Blog Tour: Sweet (True #2) by Erin McCarthy

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Sweet
True Believers Series

By:  Erin McCarthy

Release Date:  October 9, 2013

Publisher:  Penguin InterMix

Source:  Publisher

GR's Summary

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…

First Book in the Series

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***To Read My Review on True, Click HERE***

 My Thoughts:

I adored True, the first book in the True Believers Series, and have been highly anticipating Sweet.  In True, we got Rory and Tyler's story, and were introduced to Tyler's family, Rory's friends, and an overall great cast of secondary characters.  In Sweet, we get Tyler's older brother, Riley's and Rory's good friend, Jessica's story.  I absolutely LOVED Sweet!  Ms. McCarthy really dug deep with her main character's.  Not only were they fully developed, but they took on a life of their own, and leapt right off the pages, as I devoured line after line in this story.  

Jessica, came off as a very superficial, party girl in True.  Yet, in Sweet we get to learn about all of the layers that make up Jessica.  She was such an interesting character, and I genuinely liked her.  She grew up in a constrictive, religious, wealthy, and hypocritical background.  Her father was a preacher, and held her accountable to his strict moral code without giving her room to grow up, and make her own decisions.  Her mother was a cold, and judgmental woman, who only cared about keeping up appearances, and her brother was manipulative, calculating, and vindictive.  Jessica felt suffocated by her family, and did her best to distance herself from them.  Her parents paid for college, and living expenses, as long as she majored in religious studies.

Riley on the other hand, was very close to his brothers, and they shared a special love, loyalty, and unbreakable bond.  However, the financial responsibility of the family's survival was primarily Riley's.  Jessica and Riley loved to bicker, argue, and push each other's buttons.  Yet, when Jessica needs some place to stay and Tyler offer's up his home, Jessica and Riley end up spending a lot of time together, and their relationship with one another changes.  As they get to know one another, Riley learns what a caring, strong, and giving person Jessica is.  The sexual chemistry between these two was intense, and they had a fun time flirting, and spending time together, no matter what they were doing.  Jessica respects Riley, his devotion to his brothers, hard work ethic, and ability to enjoy his life, and not let the hardships that he has endured bring him down.  Together, Jessica and Riley learn to be themselves, open up, take a chance, and fall head over heals, madly in love with one another.  Sweet was a great love story, and trust me, it's one you don't want to miss!

My Rating:

I give Sweet by Erin McCarthy 4.5 Stars filled with Real Love, Passion, Loyalty, and New Beginnings!  This was a great love story about unconditional love, and acceptance.  It touched on establishing independence, learning your self-worth, opening up to another person, taking things slow in a relationship, and savoring the special moments in your life.  There was humor, laughter, and lightness in this story.  Riley and Jessica were a great couple whose relationship grew slowly, deeply, and was meaningful.  They really understood one another, because they were a lot alike.  My love for the secondary characters in this series just continues to grow.  There was a lot of Tyler in this story, Rory, and of course Jayden & Easton.  We also get the fun group of friends we were introduced to in the first story in the series, True!  Read the True Believers Series for a great story line, and authentic characters that continue to captivate me, hold my attention, and touch my heart.  

My Favorite Quotes:

"So this isn't about you punishing me for sleeping with other guys before I met you?  Because that was my ultimate fear.  Riley took my hand and put his palm so that it faced out and he laced his fingers through mine.  No.  Absolutely not.  But I have to admit that I do want to be important.  Not just another guy, but the guy.  More important than my brother, than Bill, than whoever else.  He kissed my knuckles.  I want to be the man you love."  (eARC, Loc. 2274)

~Jessica & Riley

"When he kissed me, I realized that falling in love with Riley was just like having my head tilted backward--blood rushing, dizzy, hot and desperate, the world spinning.  (eARC, Loc. 2423)

~Jessica

"Jess?  Yeah?  Would you be okay with it if I fell in love with you?  My heart squeezed and I paused, my mouth a hairbreadth from his, as I took in his words, as if I could breathe them into my mouth, my heart, my soul.  Yeah, I whispered.  I'd be very okay with it."  (eARC, Loc. 2457)

~Jessica & Riley

Interview

Thank You for agreeing to do an Author Interview with us.  First, we want to welcome you to A Bookish Escape, and wish you much success in your future endeavors.    We are so excited to read your upcoming work, and are huge fans of your True Believers series.  We are so excited to have the opportunity to interview you and get to know you better!

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Where is your favorite place to write? How often do you write?

Anywhere that isn’t a desk.   I don’t like to feel restricted so I move around a lot, room to room, coffeeshop to coffeeshop.  I write at least five days a week, sometimes more depending on deadlines.

Are any of your characters based on someone you currently know or have met?

No, definitely not.  I don’t even use actors/actresses as muses.  It’s all in my crazy head.  The only real creature I ever wrote into a book was my cat, who inspired the cat in Mouth To Mouth.  

What are your top 5 goals for 2013?

-Go to Ireland to visit my daughter

-See my son off to college without sobbing like a baby

- Write and self-publish the fourth book in my Deadly Sins series

- Hit the New York Times ebook list with Believe

- Spend as much time with my friends and family as possible, because YOLO, right? 

What are some of your interests/ hobbies?

I love horror movies, live music, decorating, gardening, and fleece pajamas.  Though I guess fleece isn’t a hobby, it’s more of an addiction.  

Give me one word that best describes each member of the TRUE family.

Tyler- Compassionate

Riley- Loyal

Jayden- Funny

Easton- Intelligent

WHICH DO YOU PREFER?

Coffee or Tea? 

Coffee

Sweet, Sour or Salty? 

Sweet

Mountains or Beach? 

Beach

Bookstore or Library? 

That’s a toss up

Mac or PC?  

Mac

eBook or Printed copy? 

eBook for non-fiction, print for fiction

SHORT ANSWER

Where is the most beautiful place you've ever been to?  Why? 

Switzerland because of the majesty of the mountains and the beauty of the lakes.

If you could visit anyplace in the world, where would you go?  Why?

I would love to see the pyramids of Giza, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.  I do really want to go to Ireland and Scotland next year.

Best gift you've ever received?  Why? A trip to Paris for my 40^th birthday. Also, my friends threw me a surprise party for my 40^th birthday in New Orleans and that was very special to me.

Best gift you've ever given?  Why?  I guess you’d have to ask the recipients. Lol.  But I’ve always enjoyed making each birthday and Christmas special for my kids, and I was very honored to give a bridal shower for one of my besties and a baby shower for my sister.

Purchase At

Kindle | Nook | iBooks

About the Author

USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written almost fifty novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for New Orleans, tattoos, high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.

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