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True Believers #2
True - Weil dir mein Herz gehört
Um dem Einfluss ihrer Eltern zu entkommen, kehrt Jessica Sweet ans College zurück. Der attraktive Riley bietet ihr an, dass sie vorübergehend bei ihm wohnen kann. Mit seinen Tätowierungen und seiner toughen Art ist Riley wohl kaum der richtige Mann für Jessica, dennoch fällt es ihr schwer, sich seinem sexy Charme zu entziehen.
319 pages, Klappenbroschur
First published October 15, 2013
54 people are currently reading
2790 people want to read
About the author
Erin McCarthy
215 books4,825 followersUSA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over a hundred novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
October 6, 2013
3.5 SWEET STARS!!!
Rating Update: 3.5! Just had some time to think it over...
I took a chance on this book, as it seems to be just the usual NA fluff. I’m really glad I read it since the story totally caught me, but at the same time I got ticked off and frustrated by certain scenes. Hmmmm....never done a review this way before, but I am splitting it into two parts: first half and second half.
But first, some things I LOVED about Jessica:
-She's REAL. Yeah, she sure can be annoying and bratty but she isn't a doormat or a haughty ice queen.
-She has a heart of gold.
-She has a menstruation app on her phone <--those are super handy!
-She'll never hesitate in getting down and dirty...working jobs.
-She's a nut-kicker: don't be fooled by her good looks and big boobs!
-She's not afraid to block her brother on Facebook.
-She's extremely witty!! Oh, how'd I love to be a fly on the wall in some of her conversations!!
All those things I loved, BUT..................... I also had some major issues with the second half of the book.
First half (up to Chapter 13)
Rating: 4.5 stars
I seriously could not stop gushing about the first half of the book (see my status updates). It had so many qualities that I think are lacking in many NA books these days: humor, witty retorts, intelligent characters, and a nice, sweet romance that culminates as the plot thickens.
What I LOVED:
- The TRUE tattoo! Symbolic and heartwarming at the same time!! The Mann brothers stick together no matter what! Each letter stands for a brother!
- The banter!! Oh lord, I am an absolute sucker for wittiness and bouncing answers off each other!
For a long minute he studied me, his eyes dark in the harsh light of the kitchen, and I held my breath, wondering what he was thinking, wanting him to say something…important. “Maybe.” His gaze dropped. “I never realized how big your tits are. Damn, all this yellow is really distracting.”
Yeah. That wasn’t it.
“What’s in there?”
“Chicken nuggets. Fries. Three chocolate bars and a bag of chips.”
“What, do you have PMS or something?”
My absolute favorite is the scene where Riley tries to climb into Jessica’s window. LMFAO thinking about it!!!! <---This girl has some serious balls!!! ^_^
- The acceptable sexual tension!!! Sure it’s there, but the characters do NOT make things awkward at all! I could actually believe in their friendship, and it wasn’t one of those half-baked friendships you read about when all the hero really wants to do is dig into the heroine’s pants. LOVE their honesty!
Second half: Chapter 13 and beyond
Rating: 2.5 stars
You’re probably wondering how in the world did the book take such a drastic turn? Heck, I’m still confused about it too! Actually, not really. I distinctly remember my issues with this second part.
What I DISLIKED:
- Chapter 13. Riley and Jessica have just started dating, and believe me when I say it is not a merry-go-round. Jessica=lady with an itch. Riley=self control equates a saint’s. Put those two together and you get A LOT of no sex. Left me wondering at one point if he could perform...
- Riley’s ‘jealousy’ fits. It’s not the kind where he punches everyone who’s slept with Jessica before, but it’s the sporadic and random kind that pops up in places where it’s a real moodkiller. No joke, even I wanted to bash his nuts after episode three.
-Jessica literally had THE day from hell (not posting specifics because they’re spoilers) and Riley’s reaction is an absolute WTF.
“Mm. Sorry today was so rough.”
“Thanks. Thanks for being there.”
***Pause***
“So what is your number?”
“What?”
“You know, partners. What is your number?”
“How could you ask me that, after what I went through today?”
“I’m just curious. You can ask me.”
Um. Dude. Did you miss the memo about Jessica’s TERRIBLE day? I am not exaggerating here; she truly had a shitty day. What an insensitive bastard. Tempted to smack you with a frying pan!
- Some loose ends that aren’t tied up. Like, what’s the deal with Jessica’s brother Paxton? Why the vendetta against her? And the answer isn’t “because you’re a bitch.” <--- that was the only explanation given.
-Rushed ending. Didn't feel the glitz and glamour the way Jessica did.
My feelings about this book are pretty jumbled up. I LOVED the first half, but didn’t know how to reconcile it with the NOT SO GOOD second half. I’d recommend reading this, but I strongly encourage you to read book 1, True beforehand and pick a time when you need a lighthearted read. Looking forward to book 3! There’s an excerpt in the end of book 2 and WOW am I hooked. Here’s what went down:
-One of the girls sleeps with her best friend’s boyfriend *uh oh* =_=
- Tyler’s cousin Phoenix is the new boy in town and a jail junkie
- Shit hits the fan….
ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating Update: 3.5! Just had some time to think it over...
I took a chance on this book, as it seems to be just the usual NA fluff. I’m really glad I read it since the story totally caught me, but at the same time I got ticked off and frustrated by certain scenes. Hmmmm....never done a review this way before, but I am splitting it into two parts: first half and second half.
But first, some things I LOVED about Jessica:
-She's REAL. Yeah, she sure can be annoying and bratty but she isn't a doormat or a haughty ice queen.
-She has a heart of gold.
-She has a menstruation app on her phone <--those are super handy!
-She'll never hesitate in getting down and dirty...working jobs.
-She's a nut-kicker: don't be fooled by her good looks and big boobs!
-She's not afraid to block her brother on Facebook.
-She's extremely witty!! Oh, how'd I love to be a fly on the wall in some of her conversations!!
All those things I loved, BUT..................... I also had some major issues with the second half of the book.
First half (up to Chapter 13)
Rating: 4.5 stars
I seriously could not stop gushing about the first half of the book (see my status updates). It had so many qualities that I think are lacking in many NA books these days: humor, witty retorts, intelligent characters, and a nice, sweet romance that culminates as the plot thickens.
What I LOVED:
- The TRUE tattoo! Symbolic and heartwarming at the same time!! The Mann brothers stick together no matter what! Each letter stands for a brother!
- The banter!! Oh lord, I am an absolute sucker for wittiness and bouncing answers off each other!
For a long minute he studied me, his eyes dark in the harsh light of the kitchen, and I held my breath, wondering what he was thinking, wanting him to say something…important. “Maybe.” His gaze dropped. “I never realized how big your tits are. Damn, all this yellow is really distracting.”
Yeah. That wasn’t it.
“What’s in there?”
“Chicken nuggets. Fries. Three chocolate bars and a bag of chips.”
“What, do you have PMS or something?”
My absolute favorite is the scene where Riley tries to climb into Jessica’s window. LMFAO thinking about it!!!! <---This girl has some serious balls!!! ^_^
- The acceptable sexual tension!!! Sure it’s there, but the characters do NOT make things awkward at all! I could actually believe in their friendship, and it wasn’t one of those half-baked friendships you read about when all the hero really wants to do is dig into the heroine’s pants. LOVE their honesty!
Second half: Chapter 13 and beyond
Rating: 2.5 stars
You’re probably wondering how in the world did the book take such a drastic turn? Heck, I’m still confused about it too! Actually, not really. I distinctly remember my issues with this second part.
What I DISLIKED:
- Chapter 13. Riley and Jessica have just started dating, and believe me when I say it is not a merry-go-round. Jessica=lady with an itch. Riley=self control equates a saint’s. Put those two together and you get A LOT of no sex. Left me wondering at one point if he could perform...
- Riley’s ‘jealousy’ fits. It’s not the kind where he punches everyone who’s slept with Jessica before, but it’s the sporadic and random kind that pops up in places where it’s a real moodkiller. No joke, even I wanted to bash his nuts after episode three.
-Jessica literally had THE day from hell (not posting specifics because they’re spoilers) and Riley’s reaction is an absolute WTF.
“Mm. Sorry today was so rough.”
“Thanks. Thanks for being there.”
***Pause***
“So what is your number?”
“What?”
“You know, partners. What is your number?”
“How could you ask me that, after what I went through today?”
“I’m just curious. You can ask me.”
Um. Dude. Did you miss the memo about Jessica’s TERRIBLE day? I am not exaggerating here; she truly had a shitty day. What an insensitive bastard. Tempted to smack you with a frying pan!
- Some loose ends that aren’t tied up. Like, what’s the deal with Jessica’s brother Paxton? Why the vendetta against her? And the answer isn’t “because you’re a bitch.” <--- that was the only explanation given.
-Rushed ending. Didn't feel the glitz and glamour the way Jessica did.
My feelings about this book are pretty jumbled up. I LOVED the first half, but didn’t know how to reconcile it with the NOT SO GOOD second half. I’d recommend reading this, but I strongly encourage you to read book 1, True beforehand and pick a time when you need a lighthearted read. Looking forward to book 3! There’s an excerpt in the end of book 2 and WOW am I hooked. Here’s what went down:
-One of the girls sleeps with her best friend’s boyfriend *uh oh* =_=
- Tyler’s cousin Phoenix is the new boy in town and a jail junkie
- Shit hits the fan….
ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 13, 2014
I must admit I wasn’t sure I’d end up enjoying Sweet because it centered on Jessica, one of Rory’s friends I met in True. My opinion of her wasn’t very high, so I was pleasantly surprised that the story sucked me in so completely.
Jessica Sweet is the stereotypical “preacher’s daughter” in that when she got out from under her parents home, she partied and had casual hookups galore to the point she’s slept with a lot of her guy friends without any sort of strings attached. Jessica doesn’t want any strings with any guy, because she doesn’t want anyone to think they have the right or power to tell her what to do, like her parents did. Jessica can’t bear the thought of returning home for the summer, trying to act like the sweet virginal “preacher’s daughter” when she’s anything but. So she makes up a fake mission, spending the summer building houses for the needy, but actually stays in town close to campus.
When her rooming situation becomes a little complicated, she ends up crashing at an unlikely place: Riley Mann’s home, Tyler’s brother. This is a little awkward at first because Jessica and Riley have made hating each other a sport. Because Jessica doesn’t have many options, she makes nice. Being one on one with Riley, she slowly realizes what a great guy he is, caring for his younger brothers and shouldering the responsibility selflessly, and before you know it Jessica’s falling hard for him.
I got to know Jessica a little from the previous novel and didn’t really care for her. I didn’t like her casual ideas on sex, screwing a lot of her guy friends, and others whenever she felt the itch. I’m not being sexist, I don’t like it when guys have this attitude either because I think sex should mean something. Some might disagree with me, but that’s the beauty of opinions, everyone gets to have one. Plus, it bugged me that she and then paid him to “help” Rory out by sleeping with her, and thereby getting rid of her “pesky” virginity. See my review for my thoughts on that move. So, yeah, I wasn’t a huge fan of Jessica’s, so I was surprised how much I connected to her as I got to know her better. I didn’t always agree with her actions or her thoughts, but Jessica’s honesty and giving spirit was appealing. I loved watching her fall for Riley, and seeing the affect his character had on her views.
I had only love for Riley. In spite of appearances, and sometimes his mouth, he was such an honorable man. The care and love he showed for his brothers was moving. He had a crap situation but tried to make the best of it being the oldest brother.
Erin McCarthy continues to impress me with her original take on the New Adult category, and I’m excited for the next in the series: Believe. There was a teaser at the end, and it promises to be interesting considering what Robin has done. Oh, boy. I’m cringing just thinking about it, but I’m definitely reading it!
A copy was provided by the Penguin Group through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
Jessica Sweet is the stereotypical “preacher’s daughter” in that when she got out from under her parents home, she partied and had casual hookups galore to the point she’s slept with a lot of her guy friends without any sort of strings attached. Jessica doesn’t want any strings with any guy, because she doesn’t want anyone to think they have the right or power to tell her what to do, like her parents did. Jessica can’t bear the thought of returning home for the summer, trying to act like the sweet virginal “preacher’s daughter” when she’s anything but. So she makes up a fake mission, spending the summer building houses for the needy, but actually stays in town close to campus.
When her rooming situation becomes a little complicated, she ends up crashing at an unlikely place: Riley Mann’s home, Tyler’s brother. This is a little awkward at first because Jessica and Riley have made hating each other a sport. Because Jessica doesn’t have many options, she makes nice. Being one on one with Riley, she slowly realizes what a great guy he is, caring for his younger brothers and shouldering the responsibility selflessly, and before you know it Jessica’s falling hard for him.
I got to know Jessica a little from the previous novel and didn’t really care for her. I didn’t like her casual ideas on sex, screwing a lot of her guy friends, and others whenever she felt the itch. I’m not being sexist, I don’t like it when guys have this attitude either because I think sex should mean something. Some might disagree with me, but that’s the beauty of opinions, everyone gets to have one. Plus, it bugged me that she and then paid him to “help” Rory out by sleeping with her, and thereby getting rid of her “pesky” virginity. See my review for my thoughts on that move. So, yeah, I wasn’t a huge fan of Jessica’s, so I was surprised how much I connected to her as I got to know her better. I didn’t always agree with her actions or her thoughts, but Jessica’s honesty and giving spirit was appealing. I loved watching her fall for Riley, and seeing the affect his character had on her views.
I had only love for Riley. In spite of appearances, and sometimes his mouth, he was such an honorable man. The care and love he showed for his brothers was moving. He had a crap situation but tried to make the best of it being the oldest brother.
Erin McCarthy continues to impress me with her original take on the New Adult category, and I’m excited for the next in the series: Believe. There was a teaser at the end, and it promises to be interesting considering what Robin has done. Oh, boy. I’m cringing just thinking about it, but I’m definitely reading it!
A copy was provided by the Penguin Group through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
dnf
September 17, 2019Naksed has a lovely review.
However, even though I usually agree with her most of the time, this book I had to abandon at 86%
I felt the H slut-shamed and borderline gaslighted the h throughout the whole book in the guise of jealousy. He’d start with slut shaming and then just do a flip and would claim that as a fit of jealousy the moment h reminds him she has a backbone. This was twisted sick unhealthy pattern.
On top of that, underneath all the bravado and fire, the h was a doormat and accepted “it was jealousy” apology. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
And this conflict went on throughout the ENTIRE book.
And after ALL that, guess what? The H had way more sexual partners than the h. ALL that jealousy BS, and he was a whore since 13 YO up until 5 years ago and gave the h the impression that he only had sex with two women who he had feelings for. You know what *I* took away from that? He waited until he could confirm her numbers, and make sure his was higher so he can now be “apologetic and remorseful”, and appear magnanimous whereas if it was more than his, he’d never had disclosed it and would have forever brought this up to slut shame her. And the kicker was he made such a huge deal on the night the h’s parents kicked her out, when she NEEDED him, that she had leave the toxic environment, yet sheepishly tells her “so, yeah about the number that I was crazily obsesses about last night hey? Well mine is “slightly” bigger than your”.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
P.s. I didn’t find his forced celibacy and restrain around h any more endearing than his gaslighting. I found that equally cruel and manipulative.
However, even though I usually agree with her most of the time, this book I had to abandon at 86%
I felt the H slut-shamed and borderline gaslighted the h throughout the whole book in the guise of jealousy. He’d start with slut shaming and then just do a flip and would claim that as a fit of jealousy the moment h reminds him she has a backbone. This was twisted sick unhealthy pattern.
On top of that, underneath all the bravado and fire, the h was a doormat and accepted “it was jealousy” apology. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
And this conflict went on throughout the ENTIRE book.
And after ALL that, guess what? The H had way more sexual partners than the h. ALL that jealousy BS, and he was a whore since 13 YO up until 5 years ago and gave the h the impression that he only had sex with two women who he had feelings for. You know what *I* took away from that? He waited until he could confirm her numbers, and make sure his was higher so he can now be “apologetic and remorseful”, and appear magnanimous whereas if it was more than his, he’d never had disclosed it and would have forever brought this up to slut shame her. And the kicker was he made such a huge deal on the night the h’s parents kicked her out, when she NEEDED him, that she had leave the toxic environment, yet sheepishly tells her “so, yeah about the number that I was crazily obsesses about last night hey? Well mine is “slightly” bigger than your”.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
P.s. I didn’t find his forced celibacy and restrain around h any more endearing than his gaslighting. I found that equally cruel and manipulative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2016
This was an NA contemporary romance with a very slow build up.
Jessica was an okay character, and I understood why she didn’t want to go home to her parent’s house for the summer, even if I didn’t like the way she lied.
The storyline in this was about Jessica staying at a friend’s house for a week over the summer, and slowly falling in love with Riley (the owner of the house). The romance in this was extremely slow building though, and I did get a little inpatient.
The ending to this was okay and we did get a happy ending. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous book in the series though.
6 out of 10
Jessica was an okay character, and I understood why she didn’t want to go home to her parent’s house for the summer, even if I didn’t like the way she lied.
The storyline in this was about Jessica staying at a friend’s house for a week over the summer, and slowly falling in love with Riley (the owner of the house). The romance in this was extremely slow building though, and I did get a little inpatient.
The ending to this was okay and we did get a happy ending. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous book in the series though.
6 out of 10
October 27, 2015
Initial reaction: I need to think about my reflections on this a bit. I actually did end up reading this (curse my curiosity and completionist tendencies). It was about how I expected it to be. Jessica was a pretty insufferable character, but there were elements of potential in the story here. Quite a few issues, though. It was only marginally better than "True", but not by much. To be honest, after reading "Believe" - I don't know if it was better or worse. Probably on the same level.
Full review:
I've had more than a year to think on my reactions to this book. Think it's time to go ahead and rate it. Honestly, my biggest problem about this book was Jessica, but I expected that given the fact that I hated her character in "True." She's selfish, has a very annoying internal voice, and constantly slut shames, herself as well as others. It got old very quickly. I understand that Jessica's supposed to be a woman who grew up with close-minded views in a deeply controlling, religious family - but dude? There were so many times she sounded like a brat with her constant put-downs that I found it hard to sympathize with her, even in some of the book's tougher moments (at least from how shallow and obvious they were painted). Her actions were just reckless and the fourth wall breaking in some measures did not help matters much for the portrayal of her acknowledging her mistakes, yet doing them anyway. I felt like most of the narrative space in this novel was taken up or made longer by Jessica's rambly voice, which didn't endear me to her or make me see her perspective much, really.
Some of the moments between Riley and Jessica were okay, particularly for the banter and the fact that she was helping him fix up his house. Also family features. Small moments like that made the book a little more bearable than it otherwise would've been, but this is still formulaic New Adult. Bad boy falls in love with (this time) a bad girl, both have their tragic pasts, guy gives girl a pet name (Pita? Really?!), guy saves girl from being harassed/raped (I'm so tired of this shallow portrayal of such a serious issue), there's some sexual shaming (including of Robin, at one point Jessica says that Robin should "Get the F out" and leave Riley to her because she's jealous of Riley's attention towards Robin. Oy vey). I mean, I could go on about how this is a paint-by-numbers story. Some moments feel genuine, but they're far and few between.
I didn't even feel like this treated the religion theme well - it was so...stereotypical and shallow for the portrayal.
In the end, it wasn't a memorable story for me. The only reason I rate it at maybe 1.5 stars is the fact that Riley had a little more flesh for me to pick from than some of the other heroes in McCarthy's TRUE series. (There were moments where I liked following him, and his reactions were palpable, but there were still...issues.) And while I read this book technically after "Believe", I didn't feel like I missed too much delaying the read for this entry in the series.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars.
Note: I recieved this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher InterMix.
Full review:
I've had more than a year to think on my reactions to this book. Think it's time to go ahead and rate it. Honestly, my biggest problem about this book was Jessica, but I expected that given the fact that I hated her character in "True." She's selfish, has a very annoying internal voice, and constantly slut shames, herself as well as others. It got old very quickly. I understand that Jessica's supposed to be a woman who grew up with close-minded views in a deeply controlling, religious family - but dude? There were so many times she sounded like a brat with her constant put-downs that I found it hard to sympathize with her, even in some of the book's tougher moments (at least from how shallow and obvious they were painted). Her actions were just reckless and the fourth wall breaking in some measures did not help matters much for the portrayal of her acknowledging her mistakes, yet doing them anyway. I felt like most of the narrative space in this novel was taken up or made longer by Jessica's rambly voice, which didn't endear me to her or make me see her perspective much, really.
Some of the moments between Riley and Jessica were okay, particularly for the banter and the fact that she was helping him fix up his house. Also family features. Small moments like that made the book a little more bearable than it otherwise would've been, but this is still formulaic New Adult. Bad boy falls in love with (this time) a bad girl, both have their tragic pasts, guy gives girl a pet name (Pita? Really?!), guy saves girl from being harassed/raped (I'm so tired of this shallow portrayal of such a serious issue), there's some sexual shaming (including of Robin, at one point Jessica says that Robin should "Get the F out" and leave Riley to her because she's jealous of Riley's attention towards Robin. Oy vey). I mean, I could go on about how this is a paint-by-numbers story. Some moments feel genuine, but they're far and few between.
I didn't even feel like this treated the religion theme well - it was so...stereotypical and shallow for the portrayal.
In the end, it wasn't a memorable story for me. The only reason I rate it at maybe 1.5 stars is the fact that Riley had a little more flesh for me to pick from than some of the other heroes in McCarthy's TRUE series. (There were moments where I liked following him, and his reactions were palpable, but there were still...issues.) And while I read this book technically after "Believe", I didn't feel like I missed too much delaying the read for this entry in the series.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars.
Note: I recieved this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher InterMix.
July 14, 2014
Another very enjoyable read from Erin McCarthy. This is the second book from the True Believers series and I am caught up in this series very happily! I am just loving it. The first book was "True" and it was about Tyler Mann and Rory. In that installment we meet Tyler's brothers: Riley,Eastern, and Jayden aka U! The brothers names spell the word True, and so far the bros that are of age,each have a tattoo with the word "True" on them. They are fiercely loyal, and they have been given a really hard lot in life.
In the second book, we continue to explore the "hate" at first sight relationship between Riley (the oldest brother who has taken care of his siblings due to a drug addict mother)and Jessica (she is Rory's old roomate and friend from book one). The interesting dynamic between Riley and Jessica is that they are both quite sarcastic and gruff on the outside, basically they each have a chip on their shoulder in a huge way; but deep down they are extremely loyal and just want to be accepted for who they are on the inside. Jessica is fairly well known for being a bit of a slut; but interestingly enough when feelings start to develop between the couple...Riley pretty much takes sex off the table. It doesn't mean that they don't fool around a bit; it just means that he shows Jessica some respect and wants the sex to mean something if and when they decide to do it.
Both of them have some major obstacles to overcome through out this story. Riley is waiting to find out if he will be able to get custody of his brothers, and it means the world to him that this pans out, after all his brothers mean everything to him. Then there is poor Jessica, who is feeling extremely stifled by her family, and their religous ways. (her dad's a preacher!)She is in a real dilemma because if she doesn't continue to do what her parents want, then she will have her schooling and financial help taken away. The big problem is she doesn't want to be a preacher's wife one day like her mother.
The journey for this couple is a big one, and both of them are very passionate people. They end up leaning on each other, and the nice part is they form a beautiful friendship before they take their relationship to the next level. This makes their feelings grow really fast and deep, and it is amazing to see how these to grow as people individually, as well as together.
I just loved this book! I love the banter between Riley and Jessica, as well as the two younger brothers. There are more than a few very humerous scenes that take place, and then there are some very intense scenes. I was definitely emotionally engaged in this story, and I can't wait to continue on to Jessica's friends book!
Erin McCarthy has always been an author who I have followed, all of the way back to when I started reading her "Fast Track" series. I love her style and her ability to engage my emotions in any story she writes. I find her characters to be realistic, and most of the time they are dealing with realistic problems. She is an author who I have to just see her name on the book, and I know it will be good! The New Adult genre is a perfect fit for her, and I can't wait to see what she will bring to the table in the future! I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading the New Adult genre.
In the second book, we continue to explore the "hate" at first sight relationship between Riley (the oldest brother who has taken care of his siblings due to a drug addict mother)and Jessica (she is Rory's old roomate and friend from book one). The interesting dynamic between Riley and Jessica is that they are both quite sarcastic and gruff on the outside, basically they each have a chip on their shoulder in a huge way; but deep down they are extremely loyal and just want to be accepted for who they are on the inside. Jessica is fairly well known for being a bit of a slut; but interestingly enough when feelings start to develop between the couple...Riley pretty much takes sex off the table. It doesn't mean that they don't fool around a bit; it just means that he shows Jessica some respect and wants the sex to mean something if and when they decide to do it.
Both of them have some major obstacles to overcome through out this story. Riley is waiting to find out if he will be able to get custody of his brothers, and it means the world to him that this pans out, after all his brothers mean everything to him. Then there is poor Jessica, who is feeling extremely stifled by her family, and their religous ways. (her dad's a preacher!)She is in a real dilemma because if she doesn't continue to do what her parents want, then she will have her schooling and financial help taken away. The big problem is she doesn't want to be a preacher's wife one day like her mother.
The journey for this couple is a big one, and both of them are very passionate people. They end up leaning on each other, and the nice part is they form a beautiful friendship before they take their relationship to the next level. This makes their feelings grow really fast and deep, and it is amazing to see how these to grow as people individually, as well as together.
I just loved this book! I love the banter between Riley and Jessica, as well as the two younger brothers. There are more than a few very humerous scenes that take place, and then there are some very intense scenes. I was definitely emotionally engaged in this story, and I can't wait to continue on to Jessica's friends book!
Erin McCarthy has always been an author who I have followed, all of the way back to when I started reading her "Fast Track" series. I love her style and her ability to engage my emotions in any story she writes. I find her characters to be realistic, and most of the time they are dealing with realistic problems. She is an author who I have to just see her name on the book, and I know it will be good! The New Adult genre is a perfect fit for her, and I can't wait to see what she will bring to the table in the future! I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading the New Adult genre.
October 19, 2013
I'm torn. I loved- I mean love love loved Rory and Tyler's story. I knew There was a good possibility that Jessica and Riley's story wasn't going to live up to the first books awesomeness for me. It ALMOST did. I have to say, Erin McCarthy once again gave me some great non-typical characters. Last time it was Rory who broke the NA heroine mold. This time it was Riley who was nothing like any other NA hero I've ever read. I mean seriously knocked me on my ass. He was not at all who I expected him to be.
The story was great - but it felt rushed. I was shocked at how quickly Riley was breaking out the "L" word, and how quickly the whole thing progressed. They took things slow physically, but emotionally, it was 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It was interesting the see his reaction to Jessica's take on "relationships" - or rather her penchant for hooking up with guy friends when she didn't want a relationship. It is definitely an attitude you typically she more in guys, so the role reversal was a unique dynamic to explore (though I am with him, it would be weird to know that your significant other hooked up with your sibling)
I loved seeing Jessica grow and finally be honest about the life she wanted to lead. I also loved watching Riley learn to open up and lean on someone else.
Overall, once again, Erin McCarthy managed to pull off a story without falling back on the overdone cliches that seem to be all too common in books today. It was a refreshing perspective, which made for a really enjoyable read. That said, it think it could have been better if The charters had taken their plunge into a serious commitment a little more slowly.
Oh, and I cannot wait for the next book. Hot tattooed ex-con hero with a guilt ridden heroine. It's gonna be great, I just know it.
September 11, 2017
Wieder eher Mittelmaß. Schnell zu lesen, ohne viel Tamtam und ich mochte Riley als Charakter (die Story aus seiner Sicht - das wäre interessant gewesen!). Aber das Ende ist wirklich furchtbar kitschig. Und damit so gar nicht meins.
August 31, 2019
This review may contain SPOILERS!
I can't believe it took me this long to continue with this series. The second book was even better than the first one, and I really liked the first one! I can see this continuous theme in Erin McCarthy's books about alpha-male-love-interests that have a loyal, low-key romantic streak, such as Riley. He was absolutely such a hero, and Tyler as well, but I actually thought that Riley was a much more interesting person to read about, just because everything you would expect from him based on his looks and behaviour in the beginning is basically not true. Jessica behaves basically how every girl feels at one time or another and her insecurities are really relatable. I really liked the story and the connection Jessica build, not just with Riley but also his younger brothers. This is a great continuation of this series and I can't wait to dig into the next book!
4,5/5 stars
I can't believe it took me this long to continue with this series. The second book was even better than the first one, and I really liked the first one! I can see this continuous theme in Erin McCarthy's books about alpha-male-love-interests that have a loyal, low-key romantic streak, such as Riley. He was absolutely such a hero, and Tyler as well, but I actually thought that Riley was a much more interesting person to read about, just because everything you would expect from him based on his looks and behaviour in the beginning is basically not true. Jessica behaves basically how every girl feels at one time or another and her insecurities are really relatable. I really liked the story and the connection Jessica build, not just with Riley but also his younger brothers. This is a great continuation of this series and I can't wait to dig into the next book!
4,5/5 stars
August 3, 2016
3 STARS
Yeah, I can't give this a 4 despite the LOL moments Erin McCarthy gave me with this one.
I remember liking the first book in this series, True, because the heroine in that one reminded me of my shitty little self back in the day. Jessica Sweet barely registered in my radar, though this book reminded me that she's Rory's roommate who used to sleep with Tyler and a bunch of other guys. Riley, I remember because he made a quip about one of Rory's friends looking like a Care Bear. A grown man, tattooed and stereotypically ripped from working in construction, who knows his Care Bears? Why yes I can swoon over and climb that.
Though I wasn't sure exactly how the chemistry will work between these two. And at times, especially in the earlier chapters, the fit felt forced and awkward (Paint fight? while doing house repairs? Can we get anymore predictable than that?). Once they got together midway through, I found the entertainment and heart-warming quotient improve exponentially from the (obviously contrived) bickering as they struggle to reconcile their values and beliefs to make their relationship work.
While on summer break, Jessica lies to her parents that she's going to help build houses for the poor with a Christian mission group when she's actually bunking with Riley Mann in their about-to-be-foreclosed house while the rest of the Manns are vacationing with Rory and her father. Jessica and Riley are hardly friends to begin with: Jessica likes to party and believes in having open sexual relationships without any commitment is the best way to defy her parents' expectations of her being the preacher's daughter; Riley has no parental expectations to buckle anymore. After their mother died from drug OD, he's been fighting for sole custody of his ll-year old brother while trying to make ends meet for the rest of his family.
My biggest issue was with Jessica. She essentially believes that with sleeping around, she's proclaiming her sexual freedom as an independent woman of the 21st century, bucking the rigid expectations of being the preacher's daughter. She's making a stand y'all, feminism yay! Slut-shaming boo! And yet she keeps this a secret from her family. She's taking a course in college insisted upon by her father. She lets her mother bully her to re-friend her asshole brother in Facebook. She has to make up an excuse why she can't come home during the break… why? It was such a conflict between who she is and who she claims to be. There was a portion in the story where she tells Riley that they'll cut her off if they find out what she's been doing. So why doesn't she tell them? She thinks their lavish lifestyle is hypocritically opposite of the religious virtues they teach anyway, wouldn't getting cut off from her family be the freedom she so desperately seeks?
Her issues come across this side of contrived, almost as much as the way the anti-slut shaming dialogue came out. It was too hammer-in-the-head, too deliberate. I liked the intention but the execution lacked the finesse of subtlety. Repeat after me: context is your friend.
She's too much of "The Cool Girl": video gamer, male-like perspective towards sex and commitment, not afraid to get dirty and can get her Martha Stewart on if she wants to. Her details come across a little of a try-hard to please when the time that this stereotype was considered charming has passed (i.e. Sandra Bullock. In the 90s.).
I did like her humor better than Riley. Sometimes she comes across as trying too hard, but sometimes, when she doesn't mean to, I find myself laughing at her offbeat responses.
I have a feeling I shouldn't laugh at that but what can I do?
I liked Riley. He was a pleasant surprise seeing as its easy to peg him as the usual tattooed and ripped bad boy. I liked his take on sex and relationships. I understand Jessica's as well but I appreciate the author's effort to break out of the usual mold in New Adult. I didn't like that his character was made out to come across as myopic when he was used as the jealous boyfriend who can't deal with his girlfriend sleeping with his brother before they got together. But someone has to be there for Jessica to make that anti-slut shaming statement to, I guess. I found the Praying Steps scene romantic and Riley's apology and declaration sweet but also honest.
So a good half of a book all in all. Would've worked better if Jessica wasn't such an eager beaver for me to think she's cool, progressive and likable. Trying is good, but the effort shouldn't be so obvious.
Also on BookLikes.
I started climbing Riley, trying to get over him to the free side of the bed. We were a tangle of limbs, my balance off as we rocked slightly. "Why are we moving? OMG, is this a waterbed? Who the hell has waterbeds?"
"People whose mothers were fourteen in the eighties and in love with hair bands."
Yeah, I can't give this a 4 despite the LOL moments Erin McCarthy gave me with this one.
I remember liking the first book in this series, True, because the heroine in that one reminded me of my shitty little self back in the day. Jessica Sweet barely registered in my radar, though this book reminded me that she's Rory's roommate who used to sleep with Tyler and a bunch of other guys. Riley, I remember because he made a quip about one of Rory's friends looking like a Care Bear. A grown man, tattooed and stereotypically ripped from working in construction, who knows his Care Bears? Why yes I can swoon over and climb that.
Though I wasn't sure exactly how the chemistry will work between these two. And at times, especially in the earlier chapters, the fit felt forced and awkward (Paint fight? while doing house repairs? Can we get anymore predictable than that?). Once they got together midway through, I found the entertainment and heart-warming quotient improve exponentially from the (obviously contrived) bickering as they struggle to reconcile their values and beliefs to make their relationship work.
While on summer break, Jessica lies to her parents that she's going to help build houses for the poor with a Christian mission group when she's actually bunking with Riley Mann in their about-to-be-foreclosed house while the rest of the Manns are vacationing with Rory and her father. Jessica and Riley are hardly friends to begin with: Jessica likes to party and believes in having open sexual relationships without any commitment is the best way to defy her parents' expectations of her being the preacher's daughter; Riley has no parental expectations to buckle anymore. After their mother died from drug OD, he's been fighting for sole custody of his ll-year old brother while trying to make ends meet for the rest of his family.
My biggest issue was with Jessica. She essentially believes that with sleeping around, she's proclaiming her sexual freedom as an independent woman of the 21st century, bucking the rigid expectations of being the preacher's daughter. She's making a stand y'all, feminism yay! Slut-shaming boo! And yet she keeps this a secret from her family. She's taking a course in college insisted upon by her father. She lets her mother bully her to re-friend her asshole brother in Facebook. She has to make up an excuse why she can't come home during the break… why? It was such a conflict between who she is and who she claims to be. There was a portion in the story where she tells Riley that they'll cut her off if they find out what she's been doing. So why doesn't she tell them? She thinks their lavish lifestyle is hypocritically opposite of the religious virtues they teach anyway, wouldn't getting cut off from her family be the freedom she so desperately seeks?
Her issues come across this side of contrived, almost as much as the way the anti-slut shaming dialogue came out. It was too hammer-in-the-head, too deliberate. I liked the intention but the execution lacked the finesse of subtlety. Repeat after me: context is your friend.
She's too much of "The Cool Girl": video gamer, male-like perspective towards sex and commitment, not afraid to get dirty and can get her Martha Stewart on if she wants to. Her details come across a little of a try-hard to please when the time that this stereotype was considered charming has passed (i.e. Sandra Bullock. In the 90s.).
I did like her humor better than Riley. Sometimes she comes across as trying too hard, but sometimes, when she doesn't mean to, I find myself laughing at her offbeat responses.
"I bet that somewhere up there in heaven, where there's no heroin, your mom is watching and she's proud of you and happy."
I have a feeling I shouldn't laugh at that but what can I do?
I liked Riley. He was a pleasant surprise seeing as its easy to peg him as the usual tattooed and ripped bad boy. I liked his take on sex and relationships. I understand Jessica's as well but I appreciate the author's effort to break out of the usual mold in New Adult. I didn't like that his character was made out to come across as myopic when he was used as the jealous boyfriend who can't deal with his girlfriend sleeping with his brother before they got together. But someone has to be there for Jessica to make that anti-slut shaming statement to, I guess. I found the Praying Steps scene romantic and Riley's apology and declaration sweet but also honest.
So a good half of a book all in all. Would've worked better if Jessica wasn't such an eager beaver for me to think she's cool, progressive and likable. Trying is good, but the effort shouldn't be so obvious.
Also on BookLikes.
October 22, 2013
4-1/2 stars.
This is the first time that I've read anything by Erin McCarthy, and I loved this book! Sweet had everything I love about New Adult--snarky girl, hot guy, and problems that are realistic for someone in their age group.
Jessica Sweet lies to her parents about working with a Christian missions group so she doesn't have to go home and live under their thumbs over the summer. Her dilemma? She has a week-long gap between when she has to move out of the dorms and into the apartment she sublet for the summer. When her friends don't have a place for her to stay, her best-friend's boyfriend, Tyler, offers to let her stay at his house. The only problem is that his older brother, Riley, will be the only one there--and he and Jessica don't exactly get along.
Riley agrees that Jessica can stay with him, even though the run-down house in the shady part of town is the total opposite of what she's used to. Over the course of the week she lives there, Jessica gets to know Riley and finds out that there's more to him than meets the eye. He's a relationship-type of guy and she's not interested in anything other than a hook-up.
They have a lot of ups and downs (and lots of fun), but ultimately, they get each other in a way that no one else ever has.
I liked these characters. Jessica was bitchy and bratty most of the time, but I understood why she was that way. I loved that even though she came off as a snarky, confident girl, she faced the same vulnerabilities most of us do. She was relatable, and I love the way that the thing that makes her the most appealing to other guys isn't what Riley's after. He wants a relationship with her and isn't willing to settle for anything less.
I liked Riley, too, with his tattoos and leather bracelets. I thought he wanted to take thing a little too slow, but I understood his reasoning. He's sweet and calls her princess and gets her to do things she never thought she'd do. And he's funny.
Jessica's father is a preacher, and Jessica finds herself questioning some things about her faith. I really appreciated the fact that McCarthy didn't have her completely stop believing in God--just the judgmental way her father spun religion.
Of course, there were a few things that I didn't like. There were a few loose ends that I thought should have been tied up, like what is going to happen with Riley's house (it's in foreclosure) and what happened with Jessica's brother. I also really didn't love that Jessica felt her only option was to be ruled by her parents or drop out of school. No one mentioned financial aid, student loans, or work study to her at all. I felt like what happens toward the end seemed to come out of left field, but I'm not going yo spoil. Also, I really hated that she didn't give him a blow job. Trust, it has something to do with the story--I'm not just asking for more oral scenes.
With all that being said, I loved it all--the storyline, the characters, the snark, and the swoon. I can't wait to check out True, the first book in the series, and everything else that Erin McCarthy has written.
This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.
This is the first time that I've read anything by Erin McCarthy, and I loved this book! Sweet had everything I love about New Adult--snarky girl, hot guy, and problems that are realistic for someone in their age group.
Jessica Sweet lies to her parents about working with a Christian missions group so she doesn't have to go home and live under their thumbs over the summer. Her dilemma? She has a week-long gap between when she has to move out of the dorms and into the apartment she sublet for the summer. When her friends don't have a place for her to stay, her best-friend's boyfriend, Tyler, offers to let her stay at his house. The only problem is that his older brother, Riley, will be the only one there--and he and Jessica don't exactly get along.
Everything about Riley annoyed me, from his sarcasm to his inability to ever be serious, to the fact that he was hot as hell and so clearly knew it. I didn't see him very often since he worked full-time in construction, which was perfectly fine with me. It was easier to breathe without his testosterone choking the room.
Riley agrees that Jessica can stay with him, even though the run-down house in the shady part of town is the total opposite of what she's used to. Over the course of the week she lives there, Jessica gets to know Riley and finds out that there's more to him than meets the eye. He's a relationship-type of guy and she's not interested in anything other than a hook-up.
"So what do you think? The princess and the prick...it could work. Or at least we could give it a shot."
They have a lot of ups and downs (and lots of fun), but ultimately, they get each other in a way that no one else ever has.
"I guess we're both fucked, huh?"
"Looks that way."
"Then I guess it's a damn good thing we found each other." It was.
I liked these characters. Jessica was bitchy and bratty most of the time, but I understood why she was that way. I loved that even though she came off as a snarky, confident girl, she faced the same vulnerabilities most of us do. She was relatable, and I love the way that the thing that makes her the most appealing to other guys isn't what Riley's after. He wants a relationship with her and isn't willing to settle for anything less.
"I want to explore you and your body, not use it."
"Oh." I wasn't sure what to say to that, it was so totally foreign to me. "But I want to have sex with you. Don't make me feel bad for that."
"I'm not trying to. I think it's awesome that you want to get naked with me." He raised his eyebrows up and down. "Trust me, I'm looking forward to it. But it's like cramming a whole ice-cream cone in my mouth and swallowing it whole. What good is that? It's over and done in a second. I want to really taste it, to lick it slowly. I want to savor the ice cream, you know what I'm saying?"
I liked Riley, too, with his tattoos and leather bracelets. I thought he wanted to take thing a little too slow, but I understood his reasoning. He's sweet and calls her princess and gets her to do things she never thought she'd do. And he's funny.
"In return for not smoking in the house, I'm asking you to keep your girl shit out of the bathroom."
Girl shit? "If I can't keep my shit in the bathroom, where else would it go?" I asked, amused.
"You know what I mean. I don't want to go brush my teeth and there isn't an inch of counter space to use because you have creams and equipment or whatever."
"Equipment?" I snorted. "I don't use power tools to get ready in the morning. But fine, I will put my blow-dryer away after each use. And I promise to never ask you to pick up a box of tampons for me on the way home from work.
The horror on his face made me laugh. "Don't tell me you have never bought tampons before?"
He shook his head. "I'm a dude. Why would I buy tampons?"
"For a girlfriend." It seemed obvious to me.
..."No. I probably would if she was, like, bleeding on my car seats, but otherwise, no."
Jessica's father is a preacher, and Jessica finds herself questioning some things about her faith. I really appreciated the fact that McCarthy didn't have her completely stop believing in God--just the judgmental way her father spun religion.
Of course, there were a few things that I didn't like. There were a few loose ends that I thought should have been tied up, like what is going to happen with Riley's house (it's in foreclosure) and what happened with Jessica's brother. I also really didn't love that Jessica felt her only option was to be ruled by her parents or drop out of school. No one mentioned financial aid, student loans, or work study to her at all. I felt like what happens toward the end seemed to come out of left field, but I'm not going yo spoil. Also, I really hated that she didn't give him a blow job. Trust, it has something to do with the story--I'm not just asking for more oral scenes.
With all that being said, I loved it all--the storyline, the characters, the snark, and the swoon. I can't wait to check out True, the first book in the series, and everything else that Erin McCarthy has written.
This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.
April 2, 2017
I hated the main character. She is annoying and a coward
August 16, 2018
4,5 Sterne ⭐️
October 14, 2013
Source: eARC for Honest Review from Penguin via NetGalley
So I'm really starting to like this series and these Mann boys. All of them.
For Jessica she is a girl who used sex as way to have connections without emotional attachments.
She is able to do this until she has to put up with the one person who annoys her and stirs up emotions she's not familar with.
Riley Mann is a man full of loyalty and love for his family which doesn't leave much time for anything else until the biggest pain in his ass sneaks in a steals his heart.
"Nice," he said in approval. "Fuck this eating like a bird shit. You're hungry, own it. Round it out with a burp and I'll think you're basically the perfect woman."
I love Jessica and Riley together. Jessica's upbringing causes her to be who she is trying to be but, not until Riley can she try to be who she wants to be and find love and happiness.
"No. Absolutely not. But I have to admit that I do want to be important. Not just another guy, but the guy. More important than my brother, than Bill, than whoever else." He kissed my knuckles. "I want to be the man you love."
This Mann family is dysfunctional and sweet which is made better with the additions of Rory and Jessica.
Can't wait to find out more with Robin and Phoenix and with Kylie and Nathan.
For more reviews, visit Live Read and Breathe
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So I'm really starting to like this series and these Mann boys. All of them.
For Jessica she is a girl who used sex as way to have connections without emotional attachments.
She is able to do this until she has to put up with the one person who annoys her and stirs up emotions she's not familar with.
Riley Mann is a man full of loyalty and love for his family which doesn't leave much time for anything else until the biggest pain in his ass sneaks in a steals his heart.
"Nice," he said in approval. "Fuck this eating like a bird shit. You're hungry, own it. Round it out with a burp and I'll think you're basically the perfect woman."
I love Jessica and Riley together. Jessica's upbringing causes her to be who she is trying to be but, not until Riley can she try to be who she wants to be and find love and happiness.
"No. Absolutely not. But I have to admit that I do want to be important. Not just another guy, but the guy. More important than my brother, than Bill, than whoever else." He kissed my knuckles. "I want to be the man you love."
This Mann family is dysfunctional and sweet which is made better with the additions of Rory and Jessica.
Can't wait to find out more with Robin and Phoenix and with Kylie and Nathan.
For more reviews, visit Live Read and Breathe
Like us on Facebook Live Read and Breathe Facebook
Follow along with Twitter Live Read and Breathe Twitter
November 9, 2016
Again, another series that I have read out of order but lucky for me, series like these tend to be stand-alone novels, so it doesn't matter what order you read them. Reading Sweet by Erin McCarthy, in a way, I was able to connect on a personal level with the main character Jessica Sweet about some things, others not so much. Jessica Sweet grew up in a home of a strict religious family where her Dad is a Preacher and has got a plan for her. To go to University and study Religious studies and then return home and marry a good Christian male from their church and become a Church-wife. However Jessica doesn't want that life and so this upcoming Summer, she tells a little white lie to her family and goes to crash at her best friend's boyfriend Tyler's house as his family is away for the Summer vacation. The thing is though that not all the family is away, Riley Mann will be home, and Jessica and Riley tend to clash in personalities. As the book goes along, though, we discover the different lives that both have grown up with and that often what may seem nicer on the other side isn't as it comes with higher expectations and standards. Reading Sweet, it did reiterate that often everything comes with a price and doesn't have to be monetary as well. Each action can take a little of our personality /soul with it. I do have to add in this review that not all religious families are like the one portrayed in this book, religious families will not always disown their children if they go against the parent's beliefs. More often they may be disappointed as I have heard that a few times, but they won't outright disown you. Also happening in Sweet besides the romance storyline of Riley and Jess is that we read in anticipation on whether Riley’s awarded full custody of his younger brother Easton. Overall, Sweet though not my favorite book in this series was another good contemporary New Adult Romance/Family Saga read, and I am looking forward to reading the final book in this series "Shatter."
March 4, 2014
Sweet is the second book in the True Believers series. It can be read as a standalone. The narrator is Jessica (Rory's roomie from the first book).
Sweet is a New Adult contemporary romance and follows Jessica Sweet. She is on her summer vacation from college and finds herself without a place to stay for a week.
We met Jessica in True. She is a Preacher's daughter and her parents think that she is a good girl. However that isn't really who she is and she did sleep around a bit in the first book.
I think that we get to see a different side of Jessica in this book. And it was nice to get to read things from her point of view.
Sweet is less graphic than most New Adult books I've read.
It was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next book, Believe.
Want to read
August 21, 2013
October 20, 2013
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
4.5 stars
I've come to realize something about this genre and it's readers. Everyone has a different thing they look for when it comes to romance novels. Some of us live for hot sex scenes, some of us require action in the plots, some of us go for damaged heroes, some of us like kink, some of us want it to be sappy, and some of us specifically seek out guys in kilts. And then there's that whole group that likes to read about having sex with swamp monsters n' stuff.
Hey! Not judging...just pointing out that Romance readers are a fairly diverse group.
Anyway, my point is that we all gravitate toward different things.
Me? I like humor.
Maybe because falling in love is awkward, nerve-wracking, and well, quite hilarious at times.
Remember the first time you accidentally farted in front of the man of your dreams? Oh yeah. Good times...
And in my personal opinion, no one does humor better than Erin McCarthy. It's not over-the-top Three Stooges kind of funny. Which honestly, I don't find funny at all. No, it's more that her characters have a running inner monologue that resonates with my experiences, and makes me giggle. A lot.
There's another thing that makes Sweet a perfect fit for my personality, and that's the fact that Jessica comes from an extremely religious family. Believe it or not, I come from a family of Southern Baptist preachers and missionaries.
I know, right? I bet you're wondering how I turned out to be such a well-adjusted person, but that a story for another day.
So. While some of what Jessica says and does might seem strange, I don't think McCarthy's portrayal of a preacher's daughter was weird at all. This isn't an anti-God book, but Jessica's character is trying to straddle the fence between pleasing her parents and being herself. Instead of just telling her parents that she's not who they want her to be, she lies to them. She knows that the minute they find out that she's not acting like a good girl, they're going to pull the plug on her finances. Not to mention, they'll probably emotionally disown her as their daughter. Now, it's not like she really wants to spend great gobs of time with her mom and dad, but the idea that your parents will totally turn your backs on you is a scary thought for anyone. She wasn't exactly raised to be Miss Independent, so No Money + No Family = Bad Idea in her mind.
And then there's Riley. He's such an ass, but you can't help but love him. In the last book, True, we met Riley's brother, Tyler Mann. And where Tyler is a sweetheart, Riley is...not. Well, he is once you get to know him, but he hides his warm fuzzy side under layers and layers of douchebaggery. Fortunately, Jessica is not really much of a sweetheart either, and she enjoys handing him nuts on a plate when he gets out of line.
So what happens when you stick two snarky people from entirely different backgrounds under the same roof for a week?
Pure magic, that's what!
Because while it seems like these two are destined to work each other's last nerve, their personalities actually compliment each other really well. Mostly because underneath it all, Riley is actually a good guy, and as it turns out a really good friend to Jessica. But can these guys get over the damage of their pasts and make room for each other in their futures?
Hmmm. If you think I'd give a story with a sad ending four and a half stars, then you don't know me very well, do you?
As a side note, if you're one of the readers who's looking for a book that features sex with Bigfoot, then you may not enjoy this as much as I did. Sasquatch does not make an appearance in Sweet.
Oh well, there's always next time...
This review and other cool stuff can also be seen on http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
4.5 stars
I've come to realize something about this genre and it's readers. Everyone has a different thing they look for when it comes to romance novels. Some of us live for hot sex scenes, some of us require action in the plots, some of us go for damaged heroes, some of us like kink, some of us want it to be sappy, and some of us specifically seek out guys in kilts. And then there's that whole group that likes to read about having sex with swamp monsters n' stuff.
Hey! Not judging...just pointing out that Romance readers are a fairly diverse group.
Anyway, my point is that we all gravitate toward different things.
Me? I like humor.
Maybe because falling in love is awkward, nerve-wracking, and well, quite hilarious at times.
Remember the first time you accidentally farted in front of the man of your dreams? Oh yeah. Good times...
And in my personal opinion, no one does humor better than Erin McCarthy. It's not over-the-top Three Stooges kind of funny. Which honestly, I don't find funny at all. No, it's more that her characters have a running inner monologue that resonates with my experiences, and makes me giggle. A lot.
There's another thing that makes Sweet a perfect fit for my personality, and that's the fact that Jessica comes from an extremely religious family. Believe it or not, I come from a family of Southern Baptist preachers and missionaries.
I know, right? I bet you're wondering how I turned out to be such a well-adjusted person, but that a story for another day.
So. While some of what Jessica says and does might seem strange, I don't think McCarthy's portrayal of a preacher's daughter was weird at all. This isn't an anti-God book, but Jessica's character is trying to straddle the fence between pleasing her parents and being herself. Instead of just telling her parents that she's not who they want her to be, she lies to them. She knows that the minute they find out that she's not acting like a good girl, they're going to pull the plug on her finances. Not to mention, they'll probably emotionally disown her as their daughter. Now, it's not like she really wants to spend great gobs of time with her mom and dad, but the idea that your parents will totally turn your backs on you is a scary thought for anyone. She wasn't exactly raised to be Miss Independent, so No Money + No Family = Bad Idea in her mind.
And then there's Riley. He's such an ass, but you can't help but love him. In the last book, True, we met Riley's brother, Tyler Mann. And where Tyler is a sweetheart, Riley is...not. Well, he is once you get to know him, but he hides his warm fuzzy side under layers and layers of douchebaggery. Fortunately, Jessica is not really much of a sweetheart either, and she enjoys handing him nuts on a plate when he gets out of line.
So what happens when you stick two snarky people from entirely different backgrounds under the same roof for a week?
Pure magic, that's what!
Because while it seems like these two are destined to work each other's last nerve, their personalities actually compliment each other really well. Mostly because underneath it all, Riley is actually a good guy, and as it turns out a really good friend to Jessica. But can these guys get over the damage of their pasts and make room for each other in their futures?
Hmmm. If you think I'd give a story with a sad ending four and a half stars, then you don't know me very well, do you?
As a side note, if you're one of the readers who's looking for a book that features sex with Bigfoot, then you may not enjoy this as much as I did. Sasquatch does not make an appearance in Sweet.
Oh well, there's always next time...
This review and other cool stuff can also be seen on http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
February 3, 2014
The fact that I really enjoyed True is still a surprise to me. I didn't expect to enjoy it that much, but I did. Very much so. When I got to the end of the book, there was a sneak peek at the sequel--Sweet. Imagine my surprise when one of my favorite characters--Riley--popped up there ;) Heh. It wasn't that unexpected though, because Jessica and Riley were already planning on living together despite their obvious attraction hate towards each other.
"I didn't go to prom," Riley said.
"You didn't miss a damn thing."
"What I was missing was you," he said.
I loved these characters in book one and boyyy did they have some chemistry together. While Jessica is a wild child of sorts and definitely from the upper class, Riley has had to protect his brothers throughout his whole life. Look after them, provide and care. He's responsible, honest and a sweet, sweet guy (look for proof in the quote above) who is fighting for custody of his youngest sibling Easton. He doesn't think very highly of Jessica at first, but his opinion will soon be shattered because Jessica isn't all that she seems. Their growing respect and friendship was beautiful to watch.
I read it back in October last year and really had a blast with it, though I must say that the constant hot and cold became a bit tiring by the end of it. It had more cute scenes than True--what with the painting, that sports event they attended etc. These scenes had me dying of swoon. *sigh* The constant back and forth kind of killed the mood though. I was ready for them to do something about the boling hot tension and attraction already, but of course they had other ideas. Or rather, Riley had (he isn't much for a fling, he's looking for a relationship) and Jessica was the one who was after him, which in retrospect was a nice change. It's usually the guy after the girl, right? Not to say that Riley didn't have the hots for Jess, he sure did. I just would have liked to have seen it solved a little sooner though.
It was a decent contemporary book, but it didn't exactly stand out hence me giving it 3 stars. There wasn't anything particularly wrong, but if you were to ask me about it in a few years, I probably wouldn't remember much. I will most definitely continue this series though because they are easy to follow, have great characters, sizzling chemistry and a decent plot so.. What's not to like really? Hope you give this series a try, my friends.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog.
"I didn't go to prom," Riley said.
"You didn't miss a damn thing."
"What I was missing was you," he said.
I loved these characters in book one and boyyy did they have some chemistry together. While Jessica is a wild child of sorts and definitely from the upper class, Riley has had to protect his brothers throughout his whole life. Look after them, provide and care. He's responsible, honest and a sweet, sweet guy (look for proof in the quote above) who is fighting for custody of his youngest sibling Easton. He doesn't think very highly of Jessica at first, but his opinion will soon be shattered because Jessica isn't all that she seems. Their growing respect and friendship was beautiful to watch.
I read it back in October last year and really had a blast with it, though I must say that the constant hot and cold became a bit tiring by the end of it. It had more cute scenes than True--what with the painting, that sports event they attended etc. These scenes had me dying of swoon. *sigh* The constant back and forth kind of killed the mood though. I was ready for them to do something about the boling hot tension and attraction already, but of course they had other ideas. Or rather, Riley had (he isn't much for a fling, he's looking for a relationship) and Jessica was the one who was after him, which in retrospect was a nice change. It's usually the guy after the girl, right? Not to say that Riley didn't have the hots for Jess, he sure did. I just would have liked to have seen it solved a little sooner though.
It was a decent contemporary book, but it didn't exactly stand out hence me giving it 3 stars. There wasn't anything particularly wrong, but if you were to ask me about it in a few years, I probably wouldn't remember much. I will most definitely continue this series though because they are easy to follow, have great characters, sizzling chemistry and a decent plot so.. What's not to like really? Hope you give this series a try, my friends.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog.
October 16, 2013
This book is going to be rated in parts.
T
he writing and actual story – 5+ solid stars. Erin McCarthy’s writing is smooth and flows. Erin McCarthy knows how to put words on paper. She is an awesome story teller!
My connection to the characters – 4 Stars. Jessica ends up moving in with Riley for one week while she is waiting to move into an apartment. Riley and Jessica do not get along. They ignore or barely say two each other unless they have to and if they do talk to each other they are usually not kind words. I loved their banter. With a week under the same roof, they begin to notice that they can actually get along and be friends and maybe more.
Jessica is so sweet in this book, just like her last name. She helps Riley get his house together when he find out that the social worker is going to come visit him and see if the house is fit for his youngest brother. She doesn’t have to help, but she does it without even being asked.
I loved Riley and I really liked Jessica. I just could not get over Jessica’s “history” no matter how much I tried. I think Riley and Jessica had chemistry, but sometimes I questioned their real feelings. I am not sure how I felt about certain things that Jessica did. When she was bored and Bill text her, she replied and told him to come over. I don’t think she would have liked it if
Riley had a girl he had an intimate relationship with over at her house. Just some of the choices Jessica made I did not like.
However, I did like that the relationship between Riley and Jessica was not inst-love, but rather a friendship. Jessica brought out the best in Riley and I think Riley brought out the best in Jessica.
I am a BIG fan of Erin McCarthy. Huge. I think she is an amazing writer. When I see a book out by Erin McCarthy, I want to read it ASAP. I love how the story had Tyler and Rory. I missed them. I love that couple!
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
T
he writing and actual story – 5+ solid stars. Erin McCarthy’s writing is smooth and flows. Erin McCarthy knows how to put words on paper. She is an awesome story teller!
My connection to the characters – 4 Stars. Jessica ends up moving in with Riley for one week while she is waiting to move into an apartment. Riley and Jessica do not get along. They ignore or barely say two each other unless they have to and if they do talk to each other they are usually not kind words. I loved their banter. With a week under the same roof, they begin to notice that they can actually get along and be friends and maybe more.
Jessica is so sweet in this book, just like her last name. She helps Riley get his house together when he find out that the social worker is going to come visit him and see if the house is fit for his youngest brother. She doesn’t have to help, but she does it without even being asked.
I loved Riley and I really liked Jessica. I just could not get over Jessica’s “history” no matter how much I tried. I think Riley and Jessica had chemistry, but sometimes I questioned their real feelings. I am not sure how I felt about certain things that Jessica did. When she was bored and Bill text her, she replied and told him to come over. I don’t think she would have liked it if
Riley had a girl he had an intimate relationship with over at her house. Just some of the choices Jessica made I did not like.
However, I did like that the relationship between Riley and Jessica was not inst-love, but rather a friendship. Jessica brought out the best in Riley and I think Riley brought out the best in Jessica.
I am a BIG fan of Erin McCarthy. Huge. I think she is an amazing writer. When I see a book out by Erin McCarthy, I want to read it ASAP. I love how the story had Tyler and Rory. I missed them. I love that couple!
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2013
2.5 stars
Let me start by saying, I'm easily sucked in to a cheap book on Google Play, because I can read it on my phone and I like having books with me wherever I go. I had read the first book in this series True, and even though I didn't love it, this had higher reviews so I thought I'd give McCarthy another chance since I've like her romances so much in the past.
After reading it, I have to ask: who is giving this book 4 stars? I don't get it. I'm all for trash and fluff and frivolous feel-good stories, but I feel like this was lacking something. I'm not sure what, but it just didn't hold my interest like I expected it to. I think it started out good, but then I felt tricked because by the second half, it got pretty boring. What was the story even about? I feel like there wasn't a real great plot. I read the excerpt from the 3rd installment, and I felt like it started off interesting too, but I'm not sure if I'll buy it, just because I don't want to be disappointed again. I don't know how long it's going to take me to learn my lesson here...I really don't like NA!
Let me start by saying, I'm easily sucked in to a cheap book on Google Play, because I can read it on my phone and I like having books with me wherever I go. I had read the first book in this series True, and even though I didn't love it, this had higher reviews so I thought I'd give McCarthy another chance since I've like her romances so much in the past.
After reading it, I have to ask: who is giving this book 4 stars? I don't get it. I'm all for trash and fluff and frivolous feel-good stories, but I feel like this was lacking something. I'm not sure what, but it just didn't hold my interest like I expected it to. I think it started out good, but then I felt tricked because by the second half, it got pretty boring. What was the story even about? I feel like there wasn't a real great plot. I read the excerpt from the 3rd installment, and I felt like it started off interesting too, but I'm not sure if I'll buy it, just because I don't want to be disappointed again. I don't know how long it's going to take me to learn my lesson here...I really don't like NA!
May 20, 2014
Since it is unfair to give a book a perfect rating, I have to give this one 4.9 stars; it had me hooked from the beginning and I could not put it down until the very end!
The main reason this book (actually, this whole series) had me so hooked is because of how real it is. There were so many elements of this book that relate to my life and my views; from Jessica's relationship with her parents, to Riley's views on relationships, both of their personalities, and then mixing college drama in - this book couldn't have spoken to me any louder.
The only particular thing I didn't like about this book was Jessica's relationships with Riley's bothers. I was okay with Jessica and Tyler moving past their history and remaining friends but when it came to Easton and Jayden, I was disappointed. Jessica used her appearance to win Jayden over which I thought was kinda weird and Easton didn't really seem to like her; I was practically expecting that by the end of the book her and Easton would at the very least come to a sort of understanding between them. It never happened though.
As a whole, I found this book amazing. It focuses on Riley and Jessica's relationship which I thought was strangely real and sweet.
The main reason this book (actually, this whole series) had me so hooked is because of how real it is. There were so many elements of this book that relate to my life and my views; from Jessica's relationship with her parents, to Riley's views on relationships, both of their personalities, and then mixing college drama in - this book couldn't have spoken to me any louder.
The only particular thing I didn't like about this book was Jessica's relationships with Riley's bothers. I was okay with Jessica and Tyler moving past their history and remaining friends but when it came to Easton and Jayden, I was disappointed. Jessica used her appearance to win Jayden over which I thought was kinda weird and Easton didn't really seem to like her; I was practically expecting that by the end of the book her and Easton would at the very least come to a sort of understanding between them. It never happened though.
As a whole, I found this book amazing. It focuses on Riley and Jessica's relationship which I thought was strangely real and sweet.
August 25, 2017
I ended up giving this 2 stars .There were more than a few reason for not rating it higher.
There was no plot!!! Nothing! They spend a few weeks together and discussed their parents ,siblings and renovated a kitchen and he asked her to marry him and that was that!! Well he got jealous and angry a few time and broke a few things ,too! The best way to describe this books is childish.
It was also a bit on the preachy side .
I wish I hadn't bought it! I got the next one from Netgally .I liked the the first one so I'm going to give #3 a try.
November 15, 2013
Probably 2.5 stars
Not something I would read again. I think I will stick to this author's more adult books rather than the NA series. Although since I started reading this series I will probably finish it but I enjoy her adult series much more
Not something I would read again. I think I will stick to this author's more adult books rather than the NA series. Although since I started reading this series I will probably finish it but I enjoy her adult series much more
November 13, 2013
I wasn't impressed. I didn't really care for either Jessica or Riley, which meant that their 'love story' didn't really do it for me. I enjoyed the first book in this series much, much more. :(
October 29, 2013
Just a cute and sweet story:))
October 17, 2013
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/10/review-...
Favorite Quote: “Never ask someone to tell you who you are. You tell them.”
Jessica Sweet doesn’t want to go home to her uber religious parents for the summer but her sublet won’t be available for her to move into for a week. When she is unable to stay with a friend, her nemesis, the sexy cocky Riley Mann, offers her a place to stay with him.
Riley has enough going on with trying to keep custody of his younger brothers, he doesn’t need a ditzy debutante cramping his style, but he also can’t leave her with no place to live. As Jessica and Riley spend more time together, they realize that their first impressions of each other were wrong and soon they fall into a comfortable routine that develops into deeper feelings. But while Jessica has never had a problem sleeping with a guy, she doesn’t know how to handle a relationship without sex.
Jessica finds herself in a difficult position concerning her future and Riley when her parents find out about her deception. Can she let go of her fears or will she lose the only man for her?
Sweet is a sexy, romantic, emotional coming of age new adult that uses a different approach to the defining romance than the usual NA offerings. Crisp writing, indulgent humor, and a smooth flowing storyline makes it incredibly easy to become fully invested in this book. Heavily character driven, we are instantly engaged with our hero and heroine from first contact. Jessica, our heroine, was first introduced in book one, True. She, along with a friend, set up their roommate Rory to lose her virginity to her now boyfriend, Tyler Mann. Jessica has issues in that she is unsure of her place in the world. Her ultra conservative religious parents place unrealistic expectations on her and punish her when she realistically fails. Because of this, Jessica doesn’t place a lot of value on herself. With an innate fear of rejection, a friends with benefits relationship works better for her. She has no expectations and can’t be disappointed or more importantly, can’t disappoint anyone. This is not to say she has no respect for herself, because she does in spades. She doesn’t take any crap about the way she lives her life.
“I don’t need to be judged, Riley.”
She is strong, intelligent, loyal, and honest. She also has an incredible amount of snark that makes for some funny scenes.
“You think the air freshener smells worse than this room did?” I was in awe. In my opinion it already smelled better from the ocean breeze mister and the air blowing in through the open window.
“This thing smells like dead old lady.”
I laughed. “It’s called ocean breeze.”
“No ocean I’ve ever been to smelled like that.”
“How many oceans have you been to?”
He grinned. “None.”
“Have you smelled dead old lady?”
Riley is a fascinating contradiction in his make up. He is just like Jessica in some key ways. He too is loyal, intelligent, and honest. He works hard and has had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders for years. He and his brother Tyler protected their younger brothers from their mom’s drug addiction while struggling to keep her from killing herself. Now with his mother gone and Tyler’s drug arrest, he is having to go for custody of the boys all by himself. The reason I say he’s a contradiction is that the persona he shows the world doesn’t match what’s inside. Gorgeous, tattooed, with a cocky ego, you instantly think he’s a player but that is the furthest thing from the truth and in this way he and Jessica are very different. Riley doesn’t believe in sex just to scratch an itch. No friends with benefits. No one night stands. Riley believes sex should only occur between two people after they have developed a relationship that has a chance of going somewhere.
“I rolled my eyes. “So having sex now, pre-relationship or dating, would have made us friends with benefits and we can’t have that.”
“No! We’re not actually friends, you know. You can’t be friends with someone you want to have sex with, you just can’t.”
“You’ve been saying we’re friends all week! So if we’re not really friends, then you want me to be a booty call, clearly.”
“No, damn it. A booty call is someone you just have sex with, nothing else. No hanging out, no conversation. You just text and make plans to hook up.”
“I’m guessing you don’t spend the night either.”
“No, of course not.” He sounded frustrated, which was exactly how I felt.
“You’ve given this so much thought it scares me.” I tossed my magazine on the floor and myself on the bed. “You’re worse than a girl and I’m done with this conversation.”
McCarthy builds the romance between Jessica and Riley very slowly. Though their chemistry is apparent from the beginning, they both struggle with their friendship; especially Jessica as this is uncharted territory for her. Jessica is confused by Riley’s no sex edict and finds herself struggling not to fall back into her old habits.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
In the dark room, he leaned over and gave me a half smile. “Vodka happens. No big deal.”
That wasn’t what I meant. I was trying to tell him that I was sorry for being me.
Watching them each let down their barriers and let each other in was interesting to watch. McCarty uses their personalities to show us that even with their much different backgrounds, they are more similar than they first imagine. I liked that they communicated their feelings to one another and neither let the other get away with deflecting. Though the romance remains the main element of the storyline, McCarthy intertwines it with the multiple plot lines, using them to further develop Jessica’s and Riley’s relationship and guide it along the path to love.
“I want to be important to you. Special…Do you know how stupid I feel saying that? I think my balls just dropped to the floor.”
Character development is at a premium as we watch Jessica and Riley grow and become more comfortable with themselves without changing the basic elements that makes them so enjoyable. I liked that neither felt they really had to change in order to be with each other. The changes they make are internal and are more reflective than extreme. Riley’s love for his family is heartwarming and Jessica fills a void he didn’t even know existed. Jessica learns to love herself and to stop trying to please everyone else.
Though we don’t see as much secondary character interaction in here as we did in True, we still get some moments with Tyler, Rory, and of course, Riley’s mischievous brothers. All of them add depth, humor, and realism to the story. I enjoyed watching the grand reveal between Jessica, Riley, and Tyler. I honestly can’t imagine how I would have reacted in that situation. It does give Jessica some insight into Riley and herself. She learns that her actions have consequences regardless of her intentions. Riley learns that snap judgments are not cool and sometimes you shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want to hear the answers.
Sweet is a wonderful love story that takes us on a journey filled with love, laughter, growth, and angst to led us to a respectable HFN. Though some may be incredulous at the ending, I found it keeping in the way Riley thinks. McCarthy continues to entertain with the second installment of True Believers series. She also includes a brief look at book three, Believe, which releases in January 2014.
Overall Rating: B
Favorite Quote: “Never ask someone to tell you who you are. You tell them.”
Jessica Sweet doesn’t want to go home to her uber religious parents for the summer but her sublet won’t be available for her to move into for a week. When she is unable to stay with a friend, her nemesis, the sexy cocky Riley Mann, offers her a place to stay with him.
Riley has enough going on with trying to keep custody of his younger brothers, he doesn’t need a ditzy debutante cramping his style, but he also can’t leave her with no place to live. As Jessica and Riley spend more time together, they realize that their first impressions of each other were wrong and soon they fall into a comfortable routine that develops into deeper feelings. But while Jessica has never had a problem sleeping with a guy, she doesn’t know how to handle a relationship without sex.
Jessica finds herself in a difficult position concerning her future and Riley when her parents find out about her deception. Can she let go of her fears or will she lose the only man for her?
Sweet is a sexy, romantic, emotional coming of age new adult that uses a different approach to the defining romance than the usual NA offerings. Crisp writing, indulgent humor, and a smooth flowing storyline makes it incredibly easy to become fully invested in this book. Heavily character driven, we are instantly engaged with our hero and heroine from first contact. Jessica, our heroine, was first introduced in book one, True. She, along with a friend, set up their roommate Rory to lose her virginity to her now boyfriend, Tyler Mann. Jessica has issues in that she is unsure of her place in the world. Her ultra conservative religious parents place unrealistic expectations on her and punish her when she realistically fails. Because of this, Jessica doesn’t place a lot of value on herself. With an innate fear of rejection, a friends with benefits relationship works better for her. She has no expectations and can’t be disappointed or more importantly, can’t disappoint anyone. This is not to say she has no respect for herself, because she does in spades. She doesn’t take any crap about the way she lives her life.
“I don’t need to be judged, Riley.”
She is strong, intelligent, loyal, and honest. She also has an incredible amount of snark that makes for some funny scenes.
“You think the air freshener smells worse than this room did?” I was in awe. In my opinion it already smelled better from the ocean breeze mister and the air blowing in through the open window.
“This thing smells like dead old lady.”
I laughed. “It’s called ocean breeze.”
“No ocean I’ve ever been to smelled like that.”
“How many oceans have you been to?”
He grinned. “None.”
“Have you smelled dead old lady?”
Riley is a fascinating contradiction in his make up. He is just like Jessica in some key ways. He too is loyal, intelligent, and honest. He works hard and has had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders for years. He and his brother Tyler protected their younger brothers from their mom’s drug addiction while struggling to keep her from killing herself. Now with his mother gone and Tyler’s drug arrest, he is having to go for custody of the boys all by himself. The reason I say he’s a contradiction is that the persona he shows the world doesn’t match what’s inside. Gorgeous, tattooed, with a cocky ego, you instantly think he’s a player but that is the furthest thing from the truth and in this way he and Jessica are very different. Riley doesn’t believe in sex just to scratch an itch. No friends with benefits. No one night stands. Riley believes sex should only occur between two people after they have developed a relationship that has a chance of going somewhere.
“I rolled my eyes. “So having sex now, pre-relationship or dating, would have made us friends with benefits and we can’t have that.”
“No! We’re not actually friends, you know. You can’t be friends with someone you want to have sex with, you just can’t.”
“You’ve been saying we’re friends all week! So if we’re not really friends, then you want me to be a booty call, clearly.”
“No, damn it. A booty call is someone you just have sex with, nothing else. No hanging out, no conversation. You just text and make plans to hook up.”
“I’m guessing you don’t spend the night either.”
“No, of course not.” He sounded frustrated, which was exactly how I felt.
“You’ve given this so much thought it scares me.” I tossed my magazine on the floor and myself on the bed. “You’re worse than a girl and I’m done with this conversation.”
McCarthy builds the romance between Jessica and Riley very slowly. Though their chemistry is apparent from the beginning, they both struggle with their friendship; especially Jessica as this is uncharted territory for her. Jessica is confused by Riley’s no sex edict and finds herself struggling not to fall back into her old habits.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
In the dark room, he leaned over and gave me a half smile. “Vodka happens. No big deal.”
That wasn’t what I meant. I was trying to tell him that I was sorry for being me.
Watching them each let down their barriers and let each other in was interesting to watch. McCarty uses their personalities to show us that even with their much different backgrounds, they are more similar than they first imagine. I liked that they communicated their feelings to one another and neither let the other get away with deflecting. Though the romance remains the main element of the storyline, McCarthy intertwines it with the multiple plot lines, using them to further develop Jessica’s and Riley’s relationship and guide it along the path to love.
“I want to be important to you. Special…Do you know how stupid I feel saying that? I think my balls just dropped to the floor.”
Character development is at a premium as we watch Jessica and Riley grow and become more comfortable with themselves without changing the basic elements that makes them so enjoyable. I liked that neither felt they really had to change in order to be with each other. The changes they make are internal and are more reflective than extreme. Riley’s love for his family is heartwarming and Jessica fills a void he didn’t even know existed. Jessica learns to love herself and to stop trying to please everyone else.
Though we don’t see as much secondary character interaction in here as we did in True, we still get some moments with Tyler, Rory, and of course, Riley’s mischievous brothers. All of them add depth, humor, and realism to the story. I enjoyed watching the grand reveal between Jessica, Riley, and Tyler. I honestly can’t imagine how I would have reacted in that situation. It does give Jessica some insight into Riley and herself. She learns that her actions have consequences regardless of her intentions. Riley learns that snap judgments are not cool and sometimes you shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want to hear the answers.
Sweet is a wonderful love story that takes us on a journey filled with love, laughter, growth, and angst to led us to a respectable HFN. Though some may be incredulous at the ending, I found it keeping in the way Riley thinks. McCarthy continues to entertain with the second installment of True Believers series. She also includes a brief look at book three, Believe, which releases in January 2014.
Overall Rating: B
March 4, 2018
Jessica has no idea who she really is. She is the good girl hoping to please everyone by being perfect at home. She is the party girl/slut on campus. But Jessica is none of those things. She really just wants to make her own decisions and figure out her life and her happiness.
Jessica lies to her parents about being involved in building houses in WV for the summer. Jessica does not want to go home and face the perfect image she is supposed to uphold. But when her new apartment won't be ready for another week she needs a place to stay. Tyler offers his room since he and his brothers will be with Rory's family for a week. Only problem with that is Riley is not going. Riley will be working but he does tell her she can stay if she wants to.
Jessica can not believe the filthy house. But really 4 guys live there so it should not be that hard to figure out. Jessica makes some decisions about the house and tries to fix up a couple things for the guys. Riley hops on board with the idea after fighting her on it and finding out the social worker is coming for a home check to see if Easton is in a stable environment.
Jessica and Riley become friends and the find out they really like each other. Riley wants to date Jessica but Jessica does not really date. Plus Riley won't have sex with her unless they are really dating. Jessica decides to go with the flow and see where it leads.
Tyler and the brothers come back and Jessica has to win there approval of dating Riley. Jessica has to face her parents and tell them the truth about herself and what she wants for the future and it this case what she does not want for her future. Which is the only thing she knows at this point.
I like Jessica and her cleaning up her act after book #1. I love that Riley is not all about sex and wants to have a relationship with Jessica and really cares for her. I like that Riley is there for her when her family lets her down.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Happy Reading!
Jessica lies to her parents about being involved in building houses in WV for the summer. Jessica does not want to go home and face the perfect image she is supposed to uphold. But when her new apartment won't be ready for another week she needs a place to stay. Tyler offers his room since he and his brothers will be with Rory's family for a week. Only problem with that is Riley is not going. Riley will be working but he does tell her she can stay if she wants to.
Jessica can not believe the filthy house. But really 4 guys live there so it should not be that hard to figure out. Jessica makes some decisions about the house and tries to fix up a couple things for the guys. Riley hops on board with the idea after fighting her on it and finding out the social worker is coming for a home check to see if Easton is in a stable environment.
Jessica and Riley become friends and the find out they really like each other. Riley wants to date Jessica but Jessica does not really date. Plus Riley won't have sex with her unless they are really dating. Jessica decides to go with the flow and see where it leads.
Tyler and the brothers come back and Jessica has to win there approval of dating Riley. Jessica has to face her parents and tell them the truth about herself and what she wants for the future and it this case what she does not want for her future. Which is the only thing she knows at this point.
I like Jessica and her cleaning up her act after book #1. I love that Riley is not all about sex and wants to have a relationship with Jessica and really cares for her. I like that Riley is there for her when her family lets her down.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Happy Reading!
October 21, 2013
My Thoughts:
I adored True, the first book in the True Believers Series, and have been highly anticipating Sweet. In True, we got Rory and Tyler's story, and were introduced to Tyler's family, Rory's friends, and an overall great cast of secondary characters. In Sweet, we get Tyler's older brother, Riley's and Rory's good friend, Jessica's story. I absolutely LOVED Sweet! Ms. McCarthy really dug deep with her main character's. Not only were they fully developed, but they took on a life of their own, and leapt right off the pages, as I devoured line after line in this story.
Jessica, came off as a very superficial, party girl in True. Yet, in Sweet we get to learn about all of the layers that make up Jessica. She was such an interesting character, and I genuinely liked her. She grew up in a constrictive, religious, wealthy, and hypocritical background. Her father was a preacher, and held her accountable to his strict moral code without giving her room to grow up, and make her own decisions. Her mother was a cold, and judgmental woman, who only cared about keeping up appearances, and her brother was manipulative, calculating, and vindictive. Jessica felt suffocated by her family, and did her best to distance herself from them. Her parents paid for college, and living expenses, as long as she majored in religious studies.
Riley on the other hand, was very close to his brothers, and they shared a special love, loyalty, and unbreakable bond. However, the financial responsibility of the family's survival was primarily Riley's. Jessica and Riley loved to bicker, argue, and push each other's buttons. Yet, when Jessica needs some place to stay and Tyler offer's up his home, Jessica and Riley end up spending a lot of time together, and their relationship with one another changes. As they get to know one another, Riley learns what a caring, strong, and giving person Jessica is. The sexual chemistry between these two was intense, and they had a fun time flirting, and spending time together, no matter what they were doing. Jessica respects Riley, his devotion to his brothers, hard work ethic, and ability to enjoy his life, and not let the hardships that he has endured bring him down. Together, Jessica and Riley learn to be themselves, open up, take a chance, and fall head over heals, madly in love with one another. Sweet was a great love story, and trust me, it's one you don't want to miss!
My Rating:
I give Sweet by Erin McCarthy 4.5 Stars filled with Real Love, Passion, Loyalty, and New Beginnings! This was a great love story about unconditional love, and acceptance. It touched on establishing independence, learning your self-worth, opening up to another person, taking things slow in a relationship, and savoring the special moments in your life. There was humor, laughter, and lightness in this story. Riley and Jessica were a great couple whose relationship grew slowly, deeply, and was meaningful. They really understood one another, because they were a lot alike. My love for the secondary characters in this series just continues to grow. There was a lot of Tyler in this story, Rory, and of course Jayden & Easton. We also get the fun group of friends we were introduced to in the first story in the series, True! Read the True Believers Series for a great story line, and authentic characters that continue to captivate me, hold my attention, and touch my heart.
My Favorite Quotes:
"So this isn't about you punishing me for sleeping with other guys before I met you? Because that was my ultimate fear. Riley took my hand and put his palm so that it faced out and he laced his fingers through mine. No. Absolutely not. But I have to admit that I do want to be important. Not just another guy, but the guy. More important than my brother, than Bill, than whoever else. He kissed my knuckles. I want to be the man you love." (eARC, Loc. 2274)
~Jessica & Riley
"When he kissed me, I realized that falling in love with Riley was just like having my head tilted backward--blood rushing, dizzy, hot and desperate, the world spinning. (eARC, Loc. 2423)
~Jessica
"Jess? Yeah? Would you be okay with it if I fell in love with you? My heart squeezed and I paused, my mouth a hairbreadth from his, as I took in his words, as if I could breathe them into my mouth, my heart, my soul. Yeah, I whispered. I'd be very okay with it." (eARC, Loc. 2457)
~Jessica & Riley
To Read More Book Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http://www.abookishescape.com
I adored True, the first book in the True Believers Series, and have been highly anticipating Sweet. In True, we got Rory and Tyler's story, and were introduced to Tyler's family, Rory's friends, and an overall great cast of secondary characters. In Sweet, we get Tyler's older brother, Riley's and Rory's good friend, Jessica's story. I absolutely LOVED Sweet! Ms. McCarthy really dug deep with her main character's. Not only were they fully developed, but they took on a life of their own, and leapt right off the pages, as I devoured line after line in this story.
Jessica, came off as a very superficial, party girl in True. Yet, in Sweet we get to learn about all of the layers that make up Jessica. She was such an interesting character, and I genuinely liked her. She grew up in a constrictive, religious, wealthy, and hypocritical background. Her father was a preacher, and held her accountable to his strict moral code without giving her room to grow up, and make her own decisions. Her mother was a cold, and judgmental woman, who only cared about keeping up appearances, and her brother was manipulative, calculating, and vindictive. Jessica felt suffocated by her family, and did her best to distance herself from them. Her parents paid for college, and living expenses, as long as she majored in religious studies.
Riley on the other hand, was very close to his brothers, and they shared a special love, loyalty, and unbreakable bond. However, the financial responsibility of the family's survival was primarily Riley's. Jessica and Riley loved to bicker, argue, and push each other's buttons. Yet, when Jessica needs some place to stay and Tyler offer's up his home, Jessica and Riley end up spending a lot of time together, and their relationship with one another changes. As they get to know one another, Riley learns what a caring, strong, and giving person Jessica is. The sexual chemistry between these two was intense, and they had a fun time flirting, and spending time together, no matter what they were doing. Jessica respects Riley, his devotion to his brothers, hard work ethic, and ability to enjoy his life, and not let the hardships that he has endured bring him down. Together, Jessica and Riley learn to be themselves, open up, take a chance, and fall head over heals, madly in love with one another. Sweet was a great love story, and trust me, it's one you don't want to miss!
My Rating:
I give Sweet by Erin McCarthy 4.5 Stars filled with Real Love, Passion, Loyalty, and New Beginnings! This was a great love story about unconditional love, and acceptance. It touched on establishing independence, learning your self-worth, opening up to another person, taking things slow in a relationship, and savoring the special moments in your life. There was humor, laughter, and lightness in this story. Riley and Jessica were a great couple whose relationship grew slowly, deeply, and was meaningful. They really understood one another, because they were a lot alike. My love for the secondary characters in this series just continues to grow. There was a lot of Tyler in this story, Rory, and of course Jayden & Easton. We also get the fun group of friends we were introduced to in the first story in the series, True! Read the True Believers Series for a great story line, and authentic characters that continue to captivate me, hold my attention, and touch my heart.
My Favorite Quotes:
"So this isn't about you punishing me for sleeping with other guys before I met you? Because that was my ultimate fear. Riley took my hand and put his palm so that it faced out and he laced his fingers through mine. No. Absolutely not. But I have to admit that I do want to be important. Not just another guy, but the guy. More important than my brother, than Bill, than whoever else. He kissed my knuckles. I want to be the man you love." (eARC, Loc. 2274)
~Jessica & Riley
"When he kissed me, I realized that falling in love with Riley was just like having my head tilted backward--blood rushing, dizzy, hot and desperate, the world spinning. (eARC, Loc. 2423)
~Jessica
"Jess? Yeah? Would you be okay with it if I fell in love with you? My heart squeezed and I paused, my mouth a hairbreadth from his, as I took in his words, as if I could breathe them into my mouth, my heart, my soul. Yeah, I whispered. I'd be very okay with it." (eARC, Loc. 2457)
~Jessica & Riley
To Read More Book Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http://www.abookishescape.com
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