True by Erin McCarthy
Series: True Believers #1
Published by Intermix on May 7, 2013
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 222
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
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When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.

Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…

Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

True is a pretty solid addition to the New Adult genre. I had a few issues with it but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is one book you won’t be able to put down once you start it.

Let me start off with the main thing that annoyed me about True so that I can get to the good stuff. First, the story starts off with the main character, Rory, getting sexually assaulted by some guy and then Tyler has to save her. Then, of course, the whole sexual assault thing is barely ever mentioned again. I mean, really? That’s not something that should just be shoved aside like it never happened. It really bothered me that it just happened, the girl was rescued, and they moved on. Don’t use sexual assault to help move the plot along. That’s not okay with me.

Other than that, I really enjoyed True. The story was fast-paced, the characters were a good mix, the writing was good, and above all, the romance was steamy! Erin McCarthy is a romance novelist so she definitely knows what she’s doing when it comes to sexy romance scenes but I’ll get back to that later. Once readers get past the whole sexual assault thing, the story turns awesome. There’s enough mystery surrounding Tyler that I was intrigued and I didn’t want to stop reading. And while some things were rather predictable, there were enough surprises thrown in to keep me happy.

The characters were really all pretty awesome. While Rory was a little stereotypical (nerdy girl who has never really been with a guy) she was a lot like me so I connected with her. She was shy around new people but once she came out of her shell she was really funny and sarcastic. Her friends, Kylie and Jessica, were hilarious. They were not shy about anything! They were not what you would typically expect as friends of a nerdy girl but I totally loved them and they were really good friends to Rory. Then there’s Tyler. I can’t tell you guys how much I loved Tyler. He was definitely kind of a bad boy but that was really just a front. He’s the sweetest guy ever! Tyler is definitely one guy who you won’t be able to help but crush on.

Rory and Tyler may not seem like they go together at first but Erin McCarthy really did take the time to develop their relationship rather than just throw them together. When the book starts they’ve known each other for a while but never been close. They start tutoring each other and they quickly learn that they have a lot in common and they really care for each other. From there, it gets hot. True has just enough sex to make it perfect. It’s not overdone, it’s not fade to black, it’s truly just perfect.

Also, True is the first book in a new series and I cannot wait for more. This is the end to Rory and Tyler’s story but the series will continue to have them in it. I believe the next book will be Jessica’s story. I’m already looking forward to it.

Overall, True is definitely a New Adult book that I recommend. It’s a quick read and perfect for a rainy day. Check it out if you get the chance!

Obsession with Books’ review: “I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately there was nothing unique and a few issues seemed to be created just to add additional angst and drama, it was too convenient.”

Proceed from Memory’s review: “This is the first book I’ve read by Erin McCarthy and so far I am impressed.”

Tangled Up In Books’ review: “This just wasn’t it for me. It wasn’t executed to it’s highest potential.”