Short & Sweet (7)

Mini-reviews of New Adult and Romance novels that I enjoyed

The Offer by Karina Halle

[Publisher: Metal Blonde Books | Pub. Date: 4/14/2015 | Genre: New Adult]
In this companion novel to The Pact, we’re following the romantic roller coaster between Bram McGregor and Nicola Price. They have mutual friends — his younger brother is dating one of her best friends and from the moment they meet, she knew he was trouble. And undeniably hot. But in her mind, he’s living a life completely foreign to her now. She’s a single mom to a five-year old daughter, can barely afford to keep a roof over their heads and dating? Not happening. It’s not exactly how she pictured herself at 31. But Bram isn’t exactly who he appears to be and he’s determined to worm his way into Nicola’s life. And against her better judgement, she says yes when he offers her an apartment in the complex he owns. They end up living right next to one another and between their intense chemistry and his persistence, she finds herself giving in to the attraction. The drama in this one is a little heavier and mostly self-inflicted but their individual demons is part of what makes them work. They understand each other better than they initially realized and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow into something much more.

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

[Publisher: Spencer Hill Press | Pub. Date: 6/16/2015 | Genre: New Adult]
Andrea and Tanner have the ultimate love/hate relationship going on. Mainly because there’s an attraction just waiting to explode beneath the surface of their antagonistic banter. She’s always acknowledged it and fought her attraction to Tanner because she knows he’s a ladies man but suddenly he wants more than just their constant bickering. The problem is, how is he going to convince her of that? The more he gets to know her though, the more he realizes that there’s more going on beneath the surface of the party girl persona she gives off. When they, along with their respective best friends Sydney and Kyler (from the first book, Frigid!), spend a weekend getaway at a cabin, things come to a head. Whatever is between Andrea and Tanner becomes undeniable and the chemistry is absolutely there. I really enjoyed watching them give into it. But it’s not just about that. It’s also very much about how Andrea is spiraling out of control and how she refuses to acknowledge how bad it’s gotten. Her story is a bit different from what we’ve previously seen from Armentrout and I really like how she handled it.

All Played Out (Rusk University, #3) by Cora Carmack

[Publisher: William Morrow Impulse | Pub. Date: 5/12/2015 | Genre: NA, Romance]
The Rusk University series is a New Adult fave of mine and of the three, I think All Played Out is the most lighthearted and probably the most relatable. At least it is if you were that girl who was more on the timid side. Antonella (Nell) de Luca is graduating from college a year early thanks to her nonstop studying efforts. But now that the end is so close, she’s wondering if maybe she closed herself off from experiencing college fully. Her friend and roommate Dylan says she has and this inspires her to come up with a college bucket list, filled with silly things (keg stands, beer pong, football games) and bigger things (making new friends, hooking up with a jock). It’s the latter that leads her to get to know Dylan and her boyfriend’s circle of friends, particularly football player Mateo Torres. He’s known for being the life of the party and a major flirt so they seem like the most unlikeliest of pairings. Except it works. They’re majorly attracted to each other. He encourages her to let go and she does. And she reminds him of someone from his past and while that’s what he noticed first, he genuinely falls for her. It was just the right balance between fun, sexy and drama with likable characters. (Note: It also gives a bigger glimpse into Stella, whose story I’d really love to hear soon).

Second Position (District Ballet Company series) by Katherine Locke

[Publisher: Carina Press | Pub. Date: 4/13/2015 | Genre: Romance]

There are a few NA books which genuinely surprise me with complicated situations and emotions beyond that inevitable moment when the couple finally hooks up. And Second Position definitely falls into that category. Zedekiah Harrow and Alyona Miller were talented ballet dancers (she especially!), best friends and more. Then an accident rips everything away from them. His career was over, she had a breakdown that led her to take a leave of absence and they ran away from each other in their grief. Four years later, Zed is a teacher in Washington, DC and attending AA meetings. Aly is in DC as well to live with her mom while battling her own mental and physical demons during this time off. They don't expect to run into one another again but they do and suddenly all the emotions they kept at bay come rushing forward. It’s clear they never fully moved on and this second chance is one that could either make or break them and I, for one, was definitely rooting for them. Both are in such pain and as a result, the book moves at a languid, albeit charged, pace. There’s so much anger, pain, love, heartbreak, lust, jealousy and more bubbling around every encounter. For every step forward, there seems to be another that takes them back. But I turned every page hoping for them to find peace and joy. Also, I have to say that I'm always on the hunt for ballet books and I really liked how it was incorporated here. It's vital to the story without overwhelming it and is even reflected in the author's prose. I’m really looking forward to the next book! [PS. Make sure to read the prequel novella, Turning Pointe, because it gives a lot of insight into their relationship four years ago.]

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!