NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Shatter (True Believers #4)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Shatter (True Believers #4), by Erin McCarthy
Published September 2, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Romance/Intermix
Format: paperback, provided by the publisher
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Kylie Warner prides herself on being optimistic, but after finding her best friend in bed with her boyfriend and flunking chemistry, her upbeat attitude has taken a dive. Even an impromptu hook-up with her sexy new chemistry tutor only brightens her mood slightly. After all, it’s not like she’ll ever see the tattooed scholar again…

While he’s a whiz at complex equations, Jonathon Kadisch has trouble when it comes to figuring out women. So when Kylie tells him that she’s pregnant after their night of passion, he’s at a complete loss. He’s prepared to be a good father—unlike his own deadbeat dad—but he’s less prepared to fall for the genuine and alluring blonde bearing his child.

With emotions running high, Kylie wonders if Jonathon’s devotion is out of growing love or looming obligation. And when heartbreak threatens to tear them apart, Jonathon will have to fight for the only girl who’s ever made him feel whole…

Kylie's story in Shatter is the last of the four college BFFs' to tell, and it feels like her story has been a long time coming. We had the impression from book one that her relationship with her boyfriend wasn't everything it should be. He seemed like a total douchebag, and after book three in the series, that was confirmed. It's a shame that it had to happy to Kylie - the "happy" one of the group. I really, really wanted her to get her HEA just like the other three girls had. And, she found it in Jonathon. 

Kylie wasn't quite as skilled at the academics, especially when it came to the sciences. Add to that the fact that her chem prof is super slimy, and Kylie realizes she will need extra help to pass the class. Enter tatted tutor Jonathon. One study session together leads to one amazing night together, which leads to a lifelong attachment when Kylie finds out she's pregnant. 

Jonathon was absolutely incredible. It takes a special kind of man to step up and accept responsibility for a child he makes, especially when he barely knows the mother. Although Jonathon and Kylie don't promise each other anything from the beginning beyond being responsible for the life they created together, I liked that Jonathon opened himself up to the possibility, after his initial freak out. 

And, yeah. He might be pretty near perfect, but when Kylie breaks the news to him, he doesn't respond well. I was actually glad about that. It was a very real, organic response, and it made him just this side of perfect. 

For Kylie's part, she accepts responsibility immediately and starts adjusting her plans to accommodate a child. She tells Jonathon about her pregnancy immediately - major props for that. I can't tell you what a huge pet peeve it is of mine when characters in books find out they're pregnant and then delay telling the father, or even contemplate keeping it from him. I loved that she broke the news to Jonathon immediately, and she didn't let him walk all over her and get emotional when he freaked out. 

Poor Kylie. I mean, she's still trying to come to grips with the fact that one of her best friends slept with her boyfriend when this happens. Jonathon ended up being a very good friend to her first and foremost. He protected her, he listened to her, and he became committed to taking care of her. Unfortunately, Kylie gets a little too hung up on whether Jonathon was being that way with her because he truly cared about her or because he felt like he owed it to her to hang out with her and take care of her because of the baby. And, I get why. Especially after she falls in love with him. 

As if this wasn't enough drama for these two, Kylie and Jonathon are both dealing with exes, Kylie still has to fix her grades, she has to deal with Jonathon's horrible father, and then something awful happens to just confuse and complicate matters even more. Shatter was a very emotional book. Although Kylie and Jonathon have a very easy, comfortable relationship, the subject matter was pretty intense, and halfway through the book when you're hit with the "big, bad event," the whole story takes a different turn. It made me so sad and I just wanted everything to work out quickly so that everyone could be happy again. 

One of the best parts of Shatter was the epilogue. Since this is the final True Believers book, the epilogue gives us one final glimpse at all four couples before we have to say goodbye. They all come together for Jessica and Riley's wedding, and that takes place many months after the end of Jonathon's and Kylie's story. I love that final look at all the couples and that Erin McCarthy gave readers a chance to say goodbye to them. 

I nearly binge read the whole series at once. I enjoyed all the books so much, and am sad that it's finally come to an end. I'm looking forward to the next awesome new adult read from Erin McCarthy. 

NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Believe (True Believers #3)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Believe (True Believers #3), by Erin McCarthy
Published January 21, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: paperback, provided by the publisher
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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 read nearly the entire True Believers series back-to-back because the stories in each book were each so good both by themselves, and as part of a larger story about four college friends who find love in unexpected men. Believe is the third book in the series, and it's plot was alluded to in Sweet, which was the second book in the series.

In Believe, Robin is struggling over the summer as she tries to come to grips with the fact that she slept with her best friend Kylie's long-term boyfriend when she was black-out drunk one night. She meets a kindred spirit in Phoenix, the cousin of Tyler and Riley, who are her other BFFs' boyfriends. Phoenix is going through his own stuff, having just got out of prison, so falling in love was way far down on his to-do list. But, eventually, Kylie comes back to start the new school year, and Robin will have to eventually own up to what happened. 

The best part about Believe is that it's the first book in this series that is written in dual POV. It was such a delightful surprise when I read the first chapter from Phoenix's POV. At first he was a pretty broody and cranky guy (who wouldn't be after just getting out of the clink?), so it was nice to get a glimpse inside his head. 

It was good that the main issue of Robin sleeping with Nathan, her BFF Kylie's boyfriend of over a year, wasn't glossed over or solved easily. This is a huge deal, as any girl can attest to. Normally, I'd automatically hate on the girl who would do that to a friend. But, in this case, I actually felt horrible for Robin. She was black-out drunk when it happened, and as soon as she realized what she had done, she made it clear to Nathan that it was a huge mistake and would never happen again. Even when he stalked her afterward, she never once led him on. And, Robin was so adversely affected by this one event that it set in motion some major changes to her life. 

Phoenix never had been a drinker. So, when Robin swears off all alcohol forever, she finds it easy and comfortable to be with Phoenix. He's never going to pressure her to go have a drink at a bar. And, he's never going to look sideways at her when she goes for a Coke instead of a beer. Plus, they are both artistic and appreciate art and music. They really seemed to be pretty perfect for each other. 

Except, both were harboring secrets. Robin didn't want to tell Phoenix about what happened with Nathan because she didn't want him to think she was a slut or a bad friend, even though she thought those things about herself. Phoenix didn't want Robin to know about his anger management problem that had landed him in prison in the first place. People warned both of them from starting a relationship together, but when things click with someone, you just have to find a way around the difficulties. And, most times, that only makes a couple stronger. 

Of course, as you would expect, there comes a time when both of their situations blow up in their faces. Robin's drunken night with Nathan is discovered by everyone and Phoenix's rage is put on display. It was only after they each handle their situations badly that they realize that the first step to making your life better is to find a partner to help you with the hard stuff. When you try and go it alone is when you fall. 

Believe was another awesome addition to the True Believers series, and after it was over, it was easy to move right on to the last book, Shatter, which is Kylie's story. More on that one soon.   

NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Sweet (True Believers #2)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Sweet (True Believers #2), by Erin McCarthy
Published October 15, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: paperback, obtained from the publisher
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Jessica Sweet thought going away to college would finally make her free of her parents’ constant judgments and insistence she play chastity club role model for their church events, but if anything, the freedom has made her realize she can’t go home and be a hypocrite anymore. Tired of dodging their questions, she stays at school over the summer and lands in an unexpected crash pad: Riley Mann’s house.

Sarcastic, cocky, and full of opinions, Riley is also sexy personified with tattoos and biceps earned from working as a roofer all day. Not the right guy for her even if Jessica was looking for a relationship, which she is definitely not. But Jessica knows that Riley hides the burden of having to raise his younger brothers behind that grin and as she helps him get his house in order for a custody hearing, they begin to fall hard for each other, and she is forced to question what she’s hiding herself.

Jessica has never had a problem getting naked with a guy, but when it comes to showing Riley how she truly feels inside, her fear of rejection may just ruin the best thing—the best guy—to ever happen to her…

It's been awhile since I read the first book in Erin McCarthy's True Believer's series, True. Nine months, actually. I've meant to get caught up on the series, and recently, my good blogger friend, Hannah, was talking about the fourth book in the series, Shatter, and it inspired me to pick it back up. I read through SWEET in about a day - it was difficult to put down. And, it didn't take me long to remember everything that had happened in the first book, so once I started, I was good to go. 

Jessica Sweet is anything but sweet. The product of a strict, religious upbringing, being in college has given her a chance to let loose and get wild. Going home for the summer is just not an option. Lying to her parents and sticking around with her friends - that's more like it. But, Jessica needs a place to stay for a week until the apartment she's subletting is available. Enter Riley Mann, Jessica's arch nemesis. Riley offers to let her stay in his house for the week, and although it's rough at first, before the week is out, both Jessica and Riley are changed forever.

Above all, my favorite thing about Sweet is the banter between Riley and Jessica. I loved that there was this crazy amount of animosity always simmering right at the surface between them. They pick on each other about everything. They are completely different people - Riley was raised in a broken home with his brothers and junky mother and now is a blue collar worker. Jessica had a very privileged upbringing in a beautiful but cold home. She's never had to work a day in her life. So, thankfully, that makes for plenty of fodder for them to bitch at each other about. 

But, as we see so many times in books with this type of relationship, the intense dislike it seems that these two have for each other is really just foreplay. Passion is passion, whether you're fighting or loving, and Jessica and Riley are two seriously passionate people. 

Both Jess and Riley each have their own side stories. For Riley, it's his fight for custody of his youngest brother, 11-year-old Easton. His house is in terrible shape in a terrible neighborhood. I love how Jessica took charge of the situation without asking, and I love that Riley grudgingly let her. It was something that brought the two of them together and set them on common ground for once. 

For Jess, her story involved her rigid upbringing and her strained relationship with her parents and brother. Jess has been lying to them about her summer plans, and she knows they will eventually find out. I was a little disappointed with the resolution of this situation. Or, should we say, lack of resolution. There is definitely a point where things come to a head between Jess and her parents, but things weren't completely taken care of. There were still bad feelings. I kept hoping that we'd come back to it at some point at the end of the book. But, that was it, and I was left feeling a little unfulfilled. 

But, the relationship building between Jess and Riley are really what the book is all about, and that part was stellar. The chemistry between them was ridiculous, and Erin McCarthy kept us hanging on for what seemed like FOREVER for the physical part of their relationship. In the context of the story, it made sense, and I did love that about it. It was told entirely from Jess's POV, which was a bit of a bummer. With their relationship, there were definitely times that I would've loved to know what was going through Riley's head. 

The best part is, after reading Sweet, I was ready to move right along to the next book in the series, Believe. There's a bit of set up for that book in Sweet, so it was perfect. The True Believers series really is fantastic, and Sweet sealed the deal for me.