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medievil_'s review against another edition
3.0
The first 80% of this book was awesome. Slut-shaming got addressed in way that wasn't hamfisted, which I loved. Then the last 20% did a thing that made me FUCKING CRAZY. I can't say without it being majorly spoilery but I will tell you I literally walked away from the book. Like took actual physical steps away. Because I could not even. I still cannot even.
Four stars for the first 80%, 2 stars for the last 20%.
God. GOD.
Four stars for the first 80%, 2 stars for the last 20%.
God. GOD.
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Second in the True Believers romance series for New Adults and revolving around a group of friends in college. The couple focus in Sweet is on Jessica Sweet and Riley Mann.
My Take
It's all about knowing who you are and staying true to that. Of not allowing people's judgments of you to affect who you are, how you see yourself. It doesn't help that Riley has a hard time not treating her like her parents do.
They're both such brats, and they're perfect for each other: both think relationships are too much work and not worth it. Riley had a comment that cracked me up: "…my hand doesn't expect me to text it twenty times the next day." They're both honest about how they see the other. That they see the bad AND the good. And that the good is not simply that the other one is hot!
They have their negatives with Riley suffering from foot-in-mouth disease, blurting out exactly what he's thinking. But Jessica doesn't back down. She doesn't go into guilt mode…yeahhh! Instead she veers between mature and so immature. Getting drunk the day of the party? Not smart. She's also misguided on her worth. Freaking out because Riley won't take her to bed and get naked. And his moves, his holding back!, teach her so much more about herself.
It's interesting that everyone sees Jess as so hard-core. Tyler even asks her to not break Riley's heart — he is the more romantic of the two. He's a guy and he initiates the following: "Hey, if you married me your name would be Jessica Sweet Mann. That's literally the best name I've ever heard." Any "normal" guy? If a woman said that to him? He'd be out the door so fast. Instead, Jess is the one gettin' worried.
It's partly because of Riley's actions and reactions that this was sweet. A mostly enjoyable story that frustrated me with my confusion at the start when Jessica couldn't stand Riley which quickly segued into "okay, yeah, I'm attracted to him" maybe, sort of, but "he's so disgusting". I wish McCarthy had started off immediately with Jessica's conflict about her attraction to Riley. Or am I being too obtuse? I'm okay with her thinking he's hot but a jerk. I'm not okay with McCarthy ambushing us with Jessica's thinking "okay, he's hot" when she's been working to establish him as a jerk.
As for the family side, I can relate. Her parents are overly moral with a high stench of holier-than-thou attitude. As for that brother… How Christian is he?? Not. It's enough that it's tipped Jessica over the edge. She's perfectly comfortable hopping in and out of beds, and I can't disagree with her reasoning. Especially when she blows up at Riley for his comments. Again. And again.
First there's the family influence and her rebelling against her parents and that double standard society sets. Why is it okay for guys to sleep around without an emotional commitment, but it's not okay for girls? You'd think guys would love that since they always complain about the girl chasing after them later. Then again, Jessica's own hypocrisy raises its head, and I do think Jessica has been deluding herself. She believes she doesn't use her sex to repay favors or to say thanks, and yet, that's exactly what she planned to do for that one-week bridge between apartments and in a way, it's what she's doing to go to college. Part of her sexual attitude shows when she's freaking because she's not swerving male heads into doing her bidding.
Her upper middle-class upbringing shows itself. And it shows how little she has learned about consideration for others. She's getting a free ride for a week and her first action is to complain about how the house smells and complain about how Riley is raising his brothers. WTF? Who does she think she is? I do have to hand it to her, though. She is trying. That first trip on the bus? Too funny in her first real taste of how the have-nots live. Her decision that saying "thanks for having me" is to redo the Manns' kitchen is another example of her judging the Manns. Sure it's desperate for a redo, and I know I'd have the same reaction Jessica does. However, it's not my house! How dare she make a judgment like this! Annnnddd, yes it was a really good idea. Too bad McCarthy didn't bring in the drama and tension of Ethan's fate earlier.
Ya gotta wonder about her family. It's kind of weird that Jessica makes her dad sound like the number one jerk in the family, and then at the end, it sounds like her mother and brother are worse. It doesn't really matter, since both parents are major control freaks who've simply turned their daughter away from their church. Jesus, even Jess' ringtones reflect her mom's and brother's personalities. Then you look at the Mann boys' living conditions. What a struggle their life is and how TRUE they are to and for each other. I'll take friendship with them any day of the week.
Okay, that comment about "quilts old crocheted afghans" makes me think of that stupid toilet paper commercial where they were quilting TP with knitting needles. "Bedcoverings" or "bedspreads" are the words I think McCarthy was groping for here. Not "quilts".
Jessica makes good points about how the world views the "fat chick", how the comments and images make a girl worry and obsess over her size. Jessica understands this and yet she continues to go along with it. I suspect Riley is going to be good for her. Break her out of her mother's conditioning. A person — girl or boy, man or woman — has to be true to themselves. If you're not, you will be so miserable. All you have to do is look at Jessica and how miserable she is.
It's an odd courtship by two people who don't want to have a relationship, who snark and snipe every chance they get with each other. A guy who wants to hold off on the sex and "dating" a woman who wants to jump in bed last night. And she learns something she hadn't expected. It's all about control for Jessica. She's sick and tired of being controlled, and she refuses to give in to it anymore. It's also about emotions. She sees her mother controlled by her father through emotions, and she doesn't want to fall into that trap.
The Story
Desperate to not go home to her sanctimonious parents, Jessica lies so she can stay in town for the summer. She just needs that one-week bridge. Somewhere to live until her summer sublease is ready.
It’s Riley who comes up with the invite. One she can’t turn down as much as she can’t stand him, after all, it’s only for a week.
The Characters
Jessica Sweet is a minister's daughter, expected to toe the line and appear as sweet as her name. She's pursuing a major in religious studies and interior design, as Jessica puts it, "majoring in future preacher's wife". Her roommates Kylie (who's been her best friend since childhood) and Rory are happy with their boyfriends Nathan and Tyler Mann (see True, 1). Bill is Nathan's roommate and in love with Jessica.
The twenty-five-year-old Riley Mann works construction and is Tyler's older brother, and while gorgeous, Jessica can't stand him. Jayden is their sweet eighteen-year-old brother with Down Syndrome while Easton is
Robin, a graphic design-art major, is another friend. Mandy is the bartender at the restaurant where Jessica works. Maggie is one of her new summer roommates. Aaron is a guy from her Dead Sea Scrolls class. Zeke is the bartender at Riley's preferred bar. David is the neighbor about to steal Jess' vacuum.
Paxton is Jessica's jerky brother. Donna is her "Material Girl" mother. The Reverend Sweet is not so sweet.
The Cover
The cover is dark with Riley in a black wifebeater and Jessica in a black bra and jeans and smoke rising between them — nice touch that — as they kiss a handbreadth apart.
The title is both Jessica and not, for she may be a Sweet, but she’s not sweet.
My Take
It's all about knowing who you are and staying true to that. Of not allowing people's judgments of you to affect who you are, how you see yourself. It doesn't help that Riley has a hard time not treating her like her parents do.
They're both such brats, and they're perfect for each other: both think relationships are too much work and not worth it. Riley had a comment that cracked me up: "…my hand doesn't expect me to text it twenty times the next day." They're both honest about how they see the other. That they see the bad AND the good. And that the good is not simply that the other one is hot!
They have their negatives with Riley suffering from foot-in-mouth disease, blurting out exactly what he's thinking. But Jessica doesn't back down. She doesn't go into guilt mode…yeahhh! Instead she veers between mature and so immature. Getting drunk the day of the party? Not smart. She's also misguided on her worth. Freaking out because Riley won't take her to bed and get naked. And his moves, his holding back!, teach her so much more about herself.
It's interesting that everyone sees Jess as so hard-core. Tyler even asks her to not break Riley's heart — he is the more romantic of the two. He's a guy and he initiates the following: "Hey, if you married me your name would be Jessica Sweet Mann. That's literally the best name I've ever heard." Any "normal" guy? If a woman said that to him? He'd be out the door so fast. Instead, Jess is the one gettin' worried.
It's partly because of Riley's actions and reactions that this was sweet. A mostly enjoyable story that frustrated me with my confusion at the start when Jessica couldn't stand Riley which quickly segued into "okay, yeah, I'm attracted to him" maybe, sort of, but "he's so disgusting". I wish McCarthy had started off immediately with Jessica's conflict about her attraction to Riley. Or am I being too obtuse? I'm okay with her thinking he's hot but a jerk. I'm not okay with McCarthy ambushing us with Jessica's thinking "okay, he's hot" when she's been working to establish him as a jerk.
As for the family side, I can relate. Her parents are overly moral with a high stench of holier-than-thou attitude. As for that brother… How Christian is he?? Not. It's enough that it's tipped Jessica over the edge. She's perfectly comfortable hopping in and out of beds, and I can't disagree with her reasoning. Especially when she blows up at Riley for his comments. Again. And again.
First there's the family influence and her rebelling against her parents and that double standard society sets. Why is it okay for guys to sleep around without an emotional commitment, but it's not okay for girls? You'd think guys would love that since they always complain about the girl chasing after them later. Then again, Jessica's own hypocrisy raises its head, and I do think Jessica has been deluding herself. She believes she doesn't use her sex to repay favors or to say thanks, and yet, that's exactly what she planned to do for that one-week bridge between apartments and in a way, it's what she's doing to go to college. Part of her sexual attitude shows when she's freaking because she's not swerving male heads into doing her bidding.
Her upper middle-class upbringing shows itself. And it shows how little she has learned about consideration for others. She's getting a free ride for a week and her first action is to complain about how the house smells and complain about how Riley is raising his brothers. WTF? Who does she think she is? I do have to hand it to her, though. She is trying. That first trip on the bus? Too funny in her first real taste of how the have-nots live. Her decision that saying "thanks for having me" is to redo the Manns' kitchen is another example of her judging the Manns. Sure it's desperate for a redo, and I know I'd have the same reaction Jessica does. However, it's not my house! How dare she make a judgment like this! Annnnddd, yes it was a really good idea. Too bad McCarthy didn't bring in the drama and tension of Ethan's fate earlier.
Ya gotta wonder about her family. It's kind of weird that Jessica makes her dad sound like the number one jerk in the family, and then at the end, it sounds like her mother and brother are worse. It doesn't really matter, since both parents are major control freaks who've simply turned their daughter away from their church. Jesus, even Jess' ringtones reflect her mom's and brother's personalities. Then you look at the Mann boys' living conditions. What a struggle their life is and how TRUE they are to and for each other. I'll take friendship with them any day of the week.
Okay, that comment about "quilts old crocheted afghans" makes me think of that stupid toilet paper commercial where they were quilting TP with knitting needles. "Bedcoverings" or "bedspreads" are the words I think McCarthy was groping for here. Not "quilts".
Jessica makes good points about how the world views the "fat chick", how the comments and images make a girl worry and obsess over her size. Jessica understands this and yet she continues to go along with it. I suspect Riley is going to be good for her. Break her out of her mother's conditioning. A person — girl or boy, man or woman — has to be true to themselves. If you're not, you will be so miserable. All you have to do is look at Jessica and how miserable she is.
"Never ask someone to tell you who you are. You tell them."
It's an odd courtship by two people who don't want to have a relationship, who snark and snipe every chance they get with each other. A guy who wants to hold off on the sex and "dating" a woman who wants to jump in bed last night. And she learns something she hadn't expected. It's all about control for Jessica. She's sick and tired of being controlled, and she refuses to give in to it anymore. It's also about emotions. She sees her mother controlled by her father through emotions, and she doesn't want to fall into that trap.
The Story
Desperate to not go home to her sanctimonious parents, Jessica lies so she can stay in town for the summer. She just needs that one-week bridge. Somewhere to live until her summer sublease is ready.
It’s Riley who comes up with the invite. One she can’t turn down as much as she can’t stand him, after all, it’s only for a week.
The Characters
Jessica Sweet is a minister's daughter, expected to toe the line and appear as sweet as her name. She's pursuing a major in religious studies and interior design, as Jessica puts it, "majoring in future preacher's wife". Her roommates Kylie (who's been her best friend since childhood) and Rory are happy with their boyfriends Nathan and Tyler Mann (see True, 1). Bill is Nathan's roommate and in love with Jessica.
The twenty-five-year-old Riley Mann works construction and is Tyler's older brother, and while gorgeous, Jessica can't stand him. Jayden is their sweet eighteen-year-old brother with Down Syndrome while Easton is
Robin, a graphic design-art major, is another friend. Mandy is the bartender at the restaurant where Jessica works. Maggie is one of her new summer roommates. Aaron is a guy from her Dead Sea Scrolls class. Zeke is the bartender at Riley's preferred bar. David is the neighbor about to steal Jess' vacuum.
Paxton is Jessica's jerky brother. Donna is her "Material Girl" mother. The Reverend Sweet is not so sweet.
The Cover
The cover is dark with Riley in a black wifebeater and Jessica in a black bra and jeans and smoke rising between them — nice touch that — as they kiss a handbreadth apart.
The title is both Jessica and not, for she may be a Sweet, but she’s not sweet.
lifeand100books's review against another edition
4.0
When I read True by Erin McCarthy back in July I'll admit, I wasn't wowed. Having just come off of a new adult reading high I chalked some of my disappointment up to that (I mean I can't LOVE everything I read....) Giving McCarthy the benefit of the doubt I continued with the series, promptly requesting Sweet, book two in her True Believers series, as soon as it became available. From Goodreads:
I'm glad that I gave this series a second shot, because Sweet was ten times better than True. I think it's directly related to the characters. First, let me say that I love when authors write characters that were raised wealthy and then throw them into situations where they have to be frugal/poor. I like seeing how believable an author can be at developing the character, as I think this particular transformation can be difficult to accurately achieve. Jessica Sorensen did it really well with Lila in The Temptation of Lila and Ethan and I can happily say that McCarthy achieves success with Jessica in Sweet!
Jessica was raised in an extremely stringent and hypocritical household, yet she was also raised with the best of everything. She's never had to worry about money; she's only had to worry about pleasing parents that are never satisfied with her. Refusing to be the good-girl martyr they expect her to be, she decides to rebel for the summer and work at a steakhouse near college. Needing a place to crash, she winds up at Riley's house while his brothers are all away. It's here in his run-down, almost bank-owned home, that she begins to understand life and herself. Her development from start to finish is awesome. Starting out as a bit of a princess, she becomes this fierce tiger, unafraid of going after what (and who) she wants.
And then we have Riley. He's one of those bad-boy characters that has a heart of gold and kindness you never imagined. He struggles every day to make sure his younger brothers are taken care of and kept out of the child welfare system. Blow after blow keeps threatening to tear him down, but somewhere inside of himself he finds the gumption to keep the battle alive. And when he falls for Jessica.....he falls hard.
I loved the dynamic of their relationship. While they were raised in two different lifestyles, their remarkably similar people: neither of them back down from challenges, they're both rash, opinionated, and are at times unrelenting. Together they make each other better, stronger. McCarthy definitely hooked me into Sweet, so much so that I'm eagerly awaiting the January release of book three, Believe.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-2bE
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…
I'm glad that I gave this series a second shot, because Sweet was ten times better than True. I think it's directly related to the characters. First, let me say that I love when authors write characters that were raised wealthy and then throw them into situations where they have to be frugal/poor. I like seeing how believable an author can be at developing the character, as I think this particular transformation can be difficult to accurately achieve. Jessica Sorensen did it really well with Lila in The Temptation of Lila and Ethan and I can happily say that McCarthy achieves success with Jessica in Sweet!
Jessica was raised in an extremely stringent and hypocritical household, yet she was also raised with the best of everything. She's never had to worry about money; she's only had to worry about pleasing parents that are never satisfied with her. Refusing to be the good-girl martyr they expect her to be, she decides to rebel for the summer and work at a steakhouse near college. Needing a place to crash, she winds up at Riley's house while his brothers are all away. It's here in his run-down, almost bank-owned home, that she begins to understand life and herself. Her development from start to finish is awesome. Starting out as a bit of a princess, she becomes this fierce tiger, unafraid of going after what (and who) she wants.
And then we have Riley. He's one of those bad-boy characters that has a heart of gold and kindness you never imagined. He struggles every day to make sure his younger brothers are taken care of and kept out of the child welfare system. Blow after blow keeps threatening to tear him down, but somewhere inside of himself he finds the gumption to keep the battle alive. And when he falls for Jessica.....he falls hard.
I loved the dynamic of their relationship. While they were raised in two different lifestyles, their remarkably similar people: neither of them back down from challenges, they're both rash, opinionated, and are at times unrelenting. Together they make each other better, stronger. McCarthy definitely hooked me into Sweet, so much so that I'm eagerly awaiting the January release of book three, Believe.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-2bE
gypsybaby75's review against another edition
5.0
The second in Erin McCarthy’s True Believers series surrounds Jessica Sweet and the oldest of the Mann brothers Riley. This second in the series was pretty intense in the relationship department, on the outside Riley looks like a bad boy but as you read on into the book, he is the one that develops hard core feelings for Jessica while she is more hesitant. Jessica has feelings for him, but she is afraid to open up-just like a guy-while Riley is doing his damndest not to be jealous of every guy that even casually touches her.
Jessica’s progression from a slut to a dedicated, home decorating girlfriend is amazing, and I loved reading how she transformed when she met the right guy. Riley was a little frightening in his jealousy and anger, but you have to remind yourself that he was defending Jessica from all the guys that came before him.
I also loved the family dynamic that was Tyler, Rory, Easton, Jayden, Jessica, and Riley. We also got a taste of the next installment in this series, Believe which is Robin’s story. Can’t wait to read that one!
Jessica’s progression from a slut to a dedicated, home decorating girlfriend is amazing, and I loved reading how she transformed when she met the right guy. Riley was a little frightening in his jealousy and anger, but you have to remind yourself that he was defending Jessica from all the guys that came before him.
I also loved the family dynamic that was Tyler, Rory, Easton, Jayden, Jessica, and Riley. We also got a taste of the next installment in this series, Believe which is Robin’s story. Can’t wait to read that one!
kristid's review against another edition
3.0
this was a fun book to read, i liked it but not as much as the first book. I had a hard time with Jessica's character.... i didn't particularly like her.
full review to come!
full review to come!
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet, the second book in the True Believers series, is a great addition to the new adult genre. This is one of my favorite series' in the genre so far.
Riley and Jess have undeniable chemistry even if they are always at each others throats. They have a very fun banter going between them and it's easy to see that they are attracted to each other. Their relationship starts off differently than most and I enjoyed that about them. There was no insta-love with these two even if they were instantly attracted to each other.
Riley is older than most love interests, even in NA. I actually really liked that about him because it gave him a bit more maturity. He was a smart guy (even though he did some dumb things) and he balanced Jess' relative immaturity. Jess wasn't annoyingly immature but she worried about some really dumb things and did things that she knew were stupid. However, I still liked her. She was someone I could easily see myself being friends with.
The story was pretty much just a romance but there was more about the Mann family from the first book. Riley is 25 years old and capable of taking care of his family but he hasn't been given legal custody of his youngest brother yet. With Jess' help, Riley has to get the house looking like a home so the social worker won't take him away. Other than that though there really wasn't a lot going on. Luckily, the romance between Riley and Jess is rocky enough to keep readers entertained.
Overall, Sweet is a really fun read that sets things up perfectly for the next book in the series. This one makes for a great rainy day read.
Riley and Jess have undeniable chemistry even if they are always at each others throats. They have a very fun banter going between them and it's easy to see that they are attracted to each other. Their relationship starts off differently than most and I enjoyed that about them. There was no insta-love with these two even if they were instantly attracted to each other.
Riley is older than most love interests, even in NA. I actually really liked that about him because it gave him a bit more maturity. He was a smart guy (even though he did some dumb things) and he balanced Jess' relative immaturity. Jess wasn't annoyingly immature but she worried about some really dumb things and did things that she knew were stupid. However, I still liked her. She was someone I could easily see myself being friends with.
The story was pretty much just a romance but there was more about the Mann family from the first book. Riley is 25 years old and capable of taking care of his family but he hasn't been given legal custody of his youngest brother yet. With Jess' help, Riley has to get the house looking like a home so the social worker won't take him away. Other than that though there really wasn't a lot going on. Luckily, the romance between Riley and Jess is rocky enough to keep readers entertained.
Overall, Sweet is a really fun read that sets things up perfectly for the next book in the series. This one makes for a great rainy day read.
yesididbringabook's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like this book as much because I just am not a huge fan of Jessica.
poorashleu's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted here
Continuing on with my New Adult Spree of August, I read/devoured McCarthy’s True Believers series. This may be because McCarthy’s books have always been a source of comfort to me. I read them when I was younger so to come back to her writing has been nice. While this is number two in the series, it is far more a companion novel than a sequel. Of course being me, I still read the books in order. Of course I did.
In Sweet, we meet back up with Jessica, who we were introduced to in the first book, True. Jessica was the snarky best friend who was very much the opposite of Rory, the main character in True. I loved being inside Jessica’s head. I related more to her than Rory. Jessica’s parents are a bit controlling and constantly judging her, because of this she decided to spend the summer in her college town free of her parents and her brother who seems to hate her for no reason. McCarthy didn’t go too far into Jessica’s past and her parents, spending more time on Jessica and Riley who hate each other. At the beginning of the book and in the previous book they bicker with each other, they snap, it is recommended to not leave them together in the same room for very valid reasons. Then Jessica decides to stay in town during summer, tell her parents that she’s building houses for the poor, while she herself has nowhere to stay.
That is the moment her BFF Rory tells her that she’ll be out of town and she can stay in the house with Riley. Yes, the Riley who hates her. Jessica decides that is fine, because it’s better than being at home right? Slowly, McCarthy has the two characters, Riley and Jessica work together and ultimately fall in love. While Jessica’s background is completely different from mine, her bitterness, her snark, it was something I related to and it is something that Riley also related to which made the two of them work. Jessica’s personality is not something that is warm and welcoming to others and that is hard for her, and Riley’s brothers, who live with him, to get used to. Although they are not main characters in the novel the same way the older brothers are, they are still important (family is very important to them) and Jessica wants them to like her the way they like Rory. Of course this is easier said than done as everyone likes Rory. That’s just how Rory is.
Riley doesn’t care about Rory, not only because that’s his brother’s girl but because they would never work. Now him and Jessica? They could make that work and they do. Jessica wanted to protect Riley. Riley wanted to protect Jessica. But what they did differently than other couples, is they communicated, or they tried to. They’re still young twenty year olds who have fucked up lives, nothing is going to come that easy for them, and in a way, that is understandable. I’ve read a lot of reviews, in which there are complaints about the fact that the guys in this series smoking and that is disgusting. Yes. It is. But the guys in this series come from a very fucked up background. The fact that the worst thing they do is smoke is actually quite impressive.
This was by no means a perfect book, but it worked and more importantly the characters worked. I enjoyed Jessica and Riley’s story far more than I thought I would. I wanted to know more about them and their little world. I even picked up the third book right away thanks to my library’s overdrive purely because I wanted glimpses of Riley and Jessica.
Continuing on with my New Adult Spree of August, I read/devoured McCarthy’s True Believers series. This may be because McCarthy’s books have always been a source of comfort to me. I read them when I was younger so to come back to her writing has been nice. While this is number two in the series, it is far more a companion novel than a sequel. Of course being me, I still read the books in order. Of course I did.
In Sweet, we meet back up with Jessica, who we were introduced to in the first book, True. Jessica was the snarky best friend who was very much the opposite of Rory, the main character in True. I loved being inside Jessica’s head. I related more to her than Rory. Jessica’s parents are a bit controlling and constantly judging her, because of this she decided to spend the summer in her college town free of her parents and her brother who seems to hate her for no reason. McCarthy didn’t go too far into Jessica’s past and her parents, spending more time on Jessica and Riley who hate each other. At the beginning of the book and in the previous book they bicker with each other, they snap, it is recommended to not leave them together in the same room for very valid reasons. Then Jessica decides to stay in town during summer, tell her parents that she’s building houses for the poor, while she herself has nowhere to stay.
That is the moment her BFF Rory tells her that she’ll be out of town and she can stay in the house with Riley. Yes, the Riley who hates her. Jessica decides that is fine, because it’s better than being at home right? Slowly, McCarthy has the two characters, Riley and Jessica work together and ultimately fall in love. While Jessica’s background is completely different from mine, her bitterness, her snark, it was something I related to and it is something that Riley also related to which made the two of them work. Jessica’s personality is not something that is warm and welcoming to others and that is hard for her, and Riley’s brothers, who live with him, to get used to. Although they are not main characters in the novel the same way the older brothers are, they are still important (family is very important to them) and Jessica wants them to like her the way they like Rory. Of course this is easier said than done as everyone likes Rory. That’s just how Rory is.
Riley doesn’t care about Rory, not only because that’s his brother’s girl but because they would never work. Now him and Jessica? They could make that work and they do. Jessica wanted to protect Riley. Riley wanted to protect Jessica. But what they did differently than other couples, is they communicated, or they tried to. They’re still young twenty year olds who have fucked up lives, nothing is going to come that easy for them, and in a way, that is understandable. I’ve read a lot of reviews, in which there are complaints about the fact that the guys in this series smoking and that is disgusting. Yes. It is. But the guys in this series come from a very fucked up background. The fact that the worst thing they do is smoke is actually quite impressive.
This was by no means a perfect book, but it worked and more importantly the characters worked. I enjoyed Jessica and Riley’s story far more than I thought I would. I wanted to know more about them and their little world. I even picked up the third book right away thanks to my library’s overdrive purely because I wanted glimpses of Riley and Jessica.
hparminter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sunnydee's review against another edition
4.0
*Meinung:*
Die Story war dieses Mal ganz anders als Band 1, was ich erst einmal positiv bei einer Reihe finde. Das zeigt, dass die Autorin nicht nur nach einem bestimmten Schema arbeitet. Der Nachteil ist, dass man dann etwas ganz anderes erwartet, als man endgültig bekommt. Trotzdem hatte ich mich relativ schnell daran gewöhnt. Jessica, ist die Tochter eines Pfarrers und kommt aus einer sehr konservativen Familie. Man kennt sie ja schon aus Band 1 und da hatte ich sie sehr tussig und überschwänglich in Erinnerung. Das sie solch einen familiären Hintergrund hat, überraschte mich daher. Sie will in den Semesterferien nicht nach Hause, muss aber aus der Studentenwohnung raus. Daher zieht sie zu Riley (Tylers Bruder). Ihn hat man ebenfalls schon in Band 1 kennengelernt. Erst hat man das Gefühl, dass sich beide nicht sehr leiden können, aber schnell wurde es dann doch freundschaftlicher und später dann mehr. Riley hat das Sorgerecht für seine kleinen Bruder Easton beantragt und da wird es nun spannend. Mit Jessicas Hilfe bringt Riley nicht nur das Haus auf Vordermann. Im Buch geht es hauptsächlich um Liebe, Freundschaft, Familienzusammenhalt unter Brüdern und Identitätsfindung/Abnabelung vom Elternhaus.
Der Schreibstil war locker leicht und doch emotional. Das ganze wird aus der Ich-Perspektive von Jessica und in der Vergangenheit beschrieben. Dies passte sehr gut.
Das Buch war unterhaltend spannend. Es gibt hier keine Suspense-Inhalte, was ich sehr begrüße. Man will immer weiter lesen, um herauszufinden ob und wie Riley und Jessica zusammenkommen und wie die Sorgerechtssache ausgeht.
Für mich ist das wichtigste Kriterium ja immer wie die Emotionen vermittelt werden. Leider hatte ich hier einige Problem mich mit der Einstellung der beiden Liebespartner abzufinden und es gab viel unnötiges Drama. Dazu sage ich später noch mehr, aber da dies alles etwas unpassend aus meiner Sicht war, konnte ich auch nicht voll mitfühlen. Trotzdem waren viele Passagen aber auch wieder sehr packend. Es war ein hin und her. Alles was die Familiengeschichte der Manns anging war wieder voll und ganz mein Ding – ich mag diese Brüder und wie sie zusammenhalten. Ich fieberte mit Riley mit, dass er das Sorgerecht für Easton bekommt und die Szenen zwischen den Brüdern ließen mich dahinschmelzen.
Die Charaktere fand ich zwar sehr interessant, aber ich hatte aus Band 1 einen ganz anderen Eindruck von ihnen. Da brauchte ich einige Seiten, um mich in die Änderung einzufinden. Jessica ist plötzlich eine Pfarrerstochter, die gegen ihre Eltern rebelliert, aber trotzdem noch sehr gläubig ist. Wie sie das mit ihrer doch sehr offenen Einstellung zu Sex und wechselnden Partner vereinbart, ist mir schleierhaft und passte gar nicht. Aber auch bei Riley war ich etwas verwirrt. Er verhielt sich merkwürdig zurückhaltend, eher als wäre er der Sohn eines Pfarrers und das passte irgendwie auch nicht recht. Die Liebesgeschichte war daher etwas frustrierend. Jessica wollte mehr und Riley spielte sich als Moralapostel auf und wollte warten und sie erst einmal kennenlernen. Selbst im normalen Leben finde ich es äußerst unwahrscheinlich, dass ein Mann (außer er hat religiöse Gründe dafür) sich gegen die sehr offensichtliche Avancen einer Frau, die er begehrlich findet und sogar mit ihr zusammen ist, wehrt. Erst recht nicht wenn er sonst eher als taffer Kerl beschrieben wird, der auch oft sexuelle Anspielungen macht. Diese Unstimmigkeiten haben mich zu dem Punktabzug entschieden.
Grundidee 4/5
Schreibstil 4/5
Spannung 4/5
Emotionen 4,5/5
Charaktere 4/5
Liebesgeschichte 4/5
*Fazit:*
4 von 5 Sternen
Die Liebesgeschichte hat dieses Mal nicht ganz für mich gestimmt, da ich das Verhalten beider Charaktere nicht immer nachvollziehen konnte. Trotzdem gab es auch viele Stellen, die mich berührt haben und ich fieberte mit Riley mit, dass er das Sorgerecht für Easton bekommt und die Szenen zwischen den Brüdern ließen mich dahinschmelzen. Es hat mich daher wieder gut unterhalten. Das Buch kann man auch gut als Einzelband lesen, aber da ich Band 1 noch besser fand, würde ich natürlich empfehlen, die richtige Reihenfolge einzuhalten.
Reihe: (dt./orig.)
True – Wenn ich mich verliere / True
True – Weil dir mein Herz gehört /Sweet
True – Wohin du auch gehst / Believe (dt. Ausgabe erscheint am 02.04.2015)
True – Weil du mich zum träumen bringst / Shatter (dt. Ausgabe erscheint am 06.08.2015)
Die Story war dieses Mal ganz anders als Band 1, was ich erst einmal positiv bei einer Reihe finde. Das zeigt, dass die Autorin nicht nur nach einem bestimmten Schema arbeitet. Der Nachteil ist, dass man dann etwas ganz anderes erwartet, als man endgültig bekommt. Trotzdem hatte ich mich relativ schnell daran gewöhnt. Jessica, ist die Tochter eines Pfarrers und kommt aus einer sehr konservativen Familie. Man kennt sie ja schon aus Band 1 und da hatte ich sie sehr tussig und überschwänglich in Erinnerung. Das sie solch einen familiären Hintergrund hat, überraschte mich daher. Sie will in den Semesterferien nicht nach Hause, muss aber aus der Studentenwohnung raus. Daher zieht sie zu Riley (Tylers Bruder). Ihn hat man ebenfalls schon in Band 1 kennengelernt. Erst hat man das Gefühl, dass sich beide nicht sehr leiden können, aber schnell wurde es dann doch freundschaftlicher und später dann mehr. Riley hat das Sorgerecht für seine kleinen Bruder Easton beantragt und da wird es nun spannend. Mit Jessicas Hilfe bringt Riley nicht nur das Haus auf Vordermann. Im Buch geht es hauptsächlich um Liebe, Freundschaft, Familienzusammenhalt unter Brüdern und Identitätsfindung/Abnabelung vom Elternhaus.
Der Schreibstil war locker leicht und doch emotional. Das ganze wird aus der Ich-Perspektive von Jessica und in der Vergangenheit beschrieben. Dies passte sehr gut.
Das Buch war unterhaltend spannend. Es gibt hier keine Suspense-Inhalte, was ich sehr begrüße. Man will immer weiter lesen, um herauszufinden ob und wie Riley und Jessica zusammenkommen und wie die Sorgerechtssache ausgeht.
Für mich ist das wichtigste Kriterium ja immer wie die Emotionen vermittelt werden. Leider hatte ich hier einige Problem mich mit der Einstellung der beiden Liebespartner abzufinden und es gab viel unnötiges Drama. Dazu sage ich später noch mehr, aber da dies alles etwas unpassend aus meiner Sicht war, konnte ich auch nicht voll mitfühlen. Trotzdem waren viele Passagen aber auch wieder sehr packend. Es war ein hin und her. Alles was die Familiengeschichte der Manns anging war wieder voll und ganz mein Ding – ich mag diese Brüder und wie sie zusammenhalten. Ich fieberte mit Riley mit, dass er das Sorgerecht für Easton bekommt und die Szenen zwischen den Brüdern ließen mich dahinschmelzen.
Die Charaktere fand ich zwar sehr interessant, aber ich hatte aus Band 1 einen ganz anderen Eindruck von ihnen. Da brauchte ich einige Seiten, um mich in die Änderung einzufinden. Jessica ist plötzlich eine Pfarrerstochter, die gegen ihre Eltern rebelliert, aber trotzdem noch sehr gläubig ist. Wie sie das mit ihrer doch sehr offenen Einstellung zu Sex und wechselnden Partner vereinbart, ist mir schleierhaft und passte gar nicht. Aber auch bei Riley war ich etwas verwirrt. Er verhielt sich merkwürdig zurückhaltend, eher als wäre er der Sohn eines Pfarrers und das passte irgendwie auch nicht recht. Die Liebesgeschichte war daher etwas frustrierend. Jessica wollte mehr und Riley spielte sich als Moralapostel auf und wollte warten und sie erst einmal kennenlernen. Selbst im normalen Leben finde ich es äußerst unwahrscheinlich, dass ein Mann (außer er hat religiöse Gründe dafür) sich gegen die sehr offensichtliche Avancen einer Frau, die er begehrlich findet und sogar mit ihr zusammen ist, wehrt. Erst recht nicht wenn er sonst eher als taffer Kerl beschrieben wird, der auch oft sexuelle Anspielungen macht. Diese Unstimmigkeiten haben mich zu dem Punktabzug entschieden.
Grundidee 4/5
Schreibstil 4/5
Spannung 4/5
Emotionen 4,5/5
Charaktere 4/5
Liebesgeschichte 4/5
*Fazit:*
4 von 5 Sternen
Die Liebesgeschichte hat dieses Mal nicht ganz für mich gestimmt, da ich das Verhalten beider Charaktere nicht immer nachvollziehen konnte. Trotzdem gab es auch viele Stellen, die mich berührt haben und ich fieberte mit Riley mit, dass er das Sorgerecht für Easton bekommt und die Szenen zwischen den Brüdern ließen mich dahinschmelzen. Es hat mich daher wieder gut unterhalten. Das Buch kann man auch gut als Einzelband lesen, aber da ich Band 1 noch besser fand, würde ich natürlich empfehlen, die richtige Reihenfolge einzuhalten.
Reihe: (dt./orig.)
True – Wenn ich mich verliere / True
True – Weil dir mein Herz gehört /Sweet
True – Wohin du auch gehst / Believe (dt. Ausgabe erscheint am 02.04.2015)
True – Weil du mich zum träumen bringst / Shatter (dt. Ausgabe erscheint am 06.08.2015)