Review: BELIEVE by ERIN MCCARTHY

Title: Believe

Author: Erin McCarthy

Series: Ture Believers #3

Release Date: January 21st 2014

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

BLURB

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…

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Review
Genre: review copy,netgalley,friendship drama,romance

I started Believe immediately after finishing Sweet so I think I was still on a romance-high and I fell in love with Robin, and particularly Phoenix, as soon a the story began. These are two characters who are far from perfect, but Erin McCarthy shows them recognising their flaws and trying to change.
We saw Robin in both True and Sweet as a party-girl, but after a night of drunkenness which leaves her with no memory of sex with her best-friend's boyfriend, she becomes introverted and tee-total. In Believe she is a shadow of her former self, confused and lacking confidence. As soon as she meets Phoenix there is an instant connection, beyond physical attraction (he is a tatted bad boy *gulp*).
Phoenix is on parole, living on Riley's couch, dressing in Riley's clothes, jobless and penniless. Yet there is something about him which I adored. He is gentle with Robin and accepting of her needs. He struggles with his violent side, to a self-destructive extent, until he is overwhelmed by his need to protect.
Erin McCarthy tries hard to make this plot different from her previous books, and unfortunately Robin and Phoenix's is an insta-love relationship. Although I wanted to see both characters happy, I would have ideally like to have seen more development of their romance and characters, before the 'I love you' scene.
I like the fact that Erin McCarthy links the characters and previous stories in this series, although I think the books could also be read as stand-alones.
I now really look forward to reading Kylie's story in Shatter.
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