Today is my stop on the blog tour for Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover, hosted by InkSlinger PR. I adore Jay and I am super excited to share my review today. Check out this new series from her. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Better When He's Bad
Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Genre: New Adult
Source: eARC via InkSlinger PR
~Synopsis~
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.
~Review~
Bax is a bad boy; an honest to God real bad boy. This is a new series by Jay Crownover and I think she did an excellent job with it. While it's very different from the Marked Men Series, her excellent writing style is still there and I think she developed an excellent plot. It took me a bit to get into because Bax is such a different male lead than I'm used but I quickly got hooked as the plot and characters developed.
Bax has just got out of prison and he's out to get even and find out why he ended up there in the first place. Of course he was no saint and he was definitely a criminal but ending up in prison was no accident and he wants some answers. Bax is cold. He doesn't get close to people and he doesn't care about anyone but himself. Or so he wants everyone to think. However, the more you get to know him, the more you can see that he does care about a few people, he just has a hard way of showing it. He has a very tough exterior and he doesn't let anyone break through. Until he meets Dovie.
Dovie grew up in the same environment as Bax but instead of succumbing to the life, she has dreams of making it out and living a better life. Her attitude is the exact opposite of Bax's and that throws him off. He's never met someone from the same background with the pureness that Dovie carries. Without his consent, she penetrates his thick skin and buries herself inside. Dovie sees the good deep down inside Bax and she wants him to know that she sees it. Despite her feelings, Bax still terrifies Dovie and her feelings for him terrify her even more.
I really enjoyed the development of Bax and Dovie's relationship and I liked that Bax never gave her any pretense that he would change or be any different than he was. Dovie loved him for who he was because she saw the good that is in there despite the bad that he only ever showed. I loved that Bax isn't some reformed bad boy. He is a guy that never makes excuses for the things he's done. He knows who he is and he never pretends to be anyone else, even with Dovie. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and I liked the way the story flowed. It had a bit of mystery to it and Jay did a great job of dangling it in front of me in a way that made me want to keep reading to find out how everything was going to play out.
PURCHASE LINKS:
About Jay Crownover:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with Better When He’s Bad. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
Links:
a Rafflecopter giveaway