Book Review: True by Erin McCarthy

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 584 KB
• Print Length: 235 pages
• Publisher: InterMix (7 May 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00B7NPS60

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… 

Rory is studious, focused and uncertain around guys. She knows exactly where her future will lead and won’t allow herself to become distracted. Her roommates have different philosophies. They work hard and party harder. They enlist the help of tattooed bad boy, Tyler, to get Rory’s eyes off the books and start living her life...starting with losing her virginity.

Rory is intrigued by Tyler. He smokes. He drinks. Has tattooes. Sleeps around. And yet the more she gets to know him, the more she discovers there is to him. She learns how he protects his younger brothers with a loyalty so fierce it takes her breath away. He is smart with a burning desire for knowledge, ploughs through books and escapes into their worlds. He makes her feel beautiful.

Tyler and Rory fall into a fast and burning hot romance, both of them awakening in ways they never thought possible. But desire is not the only factor in their relationship, and when their different backgrounds threatens to pull the pair apart, Tyler and Rory must decide whether to fight or let go.

True is a welcome addition to the New Adult genre. With so many flooding the bookshelves, it’s hard to find an original one. Going in, I must admit, I expected True to be very similar to other ‘tattooed bad boys with a heart and surprising intelligence’ books. But, it holds its own. There is a rawness to this story that plucks at heartstrings and a romance so hot and tender all at once it has you melting. 

Rory and Tyler were memorable characters. I sympathised for both of them and thoroughly enjoyed reading their story. 

Many thanks to Netgalley and InterMix for the review copy.