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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 was 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, awakening feelings she never thought she'd have for a guy like him. But it doesn't take Dovie long to realize . . . some boys are just better when they're bad.
I loved this! LOVED! There was a raw intensity throughout that had me hooked.
Excellent story and flow. Right from the beginning all these little intriguing details were laid out making me want more. Everything unfolded perfectly. I loved these very real and gritty characters. There is so much detail and depth, I was completely pulled into their complex lives and harsh reality.
I had a love-hate relationship with Shane Baxter. Not a nice guy at all. Shane was an amazingly well developed, complex character and he had all these layers and it was fantastic absorbing all the details. The guy is bad and makes no apologies but there is this growth that takes place that makes your heart melt and there are moments of redemption that made me root for him. The more I get to know Shane, the sexier and more intriguing he becomes. By the end, I freaking loved him! Dovie, I loved her too. She is strong, fiercely loyal, and self reliant. A fighter. She does what she has to to to survive in a positive way. Bax and Dovie together had some really hot times but it was a building attraction, not instant. I felt so real, like it truly grew.
I liked the element of mystery about where Race was a lot. The secondary characters were excellent and played into everything really well. It was an elaborate, detailed world and I could picture all in my head. There was a huge ‘I did not see that coming’ moment towards the end. It was so intense. I was choked up and holding my breath. The entire story was intense and the ending was incredible!
This story was written in both Bax and Dovie’s POVs and I looked forward to both. Normally I have a favorite when reading but they were both such strong characters, I couldn’t get enough of either. The chapters were long and there was something really satisfying about that. Nothing was rushed or slow, it all unfolded perfectly. I don't know what else to say (I need more adjectives!). Incredibly well written. Loved it. Just read it. So freaking good!!!
I would give Better When He’s Bad 6 I-like-him-bad stars if I could.
Complimentary copy received in exchange for honest review.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.two-brainbook_reviewersDH
Posted Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Always excited to read one of Jay Crownover's new books. So of course I had to read Better When He's Bad. I am a avid reader of Jay's books. I have read all before and she never lets my down. Again, I was not let down. Her boys are always badass, and I give her props for that.
Bax has to be the most intense guy. With a rap sheet a mile long. No matter what he does, I still like him. Dovie is too sweet for her own good. But that is the reason why you like her. Maybe you would say a light at the end of the tunnel. A very unlikely couple, but it works.
This book leaves off to start a new story about Race. Well I hope. Makes me excited to find out more about him. There is so much to the story and I feel like this book just scratches the surface.
I rate the book a 4.5. It is hard to beat the Marked Men series. This upcoming series will give it a run for its money.
Enjoy Loyal Jay Crownover readers!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This is my first book by this author and I'll definitely be reading more. I really liked the character development and the flow of the story. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Very different from Marked Men. Very dark. Sooo good!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Jay you have done it yet again!!! 4 Star read that is a polar opposite from what we normally see from Jay and her FABULOUS Marked Men Series. Better When He's Bad was a dark romance and I have to say it was a WINNER!! I absolutely loved Bax and can not wait to see where this series goes when we get Race's story. Keep these amazing series coming.
Shane "Bax" Baxter is BAD, and I don't mean he's kind of bad, he's really BAD. From the time he was little Bax stole, fought, cheated and did every other imaginable thing to survive in the ghetto of "The Point". Getting mixed up with gangsters was just life and Bax was good at it. After a car heist gone bad Bax finds himself in jail. Five years later he's out and he wants answers from Race, his best friend who put him there. There's a problem though, Race is missing and all clues lead to a young redhead to find the answers he's looking for.
Dovie Pryce had a hard life. Her drug addict mother and a father who never wanted her. Dovie finds out she has a half-brother. Race has swooped in and saved her from the group home and she finally has the family she's wanted. When Race uproots her and heads back to "The Point" ,after years of being away, Dovie knows there is something more going on. Race is nervous and there is trouble just around the corner. When Race decides it's not safe for Dovie the only thing he can do is disappear. Knowing Bax is set to be released from jail Race puts his faith that his best friend will understand the reasons he did what he did and protect his sister.
Bax and Dovie begin their search for Race and answers around what he was hiding. Bax is determined to get revenge for the 5 years he's lost and when you go looking to uncover secrets you may not always like what you find out.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kimmerk65
Posted Wed Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I know from FB posts that author Jay Crownover seemed a little nervous about her new book - Better When He's Bad - how it would be received, because the main character, Shane Baxter, was very, very different than the men from her Marked Men series of books. Jay needn't worry! Bax may have been bad, but he was oh so GOOD!!
The storytelling was very, very good. Ms. Crownover has gotten better and better with each book she writes. I've loved them all, but I've got to say, this was exceptional. Her words, scene setting...I felt like I was right there. She drew me in. I highlighted part of the book because I didn't want to forget the scene. It made me sigh. It made my heart hurt.
This is Bax... "I watched her eyes turn from the color of the forest to the color of the nigh sky, and it twisted something up inside my chest so hard, I thought it was going to take me to my knees." Just typing it bring it back. The emotion. He may have been bad but Dovie made him feel! She made him see colors! Bax and Dovie grew up in rough areas of town. Both saw pretty much the bad side of life and not much good, or so Bax thought. Yet Dovie was still the optimist; still the "glass is half full" kind of person. She believed in good. She knew of Bax because of her brother Race but hadn't met him. When she did meet him he scared her. She was drawn to him. Bax wasn't nice and did his best to be rid of her but little by little he was drawn to her. Bax didn't realize it but Dovie began to own him. I don't think Dovie knew the power she held over Bax either. She made him believe in something more!You will want to read this book because it is outstanding.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I love this book, couldn't put it down.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Jun 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I lovd how it shows how one good person can effct the ife of another for the better n the romance was good too.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I received an ARC on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!
First of all I can say that Jay Crownover brings us in a world of real Bad boy and she does it well as always.
The Point is not a place where anyone wants to live, the place is corrupted and it can get very ugly, very fast.
Bax is just out of jail and must find his bestfriend Race. At some point he met Dovie, Race’s sister.
Shane Baxter aka Bax is the Bad Boy, he have a tattoo on his face, he is handsome and most of all he is so hot and sexy. He has a bad attitude and love girls, no he likes satisfying his desires when he wants, with whores mostly.
Dovie is a good girl but she lived some hard moments in her childhood, her mother did not want her and her father either. But Race came to save her and also bring her in The Point where she meets Bax.
Told from dual point of view, this book is full of action, suspense, sexy romance, bad attitude, bad boys, and fight. It’s a book set in criminal world and Bax is the villain who must become the hero to save the people he love. It’s a love story between two breaking people.
Jay Crownover has a talent, she manages to make you love her characters even if it is not kind boys and even if they do not make good things or good choices. I love Bax, he’s so much tortured, in spite of the fact that he likes his life such as it is, he wants to change but he knows that it’s impossible. I like Dovie, she’s sweet, kind and she always want to help young people who haven’t a great family. She’s an angel in a world of crimes, war, slaughter, drugs and whores.
I love reading books about people who don’t have a great childhood and who do the good choices because the life isn’t like this. Every people in the world made some bad choices at a moment in the life and it’s great.
Jay tells us with this book that evil is everywhere, that you’re rich or poor you can make bad things and don’t regret it. As to put a contract on the head of your illegitimate daughter or selling drugs and stealing cars.
I like the sexual tension between Bax and Dovie, the evolution of the relation between Bax and Titus and the one between Dovie and Race.
I can’t wait to read Better when he’s bold mostly because I want to know who is the man who send text to Brysen and what will happen to Race.
This book is awesome and Jay you Rocks.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jay Crownover's Better When He's Bad is just that BAD TO THE BONE served up with one sexy alpha male and a strong feisty heroine that explodes on the pages as you read them. I enjoyed every last moment of reading this book. The story had twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I kept asking myself WTH!
Shane "Bax" Baxter is the mouth watering bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks - The Point. He has spent the last 5 years in jail for a crime he was set up for; plotting his revenge to the nth degree. Bax has two people in his life that he cares for: his mom and his best friend, Race. He drives a bumble-bee, yellow and black race stripped 1969 Roadrunner with a tricked-out hemi motor.
Dovie Pryce has lived life in the trenches of poverty and hardship her entire young life. She has fought hard to stay above water. She is living in The Point now and attending college. She has flaming red hair that everyone identifies her by. She is a breath of fresh air to everyone she meets.
When Bax returns from his time in jail, he is told that Race is missing. He is determined to find him and get answers for what happened 5 years ago. His leads sends him straight to Dovie. After their initial encounter, Dovie decides she is helping Bax find her brother no matter what! There are many questions she needs answered...Why did Race deceive Bax? What is Race hiding? She knows there is a larger picture here and she is missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. She needs to find Race now and Bax is her only choice. From then on tempers explodes, sparks fly and two unlikely individuals find each other intertwined in a world of havoc and chaos. Will Dovie and Bax find Race in time or has their time ran out?
The author delivers a suspenseful and entertaining drama that leads you through the bowels of The Point. This is a must read for anyone, but especially if you love to love bad boys! ~Flo
Overall Rating: 4.5 Rockin Stars!
Hero: 4.5 stars
Heroine: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5 stars
Steam level: 4.5 stars
Cliffhanger: No
Would you recommend this book: Yes. The characters came to life in my imagination. I really enjoyed the development of Bax and Dovie's relationship even though it was gritty and rough at times.
Would you recommend this author: Yes. Jay Crownover delivers again! This series is amazing and I personally can't wait for the next book. Bring on Race!
***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Jun 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
nice storyline. look forward to the rest of the series
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Jun 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Welcome to the Point indeed. Better When He's Bad is full of action, passion, betrayal, redemption, love, sacrifice, mystery and twists I didn't see coming.
Bax is definitely not a traditional hero. He's rough edges and bad news and someone you should run from. He's brutally honest - even when it's painful - and never pretends to be anyone other than who he is. But he's incredibly loyal and devoted to those he loves.
Dovie has had a hard life. She has lived the harsh reality of life in the Point but she has managed to remain soft and caring and wants to help kids. She could come off as a little naive in her relationship with Bax but she does have her eyes open. She knows the kind of guy he is and expect him to change or try to change him.
The Point felt like its own character, how it defines people, changes people, unites them. It's a place that teaches you to survive, to take happiness where you find it because it probably won't last.
I'm a huge fan of Jay Crownover, of her characters, imaginative storylines, dialog and descriptions, the way she draws you into the world she has created. Better When He's Bad is a fabulous first book in a series I'm sure to love as much as her Marked Men series.
Disclosure: ebook provided in exchange for an honest review
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Go to takle res one if u want it.
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Posted Sun Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014
*walks in* a birdy tolled me youd bee here
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Posted Sun Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Why hello beutiful
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Posted Sat Sep 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Walks in wearing a black t. Black jeans and a grey pull over hoodie. He has black hair and hazel eyes.
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Posted Tue Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I loved this book. It was a great read. Bax the main character was a bad character who didn't end up.all nice and cleaned up by the end of the story. Dovie was a great femald character whose.goodness made everyone aroubd her want to be better. A great first book to a series.
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Posted Fri Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I enjoyed this story so much, I don't know what to do with myself. Bax is dark, dangerous and, of course, hot while Dovie manages to exude innocence and goodness, in spite of her upbringing. I like the fact that Bax wasn't immediately bowled over by Dovie's looks so that you could see and feel the progression of his feelings towards her. I like the deep insight Dovie had into Bax/Shane which showed a wisdom beyond her 20 years. The plot was complex and intriguing, the characters all strong and well portrayed, and the love scenes smokin'! I am definitely on board for Race and Brysen's story when it comes out next year. I'm sure Titus will get his turn , but I wonder if Nassir will get a story too? I know I sound greedy, but Jay Crownover did this to me. I need more if the Point...bad.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Aug 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This story had an actual plot, you had time to fall in love with the characters, and the sex scenes were amazing. I can't wait until the second book.
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Posted Fri Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Great book. I always love bad boy's. .. I am in love with Bax. This is a must read! !!
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Overview
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 was 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 ...