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REVIEW: Better When He’s Bad by Jay Crownover

June 11, 2014 by Jaime Leave a Comment

BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD
By: Jay Crownover
Publication Date: June 17, 2014

SUMMARY

Welcome to the Point


There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.

Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.

Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.

Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.

ABOUT JAY
I’m supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I’m an natural redhead even though I haven’t seen my real hair color in years, I’m a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that. 

I love to write, love to read and all I’m interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something.

Jaime’s Thoughts
Better When He’s Bad by Jay Crownover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A few blogger friends have told me that I have to try Jay Crownover’s books and when I saw this on edelweiss I grabbed it.

So… I have to tell you something. I almost flounced this book at about 8% in. Why you ask? Well, in all honesty, Shane Baxter is not the kind of guy I thought I was going to enjoy. He’s not your typical ‘hero’ … not one little bit. He’s bad and he’s dangerous and he’s the first one to admit he’s no good. He’s from the wrong side of the tracks and he’s just out of prison… he’s covered in tattoos and has a penchant for making bad decisions. He’s a criminal who doesn’t apologize for what he’s done.

So yeah… not someone I might daydream about and write his name on my “fictional characters I love notebook” with big puffy hearts around it. (which if you know me… I loooove my swoony boys)

But I didn’t stop reading, and I am so glad I didn’t. I ended up completely intrigued by the story that Crownover tells.

When Bax gets out of prison he’s determined to find out the answers to how he ended up there in the first place. His digging quickly leads him to Dovie Price. Dovie doesn’t fit in The Point, but she’s determined to stay and find her brother…. The only person who can help her do that is Bax.

Dovie has to figure out how to trust Bax to help her, despite being slightly terrified of him… She definitely never expects to fall for the scariest, sexiest guy in The Point.

Okay… I think what I loved most about this was the fact that while Dovie is inherently a good person… someone who helps when she can, doesn’t do illegal things and comes across as a complete innocent, she isn’t ever trying to change who Bax is. She isn’t ever making excuses for the things he has done. She isn’t in a relationship with him to change him. I think that is important to point out. She accepts him and his past and loves him for who he has become because of it.

But despite Bax being this big, bad, scary guy… he has another side to him. The side that buys a home for his mother even if she never once took care of him when he was younger… the side that is determined to take care of his best friend’s sister even if the things she’s digging into causes more trouble for him than he ever bargained for. See where I’m going?

This is a fast paced story from beginning to end… and there is the perfect amount of steam and romance to satisfy those of you who are looking for something to swoon over. You’re not going to find flowery words or sweet nothings here though be warned… but please know, I ended up enjoying every single second of this ride. I will definitely be checking out the books that follow and I’ll be loading Crownover’s Marked Men series to my kindle as well!

Thank you to William Morrow & Edelweiss for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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About Jaime

Avid reader and book blogger, lover of music, writing, my kid & my cats. Master of sarcasm and snark and doing what makes me happy.

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