New Year New Adult! Dangerous to Know and Love by Jane Harvey-Berrick.

Silence is only skin deep.
Nineteen year old Daniel Colton is the guy all the girls want to date, and the man all the guys want to be. Moody, with an explosive temper, closed off and sullen, he’s also beautiful, tatted in delicious ways, with a pierced eyebrow and spiky black hair. It’s rumoured he has piercings in other places, too. Is he really mad, bad and dangerous to know?
Daniel lives with his older brother, Zef, and their home is party central. You want drugs, a good time, liquor, no questions asked? Colton’s is the place to go.
When Daniel and good girl Lisanne Maclaine have to work together on an assignment, Lisanne finds there’s a lot more to the college’s bad boy than his reputation. He’s intelligent and funny and good company. And then she discovers his secret, why he’s so closed off to everyone, and determined to keep people at arms’ length. But being his secret-keeper is harder than she ever dreamed.

What I loved:
Daniel- I loved Daniel's character. He had an sort what unfair background but I liked how he hard he worked. I liked his relationship with his brother Zef. They were so different and the relationship was a bit dysfunctional however it grew as Daniel began to understand some of the burdens Zef felt and as Zef learnt to be Daniel be himself a bit more and make new friends etc. More than anything I really enjoyed the journey that Daniel went on, he learnt to accept who he was, take advice and help from others and to let people in.
Daniel's Secret- I loved this! Such a great and unique issue* to tackle in New Adult contemporary fiction. I found the way it was explained and explored informative and realistic. I loved the progression throughout the book and how Lisanne encouraged him to share his secret with his new friends, their non fazed reactions were realistic and showed Daniel that he could be accepted. It was heart breaking to see how much h's secret had slowly taken away his ability to engage with his passions, such a genuine expression of what many people face. I really enjoyed how Daniel started to accepted himself and make his own decisions relating to his secret calmly using facts and his ambitions to guide him. Once again an issue that needs more attention in fiction and an informed portrayal.
Side Characters- I really enjoyed all the well written side characters! Lisanne's parents were obviously a bit wary of Daniel to begin with, especially with how they first met him! I liked how her mother tried to take a more levelled view of their relationship and held the peace between them all. Lisanne's Dad spent a lot of the book at odds with Lisanne but I admired how he helped Daniel without a second thought and he did eventually accept their relationship! I loved the bromance between Daniel and Harry, Lisanne's brother. Their slightly awkward discussions about girls etc. were fun to read and it showed Daniel as a positive role model. Pops was the most accepting of Daniel and I enjoyed their bonding over Daniel's motorbike. Daniel's family just consisted of Zef. Zef was an interesting character, he could be intensely unlikeable at times but I found myself drawn to him as he had taken on so much so young and he was trying to create a better life for Daniel. I think he ended up in the best place for him to start over and focus on his own life. Lisanne's roommate Kirsty was the complete opposite of Lisanne. Kirsty was loud, fun and very confident, I loved how protective of Lisanne she was and how suspicious she was of Daniel, for good reason! I enjoyed how she stood up for Daniel at the station though, it showed how loyal and fair she could be. Her boyfriend, Vin and his friends were a great group of guys. I loved how Vin was great at judging people such as Shawna and Daniel, he made a great effort at including Daniel even more so after learning about his secret! I could go on and on about the side cast but those were my favourites!

What I didn't love as much:
Swearing- I'm not overly fussy about swearing in books so I was surprised by how much the language in this book bothered me! It just seemed unnecessary at times.

Rating!

I really enjoyed the unique elements of this book and the fantastic side cast!

 

 Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Your scavenger hunt clue is

18 

 

*P.S I used the words 'issue' and 'secret' in an effort not to spoil the book for others!

Finding It by Cora Carmack.

Kelsey Summers is looking for love in all the wrong places.
Spending a few months travelling around Europe - with no parents, no responsibilities and a no limit credit card - Kelsey's having the time of her life.
But when she completely embarrasses herself in front of the hottest guy she's ever seen, she soon realises there's more to life than the next party.
What she doesn't realise is that although she's on a journey to find herself, she will end up finding The One...

Thoughts

I knew I'd enjoy Kelsey's story throughout the series she has been the 'wild' one out of group so I was a expecting an exciting book! I was worried to begin with because sometimes European settings fall flat or overtake the story but I really loved the setting in Finding It.
The journeying aspect was very realistic and fed into the plot perfectly. I loved the Budapest night of Baths, I have to experience that for myself! The romantic portrayal of Italy was brilliant and again went with the plot. I actually found that the destinations and journeys complimented the plot at all the right times.
I enjoyed Kelsey, she was bold and brassy. She had a surprisingly deep and complex background which was slowly revealed and explained so much about her character. I loved how she grew into herself and as a person. I really respected how she travelled solo although at times she was completely reckless and needed to keep in contact better. 
I found Jackson such a mysterious character. The way he kept poping up wherever Kelsey was initially seem quite odd but he was so enigmatic and charming that it wasn't as weird as it could of been! I loved how he slowly warmed up to Kelsey and saw through her brassy exterior, especially his reactions to how bold she could be. I did find his secretive behaviour annoying at times though!
The ending for me was the best part as Kelsey had really grew as a person and become responsible and independent. She was no longer needlessly reckless and had started working on her familial relationships. The only bad part of this book was the lack of Cade! I was expecting an update at least!

Rating!

I loved Kelsey's journey figuratively and literally.

 

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Addicted for Now by Krista and Becca Ritchie.

He's addicted to booze. She's addicted to sex...staying sober is only half the battle.
No. More. Sex.
Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body.
Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety.
They will torment Lily until Lo breaks.
And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words.
No. More. Us.

Thoughts!
Addicted for Now has a very unique and interesting storyline, the real battle with addiction starts in this book, Lily and Lo have lived in isolation and started to learn to control their addictions, now they have to learn to live together and function with their additions. I think this plotline is especially different and to an extent informative. Lily's sex addiction is confronted as an illness and treated as such, I liked how realistic her journey was and how informed it all seemed. Lily herself seemed to come across a lot better in this book, I had previously found her socially weak and a bit annoying! However in Addicted for Now I warmed to her. Lo's alcohol addiction is something people understand more, it was good to get into his head and see how he was approaching his personal addiction. Lo himself is a hard character to understand, he can be both cruel and malicious regardless of whether he is drunk or sober but his devotion towards Lily was amazing. I admired how determinedly he helped Lily and avoided enabling her, which honestly is a hard task as a recovering alcoholic twenty something guy. I think as he grew into his sobriety he did begin to see people as friends rather than acquaintances as well as making a few apologies for his past. I loved this character growth and look forward to seeing more of Lo.
The added fear of someone going public with all this information really upped the drama and made the side cast essential. I loved Rose, Daisy, Ryke and Connor in the first book but I enjoyed seeing them all together dealing with the addictions. Rose developed a lot as a character in this book, it was great to see her and Lo connecting through their devotion to Lily and I liked seeing more of her business and personal life. Connor was as always abrasive but loyal, his approach to tracking down the stalker was methodical and meticulous and his relationship with Rose is so intriguing! Daisy also showed a more vulnerable side in this book and I could feel the tension between her and Ryke rising. Ryke was again abrasive and harsh but he had mellowed towards Lily and was a great sobriety coach for Lo. I love how much he gets Lo and seems to almost pre-empt his actions. The stand out side character for me though was Lo's Dad. In the first book he seemed cruel and manipulative and while he retained those qualities it was clear how much he cared for both Lo and Lily. I think he was one of the only 'parents' to listen and take in to consideration Lo and Lily's feelings. I actually began to really like him!
Addicted for Now is obviously just a middle step in Lo and Lily's story but it is a complete story leaving questions and conflicts for further books while resolving
small interests and moving on their personal journeys.

Rating!

I love Lo and Lily's journey, relationship and complex lives. The side cast are all brilliant to read! I can't wait for more!

Have you read this series?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by the lovely Valerie of StuckInBooks!

This Hop starts December 1st and lasts until December 12th.

Time for a Christmassy giveaway! Once again you can win a £5 Amazon gift card or whatever £5 is wherever you are!

Christmassy books you could buy!
Falling by Jolene Perry.
Set in Alaska and a bit more wintery than Christmassy but snow=Christmas!
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
The most Christmassy book I've read in years!
A Toast to the Good Times by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt.
This takes place largely during the Christmas period and is a great lighthearted read!

Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron.

Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.
At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.
Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?
Why?
I loved Katie in Deeper We Fall and I was intrigued by her relationship with Stryker and her background.

What I loved:
Katie- I loved loved her! As I suspected she was a much more complex character than she seemed. I enjoyed seeing all the different parts of her personality reveal themselves to the other characters. I  liked how straight forward and direct she could be and how hard she worked for what she wanted. Her character growth throughout the book was well written and very interesting to read, she came across as a very strong character. I especially liked how she dealt with most things to do with Stryker in perspective, no petty misunderstanding etc. very refreshing! 
Stryker- Stryker also came into to his own and emerged as a flawed good guy. I loved how he treated Katie, playing by her rules but still keeping her guessing. He was so supportive of her and I liked how encouraging he was with regards to her future and her self confidence. The sibling dynamic between Trish and Stryker was very well written and reflective of their background- I'm hoping for a future book from Trish's point of view to explore this more. I liked how he approached Katie's family and met their disapproval and questions head on, sticking with Katie when needed. All in all a great character! 
Side cast- Again love them! It was great to see group from different point of view although I missed Will! I think the group dynamic had evolved and their friendships had deepened which made  Aud, for example, more intriguing. I loved the introduction of Strker's band friends, they were a refreshingly fun and welcoming group. I enjoyed the musical banter and impromptu sing-alongs! Allan was my favourite, he seemed like a gentle soul. Katie's family were mostly lovely. Her mother was highly critical and all around a bit controlling. Her dad, however, was the opposite more accepting, he seemed to say all the right things to Katie regarding her self image etc. Kayla was a fun addition, I really enjoyed her background storyline with Adam!
Ending- Great ending! Clear character and relationship development for both Katie and Stryker and Lottie and Zan which was good to read. It gave closure while remaining  open for more books in the series.
Timing- The rapid time progression was brilliant as it meant the relationship developed at a relatively normal pace as opposed to rapidly escalating from just met to full blown relationship!
Rating!

I absolutely loved Katie and Stryker's story! I reread it all the time

Thank you to Chelsea for providing me with a review copy.
I definitely think the next Fall and Rise book will be Trish and Mickey- already looking forward to it!
Expect reviews of Chelsea's latest books this coming Friday and Monday.

Much Love!
Lettie
Xx

Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron

Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.
Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.
Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.
Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.
The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.
Why?
I loved the sound of the blurb and I think I caught it on offer!
First Impressions!
I liked that the book started back in High School on the night of the accident and then flashes forward to College moving in day. It really set up the characters' personalities and background.
What I loved:
Complex- The plot was very layered and complex. I loved how Zan and Lottie were connected both in the past and in the present. I liked that all the facts were slowly revealed with lots of twists and suprises. 
Lottie- I loved how firecly loyal she was to Lexie despite how different everything was, I think it showed how much of good person she was. The college situation can't have been easy especially with Zan and Zack so nearby but I liked how she just threw herself into it. Her relationship with Zan was again very complex and slow burning which I enjoyed.
Zan- I really felt for Zan as he had a lot hanging over him from being part of such an awful event. Especially after realising how long he'd liked Lottie from a far only to have the accident taint any relationship between them. I liked hid constant internal conflicts over Lottie and how he reacted to their budding relationship. Zan was such a good brother to Zack, who was obviously a completely ungrateful loser. I also loved how he made friends with Stryker and their friendship.
Side cast- So much love for the side cast! I adored Will and his 'Twindar' with Lottie. He was such an insightful and supportive brother and I loved his cute awkward approach with Audrey. Simon was a great addition to the group, he just slotted straight in with Will and Lottie and was such a witty positive character. I liked how Stryker sort of adopted Zan and listened to his story with no judgement, I was glad to hear he'd be in the next book! Katie was another character who grew throughout the book from what seemed like a cliché girly girl to a much more layered character, I loved her positivity and energy. Trish and Aud were two great additions each with their own intriguing background that I look forward to reading more about!
What I didn't love as much:
Zan's Family- I would of enjoyed seeing more of Zan's family and their personalities and perspectives of the whole situation as they felt a bit distant!
Lexie- One of the most tragic characters I think I've ever read! All of her potential and zest for life was snuffed out just because she liked the wrong guy.
Zack-  Zack seemed to have no redeeming qualities! He wasn't even nice or loyal to his family let alone anyone else!

Rating!

 

I really enjoyed this book with it's complex plot and great characters.

 

Have you read any of the Fall and Rise series?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Sweet by Erin McCarthy.

Jessica Sweet thought going away to college would finally make her free of her parents’ constant judgments and insistence she play chastity club role model for their church events, but if anything, the freedom has made her realize she can’t go home and be a hypocrite anymore. Tired of dodging their questions, she stays at school over the summer and lands in an unexpected crash pad: Riley Mann’s house.
Sarcastic, cocky, and full of opinions, Riley is also sexy personified with tattoos and biceps earned from working as a roofer all day. Not the right guy for her even if Jessica was looking for a relationship, which she is definitely not. But Jessica knows that Riley hides the burden of having to raise his younger brothers behind that grin and as she helps him get his house in order for a custody hearing, they begin to fall hard for each other, and she is forced to question what she’s hiding herself. 
Jessica has never had a problem getting naked with a guy, but when it comes to showing Riley how she truly feels inside, her fear of rejection may just ruin the best thing—the best guy—to ever happen to her…
Why?
I really liked Jess and Riley in True so I was hoping they would hold up in Sweet!

 Thoughts.

I loved the dynamic between Jess and Riley especially how they adjusted to living together with compromises and little arguments.
I liked Jess even more in Sweet, I loved her flair for design and her independent streak. I would have loved more with her family as there was a lot of drama and tension there.  I liked how self aware she was although she did sometimes cross over into overly critical. For example Jess knew she'd have to bond with the True boys in her own way and actively tried to. Jess really developed as a multi-layered character and I'm looking forward to this next book so I can see where Jess' career is developing!
Riley surprised me, he was a lot different than I expected, much more witty and thoughtful. I liked how he slowly warmed to most of Jess' ideas and how he treated her. Riley

I was glad to read more about the True family and to see how they have adjusted to their new family situation and especially to see how their family had developed. Easton, in particular, seemed to be progressing well under his brothers' parenting. I loved how Easton and 'U' responded to Jess who is a much more abrasive person than Rory and how she won them over.

Unfortunately because Jess hid so much from Kylie and Rory they didn't have so much of a role but we did get 'Rachel' who I definitely found interesting and I'm pretty sure she crossed a few friendship lines. I have a feeling she may be the next lead character!

Rating!

So far Jess and Riley are my favourite couple in this series!

Have you read the True series?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

New Adult Week Mini Reviews Part 2!

Mini reviews~ Sometimes I love a book but I just can't do a full review or I just back log reviews!

This edition is books I should of reviewed ages ago!
 
  The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden.

There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.
Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.
For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.
Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.
After Ella and Micha I was excited to read more of Jessica Sorensen-

Thoughts

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden has such a unique plot, I liked that they were trying to save each other. Callie and Kayden were two very broken people although Kayden seemed to have hidden it better than Callie. I couldn't believe their families! Kayden's family must have been aware of how volatile the Dad was, his Mum seemed quite pathetic and his brothers didn't seem to think twice about leaving Kayden behind. Callie's brother seemed to lack any empathy and was apparently aware of how horrible Caleb was. No wonder Kayden and Callie ended up as two very broken people!
I loved Seth and Luke. Luke really intrigued me, he was such a good support to Kayden but definitely had his own background which is why he's getting his own story! I loved Seth! I guessed he would be gay as it explained how he got so close to Callie. I really liked how he dealt with Callie so gently but still pushed her out of her shell! I think Luke and Seth made an amazing team for Callie and Kayden.

I loved the uniqueness of the plot and the strength of the characters but I did not enjoy the cliff hanger end!
 
Just For Now

 
Set in the steamy coastal Alabama town of Sea Breeze, an interconnected group of older teens hook up, break up . . . and much, much more.
Preston is one bad boy. And Amanda has harboured a crush on him for forever. When she finally makes her move on him, it does not end well. But still, she can't resist him. Especially now that he seems to be pursuing her, too.
No one wants them to be together. Not Amanda's brother, Marcus, who is on the verge of his marriage to Low, and definitely not any of Preston's buddies. They know way too much about Preston's dark side. Yet the dangerous attraction is there ... and neither Preston nor Amanda are going to deny it.
 

I love the Sea Breeze series so I downloaded and read it straight off the bat way back in November.
 
What I Loved:
Preston- I really liked Preston! I liked him in the other books so I was excited to read his story. He had such a good heart and good intentions! I admired how he dealt with his family situation and how he treated Amanda so well. I don't want to spoil his secret so I will leave it at that!
Jason- When I first heard the next Sea Breeze book would be about Jason I wasn't too interested as I hadn't read Breathe so Jason was an unknown! However I really enjoyed him in Just for Now, I loved how sweet he was and I am so intrigued by his shadow life!
Bromances- Preston was lucky to have such  a good group of friends but the bromances between him and Marcus and him and Rock were so good to read. Although Marcus didn't support Preston and Amanda to begin with he did remain loyal to Preston and knew him well enough to grow to trust him. Rock and Preston was an unexpected bromance, I think even Preston was surprised at how well Rock knew him and his apparent secrets! I loved how Rock went out of the way to help Preston in so many ways, he really helped Preston turn his life around. Both Marcus and Rock were such big parts of Preston's life, he was lucky to have them!
 Marcus and Low- I was so pleased to see more of them and hear how they were getting on!

What I Didn't Love as Much:
Amanda- I think she's the reason I didn't love this one as much as the rest of the series. I just didn't connect with her like I did with Low and Eva. She was just a bit bland to me!
Parents-Preston's mother was obviously just a very mean person! Amanda's Mum was highly judgemental for someone in her situation.

I loved the side cast and Preston just not an Amanda fan!

 
Have read either of these? Or the rest of the series?
Much Love!
Lettie.
Xxx

Nyrae Dawn on New Adult.

Second author of the week to give her opinion on the New Adult genre is Nyrae Dawn!

 

What does “New Adult” mean to you?

It’s so hard to say exactly because I think the lines can be blurry. New adult to me is just what is sounds like. It’s when you’re a “new” adult. I consider it over 18. There is safety in being under 18. Regardless of your situation, there are more laws in place to help you and parents can still be held responsible for you. That’s not the case afterward. For me, it doesn’t go over the age of 23, maybe 24. I think you should have quite a bit of practice by then.

Age isn’t everything though. It’s the experiences the characters are going through and HOW they deal with the situations.

 

What first drew you to New Adult?

I think it’s a fascinating time. I remember what it was like to be on my own for the first time. Learning how to handle my bills and all the new experiences that come with being on your own. I wanted to capture that in my writing.

 

Why did you want to write a New Adult book?

Pretty much the same as above. I love the freedom in the age and thought it would be exciting to write about.

 

What would you love to see next in New Adult?

I would love some lighter stories to go along with the heavier. I also would love to see more LGBT stories.

 

I am a compulsive reader and writer who loves YA fiction.
I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me.
I live in Southern California with my husband and two children. http://www.nyraedawn.com/

 

 

 

Thank you so much to Nyrae for very kindly taking the time to feature on my blog even with the recent release Out of Play!

I think the upper age limit could go up as high as 25 but apart from that I fully agree with Nyrae especially about lighter stories like Falling by Jolene Perry.

 

What do you think?

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx

Clash by Nicole Williams

The only easy thing about Jude and Lucy’s relationship is their love for one another. Everything else is hard.
Especially when it comes to reigning in Jude’s trigger touch temper and Lucy’s increasing jealousy of Jude’s Spirit Sister on the cheer squad who’s attached herself to him in just about every way a girl could. Feeling the stress of trying to hang on to her quintessential bad boy while becoming the foremost dancer in her class, Lucy knows something’s going to break. She wants both. She needs both. But if she doesn’t make a choice, she risks losing everything.
For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love might be the thing that just isn’t enough.

Thoughts!

Sequels where the couple are together can often go the cliché route of cheating etc. but Clash avoided that completely. I liked how their relationship was explored further and underlying issues were brought up and dealt with properly.

 

Jude and Lucy also stayed true to their characters from Crash. I still really loved Jude, he was the perfect bad boy grown up into a good guy! I liked how he remained unfailingly loyal and true although he was like all boys completely oblivious to Adriana's obvious behaviour! I liked Lucy even more in Clash- she was much more rounded as a character but remained determined to reach her dreams no matter what. Jude and Lucy also both remained very poor at communication or reading between the lines when it came to each other.

 

I definitely still really enjoyed Lucy's Dad as a character. I admired how much of an effort he made to make Jude feel welcome and comfortable despite the unbearably awkward situation they were in. I felt Lucy's mum really stepped up in Clash and engaged with Lucy. She gave great advise and actually parented Lucy instead of being as distant as she had been in Crash.

 

Holly was one of my favourite characters, she has such a pivotal role as Jude and Lucy's friend. I want to read more about her life, work and Jude junior! I also would have liked more of Lucy and Jude's school lives but there is one final Jude and Lucy book!

Rating!

I loved Clash! It didn't just throw an obstacle at Lucy and Jude but explored their relationship, the good and the bad!

I read Clash ages ago and this review has been sitting in my draft posts for ages!
Have you read Crush? Is it as good as Crash and Clash?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx.

Top Ten Tuesday: New Adult Books!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:Top Ten Favourite Books in the New Adult Genre!

 

I kind of changed this week's topic a little to fit with New Adult Week! These are my absolute favourite New Adult books in no particular order. They are all books which are labelled and published as New Adult!

 

Charade by Nyrae Dawn.

 I really love Charade- I reread it so often! I love Colt and Cheyenne's personalities and relationship and I really enjoyed the storyline!

Jet by Jay Crownover.

 Another one I enjoy rereading! Jet and Ayden were such an obvious couple and I enjoyed reading their story!

The Edge of Never by J.A.Redmerski

 I loved the plot evolution through the road trip and Andrew's attitude to life!

Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron.

 I thought I loved Deeper We Fall but I adored Faster We Burn! Katie is one of my favourite female characters I've read all year, and Stryker was exactly what she needed.

Lost and Found by Nicole Williams.



I just really enjoy Lost and Found, the setting is so unique, the side cast are all so well written and Jesse and Rowan are just great to read!

 

Because of Low by Abbi Glines.

 I love Abbi Glines' Sea Breeze series and Because of Low started my New Adult love affair! It is such a sweet book and based around family drama which I loved.



The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen.

 I loved the shared backstory Ella and Micha had and the relationship they shared! I also adored Lila and Ethan's side story- cannot wait for their own story!



Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt.

 

I have picked this one back up time and time again- it is such an engaging story and the characters are so full of life! Lengths has led me to so many other books I've loved! Such an unexpected great read. 

Easy by Tammara Webber.

I have a lot of love for this book- I've even brought it as a hard copy! It has a good message and great relationships between well written characters!

Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt

I loved the premise, the characters in Fall Guy. Evan and Winch were beautifully flawed and the Youngblood family was full of intriguing well written characters.

 

What are your favourite New Adult books?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx



What is New Adult?

 
New Adult's really found it's niche over the past year! But everyone seems to have a slightly different interpretation of what does and doesn't qualify as New Adult so I thought I would post my thoughts!

Why is New Adult necessary?
I love the Young Adult or Teen genre but it definitely focuses on young characters still in school and sometimes I do get tired of the teenage drama or parent filled lives. However I find the fiction section full of stories involving married women with children or at least people high up on the career ladder which I can never relate to!

What is New Adult to Me?
To me the New Adult genre bridges that gap in between being a teenager worried about all the dramatics that brings and being a full fledged adult with adult responsibilities.
It encompasses the 18-25 age range when people are starting to venture out of their parent's homes into the adult world whether they attend University, start full time work, or just decide where their life is heading.
New Adult covers this period of firsts and uncertainties and appeals to people who are themselves in that age range or who just enjoy reading about it!
 
What isn't New Adult?
I don't think any stories in which the main characters are under 18 or still attending Secondary/High School can be considered New Adult as those characters are still just teenagers and not usually part of the adult world.
Obviously there are exceptions but I would automatically put a book with a high school setting in the Young Age genre. However I now think of the book (dependant on subject matter) as New Adult even if the book starts just before or after High School graduation.

Is the New Adult genre just about contemporary books?
No, I think now the genre is established it will begin to branch out into different sub-genres.
I do think it's easier to write contemporary New Adult  purely because contemporary fiction had more of a gap in the market for books based on the 18-24 age range whereas other genres like fantasy are less focussed on the characters and more so on the plot. For example,  I think there are probably a lot of fantasy or sci-fi books, in particular, that would fall into the New Adult genre but are fantasy or sci-fi first so that's what they get labelled as if that makes sense!

I think I confused myself at one point writing this post so let me know what you think New Adult is?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Steph Campbell on New Adult.

Steph Campbell is the first of my New Adult authors to give their perspective on the genre

What first drew you to New Adult?
The infinite number of amazing stories to read and tell from the NA age range. To me, NA is typically college age (18-24-ish) (even if the characters don’t attend college.)

Those are the years of so many firsts. First time away from home, first real relationships, first time living along, first major responsibilities and first real time to face hurdles on your own—with no parachute. It’s an incredible time to read and write about.

 

Why did you want to write a New Adult book?
Previously, I’d written what I’d call Mature/Older YA. There wasn’t really a whole lot of (what is now referred to as) New Adult out there.

The first NA book I wrote was LENGTHS (with Liz Reinhardt). At that time, Liz and I set out to write a book that we wanted to read, but couldn’t find. A Smart, sexy, college-aged romance with a lot of heart. I hope we accomplished that with the Lengths series! J

 

What does “New Adult” mean to you?

To me, New Adult is less about sexual content (though, the age does allow for more graphic content) and more about finding yourself. I think new adult is essentially coming of age. Books about self-discovery now that you’re on your own, and turning into the person you are going to be.

 

What would you love to see next in New Adult?

More character driven books, and less reliance heavy sexual content and huge plot twists.  

 

 

Stephanie Campbell lives in Southwest Louisiana and is a happily married mother to four evil geniuses, is a nail polish addict and YA Junkie. When she isn't reading, writing or wiping someone's nose, you can usually find her baking something. She blogs at: http://stephcampbell.blogspot.com/

 

Thank you so much to Steph for very kindly taking the time to feature on my blog even as she's moving!

I definitely agree that New Adult encompasses a time of so many firsts and creates a very diverse genre!

 

What do you think?

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx