This was a romance involving college kids and the heroine sometimes showed rather immature behavior but still I was drawn into the story. I think it was the hero and his realism. Jessica needs a place to stay for the first week of summer vacation and Riley's home is offered up.
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ARC provided courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before we start, STOP! Have you read True, the first book in the series? Although the main characters in this book aren’t the same, there is much that goes on that you will need to know and understand beforehand. Not to mention it is an awesome book!

I have been in a trend lately, reading series, where I end up loving the second book far more than the first. I adore when a book far exceeds your expectations, setting your heart on a rollercoaster you never want to get off. Sweet is all of that and so much more!

Because Riley seemed to be the one person who could get an emotional response out of me, even if it was just anger. And emotions were dangerous. They led to being trapped, like my mother, in the pretty prison of my father’s house. I was never going to let that happen.

Sweet is the delectable, sassy, and honest journey of Jessica and Riley. Riley is the older brother of Tyler from True and Jessica is one of the best friends of Rory. For most of the book, we are privy to solely the interactions of Jessica and Riley. Trust me though, they more than make up for the lack of any other characters. Jessica is busy running from her morals while Riley is holding steadfast to his.

“Never ask someone to tell you who you are. You tell them.”

For as strong as she may seem to others, Jessica is a pile of insecurities and self doubt. She refuses to stand up to her extremely over-bearing (that’s putting it lightly) parents, and show them who she truly is. She is a great person, full of love, honor, compassion, and unbridled honesty. Riley believes in one thing : family. For this he will sacrifice anything, even his own happiness. He lives and breathes for his brothers, pushing everything else to the side. He fears that he isn’t enough, and struggles with guilt over the death of his mother and the love that most wouldn’t have for as horrible of a woman as she was.

I half expected water to suddenly drop from the ceiling and land on him for a perfect package of gorgeous wet skin and finish me off completely. The Wicked Witch had nothing on me when it came to melting.

Jessica and Riley perfect the game of cat and mouse, dancing around each other like hot potatoes, neither willing to make the first move. Jessica is only willing for a fun time, but Riley wants more. This alone shocked me as usually it is the other way around. Usually the man is pursuing, and the woman constantly thwarting his advances. It was refreshing, sweet, and so terribly swoon worthy!

“I guess we’re both fu**ed, huh?” “Looks that way.” “Then I guess it’s a damn good thing we found each other.” It was.

I will not give away any more details. This books MUST be experienced. I believe there is going to be at least one more book in the series, possibly two more. This story will definitely leave you will your heart full of love, hope, and possibility. It isn’t cookie cutter, but the best romances aren’t. A 5 star read from me, and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

“It’s not a pretty place on the ground. Life gets a little ugly in the details, but up here, taken as a whole, you realize the world can be pretty awesome.”
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Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Vivacious Valkyrie - Marta:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

--Actual rating 3.5 Skulls

Well Sweet by name but maybe not by nature! Jessica Sweet is the daughter of a strict religious family with strong beliefs and moral standards. She really doesn't want to go home during summer break so concocts a story that she's helping the poor and building houses. So far so good but she's going to need somewhere to stay and her solution? Well step right up Riley! Riley is the brother of Tyler who happens to be an ex but Riley has got the house to himself for a week and although not always that friendly it's a godsend, isn't it?

Jessica has tried for so long to live up to her families expectations but sometimes a girl just has to be true to herself. Jessica's folks might want her to be a pure little girl but she's no angel! Jessica has needs pure or not. If she has an itch then she wants it scratched and she'd rather have sex with friends who she trusts then random strangers and if that means some think she's easy then so what? Riley may be the hottest guy on two legs but it's obvious he's not into her. Jessica starts seeing a whole new side to Riley and it's a lot deeper then she expected . He's a strong determined young man who is fighting to keep all his brothers together. Jessica has ideas that might help but first she has to get his trust but that means letting down her own barriers and that's not an easy ask for anyone Sweet or not!

This is the second story in the True Believers series and is clearly aimed at a New Adult audience. I was quite surprised at the lack of sex if honest, as Jessica is painted as maybe not the shyest woman around. Instead the author has given us an insight into just how complicated attitudes towards sex and relationships have become. Is it really a good idea to have friends with benefits ? Is a booty call ever a good idea? Just what do guys think about girls who indulge in casual sex? Jessica is no stereo type and she's most defiantly not a typical heroine but she's a good person who just wants to experience life . Riley comes across at first glance as a brash sarcastic young man but he's way more sensitive and caring then I expected. He's funny , loyal and surprisingly deep. Happily though the author doesn't make him perfect but the window scene was simply hilarious!

So this book was not exactly what I expected. It's truly a journey for the two main characters that will make you both angry and sad at certain moments. Very well written and refreshingly different to so many other romances available . Well worth a read and it's a series that is just growing on me. Start with True and watch all these slightly dysfunctional characters grow because it's quite a ride that Ms McCarthy takes us on! ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Fun story full of steamy romance and entertaining banter. But I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Opening Sentence: I couldn’t go home for the summer

The Review:

Jessica Sweet is the perfect daughter of a minster, or at least her parents think so. She was raised in a very strict atmosphere so going away to college was suppose to bring freedom, but she still relies on her parents for financial help. It’s not like she is a bad girl, but she doesn’t mind partying and having occasional hookup’s with guys. If her parents ever found out they would disown her and she would have no way to pay for college. She dreads going home for the summer so she comes up with an elaborate lie so she doesn’t have to. Only one problem, she has to find somewhere to stay for a week before she can move into the apartment she is renting. She gets an unexpected offer to stay at the Mann’s house, and she can’t turn down a place to stay.

Riley Mann is one of the hottest guys Jessica has ever met, and he is in no way modest about it. With a gorgeous body and an even hotter face he is easy on the eyes, but whenever he opens his mouth something sarcastic seems to always come out. Jessica is no stranger to sarcasm, she uses it plenty herself, but it’s just a front to hide how she really feels. Jessica hasn’t been in a relationship since high school and she’s not looking to start one anytime soon. But seeing Riley in his home and the how hard he works to take care of his younger brothers; tugs at emotions Jessica has never felt before. Can she get past her fear of rejection and let love enter her heart, or will she freeze him out like she has everyone else?

The story was told from Jessica’s POV and for the most part, I really liked her. She is funny, caring, and strong. As a character she really grew throughout the book and she learned a lot about herself. She has normal insecurities like a lot of other girls, which made her feel more realistic and easier to connect with. I just wish I could have understood her on a deeper level. I realize she came from a strict home, but I didn’t really get why she was so afraid of love and relationships. Overall, I thought she was a great character and I enjoyed her story.

Riley Mann is a very yummy man. With his cocky attitude and adorable dimples, he has a lot of sex appeal. He comes from a rough childhood and now has temporary custody of his younger brothers. He works hard and does everything he can to take care of the people he loves. He teases Jessica relentlessly, which was fun and endearing. They have unbelievable chemistry and the pages are full of sexual tension. But Riley tends to overact to everything and it got annoying pretty fast. It made it hard for me to really love his character, which made me sad because I liked everything else about him.

Even with its flaws, Sweet was still a good read for me. The witty dialog and interesting premise made it a fast enjoyable story. While I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked, they were still engaging and fun to get to know. The romance was laced with steam and tension, which made it easy to love. This is my first book by McCarthy and I have to say that her writing is very captivating. There is going to be another book in the series and I am excited to see which story we get to read next. If you like new adult contemporary, I would recommend that you give this series a try. I think you will find it enjoyable.

Notable Scene:

“I admire that you’re willing to pitch in and pull up nasty carpet to help me keep my brother.”

“It’s no big deal.” But it was a big deal. All of it. All of this.

His lips barely brushed mine in the most innocent kiss I’d shared since middle school. It made me shiver again.

“Now you can tell me what you like about me,” he prompted, while I stood there struck silent.

It was hard to think with his arms engulfing me like they were, his mouth so close to mine. I wanted to run my fingers through the stubble of his beard and bite his bottom lip. But I managed to focus long enough to say, “You are definitely an asshole, but what I like is that you are so responsible, you take care of your brothers, you do what you have to do, and yet you still laugh. You have a sense of humor, and you don’t take yourself too seriously.”

“I guess we’re pretty fucking awesome, aren’t me?” he asked.

I nodded.

Then, without any clear signal from each other, we both went for the kiss, and it was a hot collision of mouth and teeth. It was hot and wet and perfect. Wow. And then wow some more. His stubble was rough on my skin, his hands gripping me tightly, and his mouth fought to dominate mine. It was a sexy, skilled kiss, and I was breathing hard and wanting more when we paused.

FTC Advisory: Intermix/Penguin provided me with a copy of Sweet. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

This is Book 2 in this author’s “True Believers” series. I liked the previous book, but I almost enjoyed this one a little more because of the two main characters in this story – Jessica Sweet and Riley Mann. The first book in this series was about Riley’s brother Tyler and Jessica’s friend Rory. The Mann brothers have had a hard time growing up. There was never much money around, and the only parent who was even remotely around was their negligent druggie mom. Now that she’s dead, Riley – the oldest brother – is fitted into the role of guardian to his younger brothers. He doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him. His worries include the very real possibility of losing the ramshackle family home, and making sure he stays the approved guardian for his brothers. Jessica comes from a different background and has different concerns but her family situation is just as dysfunctional. Her family is upper class and her father is something of a holy roller. Jessica feels nothing she does meets with their approval and their love is conditional. She lies to them about herself and what she’s doing to avoid being hassled. Her relationship with her brother is the polar opposite of the relationship the Mann brothers have with each other. The Mann brothers love each other and watch out for each other. Jessica’s brother constantly looks for ways to torment her, even going so far as to try and extort money from her. At the beginning of this story, Jessica tells her family that she is spending the summer in Appalachia building homes for the poor with a Christian mission group. What she will actually be doing is staying in Cincinnati and working at a steakhouse. She thought she had a place to stay until she takes over a sublet. Those plans fall through and she is scrambling at the last minute for a temporary place to crash. Tyler volunteers his place since he and his younger brothers will be vacationing with Rory’s family. Riley will be the only one in the house with Jess. I was anticipating a “buddy movie” romance based on how they reacted to each other in the previous book. What I got was so much more. They are not perfect people but perfect for each other and it was a joy to read about their romance. I was happily surprised that I ended up liking both Riley and Jessica more than I thought I would. At first glance, they might seem like they would have nothing in common. However, they bond over a relatively short period of time and discover they have more in common than they thought. At one point he tells her that her sarcasm is annoying, only to have her suggest that it reminds him of his own sarcasm skills. He admits that’s possible. They grow close as she shares her family problems and he shares his. She helps renovate his home to make it presentable for the social worker, and he goes to support her when she has to visit her family. Though they waited a little to be physically intimate, the many ways in which they were emotionally intimate made me smile. There were so many moments that stick out for me – when he scared off teenage thugs for her, them working side by side fixing the house, having talks at the picnic table, and the wonderfully romantic scene at the end. One of my favorite sections in the book is when Riley is trying to get Jessica to live dangerously and eat more pizza. I loved when he said: “But just know that when you’re here, you can chow down on three slices of pizza if you want, and I’ll never think you’re anything less than gorgeous. Even if you chew with your mouth open”, and “You’re hungry, own it. Round it out with a burp and I’ll think you’re basically the perfect woman.” My other favorite Riley quote comes when she’s talking about her parents’ expectations, and he says “Jess, I’ve got no business judging anyone. But I can offer you some advice. Never ask someone to tell you who you are. You tell them.” That was an awesome moment. Loved, loved this book and look forward to the next one in the series. ( )