EARLY ARC REVIEW ~ Believe by Erin McCarthy

Title: Believe

Author: Erin McCarthy

Series: True Believers #3

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Published: January 21st 2014

Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naïve dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

I have read True, the first book in this series, and even though I missed the second book Sweet, I like how easy it is to dive back into this world. I already knew most of the characters and getting into this story was easy. Come on, who doesn’t want to read about a tattooed badboy and a college girl?? Believe turned out to be an emotional ride, entering a few darker situations of how the real world can operate.

Phoenix is such a great guy. He looks badass… a quiet, tattoed jailbird, but he is a sober, nice guy with anger issues that really only come out when himself or those he are close to are threatened. He is determined to make his life work and is on the right track to be a better person. I totally fell for Phoenix straight away… He defends Robin, is blunt with her and is sappy in his own way.

Robin did something that she is so ashamed of that she turned her whole life around. She gave up partying and drinking and is trying to find her way again. I felt sorry for her, but she did her best to face the situation. She was such a sad girl and you could see that Phoenix was going to light her up again. It becomes apparent that she doesn't handle confrontation well and tries to hide it or dull it out. But Phoenix seems to know her, even though she keeps her secrets behind her walls.

I loved how well these two got along. Their first meeting was a little awkward, but I liked how Phoenix stood up for her even though they didn't really know each other. Phoenix does some unconventional things that made me smile too. I love how passionate he becomes about things and even though they look like they are from different worlds, they have lots in common.

I enjoy Erin McCarthy’s writing style. Even though the story was a little dark in places, you can connect easily with the characters. People make mistakes all the time and it is interesting to see what people do to get through these situations. Erin was able to blend some complex situations into a beautiful story. If you haven’t read anything of Erin’s, I suggest you give this series a go!

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Other reviews from this series

True ~ True Believers #1