It’s hard to believe it’s already the last month of 2023! There’s so many incredible books coming out this month, and I’m excited to share some of my favorites here with you. Due to the ongoing St. Martin’s Griffin boycott, books by that imprint are not included on this list and will not be until they take accountability for their employee’s racist actions and the company’s discriminatory early reviewer practices.
On a brighter note, there’s still great books for you to buy and read! All bookshop links are affiliate links.
This Spells Love
Author: Kate Robb
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Genre: Romance / Fantasy
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
There’s always a reason why you shouldn’t wish to change the past, and Gemma Wilde knows that better than most. In this book, Gemma tries to heal her heartbreak by erasing her ex, but in doing so she loves more than she bargained for in the process. From there, This Spells Love is an adorable friends-to-lovers romance novel.
Flores and Miss Paula
Author: Melissa Rivero
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
Flores might still live with Paula, her Peruvian immigrant mother, but an address is the only thing the two have in common. When Flores finds a hidden note from her mother asking for forgiveness, the line between the two is opened and they are forced to confront both their past and the present as both women fight to create a good life for themselves.
All the Little Bird-Hearts
Author: Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
This is probably the book I’m most excited to read on this list. Sunday lives with her teenage daughter and does her best to manage her life. Based on the book description, Sunday is autistic, and has built a series of coping strategies that work for her in everything except controlling her daughter. Her life is changed when a couple move next door, and soon the neighbor’s lives intertwine.
Meet the Benedettos
Author: Katie Cotugno
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
In this sequel to Birds of California, the Benedettos family reckons with the fame they received from their reality TV show, and the lack of money that came with it. From there, Cotugno writes a Pride and Prejudice style twist, with Charlie Bingley and Will Darcy moving nextdoor to the sisters. This looks cute and fun!
Rebecca, Not Becky
Author: Christine Platt and Catherine Wigginton Greene
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
Two mothers, one white and one Black, live in an upper-class suburb. They both deal with their own issues, as well as the rising racial sentiment in their community. This book will either be incredibly good or incredibly overdone (yes I did just watch Karen on Prime), but based on the fact that at least one of the authors is Black I’m hoping for the former.
The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale
Author: Virginia Kantra
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Genre: Romance / Retellings
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
This is a contemporary fiction romance retelling of The Wizard of Oz! When Dorothy’s journey brings her to Ireland, she meets her companions and finds the confidence to face all of her biggest fears—including her graduate advisor. I’ve never been a big fan of retellings but I appreciate how original this one is!
Where There’s Smoke
Author: E.B. Vickers
Release Date: December 12th, 2023
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph
After the loss of her father, 18 year old Calli is alone. That is, until another girl arrives on her property. The girl is clearly dirty and bruised, and Calli nurses her back to health. When local authorities find out about the girl, questions begin to arise. Who is she, really? Is she in danger? Or, more sinisterly, is she the danger?
Familia
Author: Lauren E Rico
Release Date: December 26th, 2023
Genre: Mystery
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
This book cover is so beautiful that I need to own it immediately. In this story, two women take a genealogy test and find that everything they knew about their families is a lie. When Gabby DiMarco finds out she has a sister, she knows immediately that’s impossible. Isabella Ruiz knows she has a younger sister, and is doing her best to find her. When Gabby agrees to go to Puerto Rico, the reunion is anything but the happy meeting Isabella envisioned. Will the two be able to find out the truth? Or does the past harbor only surprises?
The Paris Housekeeper
Author: Renee Ryan
Release Date: December 26th, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
This World War II novel takes place in Paris, where one woman is forced to make an impossible choice to survive. Camille is forced to stay in Paris and work at the Hôtel Ritz after the Nazis invade, sending money home to her family. She needs money, and agrees to work as a lady’s maid for a Nazi sympathizer as well. When Camille approaches Vivian, desperate to get a fellow hotel maid out of Paris, she finds out that the woman is not a sympathizer at all, but an agent working to get Jewish refugees travel papers. This tests Camille’s courage, and she must decide what she is willing to risk.
The Weekend Retreat
Author: Tara Laskowski
Release Date: December 26th, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Find the Book: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop
Every year the Van Ness siblings—heirs to a vast fortune—gather together to celebrate their birthdays. But on this trip, something goes wrong. Tensions flare, and as a rainstorm hits, it escalates into something deadly. Will any of the three couples make it out alive?
What books are you looking forward to reading this month?
