Top Ten NA in 2013

This has been the year of NA and I freaking love it. I'm loving this blossoming field and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for it. There's a lot of NA out there to find - both self and traditionally published - and sometimes you have to wade through some bad stuff, but it's so worth it. Here are my top ten NA reads in 2013. I'd love to hear yours! I'm always looking for great recommendations! 

1. Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

I'm so in love with this book. It's intense and beautiful. My review is here. Also, I've decided that Will is Jon Bellion. So listen, read, and enjoy the crazy happiness. 

2. A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers

This book is bold and shocking in the best way possible. I love that it does something different in NA and just pulls off all kinds of things it shouldn't be able to. My review is here. 

3. Finding It by Cora Carmack

Cora has just been killing it with the Losing It series and this was a great addition. I love Kelsey, I love Jackson, and I adore the fact that everything goes down as they're spontaneously traipsing through Europe. My review is here. 

4. Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert

This book is bold and it doesn't shy away from some dark moments. But somehow those moments just serve to make the rest of the book hopeful, emotional and amazing. My thoughts are here. 

5. Perfect Regret by A. Meredith Walters

I'm obsessed with A. Meredith Walters. Her books just have intense passion and the right kind of drama. Perfect Regret is another great one from her that just stands out from other NA novels. My full review is here. 

6. Give Me Something by Elizabeth Lee

This book kept me on my toes and just kept surprising me. Plus, she just writes the best country boys, ever. People give awards for best written country boys, right? My review is here. 

7. Rule by Jay Crownover

I got all kinds of things I wasn't expecting when I read this book. It is complex and complicated, and the characters are wonderfully written that the story just breathes beyond the page. And I'm a sucker for friends falling in love. My review is here.

8. Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

There were moments that I actually forgot to breathe while I was reading this book. It's so well written and a little bit heart-stopping. 

9. Rush Me by Allison Parr

I went in thinking - guilty pleasure - with the whole bookish girl falling for an NFL player thing. But it wound up being a bit unforgettable. I love the personality and the energy that springs from these pages. 

10. One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

I adore this book and Livie's story. There's just something endearing about her and I totally relate to her. For me this book is the epitome of great NA.  

Rule - Jay Crownover

Synopsis: Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.
To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.
But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

This was one of the books I picked up because of the NA Crush Tourney. I’ve heard people raving about Rule and I was curious. So, I would just like to thank all the people who read it, talked about it, and voted for Rule because you made me take a look at it and I’m so happy I’ve read it. I found so much more in this book than just a boy that was worthy of a book crush. I went in expecting one thing and I wound up with much more than I bargained for. There’s surprising complexity that kept me on my toes and left me completely invested in these characters. It’s so well written, from sentence structure, to pacing, to depth. This is the kind of book I hope every NA book is when I pick up a new one.

I think the real win in Rule is how excellent the characters are written.  They really are the kinds of characters who could easily be living in the world somewhere, and we just get this sneak-peak into their lives. Rule is so much more than your typical tattooed, tortured soul and Shaw goes far beyond the pampered princess everyone seems to think she is. In actuality, I think Rule has quite a bit of class and Shaw is a little bad and tortured. I love the way pieces of their character are slowly revealed until you realize they’ve become a whole person to you. There are also some fabulous secondary characters packed in here too. I was really curious about Rule’s older brother and what he was up to off page. Actually, both Rule’s and Shaw’s family dynamics were very interesting and complex. And of course, there’s Rule’s twin brother who is dead, yet is very much his own character in the book.

I’m pretty sure best friends falling in love is my favorite romance plot and this one handles that very well. It wasn’t far-fetched or rushed. It wasn’t seamless or always easy, but it was strong and it was right. But I love the way they crossed the line. Actually, that was my favorite part of the book and maybe my favorite scene that indicates something changed between friends, possibly ever. It’s more than just a you-know moment, it’s vulnerable and unguarded – you can see the past and anticipate the future, but it all falls away and everything is just about these 2 people coming together. It’s perfect.

Of course, I love how Rule and Shaw are together. I love seeing how they grow together and change each other. I was completely behind them, ready to back them up against all the challenges they faced in their relationship status change.  But mostly, I love that this book is more than just how they fall in love and work things out. It really brings in a lot of different elements and throws in a lot of other people and becomes something greater than you’d expect. This is an impressive novel and an excellent addition to the New Adult field. I’m a definitely a Jay Crownover fan after reading this book and I’m adding her to my list of favorite NA authors.