Anticipated Books of March 2023

It’s the end of the month so time to look ahead to my most anticipated books publishing in March. And I have so many advanced copies for March (way more than the ones listed below) that I’ve actually gotten a head start and read a few of these!  You can see my ratings and excerpts from my review for those three below; for the others I'll just provide a brief description from the publisher's blurb. Some of these are by authors I’ve read and loved; some I’ve seen major bookstagram hype; others just sound intriguing to me. 

Here they are by US publication date:

Good For You by Camille Pagan (3/1) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This contemporary fiction/romance centers on main character Aly, who has a bit of a professional and personal meltdown, which leads to her fleeing NYC for the Michigan lake house her brother left her when he died less than a year before. She’s been avoiding dealing with it, since it’s only when she gets there that she discovers he also left it to his best friend, who is living there too. In addition to dealing with him, Aly spends the book grappling with her past and what she wants out of her future. I’m a long time fan of Camille Pagan and have read every single one of her previous books, so when I saw that her new book was available this month as one of the Prime First Reads choices, I jumped to get it - so if you want it too, you have just today and tomorrow left to do so! And, happy to say it was another good one!  Just know that it is heavier than you might think from the cover.

Off the Map by Trish Doller (3/7) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This is the third in a loosely linked rom com series though you can read them all as stand-alones - though I recommend reading them in order! Float Plan is about Anna, The Suite Spot is about Anna’s sister Rachel, and this one is about Anna’s best friend Carla. The premise is that Carla is traveling to Ireland to be the maid of honor at Anna’s wedding, where Eamon, the groom’s brother and best man is going to drive her to the countryside for their wedding. Their trip turns into a series of adventures, and of course they fall for each other as well. If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, you should enjoy this one too - though warning, this one is steamier! And if you haven’t but you enjoy loosely linked romance series like Jasmine Guillory’s, give this series a try.

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell  (3/7) - This semi-cozy mystery has been described by some as The Great British Baking Show meets Agatha Christie.  It's set in a remote mansion in the Vermont countryside where a hit American baking competition tv show is being shot, where the stakes are high for the baking competition - but things take a turn when a dead body turns up.  I'm currently reading this one and its good so far.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (3/14) - Ann Napolitano's last book, Dear Edward, was a 5 star book for me and one of my top 10 favorites of 2020.  So I'm eager to read this one!  It's a family drama, taking place over decades in the life of four sisters.

Kunstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine (3/14) - Cathleen Schine has also appeared on one of my top 10 lists, with her book The Grammarians making my top 10 favorites of 2019.  According to the publisher, her new book alternating between 2020, when Julian comes to LA to visit his 93 year old grandmother and ends up staying with her through the Covid lockdown, and the past as Mamie regales Julian with stories of her life starting from 1939 (when her family escaped the Nazi regime and came to LA).

Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig (3/21) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- This historical novel goes back and forth between 1896, when new Smith graduate Betsy is in Greece as one of only two women in an archaeological program (and where later in the book, war breaks out); and 1898, when Betsy joins the Red Cross as a nurse headed towards Cuba where the Americans are joining the Cubans to fight the Spanish (and with some 1898 chapters instead from the perspective of one of the “Rough Riders” soldiers). Eventually we see how Betsy ended up on this very different path in life. And based on the title, you know there’s going to be a little romance eventually two. And, it’s another winning historical novel by Lauren Willig. I am a long-time fan of hers - I’ve read all 12 of her Pink Carnation series books, along with four out of six of her stand-alone novels prior to this one. And honestly, she never lets me down! She always writes such great spunky female characters, and keeps things not too heavy for historical fiction - though this one is probably one of her more serious ones.

Earth’s the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg (3/21) - This historical novel is a prequel to Berg's book The Story of Arthur Truluv and other books set in present day Mason, Missouri.  This one is set in 1947, and is about when Arthur is 16.  The rest of the series are such sweet, heart-warming books, so I'm hoping that this one is more of the same.

American Mermaid by Julia Langbein (3/21) - According to the publisher, this debut novel "follows a writer lured to Los Angeles to adapt her feminist mermaid novel into a big-budget action film, who believes her heroine has come to life to take revenge for Hollywood's violations."  Sounds so original and I am looking forward to reading it!

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon (3/21) - I loved Lacie Waldon's first two books, which were rom coms, and sounds like this one adds a dash of The Westing Game a middle grade book which is one of my favorite books of all time.  It's set in a small town in Georgia, where the richest man in town dies and his will reveals a competition where the winning duo will inherit his fortune.  The book follows hometown girl Jess, and Jasper's grandson who was always too busy to visit, who team up to compete for the fortune.  

Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash (3/21) -This debut historical novel is getting rapturous reviews from many of my early reader friends.  Per the publisher, it "tells the story of two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the shy, irresistible young woman who will call them both her own."

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Are any of these on your to-read list?  Have you read any of these already?  Any other books publishing in March that you're excited for?