6/21/2014

Better When He's Bad (Welcome to the Point #1) by Jay Crownover

Shane Baxter is from the wrong side of the tracks. In fact, he's not just a bad boy, he's the definition of a bad boy, and he revels in it. A thief to the core, Bax has no problem taking what he wants - women, cars, and anything in between. Out after spending the last five years in prison after a job involving his best friend goes bad, Bax is looking for answers, and he is determined to get them no matter what he has to do. His quest for the truth leads him to the doorstep of Dovie Pryce, the sister of his best friend, Race.

Dovie Pryce has led anything but an easy life. Her one saving grace has been her brother, Race, but now he has disappeared, leaving her with only one clue: trust the man with the star tattoo. When Bax breaks into her apartment, Dovie knows that Bax is her only chance to find her brother, and she refuses to sit back and wait, especially since everyone in The Point is after Race. When Dovie is threatened in an effort to smoke Race out, Bax steps in and finds himself in the role of her protector.

As the two of them search for Race, they find themselves in a series of dangerous situations that bring them closer and closer. Bax will discover that maybe he's not all bad, and Dovie will discover that some boys are just better when they are bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know how Jay Crownover does it, but she manages to write story after story that just keep getting better. I love each and every one of Jay's books, and her guys are among my top book boyfriends. Bax is a whole other level of bad boy, and completely different from any of her other characters. While the men in the Marked Men Series appear bad, in reality they are just a bunch of playboys whose appearance gives the perception of badness. Bax's badness is more than appearance. He is a real bad boy. In fact, Jay managed to somehow make me swoon over a convicted criminal! Not something that my anti-crime moral code would typically allow. 

But just like Jay's marked men, there is more to Bax than meets the eye. Yes, he is a criminal, and he revels in living that life, but he is also loyal, protective, and capable of fierce love. These seemingly contradictory sides make for a compelling, dynamic, and complex male lead, which in turn, makes for a suspenseful, exciting, and thrilling story. Better When He's Bad is not your typical love story, and yet there are some things that still ring true - the realization that we all are more than the sum of our parts, and loving someone means loving everything about them; the sacrifices true love compels us to make; and that home really is where the heart is.

This is the perfect start to what will no doubt turn into another great series from Jay. It's definitely darker and grittier than anything we have seen before, but the story is still full of heart. It has all the steaminess that we have come to expect, but still remains a truly unique love story. I can't wait for the next book in the series, Better When He's Bold, which is Race and Brysen's story, which we should expect in January or February of 2015. I'm also hoping that Bax's brother, Titus, will get his own book. Bring on some more bad boys!

No comments:

Post a Comment