Title: Upside Down

Author: Lia Riley
Series: Off The Map #1

Release Date: August 5, 2014

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If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

Book #1 in the OFF THE MAP series

My Review:

This was a super cute book and it was the perfect balance of emotions. The issues in this book, although similar to a lot of books in this genre, were slightly different, and the setting being in Australia was a pleasant experience because it is not a place I am familiar with it and the author did a fantastic job of describing it and making me feel as it i was there as well.
Talia was an interesting character, like a baby bird really. She seems weak and afraid and she is OCD, but then out of no where really she grows a backbone, and although some issues can not go away she is no longer that weak baby bird.
I also really liked Bran as well, he is cocky and arrogant, but he is also true to himself. He knows what he wants, and what he doesn't want, and he really doesn't let much stand in his way. He isn't afraid to push the boundaries and rules, but he isnt really a 'bad boy'.
Overall, I was super impressed with this book, it took me to Australia and back to North America seamlessly, the writing was super good and I got really lost in the story.
Recommendation: I would totally recommend this to anyone who likes NA books, its a little more on the clean side, like a sweet NA instead of the spicy NA that seems to be everywhere. I am really looking forward to more books in this series!