Branded: A Bad Boys Anthology

by B.L. Wilde, Jeanne McDonald, Jo Matthews

B.L. Wilde, Jeanne McDonald, Jo Matthews, Mary Elizabeth, and Sarah Elizabeth give us five good reasons why good girls love bad boys. The men of Branded are sexy, adventurous, and troubled deep into their souls. There may be no redeeming them, but at the risk of losing everything, these good girls must decide if loving their bad boy is indeed worth the cost.

Genres: Anthologies

ebook

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

B.L. Wilde (Bee) writes many genres, including Contemporary, Rom Com and Fantasy. All have one thing in common… love!
Romance is always her go to, whether she is writing or reading.

Her love of words began at a very young age. Now, living in Worcestershire, UK, with her amazingly supportive husband, and two spotty dogs, she has finally started to write full time. A dream that finally became possible when she met the love of her life.

She adores nothing more than creating page turning reads, but beware, Bee will always make her characters work for their happy ending.

Let your imagination run ‘Wilde’ with one of her books today.

For more information and to join her Newsletter visit:- WWW.BLWILDE.COM

Reviews

[Mistress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, words cannot describe what I feel after reading Sarah Elizabeth's new story, Don't Let Me Go. Breathless might express it the best. CL and Lamb have buried down deep in my heart. My eyes are overflowing and my heart feels like it will burst. The emotions are overwhelming. This story is breathtaking, memorable, shocking, sad, hopeful, poetic, tragic, lyrical, stunning, unforgettable, jaw-dropping, and tear-inducing. There aren’t enough words for how this story made me feel. Sarah’s writing touches me down deep. It stays with me, becomes a part of me. It speaks to me in a way that no other author can. It is different, set apart, MORE. She is all heart and overflowing love and it shows in all that she writes. This story, CL and Lamb, will live in my heart forever. I highly recommend Don’t Let Me Go! This is a must read!

"Totally tenderly, this girl takes hold of all that I am with just her eyes. There's a sensation like gathering and pulling in my chest, and my throat feels full. We're not touching, but she's not letting go."



Mary Elizabeth's story Low has me hooked! I'm so thrilled to hear she plans to write a full length book for Poesy and Lowen. I'm hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. I can't get enough of Mary's writing!



I have to say that I never read anthologies, but there are two amazing authors in this one that I count a blessing to read their work. Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Elizabeth are my favorite authors of all time. I can't say enough about these two phenomenally talented women. Everything they write together and individually are masterpieces. I'm new to the other authors in this book, but I really enjoyed their stories, as well. I plan to find out more about them and check out their other books. I highly recommend this Bad Boys Anthology, after all, who doesn't love a bad boy?

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

GIMME! Love Sarah's words. I want all of them.

[Eda** · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) CONDEMNED by B.L. Wilde

** 4 STARS **



Clay McGuire has spent 10 years in jail for a crime he didn't even commit. Now that he is out, there is only one thing in his mind: No, not revenge...Brooke Perlo, his ex-girlfriend that he has let go when he was first convicted, in order to protect her and give her a chance to move on. Brooke was heart-broken and hurt at the time, thinking Clay didn't love and want her anymore. Now it's been water under the bridge. She has a new life. A fiancé that she...might love. The last thing she needs is Clay to show up in her bar after 10 years of dead silence. Can she resist him, her one true love? Can Clay let her go, when she is the only light in his life?



Other than the lack of surprise factor and slight predictability, this short story was quite good and fun and sexy. Clay was your average bad boy; you fall into his spell immediately! Nice job, B.L. Wilde.

2) RENEGADE by Jeanne McDonald

** 1 STAR **



This one didn't work out for me. Bad story, bad characters, bad writing.



Full review at Renegade's separate GR page.

( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )

3) DESOLATION by Jo Matthews

** 3 STARS **



Liam Jenkins was left homeless at the age of 17, when his father kicked him out of the house after Liam beat him up for coming home drunk and hitting his mother. He has been living in the streets for 6 years now, surviving by having arrangements with young women: Shelter and food in exchange for a night of passion. He has been able to take what he needed and then easily leave the women that open their homes to him...until Paige Walters. Her brown eyes linger in Liam's thoughts long after they part ways. Will their roads cross again?

"Do you believe in fate, Paige?"

Apart from the abrupt POV changes and the dreaded "insta-love"...this was a really decent read. I enjoyed reading the difficulties Liam had to go through and really connected with his character. I believe this story would have made a perfect novel.

4) LOW by Mary Elizabeth

** 5+++ STARS **



All Lowen "Low" Seely wants is to be able to take care of his mother, little sister and his girl, Poesy. Driven by poverty and slough of despond, Low makes a mistake and ends up in jail. Poesy never leaves him all the while he tries to stay out of trouble behind bars. He thinks everything will be okay once he gets out. But being an ex-con with a cross tattoo under the left eye is not as easy as it seems in the real world...

You know what they say about guys like Low: "Once a felon, always a felon."... Will Low be an exception or fall under the same rubric?

I kiss her knuckles and promise with the chance of lying, "We're going to be okay."

This short story was...



Mary Elizabeth, I demand that you turn this into a full-length novel!

5) DON'T LET ME GO by Sarah Elizabeth

** 2 STARS **



Rhys is a back-stabbing traitor. CL and his gang want to get to him and the best way to do that seems to be through kidnapping Rhys’ sister. But this hostage situation won’t be easy on CL, as “Lamb” is nothing like he has expected! His duty to keep her safe and taking care of her slowly turns into just wanting to keep her for himself… But can CL leave his life as he knows it behind just for her?

This one took me awhile to get into the story and get used to the characters. I kept getting confused about the names. It was incredibly hard to follow. The very touching last chapter couldn't even save it for me, sorry.



FOR THE WHOLE BOOK: (4+1+3+5+2)/5 = ** 3 STARS **

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Condemned by B.L. Wilde
Clay McGuire walked out of Brooke Perlo's life and straight to prison for a crime he did not commit. Ten years later Clay has a plan, get Brooke back and find out who set him up. Clay knows he hurt Brooke, but it was the only way he could think of letting her go and not crumbling in prison. Brooke however is not welcoming Clay back with open arms, he destroyed her heart but with his persistence she finds herself weakening because Brooke knows only one man can ever hold her heart, Clay.

Full of grit, Clay oozes alpha male. This was a fantastic romance suspense to start off the anthology with.


Renegade by Jeanne McDonald

It took one moment to change Officer Lucy Diamond's life in a completely unexpected way. When she meets Jude she doesn't know what to think but there is an undeniable chemistry that can't be ignored. Lucy is everything good, while Jude is everything bad, together they are just right.

Written to the tune of the Beatles, this was a surprising story about opposites who certainly attract.

Desolation by Jo Matthews

At seventeen Liam Jenkins was homeless and on the streets, he made his way surviving and sleeping with a woman when he was lonely. There was one woman though that's memory stayed with him, Paige she was the one woman he regretted walking away from but what could he offer her in return? Perhaps fate will be forgiving and they will meet again one day.

Intriguing story, you felt for Liam and the instances of his being homeless.

Low by Mary Elizabeth

Lowen "Low" is just trying to survive and help his family and his girl Being dealt blow after blow he has lived a life a crime. Now he is in jail and with his girl anxious for his return, will Low be able to live on the straight and narrow when he gets out?

Gritty tale of true love who are trying to stay one step ahead.

Don't Let Me Go by Sarah Elizabeth

This one is a bit more difficult to write a synopsis on. It vacillates between characters and has a definite fifties bad boy vibe to it. I kept thinking of The Outsiders when picturing the characters.

Complex story with interesting characters.

[Amie Morgado- We Stole Your Book Boyfriend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I always find it hard to review anthologies but here goes....

I enjoyed meeting all 5 authors through their stories in this book. I am a bad boy lover so of course I was also thrilled to meet BAD BOYS !! A slightly different kind of bad boy in these stories but you cannot deny the hotness in them still regardless !! While each book had a different storyline they all flowed well together making this anthology complete. Also I would warn these are not your normal hot bad boys , these are ACTUAL BAD BOYS !! Law breaking bad boys !!

A little about each book...

Condemned by B.L. Wilde - I was hooked by Condemned after reading about Clay and Brooke's night of drinking and dancing. I needed to know his story , why he was serving , who set him up and what was Brooke doing with her life after all these years !! I was routing for Clay despite his crappy choices there was something about him that melted my heart. And it was told from his POV !!

Renegade by Jeanne McDonald - Dual POV's and I absolutely loved the chapter titles !! I am such a music lover so it was awesome !! What happens when a police officer meets a criminal ?? Jude may be a criminal but he doesn't think twice about saving Lucy's life when there is danger coming for her.
Sparks fly immediately and it gets real !! Then the mention of tats and piercings , damn I was hooked on Jude. Can Lucy be the one to change Jude or will Jude's lifestyle be their downfall ?? Before we find out the plot thickens.......

Desolation by Jo Matthews - Hooked from the Prologue...
My heart was broken for Liam , what a horrible thing for his parents to do. I think since I am a mom I can say that Liam's mom is a total coward despite the small effort she made to explain herself. Liam had to do things to survive that nobody should have to do. He lied , cheated and stole to try to stay warm , dry and safe. This did not always work well for him , he had crappy luck. When Liam's failed attempt at a mugging lands him in the company of a new friend will his luck change ?? Follow his journey and find out where it takes him and who it takes him to !!

Low by Mary Elizabeth - This story made me sad , it was such a crappy situation that Low was in. I love Poesy for being his strength and standing by him while he was gone. I really felt the desperation in Low , he gave it an honest go for quite sometime. Poesy was always so positive but the one day she finally broke down i think it fueled Low to take chances he should not have taken. Much to my surprise he has someone very eager to help !!

Don't Let Me Go by Sarah Elizabeth - I will say this was the hardest for me to follow. Mainly at first it was all the names and initials. By the time I thought I had the who is who I think I kind of lost the storyline behind the story of him and her.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad boys literally in the form of convicted felons. These should be hard, unfeeling men but with the women in their lives they are pussycats. Some come by the label because crime is their life; some come to it for no other reason than the circumstances they find themselves in.

Condemned is a story about second chances with Clay being released from prison after 10 years for a crime he was set up for. Rather than fighting the charge, he does the time as he believes he is protecting his girl. Wanting revenge and his girl back, this story is fast paced and we experience Clay's journey. Clay is no angel and wanting his girl back makes him all the more dangerous.

Renegade is all about opposites attracting in the form of a car thief and a cop. Thrown together when Jude saves Lucy's life, they become inseparable but what will happen when she discovers his profession? Can he give it all up for her?

Desolation is a demonstration of the power that money can have and what you will do to survive when you have none. Liam is left desolate and destitute after his father cuts him off from everything and everyone he knows with threats and intimidation. Forced to resort to unscrupulous methods to survive, a chance encounter leads him into Paige's life; a woman with her own secrets. A stupid decision by Liam takes them apart quickly and the decision haunts him. Will their lives cross paths again?

Low - Desperation leads Lowen down the path of crime, in trying to keep his family fed and sheltered with virtually no money. Posey, his girl, is the one thing that keeps him going when he ends up in prison. The harsh realities of being a felon looking for a job upon his release hit home quickly. The daily struggles that Lowen and Posey face are real and harsh, with them living from bill to bill and pay check to pay check. What will their desperation lead them to as their lives hit an all time low?

Don't Let Me Go - Double crossing criminals leads to all sorts of problems and in their desire to get hold of the backstabbing Rhys, CL and the gang stumble upon Rhys' sister and decide that she is the best way of getting to him. Not comfortable in holding her hostage, ML goes AWOL with her. Looking after her, keeping her safe and falling for her, forces him to take a long hard look at his life but it is not going to be easy to turn his back on a life of crime if that's what he decides to do.

This was overall a good anthology: the bad boys not quite so bad with the women in their lives. While they are all 'bad boys' out of choice, for some it was necessity that put them on this path. It speaks volumes about the society that we live in, where money is power. Their stories are not conventional and their endings highly unpredictable. These bad boys deserve a second look.

[Sarah Reads "Reading in Sarah's Corner" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Condemned by B.L. Wilde

This story takes place when Clay McGuire gets released from jail and heads off to right a wrong and get his girl back. I really enjoyed this plot and the premise behind this story. I wanted to see more in the lines of Clay’s process in solving this problem. It was sometimes hard for me to keep up with the dialog. I am a visual girl and like to know what’s going on around people as the talk.

Renegade by Jeanne McDonald

This story is action from the beginning to the end. It grabs you in the opening and never lets you go. I loved getting to see into Lucy Diamond and Jude Wallace’s world. Jeanne does an amazing job letting the readers fill as if they are part of the story along with her characters.

This story is very well written and edited. It was a joy to read. I absolutely love this story.

Desolation by Jo Matthews

This story is very well written. I loved all the details and thought that Jo Matthews put into this story. She creates a great world for her main character Liam Jenkins. He was a seventeen year old boy when this story started and I felt that he should have been more dramatic with the way his life was turned upside down. I didn’t feel it was realistic at times.

Low by Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth’s story revolves around Lowen Chadwick Mahan “Low” life in South California. This story was well written and extremely realistic. Mary put such detail and thought into this story and how it played out.

Watching a young man live with a decision he made out of desperation and right the wrong he made that night was great. Low loves his girl Poe so much and will do anything he can to take care of her. Low grows so much throughout this story and I hope that Mary Elizabeth decides to finish this story. Because this girl needs to know! {wink wink}

Don’t Let Me Go by Sarah Elizabeth

This story confused me. It seemed to bounce between first and third tenses. I could not follow along with who was talking. It kept me from getting to know the characters and the story.

[Carrie Elks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Branded is a collection of 5 stories, by authors who are already making a splash in the publishing world. Each story is centered around a boy who walks on the wrong side of the law, for reasons that we discover in the body of the text. Robberies, car jacking, kidnapping and stealing, all these things and more. Yet in spite of their crimes, we learn that these are boys with heart, boys who love hard and protect what's theirs, even if doing so endangers their own lives.
A word of warning, not all of these stories end happily, or at least not in the conventional / romantic sense of the word. Emotionally stirring, I found myself wiping a tear or two away in places, and with my heart in my mouth during moments of suspense.

In spite of each story being a stand alone novella, the plots and characters were complex and rounded, enough to hold my attention and keep me turning the pages. I became invested in their stories, finding myself rooting for them in spite of their felonies, and keeping my fingers crossed that everything turned out well in the end.

I enjoyed this anthology very much. Thanks to the authors for letting me have an advanced copy for review.

[Lisbeth Tejada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Don't Let me Go by Sarah Elizabeth, one of the stories in this anthology.
My honest review is that I loved it. The writing was beautiful and captivating, even when it was a short story.
I felt for the characters and rooted for them.
It was sensual and it hurt so good.
I'm sure the other stories shared here are amazing. I can't wait to read those, as well.
As for Don't Let Me Go, I think it's enough to get me to buy this. It was amazing.

[Jeanne McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so honored to be amongst such wonderful authors. Each story was unique. Amazing.

[M.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll review each story separately, then give my thoughts on the anthology over all at the end.

Condemned - B. L. Wilde - 3*
Although the story was set in the US, and the author/editor did a great job with catching the Britishisms, a couple snuck through and disrupted my flow a little, but no so much as to ruin the story for me. It may only be I caught them because I'm a Brit myself. The one thing that did ruin my reading flow were the short and choppy sentences, a lot of them beginning 'I'. It just broke up my fluidity of reading at times.

The premise of the story was a great idea, but I felt it needed a little more refinement to make it that touch more relateable and enjoyable and to suck the reader into Clay's world. He's supposed to be fuming with anger and out for revenge, but these emotions didn't jump off the page at me, and his back story came across as a little cliche.

Renegade - Jeanne McDonald - 4.5*
I was sucked into the story from chapter one, instantly being drawn to Lucy and her internal struggle after the shooting which was beyond her control. It's a shame I can't stand the Beatles, because there are references to the band throughout the story which made me laugh.

That first kiss - hot damn, it was amazingly hot and made me want to curl my toes! It was a classic bad boy meets chick cop story with a slight twist which I loved. My only issue (and the reason i didn't give it 5*), was I wanted more. McDonald could quite easily make this a full novel.

Desolation - Jo Matthews - 3.5*
It was a bit of a slow burn at the beginning of the story, with some confusing POV switches. I found myself having to read back a few lines now and then to remind myself who's POV I was reading.

I really wanted to feel sorry for Liam and the situation he had been forced into, but i couldn't. I couldn't connect with him due to his cocky attitude. However, I did enjoy the way Matthews moved the story along with quite large time jumps.

The ending, for me, was a bit unbelieveable with the way his mother finds him, but it gave Liam a softer side that I appreciated.

Low - Mary Elizabeth - 4*
I was instantly drawn into the story and 'Low' is likeable and the way he is written really makes you root for him throughout the story.

The struggle face by Low and posey is a very real one, one that many readers could relate to, which I think is the biggest draw to this story. Everyone, when faced with the trouble they are faced with, has quite possibly considered the choices these characters make. They may not have acted upon them for whatever reason, but the ideas have been there at the back of the mind.

The only issue I had with this story was the abrupt ending. I was happily reading and then pow; the end. I WANT more. I NEED to know what happens to these 2 crazy in love kids and I have FAR too many questions!

Don't Let Me Go - Sarah Elizabeth - 3.5*
I was a little confused by this story, but I pushed on and read the entire thing. I did enjoy it thanks to the dialogue which felt very natural. I did continue to struggle to follow the story a little, but that didn't prevent me enjoying it.

The moments between 'lamb' and CL when they were alone were very sweet and never once felt rushed. They fit with the storyline and I was totally rooting for the two of them. My favourite moment was when she asked what 'CL' stood for - it was funny, cute, and completely endeared him to me.

The ending... I wasn't sure whether to be shocked, cry, or smile. It was a little expected, but that didn't mean I wanted to read it, yet it was a natural end to the story.

Over All - 4*

All in all, this anthology is a great collection of stories about bad boys in different guises. Some were a little cliche, but mostly, the ideas of the stories were great. Some could have used a little more refinement or extending. Well worth a read, but I wouldn't read all in one sitting. The stories are great to read one at a time, picking up and putting down when needed.

[Romance Readers Retreat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected. I was hoping for hot short stories with tattooed bad boys and not felons. It doesn't say anywhere on the blurb that it's that kind of bad boy. Don't get me wrong I don't have anything against felons who get a second chance but some of these stories just weren't appealing to me. It wasn't my thing at all but all of them despite not being my type of read were very well written. A very nice thing was that they were told in the guy's POV (all of them)

BL Wilde's story : this was the most fast paced story and one of the most entertaining. Wilde did a great job at keeping me on my toes as to what was going to happen in such a short time. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting in the beginning and some of the things happening were predictable but it was a sweet story filled with hot sex and some ass kicking! I wanted to know more and hope there is a fuller story/sequel to this short one because I just enjoyed it that much and was gutted when it ended the way it did! (no cliffhanger just was gutted I didn't get more!)

Jeanne McDonald's story : this one was my favorite, it had me smiling, laughing and crying ugly tears because it was THAT good and THAT touching! I can't give away too much as it's a short story but really this should have been a full on novel as it was that good! This story shows that love knows no boundaries and to this day it's still sticking with me. You don't need to know someone for months to know that they are the one and this story just portrays it beautifully! And we also get a little background on the characters which makes this story that more special compared to the others.

Jo Matthews's story : this one was one of my favorites of this anthology as well. It's the story of a young man having to live on the streets for years. It shows the struggle of a young man living on the streets, on his own, having to do all he can to be able to survive and go by and hope for the best. It's a beautiful story, very interesting and shows that a mother's love is sometimes the only thing that helps you go by. I absolutely loved the ending to this story and once again would want to read a fuller story of this.

Mary Elizabeth's story : i have mixed feelings about this story, while it was nicely written, I feel like I couldn't connect or relate to the characters while in the others I could without a problem. It's one of those stories that you like or don't like and there's no ending to this one, you have no clue about what happens to the characters and while this story was a misss for me I till would like to know how it ends and what happens to the two main characters.

Sarah Elizabeth's story (not the SE who wrote misjudged) : i really struggled with this story and i just had troubles focusing on finishing it and just didn't enjoy it. It was well written but I just didn't understand it much the beginning threw me off and confused the hell out of me and I just couldn't get into it. The ending was very touching and heartwrenching.

Overall this book after second thoughts wasn't that bad. Not something I could have read had I known the subject of the stories but then I would have missed on 3 beautiful stories. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a bad boy with a rough past and wants short reads.

[Vonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Bad boys need second chances too, right? This was a steamy anthology depicting men of crime getting their chance with love. I do admit that I was taken by surprise that the stories were about felons instead of bad boys with tattoos. I was not sure at first how to take some of the stories, but I couldn't help but read them on how well they were written.


Condemned by B.L. Wilde- I have read Wilde's The Seductors Series and loved them. I was looking forward to this one the most. Condemned was the most fast paced one in this bunch and I loved the sexual tension and passion that the two lovers had.


Renegade by Jeanne McDonald- This one took me a while to get into but I found myself liking it very much towards the end. I liked how opposite the two lovers were yet how perfect they were for each other.


Desolation by Jo Matthews- This was another story that I was looking forward to reading. It was heart wrenching yet beautiful at the same time. It was sad to read about main character's family situation. I loved how the mother was a big part of the story.


Low by Mary Elizabeth- I'm a little confused on this one. It was hard for me to get into the story that I found myself drifting many times. Also, I felt like there wasn't an ending or some sort of closure. Hmmm...maybe I'll need to go back to this one and re-read it.


Don't Let Me Go by Sarah Elizabeth- I'm not sure what to say about this one either. I was hooked immediately by the language of it in the beginning, but then I found myself scratching my head here and there wondering what was happening. I very much enjoyed the sensual parts though. They were well written.


As a whole, this was definitely a wicked anthology about really bad boys. I enjoyed the majority of the stories and look forward to reading more from these authors.

[Stephanie- The Boyfriend Bookmark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the thing that I loved most about this collection is that each author takes love to an entirely new level and does it in a shorter story. Each author’s story can be read in one sitting or all five can be read at once. You can put the book down in between each story and each story will leave you wanting more.

As with most anthologies and collections, there are always some stories that you will like more than the others, but this collection is amazing. It takes bad boys to an entirely new level. Some are convicted felons, some are just finding their freedom, some are about to lose it all and some well… they are in other books. These are the true bad boys of romance. They are willing to do what matters most all in the name of love.

One will strive to get his woman back, one will strive to survive and give his woman the life she deserves, one will steal to make it work…you just never know what you are going to get with each story in this book.

These characters are flawed but still find their hearts inside. The men are dark and dangerous and yet, they still find it inside to fall.

This was a great collection of stories and well worth the read. It kept me on my toes from one story to the next and you never know what will happen in the end with each one. You always hold out hope for the happily ever after and sometimes people have to pay the ultimate price. But you never know what you are going to get with each story.

These authors, this collection are a must have in the library for sure as they are great reads. I just wanted more of each story as I was reading it, but each story was well worth the read.

[Heather York · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredible collection written by some pretty amazing authors. Who doesn't like a bad boy once in a while? Even though bad boy is the common theme holding these 5 stories together, they are so much more. If I were to choose a favorite, I would say that Jo's Desolation topped the list. I think Liam dug deepest into my heart as did Paige. I love all the boys and their stories, each one found a place in my heart. If asked which one was my least favorite, I'd have to go with Sarah's Don't Let Me Go, if for the only reason it just took me longer to get into the story. Now calling it my least favorite doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. Quite the contrary, I loved it but of these 5 stories it would be number 5 on my list. If asked who is the baddest of the bad I would say Miss Wilde's Clayton in Condemned. Why? Because he was turned into a bad boy not of his own doing. He became what others set him up to be and was determined not to just let it go. If asked who had the strongest female character, I would say Mary's Poesy from Low. Poesy gave Lowen strength in and out of prison. I won't lie that I have a place in my heart for longer stories versus novellas, so in that line of thought I wouldn't be against reading their stories in more detail or continued on. But if asked to nominate only one for continuation I would say Jeanne's Renegade. There was just something about Jude and Lucy that I just wasn't quite ready to let go of yet. All of the authors were already on my watch-for list but had they not been, this would certainly have cemented their spot.

[Melissa Herrmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing could prepare me for the amazing stories I read in this book. I was only familiar with one of the authors and wanted to read it for her story "Renegade", but I was pleasantly surprised to read the other amazing stories as well. Every single one made me fall in love with the characters and enjoy the ride each character took me on. I'm sure everyone will enjoy this read as much as I did.

[Kathy Horsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

When these authors say “bad boy” they really mean it. I’m talking hardcore “Go to Jail. Directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars” kind of bad boys. I was expecting more of the MMA/Motorcycle Gang/College Frat brother kind of stories but these guys were serious trouble. Murder, drug smuggling, car stealing were all in the mix and I have to say the amount of trouble these guys were in was kind of sexy! There ways of wooing women may have been a little on the stalker side but they did at least have hearts when it came to their love and it actually made their hard exterior melt a little.

Now, I love a good anthology and this one was great but what surprised me the most was that these stories were quite lengthy. Usually you get a bunch of short stories that are maybe 20-30 pages long but each of the ones written here were a good 75 pages on average. It gave us enough time as the reader to read a little more about the past and the present of characters and understand them in more depth than a quick story will give you. That was awesome because I really wanted to know more about these characters because I bought into them more. In fact, I believe the length of the stories is what led to some seriously ugly crying at points and laughing at others. More information is never a bad thing in books and I got more than I planned on getting from Branded.

It also provided me with 5 distinct stories. Sure they all had a same underlying theme of bad boy, but in one you had a drug runner that got put away from a murder he didn't commit, another a car booster that falls in love with someone in the law. The point being, all of these stories were different but I would have read full length novels of any of them. However as a collection I was left feeling satisfied and entertained, which I would call a success!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars.
Branded is an anthology you can read in one day if you really want to.
While the stories weren't what I expected from the blurb I did really enjoy a few of them.
From the blurb you get that there are troubled bad boys in need of redemption. What you don't get is these guys are all criminals, ex cons, felons. Not what were used to when we pick up a book about a bad boy but that's what I loved about them most, the unexpected story lines.
Now for the review, not all the stories were as good as others, none were so terrible I couldn't read them, each held their own appeal, it's just a few of them really weren't my thing. Not the authors fault just not stories I could get into easily.
My favorites- Renegade by Jeanne McDonald, tattooed, pierced with a dirty mouth, how can you not love Jude?
Condemned by BL Wilde- After spending ten years behind bars for a crime he was wrongly convicted of he's out and looking for revenge against those responsible for his wrongful imprisonment.
Desolation by Jo Matthews- Lost and alone at the age of 17 Liam uses small crime & sex to get by. One night a woman takes him in instead of turning him in. That one night changes him, he wants more than one night, but then his past comes back to haunt him. Will they survive it?

Those are my top stories in the Branded anthology. The last two are decent just didn't grab and keep my interest as much as the first three. Overall it's a really good quick read, I enjoyed the fact that all the stories were told in the male's POV, that was a sweet little addition I didn't expect.

[Eye Candy Bookstore · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

The Branded Anthology was a great read! This is the third time I have read an anthology and I really enjoy them! My favorite part of reading anthologies, is finding new authors that I have not run across or had the chance to read. I had not read any of the authors in this anthology but, I will be in the future.

All of these stories were well written bad boy/good girl stories. I loved them all. I am sucker for bad boys like most women who read modern day romance novels. Each story had a different story line, but fell in the same category. I definitely felt a wide range of emotion while reading each story. They all had a certain level of hotness (sexy time), suspense, angst, and drama, hello? Who doesn’t love all of that in their bad boy reads?

I read this anthology in one day, and after every story I was intrigued to see what I was going to get next! I definitely liked them all, but like anyone I do have my favorites. Jo Mathews’ Desolation and Jeanne McDonald’s Renegade were awesome and I will definitely be looking for more by these authors. If you have not read these authors, give the Branded Anthology a chance, you won’t be disappointed!

Reviewed by: Tonya Nichols @ Eye Candy Bookstore

Authors and Titles

B.L. Wilde - Condemned
Jeanne McDonald - Renegade
Jo Mathews - Desolation
Mary Elizabeth - Low
Sarah Elizabeth - Don’t Let Me Go

[♥︎♥︎Sofia♥︎♥︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only read one of these stories, Sarah Elizabeth's (as if you'd need to ask). Because, ya know, I'm a masochist, clearly; not enough to have my heart ripped out by Delinquents already this week, let's pile on the angst some more with Don't let Me Go.

A routine day goes to hell when our bad boy, CL, has to choose between friendship and his conscience, said conscience coming wrapped in the young, innocent package of Kenny. As the sister of a man CL and his gang of merry crazies are looking for, nothing prepared him for the way he comes to feel about her and the lengths he'd go to protect her.

Written in Sarah's distinctive style, this short story is beautifully crafted and superbly paced. Evocative and provocative, Sarah walks a tight-line between sympathy and harsh reality. I spent the whole time while reading with my heart in my mouth, one never knows with Mz Sarah whether she'll give you wonderfully happy or beautifully painful. The About Sarah page at the end of the story says this is her first solo published story (*doing a happy dance* I've been waiting for this to happen for ages!) this is an author who's not scared to break from convention and end a story when and how she wants, flying solo is probably the best place for her to be. No restrictions, no compromises, just pure, unadulterated Sarah Elizabeth. *moon-dancing off to bed*

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this review for author Jeanne McDonald. This book contains stories from authors B.L. Wilde, Jeanne McDonald, Jo Matthews, Mary Elizabeth and Sara Elizabeth.

The stories in this book are about bad boys who are troubled, dark soul, mysterious and the girls who need to find out if the bad boy is worth falling in love with and trying to get them to see the light at the end of the bad boy tunnel.

I must say I really enjoyed the variety of all these authors and how each story was different. Non of the story lines took you off in a wrong direction or down a dead end road. The characters in each story was so great with their interaction with the other characters of the story lines.

This is for mature romance readers because of language and sexual content. If you ever wanted a good bad bot story then this book of their stories is well worth the price and the time to read it.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There's nowhere she doesn't shake, and there's nowhere I don't feel it."

Sarah Elizabeth's "Don't Let Me Go" is reason enough to get this book!

[~ Cariad ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one didn't work so well for me :)

[Cath]

LOW Mary Elizabeth 4 stars.
Omg what happens next??! Felt so much for Low and Poesy. But please.... Give me more!!

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

All authors are great, but I couldn't relate to these characters.

[Shelly Wygant · Rating 4 out of 5]

All great short stories that are sexy, steamy and full of bad boys that you will fall in love with. Even though these are short stories you will be invested in the characters.