14 Books That Are Totally Underrated (and I wish people would read because they're awesome)

Rush by Eve Silver

I glance at Jackson. "This is not good. There are civilians nearby." "Civilians?" Luka asks, his brows shooting up. "What are we? Special forces?" 

I cannot recommend this trilogy enough. 
When I first picked it up I had no expectations of it whatsoever. The cover, the summary, nothing really entranced me about it. I honestly just bought it because I couldn't find anything else I didn't already read in the store. 

But then. Then I read the first page. And I couldn't stop reading for hours.
It's so fast-paced and addictive. I love the romance. And I honestly can't recommend this enough. 

 The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

But sometimes the best defense was letting yourself seem defenseless. 

This duology was the first one that actually convinced me that yes, I could love a YA thriller mystery just as much as a fantasy. 

The first book sets things up nicely but the second one is an absolute mindblowing ride of thrilling awesomeness. I could not rest for a second, my heart was beating out of my chest. The side romance was also great, although it was not a main plot of the story.
For my review of the second book in the series. 

And if you love this one, you should also give a try to this author's other series called The Naturals, another underrated YA thriller series I very much enjoyed. 

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier  

"If we were in a film, the villain would turn out to be the least expected person. But as we aren't in a film, I'd go for the character who tried to strangle you." 

I'm actually not sure if this trilogy is underrated or not, but I can't say that I heard many people talking about it. And anyway, it's one fun time traveling ride, so I honestly highly recommend it.

If you're looking for a fun time traveling book to read with wonderful hate to love romance, this is definitely for you.
I would also recommend Dream a Little Dream by the same author. 

Land of the Beautiful Dead by R. Lee Smith 

"Could I come with you at least?" "No." "Sorry, my mistake, I said that wrong. What I meant to say was, I'm coming with you." 

Okay so this one is very much adult and also dark, so beware if you're only YA readers.
It was absolutely a crazy ride for me, and I loved it so much.
I literally wrote this in my review: "My god. It's been so long since a book made me this crazy mess of sitting for hours upon hours until my eyes got blurry and I forgot to eat." 
For the review click here. 

This is a fantasy romance horror dystopian book with adult themes. I would say beauty and the beast in a zombie apocalypse. Please please read it, if you love such themes. I would only say that the first chapter may be a bit confusing at first but things quickly get crazy and interesting from there. And I do mean crazy in the best way. 

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning 

"The single greatest advantage anyone can take into battle is hope." 

Okay, I'm cheating because this series has a lot of ratings on Goodreads, but yet I still feel like not nearly enough people know about it, and they should because this is freaking amazing.

Not only did I completely fall in love with Ireland in the process, I also fell in love with the protagonist, the love interest, the fantasy world, the banter, the fun moments, the scary moments, basically everything. 

This is also adult, but less dark than the previous one I mentioned. Still, adult themes.

 Infinity by Just Accardo 

Hi! I'm Kori, your almost cousin, and these two guys are from alternate reality where, apparently, we're both dead. If you kindly come with us, you could help stop a multiverse hopping lunatic, who has a serious hard on for you, from killing a lot of people. 

As I said in my review: "best parallel universe book I have ever read (and trust me, I tried a few). My heart was pounding. My mind was all the way in. The risks were high and I was constantly scared for the characters. It was fantastic."
For my review of Infinity click here. 

It's definitely not what I was expecting from the summary. I would highly recommend you give it a try. I'm honestly sad it has a rating of 3.64 on Goodreads (even though it's only from 601 ratings). It might not be the most complex or deep book in the world but it was a great read that I enjoyed a lot. 

Riders by Veronica Rossi 

My team - an actor, a drunk, and a sociopath - didn't exactly inspire confidence. 

You may have heard of Veronica Rossi from her very popular book series Under the Never Sky. However, for some reason, the Riders Doulogy by her only has 4,389 ratings on Goodreads. And it's such a shame because it was so good.

Right from the start, we get sucked into the mystery of it all as it gets told from both future and past POV of the protagonist. In the future, they're in trouble, being interrogated, and in the past is where we see how it all went down. Best squad right there. Seriously awesome, please read! 

The Call by Peader O' Guilin 

"Do you like farms?" She whispers. "Farms? Why... I don't know. I've-" "Say yes." "Yes. Um. I... love farms?" "Good. And Donegals?" 

Another book that made me believe I could actually enjoy a YA horror story. Who knew! Certainly not me, the "I can't deal with horror, just give me regular fantasy!" reader.

To say this book was thrilling would be an underestimate. It was gripping. I was completely horrified all the way and yet I still found the time to worry and root for our characters, and even enjoy the little bit of romance in that horrifying mix. 

For my review of The Call click here. 

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige 

I had enough problems of my own back in Kansas. Why couldn't I have been swept away to an imaginary kingdom where nothing was wrong at all - where I could just kick my legs up and enjoy a nice, relaxing vacation? I racked my brain, trying to remember if there were any books or movies like that, and realized there weren't any. 

This is another cheating on my part since it does have quite a lot of ratings on Goodreads, but I still feel the urge to recommend it further. 

I'm still amazed at how fun, wonderful, and amazing this series was. Not to mention how original. Good is evil, evil is good, magic, mayhem, romance... if you still haven't read this one, please do, I urge you! 

Willful Machines by Tim Floreen 

Just stay calm. Think of your brain as a machine. It'll do what you want it to do if you operate it correctly. I'd told myself that plenty of times before. But the problem I always came back to was this: if my brain was a machine, half its buttons didn't seem to work. And the other half didn't have labels. And I'd lost the instruction book. 

One of the best YA sci-fi LGBTQ romance books I have read.
There just aren't enough of those around, huh?

It was just so wonderful, and those two boys are just so precious, and I highly highly recommend. I don't want to say anything more or I'll spoil so please just read it! 

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faziel 

"Do you ever not provide your opinion?" Kifah asked, picking up a scorpion's molt and studying it. Altair bowed. "I like to think I'm lightening the mood, shifting focus away from our impending dooms. You're welcome." "I never thanked you." "I know. I'm saving you the extra breath. You're welcome for that, too." 

Under normal circumstances, I may have had trouble with this book taking so long for two of the protagonists to meet. But it was just the book I needed to read to get me back into reading fantasy after a long time away. And aside from the whole "taking a while to meet" thing, It was really good! Engaging writing style, kickass characters, funny companions, a romance to root for, a magical quest... how could one resist? 

For my book review click here. 

The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram 

"I can't accept that." "Denial isn't good for you." "It isn't denial." "Now you're denying your denial." 

There aren't many books that are both funny and representing mental health issues (social anxiety, depression).
This, however, is one of them!

I was totally engaged in it both for my connection with Avery over social anxiety, and for my love for romance comedies. It was just wonderful, and I highly recommend it to all! 

Wicked Ugly Bad by Cassandra Gannon 

Being part of the Tuesday share circle was like being part of a screwed up, criminally inclined family. Even when they didn't like you, they were still there to help you blow shit up. 

Fun, fun, fun. This was just FUN.
Another original fairy tale retelling series that makes you all confused about who the bad guys really are. 

A prison break. A group of misfits. Magic. Mayhem. Vengeance. All set up in a world of twisted fairy tales where Good is Bad and Bad just may be Better.
For my review click here. 

P.S: This is also not YA 

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren 

"On their honeymoon?" I ask incredulously. He nods. "Together?" He nods again. "Are you high?" "Not presently." 

Okay, so I know this book is pretty popular. I just want it to be even more popular because it's so freaking hilarious I can't even. 

I don't usually easily laugh, let alone like a crazy person, but I've done both of those while reading this book, repeatedly.
Just... just read it. Trust me. 

Honorable mentions: The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen, Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson, The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, Equal Parts by Emma Winters, How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahren, The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland by Rebekah Crane and Well Met by Jen DeLuca :) 

And that's it for now! Did you read any of these books? Do you want to read them? Are there any you know that you think I should read? Let me know ^_^ 

Until next time... 

Give you the world - Kyle Kupecky

"I wanted you to be sociopath charming," I say. "Too charming, so that afterward people look back and think, "You know, I didn't get it at the time, but he was always too perfect.' That sort of charming. Not, like, self deprecating and cute."  

-- The Unhoneymoonets, Christina Lauren