2023 Year In Review, Part 2

If you were here on Wednesday, you saw the first half of my list of favorite reads from 2023. Here’s the top five!

5. The Enneagram Development Guide – This is the second non-fiction book on this year’s list, and it’s another book I loved but apparently didn’t review on the blog. The things I love about this book are probably the same things that kept me from posting about it. This is a working book, not a reading book. I have tons of Enneagram books that I can read from cover to cover. Then they go on a shelf and don’t get picked up again. But like a few of my other favorites, this is a WORKING book. Each number has a section that digs into practices that you can work on to bring you to the healthier aspects of your number. But the practices are a DEEP dive – each one could be a focus for weeks at a time. So while I have been working with this for months now, I am still hardly into my number’s section in the book. And I love that. I told a friend reading this is like discovering the Enneagram for the first time. If you are burned out on reading the same old thing and you long to go deeper, this is the resource you should check out.  ♥♥♥♥♥

4. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway – Looking to see where this should fall on my top ten list for 2023 made me want to drop everything else and read this again. It’s the second book by Ashley Schumacher to make a top ten list for me, and both are long overdue for re-reading. This is the second of the three books for teens and young adults on this year’s list. You can read my full review of this delight here.

 

 

3. Every Duke Has His Day – The dog-swapping premise of this book was a winner for me. This delivered on everything I had hoped for when I picked it up, and it’s definitely one I would read again. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

2. Teen Titans: Robin – The second graphic novel – and the third YA novel – on the list is the most recent addition to this DC property that is one of my must-buy series right now (I have already pre-ordered the next book which doesn’t even release until this summer.). You can read my full review here.

 

 

1. Assistant to the Villain – This was my most anticipated novel of the year, and it delivered on all accounts. I still remember digging into this the minute it arrived, and not putting it down until I was done. I even did a re-read as part of my low-key Christmas reading, and it was as delightful as I remembered. The only other pre-order I have right now, in addition to the new Teen Titans book, is the sequel to this, Apprentice to the Villain, which won’t be out until August. You can read the full review for this book here.

 

REVIEW: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Summary


Evangeline desperately needs a new job. Family tragedy and then her dad’s illness have left her to bear the responsibility of providing for her family and keeping them alive.

Is a job as the personal assistant to the Villain an ideal solution? No, but it’s better than her last job which ended badly. With time, maybe she’ll get used to the severed heads and tortured screams of the Villain’s enemies.

When Evie discovers someone is sabotaging the Villain – a mole in their midst – she’s determined to find the traitor. Her boss may be a notorious Villain, but she’s become rather fond of him.

Review


I. Loved. This!!! Everything about it – the characters! The story! The ending! The cliffhanger! Immediately after finishing I wanted to start over. When I see it in the bookstore, I want to hug it. This is the perfect sort of book for me – something I am always on the hunt for. This could be my favorite book of 2023 – the quirkiness of it is right up my alley.

This is everything I love in a story – a great protagonist, a swoony love interest, a mystery to solve, fantasy elements, and some great twists. This is the full package. I can’t wait to read it again.

Fans of romantic fantasy should absolutely pick this up. Fans of quirky stories like The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and series like Pies Before Guys should try this too. Highly recommend! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!