If you’re looking for some new and thrilling romance books to read, you might consider reading some new adult romance books. New adult romance books are all about children turning into adults just as they are finding love.
These new adults have to deal with all of these feelings that they’ve never felt before, and it can certainly make for an interesting read. That said, finding good new adult romance books is easier said than done, particularly because there are so many to choose from.
Today, we are here to help you narrow down the list. Let’s take a look at some of the best new adult romance books that you can get your hands on.
Best New Adult Romance Books
Here we have a selection of the best new adult romance books that you absolutely need to check out as soon as you can.
1. Emergency Contact
In terms of one of the best new adult romance books out there, Emergency Contact by author Mary H.K Choi is about as good as it gets. Choi is an author that has written a number of romance related books that all start college age main characters.
Here we see the main character, Penny Lee, escaping her dull and dreary dead end hometown to start a new college experience in Austin Texas. We then also have Sam, who wants to become a movie director, yet suis struggling to get there while he is forced to live in what essentially amounts to a storage closet above the coffee shop that he works in.
Penny and Sam meet on a fateful day, they exchange numbers, and the rest writes itself. They start texting back and forth endlessly about their feelings, problems, and so much more, and eventually strike a very deep connection.
2. Counting Down With You
Counting Down with You was written by Tashie Bhuiyan, and this story takes place in the USA and Bangladesh. Here we see out main character, Karina, who is left alone for four weeks as her parents go to Bangladesh.
She ends up tutoring some of the school’s most notorious bad boys in various subjects, and when tutoring one of them, a fake relationship emerges. Karina knows that when her parents return, her life can return back to normal.
However, as every day of those four weeks pass, Karina becomes more and more enthralled with this bad boy she was having a fake relationship with. Eventually, this relationship turns into something very real, something that no one, neither Karina nor her parents, could have ever expected.
3. Beautiful Disaster
Beautiful Disaster is another tell of good girls meets bad boy, one written by Jamie McGuire. What is interesting to note is that this book has been features on the New York Times Best Seller List, and has also held a place in Simon & Schuster’s catalogue. What is surprising is that this book was self-published.
At any rate, here we see a young teen by the name of Abby Abernathy, who is just starting her life in college and is looking for a fresh start. She was once a troubled teen, but is now living a life of virtue and good grades. However, this could all be derailed when she meets Travis Maddox, a rule breaker and bad boy per extraordinaire.
Travis does everything she can to take her off the path of virtue and to lead her down a path of love and rule breaking. Whether she chooses to remain on the path of virtue or let herself stray towards Travis is yet to be seen.
4. Conventionally Yours
What we have here is one of the best queer or gay new adult romances written in the last few years, by author Annabeth Albert. Here we see Conrad Steward, who is a very popular student, always calm, cool, and collected, who also happens to love playing tabletop games.
We then have Alden Roth, who is a brilliant yet Nuerodivergent gamer who loves nothing more than playing tabletop games. Alden is very reserved and likes to keep his real feelings hidden, as does Conrad.
However, through becoming archrivals in the world of tabletop games, a new romance emerges. Although they are rivals, they quickly become lovers as they realize that their feelings for each other are far more important than their tabletop game rivalry.
5. Everything Everything
Here we have a simple yet entertaining new adult Romance book that will have you relating back to your own childhood, Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon. Nicola Yoon also happens to be a best selling author, particularly in terms of his book The Sun is Also a Star.
Here we see Maddy, a teenage girl who suffers from an immunodeficiency, which has left her confined to her house. Due to her life threatening condition, she has been unable to leave her home since the age of four, as anything outdoors, any germs or even pollen, could spell the end of her life.
Up until now, her sole focus has quite simply been to stay alive. However, when a new boy moves in next door, Olly, everything changes for her. She watches him through the window and then slowly makes contact with him. Now, Maddy must choose whether or not to risk her life for the sake of love. She wants Olly and she wants to see more of the outside world.
6. Code Name Verity
Going back in time a bit, here we have what one could call a new adult historical romance, Code Name Verity, written by Elizabeth Wein. Here the setting is World War II, right in the middle of Nazi occupied France.
We see “verity” a pilot for the British Airforce, have his plane shot down over enemy infested France. The best friend, Maddie, manages to escape the clutches of the Nazis, but Verity is not so lucky, and quickly gets captured by the Nazi Secret Police, the Gestapo.
Verity is then forced to write down word for word the role she played in the Allied effort to defeat the Nazis, all while dealing with issues of love and emotions. What is interesting to note about this book is that it features great historical details and accuracy. In terms of the best researched historical new adult romances, this one is truly on point.
7. If The Shoe Fits
Here we have a really cute new adult romance book written by Julie Murphy. Julie Murpjy also happens to be the best selling author of the every popular book, Dumplin’. What makes this particular book so interesting is the fact that it is a politically correct and body positive retelling of the much beloved Cinderella.
Here, we see the protagonist, a woman, who has just finished her college degree and received a diploma for shoe design. She also happens to work for a reality TV series produced by her mean and evil stepmother.
The show sees a contestant fall out at the last minute, and Cindy ends up being the replacement. This is a body positive romance book, so yes, she is the only so-called big girl who is a contestant on this reality show. However, just because she happens to be plus sized doesn’t mean that she can’t find love for herself.
8. The Selection
The Selection, written by New York Times Best Seller, Kiera Cass, is a very popular book that closely resembles reality TV shows such as The Bachelor. Here, we see 35 contestants whisked away to a reality TV set to compete for the love of a rich and beautiful prince.
Of course, all 35 contestants compete fiercely with each other for the right to marry this prince. However, one girl, one of the contestants, America, is already in love with another boy, so she really does not want to be a part of this. Yet, she ends up joining the competition to give her family a much better and more stable life.
The issue is that this prince is much more loving and endearing than she could have ever imagined, which is of course where the issue comes in. Now, there are two boys competing for the love of one girl, and the rest really does write itself.
9. A Sign of Affection, Volume 1
Ok, so we have decided to add a Japanese manga to the list, as it does happen to be one of the most captivating new adult romance books around. Here we see a deaf College student named Yuki come into contact with a handsome and cute classmate while riding the train, Itsuomi-san.
While he does speak three languages, he does not know sign language. However, as the two connect with each other, he begins to learn sign language, and they become much closer than they ever thought possible.
10 Trade Me
Trade me was written by New York Times Best Seller Courtney Milan. Here we see Tina Chen, a struggling college student having a hard time making ends meet. However, she also despises rich people who show off their money, such as billionaire classmate Blake Reynolds.
It all starts with the two of them switching places, with her getting all of his cars, money, the mansion he lives in and more, as he sends money to her family that he earns through working at her job. It all starts with a bit of hostility, but quickly blooms into a long-lasting love.
Conclusion
The ten new adult romance books we have covered here are certainly some of the most popular out there, but there are still plenty more for you to check out.