Review and Giveaway: Believe

Believe (True Believers  - Book 3) by Erin McCarthy

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: New Adult
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425275051
ISBN-13: 978-0425275054

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Erin McCarthy on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

True Believers

1. True
2. Sweet
3. Believe
4. Shatter

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Believe, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

A sexy and emotional New Adult novel from Erin McCarthy, the USA Today bestselling author of Sweet and True.

Robin used to be a party girl…until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Disgusted with herself, she doesn’t tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and 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. He knows 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, 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 own 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…

Thoughts:

Erin McCarthy brings readers the next book in the True Believers series, Believe. This is the story of two people trying to outlive some very bad choices in their lives. It is a story about being able to be yourself and own your mistakes, as well as, your triumphs. McCarthy gives the reader strong characters who are flawed, yet perfect in their own way. A great new adult novel that will have readers re-thinking how they look at bad boys!

What I liked:

McCarthy has done such a great job with this new adult series. Her heroes and heroines are young men and women on the cusp of life. Starting out on their own, which unfortunately doesn't mean they always make the right choices. Readers who have read other books in the series will appreciate the authentic feel that McCarthy shots for in her books. Her characters are certainly not perfect, but that's what makes them so real and easy to relate too. I can remember being in college and wanting to be free and able to make my own decisions. But I can also remember the pain of making the wrong ones. That's what I enjoyed about this book. Seeing the characters move forward. It's not how you fall down, it's how you get back up.

Robin is a character I wasn't too sure I would be able to get into. She cheated with Kiley's boyfriend and then didn't tell her the truth. Double no-no in my book. I really didn't expect to like her. I understood where she was coming from, but I wasn't sure I could get past that. McCarthy really surprised me by making Robin into someone I wanted to succeed. She took a bad situation and she moved on. She didn't stay stuck in the rut of bad decision making. She decided to take a different road and it worked for her. I enjoyed reading about her struggle to see herself differently and the changes she makes in her life, including laying off the alcohol and partying. Phoenix of course was a big help with that and I loved him for it.

Phoenix was a bad, bad boy. He ended up in jail and then he ended up with nothing. He was sleeping on his cousins couch with five dollars to his name when he meets Robin, but there is just something in the sadness he sees in her that draws him. I liked the way McCarthy shows readers someone who has never had a break in life and what that can do to a person. Phoenix becomes a lifeline for Robin. A person she can be herself with, the good parts and the bad. There relationship is complicated but Phoenix isn't afraid and he helps Robin see herself as she wants to be and not as a failure. She does the same for him.

This is a great relationship that makes both Robin and Phoenix better, just from being together. She makes him want to be a better man and he does the same thing for her. Supporting each other and loving each other. It was pretty amazing watching them grow into the kind of people they wanted to be. There is definitely some steam and chemistry between these two and they fit together perfectly in and out of the bedroom. McCarthy doesn't pull any punches with the romance in this one. Robin and Phoenix may fog up the windows, but their tenderness and love for each other was a joy to read.

Bottom Line:

This one is probably not my favorite of the series, but it's close. I wasn't sure I could like the heroine, but McCarthy made me want to see this sad young woman find love. Phoenix was a bad boy hero with a heart of gold. It was a good feel good read that fit in well with the rest of the series!

Believe is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has gone on to pen more than forty-four novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. She is also the author of the New Adult series, True Believers, including True, Sweet, and Shatter. A RITA Award finalist who has been listed on the American Library Association’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list, Erin is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and Ohioana.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Believe by Erin McCarthy.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, December 2nd.

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