If You Loved These Authors’ YA Books, You Need to Read Their Adult Novels—Here Are 12 of the Best

Read if you liked: Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart

There’s nothing quite like that classic deal-with-the-devil trope—and readers who loved Stephanie Garber’s bestselling Caraval series will surely delight in the dark academia meets dance-aux-deux vibes in her debut adult novel, Alchemy of Secrets, which hit shelves in September. Holland is a grad student who goes looking for the shimmering magic beneath the surface of Old Hollywood—and finds it. This one is chock-full of Garber’s signatures: whimsical worldbuilding, sisterhood and seductive strangers, so fans of her YA work won’t want to miss it.

Read if you liked: The Wrath & the Dawn and The Beautiful

Fans of Ahdieh’s lush worldbuilding and sharp storytelling may be surprised that her adult debut lands in the contemporary space. But despite its modern-day New York City setting, Park Avenue still has a bold vision and plenty of bite. Pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession, it follows corporate lawyer Jia Song as she navigates the rough waters of life with the Park family, a billionaire clan whose Korean beauty business is falling apart as the family’s matriarch is dying and her husband is in the process of divorcing her. As she delves into the lives of the three estranged Park siblings and tries to unravel the mess, she finds herself entangled in ways she may never be able to escape.

Read if you liked: Reboot and Ruined

The leap to adult fiction was a big one for Tintera, who switched from fantasy to contemporary thriller with 2024’s Listen for the Lie. It follows sardonic Lucy as she grapples with the fallout of her best friend Savvy’s murder after she was found wandering the streets of small-town Plumpton, Texas, covered in her BFF’s blood. She claims she can’t remember anything about that night and has since rebuilt a life for herself in LA. But when Ben Owens and his hit true-crime podcast decide to investigate Savvy’s case, Lucy has no choice but to return to the scene of the crime. Right?

Read if you liked: I Wanna Be Where You Are and Now That I’ve Found You

Fans of Kristina Forest’s heartfelt YA romances I Wanna Be Where You Are and Now That I’ve Found You will find the same humor and heart in her contemporary adult romances, which follow the travails and triumphs of the Greene sisters. Start with The Neighbor Favor, which follows black sheep Lily, who has always had a hard time keeping up with her more successful sisters. She had big dreams of being a children’s book editor but is stuck in a stalemate at work. Then an online connection with her favorite fantasy author sparks something new, maybe. Until he bails. But her new neighbor Nick might just be the perfect fix—especially since she needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Yes, You’ve Got Mail–style misunderstandings abound, but Forest promises a HEA. Follow the rest of the Greene sisters’ stories in The Partner Plot and The Love Lyric.

Read if you liked: Written in the Stars

Nura Khan should have it made. In the aptly named novel The Matchmaker, Nura is a third-generation matchmaker in Atlanta, and her business is booming. But when a match that should have been made in heaven goes awry the night before the wedding, she realizes that someone is trying to sabotage her business and everything she’s worked so hard for. With the help of her childhood pal (turned maybe something more) Azar and her ragtag, tight-knit crew, Nura must unravel the mystery of who’s out to destroy her before it’s too late.

Read if you liked: The Winner’s Curse

Fans of Rutkoski’s stunning YA series know she likes to push boundaries and explore the spaces in between, and while her adult books land squarely in the contemporary fiction arena, that drive hasn’t changed. The remarkable Ordinary Love follows protagonist Emily as she faces a second coming-of-age. She’s in the thick of a marriage on the verge of collapse when she runs into the enigmatic Gen, her former love who abandoned her long ago to chase glory. As they circle each other and reconnect, Emily must grapple with all that she might lose—and all she’s already lost. What is she willing to give up, and what will it cost? These are heavy, adult themes, but they’re tackled with the same grace and insight Rutkoski brought to her YA works.

Read if you liked: Geekerella and Bookish and the Beast

Poston fans know that her work—whether it be the con-tastic Geekerella or Heart of Iron—is always deeply immersive, and the same holds true for adult books like The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip, both of which also include a fabulist touch. But if you’re new to her fun, quirky and delightful adult novels, start with the very bookish A Novel Love Story, in which we follow mega-reader Eileen Merriweather—recently jilted at the altar—into Eloraton, a genuine land of happily-ever-after right out of her favorite romance series (literally). The town bookstore, of course, comes complete with a cat and a dashingly handsome, supremely grumpy owner who, try as she might, refuses to let her finish the book.

Read if you liked: Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Readers who loved Darius from Khorram’s bittersweet YA debut Darius the Great Is Not Okay and its sequel will fall just as hard for Ramin Yazdani, who booked a panic trip to Italy after getting dumped by his ex for being boring—on the day he proposed to him. As he’s licking his wounds and gelato, he accidentally runs into his high school crush, the still swoonworthy Noah Bartlett, who’s on his own Italian jaunt with his ex-wife and daughter in tow. Can this second-chance romance lead to something more than a rebound Roman holiday? Be forewarned: It Had to Be Him will make you hungry.

Read if you liked: Furia

Nadia Palacio is about to turn 30 and get married. But she finds herself calling the whole thing off when she decides to finally confront her controlling, cheating fiance. Still, that doesn’t quite give her the courage to face her meddling Argentinian family. And they’re expecting a party. So she decides to do things her own way—by planning a second quinceañera, aka a trientañera. Then, of course, she learns that former flame Marcus is the manager at the venue for her shindig. Will she give love a second chance? A sweet, coming-of-age romance for fans of Méndez’s Furia, Twice a Quinceañera also tackles the tug-of-war between familial obligation and reaching for your own goals.

Read if you liked: The Star-Touched Queen

Chokshi made a splash with her lush debut fantasy The Star-Touched Queen (and my kids are literally obsessed with her laugh-out-loud Aru Shah series), so it’s no surprise her adult debut is just as stunning. Steeped in gothic imagery and lore, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride follows a man we know only as the Bridegroom, who marries the stunning and mysterious heiress Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. She promises him happily-ever-after—as long as he promises never to investigate her past. But when her estranged aunt summons them from her deathbed, he can’t resist the urge to explore Indigo’s House of Dreams. And what he uncovers there could ruin them both forever. (Bonus read: When you’re done, pick up The Swan’s Daughter, Chokshi’s next YA fantasy, which hits shelves on Jan. 6, 2026.)

Read if you liked: Right Where I Left You

Denz Carter should be first in line to inherit the mantle at his dad’s company, 24 Carter Gold. But he’s got some serious competition, and not everyone thinks he can handle the job, since he’s just been living that influencer life. To prove himself, he lies and tells the family that he’s serious about stepping up—and even has a serious relationship that will prove he’s no dilettante. Which, of course, is a total lie. So he convinces his ex, Braylon, who left him for London, to step up, because Bray needs Denz’s connections to lock his own business deal. But when sparks fly, this second-chance romance might just ignite—and maybe leave them both burned. I Think They Love You has all the family drama of Succession, but with fake dating and real romance.

Read if you liked: With the Fire on High and The Poet X

Acevedo’s debut novel-in-verse, National Book Award winner The Poet X, set expectations sky-high for every book she’s released since, and her 2024 adult debut is no exception. Thankfully, it delivers. In Family Lore, misfit Flor Marte has a gift—she can predict when people will die. So when she decides to throw a party and invite the whole Marte clan, everyone wonders: Whose funeral will it be? Because none of them are done living. Matilde has a marriage to save (or implode). Camilla has yet to make her mark. And Pastora decides to fix everyone else’s problems. Woven through with magical realism and Acevedo’s signature deft storytelling, this is a family saga that will earn its keep alongside the stories of Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as it should.

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