Mini-reviews of New Adult and Romance novels that I enjoyed
In Love, In English, Vera's younger brother Joshua Miles, was the one person in her family that she could depend on. When I read it, I didn't expect him to later get his own book but I'm glad he did! Josh is at a crossroads in his life. Living at home with his mom and working odd jobs to pay the bills when in reality, he's a talented artist. At a party, he meets a girl named Gemma Henare, who's been traveling alone. They have a one night stand but their connection feels like more especially as the night progresses. She returns home to New Zealand the next day but she unwittingly inspires Josh to take his life by the reins. Which is how he finds himself in New Zealand alone and hoping to find her again. Despite the slim odds, he does and all these possibilities spring up between them. The book alternates between their point-of-views as she takes him on a tour of the country and they both try to figure out what they want and how or if they can fit into each other's lives. It's a New Adult that actually captures the uncertainty of your early twenties in a (mostly) realistic but still romantic and super sexy way. (Sidenote: I say mostly realistic only because the chances of finding one another seemed impossible but it happened. Very Before Sunset-esque!)
I can't believe the Marked Men series is over! I've been following these hot, tattooed men for a while now and I have to admit, I thought it would go on forever (a girl can dream!). But luckily, it's not truly over because Jay Crownover is starting a spin-off series called The Saints of Denver so I'll still be able to get my fix (whew!). Asa was a surprisingly fitting end to the Marked Men. He was brought into the fold by his sister Ayden and always thought of himself as an outsider among this tight-knit group despite working for Rome and clicking with him. Likewise, Royal, the beautiful cop living across from Nash, is brought into the group by Saint. Together, Asa and Royal make one hot couple. That is, once he gives into her advances. I kinda liked her being the one to chase him. Her attraction to him was genuine but she's dealing with baggage that she's having a hard time letting go of. And he struggles with letting go of his past to see the new man he's become. It's all about moving forward, preferably with each other. All the push and pull between them leads to some pretty hot times and I don't think fans of the series will be disappointed in this final installment.
A Little Too Hot takes a super minor character from the first book in this series and totally goes in an entirely different direction. And you know what? It was by far, the best one. It can be read as a standalone too so even if the series didn't really peak your interest before, I'd definitely consider this one. Samantha West thought she had hit rock bottom. Flunked out of school, kicked out of her parents' house and no idea what to do next. Then her guy best friend gets her a job as a dancer at a gentlemen's club. The tips are awesome plus there are rules like no touching and no taking off your clothes. It isn't before long that she's a hit and there's one guy in particular who seems to want all her attention. That's Harrison Yates. The chemistry between them is through the roof and Sam has a hard time following the rules when he's around. Except he isn't who he appears to be and if she thought she had hit rock bottom before, well things just get a whole lot crazier. But the crazy throws these two very close together and if you like your romance with a lot of tension, then A Little Too Hot has it in spades. It took me by surprise and made me glad that I decided to give this series overall a second chance.
I've talked about Christina Lee's Between Breaths series before. It's one of my NA favorites and I was excited to hear that she was going to do this spin-off standalone called Two of Hearts. She takes two characters, Dakota Nakos and Shane Garrity (first seen in Whisper to Me), and breathes new life into them by jumping years ahead. Dakota is a strong-willed, independent businesswoman who knew she wanted to take over their family-run casino one day. But she doesn't expect the day to come so soon when her father suddenly dies. Between dealing with her grief and the pressure of running the casino, the last thing she needs is Shane returning to town and reigniting old feelings. But of course he does and the man is relentless (and sexy). It's obvious that their love and attraction for each other never went away and this opportunity gives them a chance to finally face it. But it isn't without obstacles or revelations. Dakota's story in particular deals with her being half Native American and what that means to the overall community who sponsor and support the casino. It brings into question identity and fighting for what's right. In turn, Shane has turned into a man who's more sure of himself and who knows he wants the woman right in front of him. I loved watching them reconnect and fall deeper in love than before.
Did you read and enjoy these books as much as I did?
Or do you have any NA or romance recs for me?
Let me know in the comments!
I'm so excited to read the first two books in your post! I've got Where Sea Meets Sky out from the library, and I'm planning on binging the heck out of these companion(ish) novels by Karina Halle. And, of course, I need to finish out the Marked Men series, especially after thoroughly enjoying Rule! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly not the biggest fan of NA but these reviews make me intrigued. I think Karina Halle's book is the one I'm the most excited for!
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for some NA or contemporary romance, I just finished reading Laura Kaye's Hard Ink series. It was really good. Had a lots of action and a good plot besides the romance angle.
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