Scan barcode
ashkwtf's review
4.0
I enjoyed this one, mostly. I felt Dovie's insistence on 'being there' was poorly justified. She just wanted to BE THERE. Because that's how she'd help find her brother. Except it did the exact opposite. She brought nothing to the table. I realize this needed to happen for her and Bax to be around each other but there really needed to be ... something for her to do.
jen286's review
4.0
*Note I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Jay Crownover is amazing. All of her books have these super hot guys that just make me melt. I don't know why, but I love her big tattooed tough guys. Swoon. Bax is no different. Better When He's Bad is the first in a new series, Welcome to The Point. The guys are just as hot and awesome as her Marked Men series, just with a different situation and a little more trouble. Man I loved Bax. Right from the start I was just like yes! Bax is amazing. He has just gotten out of jail to find that his best friend, Race, is missing. Five years ago Race and Bax would work together to steal cars, but then Bax gets busted. He needs to find Race to make sure he is okay and to find out what happened that night. The head bad guy in town is also looking for Race, and will be after Bax to come back and work for him soon.
Pretty instantly Bax finds Dovie in his search for Race. Dovie lives in the bad part of town where Bax is from. It is pretty easy for him to find her info and break into her place. He really is not all on the up and up, but I don't really care. I feel like he can do whatever he wants. Really Bax comes across as a good guy but he is has been in bad situations. It was up to him to figure out a way to provide for him and his mom, hence the stealing. He is good at it and can make enough to take care of his mom.
Dovie was annoying to me. If Bax would not have been so amazing I wouldn't have enjoyed this book as much as I did. Bax was enough to put this book on my re-read list. Dovie seemed like that annoying younger sister who wants to hang out with her cool older brother and his friends when they are in high school. She seemed like she was 12 to me. I didn't really like her, she never really grew on me, but she wasn't the worst either. She kept tagging along and trying to follow Bax who was trying to find Race. She was just...she kept saying how she knows how to keep herself safe in the bad parts of town but from what I saw I didn't really believe that. Sure she is better than some completely naive little girl, but she seemed to make poor decision a lot of the time. The first time she follows Bax trying to help find Race she ends up pissing off the people Bax thinks might know where he is. Yeah that is real smart Dovie. Good job. I can see where you could be such a help...
So most of the story is Bax and Dovie trying to find Race and falling for each other. Dovie grows on Bax and man was it hot. Bax is...yes. He takes control and I just would let him do whatever. So hot. Dovie is the innocent girl, but not for long. There is some drama, some secrets revealed, some tense situations, but through it all Bax was amazing. I loved the ending, loved how he ended up. I am glad he didn't change into a completely different person. He still might not be 100% on the up and up all the time, but he is just such a good, sweet guy behind his tough exterior. Loved him. This will go on my re-read list just so I can have more time with him.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
Jay Crownover is amazing. All of her books have these super hot guys that just make me melt. I don't know why, but I love her big tattooed tough guys. Swoon. Bax is no different. Better When He's Bad is the first in a new series, Welcome to The Point. The guys are just as hot and awesome as her Marked Men series, just with a different situation and a little more trouble. Man I loved Bax. Right from the start I was just like yes! Bax is amazing. He has just gotten out of jail to find that his best friend, Race, is missing. Five years ago Race and Bax would work together to steal cars, but then Bax gets busted. He needs to find Race to make sure he is okay and to find out what happened that night. The head bad guy in town is also looking for Race, and will be after Bax to come back and work for him soon.
Pretty instantly Bax finds Dovie in his search for Race. Dovie lives in the bad part of town where Bax is from. It is pretty easy for him to find her info and break into her place. He really is not all on the up and up, but I don't really care. I feel like he can do whatever he wants. Really Bax comes across as a good guy but he is has been in bad situations. It was up to him to figure out a way to provide for him and his mom, hence the stealing. He is good at it and can make enough to take care of his mom.
Dovie was annoying to me. If Bax would not have been so amazing I wouldn't have enjoyed this book as much as I did. Bax was enough to put this book on my re-read list. Dovie seemed like that annoying younger sister who wants to hang out with her cool older brother and his friends when they are in high school. She seemed like she was 12 to me. I didn't really like her, she never really grew on me, but she wasn't the worst either. She kept tagging along and trying to follow Bax who was trying to find Race. She was just...she kept saying how she knows how to keep herself safe in the bad parts of town but from what I saw I didn't really believe that. Sure she is better than some completely naive little girl, but she seemed to make poor decision a lot of the time. The first time she follows Bax trying to help find Race she ends up pissing off the people Bax thinks might know where he is. Yeah that is real smart Dovie. Good job. I can see where you could be such a help...
So most of the story is Bax and Dovie trying to find Race and falling for each other. Dovie grows on Bax and man was it hot. Bax is...yes. He takes control and I just would let him do whatever. So hot. Dovie is the innocent girl, but not for long. There is some drama, some secrets revealed, some tense situations, but through it all Bax was amazing. I loved the ending, loved how he ended up. I am glad he didn't change into a completely different person. He still might not be 100% on the up and up all the time, but he is just such a good, sweet guy behind his tough exterior. Loved him. This will go on my re-read list just so I can have more time with him.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
jaimejustreadsromance's review
5.0
Dear Reader,
I wanted to write this letter to you, the reader, because I need to to understand that this book, this book is Jay's best book yet. I know you love Rule, Jet, Rome, & Nash but when you meet Bax...When you meet Bax everything that you thought about why you loved Jay Crownover will be different. If possible you are going to love her even more.
When I met Jay earlier this month she just kept saying that people were either going to love this book or they were going to absolutely hate it, there would be no in between. I kept thinking...no, I think it will be fine. I totally get it now. If I tried to explain it to you, you would just have the same reaction that I originally did.
I feel the need to tell you that this story was so good and so different that it brought out emotions I never felt during the Marked Men Series. For the first time reading Jay's books, I cried. I didn't sob or sniffle, but I shed a few real tears because the raw emotion of the story brought them out.
If you're looking for the cliche book where the bad boy suddenly turns good for the girl, look elsewhere. If you want grit and truth, to be shown that there is good in bad and bad in good, read this book now. I could tell you all about what happens but this is one of those books that is best if you go in completely blind. Honestly, I'm wondering why you're even reading this review before you dive in. Just do it already, dive in!! I promise you won't regret it, or you absolutely will regret it. Unlike the good and the bad in life, there is no in between for this story.
Get to The Point,
Jaime
*I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
I wanted to write this letter to you, the reader, because I need to to understand that this book, this book is Jay's best book yet. I know you love Rule, Jet, Rome, & Nash but when you meet Bax...When you meet Bax everything that you thought about why you loved Jay Crownover will be different. If possible you are going to love her even more.
When I met Jay earlier this month she just kept saying that people were either going to love this book or they were going to absolutely hate it, there would be no in between. I kept thinking...no, I think it will be fine. I totally get it now. If I tried to explain it to you, you would just have the same reaction that I originally did.
I feel the need to tell you that this story was so good and so different that it brought out emotions I never felt during the Marked Men Series. For the first time reading Jay's books, I cried. I didn't sob or sniffle, but I shed a few real tears because the raw emotion of the story brought them out.
If you're looking for the cliche book where the bad boy suddenly turns good for the girl, look elsewhere. If you want grit and truth, to be shown that there is good in bad and bad in good, read this book now. I could tell you all about what happens but this is one of those books that is best if you go in completely blind. Honestly, I'm wondering why you're even reading this review before you dive in. Just do it already, dive in!! I promise you won't regret it, or you absolutely will regret it. Unlike the good and the bad in life, there is no in between for this story.
Get to The Point,
Jaime
*I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
kaitrosereads's review
4.0
Better When He’s Bad is the first book I’ve read by Jay Crownover but it will not be my last. I’m eager to continue the Welcome to the Point series if the rest of the books are anywhere close to as awesome as this one.
Shane Baxter (Bax) is not only a bad boy, he’s a boy that does bad things. He’s a player, a criminal, a fighter, and more. He’s everything Dovie should avoid but he’s also the only person who can help her. She needs to find her brother, the guy who betrayed Bax and landed him behind bars. He also used to be Bax’s best friend. Needless to say, Bax and Dovie’s relationship is complicated from the start. Neither of them really want anything to do with each other but they both quickly realize that they need each other. They are both willing to do whatever it takes to find Dovie’s brother and the more time they spend together, the more attracted to each other they get. There’s chemistry between them from the time they meet but once they start to spend more time together things really heat up. They may not want to want each other but some things are just unavoidable.
Dovie is the good girl with crappy circumstances. Her brother has always been her protector and ever since he went missing, she’s been on her own and struggling. She needs to find him and she knows that she is going to have to team up with Bax to do that. She’s immediately attracted to Bax even though his reputation precedes him and there is very little about it that’s good. Bax is a boy who does bad things and he doesn’t have a problem with that. He figures that Dovie can’t handle the stuff he does and so he doesn’t want to team up with her. However, they both know things that will help them find her brother and so he resigns himself to teaming up with her. He never expects to actually have feelings for her. Seeing Bax thrown for a loop was pretty entertaining.
The chemistry between Bax and Dovie was crazy hot. They may not like each other but their bodies do. Dovie is pretty innocent but her thoughts are never innocent around Bax. This book really deserves the new adult label. There are some steamy times that definitely do not fall under the YA range. Jay Crownover is right up there with Jennifer L. Armentrout when it comes to the sexytimes. I was impressed!
The story reminded me a lot of the Pushing The Limit series from Katie McGarry; Crash Into You, to be precise. It really came across as a more mature version of that book with a lot higher stakes. Things are life and death for Bax, Dovie, and Dovie’s brother. There is a serious mystery involved and I never figured out how things were going to play out. Also, while Dovie’s brother may have betrayed Bax, they truly were friends and you could easily see it.
Overall, Better When He’s Bad is a steamy new adult novel featuring a wonderful romance, suspenseful mystery, and characters that I couldn’t help but love. I look forward to continuing this series.
Shane Baxter (Bax) is not only a bad boy, he’s a boy that does bad things. He’s a player, a criminal, a fighter, and more. He’s everything Dovie should avoid but he’s also the only person who can help her. She needs to find her brother, the guy who betrayed Bax and landed him behind bars. He also used to be Bax’s best friend. Needless to say, Bax and Dovie’s relationship is complicated from the start. Neither of them really want anything to do with each other but they both quickly realize that they need each other. They are both willing to do whatever it takes to find Dovie’s brother and the more time they spend together, the more attracted to each other they get. There’s chemistry between them from the time they meet but once they start to spend more time together things really heat up. They may not want to want each other but some things are just unavoidable.
Dovie is the good girl with crappy circumstances. Her brother has always been her protector and ever since he went missing, she’s been on her own and struggling. She needs to find him and she knows that she is going to have to team up with Bax to do that. She’s immediately attracted to Bax even though his reputation precedes him and there is very little about it that’s good. Bax is a boy who does bad things and he doesn’t have a problem with that. He figures that Dovie can’t handle the stuff he does and so he doesn’t want to team up with her. However, they both know things that will help them find her brother and so he resigns himself to teaming up with her. He never expects to actually have feelings for her. Seeing Bax thrown for a loop was pretty entertaining.
The chemistry between Bax and Dovie was crazy hot. They may not like each other but their bodies do. Dovie is pretty innocent but her thoughts are never innocent around Bax. This book really deserves the new adult label. There are some steamy times that definitely do not fall under the YA range. Jay Crownover is right up there with Jennifer L. Armentrout when it comes to the sexytimes. I was impressed!
The story reminded me a lot of the Pushing The Limit series from Katie McGarry; Crash Into You, to be precise. It really came across as a more mature version of that book with a lot higher stakes. Things are life and death for Bax, Dovie, and Dovie’s brother. There is a serious mystery involved and I never figured out how things were going to play out. Also, while Dovie’s brother may have betrayed Bax, they truly were friends and you could easily see it.
Overall, Better When He’s Bad is a steamy new adult novel featuring a wonderful romance, suspenseful mystery, and characters that I couldn’t help but love. I look forward to continuing this series.
smojoreads's review
4.0
This book was really good. I was hesitant at first because I've never really been into the whole hardened criminal thing so it took me a while to get into it. Once I did, however, I couldn't really put the book down.
I did have some issues with the story though. It started to get really annoying with Bax's inner monologue always talking about how his life was going to end in 1 of 2 ways. The first couple of times it was mentioned was fine but it was repetitive. I also had a little bit of an issue with the main conflict of the story because in some parts it seemed really really drawn out and in other parts it was super fast paced and almost glossed over.
Overall, another awesome hot and steamy story from Jay Crownover and I can't wait to read the next installment.
I did have some issues with the story though. It started to get really annoying with Bax's inner monologue always talking about how his life was going to end in 1 of 2 ways. The first couple of times it was mentioned was fine but it was repetitive. I also had a little bit of an issue with the main conflict of the story because in some parts it seemed really really drawn out and in other parts it was super fast paced and almost glossed over.
Overall, another awesome hot and steamy story from Jay Crownover and I can't wait to read the next installment.
colecordium's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on Books and Starlight.
Ever since I found Jay Crownover, I wanted to read a book of hers. In those first few days/weeks, she was very unsympathetic for some reason, but I quickly realized how awesome she actually is. I just didn't know which book of hers to start with. I posted release day posts on my blog every time since I found her and she had a new book coming out. Then Better When He's Bad was on a sale earlier this year and I took the opportunity to buy and read it. And let me tell you, there's only one thing cooler about Jay than herself, and it's her books! Like wow! Seriously loved Better When He's Bad!
Our sweet Dovie is just trying to survive in the big ocean called life. With two jobs and school to finish, she doesn't have time for anything, especially not criminals letting themselves into her apartment. Turns out her unexpected visitor is her half-brother, Race's best friend. Together, they team up on the quest of finding Race and clear Bax's name of any wrongdoing.
Shane Bax isn't the typical hero you or I would fall for. Or maybe not typical for me, because as I've heard, Jay's boys are like him, but I didn't read any before this. He's not even described as a sexy man. He's harsh and rude and a brute, yet as the pages flew by, he ate his way into my heart. He's full of tattoos and piercing, and most importantly, a criminal just out of prison. As the book goes on, he unravels his story about how he got in and what he did and still does for money. With the occasional glimpse of sweetness in him that he showed to Dovie, I knew I was in a trouble of falling in love with him.
Dovie is SUCH a sweet character. She really reminded me in looks to Merida from the Disney movie, don't ask me why. It's probably the red hair. She is determined, hard-working and even though living in the wrong side of the town, she doesn't let it dim her lights. She perfectly balanced out Shane's bad side and their interactions were a joy to read. Their chemisty is shizzling and I didn't want to stop reading about them.
The book is told in a dual point of view and that was the first thing I fell in love with. The next were how fast-paced and well-written it is. Jay knows how to write about both good and bad and how to balance the two out without the book going in a too neutral direction. I loved how I never had a dull moment reading Better When He's Bad.
If you want to read something different but something you would surely fall in love with, Better When He's Bad is just what you are looking for. With a balance between rough and sweet in a harsh world, you are in for an enjoyable ride. Even if these things don't appeal to you, just read this damn book, because it's SO GOOD!
Ever since I found Jay Crownover, I wanted to read a book of hers. In those first few days/weeks, she was very unsympathetic for some reason, but I quickly realized how awesome she actually is. I just didn't know which book of hers to start with. I posted release day posts on my blog every time since I found her and she had a new book coming out. Then Better When He's Bad was on a sale earlier this year and I took the opportunity to buy and read it. And let me tell you, there's only one thing cooler about Jay than herself, and it's her books! Like wow! Seriously loved Better When He's Bad!
Our sweet Dovie is just trying to survive in the big ocean called life. With two jobs and school to finish, she doesn't have time for anything, especially not criminals letting themselves into her apartment. Turns out her unexpected visitor is her half-brother, Race's best friend. Together, they team up on the quest of finding Race and clear Bax's name of any wrongdoing.
Shane Bax isn't the typical hero you or I would fall for. Or maybe not typical for me, because as I've heard, Jay's boys are like him, but I didn't read any before this. He's not even described as a sexy man. He's harsh and rude and a brute, yet as the pages flew by, he ate his way into my heart. He's full of tattoos and piercing, and most importantly, a criminal just out of prison. As the book goes on, he unravels his story about how he got in and what he did and still does for money. With the occasional glimpse of sweetness in him that he showed to Dovie, I knew I was in a trouble of falling in love with him.
Dovie is SUCH a sweet character. She really reminded me in looks to Merida from the Disney movie, don't ask me why. It's probably the red hair. She is determined, hard-working and even though living in the wrong side of the town, she doesn't let it dim her lights. She perfectly balanced out Shane's bad side and their interactions were a joy to read. Their chemisty is shizzling and I didn't want to stop reading about them.
The book is told in a dual point of view and that was the first thing I fell in love with. The next were how fast-paced and well-written it is. Jay knows how to write about both good and bad and how to balance the two out without the book going in a too neutral direction. I loved how I never had a dull moment reading Better When He's Bad.
If you want to read something different but something you would surely fall in love with, Better When He's Bad is just what you are looking for. With a balance between rough and sweet in a harsh world, you are in for an enjoyable ride. Even if these things don't appeal to you, just read this damn book, because it's SO GOOD!
lcmarie19's review
5.0
Wow! Wow, wow, wow! All I can say is Shane Baxter is a BEAUTIFUL bad boy. He IS a bad guy, but he's damn fantastic in every way... I was scared that Bax would outrank Rule Archer, but I will say they are tied. Both number one in my life.
Jay Crownover really knows her Bad Boys and Shane Baxter is definitely 'better when he's bad', but he's also awesome when he's decent, too.
BWHB follows the journey of Shane Baxter (Bax) and his life after he's released from prison after 5 years. He is seeking answers to why he was locked up, who was involved, etc. Bax is from the bad side of the street called "The Point". It's an extremely dangerous area that is run by crime boss Novak, who has it out for Bax. In his trying to figure out the mystery and find the answers he's looking for, he meets Dovie Pryce. Together, he and Dovie get mixed up in something that is bigger than the both of them, but since Bax is a ticking time bomb, there's no telling what he'll do one he gets the answers he's seeking.
As I've already said, I am in LOVE with this story. The characters, the plot, the concept, everything. Crownover wins again! Bax is definitely someone that I wouldn't know how to handle, but I would love to try. He is a very closed off, angry, reserved bad boy. He got dealt a crappy hand at life and is trying to stay afloat. He's done a lot of bad things, but I couldn't help but love him as I learned more about who he was as a man. There was so much character development on his part. It was beautiful.
Dovie is a fantastic female lead. She is loyal, strong, analytical, ambitious, and very direct. I loved her from the moment she was introduced in the book. She refused to let Bax get away with mistreating her. But she also recognized who he was as a man and as a bad boy. She played to those roles perfectly. By the end of the book, I found myself almost in love with Dovie, as well. She was seriously a boss character.
The chemistry between Bax and Dovie was amazing to read about. It made me swoon, made me warm, made me jealous, made me so so happy. When they first meet, it isn't under the greatest circumstances and of course, Bax is an asshole. But Dovie handles her own. Throughout the book, you constantly witness the effects that they have on one another. Dovie was slowly coming to understand how and why Bax is the way that he is; and Bax was coming to terms with his slowly forming feelings for Dovie and her ability to just see through his BS.
The progression of the story and of the romance was perfectly paced. Nothing was too fast or too slow. It honestly was perfect. The smexy times in the book were PERFECTION. I felt the feels all over and then some. The descriptions were amazing. The picture Jay painted of two people attracted to each other was a fabulous one!
There are a few twists and turns -- as well as a surprise or two in this books. It was a very engaging read and quite the emotional rollercoaster. I shed a few tears for many of the characters. The supporting characters in the books were great too. From Race to Titus to Gus. I loved them all. And they all played a crucial role in the lives of our main characters.
This was just a wonderfully written story and I will go on record and say that this is the BEST book that Jay has written so far. I can't wait for the next one!
Jay Crownover really knows her Bad Boys and Shane Baxter is definitely 'better when he's bad', but he's also awesome when he's decent, too.
BWHB follows the journey of Shane Baxter (Bax) and his life after he's released from prison after 5 years. He is seeking answers to why he was locked up, who was involved, etc. Bax is from the bad side of the street called "The Point". It's an extremely dangerous area that is run by crime boss Novak, who has it out for Bax. In his trying to figure out the mystery and find the answers he's looking for, he meets Dovie Pryce. Together, he and Dovie get mixed up in something that is bigger than the both of them, but since Bax is a ticking time bomb, there's no telling what he'll do one he gets the answers he's seeking.
As I've already said, I am in LOVE with this story. The characters, the plot, the concept, everything. Crownover wins again! Bax is definitely someone that I wouldn't know how to handle, but I would love to try. He is a very closed off, angry, reserved bad boy. He got dealt a crappy hand at life and is trying to stay afloat. He's done a lot of bad things, but I couldn't help but love him as I learned more about who he was as a man. There was so much character development on his part. It was beautiful.
Dovie is a fantastic female lead. She is loyal, strong, analytical, ambitious, and very direct. I loved her from the moment she was introduced in the book. She refused to let Bax get away with mistreating her. But she also recognized who he was as a man and as a bad boy. She played to those roles perfectly. By the end of the book, I found myself almost in love with Dovie, as well. She was seriously a boss character.
The chemistry between Bax and Dovie was amazing to read about. It made me swoon, made me warm, made me jealous, made me so so happy. When they first meet, it isn't under the greatest circumstances and of course, Bax is an asshole. But Dovie handles her own. Throughout the book, you constantly witness the effects that they have on one another. Dovie was slowly coming to understand how and why Bax is the way that he is; and Bax was coming to terms with his slowly forming feelings for Dovie and her ability to just see through his BS.
The progression of the story and of the romance was perfectly paced. Nothing was too fast or too slow. It honestly was perfect. The smexy times in the book were PERFECTION. I felt the feels all over and then some. The descriptions were amazing. The picture Jay painted of two people attracted to each other was a fabulous one!
There are a few twists and turns -- as well as a surprise or two in this books. It was a very engaging read and quite the emotional rollercoaster. I shed a few tears for many of the characters. The supporting characters in the books were great too. From Race to Titus to Gus. I loved them all. And they all played a crucial role in the lives of our main characters.
This was just a wonderfully written story and I will go on record and say that this is the BEST book that Jay has written so far. I can't wait for the next one!
maggiemaggio's review
3.0
First thing's first, let's get one thing straight: it's not you, Better When He's Bad, it's me. This is a book that I probably should have never picked up in the first place seeing as I hate, what I perceive as, cheesy situations and ridiculous amounts of drama. You might remember that I absolutely adored nearly every part of Jay Crownover's Marked Men Series, but the parts that involved drama, criminal activities, and threats on peoples' lives, etc., etc. were my least favorite parts of that stellar series. Well, this is kind of like taking everything I hated in the Marked Men series and making a book of only those parts. But I read it because of how much I liked the Marked Men series and while I didn't personally love Better When He's Bad I see why other people might.
First, let's talk about the good stuff. The story revolves around Dovie, a community college student with a rough upbringing who's just trying to make a better life for herself in the rough and tumble world of the Point, a crime-ridden inner-city-like neighborhood. Dovie's older half-brother, Race, who she only recently learned existed has vanished, pissing off the crime lord of the Point and his lackeys are coming down hard on Dovie to try to track down Race. Enter Bax, Race's former BFF who's recently been released from a five year stay in prison, time he served because of something Race did. Bax is also eager to find Race and in trying to find Race he crosses paths with Dovie, someone he didn't even know existed.
Cue unbridled sexual tension between the bad, bad, bad boy Bax (seriously he has few redeeming qualities) and the sweet, not exactly innocent, but mostly innocent, Dovie. Here's where I have to be honest and say that I found pretty much nothing about Bax to be attractive. Criminal behavior and face tattoos don't really do it for me, but if they do it for you I'm going to bet you're going to love Bax. That said, I also didn't dislike Bax as much as I anticipated. Jay Crownover does a great job of humanizing Bax and showing a not sweet and sensitive side of him under all of the fight and rage, but at least a side that gave insight into who he is and why he is the way he that way.
A huge part of Bax not being just a monster is Dovie. She could have easily been the stereotypical innocent, annoying girl who falls for a bad boy, but she wasn't at all and that was probably my favorite part of the book. Dovie grew up in a tough world and even though she's a dreamer who wants to make the world better for kids who grew up like she did, and even though she doesn't have all of the experiences (both sexual and criminal) of Bax, she is very strong-willed and more than happy to stand up for herself and go after what she wants. Jay Crownover pretty much had to get Dovie perfect for this book to work and she really hit the nail on the head.
The actual story I'll always be hesitant about because of the criminals, drama, and fighting (I will pretty much roll my eyes at any book that involves a character participating in a paid fight where someone then pulls out an illegal weapon), but there were parts that worked really well. The search for Race and Bax's conflict between wanting to find his best friend to keep him safe and wanting to find his best friend to make him pay for putting him in jail was interesting and really a pretty good mystery. Unfortunately that mystery kind of never went anywhere. All the sudden we find out where was Race and what happened and that's pretty much it.
The biggest issue with the story, and really the biggest negative besides my own personal feelings about the story, was how much it dragged. It's a pretty long book, 384 pages, and the beginning was pretty well paced and went by quickly, but then for maybe 150 or 200 pages between pages 100 and 300 it really dragged. At first I thought it was just me and my own feelings about what was happening, but as I got closer and closer to the end I started flying through the book, eager to know what was going to happen and I realized it's because things were actually happening. As much as I wasn't into the fighting and posturing that went on in the world of the Point, the long stretch of time where it was pretty much just about Dovie and Bax wasn't particularly exciting and that's what really hurt this book.
Bottom Line: If you are into bad boys and somewhat innocent, but still smart and strong girls then Better When He's Bad is definitely a book for you. If you're like me and not really into the criminal world you'll probably roll your eyes at some parts, but hopefully, like me, but able to appreciate what Jay Crownover did with the characters. The pacing of the story could use some work, there's a lot of action at the beginning and the end, but the middle seriously dragged, not enough to make me talk you out of reading it, but enough where it gives me some pause to recommend it.
This review first appeared on my blog.
First, let's talk about the good stuff. The story revolves around Dovie, a community college student with a rough upbringing who's just trying to make a better life for herself in the rough and tumble world of the Point, a crime-ridden inner-city-like neighborhood. Dovie's older half-brother, Race, who she only recently learned existed has vanished, pissing off the crime lord of the Point and his lackeys are coming down hard on Dovie to try to track down Race. Enter Bax, Race's former BFF who's recently been released from a five year stay in prison, time he served because of something Race did. Bax is also eager to find Race and in trying to find Race he crosses paths with Dovie, someone he didn't even know existed.
Cue unbridled sexual tension between the bad, bad, bad boy Bax (seriously he has few redeeming qualities) and the sweet, not exactly innocent, but mostly innocent, Dovie. Here's where I have to be honest and say that I found pretty much nothing about Bax to be attractive. Criminal behavior and face tattoos don't really do it for me, but if they do it for you I'm going to bet you're going to love Bax. That said, I also didn't dislike Bax as much as I anticipated. Jay Crownover does a great job of humanizing Bax and showing a not sweet and sensitive side of him under all of the fight and rage, but at least a side that gave insight into who he is and why he is the way he that way.
A huge part of Bax not being just a monster is Dovie. She could have easily been the stereotypical innocent, annoying girl who falls for a bad boy, but she wasn't at all and that was probably my favorite part of the book. Dovie grew up in a tough world and even though she's a dreamer who wants to make the world better for kids who grew up like she did, and even though she doesn't have all of the experiences (both sexual and criminal) of Bax, she is very strong-willed and more than happy to stand up for herself and go after what she wants. Jay Crownover pretty much had to get Dovie perfect for this book to work and she really hit the nail on the head.
The actual story I'll always be hesitant about because of the criminals, drama, and fighting (I will pretty much roll my eyes at any book that involves a character participating in a paid fight where someone then pulls out an illegal weapon), but there were parts that worked really well. The search for Race and Bax's conflict between wanting to find his best friend to keep him safe and wanting to find his best friend to make him pay for putting him in jail was interesting and really a pretty good mystery. Unfortunately that mystery kind of never went anywhere. All the sudden we find out where was Race and what happened and that's pretty much it.
The biggest issue with the story, and really the biggest negative besides my own personal feelings about the story, was how much it dragged. It's a pretty long book, 384 pages, and the beginning was pretty well paced and went by quickly, but then for maybe 150 or 200 pages between pages 100 and 300 it really dragged. At first I thought it was just me and my own feelings about what was happening, but as I got closer and closer to the end I started flying through the book, eager to know what was going to happen and I realized it's because things were actually happening. As much as I wasn't into the fighting and posturing that went on in the world of the Point, the long stretch of time where it was pretty much just about Dovie and Bax wasn't particularly exciting and that's what really hurt this book.
Bottom Line: If you are into bad boys and somewhat innocent, but still smart and strong girls then Better When He's Bad is definitely a book for you. If you're like me and not really into the criminal world you'll probably roll your eyes at some parts, but hopefully, like me, but able to appreciate what Jay Crownover did with the characters. The pacing of the story could use some work, there's a lot of action at the beginning and the end, but the middle seriously dragged, not enough to make me talk you out of reading it, but enough where it gives me some pause to recommend it.
This review first appeared on my blog.