Touch Me Not by Apryl Baker ♡♡♡♡.5

Touch Me Not by Apryl Baker is the first book I've read by this author, even though she's has a bunch that I may be checking out now. I'm pretty lucky because the last few books I've read have been pretty great. And Touch Me Not was no exception.

Touch Me Not tells the story of Lily. She experienced a traumatic experience as a teenager, and now she can't stand to have anyone touch her, to the point of full on panic attacks. She's in her senior year of college when she encounters Boston University’s biggest player, Nikoli. He wants her, but he also wants to help her with her phobia. And that's where this story takes place.

This is one of very few New Adult books where the story takes place in third person, which I have to say, was a bit distracting at first. But I think it can be difficult to go from so many first person narratives to third person, so no fault on the author for that. I really enjoyed this story though. The writing was great, and I loved the premise. This story reminded me a bit of Beautiful Disaster (maybe a little too similar; I was a bit distracted in the beginning by the similarities), and if you liked that story, then you'll like this one, too!

It's the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to see what's coming next in the series.

Touch Me Not on Goodreads

Slow Play by Monica Murphy ♡♡♡♡.5

Slow Play by Monica Murphy is the third book in the Rules series. I'm pretty sure it's also the last book as there are no more characters to focus on, and I'm disappointed to see this series end.

If you haven't read the rest of the books, then you seriously should, but this review will contain no spoilers for the others.

Slow Play tells the story of Alexandria and Tristan. Tristan's the last unattached guy in his friend group, and he's perfectly fine with hooking up with any girl he wants, until he meets the one girl who says no. Alexandria. He respects her answer, but that doesn't stop him from trying to get to know her.

This was a great last book with a tear worthy ending. I was glad to have a book with a good back story and more dialogue than the previous book. I loved both Tristan and Alexandria by the end of the book.

My only issues was that some of the sex scenes were too mature for me. I'm an adult woman who loves romance books, but I'm also easily and quickly grossed out by some things. But I'm will to admit that, and I think the writing was still great, and those things I didn't enjoy fit for the characters. So, it's more a problem with me than the book.

Either way, read the books! They're amazing, and my favorite series by Monica Murphy so far.

Slow Play on Goodreads

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell ♡♡♡♡.5

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is a book that has been on my radar for some time now. How could it not be with the success of Eleanor & Park? Someone finally said I had to read it, so I did.

Fangirl tells the story of Cath. She's starting her freshman year of college with her twin sister Wren, but they are separating for the first time. Living in different dorms. Taking different classes. Making different friends.

Cath is also an award winning fanfic author. She loves all things Simon Snow (a Harry Potter like story). And, of course, she meets a boy, two boys, and she tries to work through her feelings for both of them during the story.

There are so many different things going on during Fangirl other than first love and all the drama that comes along with it. There are family problems, mental issues, and all the things that come along with being an introvert going to college.

I loved the way this story dealt with so many different things. It can sometimes be monotonous reading stories that are just about first love. But this story talked about writing, creativity, and being part of a fandom, about being dedicated to a particular fandom. I thought that was a great part of the story; it felt more like real life.

My only real qualm is it took me a while to get into this story. The Simon Snow parts of the story were so reminiscent of Harry Potter that I often felt pulled out of the story finding the similarities. But once I got used to the oddities of the Simon Snow story, I couldn't put the book down. It wasn't your usual love triangle story, and I was glad for something different.

On a side note, I wish this book was not considered YA. The material is almost too mature for YA, but I think a publisher wouldn't want to put it in NA due to lack of sex scenes. Not every NA has sex scenes, and this story was a college, coming of age story. If you like them both, this book has some of the innocence of YA with the emotional depth of NA.

Which category do you think this book should be in? Do you think it matters?

Fangirl on Goodreads

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass ♡♡♡♡.5

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass is the first YA book I've read in quite some time. I have been wandering the world of New Adult for almost two years now, but when Throne of Glass kept a coming up on my twitter news feed, I figured it was time to take a break from NA and return to my roots.

This book is about three years old now, but for people who live YA this is a fantastical story that is Game of Thrones meets Hunger Games.

Throne of Glass tells the story of Celaena. A trained assassin who has been imprisoned for the last year. But she's getting a chance at freedom, as long as she wins a competition to become an assassin for the king.

This story is filled with magic, secrets, and conflicted feelings. This book has the classic love triangle, but similar to Hunger Games, it's not the most important aspect of the story.

My two complaints about the book are minor in the grand scheme of things. Like Game of Thrones, Throne of Glass takes place in a world with magic but in a medieval sort of time, and there were a few instances where the dialog felt too modern. There was also a book in the story called The Walking Dead, and that was enough to bring the story down for me. It pulled me out of the story and had me wondering if the author were a fan of the comic/TV show, and my biggest pet peeve is being pulled out of the story for something that is easily remedied.

This story takes place in a wonderful world, and I can't wait to read the next one. I also read this book is being made into a TV show, so I plan to finish the series before that starts.

Throne of Glass on Goodreads

One Life by A.J. Pine ♡♡♡♡.5

One Life by A.J. Pine is the second book in the Only You series. You don't need to have read the first book, One Night, but this book references some of the characters, and it was a great story. One Life was an even better story.

One Life tells the story of Zoe and Spock (whose name is Zach, but we meet as Spock). Zoe is going through a hard time after the death of her brother, and Spock/Zach is there to help her pick up the pieces.

I really enjoyed this story because it addresses addiction in an honest and real way. It was a powerful story of love, loss, and overcoming some of the hard things people go through. The story felt real and honest, and it was easy to relate to the characters.

If you're not reading A.J. Pine, then you definitely should start. She tells great stories that are about more than just falling in love and making it work. Her stories are about falling in love even when you don't want to while life continues around what is happening to the characters, and that makes the stories feel more real.

One Life on Goodreads

ONE LIFE blurb: 

In the latest from the author of One Night, tragedy causes a young woman to struggle to keep her head above water, and the only one who can help her is the guy who’s been in the friend zone for the past year . . .

 
Every time life throws Zoe Adler a curve ball, she changes her appearance. Freshmen year—after almost following in her mother’s alcoholic footsteps—she said good-bye to her blonde, girl-next-door image and opted for jet black hair and piercings galore. After her brother Wyatt’s death, she escapes to the city to teach a summer art program for kids. Her black hair goes blue, and she finds solace in the arms of a longtime friend, in his heart, and in his bed—but her guilt makes her unable to accept the love he wants to give.
 

Spock might be the guy to save Zoe. But when she learns the truth about his past, the edge she’s teetered on since losing Wyatt drops out from under her. The girl who kept it together for everyone finally falls apart. Now Zoe must choose between drowning in guilt about Wyatt or asking for help. But even if she gets the help she needs, Spock may not be waiting for her when she’s ready to let love in.  

ONE LIFE on Goodreads

ONE LIFE buy links: 

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When she lost it all, Jess decided to cope by living a lie. 
But you can't keep on pretending forever...

   

      

Twenty-one-year-old Jess used to have everything--a loyal best friend, a boyfriend she loved, and a future that was right on track. But in a single night, her whole world changed.

   

   

Now, Jess lives for the impersonal connection of drunken hook-ups and to-go coffee cups in the morning. All she needs is one night to pretend everything is fine...until she meets Adam.

   

   

Thanks to a sports injury, gorgeous, charming basketball star Adam Carson is stuck in physical therapy at the hospital where Jess interns--giving her the perfect opportunity to see his sweet, considerate nature and making her realize that maybe she does want something more.

   

   

But while Adam might be the best thing that's happened to Jess in a long time, letting him past  her carefully constructed walls means letting him know what happened...and why he'd never want her for more than one night.

ONE NIGHT on Goodreads

ONE NIGHT buy links:

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Author Bio:

AJ Pine writes stories to break readers' hearts, but don't worry--she'll mend them with a happily ever after. As an English teacher and librarian, AJ has always surrounded herself with books. All her favorites have one big commonality--romance. Naturally, the books she writes have the same. When she's not writing, she's of course reading. Then there's online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes). And a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires and superheroes. You'll also find her hanging with her family in the Chicago 'burbs. 

The Finn Factor by Rachel Bailey ♡♡♡

The Finn Factor by Rachel Bailey is another book I discovered through BookBub, and the first book I've read by this author. It was a fast, easy read, but there was no spark for me.

The Finn Factor tells the story of Scarlett, who lives with her best friend Finn. Scarlett is going through a bit of a dry spell. She believes it must be due to her lack of kissing skills, but when someone points out that all her problems started when she met Finn, she believes he must have something to do with it.

I enjoyed certain aspects of this book; Rachel Bailey created great side characters who were full of life and jumped off the page. And the plot was different from the last few new adult books I read.

But the main characters, Finn and Scarlett, we're a bit cookie cutter as far as NA books go. Their decisions were sometimes made so quickly that the story lacked tension. Also, it was a while before I realized the story took place in Australia. I wish that would have been conveyed sooner, because I was left wondering why some words where unusual for a bit.

On a last note, I know J.K. Rowling does not own the word "Always," but when it is used, just the one word as a sentence, to say that a character will always love someone, all I can think about is Harry Potter. I would be hesitant to use it in that way if I were writing a story for that reason.

Overall, the story was pretty good, but the characters were lacking. But I would probably read more from this author is something caught my eye.

The Finn Factor on Goodreads

Beat by Amity Cross ♡♡♡

Beat by Amity Cross has been sitting in my eReader for quite some time. I got a deal from BookBub and thought it looked promising.

Beat tells the story of Ren and Ash. Ren's mom has just died, and her mom's dying wish is that Ren find her father. Ren finds him running an MMA training studio with a new family. And his best fighter, Ash, has just returned on the scene. They have some undeniable connection. Ren's not sure their relationship can survive the monster that lives inside Ash.

Beat was a bit of a surprise read for me. I liked the premise and how strong of a lead character Ren was. And the story was great (the story takes place in Australia, so some of the spellings and word usages were tough to get over, but I really have enjoyed books that take place in Australia. More and more of them are popping up lately.). But the content was much more "mature" than I expected it to be, and some of it came practically out of nowhere. I enjoy a bit of adult fun in my romance, but this was more than I wanted. I particularly did not enjoy Ash's possessive nature.

Warning, the book ends in a cliffhanger.

I might still read the second book, I haven't decided yet. Have you read any Amity Cross books? What did you think. Let me know in the comments.

Beat on Goodreads