True by Erin McCarthy

 

I decided to read this book because I have been a fan of this author’s work for a long time. I had never heard of the term “New Adult” fiction before reading this book, so I had to go to Wikipedia to look it up. This book certainly falls in that category. This book was all about people in their 20s finding out who they are and watching them go on a journey. I was happy to find that the hero & heroine in this story were not teens. When you are legally an adult I feel like you have more options with regard to how you can deal with problems in your life.

The main female character in this story is Rory, a 20yr-old math/science geek and virgin. She is rooming in a dorm with two girls who are extremely more social than she is and have more experience with guys. I liked the relationship between all three girls. Even though Rory is different from her roommates Jessica & Kylie in many ways, they find things to bond over and it’s never a situation where the popular girls treat the smart girl like an alien. The stereotype is abandoned in favor of real characters. That’s one of the things I look for in books I read in general and why I usually like books by this author. Characters with a little depth make a book for me. At first the main male character, Tyler, seems like the typical bad boy but he quickly reveals himself to be more. I, as the reader, discover right along with Rory things that surprise and are endearing – his aptitude with literature (showing his intelligence), his deep feelings for his brothers, his protective nature, the sweet way he is with Rory. Tyler is more than just a guy with tattoos, an unusual piercing, and a bad smoking habit. I liked both Rory and Tyler and felt they complimented each other. I liked how Rory remained true to herself throughout the book and never acted out of character for her. I respected that & I feel like that is something Tyler respected as well. I liked this story a lot, even though I generally prefer lighter stories. This was a two hankie read for sure, but I found the story hard to put down and kept reading through until the end. I was outraged on Tyler’s behalf on how life treated him at times, but was glad for the HEA at the end. I would look forward to following what happens with Rory and Tyler in later books in this series.