's life. Emilia was a tough character for me to like, but it's hard to deny that she hasn't had the easiest of lives. Although I enjoyed the story, I thought it took too long to get the main event that was hinted at throughout the book and then it rushed through it.
4 stars
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens - Sophie Cousens is an author I've been following for a couple years now, and I've enjoyed her novels so much that they've become auto-buy for me. In her most recent novel, Lucy is tired of her mediocre life, and when she comes across a wishing machine, she takes a chance and wishes to be taken to "the good part," where she's gotten everything figured out. The next day, she wakes up 16 years older, married with children and a great job. But, she doesn't remember anything of how she got there. Watching Lucy navigate a life she literally woke up in was fun - getting to know her husband and children and figure out how to do her job. I think it got a little overly long and repetitive at times, but the premise is so captivating - who hasn't wished for something like that?
4 stars
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver - Josie Silver has become a go-to author for me since
One Day in December. I've really enjoyed her books, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. In this book, a woman trying to reinvent herself in NYC finds herself connecting with an old memory of her mother's, in the form of a family-run gelato shop. Iris, though, is keeping a lot of secrets. It was so uncomfortable for me, especially watching Iris make one strange decision after another because of her secrets. Silver's writing is beautiful, but the plot suffers, especially the ending. So many things just glossed over, and because we only got small glimpses of her life before NYC, certain elements didn't have the impact they could have.
3.5 stars
Overall, I had great success with my preorders this year! My auto-buy authors mostly delivered, and I took a chance on some new-to-me authors, which worked out, and many of these will end up on my best of 2023 list!
How many books did you preorder this year?
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