Blogger Spotlight; Laura’s Favourite NA Reads!

Hey Guys!
Today I have a lovely guest post for you from the lovely Laura. She has outlined her favourite NA with enough description for you to see which ones you may want to read!
Hope you enjoy it.

There is a common misconception that all New Adult books are contemporary romances set in college with lots of steamy sex scenes between the main characters. Whilst the majority of book are contemporary romances (with varying levels of sexual content) there are lots of others of almost any genre you could possibly wish for.

This variation means that most people could find an NA novel that they would love, even if they aren’t a fan of the typical romances that currently dominate the category. I personally am a huge fan of paranormal novels and it is only due to NA books that I am currently reading lots of contemporary. Here are my 10 personal favourite New Adult books in random order. There is a mix of different genres so hopefully there will be something that interests you.

Stitch by Samantha Durante (paranormal/dystopian) – This book still amazes me. It is a bit of a mix of genres with one of the most unexpected twists I have ever experienced. Stitch is hugely different to how New Adult books are portrayed in the fact there is no sex. None. At all. It is less sexual than your average YA and is perfect for someone who wants to try NA but doesn’t want any sexual content.

Taking Chances by Molly McAdams (contemporary romance) – Gripping, heart-breaking and one of the single most emotional books I have ever read. A more typical NA novel – contemporary romance set at college – but with an emotional intensity that few have. This is a love or hate kind of book; It is one of my all-time favourites out of all books but I also know people (whose opinions I greatly respect) who hated it. If you do read it then prepare to have your heart ripped into microscopic pieces. I would recommend reading it with a box of tissues, lots of chocolates, a teddy bear and a punching bag all handy.

The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski (contemporary) – Possibly more than any other book this shows what truly makes a book NA. It’s a story of a girl on a road trip to nowhere discovering who she is and maturing into a grown up. It mixes laugh out loud moments, emotion and some sweet romance. A sequel was recently announced that made a lot of readers – including me – very happy.

Slumber by Samantha Young (fantasy) – Most people know Samantha Young for her NA contemporary novel On Dublin Street or for her YA books. However my favourite book of hers is the NA fantasy novel Slumber which is very loosely based on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. In this twist on the well-known tale, the main character is “Sleeping Beauty’s” best friend and she must go on a perilous journey to find a magical plant with the power to awaken her. There is supposed to be a second novel coming at some point in the future but I have no idea when.

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire (contemporary romance) – Another book that people seem to either love or hate. For me, I love the fucked-up dysfunctional romance between the characters. They are both a little possessive and make stupid decisions but the love underlying that is so strong. It has a relationship where they get into arguments and fall out but for some people that is reality. Not everyone gets a fairy-tale.

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder (fantasy) – Whilst not marketed as NA I think this story fits perfectly into the category. The main character is about 19/20 and the content of the story is just a little too dark for readers in the lower end of the YA age range. It is definitely a 16+ type book – the main character was supposed to be executed for murder at the start of the book but is made the king’s poison taster instead. I always see this book in the adult section of shops but it is definitely best suited for 18 – 25 year olds (the New Adult target age).

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines (contemporary romance) – This has one of the most swoon worthy male characters to ever grace the pages of a novel. I dare you to try and read this without falling in love with Beau. The characters in this book do lots of growing up and breaking away from the children they were. I have a bit of a pet-peeve that usually makes me hate a book if its included but The Vincent Brothers successfully pulled off including it.

Because of Low by Abbi Glines (contemporary romance) – Another Abbi Glines book! She is probably my favourite New Adult author as she has about 10 books that are all amazing (and I quite want to have them all on this list). Words can’t really describe why I love this book so much. It is just simply amazing.

Strength by Carrie Butler (paranormal romance) – The paranormal romance genre is rapidly growing in NA with several books being released each week. Strength is probably my favourite so far. It breaks away from the common tropes in a college set romance and has an amazingly thought out storyline. It’s another example of a NA book without any sex though this one still gets pretty steamy *fans self*.

Captured by Erica Stevens (paranormal dystopia) – For anyone who never again wants to read a vampire book this may change your mind. It’s dark, tense and full of intrigue. After I read this I had to instantly buy the second and there is a recently released third that I plan to read asap. This and several of the authors other books are currently free on amazon so you should go and download them now. You won’t regret it.

So there are some of my favourite New Adult books though there are many other amazing ones I haven’t mentioned. I hope that a book or two caught your eye and has encouraged you to try New Adult. There is a vast array of NA novels to suit all tastes so everyone will be able to find something they enjoy. Thank you to Faye for being lovely and allowing me to hijack her blog post. I hope you all liked what I had to say and if you want to discover more NA reads my blog is about half YA and half NA and the New Adult book club always loves to say hello to new members.

I don’t know about you but I just got a whole pile of new books to add to my overflowing TBR pile! Thanks for writing that post for us Laura. It’s been great to be able to host you today.