Sep 3, 2014

Review: Believe by Erin McCarthy

Title: Believe
Author: Erin McCarthy
Publisher: InterMix
Publication Date: 1.21.2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Series: True Believers #3
Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):
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…

Review:
True Believers is one of my favorite New Adult series, and I love telling people about this awesome, yet often overlooked, series. I feel like more people are getting familiar with it because of me. Or because the books are now in print as well as digital format. Probably the latter.

BELIEVE is book 3 and what I love most is how these books layer in characters from previous books but they can be read as standalones. Robin’s story was hinted at towards the end of book 2, and I have to admit, I was fairly unimpressed by Robin in that book. All I got was a quick “I cheated” and it’s hard to feel any sympathy for a character when that happens.

In BELIEVE, it’s easy to see Robin lead a lifestyle that simply spiraled out of control. It’s easy to see how it happened, but the heart and soul of the girl underneath is what drew me into this story. Robin is a likeable and very human character. She makes mistakes—often big ones, but there is definite growth in her.

Phoenix … Phoenix was a little hard to wrap my head around. I expected a tough, fresh out of prison badass, but this guy is sweet and sensitive and has such a big heart. He also wants to help Robin, but he’s not a masochist. Guys being the be all, end all saviors in New Adult is played out. Phoenix is a guy who is loving and supportive, but will call you on you BS. He’s not a doormat and I loved seeing genuine maturity in a character like his.


This is a fantastic series. Everyone who reads NA needs to have True Believers and Erin McCarthy on their radar. I own all the books in ebook format, but I am happily also buying them in physical form because I need them in every way possible. And so do you.


2 comments:

  1. I always appreciate when an author adds in layers as he/she continues a series, even if they can be read as standalones. It's like a bonus for those who've been there since the beginning and temptation for those who haven't to go back and read the rest!

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  2. "Phoenix is a guy who is loving and supportive, but will call you on you BS. He’s not a doormat and I loved seeing genuine maturity in a character like his."

    LOVE that Hannah! I don't like when any characters, male or female, take what other people dish out without so much as a word of protest, so I think I'm going to be a big fan of Phoenix. Big fan:) As I am of this series in general!

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