What do you think?
Rate this book
Bowling Friends #1
Bad Boys Online
These bad boys give a whole new meaning to on-site tech support…
HARD DRIVE
Mack Stone can’t believe he’s just walked in on his co-worker Kindra Hill exchanging sexy emails with a total stranger. Defending her naughty online affair, Kindra claims to prefer the impersonal touch to the complication of a relationship. That’s enough to make Mack issue a challenge of his He wants her to grant him twelve nonstop hours to turn every erotic e-mail into a hot reality and prove that in love and pleasure, there’s no substitute for the real thing…
PRESS ANY KEY
To Jared Kinkaid, the only way to keep his mind — and his hands — off his luscious co-worker Candy Appleton is to insult or ignore her at every turn. But his efforts at lust control have his boss convinced that the partners need a little help via online couples counseling. But when they’re mistakenly signed up for sensual couples counseling instead, Jared and Candy’s shock turns to pleasure as they each deliver some hands on therapy of their own…
USER FRIENDLY
Evan Barrett can usually solve any tech problem, but when long-time friend Halley Connors calls him to fix her catering website, his focus is on her, not the screen. Imagining his secret crush in the buff is the kind of fantasy that drives him wild every time Halley’s near. Now, as they work overtime to save the business, Evan uses technology and some good old-fashioned charm to convince Halley that he belongs in her bed…
Originally published in 2003, this sexy collection was reissued in 2014 with a new cover.
HARD DRIVE
Mack Stone can’t believe he’s just walked in on his co-worker Kindra Hill exchanging sexy emails with a total stranger. Defending her naughty online affair, Kindra claims to prefer the impersonal touch to the complication of a relationship. That’s enough to make Mack issue a challenge of his He wants her to grant him twelve nonstop hours to turn every erotic e-mail into a hot reality and prove that in love and pleasure, there’s no substitute for the real thing…
PRESS ANY KEY
To Jared Kinkaid, the only way to keep his mind — and his hands — off his luscious co-worker Candy Appleton is to insult or ignore her at every turn. But his efforts at lust control have his boss convinced that the partners need a little help via online couples counseling. But when they’re mistakenly signed up for sensual couples counseling instead, Jared and Candy’s shock turns to pleasure as they each deliver some hands on therapy of their own…
USER FRIENDLY
Evan Barrett can usually solve any tech problem, but when long-time friend Halley Connors calls him to fix her catering website, his focus is on her, not the screen. Imagining his secret crush in the buff is the kind of fantasy that drives him wild every time Halley’s near. Now, as they work overtime to save the business, Evan uses technology and some good old-fashioned charm to convince Halley that he belongs in her bed…
Originally published in 2003, this sexy collection was reissued in 2014 with a new cover.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2003
11 people are currently reading
1123 people want to read
About the author
Erin McCarthy
216 books4,825 followersUSA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over a hundred novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 22, 2009
I like Erin McCarthy's humorous and sexy writing, but this anthology was a bit disappointing. The 3 novellas in this book aren't connected in any way: you can read them all in any order you choose, or read only one (or two) as you please.
Hard Drive (3 stars)
Mack Stone and Kindra Hill are coworkers who have been secretly lusting after each other for about a year. When he catches her reading a dirty e-mail and she boldly tells him that she prefers cybersex to the real thing, he vows he can change her mind. All he needs is 12 hours alone with her, and he swears she'll forget all about cybersex. Now, how can she refuse an offer like that? ;)
This was a nice story, and Mack and Kindra were funny and sweet. They had good chemistry together, but their lovemaking scene in front of her computer - at her home, not at the office! - didn't work for me: the stop-and-go action was distracting and I felt he was more interested in reading her dirty e-mails than making love with her. The HEA was a bit rushed too.
Press Any Key (1 star)
Jared Kincaid and Candy Appleton are coworkers who don't get along as well as they should. Jared is extremely attracted to Candy but he avoids her like the plague, which makes everyone - including their boss - think he doesn't like her. The problem is, he lost his last job because he made the mistake of "playing" with a coworker, so he isn't willing to make the same mistake again. Unfortunately - or fortunately - Jared and Candy's clueless boss wants them to work on their issues and find a way to become "a better working duo". And what's his solution? He enrolls Jared and Candy in an online couples counseling session(!), shuts them in his office and tells them they have 3 hours to get a certificate of completion from the online counselor. What's left for Jared and Candy to do but to try their best and get "up close and personal" with each other? ;)
Ack, I didn't like this story. I thought Jared was weak-ish, Candy was slut-ish, their boss was an idiot, and the story's setup was absurd. And when Jared and Candy decided to go down and dirty in their boss' office, I couldn't help frowning in disgust. Plus, I didn't like the way they dismissed any concerns about the job they were supposed to be doing for their client. Highly unprofessional! If they were real people, I wouldn't want to be friends with them and I wouldn't hire their professional services.
User Friendly (4 stars)
Web designer Evan Barrett and caterer Halley Connors have been best friends for years, but things have been "weird" for the last 6 months... More especifically, since Halley came to the shocking realization that she wants his body. Best friends aren't supposed to lust after each other, so she doesn't know how to be around Evan anymore. Little does she know, he's been lusting after her for more than 6 months but has never openly acted on it for fear of ruining their friendship. Then, her website is hacked and while he helps her to fix it, the underlying sexual tension between them surfaces and there's no more beating around the bushes...
This story showcased Erin McCarthy's writing the way I like it: Evan was adorable, Halley was funny, their interactions (inside and outside the bedroom) were fun to read and had some LOL moments, and the plot was interesting in a tried-and-true way. My only "problem" with this story was the way Halley decided to let the hackers off the hook. Considering the damage they made, not only on her finances but on her reputation as well, I expected her to at least sue them. Forgiveness doesn't stretch that far.
Overall, this wasn't a bad book for a debut release, but I'm glad Ms. Mcarthy's writing has improved since then.
Hard Drive (3 stars)
Mack Stone and Kindra Hill are coworkers who have been secretly lusting after each other for about a year. When he catches her reading a dirty e-mail and she boldly tells him that she prefers cybersex to the real thing, he vows he can change her mind. All he needs is 12 hours alone with her, and he swears she'll forget all about cybersex. Now, how can she refuse an offer like that? ;)
This was a nice story, and Mack and Kindra were funny and sweet. They had good chemistry together, but their lovemaking scene in front of her computer - at her home, not at the office! - didn't work for me: the stop-and-go action was distracting and I felt he was more interested in reading her dirty e-mails than making love with her. The HEA was a bit rushed too.
Press Any Key (1 star)
Jared Kincaid and Candy Appleton are coworkers who don't get along as well as they should. Jared is extremely attracted to Candy but he avoids her like the plague, which makes everyone - including their boss - think he doesn't like her. The problem is, he lost his last job because he made the mistake of "playing" with a coworker, so he isn't willing to make the same mistake again. Unfortunately - or fortunately - Jared and Candy's clueless boss wants them to work on their issues and find a way to become "a better working duo". And what's his solution? He enrolls Jared and Candy in an online couples counseling session(!), shuts them in his office and tells them they have 3 hours to get a certificate of completion from the online counselor. What's left for Jared and Candy to do but to try their best and get "up close and personal" with each other? ;)
Ack, I didn't like this story. I thought Jared was weak-ish, Candy was slut-ish, their boss was an idiot, and the story's setup was absurd. And when Jared and Candy decided to go down and dirty in their boss' office, I couldn't help frowning in disgust. Plus, I didn't like the way they dismissed any concerns about the job they were supposed to be doing for their client. Highly unprofessional! If they were real people, I wouldn't want to be friends with them and I wouldn't hire their professional services.
User Friendly (4 stars)
Web designer Evan Barrett and caterer Halley Connors have been best friends for years, but things have been "weird" for the last 6 months... More especifically, since Halley came to the shocking realization that she wants his body. Best friends aren't supposed to lust after each other, so she doesn't know how to be around Evan anymore. Little does she know, he's been lusting after her for more than 6 months but has never openly acted on it for fear of ruining their friendship. Then, her website is hacked and while he helps her to fix it, the underlying sexual tension between them surfaces and there's no more beating around the bushes...
This story showcased Erin McCarthy's writing the way I like it: Evan was adorable, Halley was funny, their interactions (inside and outside the bedroom) were fun to read and had some LOL moments, and the plot was interesting in a tried-and-true way. My only "problem" with this story was the way Halley decided to let the hackers off the hook. Considering the damage they made, not only on her finances but on her reputation as well, I expected her to at least sue them. Forgiveness doesn't stretch that far.
Overall, this wasn't a bad book for a debut release, but I'm glad Ms. Mcarthy's writing has improved since then.
June 24, 2025
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars overall" Hard Drive – I'm beginning to wonder if Erin McCarthy writes better short stories than full-length novels. So far her novels have been rather hit and miss with me, but Hard Drive is the second novella in a row that I've read by her which I thought was a winner. It was a really sweet and sexy story that was a very enjoyable read.
Hard Drive is less than 100 pages, and because of its brevity, the hero and heroine don't get a lot of backstory. They've worked together at the same web design company for a year and have been very attracted to one another, but don't do anything about it until Mack catches Kindra reading an explicit email from her cyber-sex partner. He then boldly proposes to show her that in-person sex is way more fun and exciting than doing it online. Mack more than makes his point in a very hot, steamy way. I love the way he held himself in check in order to give Kindra lots of pleasure by acting out the sexy emails from her online partner. Yum!;-) I thought it was really sweet how he totally fell for Kindra and the way he wrapped up the story was just too cute. Kindra was a rather shy woman with an underlying passionate nature, just the type of gal I can relate to. Her last boyfriend was a total snooze, and she's never truly been satisfied by a man in bed. Kindra has taken to engaging in cyber-sex, because it's just easier for a reserved girl like her with some mild confidence issues. Luckily for her, Mack knows all the right buttons to push to bring that passion to the surface and make her feel like a beautiful, desirable woman. I will admit that the rapid progression of their relationship from supposed lust to madly in love within less than a day was just too quick to be believable (hence the half star reduction), but the story itself was so tender, emotional, sensuous and sweet (some of my favorite qualities for a romance) that for once, I hardly cared.
Hard Drive is the first novella in Erin McCarthy's Bowling Friends series. Kindra and her three friends, Ashley, Violet and Trish are all in a bowling league together. They share some fun banter in this story. Each of them has a very different personality, but I have a feeling shy, bookish Violet may end up being a favorite for me. These girls stories are told in each of the remaining three novellas of the series which I look forward to checking out. Star Rating: ****1/2
Press Any Key – I didn't like Press Any Key quite as well as the first novella in this anthology. For one thing, I think I simply didn't connect with the characters quite as well. Candy broke stereotype by having a brilliant mind for marketing, housed in a blond bombshell body which made it difficult for her to make friends. Men just want to ogle her, and women are jealous. She is also a divorcée who in the past has found men, including her ex, to be pretty selfish in bed, but for some reason which I never quite understood, she thought Jared would be different if only she could get him to notice her. I had mixed feelings about Jared. He certainly noticed Candy, but was disguising his lust with a prickly attitude. He had gotten himself fired from his last job for being caught dallying with the boss's secretary in the copy room, and didn't want that to happen again. This little fact was not endearing to me, and him doing it again with Candy even though she wanted it and was teasing him, brought his motives and self-control into question in my mind. Later on when they had an actual date, I liked him better, because he showed some sympathy, intuitiveness, and protectiveness toward Candy after she told him about her ex.
The progression of the relationship itself was a little more believable, because it only had them saying that they thought they might be, or could, fall in love with one another rather than outright declaring their love after only one day together. However, there just wasn't as much tender emotion, in my opinion. For both of them, it seemed like it was more about lust than love. Even though the love scenes were steamy and creative, I just didn't feel a deep connection between Jared and Candy that really made me buy into a permanent HEA. Still, Press Any Key was a generally fun novella and should be a worthwhile read for anyone who likes some good steam and isn't expecting too much. Star Rating: ***1/2
User Friendly – User Friendly was without a doubt my favorite novella this anthology. I absolutely loved the best friends finding forever love with one another theme, a favorite of mine. It reminded me in some ways of another Erin McCarthy story that was a keeper for me, You, Actually.
Evan is a hot, scrumptious computer geek, a favorite character type for me as well. I thought it was wonderful how he's so into Halley. He has been lusting after her and totally in love with her for years, but didn't want to ruin a great friendship in the event she didn't feel the same way. I loved how he just couldn't get enough of her and wanted nothing more than to pleasure her in every way possible. Halley is a determined young woman who has worked hard to build her own catering business from the ground up. She was just the right mix of a little bit daring and a little bit shy, making her very relatable for me. Halley has also had the hots for Evan for a long time and has buried her feelings out of fear of loosing him as a friend.
When these two finally got together (which didn't take too long since it is a short story;-)), it was absolutely combustible. Their relationship is full of playfulness and teasing that doesn't stop just because they get all hot and bothered. They also trust each other implicitly which is a key element for a romance to really work for me. I liked that they didn't play games with each other and communicated very well. Even when Halley started to feel awkward after all the steamy sex, Evan didn't let her run and hide. I love how they allowed themselves to become completely abandoned to their desire for one another. It made their lovemaking very hot, but at the same time, it was filled with tender emotion. Everything just came together to make User Friendly a big winner for me. The Bad Boys Online anthology appears to be Erin McCarthy's debut as an author, and I'd have to say that overall, I found it to be a pretty impressive first book. Star Rating: *****
"4.5 stars overall" Hard Drive – I'm beginning to wonder if Erin McCarthy writes better short stories than full-length novels. So far her novels have been rather hit and miss with me, but Hard Drive is the second novella in a row that I've read by her which I thought was a winner. It was a really sweet and sexy story that was a very enjoyable read.
Hard Drive is less than 100 pages, and because of its brevity, the hero and heroine don't get a lot of backstory. They've worked together at the same web design company for a year and have been very attracted to one another, but don't do anything about it until Mack catches Kindra reading an explicit email from her cyber-sex partner. He then boldly proposes to show her that in-person sex is way more fun and exciting than doing it online. Mack more than makes his point in a very hot, steamy way. I love the way he held himself in check in order to give Kindra lots of pleasure by acting out the sexy emails from her online partner. Yum!;-) I thought it was really sweet how he totally fell for Kindra and the way he wrapped up the story was just too cute. Kindra was a rather shy woman with an underlying passionate nature, just the type of gal I can relate to. Her last boyfriend was a total snooze, and she's never truly been satisfied by a man in bed. Kindra has taken to engaging in cyber-sex, because it's just easier for a reserved girl like her with some mild confidence issues. Luckily for her, Mack knows all the right buttons to push to bring that passion to the surface and make her feel like a beautiful, desirable woman. I will admit that the rapid progression of their relationship from supposed lust to madly in love within less than a day was just too quick to be believable (hence the half star reduction), but the story itself was so tender, emotional, sensuous and sweet (some of my favorite qualities for a romance) that for once, I hardly cared.
Hard Drive is the first novella in Erin McCarthy's Bowling Friends series. Kindra and her three friends, Ashley, Violet and Trish are all in a bowling league together. They share some fun banter in this story. Each of them has a very different personality, but I have a feeling shy, bookish Violet may end up being a favorite for me. These girls stories are told in each of the remaining three novellas of the series which I look forward to checking out. Star Rating: ****1/2
Press Any Key – I didn't like Press Any Key quite as well as the first novella in this anthology. For one thing, I think I simply didn't connect with the characters quite as well. Candy broke stereotype by having a brilliant mind for marketing, housed in a blond bombshell body which made it difficult for her to make friends. Men just want to ogle her, and women are jealous. She is also a divorcée who in the past has found men, including her ex, to be pretty selfish in bed, but for some reason which I never quite understood, she thought Jared would be different if only she could get him to notice her. I had mixed feelings about Jared. He certainly noticed Candy, but was disguising his lust with a prickly attitude. He had gotten himself fired from his last job for being caught dallying with the boss's secretary in the copy room, and didn't want that to happen again. This little fact was not endearing to me, and him doing it again with Candy even though she wanted it and was teasing him, brought his motives and self-control into question in my mind. Later on when they had an actual date, I liked him better, because he showed some sympathy, intuitiveness, and protectiveness toward Candy after she told him about her ex.
The progression of the relationship itself was a little more believable, because it only had them saying that they thought they might be, or could, fall in love with one another rather than outright declaring their love after only one day together. However, there just wasn't as much tender emotion, in my opinion. For both of them, it seemed like it was more about lust than love. Even though the love scenes were steamy and creative, I just didn't feel a deep connection between Jared and Candy that really made me buy into a permanent HEA. Still, Press Any Key was a generally fun novella and should be a worthwhile read for anyone who likes some good steam and isn't expecting too much. Star Rating: ***1/2
User Friendly – User Friendly was without a doubt my favorite novella this anthology. I absolutely loved the best friends finding forever love with one another theme, a favorite of mine. It reminded me in some ways of another Erin McCarthy story that was a keeper for me, You, Actually.
Evan is a hot, scrumptious computer geek, a favorite character type for me as well. I thought it was wonderful how he's so into Halley. He has been lusting after her and totally in love with her for years, but didn't want to ruin a great friendship in the event she didn't feel the same way. I loved how he just couldn't get enough of her and wanted nothing more than to pleasure her in every way possible. Halley is a determined young woman who has worked hard to build her own catering business from the ground up. She was just the right mix of a little bit daring and a little bit shy, making her very relatable for me. Halley has also had the hots for Evan for a long time and has buried her feelings out of fear of loosing him as a friend.
When these two finally got together (which didn't take too long since it is a short story;-)), it was absolutely combustible. Their relationship is full of playfulness and teasing that doesn't stop just because they get all hot and bothered. They also trust each other implicitly which is a key element for a romance to really work for me. I liked that they didn't play games with each other and communicated very well. Even when Halley started to feel awkward after all the steamy sex, Evan didn't let her run and hide. I love how they allowed themselves to become completely abandoned to their desire for one another. It made their lovemaking very hot, but at the same time, it was filled with tender emotion. Everything just came together to make User Friendly a big winner for me. The Bad Boys Online anthology appears to be Erin McCarthy's debut as an author, and I'd have to say that overall, I found it to be a pretty impressive first book. Star Rating: *****
July 26, 2018
'Bad Boys Online' consists of three short stories which all relate to technology and sex.
1. Hard Drive
Some parts of this story were so silly.
The story begins with Kindra reading a smutty email from her sexual cyber partner, at work. Mack, her co-worker (who she hasn't really had a proper conversation with), comes into her office and starts to read the email out loud. He wants to prove to her that physically having sex is much better than reading about it. He tells her to give HIM 12 HOURS to prove IT. 12 HOURS OF JUST SEX?!?! it's a tiny bit excessive, if you ask me. Any who... fast forward towards the ending..They both realise that they have magic genitalia and have fallen in love with each other. Then he proposes to her at work via email.
One thing i did like was how fast paced this one was.
2. Press Any Key
I didn't really enjoy this one.
This short story involves Jared and Candy. Candy thinks that Jared hates her because hes always running away from her and avoiding her, which is true but he does it for a reason.
Jared is sexually attracted to her, and he believes that sex and work do not go together at all, since he got fired from his last job by making out with the secretary, who was the bosses girlfriend at the time, and wasn't aware of it.
Their boss locks them into a room and tells them they must do couples therapy together for three hours. The questions are super personal and intimate, which of course, makes them both super horny, and they have sex in their bosses office.
This one just didn't click for me. It was a little boring, and i found both characters a little annoying.
3. User Friendly
Halley and Evan have been best friends since college, but Halley has been avoiding Evan because she realised that she's in love with him. When her website gets hacked, she turns to Evan.
Evan is in love with Halley also, but doesn't act upon his lust and love for her, just in case it damages their friendship. Evan brings up the idea of hacking the people who hacked her, and she agrees. Then things start to heat up between them, and one thing leads to another.. AND BAM! they are both naked and having sex.
At the end, she lets the hackers off.. (because she was distracted by Evan's magical penis)even though they made her lose clients??
I liked the idea behind this one but it didnt live up to its hype.
3/5 stars
1. Hard Drive
Some parts of this story were so silly.
The story begins with Kindra reading a smutty email from her sexual cyber partner, at work. Mack, her co-worker (who she hasn't really had a proper conversation with), comes into her office and starts to read the email out loud. He wants to prove to her that physically having sex is much better than reading about it. He tells her to give HIM 12 HOURS to prove IT. 12 HOURS OF JUST SEX?!?! it's a tiny bit excessive, if you ask me. Any who... fast forward towards the ending..They both realise that they have magic genitalia and have fallen in love with each other. Then he proposes to her at work via email.
One thing i did like was how fast paced this one was.
2. Press Any Key
I didn't really enjoy this one.
This short story involves Jared and Candy. Candy thinks that Jared hates her because hes always running away from her and avoiding her, which is true but he does it for a reason.
Jared is sexually attracted to her, and he believes that sex and work do not go together at all, since he got fired from his last job by making out with the secretary, who was the bosses girlfriend at the time, and wasn't aware of it.
Their boss locks them into a room and tells them they must do couples therapy together for three hours. The questions are super personal and intimate, which of course, makes them both super horny, and they have sex in their bosses office.
This one just didn't click for me. It was a little boring, and i found both characters a little annoying.
3. User Friendly
Halley and Evan have been best friends since college, but Halley has been avoiding Evan because she realised that she's in love with him. When her website gets hacked, she turns to Evan.
Evan is in love with Halley also, but doesn't act upon his lust and love for her, just in case it damages their friendship. Evan brings up the idea of hacking the people who hacked her, and she agrees. Then things start to heat up between them, and one thing leads to another.. AND BAM! they are both naked and having sex.
At the end, she lets the hackers off.. (because she was distracted by Evan's magical penis)even though they made her lose clients??
I liked the idea behind this one but it didnt live up to its hype.
3/5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2009
I'll review each story separately
Hard Drive I liked the best of the three. I thought the set up worked well and didn't feel like McCarthy was pigeon holing Mack or Kindra into a stereotype to fit the needs of the story. If at times I was hard pressed to remember Kindra's inexperience in reality wasn't a put-on to make Mack sweat, I ignored it in favor of Mack's reaction at the end.
User Friendly, aside from the fact that Evan is my idea of an ideal mate, this story didn't interest me overmuch. Halley was a bit much for me and I felt like Evan really could have done better. Neurotic is perhaps the word I would use for Halley, though from all the caterers I've met in the past that seems to be a requirement.
Press Any Key, worked for me. I liked Candy, despite her very ridiculous name (Jared's right, it does sound like she should have been a porn star) and I liked the fact that Jared was somewhat dense when it came to her flirting with him.
All in all they were 3 pretty decent stories, and if I understood the back cover rightly this was back when McCarthy was still fairly new to the publishing scene.
Hard Drive I liked the best of the three. I thought the set up worked well and didn't feel like McCarthy was pigeon holing Mack or Kindra into a stereotype to fit the needs of the story. If at times I was hard pressed to remember Kindra's inexperience in reality wasn't a put-on to make Mack sweat, I ignored it in favor of Mack's reaction at the end.
User Friendly, aside from the fact that Evan is my idea of an ideal mate, this story didn't interest me overmuch. Halley was a bit much for me and I felt like Evan really could have done better. Neurotic is perhaps the word I would use for Halley, though from all the caterers I've met in the past that seems to be a requirement.
Press Any Key, worked for me. I liked Candy, despite her very ridiculous name (Jared's right, it does sound like she should have been a porn star) and I liked the fact that Jared was somewhat dense when it came to her flirting with him.
All in all they were 3 pretty decent stories, and if I understood the back cover rightly this was back when McCarthy was still fairly new to the publishing scene.
November 8, 2014
This anthology of three stories by Erin McCarthy was fun to read! I enjoyed all three stories, and liked the characters in them, as well as the storylines.
My favorite of the three was the last story, "User Friendly." This one was the story of two close friends, Haley and Ethan, whose relationship undergoes a chance from friendship to romance.
The first story, "Hard Drive," finds coworkers Mack and Kindra deciding to have sex after he finds that she has been having sexy chats online with a man she's never met. Mack assures Kindra that he can show her a more satisfying time. As things heart up between them, their hearts become involved.
In the middle story, "Press Any Key," Candy thinks her new coworker Jared intensely dislikes her. When confined alone together in the boss' office for an afternoon, the truth of their attraction to one another comes out.
I enjoyed every second spent reading this entertaining anthology. Although the stories were reissues, I felt like they were still relevant. The stories were all sweet, yet very steamy. The book was also very quick and easy to read.
My favorite of the three was the last story, "User Friendly." This one was the story of two close friends, Haley and Ethan, whose relationship undergoes a chance from friendship to romance.
The first story, "Hard Drive," finds coworkers Mack and Kindra deciding to have sex after he finds that she has been having sexy chats online with a man she's never met. Mack assures Kindra that he can show her a more satisfying time. As things heart up between them, their hearts become involved.
In the middle story, "Press Any Key," Candy thinks her new coworker Jared intensely dislikes her. When confined alone together in the boss' office for an afternoon, the truth of their attraction to one another comes out.
I enjoyed every second spent reading this entertaining anthology. Although the stories were reissues, I felt like they were still relevant. The stories were all sweet, yet very steamy. The book was also very quick and easy to read.
May 10, 2015
Silly sexy fun? That's pretty much Bad Boys Online. It's a hot little collection of novellas all centered around online tech of some sort. And oh it was a good time! I really enjoyed each of the three stories as long time friends or coworkers finally got the chance to hook up with the people they've been smitten with or totally in love with for ages. They're each quick stories but nicely fleshed out and since they start with the characters already knowing each other they don't feel like they're moving "too fast" in the relationships which was nice. They're quirky and fun and full of make-you-girl-aw moments that just left me smiling, And oh *fans self* the heat! Yes...this one has some nice lovin' happening for sure. It's the perfect little read for a chilly afternoon with a hot cup of tea.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
December 15, 2017
To start off, the title is pretty misleading. Glancing at the cover the first time, I assumed it would be about meeting guys online, or dirty talk, phone sex, or, y’know, maybe some cam action with hotties, not… novelettes loosely connected by the fact that computers are vaguely mentioned in all three of them. But okay, that’s my bad, I know, book by the cover.
Hard Drive
I liked this one- it was short, rather sweet, and generally inoffensive. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to really take issue with either. It was an enjoyable read. (I only recognized later that this is sort of the one to set up the unintentional theme of “shit that would not fly if we weren’t into each other but since whoops apparently we are it’s okay”)
Press Any Key
This one is a bit of a mixed bag, by which I mean there were parts I quite liked (for instance, clumsy, inelegant fumbling during sex rather than the effortless and unrealistic grace one usually sees), and other parts that I found… really unpleasant. Off-putting. Like Jared’s personality, the sexist “catty women are just jealous of hottie protagonist” trope, or the fact that despite all the times it’s mentioned that Candy is smart, in the end she acts like she’s dumb as a rock.
Really, the whole time I was reading the first part of it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how if this was a real scenario, the boss-man would have had two counts of sexual harassment charges staring him in the fact the next day. Honestly, assigning the task to two of his employees is a ridiculously bad idea. He had no idea were so unfriendly towards each other because secretly they wanted to bone, for all he knew, they could have legit hated each other for real reasons, and then forcing someone to give out personal as well as intimate information to someone they dislike or distrust is really not the way to solve the problem.
User Friendly
This one definitely feels like someone told the author that they’re funny and that they should lean into the humor, only they forgot to then edit the damn thing. It was… odd, to say the least, and there were a lot of mood-breaking words. Such as likening a penis to an inflatable raft. Not that there weren’t enough of those in Press Any Key either, but in this one, it was Evident. Also it was pretty damn transphobic.
“The bizarre image of naked men with breasts popped into her head, and she quickly banished it again. Funny, yes, but definitely freaky.”
Look, this may be a re-publishing, but 2017 is a harsh crowd. By which I mean, oh my god, you can’t go around saying shit like that in this day and age and expect people not to cringe.
Overall, this was decent as well- save for a few really bad jokes, two really dumb protagonists, and that faux pas above, I can’t really complain.
With the first one getting four stars from me, the middle two, and the last three, my overall rating would be a three as well.
Hard Drive
I liked this one- it was short, rather sweet, and generally inoffensive. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to really take issue with either. It was an enjoyable read. (I only recognized later that this is sort of the one to set up the unintentional theme of “shit that would not fly if we weren’t into each other but since whoops apparently we are it’s okay”)
Press Any Key
This one is a bit of a mixed bag, by which I mean there were parts I quite liked (for instance, clumsy, inelegant fumbling during sex rather than the effortless and unrealistic grace one usually sees), and other parts that I found… really unpleasant. Off-putting. Like Jared’s personality, the sexist “catty women are just jealous of hottie protagonist” trope, or the fact that despite all the times it’s mentioned that Candy is smart, in the end she acts like she’s dumb as a rock.
Really, the whole time I was reading the first part of it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how if this was a real scenario, the boss-man would have had two counts of sexual harassment charges staring him in the fact the next day. Honestly, assigning the task to two of his employees is a ridiculously bad idea. He had no idea were so unfriendly towards each other because secretly they wanted to bone, for all he knew, they could have legit hated each other for real reasons, and then forcing someone to give out personal as well as intimate information to someone they dislike or distrust is really not the way to solve the problem.
User Friendly
This one definitely feels like someone told the author that they’re funny and that they should lean into the humor, only they forgot to then edit the damn thing. It was… odd, to say the least, and there were a lot of mood-breaking words. Such as likening a penis to an inflatable raft. Not that there weren’t enough of those in Press Any Key either, but in this one, it was Evident. Also it was pretty damn transphobic.
“The bizarre image of naked men with breasts popped into her head, and she quickly banished it again. Funny, yes, but definitely freaky.”
Look, this may be a re-publishing, but 2017 is a harsh crowd. By which I mean, oh my god, you can’t go around saying shit like that in this day and age and expect people not to cringe.
Overall, this was decent as well- save for a few really bad jokes, two really dumb protagonists, and that faux pas above, I can’t really complain.
With the first one getting four stars from me, the middle two, and the last three, my overall rating would be a three as well.
April 1, 2019
Hard Drive - 3/5 - Kindra has lusted after perfect Mack since he started at her company, but she knows she’s way out of his league. For his part, Mack has been somewhat fascinated by the mysterious Kindra, but it’s not until he catches her reading a dirty e-mail from her cybersex partner that his interest is truly sparked. He promises that he can prove that regular sex is better than online sex. Kindra, having had some lousy partners in the past, is skeptical, but willing to give him the 12 hours he asks for. She just needs to keep reminding herself that no matter how intimate and how much she’s fallen for him, it’s just one night. Mack though starts to fall as well, but will Kindra believe him?
So Kindra is as much a virgin without actually being one that a heroine can get. She really has had some rotten partners as she’s shocked when doggy-style actually works. So I kinda liked the exploratory nature of their sexual experiences together...how both of them were figuring things out (even experienced Mack who realizes it’s pretty damn pleasurable to focus on someone else’s pleasure entirely). And I rather liked the fact that Mack is the one that gets shafted, since he failed to make his intentions clear from the get go. In the beginning, it felt like he was just trying to get some action from Kindra, not thinking of a relationship (though he definitely did not come across as sleazy as some heroes do). So it was poetic justice that he’s the one who’s ready to say I love you when Kindra takes protective measures and ends things. Now the sex...some of it was pretty hot. But even though the author has Kindra admit that she’s enjoying things, the reader gets the sense that she’s super uncomfortable because she’s so timid and shy. So that discomfort was the prevailing feeling for the first half of the sex session...it got better though. As with any novella, things move along at a fast-forward like pace regarding emotions. After a few hours, Mack is in love and by the end of the weekend he’s proposing. Wow.
Press Any Key - 2/5 - Jared and Candy work together and Jared has been avoiding Candy because he’s super attracted to her and doesn’t trust himself. And the last thing he can afford is a workplace romance after he was fired for his last one. Candy wants Jared just as much, but has no idea how to entice him...which is typically not a problem since men always fall at her feet (because she’s perfected the art of flirting). Their boss is tired of the negative vibes and sets them up for online couples counseling. It works too well, since they end up having sex in their boss’s office and perhaps starting up a relationship, since they realize they also LIKE each other.
Yeah, this one didn’t do much for me. Maybe it was the super-contrived set up where a boss puts two professional employees through “online” counseling designed for two people already in love...how inappropriate could you get? So of course the whole thing just felt silly instead of sexy or romantic. That was for sure a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen. On top of that the characters were relatively unlikeable for my tastes. Jared is a bit of a whiny bitch and super-flirty females don’t do much for me...maybe because I’m the exact opposite and just can’t understand them. And of course Candy is supposed to be a genius, but she’s really not...oh and of course she doesn’t have any friends because all the other women are jealous of her great looks. RME. It also bothered me that Candy was basically baiting Jared for sex through the entire counseling session...which isn’t in line with the non-slutty, confident character she’s supposed to be. You’d think she’d trust that her personality was enough to lure a guy in for the relationship she wants instead of trying to hook him through sex. Which actually compounded my dislike of her later when she jumps down Jared’s throat for having had an office fling in the past and she’s questioning if he’s a serial office-flinger. The way I see it, she didn’t bother with asking him before she started luring him in and she never put a “relationship” qualifier on the sex she offered, so what leg has she to stand on? If he wants to go out and fuck 3 women that same night, I don’t see that she has any right to be upset. She literally asked him for it and never once indicated that she wanted it to be serious beforehand. On the brightside, this was a novella, so it was short and sexy, even if I didn’t enjoy it much.
User Friendly - 3.5 / 5 - Evan and Halley are best friends who have begun lusting after one another, but neither of them wants to take the step that might forever ruin their friendship. When Halley’s company website is hacked and a nekd picture of her posted, she goes to Evan, a website designer, to fix it and stop the hackers. In the giving of comfort and the seeking of revenge, Evan and Halley abandon the “just friends” status and find release with one another. But still, Halley wonders if this will affect their friendship after their night together is finished.
This was the best of the lot here, but after 3 in a row, I’m thinking that the author uses more humor than I typically like in my romance. I’ve said it time and again, humor just doesn’t work with me, unless it’s sarcastic and dry. This is a bit more slapstick, but it’s more subtle than the in your face Evanovich type. There are awkward moments designed to be out right funny, like the erect penis hanging out of Evan’s boxers there in the beginning...maybe it wasn’t supposed to be as awkward as it felt for me. I don’t know. I’m not saying it can’t be great or that it’s not well written, it just doesn’t do much for me. So, I ended up liking the whole friends to lovers thing and the fact that these two more or less start out in love, so it was no difficulty in believing they loved each other and wanted to get married in the end (unlike the first story in this anthology). Not much in the angst department except for a little doubt on Halley’s part about whether the sex actually meant anything, which Evan very quickly clears up. And the HEA ensues. Overall a good and well-written story, but I think I’m learning this author’s style doesn’t resonate with me. No doubt she works very well for others, just not me.
So Kindra is as much a virgin without actually being one that a heroine can get. She really has had some rotten partners as she’s shocked when doggy-style actually works. So I kinda liked the exploratory nature of their sexual experiences together...how both of them were figuring things out (even experienced Mack who realizes it’s pretty damn pleasurable to focus on someone else’s pleasure entirely). And I rather liked the fact that Mack is the one that gets shafted, since he failed to make his intentions clear from the get go. In the beginning, it felt like he was just trying to get some action from Kindra, not thinking of a relationship (though he definitely did not come across as sleazy as some heroes do). So it was poetic justice that he’s the one who’s ready to say I love you when Kindra takes protective measures and ends things. Now the sex...some of it was pretty hot. But even though the author has Kindra admit that she’s enjoying things, the reader gets the sense that she’s super uncomfortable because she’s so timid and shy. So that discomfort was the prevailing feeling for the first half of the sex session...it got better though. As with any novella, things move along at a fast-forward like pace regarding emotions. After a few hours, Mack is in love and by the end of the weekend he’s proposing. Wow.
Press Any Key - 2/5 - Jared and Candy work together and Jared has been avoiding Candy because he’s super attracted to her and doesn’t trust himself. And the last thing he can afford is a workplace romance after he was fired for his last one. Candy wants Jared just as much, but has no idea how to entice him...which is typically not a problem since men always fall at her feet (because she’s perfected the art of flirting). Their boss is tired of the negative vibes and sets them up for online couples counseling. It works too well, since they end up having sex in their boss’s office and perhaps starting up a relationship, since they realize they also LIKE each other.
Yeah, this one didn’t do much for me. Maybe it was the super-contrived set up where a boss puts two professional employees through “online” counseling designed for two people already in love...how inappropriate could you get? So of course the whole thing just felt silly instead of sexy or romantic. That was for sure a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen. On top of that the characters were relatively unlikeable for my tastes. Jared is a bit of a whiny bitch and super-flirty females don’t do much for me...maybe because I’m the exact opposite and just can’t understand them. And of course Candy is supposed to be a genius, but she’s really not...oh and of course she doesn’t have any friends because all the other women are jealous of her great looks. RME. It also bothered me that Candy was basically baiting Jared for sex through the entire counseling session...which isn’t in line with the non-slutty, confident character she’s supposed to be. You’d think she’d trust that her personality was enough to lure a guy in for the relationship she wants instead of trying to hook him through sex. Which actually compounded my dislike of her later when she jumps down Jared’s throat for having had an office fling in the past and she’s questioning if he’s a serial office-flinger. The way I see it, she didn’t bother with asking him before she started luring him in and she never put a “relationship” qualifier on the sex she offered, so what leg has she to stand on? If he wants to go out and fuck 3 women that same night, I don’t see that she has any right to be upset. She literally asked him for it and never once indicated that she wanted it to be serious beforehand. On the brightside, this was a novella, so it was short and sexy, even if I didn’t enjoy it much.
User Friendly - 3.5 / 5 - Evan and Halley are best friends who have begun lusting after one another, but neither of them wants to take the step that might forever ruin their friendship. When Halley’s company website is hacked and a nekd picture of her posted, she goes to Evan, a website designer, to fix it and stop the hackers. In the giving of comfort and the seeking of revenge, Evan and Halley abandon the “just friends” status and find release with one another. But still, Halley wonders if this will affect their friendship after their night together is finished.
This was the best of the lot here, but after 3 in a row, I’m thinking that the author uses more humor than I typically like in my romance. I’ve said it time and again, humor just doesn’t work with me, unless it’s sarcastic and dry. This is a bit more slapstick, but it’s more subtle than the in your face Evanovich type. There are awkward moments designed to be out right funny, like the erect penis hanging out of Evan’s boxers there in the beginning...maybe it wasn’t supposed to be as awkward as it felt for me. I don’t know. I’m not saying it can’t be great or that it’s not well written, it just doesn’t do much for me. So, I ended up liking the whole friends to lovers thing and the fact that these two more or less start out in love, so it was no difficulty in believing they loved each other and wanted to get married in the end (unlike the first story in this anthology). Not much in the angst department except for a little doubt on Halley’s part about whether the sex actually meant anything, which Evan very quickly clears up. And the HEA ensues. Overall a good and well-written story, but I think I’m learning this author’s style doesn’t resonate with me. No doubt she works very well for others, just not me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2014
This is one of the first books I read by Erin McCarthy. When I saw it was being released with a new cover I knew I had to re-read it. I love that the book wasn't changed like so many others in order to keep up with the changing technology. There is something to be said about HOT emails!
This definitely another must read for any Erin McCarthy fans as well as individuals who have not yet read any of her books! You don't know what you are missing until you have read one. Once you read one you can't stop. You have to read them all!
This definitely another must read for any Erin McCarthy fans as well as individuals who have not yet read any of her books! You don't know what you are missing until you have read one. Once you read one you can't stop. You have to read them all!
May 12, 2017
I can see why this author has so many books out. She writes for an audience that consumes this type of writing. Not particularly my kind of novel. Not much substance but a lot of steamy sex scenes. Very much like the writing in a "skin" magazine.,erotic porn more accurately rather than stories with substance. None the less, she has strong female characters in her novel and they are successful and have their own substance. I do like that part. I probably won't read any more of her writing, but sometimes it is good to mix it up a bit.
January 22, 2019
It's 3 steamy shorts. Super quick reads
December 13, 2014
Three sizzling stories by one good author.
June 29, 2018
Good but not great, maybe because it was too short.
I do not recommend to read the three stories at once as the stories end up looking very similar "I love him, but I don't believe that he loves me. He loves me, we are engaged two days after getting together"
I do not recommend to read the three stories at once as the stories end up looking very similar "I love him, but I don't believe that he loves me. He loves me, we are engaged two days after getting together"
March 29, 2018
REVIEW TO COME
April 10, 2018
Good grief. I bought this book (probably at Costco) years ago, def long before 50 Shades Of Gray was ever a thing. Better written than 50 Shades, but still a total waste of time.
October 28, 2020
This contemporary romance collection seriously threw me back to the internet when I was a little pre-teen. Don’t get me wrong, I never used it for these activities… but there was still some very fun nostalgia associated with the technology that was being used.
There are three different novellas in this collection, and each and everyone has a slightly different way in which cyber relationships / seduction can occur. I love how these little romances carried the same online theme… but had completely different relationships, seductions and moments throughout.
This variety and series of stories was absolutely brilliant. I really, really enjoyed this and ended up digging through my shelves for any Erin McCarthy stories that I could find, just to continue getting my happy fix.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/bad-boys-onl...
There are three different novellas in this collection, and each and everyone has a slightly different way in which cyber relationships / seduction can occur. I love how these little romances carried the same online theme… but had completely different relationships, seductions and moments throughout.
This variety and series of stories was absolutely brilliant. I really, really enjoyed this and ended up digging through my shelves for any Erin McCarthy stories that I could find, just to continue getting my happy fix.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/bad-boys-onl...
April 14, 2022
It was good.
July 20, 2023
I have NEVER EVER hated a book more. If I could rate this 0 stars, I would.
May 30, 2011
These are three funny romance fantasies(: (Love comedy romances!.. and especially short reads!) This is definitly a one-of-a-kind novel.
Something in Common with the Three fantasies? Yes.And it is that all three of the fantasies have something online in it.For example 'Hard Drive' had cybersex.'Press any key' had couples counseling.And 'User Friendly' had hackers.
(Im a spoiler!!..Beware)
>>Hard Drive
Note: 'Hard Drive' was just straight to the point.I usually dont love those kind of books but this time I do,it was a great short read. <*.->
PS: Most of this first fantasy was just the love-making.
Ending: Kindra and Mack get married and has a poodle named Bitsy(ha).
Characters:
Kindra Hill: green eyes,soft plump lips,smooth creamy legs,rich auburn hair with red streaks in it,twenty-six,works at Ohio MicroDesign- a graphic design company in Cleveland.
Mack Stone: Kindra's secret crush(he has also been paying attention to her) and coworker,short black hair,strong jaw,straight nose,icy blue eyes,down to the broad chest and gorgeous pecs,has a different girlfriend every week,caught Kindra having cybersex with Russ online(he then got her to agree on letting him show real life is better than online.. so the next day he proved it to her by reading the emails from Russ and doing it),asked Kindra to marry him and also bought a poodle.
Bitsy: white poodle Mack bought and is going to raise with Kindra when they marry.
Russ: Kindra's cybersex partner.
Ashley: one of Kindra's friends,wild blond curls.
Trish: one of Kindra's friends,wild blond curls.
Violet: one of Kindra's friends,wild blond curls,long dark hair.
Jim: Mack's coworker.
Rob: Kindra's ex-boyfriend.
Pages: 20-k/s
>>Press Any Key (starts at page 56)
Note: Ha!Funnier than the first fantasy.Couple Counseling Online? Wow.And added tips?(one of the tips in the counseling was a video of two naked people in a bathtub rubbing each other).I'll just say the second fantasy will probaly be the funniest.
Ending: Jared and Candy fall in love. The ending was just him carrying her into his office at his place for more love-making.
Characters:
Jared Kincaid: works at the marketing firm(he got fired from his first job when he encountered a woman in the copy room but at the time he didnt know she was the boss's girlfriend),a woman magnet,black eyes, black hair that is short and smooth with a touch of gel that flipped the front up half an inch,broad shoulders,thin lips,strong and sensual cheekbones,thirty-one,has three older brothers and a sister,made love to Candy in Harold's office while doing the counseling thing(they stopped before they were caught by Harold and he asked her out).
Candy Appleton: works at the marketing firm,the girl Jared has been paying attention to lately, long legs and breasts,blowzy blond hair, a Southern accent,lush cherry lips that pouted and taunted,a man magnet, got mad when finding out Jared had an office affair at his last job(that made her think he has office affairs all the time and shes just one of the victims).
Harold: boss of the marketing firm who is having a midlife crisis,-year-old bald man,when thinking Jared n Candy are having past problems he signed the two of them up for online couple counseling.
Margaret: Candy's younger half and only sister,studying cello at Julliard.
Kim: one of Jared's friends(known him since they were nine),lesbian.
Dean: Candy's ex-husband(used her for her goods only and didnt really care for her).
Jessie: Jared's coworker from his old job that he had an affair with in the office(until he found out she was his boss's girlfriend and got fired).
Pages: k-75 83-s
>>User Friendly (starts on page 110)
Note: Two bestfriends becoming more than just friends.The funny thing is,the Three C's brought them together.
Ending: Halley and Evan gets married.
Characters:
Halley Connors: boss of a catering business,when her website gets hacked she goes over to Evan for him to fix it(and during this people called her business -requesting naked catering- while some canceled on her),bouncy blond hair almost to her ear,narrow waist,firm sleek thighs,an ass that could stop traffic,firm breast,smooth pale skin,big blue eyes,twenty-eight,got an email from her hackers that said she was the wrong person they were trying to hack.
Evan Barrett: Halley's webmaster and best friend(had known her since the first day of college),brown eyes,caramel hair,summer tan and broad shoulders,one of the plans he came up with for the Three C's website was taking a pic of Halley's breast and putting on the guy's(he took the pic but didnt put it up b/c the view would be only for him).
Nora: Halley's assistant,red hair.
Kirk: one of Evan's friends,knows one of the Three Commanders(hackers) and gave their web address to Evan so he could hack.
Pages: 122-k 138-k 163-s
Page currently on: 147
Something in Common with the Three fantasies? Yes.And it is that all three of the fantasies have something online in it.For example 'Hard Drive' had cybersex.'Press any key' had couples counseling.And 'User Friendly' had hackers.
(Im a spoiler!!..Beware)
>>Hard Drive
Note: 'Hard Drive' was just straight to the point.I usually dont love those kind of books but this time I do,it was a great short read. <*.->
PS: Most of this first fantasy was just the love-making.
Ending: Kindra and Mack get married and has a poodle named Bitsy(ha).
Characters:
Kindra Hill: green eyes,soft plump lips,smooth creamy legs,rich auburn hair with red streaks in it,twenty-six,works at Ohio MicroDesign- a graphic design company in Cleveland.
Mack Stone: Kindra's secret crush(he has also been paying attention to her) and coworker,short black hair,strong jaw,straight nose,icy blue eyes,down to the broad chest and gorgeous pecs,has a different girlfriend every week,caught Kindra having cybersex with Russ online(he then got her to agree on letting him show real life is better than online.. so the next day he proved it to her by reading the emails from Russ and doing it),asked Kindra to marry him and also bought a poodle.
Bitsy: white poodle Mack bought and is going to raise with Kindra when they marry.
Russ: Kindra's cybersex partner.
Ashley: one of Kindra's friends,wild blond curls.
Trish: one of Kindra's friends,wild blond curls.
Violet: one of Kindra's friends,wild blond curls,long dark hair.
Jim: Mack's coworker.
Rob: Kindra's ex-boyfriend.
Pages: 20-k/s
>>Press Any Key (starts at page 56)
Note: Ha!Funnier than the first fantasy.Couple Counseling Online? Wow.And added tips?(one of the tips in the counseling was a video of two naked people in a bathtub rubbing each other).I'll just say the second fantasy will probaly be the funniest.
Ending: Jared and Candy fall in love. The ending was just him carrying her into his office at his place for more love-making.
Characters:
Jared Kincaid: works at the marketing firm(he got fired from his first job when he encountered a woman in the copy room but at the time he didnt know she was the boss's girlfriend),a woman magnet,black eyes, black hair that is short and smooth with a touch of gel that flipped the front up half an inch,broad shoulders,thin lips,strong and sensual cheekbones,thirty-one,has three older brothers and a sister,made love to Candy in Harold's office while doing the counseling thing(they stopped before they were caught by Harold and he asked her out).
Candy Appleton: works at the marketing firm,the girl Jared has been paying attention to lately, long legs and breasts,blowzy blond hair, a Southern accent,lush cherry lips that pouted and taunted,a man magnet, got mad when finding out Jared had an office affair at his last job(that made her think he has office affairs all the time and shes just one of the victims).
Harold: boss of the marketing firm who is having a midlife crisis,-year-old bald man,when thinking Jared n Candy are having past problems he signed the two of them up for online couple counseling.
Margaret: Candy's younger half and only sister,studying cello at Julliard.
Kim: one of Jared's friends(known him since they were nine),lesbian.
Dean: Candy's ex-husband(used her for her goods only and didnt really care for her).
Jessie: Jared's coworker from his old job that he had an affair with in the office(until he found out she was his boss's girlfriend and got fired).
Pages: k-75 83-s
>>User Friendly (starts on page 110)
Note: Two bestfriends becoming more than just friends.The funny thing is,the Three C's brought them together.
Ending: Halley and Evan gets married.
Characters:
Halley Connors: boss of a catering business,when her website gets hacked she goes over to Evan for him to fix it(and during this people called her business -requesting naked catering- while some canceled on her),bouncy blond hair almost to her ear,narrow waist,firm sleek thighs,an ass that could stop traffic,firm breast,smooth pale skin,big blue eyes,twenty-eight,got an email from her hackers that said she was the wrong person they were trying to hack.
Evan Barrett: Halley's webmaster and best friend(had known her since the first day of college),brown eyes,caramel hair,summer tan and broad shoulders,one of the plans he came up with for the Three C's website was taking a pic of Halley's breast and putting on the guy's(he took the pic but didnt put it up b/c the view would be only for him).
Nora: Halley's assistant,red hair.
Kirk: one of Evan's friends,knows one of the Three Commanders(hackers) and gave their web address to Evan so he could hack.
Pages: 122-k 138-k 163-s
Page currently on: 147
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2016
My Rating: ♥♥
Read: 12/26/15
Series: Bowling Friends # 1
This was so very disappointing read by Erin McCarthy. I usually love reading books by Ms. McCarthy for her humor, but this was bad. The first story, Hard Drive is the story that is part of the series of Bowling Friends. There was some extreme un-believability, some really ridiculous situation, and I rarely saw a connection between the hero and the heroine. I am kind of sad that this book costed me $3.99 because I don’t think it is worth it. The cover was hot, but the stories are not.
These bad boys give a whole new meaning to on-site tech support… (Not Really :()
Hard Drive - ★★
Mack Stone can’t believe he’s just walked in on his co-worker Kindra Hill exchanging sexy emails with a total stranger. Defending her naughty online affair, Kindra claims to prefer the impersonal touch to the complication of a relationship. That’s enough to make Mack issue a challenge of his own: He wants her to grant him twelve nonstop hours to turn every erotic e-mail into a hot reality and prove that in love and pleasure, there’s no substitute for the real thing…
Press Any Key - ★★
To Jared Kinkaid, the only way to keep his mind — and his hands — off his luscious co-worker Candy Appleton is to insult or ignore her at every turn. But his efforts at lust control have his boss convinced that the partners need a little help via online couples counseling. But when they’re mistakenly signed up for sensual couples counseling instead, Jared and Candy’s shock turns to pleasure as they each deliver some hands on therapy of their own…
User Friendly - ★★
Evan Barrett can usually solve any tech problem, but when long-time friend Halley Connors calls him to fix her catering website, his focus is on her, not the screen. Imagining his secret crush in the buff is the kind of fantasy that drives him wild every time Halley’s near. Now, as they work overtime to save the business, Evan uses technology and some good old-fashioned charm to convince Halley that he belongs in her bed…
Has anyone noticed how many times I have said unbelievable or a variation of it?!?
Review on Book Lover's Bliss Blog
Read: 12/26/15
Series: Bowling Friends # 1
This was so very disappointing read by Erin McCarthy. I usually love reading books by Ms. McCarthy for her humor, but this was bad. The first story, Hard Drive is the story that is part of the series of Bowling Friends. There was some extreme un-believability, some really ridiculous situation, and I rarely saw a connection between the hero and the heroine. I am kind of sad that this book costed me $3.99 because I don’t think it is worth it. The cover was hot, but the stories are not.
These bad boys give a whole new meaning to on-site tech support… (Not Really :()
Hard Drive - ★★
Mack Stone can’t believe he’s just walked in on his co-worker Kindra Hill exchanging sexy emails with a total stranger. Defending her naughty online affair, Kindra claims to prefer the impersonal touch to the complication of a relationship. That’s enough to make Mack issue a challenge of his own: He wants her to grant him twelve nonstop hours to turn every erotic e-mail into a hot reality and prove that in love and pleasure, there’s no substitute for the real thing…
It was an okay read. It had a good premise, office mates who crushed on each other, finally get a chance to be together. But the lovemaking scene that I guess was supposed to be hot, was just so sporadic that I was ready to move on to the next story and the ending was really unbelievable. It is rushed and after being together for one night and he proposes the following day. It really was beyond belief. It would have been more realistic if they wanted to date, it’s not like they were friends first who knew enough about each other.
Press Any Key - ★★
To Jared Kinkaid, the only way to keep his mind — and his hands — off his luscious co-worker Candy Appleton is to insult or ignore her at every turn. But his efforts at lust control have his boss convinced that the partners need a little help via online couples counseling. But when they’re mistakenly signed up for sensual couples counseling instead, Jared and Candy’s shock turns to pleasure as they each deliver some hands on therapy of their own…
Seriously, the heroine name is Candy Appleton. That right there should have been the first clue. Jared Kinkaid has the hots for his co-worker, but wants to avoid any office relationship, so he basically avoids her at the office. Since they don’t get along, but have to work together, their boss decides to sign them up for couples counseling which turns out to be sexier than they thought. It is really far-fetched that they are signed up for sensual online couples counseling, locked in their boss’s office until they finish. I mean really...(face palm). This is nowhere being realistic, and probably the only saving grace would be that ending was as realistic as it will get.
User Friendly - ★★
Evan Barrett can usually solve any tech problem, but when long-time friend Halley Connors calls him to fix her catering website, his focus is on her, not the screen. Imagining his secret crush in the buff is the kind of fantasy that drives him wild every time Halley’s near. Now, as they work overtime to save the business, Evan uses technology and some good old-fashioned charm to convince Halley that he belongs in her bed…
Long-time friends, Evan and Halley are both crushing on each other, but neither wants to do anything to jeopardize their friendship. Until Halley’s catering website is hacked, and they have to work together to fix it. It had a good premise, but once again it didn’t live up to the hype. There were again so many things I was just shaking my head on. Halley’s website was hacked over a week ago and she didn’t find out anything, even though her delivery driver knew. I mean as a business owner and especially since most things are done online, wouldn’t you think you check your website during the week, at least once or twice a week. Just saying… Then she wants revenge on the people who hacked her website, and seriously I won’t give away the part of the revenge, but if you read it, you will be shaking your head again at the ridiculousness of it all. And then in the end, she lets the hackers off the hook, even though she lost clients and business because of what they did and took a hit to her reputation, it is really unbelievable.
Has anyone noticed how many times I have said unbelievable or a variation of it?!?
Review on Book Lover's Bliss Blog
March 18, 2017
Great Fun & Flirty collection of short stories.
I will be keeping an eye out for this author really enjoyed all of them.
I will be keeping an eye out for this author really enjoyed all of them.
July 23, 2011
story 1 - hard drive... she's shy, she's reserved, she thinks of herself as merely average... he's good looking, he's dating regularly, he's been noticing her - when she doesn't notice him watching - that she rolls her eyes, that she has a gorgeous smile, and her hair, if let down, would be really silky...
Kindra and Mack... Kindra has been sublimating her sexualality via a safe email 'partner', and one day, Mack catches her - reading the email over her shoulder... and he offers to show her in 12 hours that the real thing is much better than online...
and she takes him up on it... and she finds that he has been watching her as much as she has been watching him... and they act out some of the emails, and she finds out she is much more sensual and responsive than she ever thought... and the next morning, they both know they love the other, but both are afraid to to speak it... and both have a miserable day, and with a little push from Kindra's friend, Mack sends her an email, asking her to marry him... ahhhh
story 2 - Press Any Key... Jared and Candy, coworkers, advertising firm, both very good looking, neither has found anyone to look past their looks to see them... Jared lost his last job because of the boss's secretary making a pass on him... and though attracted to Candy from the first introduction, he has kept his distance, not wanting sex and work to get mixed up again...
assigned to work on a campaign together, he has been avoiding her... the middle-age crisis boss / moving into free love - and seeing that there is stress between them, the boss requires they take an on-line relationship course together - whether he knows it's a couple's course, it's not clear... and as they work their way through the questions, they are listening to one another, and giving into their attraction... and sex in the boss's office followed by a date (he sets up her perfect date as reported in the course), and more sex, and admittance of love...
story 3 - User Friendly... Halley and Evan have been best friends since college - 10 years later, Halley works hard at her catering business - organized, busy, efficient... Evan gave up his software, stressful job, and freelances - sloppy, works when he wishes, easy...
they are best friends - teasing, supportive, laughing... 6 months ago, halley is aware she wants more - she wants sex, and babies, and marriage... but is not willing to risk the friendship part... and Evan knows he wants more with Halley - always has, but now more than ever... Halley has been avoiding him, he has stopped dating, because it just doesn't satisfy...
and Halley's website has been hacked - her picture replaced with a naked body (andher head)... she rushes to Evan when he doesn't answer the door... and as he responds to her, agrees to fix the program, hugs & then kisses her when he catches her crying - using his body to tell her how much he wants her... she leaves, comes back after a few hours (the site ifs fixed) - and he admits he wants to have sex with her, and teases her into admitting it too... and they do - and she tries to keep some distance, because she believes it is only for the day - and she wants his friendship, but he says he loves her - and then he asks her to marry him... and she says yes, yes, yes, and yes...
Kindra and Mack... Kindra has been sublimating her sexualality via a safe email 'partner', and one day, Mack catches her - reading the email over her shoulder... and he offers to show her in 12 hours that the real thing is much better than online...
and she takes him up on it... and she finds that he has been watching her as much as she has been watching him... and they act out some of the emails, and she finds out she is much more sensual and responsive than she ever thought... and the next morning, they both know they love the other, but both are afraid to to speak it... and both have a miserable day, and with a little push from Kindra's friend, Mack sends her an email, asking her to marry him... ahhhh
story 2 - Press Any Key... Jared and Candy, coworkers, advertising firm, both very good looking, neither has found anyone to look past their looks to see them... Jared lost his last job because of the boss's secretary making a pass on him... and though attracted to Candy from the first introduction, he has kept his distance, not wanting sex and work to get mixed up again...
assigned to work on a campaign together, he has been avoiding her... the middle-age crisis boss / moving into free love - and seeing that there is stress between them, the boss requires they take an on-line relationship course together - whether he knows it's a couple's course, it's not clear... and as they work their way through the questions, they are listening to one another, and giving into their attraction... and sex in the boss's office followed by a date (he sets up her perfect date as reported in the course), and more sex, and admittance of love...
story 3 - User Friendly... Halley and Evan have been best friends since college - 10 years later, Halley works hard at her catering business - organized, busy, efficient... Evan gave up his software, stressful job, and freelances - sloppy, works when he wishes, easy...
they are best friends - teasing, supportive, laughing... 6 months ago, halley is aware she wants more - she wants sex, and babies, and marriage... but is not willing to risk the friendship part... and Evan knows he wants more with Halley - always has, but now more than ever... Halley has been avoiding him, he has stopped dating, because it just doesn't satisfy...
and Halley's website has been hacked - her picture replaced with a naked body (andher head)... she rushes to Evan when he doesn't answer the door... and as he responds to her, agrees to fix the program, hugs & then kisses her when he catches her crying - using his body to tell her how much he wants her... she leaves, comes back after a few hours (the site ifs fixed) - and he admits he wants to have sex with her, and teases her into admitting it too... and they do - and she tries to keep some distance, because she believes it is only for the day - and she wants his friendship, but he says he loves her - and then he asks her to marry him... and she says yes, yes, yes, and yes...
November 1, 2014
Hard Drive
Kindra is fed up with physical relationships with men, they don't do a thing for her except maybe give her a headache. She decides that an online sexy relationship is less messy but gets caught reading a sexy email from her online relationship by the office hunk, Mack, who Kindra has had a crush on for quite some time. He doesn't get the appeal of online sex over real sex, seeing this as his chance to finally be with Kindra, Mack challenges her to let him prove the real thing is better. When what is suppose to be a 12 hour challenge turns into something a whole lot deeper, both Kindra and Mack have to trust in each other and the feelings that are building between them. This was short and sweet, Kindra is the office wallflower, overlooked by everyone while crushing on the office hunk. Mack is the office hunk, who is crushing on the office wallflower and takes advantage of a dirty email to prove he can be anything and everything Kindra needs.
Press Any Key
Jared and Candy don't really like each other and are assigned to work on a marketing project together. Their boss, sensing the friction between them, decides that it's necessary for them to go through a three hour online couples counseling course, alone in his office,to resolve all their issues. Their issues don't stem from dislike but from lust, so when the couples counseling questions start becoming more intimate, controlling their lust for one another becomes impossible. This story was super hot and sexy, Candy isn't just the average blond bombshell, she really smart and very good at her job. Jared is coming off another office relationship gone wrong and is wary about starting something with Candy. I liked how they both went from secretly lusting/disliking each other to learning about and admiring each other. How they interact with one other was pretty entertaining and some of the conversations they had made me laugh out loud.
User Friendly
This was my favorite out of the three stories, best friends becoming lover stories are my favorite. Halley and Evan have been best friends for years, Halley has a catering business and Evan is a computer guru who maintains all her website stuff. When her website is hacked leaving a picture of a naked woman with Halley's head attached as her profile picture, Halley turns to Evan to fix it. They have been fighting their feelings for each other not wanting to potentially ruin their friendship, Evan is determined to show Halley that they can be lovers and still be friends. I liked how Evan had been telling Haley how he felt for a long time but she always took it like he was joking. I find that to be the most realistic, she was fighting her own feelings for him and didn't want to get her hopes up so she convinced herself that he had to be kidding around.
Kindra is fed up with physical relationships with men, they don't do a thing for her except maybe give her a headache. She decides that an online sexy relationship is less messy but gets caught reading a sexy email from her online relationship by the office hunk, Mack, who Kindra has had a crush on for quite some time. He doesn't get the appeal of online sex over real sex, seeing this as his chance to finally be with Kindra, Mack challenges her to let him prove the real thing is better. When what is suppose to be a 12 hour challenge turns into something a whole lot deeper, both Kindra and Mack have to trust in each other and the feelings that are building between them. This was short and sweet, Kindra is the office wallflower, overlooked by everyone while crushing on the office hunk. Mack is the office hunk, who is crushing on the office wallflower and takes advantage of a dirty email to prove he can be anything and everything Kindra needs.
Press Any Key
Jared and Candy don't really like each other and are assigned to work on a marketing project together. Their boss, sensing the friction between them, decides that it's necessary for them to go through a three hour online couples counseling course, alone in his office,to resolve all their issues. Their issues don't stem from dislike but from lust, so when the couples counseling questions start becoming more intimate, controlling their lust for one another becomes impossible. This story was super hot and sexy, Candy isn't just the average blond bombshell, she really smart and very good at her job. Jared is coming off another office relationship gone wrong and is wary about starting something with Candy. I liked how they both went from secretly lusting/disliking each other to learning about and admiring each other. How they interact with one other was pretty entertaining and some of the conversations they had made me laugh out loud.
User Friendly
This was my favorite out of the three stories, best friends becoming lover stories are my favorite. Halley and Evan have been best friends for years, Halley has a catering business and Evan is a computer guru who maintains all her website stuff. When her website is hacked leaving a picture of a naked woman with Halley's head attached as her profile picture, Halley turns to Evan to fix it. They have been fighting their feelings for each other not wanting to potentially ruin their friendship, Evan is determined to show Halley that they can be lovers and still be friends. I liked how Evan had been telling Haley how he felt for a long time but she always took it like he was joking. I find that to be the most realistic, she was fighting her own feelings for him and didn't want to get her hopes up so she convinced herself that he had to be kidding around.
November 7, 2014
These bad boys give a whole new meaning to on-site tech support…
HARD DRIVE
Mack Stone can’t believe he’s just walked in on his co-worker Kindra Hill exchanging sexy emails with a total stranger. Defending her naughty online affair, Kindra claims to prefer the impersonal touch to the complication of a relationship. That’s enough to make Mack issue a challenge of his own: He wants her to grant him twelve nonstop hours to turn every erotic e-mail into a hot reality and prove that in love and pleasure, there’s no substitute for the real thing…
PRESS ANY KEY
To Jared Kinkaid, the only way to keep his mind — and his hands — off his luscious co-worker Candy Appleton is to insult or ignore her at every turn. But his efforts at lust control have his boss convinced that the partners need a little help via online couples counseling. But when they’re mistakenly signed up for sensual couples counseling instead, Jared and Candy’s shock turns to pleasure as they each deliver some hands on therapy of their own…
USER FRIENDLY
Evan Barrett can usually solve any tech problem, but when long-time friend Halley Connors calls him to fix her catering website, his focus is on her, not the screen. Imagining his secret crush in the buff is the kind of fantasy that drives him wild every time Halley’s near. Now, as they work overtime to save the business, Evan uses technology and some good old-fashioned charm to convince Halley that he belongs in her bed…
My thoughts - This is a set of 3 short stories about tech guys. I first read this book in 2003 and loved it. Reading it again in 2014, I still love it. Erin is such a talented writer and she can write a very steamy scene. I liked all 3 stories, but Hard Drive was the most erotic and User Friendly was the sweetest. I love a friends to lovers story. This book has been on my keeper shelf for 11 years and it's back on my keeper shelf to stay. Highly recommended.
HARD DRIVE
Mack Stone can’t believe he’s just walked in on his co-worker Kindra Hill exchanging sexy emails with a total stranger. Defending her naughty online affair, Kindra claims to prefer the impersonal touch to the complication of a relationship. That’s enough to make Mack issue a challenge of his own: He wants her to grant him twelve nonstop hours to turn every erotic e-mail into a hot reality and prove that in love and pleasure, there’s no substitute for the real thing…
PRESS ANY KEY
To Jared Kinkaid, the only way to keep his mind — and his hands — off his luscious co-worker Candy Appleton is to insult or ignore her at every turn. But his efforts at lust control have his boss convinced that the partners need a little help via online couples counseling. But when they’re mistakenly signed up for sensual couples counseling instead, Jared and Candy’s shock turns to pleasure as they each deliver some hands on therapy of their own…
USER FRIENDLY
Evan Barrett can usually solve any tech problem, but when long-time friend Halley Connors calls him to fix her catering website, his focus is on her, not the screen. Imagining his secret crush in the buff is the kind of fantasy that drives him wild every time Halley’s near. Now, as they work overtime to save the business, Evan uses technology and some good old-fashioned charm to convince Halley that he belongs in her bed…
My thoughts - This is a set of 3 short stories about tech guys. I first read this book in 2003 and loved it. Reading it again in 2014, I still love it. Erin is such a talented writer and she can write a very steamy scene. I liked all 3 stories, but Hard Drive was the most erotic and User Friendly was the sweetest. I love a friends to lovers story. This book has been on my keeper shelf for 11 years and it's back on my keeper shelf to stay. Highly recommended.
November 4, 2014
I read this book in 2003 when it came out and I loved it just as much now in 2014! Super hot! Super Sexy, Super funny, don't walk to the store or computer run and enjoy a timeless novel by a great author!
'Hard drive' Mack and Kindra are co-workers and although they both admire each other from a distance they have never brought up the attraction, until one day Mack sees something he cannot ignore! Mack catches Kindra talking dirty online and lets her know in no uncertain terms that the real thing is 100% better than anything Kindra could ever write on her computer screen. Kindra is embarrassed and does what any hot blooded woman would do...calls his bluff and gives him 12 hrs to prove it!
'Press any key' Jared sees Candy and knows that she is everything he wants in any woman but after sharing a work kiss with a coworker in the past and having to quit his job to avoid drama he is staying far away from Candy. Candy is the sexy, smart woman that is very confused as to why Jared avoids her at every turn. Candy cant help but be happy when her boss forces them to take a online couples course to kill the tension between them. Luckily for Candy forced couples counseling is just what she needed to get Jared to see that she is exactly what he is missing from his life and between his sheets!
'User Friendly' Halley realizes that her catering companies website has been hacked and a nude photo with her face, copy and pasted on it has been plastered up for everyone to see. Freaking out Halley calls her best friend Evan to step in to save the day. Panicking because Evan wont answer the phone Halley rushes to his house and when he opens the door half naked Halley is reminded why she has been avoiding Evan. Evan is super sexy and it has become hard to keep him in the friend zone. Luckily for her Evan feels the same way and he makes sure she knows that this is only the beginning of something great!
'Hard drive' Mack and Kindra are co-workers and although they both admire each other from a distance they have never brought up the attraction, until one day Mack sees something he cannot ignore! Mack catches Kindra talking dirty online and lets her know in no uncertain terms that the real thing is 100% better than anything Kindra could ever write on her computer screen. Kindra is embarrassed and does what any hot blooded woman would do...calls his bluff and gives him 12 hrs to prove it!
'Press any key' Jared sees Candy and knows that she is everything he wants in any woman but after sharing a work kiss with a coworker in the past and having to quit his job to avoid drama he is staying far away from Candy. Candy is the sexy, smart woman that is very confused as to why Jared avoids her at every turn. Candy cant help but be happy when her boss forces them to take a online couples course to kill the tension between them. Luckily for Candy forced couples counseling is just what she needed to get Jared to see that she is exactly what he is missing from his life and between his sheets!
'User Friendly' Halley realizes that her catering companies website has been hacked and a nude photo with her face, copy and pasted on it has been plastered up for everyone to see. Freaking out Halley calls her best friend Evan to step in to save the day. Panicking because Evan wont answer the phone Halley rushes to his house and when he opens the door half naked Halley is reminded why she has been avoiding Evan. Evan is super sexy and it has become hard to keep him in the friend zone. Luckily for her Evan feels the same way and he makes sure she knows that this is only the beginning of something great!
September 28, 2010
4 stars, 3 stars and 1 star for three stories in this book.
4 stars for USER FRIENDLY.
Halley is caterer with a website. Hackers put a naked body under her head on the website. She has been best friends with Evan for years, but avoided him for several months due to sexual feelings for him. She goes to his home to ask him to fix her website. He has wanted her for months as well. They kiss, but she pretends it was just a comfort & leaves. She returns later and they finally get together.
3 stars for PRESS ANY KEY.
Candy and Jared work at a marketing firm. He has always liked her but avoids her. She thinks he doesn't like her. Their boss sees the tension and requires them to do a three-hr online counseling session. However, their boss accidentally puts them in a sexual counseling session.
1 star for HARD DRIVE.
Mack sees Kindra reading porn emails from an online guy. He tells her sex is better in person and offers himself. She agrees to one night with him. They both really like each other. She tells him it was a one night thing only, to save face, so he leaves upset. The plot after that is that they each think the other doesn't like them.
Sexual content: not evaluated, as I recall probably moderate, maybe strong. Setting: current day U.S. Copyright: 2003. Genre: contemporary romance.
For a list of my reviews of other Erin McCarthy books, see my 3.5 star review of “Flat-Out Sexy” posted under 3 stars 11/11/08.
4 stars for USER FRIENDLY.
Halley is caterer with a website. Hackers put a naked body under her head on the website. She has been best friends with Evan for years, but avoided him for several months due to sexual feelings for him. She goes to his home to ask him to fix her website. He has wanted her for months as well. They kiss, but she pretends it was just a comfort & leaves. She returns later and they finally get together.
3 stars for PRESS ANY KEY.
Candy and Jared work at a marketing firm. He has always liked her but avoids her. She thinks he doesn't like her. Their boss sees the tension and requires them to do a three-hr online counseling session. However, their boss accidentally puts them in a sexual counseling session.
1 star for HARD DRIVE.
Mack sees Kindra reading porn emails from an online guy. He tells her sex is better in person and offers himself. She agrees to one night with him. They both really like each other. She tells him it was a one night thing only, to save face, so he leaves upset. The plot after that is that they each think the other doesn't like them.
Sexual content: not evaluated, as I recall probably moderate, maybe strong. Setting: current day U.S. Copyright: 2003. Genre: contemporary romance.
For a list of my reviews of other Erin McCarthy books, see my 3.5 star review of “Flat-Out Sexy” posted under 3 stars 11/11/08.
August 5, 2014
As my very first Erin McCarthy book read I must say I loved her style and sense of humor enough to read other books by her. But as this is a compilation of three short stories I will break it down.
I loved "Hard Drive" giving it *****
I loved this story. I find Mack smooth and charming. Kindra is awkward, but not so much that it throws the book off. It moves fast enough to keep me interested. The two had some serious chemistry, which read hot to me. And I love the idea of written word coming to life, so for me the email scenes had to be some of my favorite.
I gave “Press Any Key” ***
But it didn't flow as easily as "Hard Drive." The characters were okay, but Candy did throw herself at Jared a bit too much, the boss was a dolt, no lies there. Outside of it being rather unbelievable I can't remember much from this one.
I gave “User Friendly” **
Honestly it wasn't bad unless Halley opened her mouth and was bossing Evan around, which she did a lot. She came off rude and conceded every time she opened her moth. He came off corny and tactless when he opened his. But when it came to internal povs I enjoyed their perspective. But then they would open their mouths. They might have been right for each other, but this story was wrong for me. Luckily I enjoyed Erin's writing style enough to overlook the characters annoyances.
So over all due to really enjoying the first story and Erin's style I gave it a 3.5 stars.
I loved "Hard Drive" giving it *****
I loved this story. I find Mack smooth and charming. Kindra is awkward, but not so much that it throws the book off. It moves fast enough to keep me interested. The two had some serious chemistry, which read hot to me. And I love the idea of written word coming to life, so for me the email scenes had to be some of my favorite.
I gave “Press Any Key” ***
But it didn't flow as easily as "Hard Drive." The characters were okay, but Candy did throw herself at Jared a bit too much, the boss was a dolt, no lies there. Outside of it being rather unbelievable I can't remember much from this one.
I gave “User Friendly” **
Honestly it wasn't bad unless Halley opened her mouth and was bossing Evan around, which she did a lot. She came off rude and conceded every time she opened her moth. He came off corny and tactless when he opened his. But when it came to internal povs I enjoyed their perspective. But then they would open their mouths. They might have been right for each other, but this story was wrong for me. Luckily I enjoyed Erin's writing style enough to overlook the characters annoyances.
So over all due to really enjoying the first story and Erin's style I gave it a 3.5 stars.
April 22, 2011
Okay, so far I've only read one of the three short stories. And usually I don't like short stories much. And the ending of the first short story was SILLY. But for once I actually found myself...liking the length. It was a quick read, which I could squeeze in between all my life happenings and finish in one day. There was no real obstacle in the relationship. It happened fast, it was pretty hawt, but no eyebrows were set on fire. (I did fall asleep reading it in the middle of the day though...that might be a point against it).
I'm sorta looking forward to reading the rest.
And I'm definitely a fan of having a short story book full of stories from the same author, instead of having a collection of authors. At least that way, no matter how silly the stories are, at least I know I'll be interested in getting through all of them with at least some assurance that it won't be a total waste of my time.
Okay, so I read the second short story and it was good enough. Couldn't get through the third one - best friends who've wanted each other for a while, but don't want to lose the friendship. I'm just not a fan of geeky computer guys. Can't really imagine them as hawt. Sorry. Returned to library, not completely read.
I'm sorta looking forward to reading the rest.
And I'm definitely a fan of having a short story book full of stories from the same author, instead of having a collection of authors. At least that way, no matter how silly the stories are, at least I know I'll be interested in getting through all of them with at least some assurance that it won't be a total waste of my time.
Okay, so I read the second short story and it was good enough. Couldn't get through the third one - best friends who've wanted each other for a while, but don't want to lose the friendship. I'm just not a fan of geeky computer guys. Can't really imagine them as hawt. Sorry. Returned to library, not completely read.
January 18, 2011
I haven't gotten into Erin McCarthy yet. She doesn't stand out to me at all. Not that her writing is bad by any means. Her stories are just sort of static. Or at least, these ones were.
Sorry to ruin it for you buw why did EVERY story end with a proposal? Is it not right to have hot, sweaty, and satisfying sex unless it's with your intended. Every proposal (except maybe possibly the last if you wanted to stretch it) seemed to come out of no where! Totally rushed.
Now that I've thought this through, perhaps this book doesn't deserve the 3 star rating. Maybe it's a 2 star book.
I'm undecided so I'll leave it.
There was nothing here that interested me. A lot of my 3 star books are good but no better. The difference with this book was that I had to force myself to finsh the short stories. Usually, what I like best about short stories is the fact that if they start to get boring, you're almost done. With these stories I made myself grit teeth and bear it.
Yeah, I'm giving this 2 stars. This collection of stories just wasn't for me.
Sorry to ruin it for you buw why did EVERY story end with a proposal? Is it not right to have hot, sweaty, and satisfying sex unless it's with your intended. Every proposal (except maybe possibly the last if you wanted to stretch it) seemed to come out of no where! Totally rushed.
Now that I've thought this through, perhaps this book doesn't deserve the 3 star rating. Maybe it's a 2 star book.
I'm undecided so I'll leave it.
There was nothing here that interested me. A lot of my 3 star books are good but no better. The difference with this book was that I had to force myself to finsh the short stories. Usually, what I like best about short stories is the fact that if they start to get boring, you're almost done. With these stories I made myself grit teeth and bear it.
Yeah, I'm giving this 2 stars. This collection of stories just wasn't for me.
November 7, 2014
The fabulous Erin McCarthy is re-releaseing one of her anthologies, Bad Boys Online. Let me tell you - this may be an oldie, but it is a goodie! Three Erin McCarthy stories all in one. I first read this book about a decade ago, and it is the book that actually hooked me into reading everything Erin has written (yes, I mean everything - I have a bin of books in my basement to prove it). Three fun reads that involve, yes you guessed it, social media. My favorite of the three is “User Friendly” - I just adore Evan, and his relationship with Halley. And, while Evan is still my favorite character, I found that Bad Boys Online as a whole was even better than I remembered. Of course, this may be because social media is such a huge part of our everyday lives now - at least my life.
I recommend you read this awesome anthology. And, if you have already read it, I suggest you pull it out and read it again. I promise, you’ll enjoy it!
I received the re-released edition for free in exchange for a honest review.
I recommend you read this awesome anthology. And, if you have already read it, I suggest you pull it out and read it again. I promise, you’ll enjoy it!
I received the re-released edition for free in exchange for a honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews