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…
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Age Group: New Adult
Source: NetGalley
Reviewed By: Kelli
Review:
I've enjoyed Erin McCarthy's True Believers series (read my reviews of book one: True and book two: Sweet). I've found this series to be reliably entertaining, if a bit predictable. But Believe was the strongest book in the series to date, and I found myself really affected by this story!
I loved both main characters: Robin and Phoenix. They were honest both with themselves and each other. I really admire that. I will not read a book full of games and/or deceit between characters; it just drives me nuts. So when characters have authentic relationships built on a foundation of trust, friendship, and honesty, I want to stand up and cheer!
In keeping with the other books in the True Believers series, Robin and Phoenix had great chemistry together. McCarthy always keeps her love scenes realistic but tasteful, and the level of "adultness" is just right for the New Adult genre.
I love that the books in the True Believers series are stand-alone novels. This means there are no big cliffhangers----seriously, thank you, Erin McCarthy----so I'm not left hanging for months and months while I wait for the next release. While the novels in this series can stand alone, the characters from previous books still play important roles in each story. I like this for two reasons: one, I love getting a glimpse of my favorite characters from previous novels living out their HEAs, and two, I feel really connected to the characters since I already know many of them.
The one thing I didn't like about Believe was that the relationship moved really fast. There was a huge level of commitment displayed very early on in the relationship (I'm not going to say what exactly happened because I hate spoilers) and that felt unrealistic to me.
Other than that one complaint, Believe was a great read. This series is emotional, realistic and has a rawness to the realism: it feels like the characters could be people I know. McCarthy's emotions jump off the page and her characterization is perfect. I recommend this series and look forward to the next release!
U made me want to read this! Thanks!
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