BookTrib is partnering with Bookish to bring you more great content, including this piece by fan-favorite K.A. Tucker, author of Until It Fades.
K.A. Tucker’s latest new adult romance is the perfect summer read (we named it one of the best of the season). It follows Catherine, a 24-year-old mom and waitress, who saves the life of Brett, a hockey star. Catherine doesn’t want any fame or attention, but she can’t help her attraction to Brett, who is determined to learn more about the woman who rescued him. To celebrate the book’s publication, Tucker shared five of her favorite new adult romances. Check these out once you’re done reading Until It Fades.
Five of my favorite contemporary romance books are stories written by ladies with strong, identifiable voices and the ability to weave stories that bring to life not only profound romances but multifaceted characters. Here they are in no particular order.
God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo
God-Shaped Hole is the destined-for-tragedy love story about two lost, artistic souls finding each other in LA, a city which they both abhor. Tiffanie DeBartolo has a personal way of writing. Her words flow fluidly and honestly, and her main characters feel real in all their peculiarity. This story gripped me from the very first pages.
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan
This is a classic story about two people with tragic pasts finding each other and love, but with a twist: Archer cannot speak and is somewhat of a social pariah in his small town of Pelion, Maine. Mia Sheridan’s writing always enthralls me. She writes with emotion. Her stories are well-developed and beautiful, her prose is poetic, and the romance is jump-off-the-page sensual.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
It Ends With Us tells the story of florist Lily, who meets and falls in love with charming and gorgeous neurosurgeon, Ryle. Their relationship seems picture-perfect… until it isn’t. I can’t say much more without giving too much away, but I will say that it puts readers into the shoes of a very real and difficult situation that many people struggle to make sense of. It’s a sobering tale, but it’s delivered in Colleen Hoover’s signature style, laced with comfort and brimming with her inimitable humor.
The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher
This is a darker love story about the cunning Olivia Kaspen, who uses her ex-boyfriend’s amnesia as an opportunity to rekindle their romance, despite the fact that he has moved on. Olivia is not the most redeeming character and she does some despicable things, but you find yourself rooting for her all the same. I credit that to Tarryn Fisher’s writing; it evokes emotion and deep consideration for human nature. This is a book I read years ago, and yet I have never forgotten the visceral feeling I was left with at the end.
On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
This novel tells the story of two characters—thirty-year-old tutor Anna Emerson and sixteen-year-old T.J. Callahan—who end up stranded on an uninhabited island for years after their plane crashes. Don’t let the age difference deter you from trying out this book. Tracey Garvis-Graves strings readers along at a painstakingly slow pace and in an honest way, allowing them to experience the growth between these two characters as they face the many challenges of their situation and, over time, as T.J. matures into a man.
