5 Hidden Gems of 2023

All reads were rated 4/5 or 5/5

Intro

In my blog post about sustainable reading, I explained that libraries are great for finding books and authors you haven’t heard of. I’ve become an avid library visitor, and some of my favorite books from this year are the ones I found hidden in the depths of the shelves. 

Instead of doing my top reads of 2023, because honestly, I read a lot of trashy romance that I don’t feel like discussing with you guys, I decided to make a list of hidden gems I’ve read this year. 

My Five Top Reads of 2023

Breakup, makeup by Stacey Anthony

I found this book at the local library in Lavallette and enjoyed every minute of it. The main character, Eli, is a makeup and special effects artist. 

He’s a makeup influencer with a decent following but is waiting for his big break to set him up with the big leagues. His big break comes in the form of a special effects competition. He enters with hundreds of other artists and is one of the five artists picked to compete. 

The only downside is that one of his competitors is his ex-boyfriend from high school.

Eli and his ex dated before Eli transitioned (a term referring to someone transitioning genders), so not only does he have to navigate facing his ex again, but he also has to deal with the complex feelings he still has for him. 

I’m a sucker for a cute queer love story, and this one was definitely a story I haven’t read before. 

While it’s a romance story, Eli’s learning to accept himself and to be confident in his skills is a big part of the book. He has to come to terms with some not-so-great decisions he made in the past and struggles to figure out what he wants with himself and his ex.

I love trashy romances just like the next girl, but I love a romance plot with depth and layers. This book touches on transitioning, sexuality, and anxiety – adding a deeper meaning to the romantic story. 

I recommend this book if you want a messy run-in with an ex and a cute story of maybe falling back in love. If you read it, let me know what you think!

All Hail the Underdog (Breakaway Series) by Eli Massey

This next book I didn’t find in the library, but instead, when I was scouring the internet for another queer hockey romance book. I’m obsessed with hockey romance. 

Over the summer, I found the first two books of this series and loved them. They were a little cheesy and cliche but still fun to read.

This is the third book of the Breakaway Series and follows two new characters in their final year of high school.

I read the first two books this summer, Like Real People Do and Like You’ve Nothing Left to Prove, and even though they didn’t make this list, I still recommend them!

In the third book, our two main characters, Patrick Roman(Rome) and Damien Bordeaux, meet when Rome transfers schools to join the hockey team. If you love a story about two characters from two very different lives, this one is for you.

Rome isn’t our classic bad boy. He comes from an abusive and troubled home and is attempting to change things around with a possible hockey career.  When he meets Damien, the rich and friendly guy on his hockey team, Rome instantly dislikes him. 

No two people could be more different, but we all know what they say: opposites attract. 

I liked how, again, even though the book is a romance, there are other elements to the story, like poverty and race, that strengthen the plot. Massey explored how these themes shaped her characters. 

Once Damien and Rome find level ground and begin a sort of friendship, the audience gets to read probably one of the sweetest slow burns of their life. 

I enjoyed watching these characters tear down their walls for only each other and become the person the other so desperately needed. I’m also a sucker for a rough-on-the-exterior character falling for the soft, open book. 


I recommend this book if you like hockey books and want a m/m story. 

Dances by Nicole Cuffy

I only recently realized that fiction, romance, and fantasy can all be considered their own genre. And now that I think about it, I never really read solely fiction books.

This book follows Cece Cordell, a black principal ballerina at the New York City Ballet, and how she navigates her life as a professional dancer. 

There were sort of three different plots going on in one: Cece’s ballet, her brother, and her relationship with herself. I liked reading this book because although Cece had the career of her dreams, she still struggled with who she was and who she wanted to be.

The author used Cece’s career to incorporate different elements like race, eating disorders, family, and self-confidence into one common thing: dance. The ballet storyline gave Cuffy a great baseline to explore those themes and topics through an interesting perspective. 

I felt like my brain was being fed when I read this book. Instead of a book packed with crazy storylines and characters, this one posed thought-provoking questions. 

I recommend this book to anyone who likes fiction books and tricky female characters! 

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte 

This is another library find. Four Dead Queens takes place in the Kingdom of Quadara. The queendom is split into four sections, each with its own queen. The four queens live in one palace and rule Quadara together.  

Until the first queen is found dead, then the next queen, and the next one, until finally, all four are dead. 

The book follows our main character, Keralie Corrington, a master thief and pickpocketer. Keralie’s life is going smoothly until it isn’t, and she ends up being the only person who knows about the dead Queens. 

You know those books when you know what will happen, but somehow you still think something else will? This is one of those books.

The world-building is incredible, and I mourn that this is a standalone book. This is another fantasy that I highly recommend. It has some romance, but Keralie’s jump-into-danger mindset is the book’s main focus. 

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland 

You’re probably tired of me talking about this book, but too bad. I won’t stop! 

Check out my book review to hear why I love it so much. 

I just finished rereading this book, and it still had me blushing and smiling and swooning. Like Four Dead Queens, this book’s world-building was amazing. Everything is incredibly detailed, from religion to food to clothing. 

It breaks my heart that it’s a stand-alone.

As you’re probably realizing, I tend to read mostly queer books, and I struggle to find queer fantasy. This book is a beautiful love story between a prince and his most trusted guard. 

Kadou and Evemer could be considered enemies to lovers, and the transition from foes to friends is addicting. 

Just to persuade you to read my last review, I’m not saying anything else. 

Also, an exciting update, the author just announced that she wrote a prequel in a different character’s point of view. Another reason to check it out!

Overall

I hope this list is filled with books you’ve never read and that you add them to your TBR list. If you read any of them, let me know!

Also, I made a book Instagram, and I’d love it if you all checked it out. Just type in jujwrites on Instagram, and you’ll find my cute, little account. 

Don’t forget to sign up for emails!

Love you bye x