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Truly
(New York #1)
by
RITA finalist and USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox kicks off a steamy new series set in the city that never sleeps—alone, at least.
May Fredericks hates New York. Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. After relocating to Manhattan from the Midwest to be with her long-distance boyfriend, NFL quarterback Thor Einarsson, May receives the world’s ...more
May Fredericks hates New York. Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. After relocating to Manhattan from the Midwest to be with her long-distance boyfriend, NFL quarterback Thor Einarsson, May receives the world’s ...more
Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Published
August 5th 2014
by Loveswept
(first published September 1st 2013)
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Showing 1-30

Start your review of Truly (New York, #1)

Aug 14, 2014
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
contemporary,
loved-it,
m-f,
romance,
net-galley,
read-to-review-arc,
favorites-2014,
hot-hot-hot
Fan-freakin'-tastic.
Honestly, I was bound to love this.
This book reads like a love letter. It's a love letter to New York City (my home turf), a love letter to the food-obsessed (ME), and love letter to our imperfections. It is about being who you are and not who you think you should be. It was touching and light all at the same time.
It made me so happy today.
When I want awesome contemporary romance, I know who to turn to and Ruthie Knox is on my short list. For some reason, I seem to have th ...more
Honestly, I was bound to love this.
This book reads like a love letter. It's a love letter to New York City (my home turf), a love letter to the food-obsessed (ME), and love letter to our imperfections. It is about being who you are and not who you think you should be. It was touching and light all at the same time.
It made me so happy today.
When I want awesome contemporary romance, I know who to turn to and Ruthie Knox is on my short list. For some reason, I seem to have th ...more

Feb 18, 2017
Nissa | Of Pens and Pages Book Blog
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
3.5 stars!
Review at Of Pens and Pages.

I promised myself that I will read books by new-to-me authors. I’m grateful for my acquaintance’s recommendation to read this novel by Ms. Knox because I enjoyed this very much! I love the banter between the two characters and both of the main characters’ journey to rediscovery and growth.
Wisconsin nati ...more
Review at Of Pens and Pages.

It wasn’t simple or pretty. Possibly that was his point—that the whole city was dense with history, layered and pulsing with life. Alive. Real.
I promised myself that I will read books by new-to-me authors. I’m grateful for my acquaintance’s recommendation to read this novel by Ms. Knox because I enjoyed this very much! I love the banter between the two characters and both of the main characters’ journey to rediscovery and growth.
Wisconsin nati ...more

Sep 16, 2013
Ash Wednesday
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of Anna and the French Kiss who also read adult CR
4 STARS
Every time I pick up an adult or new adult contemporary romance books, with how often these kinds of books left me frustrated, I brace myself for a certain degree of disappointment. That snarling grinch, jaded reader in me preemptively bares its claws at a ready for some shreddin ...more
It was easy to love your idea of someone - to fall hard for their very best self. The question was whether, once you had to spend some time living with their worst self, you could bear to be with them anymore.
Every time I pick up an adult or new adult contemporary romance books, with how often these kinds of books left me frustrated, I brace myself for a certain degree of disappointment. That snarling grinch, jaded reader in me preemptively bares its claws at a ready for some shreddin ...more

Ruthie Knox nails it with this quirky, fun, sexy story. May is a fantastic heroine, and one I can easily relate to. She's a giantess, and all her parts match her size. Being a tall girl myself, I can easily relate to May's insecurities. It's not often "tall" translates into "willowy", as so many romance books will have you believe. More often than not, we tall girls feel large and clumsy. It's great to be with a guy who's tall...not necessarily because we only find tall guys attractive, but beca
...more

4 "You're Going To Make Me Love New York" Stars!
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
(BR with Patty)
May Fredericks is a 26 yr. old ordinary girl from Manitowoc, Wisconsin. After working in merchandising for the Green Bay Packer's she meets there 2nd string quarterback, and they begin dating long distance. He is gorgeous and every girls dream guy.
After years of dating May decides to move in with her boyfriend Dan in New Jersey. May cares about Dan, and he's good to her, but she starts to realiz ...more
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
(BR with Patty)


May Fredericks is a 26 yr. old ordinary girl from Manitowoc, Wisconsin. After working in merchandising for the Green Bay Packer's she meets there 2nd string quarterback, and they begin dating long distance. He is gorgeous and every girls dream guy.

After years of dating May decides to move in with her boyfriend Dan in New Jersey. May cares about Dan, and he's good to her, but she starts to realiz ...more

For once I'd like to read about a self-confident, independent heroine who doesn't depend on external affirmation, and a hero who isn't a man-child douche.
...more

Third het romance in a row after a two year hiatus - and another positive experience.
Lovely, actually.
This is just such an adorable, inspiring, simply nice story. And maybe, just maybe, it could've gotten five stars if it hadn't been for that pesky interlude of unnecessary drama of the I'm-too-ruined-for-you sort. And for a sense of place that wasn't quite up there, but... eh. Can't have it all. And there really is a lot of good stuff in here.
It's about two people. With families attached.
It's ab ...more
Lovely, actually.
This is just such an adorable, inspiring, simply nice story. And maybe, just maybe, it could've gotten five stars if it hadn't been for that pesky interlude of unnecessary drama of the I'm-too-ruined-for-you sort. And for a sense of place that wasn't quite up there, but... eh. Can't have it all. And there really is a lot of good stuff in here.
It's about two people. With families attached.
It's ab ...more


Title: Truly
Series: Yes (Each stand alone)
Author: Ruthie Knox
Release Date: 5th August, 2014
Rating: 4 "Be my Guide" Stars
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: (view spoiler)

If this book were a movie, it'd be a wonderful off-beat Indie Romance.

May Fredericks is having the ultimate bad day. Not only has she dumped her NFL star boyfriend live on TV after a botched proposal, she's just been mugged in her least favourite place New York City. Armed with her metro card and her last $5 she de ...more

Jun 03, 2014
Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-arcs
(ARC Provided by Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley)
(BR with Mel)
May Fredericks is a gal from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who is currently homeless in NYC, with only a MetroCard and five bucks to her name, after having been mugged outside her ex's apartment. She's just broken up with her boyfriend, who is the NY Jets Quarterback, after his botched attempt at proposing to her at a fundraising luncheon. He literally called her "plain" and stated that "football" was the one thing that matter ...more
(BR with Mel)

May Fredericks is a gal from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who is currently homeless in NYC, with only a MetroCard and five bucks to her name, after having been mugged outside her ex's apartment. She's just broken up with her boyfriend, who is the NY Jets Quarterback, after his botched attempt at proposing to her at a fundraising luncheon. He literally called her "plain" and stated that "football" was the one thing that matter ...more

Originally reviewed here @ Angieville
If you'd asked me last year if I was a fan of novel serializations, I would have issued a flat no. But then there was Truly. And it took me exactly no time at all to become a very big fan of this particular serial. It helped that I basically spent last year blowing through Ruthie Knox's backlist. Truly represented a somewhat different venture, as a handful of new chapters were posted each Monday morning over a period of several weeks. I began to look forward ...more
If you'd asked me last year if I was a fan of novel serializations, I would have issued a flat no. But then there was Truly. And it took me exactly no time at all to become a very big fan of this particular serial. It helped that I basically spent last year blowing through Ruthie Knox's backlist. Truly represented a somewhat different venture, as a handful of new chapters were posted each Monday morning over a period of several weeks. I began to look forward ...more

Jun 15, 2014
Lady Heather
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
contemporary romance
4.5 stars!
This is the first book in Ruthie Knox's "The New York Series", and I absolutely adored it!
The writing, characters, and story were amazing!
I loved May's character.
She is so unhappy, and is desperately trying to figure out who she really is.

I loved the situations, experiences, and people (Ben) who helped her get to where she had to be.
..realizing that life is disgusting and amazing (read the book and you'll see what I mean).
It was wonderful when she had her epiphany. May finally ac ...more

In Truly, Ruthie Knox delivers a psychologically rich romance with characters so round they bounce. The hero and heroine take their own amazing individual journeys toward change and manage the pitter patter for their blooming love as well. they are on together. It is so lovely, so charming, so real.
The book starts with a Madcap Romance Off Stage Scene but the heroine is always smart, always reasonable even when she finds herself in circumstances that test the limits of those traits. The hero's ...more
The book starts with a Madcap Romance Off Stage Scene but the heroine is always smart, always reasonable even when she finds herself in circumstances that test the limits of those traits. The hero's ...more

It took me two tries to read this book. The first time - a year or so ago - it didn’t click. And this time I felt the beginning was a little loose - a little graspy - but it sure didn’t feel that way once the story was rolling.
I’ve not read Ruthie Knox before. So without a history I wasn’t sure I could trust her. Ha! Now I know.
Why I Gave This Book 5 Stars -
1) body positivity
2) no stupid goopy romantic unrealistic descriptions of the characters
3) those moments when May seized her power and ...more
I’ve not read Ruthie Knox before. So without a history I wasn’t sure I could trust her. Ha! Now I know.
Why I Gave This Book 5 Stars -
1) body positivity
2) no stupid goopy romantic unrealistic descriptions of the characters
3) those moments when May seized her power and ...more

Almost 6 foot tall and with "some meat on her bones," May found it a huge relief to start dating football player Dan."Here was a guy who had three inches and sixty pounds on her, with biceps that bulged even beneath a sports coat. He was huge, and his friends were all giants who made her feel downright small." In many books, that would be the romance right there, and it's not a bad one. (I have always been big myself, and it is very pleasant to be with someone who lets me feel a bit dainty.) But ...more

Ruthie Knox has magical words… I mean, who else could make me flail and swoon over a cranky, irritable beekeeper… no one. That’s the answer to that question.
Truly is the first in a three part series that Knox is writing. As readers, we got a special treat in that it was posted weekly on Wattpad. It quickly became the best part of my Monday morning.
Knox has an incredible way of writing regular people and making them seem extraordinary.
Ben, a former chef has spent a lot of his time pushing peop ...more
Truly is the first in a three part series that Knox is writing. As readers, we got a special treat in that it was posted weekly on Wattpad. It quickly became the best part of my Monday morning.
Knox has an incredible way of writing regular people and making them seem extraordinary.
Ben, a former chef has spent a lot of his time pushing peop ...more


5 Disgusting & Amazing Stars
May is literally running away from a marriage proposal.
It took the world’s worst drunk marriage proposal to clue me in. What does that say about my judgement?”
She runs into some bad luck and is left with no money and nowhere to go. So she sees a Midwest bar, and goes in, hoping to meet some nice Midwestern person who might help her. Instead, she meets Ben: a snarky, antisocial, surly, divorced ex-chef beekeeper who is not nice.
Somehow she ends up capturing his la ...more

2.5-stars 4-stars for Ben:) 1-star for May:(
This is my fourth book by the author. I really liked How to Misbehave and About Last Night. My rating for this book is in the minority, but I do love Ben! Throughout the novel, I could feel the loss of his pride, the anger over his failed marriage, and the impact of his childhood experiences on his relationship with others. The passion and intensity of Ben character are truly well-written.
Despite how much I loved Ben, May totally ruined this novel for ...more
This is my fourth book by the author. I really liked How to Misbehave and About Last Night. My rating for this book is in the minority, but I do love Ben! Throughout the novel, I could feel the loss of his pride, the anger over his failed marriage, and the impact of his childhood experiences on his relationship with others. The passion and intensity of Ben character are truly well-written.
Despite how much I loved Ben, May totally ruined this novel for ...more

Oct 11, 2016
Jan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
american,
contemporary
Really enjoyed this one. It's a couple of years old and I randomly discovered it from a rec in someone's review of another book on amazon. Hadn't even heard of the author before, but I thought I'd try it. Always looking for good new authors, right? Well, it's good. Slightly offbeat characters, but very real. May is broke and alone in a New York bar, after breaking up with her NFL player boyfriend of four years. (Very funny breakup scene). She has also been mugged and lost everything except $5. B
...more

3.5 - "First the Forking, then the Cleavering. Who will she emasculate next?" Stars.
I am a massive fan of Ruthie Knox’s books, and because of that I hate that I didn’t love Truly as much as the previous books of hers that I have read. Weirdly, my reasons for disliking it aren’t massively due to the storyline, characters etc, but the style(s) of writing.
It isn’t written badly, but the writing style is in parts very different from the style I have grown accustomed to with Ruthie’s previous work, i ...more
I am a massive fan of Ruthie Knox’s books, and because of that I hate that I didn’t love Truly as much as the previous books of hers that I have read. Weirdly, my reasons for disliking it aren’t massively due to the storyline, characters etc, but the style(s) of writing.
It isn’t written badly, but the writing style is in parts very different from the style I have grown accustomed to with Ruthie’s previous work, i ...more

This is the third book that I've read by Ruthie Knox. She is definitely becoming one of my go-to authors for contemporary romantic fiction. Her books aren't life-changers but if you're looking for a relatively simple, fun, sexy story, I think Ruthie Knox's books might be for you. She reminds me of Jill Shalvis or Susan Elizabeth Phillips with some ramped-up sex and dirty talk, and with less silliness. Knox doesn't seem to be trying to overdo things with her writing. She doesn't pummel us with pl
...more

Fantastic! I loved this book! May and Ben are each on a journey of self-discovery, trying to figure out who they are and what to do with the rest of their lives. May has always done what was expected of her instead of what she wanted for herself, including the way she chooses her clothes and career path. She doesn't have the best self-esteem but everything changes after an epically bad marriage proposal. In the beginning, Ben comes across as a jerk. He is rude and unfriendly but someone May sees
...more

5 stars
Thank you Ruthie for writing such a lovely and heartfelt story, Ben and May will always have a special place in my heart.
Ruthie Knox has a wonderful way with her words, she paints such a clear picture in your head that you find yourself dreaming of visiting the New York sites and tasting all the wonderful and delicious food Ben introduced May and us readers to.
I'm not going to say much more other than Truly is a must read, I highly recommend it and I will be reading it again when it come ...more
Thank you Ruthie for writing such a lovely and heartfelt story, Ben and May will always have a special place in my heart.
Ruthie Knox has a wonderful way with her words, she paints such a clear picture in your head that you find yourself dreaming of visiting the New York sites and tasting all the wonderful and delicious food Ben introduced May and us readers to.
I'm not going to say much more other than Truly is a must read, I highly recommend it and I will be reading it again when it come ...more

2.5 Stars
Unfortunately, this books dragged on and on with not a whole lot going on. I didn't feel a connection with either of the MCs and their entire relationship just seemed awkward. There were some witty sentences here and there strewn though out the story but apart from that, I was really bored. ...more
Unfortunately, this books dragged on and on with not a whole lot going on. I didn't feel a connection with either of the MCs and their entire relationship just seemed awkward. There were some witty sentences here and there strewn though out the story but apart from that, I was really bored. ...more

May 20, 2014
Kim *Mo Chridhe*
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
adults like me who still have a lot of growing up to do
Shelves:
book-boyfriends,
net-galley
May Fredericks is convinced that New York City doesn't like her. Six weeks after moving to New Jersey/New York, she receives a poorly executed marriage proposal from her NFL Quarterback boyfriend on stage, in front of hundreds of people. Her response, which was to stab his hand with a fork, had gone viral on YouTube and everyone wants to know why. To makes matters worse, a man mugs her as she was fleeing her now ex's apartment. She's left with nothing but five dollars in her pocket so she heads
...more

This is my first book by Knox and all I've ever heard was that her characters were so relatable and realistic. Yes. YES!!
There were things about both Ben and May that cut so close to home for me.
This is a story about finding hope in messy, complicated love. Not the picture perfect love that we see in movies and read about.
It's also about finding yourself - not in another person - but maybe because of a bother person.
Good stuff.
Oh - and the food descriptions….zomgyum and a guy that cooks - thu ...more
There were things about both Ben and May that cut so close to home for me.
This is a story about finding hope in messy, complicated love. Not the picture perfect love that we see in movies and read about.
It's also about finding yourself - not in another person - but maybe because of a bother person.
Good stuff.
Oh - and the food descriptions….zomgyum and a guy that cooks - thu ...more

Boy, did I love this book. When it was over I missed May and Ben, as if they were good friends who'd gone away. I would happily read more of their story. Ben was dark, neurotic, and edgy, just the way I like my men, and May had plenty of spine that only needed a cocktail fork and a botched proposal to come roaring to the surface. Speaking of which, for all that Thor's proposal was awful beyond description, it was also hilarious. But then that's Ruthie Knox. There's plenty of personal growth and
...more

An original contemporary romance that is intelligent, funny, and sexy (like all of Ruthie Knox's novels). Loved the grumpy and very sexy beekeeper hero (Ben) and May, the people pleasing heroine who rediscovers herself when stranded in New York City. New York City was a delicious and non-stereotypical third character in this book, which is fitting since this is the first book in a New York City trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the next books, 'Madly' and 'Completely'!
...more

Once again Ruthie Knox has left me feeling warm and fuzzy with her characters and her beautiful stories. May and Ben are so so gray. Rich. Deep. And so much fun. She painted them in NYC and made me fall in love with the city in a completely new way. I loved every bit if this book.
I should actually say more, but I won't. Just read it and fall in love, too. ...more
I should actually say more, but I won't. Just read it and fall in love, too. ...more

“Truly” was not the typical romance that I expected it to be. The plot line and the character roles, on the surface, seem predictable but as I read they became a lot more than that. This is a book that I really enjoyed, with a storyline about two very different people finding each other in a unique way and helping each other to find their own strengths within themselves.
The two main characters are May and Ben. May is a tall atypically-pretty woman from a small Wisconsin town who breaks up with ...more
The two main characters are May and Ben. May is a tall atypically-pretty woman from a small Wisconsin town who breaks up with ...more

This won't be my last Ruthie Knox because I really, really liked the bones of her writing. It flows, her dialogue fees natural and her descriptions are good. She writes very good sex. The hero was well characterized with some plausible anger issues.
What brings this book down to 3.5 stars are some pretty significant believability issues. The love story takes place over a very short period of time (9 days-ish) after a meet-cute is contrived which seriously stretches the boundaries of believabilit ...more
What brings this book down to 3.5 stars are some pretty significant believability issues. The love story takes place over a very short period of time (9 days-ish) after a meet-cute is contrived which seriously stretches the boundaries of believabilit ...more
USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-set romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella—both of which were f
...more
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(3 books)
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“It was easy to love your idea of someone - to fall hard for their very best self. The question was whether, once you had to spend some time living with their worst self, you could bear to be with them anymore.”
—
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“He kissed her then. He had to kiss her, to try out every way he could move his mouth over hers—hard and soft, deep and reverent—and he had to move his tongue against hers and cup her breast in his hand because he was so fucking grateful and so fucking lost.”
—
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