Review: True by Erin McCarthy

As a long time Erin McCarthy fan, I was very excited to hear she was writing a New Adult book. I'll pretty much read anything she writes (heck, I even read the paranormal romances she wrote and I'm not a paranormal romance reader). I had a great experience reading True and it proved to be a nice break from all the YA books I am currently reading for the Printz committee.


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… (Goodreads.com)

There were quite a few things I liked about this book. First, I enjoyed the friendship between Rory, Jessica, and Kylie. They were very supportive of each other even though they were quite different from each other. Rory is more introverted and definitely more into her education than in the more stereotypical college pursuits of drinking and men. Fortunately, these three have each others' backs and Rory is there to help Kylie and Jessica when needed.

I also liked Rory's science obsession. It was well written throughout the story and popped up in various scenarios as Rory dwelled on one thought or another. You can tell Rory is truly in love with science and is in fact, great at it. This element of her personality was carried out through the entire story and really made her other interests come alive. Yes, this has a strong romance element but Rory definitely cares about her schoolwork.

The relationships in this story are very strong and well done. Tyler's love and commitment to his family is genuine and lovely. He does not always feel good enough for Rory though she assures him that he is more than good enough for him. She is impressed by his devotion to his family and his betterment of himself. He wants to make a better future for his younger brothers though he definitely has some complications and hardships to overcome. This element of the story worked for me, until the end when he drops out of school after he went to jail for drug possession charges. He just did not seem as committed to his future at that point. I wasn't sure what his plans were and that felt inauthentic to the character that had been established in the story.

True was an addicting read. I haven't read too many New Adult books at this point but I was completely engaged in this story. I liked the characters and the relationships. Erin McCarthy has always been a strong writer when it comes to creating meaningful connections between her characters and that holds true (ha!) for this book too. True will definitely earn Erin McCarthy new fans.

Other reviews:
Smexy Books reviews True
Dear Author reviews True
Book Binge reviews True

ARC provided by publisher for review.

Guest post from author Erin McCarthy

I am so, so, SO excited to have Erin McCarthy on my blog today. She is one of my favorite romance writers. I've been reading her books since her first book published way back in 2002. Erin McCarthy is a busy author. She writes young adult books, romance (both contemporary and paranormal), and now, she has made her debut in the New Adult field with her first book, True. Here's a little more information about True: 

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…

(Goodreads.com)


I have a review of True coming tomorrow, but in the meantime, here is a fun post from Erin where she shares her five favorite YA novels of all time.


1. Harry Potter (any of them) because the world building is so immense, yet the characters so real and likable.  You root for Harry and his friends from day one all the way through their coming of age, while confronting the universal theme of good vs. evil.

2. Go Ask Alice.  This book is over forty years old and yet its subject matters of drugs, rape, and peer pressure are still relevant.  The diary form is haunting and intimate.

3. The Book Thief.  The story of a young German girl during the war, it’s a beauty story of friendship and integrity.

4. The Hunger Games. Say what you want about the violence, but it’s a book that has created a dialogue among teens regarding ethics, government, classism, and the value of life.

5. Speak.  Compelling story about bullying.

Erin McCarthy is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 40 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres.  The author is a RITA award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Reader award.  She lives with her family in Ohio.

Find Erin on Twitter | Goodreads | Website | Facebook

Program possibilities?

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I'm so intrigued with this mother from Texas who dressed her daughter up as influential women in history rather than the more typical princess garb that many young children dress up as. Now, I happen to be a royal enthusiast and I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with princesses (except for the very daunting media blitz of princess paraphernalia) but I just really like this idea of showcasing strong women.

This could be a fun program idea, particularly for teens. Maybe a portrait/dress up event during Women's History Month or even during Halloween, a more typical costuming period of the year. It would be exciting to get a local high school theater group involved too as they would have some awesome costume pieces and could do a fashion show or who knows what! Teens have way too many great ideas so I think the possibilities are endless.

And, this does not have to be limited to women. Why can't teen boys dress up as really interesting and creative men of history (or the present!).

As a history major, I just love the idea of showcasing the accomplishments and successes of men and women. I think there is a lot to be unpacked from this mom's creative idea. I'm partial to the Amelia Earhart portrait myself.

Feeling proud!

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Just popping in to give an excited shout-out for Minnesota. Today, the Minnesota State Senate passed a bill legalizing gay marriage. Governor Dayton has said he will sign this bill so it's only a short time until this is passed into law. I don't usually like to get political on my blog since this is about books and not politics but I am really happy that love really does mean love in Minnesota.

Also, if you're confused as I was by the media saying Minnesota is one of the first Midwest states to legalize gay marriage, that is both right and wrong. Iowa legalized gay marriage in 2009 but through a court ruling. Minnesota is the first Midwest state that legalized gay marriage through actual governmental voting.

So, this is a big day in history. A huge, momentous, wonderful day.

Freshening up storytime!

As the school year draws to a close, my May schedule is jam packed with school visits from preschoolers on up. The last two weeks in May in particular are going to be rough on my voice!

However, this is definitely one of the most rewarding times of the year for librarians. Honestly, I like it more than summer reading itself. I like the visits, showing off new books and new items in the kids area to children who may not have visited since last summer.

I like to keep my storytimes fresh and fun too and lately, as much as I have enjoyed my ABC storytimes to date, they've definitely become fairly routine. I needed something new and sparkly to capture the kids' attention. I found it at Mel's Desk. Melissa's Five Green and Speckled Frogs prop really has made all the difference so far in my May storytimes. (Yes, I'm basically using it with everyone, that's just how awesome it

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is).

The preschool teachers have been VERY impressed with it and it's nice to be able to share such a great resource with them too.

As spring has finally struck in Minnesota, I feel like my creativity is also springing back up. I'll never be an innovative librarian but hey, I can copy with the best of them! The winter doldrums don't have me locked in their grip quite so much so it's nice to see that reflected in my work once again. I'm going to use this energy to finish summer reading plans and work to make this a great summer reading program for everyone in my community. (Even if plans do get changed, like I found out today. Tailspins are just part of working with the public.)

What I've been reading (some mini romance reviews)

Mostly, I've been reading YA and more YA. However, I've been sneaking in a few fun romance books along the way too. It's nice to break up four YA books with a romance title. Need to "cleanse" the reading palate if you will.

So, so so good. This is a relatively short book but it is hot as heck! Seriously. The hero, Derek Tyler, definitely likes to make his needs known and Ginger is definitely up for the task. The sisters, Ginger and Willa, have a great friendship too that adds a great layer of family to the story. Dear Author gave it a C+ but I'd give it more a B. I wish it had been longer honestly.

You all remember how I basically LOVE AND ADORE Laura Florand at this point? The Chocolate Rose is her newest book and it definitely lived up to my expectations (though ugh, the cover, talk about a bland cover. Rose and chocolate? Really? Title notwithstanding.) I loved this Beauty and the Beast type story and I really enjoyed Gabriel and Jolie's interactions and growing love. Gabriel definitely makes your heart pitter patter with his actions to win over Jolie. Great contemporary romance.

Own the Wind by Kristen Ashley. It's Shy's story and I felt like I waited a long time for it. Honestly, it didn't quite live up to my expectations but it still had that addictive Kristen Ashley quality to it. If you're a fan of Sons of Anarchy and would like to see what the show might be like in romance book form, Kristen Ashley is the author to try. Author Katie McGarry will be publishing a motorcycle club series for YA world, so this is definitely a trend to keep an eye on.

Gail told me about this book and her review convinced me to try it. I love sports hero books and I thought this one was well done. I guess it's being marketed as New Adult but it seemed more like contemporary romance to me. I liked the football team, I didn't LOVE LOVE LOVE the two leads but I related to Rachael enough where I liked reading about her love/hate relationship with Ryan. It's not a perfect story and I know a lot of other readers really disliked it but not me. In particular, I loved how the setting of New York City came alive as the perfect backdrop to Ryan and Rachael's romance. I thought the use of Leopards as a team name was silly but I guess it's no better than Vikings, Packers or Jets.


That's about it! There have been a few duds in here too but most of my romance books lately have been winners. It's good to try something else when my mind becomes bogged down with too many teen characters.

Fishing Opener is Upon Us!

Living in the Midwest, Minnesota in particular (with our 10,000 lakes), makes any child well aware of fishing

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opener. It's basically an unofficial holiday (that often coincides with the official Mother's Day). If you're a library in the Midwest, you might be busy preparing your Fishing Opener displays. Along with the myriad titles of nonfiction that deal with fishing for kids, there are some great picture book titles that are available too. Sarah of GreenBeanTeenQueen has a great review of a recent tween novel too (it's on my library shelves already, huzzah!)

Here are some great titles you can add to your fishing displays:

• Loudmouth George and the Fishing Trip by Nancy Carlson
• McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss
• Magic and the Night River by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Allen Say
• Curious George Goes Fishing (not a Margaret Rey original title)
• Fishing in the Air by Sharon Creech and illustrated by Chris Raschka
• Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing by Claudia Mills and illustrated by Catherine Stock
• Fishing Day by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Shane Evans
• A Good Day's Fishing by James Prosek
• Granddad's Fishing Buddy by Mary Quigley and illustrated by Stephanie Jorisch
• Jangles: A Big Fish Story by David Shannon
• One Frozen Lake by Deborah Jo Larson and illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

Those are just a few from my library's shelves. If you have other great fishing stories to suggest, or a really

fun nonfiction book that appeals to the angler in us all, please share in the comments! Here's hoping Minnesota's lakes are ready to go by Fishing Opener weekend, May 11 this year. It has been a cold and snowy and LONG winter and I know people cannot wait to get back on the lakes and rivers.