Erin McCarthy

A New Adult novel from Erin McCarthy, the USA Today bestselling author of Sweet. Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s faced with being THAT girl, and couldn’t be more disgusted with herself. She can’t even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that’s good and oh, so bad… Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin’s house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he’s drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn’t care that he’s done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist. But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it’s a naïve dream to believe that his record won’t catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present… Praise for Erin McCarthy “McCarthy’s entry in the burgeoning new adult subgenre is a page-turning, gut-wrenching success.”—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) “McCarthy has written a new adult love story that takes us on a journey filled with love, laughter, growth, and a bit of angst.”—Smexybooks “Not everything in life is wrapped up nicely with a pretty ribbon on top and this book shows that…If you are a fan of NA, this one is a must-read.”—Between the Lines

(Intermix)

Believe

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I’m so happy to say that I adored this book! Believe was a great addition to the fabulous True Believers series–it’s got a sweet, sexy romance and relatable, likable characters I couldn’t help but cheer for and care for. I was so stoked to read Believe after reading a little snippet at the end of Sweet, and it didn’t disappoint! Believe was everything I expected it to be and more. I might even like it better than Sweet, but just by a hair.

If you’re looking to read a New Adult contemporary romance, I’d have to tell you to read Believe. It’s nothing exactly new, but the characters bring something refreshing to the story, and I’m a huge fan of Erin McCarthy’s writing. The story and romance in Believe is just so sweet and heartwarming, and the main characters have great depths to them. I had such a warm, fuzzy feeling the whole time reading. Robin and Phoenix are just the most adorable couple ever!

Robin is just a normal girl who parties hard, until one day she takes it too far, gets drunk and sleeps with her best friend’s boyfriend. I’ll admit, after reading this, I wasn’t sure I’d like Robin very much, but she grew on me. She holds such immense guilt over her betrayal towards her best friend, that I mainly felt sorry for her. Robin quits partying, drinking, everything, because of her guilt. She even wants to move out of the place she lives in with her best friends because she can’t look one of them in the eyes, until she meets Phoenix. The thing I liked most about Robin is how relatable she is (besides the whole sleeping with her best friend thing). She’s a lost college girl who doesn’t know what she wants to do in life, but throughout the story, she gets a better grip on who she is, and she’s able to shine through her love for art, and especially for Phoenix.

But what I knew was that he made me feel like I could look people in the eye again. He made me feel like I wasn’t going to break into a thousand pieces at any given moment. He made my hands stop shaking and helped my breathing slow down.
He made me feel like a crumbling wall that has suddenly gotten new mortar between each brick and feels stable again.
And if he could make me feel that way, maybe I could make myself feel that way.

Oh my goodness, PHOENIX!! I’m completely head over heels in love with this boy. He’s just so different from other heroes that I read. Yeah, he’s moody, he’s got tats, and he’s got some intense anger issues that he has (mostly) under control, but he’s just so honest and blunt. He’s got no time for bullshit. And he’s not afraid to show his love for his girl. I swooned madly over him. I was intrigued with him from the very beginning, because he was just released from jail. Why was he in jail? You’ll have to read to find out! But I can honestly say that Phoenix doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. This boy is good through and through, and when he shows his sweet side to Robin, I was smiling so much!

“Robin.”
“Yes?”
“I’m no good for you. And you’re probably no good for me. But we’re going to do this anyway, aren’t we?”
I nodded, because looking into his dark eyes there wasn’t any other answer. I couldn’t walk away from him, and I couldn’t let him walk away from me. “Yes. We are.”

Robin and Phoenix both agree to give a relationship a try, even though both of them believe they’re not good enough for the other. Their romance builds up slowly–Phoenix and Robin get to know each other as friends, and eventually it’s just so easy for them to fall in love with each other. I loved reading their story, their romance. They change each other for the better, they love and support each other unconditionally, and it was just heartwarming and romantic to read.

We all wonder when we will fall in love, wonder how we’ll know that our feelings are real, if someone is the right one for us.
Then it happens, and those questions seem laughable.
Because when it’s real, you feel it in every inch of you, every cell, every vein, every nook and cranny. It moves, it rises with each breath, it’s alive, and the world around you becomes sharper, crisper, in focus.
There is no question, only the answer.

I was delighted to see the characters from the previous books in the series appear and have strong roles. Phoenix is, after all, the Mann brothers’ cousin. There are some intense scenes in the book that had me at the edge of my seat, but overall, this was a slow, beautiful romance between two people who grow and learn more about themselves through each other.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

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Believe (Intermix)

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