I’m (Mandi) kind of new to the New Adult (NA) genre. I don’t know why I held out. I honestly think part of it was because there was so much hype and discussion about the genre I was over it before I even tried it.
However, there is this place called Twitter where I see people tweet all of these “OMG THIS BOOK AHHH” tweets all the time and I have zero control when it comes to said tweets. There are also people/friends (one named Tori) that are always talking about these fantastic NA books they’ve read. SO. After seeing a flip-out tweet over The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen last week, I bought it and devoured it in one sitting. Then I read Easy by Tammara Webber and adored. I just finished Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry and I’m want to read more by her.
There has been much discussion about what the NA genre actually encompasses. I take it as college aged kids or adults who are done with college and ready to start a new direction in their life. While I have not read a ton of NA, the ones I have read and enjoyed are emotional and somewhat angsty. The hero and heroines have dealt with some pretty big issues. There are also funny, light-hearted NAs out there too. I’ll get to them eventually.
Tori reads a ton of NA, so I asked her to compile a list of her favorites. I’ll turn it over to her.
Tori: I jumped on the NA band wagon a while ago. Since I love YAs so much it really wasn’t a huge leap for me. Here are some of my favorite must read NA’s.
The Coincidence Of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
A compelling and emotional tale of two young adults who, through a chance of fate, find each other and begin the difficult task of trying to heal from their abusive pasts. (Mandi notes: It ends with a cliffhanger. Book two out this August.I didn’t mind the cliffie but I know some like to wait. Also I wrote a big review and totally forgot so will post it soon!) Goodreads l Kindle
The Avoiding series by K.A. Linde
A crazy unpredictable roller coaster ride of love, lies, and betrayal in a soap opera like setting. Goodreads l Kindle
Easy by Tammara Webber
A sweet and deceptively complex romance that offers healing and acceptance when a chance meeting changes the lives of two college students. (Mandi notes: She REALLY liked this one) Goodreads l Kindle
True by Erin McCarty
A sweet, romantic, dynamic coming of age romance that starts on a bet and becomes much more when a math geek and a playa’ are willing to set aside their preconceptions and take a chance on each other Goodreads l Kindle
One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy
A Cinderella-esque style story that takes a horrible subject matter not often addressed and builds an emotionally heart wrenching story around it. Goodreads l Kindle
Wait For You by J Lynn
Emotionally heart tugging with a healthy balance of laughter…Wait For You shows us an damaged young woman who struggles to let go of her past in order to embrace her future. Goodreads l Kindle
Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin
A complex story of love, loss, betrayal, and redemption when a young man returns to his hometown and the woman he never stopped loving. Goodreads l Kindle
True Love Story by Willow Aster
A bittersweet story about a love affair that went terribly wrong and the lengths one will go to for forgiveness and a second chance at love. Goodreads l Kindle
Find You In The Dark series by A Meredith Walters
(Mature YA that crosses over into NA)
A powerful dynamic story about loving someone with a mental illness and the hard choices one has to make in order to survive and reclaim their life. Goodreads l Kindle
What have been your favorite NA reads? We’d love to know.
Is it me or are most of those covers pretty hot? I think I need a cigarette now.
I am intrigued by One Week Girlfriend. Is there a cliffhanger ending?
Yes, but not a tragic OMG one. The second book is the conclusion.
I just read the The Coincidence Of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen based on a tweet I read from Mandi. It was my first NA book & I love, love, loved it. I wept when I saw book two has an August release date. If any of the other books you recommended are as good, I may be an NA convert for life :)
Yay!
I think you would like Easy by Tammara Webber (only one book – no sequel) and I liked Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry too (they start as seniors in high school). Both have similar strong emotional issues and stuff.
Dying for August. :)
I just bought Find You In The Dark, Easy & One Week Girlfriend on Kindle since Tori sold me on them. Now I will head back over & buy Pushing the Limits. My credit card is smoking! Keep the good recs coming ladies :)
Find You In The Dark hurt my heart.
Mandi,
First time caller, long time listener, so to speak. I adored Easy, but I did have an issue at the beginning. I had a hard time forgiving J for letting what happened go. Did you?
For J not perusing charges against what’s his face for attempted rape?
Yeah, because of what happened to the other girl at the end. J’s not reporting what happened to her had a devastating consequence to another girl. I had a hard time with that.
I agree….I wish she had had the courage to report it at first too. I thought it played out ok though after that.
I’ve read Easy and The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden due to the tweets from Tori and Mandi. Awesome books
Glad you liked!
I want to add that Katie McGarry’s Pushing The Limits series is also FANTASTIC and while not technically NA, it’s still well worth reading.
Good post ladies, I’ve now added more to my list to try.
I have really liked the Colleen Hoover books Slammed and Point of Retreat, I’ve not read Hopeless yet but it’s in the cue.
Also enjoyed Losing It by Cora Carmack. This story was less intense than many of the NA books I’ve read with plenty of humour.
I also enjoyed Rush Me by Allison Parr. Hero is a mega successful football quarterback and heroine is struggling to get into the publishing industry. Plenty of angst, emotion and sarcasm.
I agree regarding Easy (a fav), Pushing the Limits, and True.
The popularity of NA is evidenced by the multitude of reviews on Amazon, as well as reviews & ratings on Goodreads. I have to say reviewing these books seems rather redundant but I have posted couple but don’t go out of my way to do so unless it’s a new author and I enjoyed the book. :)
Thanks for the chance to chat about NA ladies! :)
I NEED to read Colleen Hoover. That is next on my list
I sometimes think you need to be in a certain mood for a specific genre to enjoy it. I read Easy by Tammara Webber in October and liked well enough but not nearly as much as other readers. Recently though I read The Coincidence Of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen (like Amber it was because of a tweet by Mandi) and I loved it. I decided to reread Easy after I finished that one and found I liked it so much more this time around. Now I am on a NA binge and trying to decide between Wait for You and True.
Yes – I was in an angsty mood and hadn’t read something similar to a NA for so long. I was ready :)
Tori is reviewing True today – it looks good
Read The Stillness of You by Julie Bale and really enjoyed. I have Ten Tiny Breaths by K A Tucker and Hopeless by Colleen Hoover waiting for me on my Kindle. Looks like I need to add Forever My Girl and One Week Girlfriend to my TBR list.
I LOVED Stillness Of YOu and Ten Tiny Breathes (the the ending threw me a little. I really need to read Hopeless.
I really liked Easy, Wait For You and Pushing the Limits. I would also recommend all of Colleen Hoovers books they are terrific. Based on the recommendations I just bought The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden…it sounds like one I would love. Although I know I am going to hate the cliffhanger!
No, I just ‘cant. I can’t see them as anything but YA with sex. And if I want sex I want it angst free
Ah – there is angst. LOL
Great post! I’ve heard lots about New Adult but didn’t know where to start. I think I’ll definitely check out these books. Thanks :)
Hope you find something you like :)
Really great post. I started reading NA books last year to see what they were about and most of them have been pretty good. I’ve read and enjoyed all the ones that Tori recommended above. I just finished Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder. I thought that one was pretty good too. I’m getting ready to read Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, it’s been on my Kindle forever waiting on me.
Promise Me Darkness by Paige Weaver was good, but different. That’s a NA one, but with a big twist, not really post apocalyptic, but more like a homeland security issue involved. The heroine bugged me some, but for the most part the book was so different than the other NA ones. It does have a sequel though, but I knew that upfront before I started to read it.
Hmm..Promise Me sounds verra different. Going to look it up
Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman-this is not a romance BUT its a good NA book
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley- this one is a sweet, sad and funny romance NA
Thanks!
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