Emma's Books of the Year 2023

It’s hard to believe I am sitting down once again to write a books of the year post. It feels like only yesterday that I did my post for 2022 but yet 2023 is drawing to a close and it certainly was another very quick year. I reached my goal for my Goodreads Reading Challenge and read over 100 books although I would have loved to have read more. The last month of the year was extremely busy and I couldn’t seem to concentrate for long periods of time. None the less I have read some brilliant books this year and I have picked ten of my favourites to share with you. Thanks again to Sharon for hosting my reviews on the blog and for her friendship and all the chats throughout the year. So without further ado and in no particular order here are my books of the year for 2023.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent was published in March of this year but I had an early copy and couldn’t resist sneaking it in at the tail end of 2022. I’m sure this book will be on my readers books of the year because it was simple phenomenal ad Liz is certainly at the top of her game. With the killer opening line that she is famous for this book sucks you in from the very first word and it is impossible to leave out of your hands. It’s dark and twisted and just what we have all come to expect and love from this author and Sally Diamond has most definitely been a talking point this year earning widespread acclaim and critical success. 

Sally becomes the centre of attention for an act that is abhorrent to many but beneath it all there is a painful past to share as she steps out into the world for the first time making new friends. She is not a conventional character by any means and the further the story develops the more your mind is blown.I can’t really say much about it except to say that is a disturbing read packed full of fear, trauma, manipulation, damage and mistreatment with a central character who will affect you in so many ways. Its an outstanding read which if you haven’t already discovered make sure you get a copy as soon as possible. You can read my full review here. 

I’ve been a fan of Emma Davies since I first read her novella Merry Mistletoe many years ago. She took a break from her usual women’s fiction to write in the cosy murder mystery genre but this year made a welcome return with the first in the Clearwater series - Secrets of Clearwater Castle. This is a feel-good romantic tale with lots of trials and tribulations along the way and I adored every minute of it. It follows Lowri who is widowed with a young daughter as she has inherited some land that her husband had kept secret from her. The setting is just gorgeous and the plot wonderfully written with a wide variety of characters that capture a piece of your heart. It’s a real page turner of a book which reminded me just how much I love reading. It was an absolute pleasure to accompany Lowri on her journey as she tries to heal but she also has to try and save Clearwater. My full review can be found here. I hope it won’t be too long until book two in the series is published as this is one that has stayed on long in my mind since I finished reading it.

Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2023 by Emma Crowley

2022 was another great year for books and I managed to reach the goal I had set for myself on the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Although there were still plenty of other books that I would have liked to have read that are waiting for me on my ever increasing TBR but life in general can get in the way. But one thing I feel it’s important to do is to always make time for reading. It helps me forget about what may be going on in the world and helps relieve the stress from my work at times when things get a bit too much. I’ve already participating in a number of blog tours this year and I’m sure that number will grow as I see lots of new books published that I wish to read and help publicise. 

But below is a list of some of the books that I am really looking forward to reading this year. Most are publishing within the first half of the year and one or two do not yet have a final cover. One I couldn’t even find a blurb for but I know I want to read them all as lots are trusted authors of mine and one is a new author and the cover just made me want to read it. What are you looking forward to reading in the coming months? Let me know in the comments below.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt will be published on May 23rd.

1928, Paris

A boy is found, moments from death, and taken in by a kindly family. Gentle, precocious, talented, he flourishes in his new home, and the family show him a life he hadn’t dreamed possible. But he refuses to speak a word about who he really is.

As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come where he must flee once more.

2008, the Aegean

The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly.To the surprise of everyone, it is the missing sister who Pa Salt has chosen to entrust with the clue to their pasts. But for every truth revealed, another question emerges. The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew. And even more shockingly: that these long-buried secrets may still have consequences for them today.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt I’m sure is on in numerable people’s lists of books they are looking forward to in 2023. It’s the final book in the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley and following her passing, her son Harry Whittaker has written and completed the series. This has to be one of my all time favourite series and I can’t wait to see how everything ties together. In a video I watched recently Harry promised that readers will get all the answers to every single question and they won’t be disappointed. I hope that is the case although I know I will be disappointed as there will be nothing else left to read from the wonderful author that was Lucinda Riley. 

Strange Sally Diamond will be published on March 2nd.

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died. 

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say. 

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

I have to confess that I have already read, Strange Sally Diamond, the long awaited new book from Liz Nugent. It was my last read of 2022 because I couldn’t leave it waiting for me on my Kindle and all I can say was it was phenomenal. A five star read all the way. It’s dark, gripping and full of twists and turns and Liz has outdone herself. It will be a huge success upon publication and I urge everyone to read it. 

Emma's Guest Review: Kate Morton - The Lake House

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

A missing child...

June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.

An abandoned house...

Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.

An unsolved mystery...

Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life 

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover