Best 20 Novels of 2022

The Reading Frenzy's 

Below is a list of my picks of the best 20 novels of 2022, it’s a mix of print, digital and audio, some are novels I chose and some are contracted reviews for Mystery Scene Magazine and Library Journal. I hope you enjoy my picks and maybe they will inspire you to pick up a title or two or three for yourself.

 

Oceanview Publishing December Releases

December Releases

Well it won't be long until 2023 begins but there's still time to showcase Oceanview Publishing's December Releases.
Enjoy!

Merry Christmas from My house to yours

At this very special time of year there are many traditions that make Christmas magic and one of those is always reciting this poem every Christmas Eve. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and may all your Christmas dreams come true.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Review: A Wish For Winter by Viola Shipman

Well here in the Midwest like most of the country we're bracing for a blustering winter storm the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. Not much snow but what snow that falls will be blowing around causing havoc for drivers with 50 mph wind gusts and temps dropping from the 30s to below zero in mere hours.
So I suggest you draw closed the drapes and the blinds to keep out the cold, curl up in your favorite chair and open one last holiday story. And Viola Shipman's A Wish For Winter is the perfect choice.
See what I thought about it below.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1525804892
Publisher: Graydon House
Release Date: 11-15-2022
Length: 400pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It HERE

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
With echoes of classic Hollywood love stories like Serendipity and An Affair to Remember, Viola Shipman’s latest winter charmer following the USA TODAY bestseller The Secret of Snow is sure to tug on heartstrings and delight readers who love books about books, missed connections and the magic of Christmas.


Despite losing her parents in a tragic accident just before her fourteenth Christmas, Susan Norcross has had it better than most, with loving grandparents to raise her and a gang of quirky, devoted friends to support her. Now a successful bookstore owner in a tight-knit Michigan lakeside community, Susan is facing down forty—the same age as her mother when she died—and she can’t help but see everything she hasn’t achieved, including finding a love match of her own. To add to the pressure, everyone in her small town believes it’s Susan’s destiny to meet and marry a man dressed as Santa, just like her mother and grandmother before her. So it seems cosmically unfair that the man she makes an instant connection with at an annual Santa Run is lost in the crowd before she can get his name.

What follows is Susan and her friends’ hilarious and heartwarming search for the mystery Santa—covering twelve months of social media snafus, authors behaving badly and dating fails—as well as a poignant look at family, friendship and what defines a well-lived and well-loved life.


A Country Living Magazine Best Christmas Book to Read This Holiday Season!

My Review:

A Wish for Winter
Viola Shipman

 

A Wish for Winter, Viola’s latest holiday tale is tragic yet uplifting, beautifully penned and absolutely unputdownable from beginning to end. A heartwarming story that’s quaintly old fashioned reminiscent of times gone by, yet timely including a diverse cast of players that will have the audience believing in the magic of Christmas and Santa. The characters are an eclectic mix of quirky, charming and down to earth and they will have readers rolling on the floor laughing at their antics and pulling at heartstrings. Susan is a delight, she’s an exceptional star character, practical yet there’s part of her that still wants to believe in magic even when it seems the universe is in cahoots to keep it at bay. And how she handles the escapades put on by her friends and family and especially her BFF is eyerolling and chuckle-worthy yet she tolerates it because she loves them. Then there are Susan’s grandparents, aka Mr. & Mrs. Claus who are the epitome of love and will have every reader wishing they were their grandparents. Readers will fall in love with this factual Michigan town especially dressed in its winter finery and all its fictional residents and the way they care for each other. If you love novels by Susan Wiggs, Kristin Hannah and Patti Callahan you will love this.

Susan Norcross was raised to believe in the magic of Christmas, after all both her parents and grandparents played Mr. & Mrs. Claus for their quaint Michigan town as soon as the Thanksgiving turkey was put away. And her mom and grandmother both met their future husbands dressed as Santa, so Susan believed that she would too. She believed it so much that in the 4^th grade she wrote a poem called The Single Kringle and in it she detailed just how she would meet her Kringle. Then her parents died tragically, and the magic was gone. She did, thanks to her loving grandparents who took over raising her, get some of the magic back but life was never the way it used to be.

Now fast forward twenty-six years….

Susan is turning forty, the age her mom was when she died and although she is the owner of a successful bookshop and is surrounded by dear friends and her beloved grandparents, she can’t help but focus on the one thing she thought she’d have by now, her very own Kris Kringle.

 But when at the annual Chicago Santa run she meets who she thinks may be her very own Santa she thinks the tides have turned, they have an instant connection and agree to meet up after the race. But when he disappears without a trace Susan once again is alone wondering why she even tries.

Little does she know that her bestie, a social media influencer has come up with a plan to reunite Susan with the Santa that got away. And what happens next is a gone viral comedy of errors, hot Santas, romance and Susan more often then not questioning her choice in BFFs.

 

About the author:

Wade Rouse is a popular award-winning memoirist and internationally bestselling author of twelve books, which have been translated into twenty languages and selected as Today show Must-Reads, Indie Next Picks and Michigan Notable Books. Rouse writes fiction under his grandma’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the woman whose heirlooms inspire his writing. He lives in Michigan and California, and hosts Wine & Words with Wade, A Literary Happy Hour, every Thursday.

#MacmillanAudio review of A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones

Today I'm reviewing the (hopefully not) finale of Darynda Jones' Sunshine Vicram series, A Hard Day for a Hangover. A little bird told me it's the last one but the ending gives me hope for more. Whichever way it goes it was FANTASTIC!
Enjoy!

ASIN: B09GCKK3GT
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 12-06-2022
Length: 10hours & 32minutes
Sunshine Vicram #3
Source: Publisher for Review
Buy It: Audible/Chirpbooks

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview: 

A Library Reads Pick

The blockbuster conclusion to the bestselling Sunshine Vicram trilogy

"Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun." ―New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder―the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him―and Sunshine―for good.

Like we said, the new day can take a hike.

Compulsively readable, laugh-out-loud funny, and brimming with big-hearted characters, A Hard Day for a Hangover will have readers cheering to the very last page."Fans will be delighted." -Publishers Weekly

#MacmillanAudio Review of Santa's Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt

Whether you're just starting (naughty on you) your holiday shopping or if you're putting the last bow on the gifts under the tree, Santa's Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt should be playing through your earbuds. I reviewed the print copy of this Christmas chiller for the last copy of Mystery Scene Magazine so to see my full review be sure and buy a copy wherever quality magazines are sold. But I also listened to the #MacmillanAudio edition and I'm happy to share it with you all here.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B09Q77FH1Z
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 10-11-2022
Length: 6hours & 41minutes
Andy Carpenter Mysteries #26
Source: Publisher for Review
Buy It: Audible/Chirpbooks

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

This program is read by award-winning longtime series narrator, Grover Gardner.

"Listening to Grover Gardner narrating a David Rosenfelt novel is like sliding into favorite slippers at the end of a long day: One feels the joyful gratification of a perfect fit."—AudioFile Magazine on Bark of Night

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his humorous investigating team return in Santa's Little Yelpers, the next Yuletide mystery in David Rosenfelt’s bestselling series.

'Tis the season in Paterson, New Jersey: Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are surrounded by holiday cheer. It’s even spread to the Tara Foundation. The dog rescue organization, not used to having puppies, has their hands full with a recent litter. Eight puppies are a lot to handle, and Andy is relieved when his co-worker Chris Myers agrees to foster them.

Myers, a newer employee at the Tara Foundation, did time for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. When Myers discovers a key witness against him lied on the stand, he goes to Andy to ask for representation in getting the conviction overturned. Myers thinks they can have this wrapped up by Christmas, no problem.

But when the witness is murdered, and Myers is arrested for the crime, things go from bad to worse. Suddenly, it’s all elves on deck to make a list and check it twice, so they can prove Myers is innocent.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

#GIVEWAY Review: Alaska for Christmas by Jennifer Snow #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual

Well all good things must come to an end and so this is the last day of the    #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza. First I want to thank our sponsor Harlequin, the publisher who makes the world go round and second my blog partner who helps make my blog better all year long Sophia Rose and of course last but never least our readers who are so important to us. You've got until midnight tonight to enter the 2 FAB #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. See you all next year!

Today for the finale I'm reviewing Jennifer Snow's holiday romance Alaska for Christmas #2 in her Wild Coast series.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only 

Please use Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Sophia Rose Reviews The Captain’s Christmas Homecoming by Lauri Robinson #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual

Today on the bash Sophia Rose Reviews a Harlequin historical romance, The Captain's Christmas Homecoming by Lauri Robinson. Read what she thought and don't forget to enter the 2 Grand #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only 

Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Review: The Road to Christmas by Shelia Roberts #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual 

Today for the holiday post I'm reviewing Shelia Roberts holiday novel, The Road to Christmas, it was an absolute joy to read. See why I thought so. Then don't forget about the 2 #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only 

Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Sophia Rose Reviews Forbidden Kisses with her Millionaire Boss by Hana Sheik #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual

On today's holiday post Sophia Rose is sharing her review of Forbidden Kisses with her Millionaire Boss by Hana Sheik a new release from Harlequin's Romance line. See what she thought and don't forget to enter the 2 #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only 

Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Review: The Christmas Cottage by Christine Rimmer #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual

Today on the holiday bash I'm featuring Christine Rimmer's The Christmas Cottage, the finale in her Wild Rose Sisters Trilogy and a fantastic heartwarming holiday romance. Christine and I go waay back to when I reviewed for Romantic Times magazine, I always loved her down to earth characters and heartfelt stories for Harlequin's Special Edition line where you can still find her wonderful romance novels.  I'm sure if you give her a try like me, you'll love her storytelling. Read all about the novel and don't forget to enter the 2 #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only 

Please Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Review: All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

10th Annual

Today on the holiday bash I'm reviewing RaeAnne Thayne's really special novel, All is Bright. Fans of her Hopes Crossing series will recognize some of the costars right away and if you're a fan from the beginning you may remember the star who had a costarring role in her mother and father's novel. I hope when you read my review you'll go out and get your own copy or get one for a gift for that romance lover on your list. And don't forget to enter the 2 #giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only 

Please us the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Sophia Rose Reviews Holidays in Virgin River by Robyn Carr #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual

Today's holiday post features Sophia Rose's review of Robyn Carr's Holidays in Virgin River. Robyn's Virgin River series is one in a million, the book series began in 2012 and is now even a super successful Netflix series for 4 seasons so far. Read all about what Sophia Rose loved about this special edition containing 2 novellas and some seasonal recipes. Don't forget to enter the 2 #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a
$25.00 Amazon Gift Card
US & Canada only

 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of
Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan
All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne
& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery
US & Canada Only

 

#GIVEAWAY- Review: Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 10th Annual

Welcome back to my Harlequin Holiday blog bash, today I'm reviewing Susan Mallery's 2022 holiday novel, Home Sweet Christmas. Susan has been a go to author for many years and I have loved her series and her stand alones. There's just something very genuine about her writing and the folks of Wishing Tree, WA are as real as they get. Sip some eggnog read my review and don't forget to enter the fab #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin.
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is for a

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

US & Canada Only

 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each of

Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

US & Canada Only

Please use the Rafflecopter Form below to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY Review: The Wish List by Michelle Major #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza

 

10th Annual

Welcome back! Today I'm reviewing long time favorite author Michelle Major's 2022 holiday novel, The Wish List. I started reviewing Michelle waaay back for Romantic Times magazine where I first fell in love with the heartwarming stories she wrote for Harlequin Special Edition . Sit back and read about why I love her writing so much!
And don't forget about the 2 holiday #Giveaways sponsored by Harlequin!
Enjoy!

Giveaway #1 is a
$25.00 Amazon Gift Card
US and Canada Only

 

Giveaway #2 is for one print copy each
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne
& Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery
US & Canada Only

Please Use Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!