Best New Adult Books I’ve Read in 2013
(Published at any time, read in 2013)
Today was a "choose your topic" day, so I chose to list the Top 10 New Adult titles I read this year. There are a lot of bad books in every category, but I feel like New Adult books were both the most popular and most maligned this year. Therefore, I'd love to recommend some of my favourites if you're new to the category or just looking for the best of the bunch.
In no particular order. . .
TOP 10 NEW ADULT
- Rush Me by Allison Parr (I enjoyed how this focused on more than just the romance -- it was really about Rachael navigating the post-grad world as well. Girl is involved in publishing, guy is NFL quarterback.)
- A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers (This is a book I look back on and feel butterflies in my stomach thinking about how emotionally tied to the story I was. Please don't be squicked out by the step-sibling or almost-priest romance. It works, I swear.)
- Price of a Kiss by Linda Kage (This is one of those books where the concept (gigalo!) makes you go "what?!" but the actual story is just lovely. Bonus: a heroine with an emotionally scarring past who is cheery and upbeat, willing to move on)
- Only Between Us by Mila Ferrera (Mila is another author who can write "broken people finding one another" stories where you actually believe in the emotions, and where the issues don't encompass all of who the characters are)
- One & Only by Viv Daniels (written by Diana Peterfreund under an alias, this one is a perfect example of what I wish more NA was like: college, romance, friends, family -- all these things included in a "what's next??" type of story. Bonus: science geek main characters)
- The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely (This book is gritty, emotional, and beautiful. It so easily could have been over the top because of the subject matter (sex addiction), but Lauren has written flawed characters who are more than their labels)
- At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey (Another one where I plead for you to look past the subject matter (girl sells her virginity in an auction), because Brenna has written something so smart, lovely, and romantic)
- True by Erin McCarthy (If you hand me another NA where a tattooed bad boy falls for the virgin princess I'm liable to freak out, but Erin McCarthy has written this book and made me love it. That alone is a pretty big endorsement ;))
- Stir Me Up by Simone Elkins (Technically a YA, but works well as a YA/NA hybrid. A young, injured veteran deals with his new reality, while a young chef tries to figure out life after high school. Basically: SO. GOOD.)
- Deeper by Robin York (comes out on January 28: Ruthie Knox writing under a pen name; a very smart book centred around "revenge porn", a girl dealing with sexual photos posted without her consent -- the fallout from that, and the complicated guy she falls for in the meantime)
If you'd like even further NA recommendations, be sure to check out my NA Recs Shelf on Goodreads.
Just added a bunch of these to my Goodreads list – thanks for the recs, Ashley! :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Miss Ashley! I always love your NA recs! About half of these I've read and enjoyed so I'm psyched to check out the rest :)
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