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Review
This story follows on from Bad Neighbor and tells the story that was hinted at in the first book, of Jack and Abby. And it wasn’t the story I was expecting! I had preconceived ideas that were totally blown out of the water, and I loved that I was so surprised! This story is romantic and intense with touch of darkness, a strong heroine and a strong but broken hero who absolutely melted my heart.
The book begins in the past, when Jack and Abby first meet at a club where they are both working. Jack is the quiet, unassuming security man who hides in the dark, and Abby is the bright and bubbly girl who sells shots and gets the party started. They notice each other right away, and though Jack knows he is no good for Abby, their chemistry proves too hard to ignore and they quickly find themselves lost to each other.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” I breathed.
He didn’t let go of my hand and we both sat there like the rest of the world didn’t exist…
“Everything,” he said, his voice a low gruff whisper, full of intention and heat.
There’s a darkness to Jack which we definitely saw in Bad Neighbor, where he is painted as the bad guy, but in this book it’s something else entirely and I love the sense of mystery that surrounded him. He holds himself back, but with Abby we start to see the real side of him come out – along with a healthy dose of sexy because OMG the man is hot! A deliciously intense physical and emotional connection is formed between the two of them, but Jack is hiding secrets and his demons prove too big to overcome. And when Abby gets a glimpse of the truth of that darkness, she runs.
These events all lead up to the beginning of Bad Neighbor (and I loved that we get glimpses of Jesse and Charlotte) – but like I said, now we have a completely different perspective on things. And when a desperate Jack learns that Abby has skipped town and his pregnant with his baby, there’s nothing that will stop him from finding his girl.
I love the edge of darkness that Molly O’Keefe has in her stories. She always writes a fine line between good and bad, and that is so evident in this book. That balance swings, and I could understand where both of the characters were coming from. And when they are finally faced with that second chance, it’s going to take a lot of soul searching for them to find their happy ending.
“I know you want me to leave. I understand that. But I can’t, princess … You’re pregnant. And you’re alone.”
“Lots of women have babies on their own.”
“Not my baby, Abby.”
Jack and Abby are great characters – even in such a short read they are complex and well developed, both damaged but with a sense of wildness, and I loved them individually, and the way they are together. The book is written in dual POV so we get to see both sides of the story, and there’s some great growth for them both as they figure out what it is they want, and then find the courage to fight for it.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s quick and intense, and I love the unexpectedness of the story and how it all played out. Though it can easy be read as a standalone, I like that I had the alternate perspective of their story, which added a great twist to this book. And as a bonus, there is a wonderful epilogue that finishes off BOTH books really nicely, giving us a gorgeous glimpse into the future for both Jack and Abby, and Jesse and Charlotte.
I loved it – 4 stars.
Bad Boy Romance
