First

Title: First – M.A Grant

Genre: New Adult Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

*Arc Received via NetGalley for an Honest Review*

Summary:

Maya and Cat are best-friends, they do everything together. Even falling in love…

Maya knows that relationships lead to pain therefore the best relationships are one night stands. But one certain one night stand has her questioning herself, after waking up in bed with her Best-Friends older brother Jake. Maya and Jake work out that it can never happen again but the attraction is enticing them for more…

Dally has been there for Cat throughout her childhood,he helped picked up the pieces when her parents died and now he is about to move back to Arizona leaving her with 6 days to convince him to be the one to take her virginity. 

Review:

First by M.A Grant is a wonderful addition to the New Adult Romance Genre, it truly sets itself apart from other novels of the same topic due to its original characteristics.  A common trait found in New Adult Romance Novels are they alternate between two main protagonists allowing us to experience both the male and female perspective on the passing events, First takes this characteristic and makes it more. M.A Grant alternates between 4 main protagonists as the story is split into two different couples that are linked in some way.

The first half of the novel focuses on Maya and Jake and their undeniable attraction towards one another despite their conflicted past. We then move onto the second half of the novel which focuses on Maya’s best-friend and Jake’s little sister Cat and Jake’s best friend Dally. Both stories are interlinked within each other allowing us to see little snippets into the other couples relationship and interactions whilst the novel focuses on the other couple.

This concept of focusing on two separate couples is original and unlike something I have read before, it is lovely to see the different revelation’s of love as neither story is the same. Maya’s story differs from that of Cat’s she is experienced whereas Cat is inexperienced she is a virgin, desperate to be ‘normal’. Therefore the story offers both ends of the spectrum, from inexperienced to experienced, their sexual encounters and the whole undercurrent of sexual tension differs between each couple.

Overall my rating for First is 5 stars, this was an easy rating for me based on a number of elements.Firstly due to how easy I found myself lost in the novel. The writing is easy to digest therefore making it almost a lighthearted quick read, however the feeling of lightheartedness does not reflect the subject matter as M.A Fields does give her characters true depth. Each character has questions of doubt and insufficiency, most notably Maya who visits a therapist to help deal with her problems and emotions. Secondly, First is more than a story of romance its filled with first experiences, friendship and has the reader questioning what will actually happen between two protagonists and if they will succeed in their goals.

For more information on First by M.A Grant be sure to check it out on Amazon – Kindle or Goodreads!.