Friday Favorites: New Adult Books

By: Stephanie Wyatt

Happy Friday, everyone!

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New Adult is a genre that has been trying to gain a foothold in the publishing industry for the past few years. It’s meant to bridge the gap between Young Adult and Adult books. It tends to have characters who are around college age (18-25). That being said, New Adult books can have more adult themes (,ore violence, sexual content, cursing, etc.) on the page. Here are a few of my favorite New Adult reads.

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

This is a debut novel and one of my favorite reads of last year. The book tells the story of Evie, a young woman who gets a job being an assistant to the villain that terrorizes the kingdom. It’s a fun read that has all of the common tropes of working in an office. I didn’t know what to expect when I read it. I’m excited for the sequel Apprentice to the Villain that is due to be released August 6, 2024.

Letters of Enchantment Duology by Rebecca Ross

This two-book adventure tells the story of Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, two young reporters who are covering a war between two gods. This is technically marketed as a Young Adult. However, I would argue that it’s New Adult because it focuses on their careers where they have to make very adult decisions.

The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame are the first two books in the series. The third installment Onyx Storm is due to be released next January. The setting is a military college. The characters are in their 20s, and even though they deal with war and dragons, they still have relationship issues and fun moments.

Draw Down the Moon by PC & Kristin Cast

This is the first book in a new duology. It tells the story of two best friends, Wren Nightingale and Lee Young. They spend the summer on Moon Isle, the site of a magical school where young Moonstruck students learn to harness the powers they were gifted by being born under an Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, and Taurus moon for the summer. This is another one that is marketed as Young Adult, but the students of Moon Isle are recent high-school graduates, so I’m classifying it as New Adult because it’s set up like a summer intensive program. I adore when fantasy elements meet ordinary conflicts. This book was fantastic in that regard.

Blood & Brujas by Mikayla D Hornedo

I absolutely adored this book because it has vampires and witches. It’s the first book in the Fate of the Acna series. It tells the story of Dayanara Ampolota and her engagement to the ruler of the vampires in order to stop a centuries’ long war to save both of their people. It’s a spicy why-choose fantasy romance.

Hearts of Maya Series by Mikayla D Hornedo

The Hearts of Maya Series tells the story of two young women in their 20s who discover the truth about their past. It’s a spicy fantasy series with fae and Mayan mythology. It has amazing LBGTQIA+ and diverse characters.

What are your favorite New Adult novels? Let us know in the comments!!