Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Baddest Bad Boys

Rate this book
These are the sexy bad boys no woman in her right mind would mess with. Except that they’re wickedly irresistible, and will do anything to protect the woman they love—even if it means risking everything…

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE Shannon McKenna

For years, Robin MacNamara has been secretly in love with her big brother’s friend Jon Amendola, but the sexy cop has never seen her as anything but a kid. Until Robin follows him to an isolated cabin to prove she’s all grown up. Unfortunately, Jon’s last case isn’t quite closed—and someone wants payback…

AFTER THE LOVIN’ E.C. Sheedy

In need of a place to hide, Tommi Smith finds herself on the doorstep of a high school classmate’s remote fishing lodge. Though Mac Fleming never trusted this knockout’s reputation for breaking hearts, nothing’s going to stop him from seducing her into his bed now. Until Tommi’s past comes back to haunt them…

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL Cate Noble

All Ellie McMann DeLuca wants is one night with the only man she’s ever truly loved—Max DeLuca, dubbed the Devil by the Italian paparazzi. Max agrees on one condition: they extend it to seven nights of sensual pleasure on a private island. But after a whole week of fulfilling each other’s deepest desires, how will they go back to the way things were?

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

20 people are currently reading
441 people want to read

About the author

Shannon McKenna

125 books1,450 followers
Also wrote five category romances under the penname Shannon Anderson

::From The Author's Website::

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

I started writing my first romance novel in secret. I was working a temp job in an insurance office in Manhattan at the time, and the office manager had made it clear that even if there was nothing to do, I still had to look busy-- never one of my big talents. I felt bad about the wasted time, though, and I needed something to round out my other chosen career, which was singing. Yeah, that's right. Most artists choose a more practical Plan B to back up their improbable Plan A. Me? No way. "Long Shot" is my middle name.

So I sneakily set up a Document 1 and a Document 2 with a spreadsheet on it. If my Boss du Jour walked by I could quick-like-a-bunny switch screens, and whenever the coast was clear, I went back to my story. Not that I was slacking, mind you. If there was work to be done, I did it. The sneakiness felt familiar, though, because I've been teased about reading romances since I was a kid. I think the day I finally grew up was the day I stopped trying to cover up what I was reading on the bus, train or subway. Let people think whatever they like.

It wasn't until I moved to Italy (details of that Long Shot provided later on) that I got serious about writing, though. I found myself with many long, quiet days alone with nothing to do, so I slogged my way bravely to the end of the manuscript and sent it out. Everybody rejected it-except for Kensington. I wrote for them for a few years, and then made a bid for an erotic novella for the new Brava imprint, and oh joy, they accepted it. Then I wrote BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. And so on, and so forth.

That's how I started. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I never knew it would be so scary, and so hard . . . all that solitude and silence, a blank computer screen, and no one to blame. But still. It's worth it. It's great.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
196 (29%)
4 stars
214 (32%)
3 stars
208 (31%)
2 stars
37 (5%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Auntee.
1,356 reviews1,474 followers
May 7, 2008
There are three great short stories in this anthology, all with a common link of the H/H spending time together in a secluded setting. The fact that I found them all great was unusual for me, because usually there's one in the bunch that's not so good. Not so this time--I enjoyed them all--especially the one by Shannon McKenna. It is actually related to the story "Meltdown", which is in the anthology "Bad Boys Next Exit" as well as the anthology "All About Men". While "Meltdown" was about sexy hotel CEO Michael "Mac" McNamara; "Anytime, Anywhere" is about his younger sister Robin and longtime family friend Detective Jon Amendola. Robin's had a crush on Jon since she was a pre-teen and Jon was in college with her older brother Danny. Now that she's a 25 year old woman she feels it's time to make her move on Jon while he's available and currently without a wife or girlfriend. So she follows him up to her brother's secluded mountain cabin, where Jon is getting some much needed R & R. What follows is some pretty hot, erotic times, with Jon finally opening up his eyes and seeing the real Robin, and not just the kid he remembers. Of course there's a wacko from one of Jon's unfinished cases who's out to cause havoc, and there are a few tense moments until the wacko is caught. But this story is mainly about the blossoming relationship between two people who have known each other for a very long time as friends, and now as lovers.

I loved Robin and Jon together. Robin is adorable--a free spirit who is actually studying to be a professional circus clown. Jon starts out like the typical McKenna Hero, all grim, arrogant, and alpha, but sexy as all get out. Robin puts a smile on his face and brightens his whole world. I loved it when his true feelings for Robin finally dawned on him. I had some tears in my eyes and a smile on my face after reading this one!
Profile Image for Julie (jjmachshev).
1,069 reviews292 followers
May 3, 2008
We all love bad boys...and you're really gonna love the ones you find in this book! This is a threefer by Shannon McKenna, E.C.Sheedy, and Cate Noble. I'm already a fan of McKenna and Sheedy, and after reading Noble's story, I'll be looking for her next full-length novel.

McKenna's story is "Anytime, Anywhere" is about the Crowne Royale Group's MacNamaras, specifically the youngest sister Robin. Robin's been in love with her brothers' friend Jon for years. She's decided it's time to for her to lose her status as the last 25-year-old-virgin and she aims to go for broke by choosing Jon to do the deed! Jon, a cop, doesn't 'do' virgins and has just closed a case involving the arrest of a psycho sexual sadist (say that three times fast!) burning him out mentally. When Robin bushwhacks him at a remote fishing cabin, he's not a happy camper...especially when he just can't shake the feeling that his latest case may not be finished after all.

Sheedy bring us "After The Lovin'" where Mac's dreams come true when Tommi comes to him looking for a safe place to hide from a violent criminal. He's had the hots for her since he was a horny 12-year-old and his older brother was chasing her. Now, the tables are turned and she needs his help...and maybe a little extra?

"Deal With The Devil" by Cate Noble introduces two former lovers who are brought back together by time, circumstance, and a cyber-stalker. These two find that sometimes, you CAN turn back the clock...and what you find may be even better than the first time.

Enjoyed all three stories...no filler here.
Profile Image for Wminbc.
1,153 reviews81 followers
December 21, 2019
I have been on a re-read bent since I was tired and needed a brain lapse...and I found this book in my pile at the cabin...wow again! I love McKenna and her writing style. Seriously, I need Danny's story! I am going to have to hound her on facebook and make her write Danny's story. Mac was awesome but Robin and Jon are SMOKIN'!!! I love Robin's style and energy! I loved her in the Meltdown (Mac's story), but in her own here...loved her more!

Oh, my...I haven't written a review for this amazing book???

I seriously have re-read this one like 6 times!

Briefly the McKenna story, each one of these shorts is awesome, but Jon is quite possibly the most amazing, sexiest, uber macho hunk who stole my heart a few years ago and still holds it!

But, since Robin is so amazing (who else can pull off chopsticks in the hair and juggle tomatos nekked)...I will let her take care of my man Jon!

The other two shorts are equally as good and especially the one about Tommi and Mac. Ahhh, Tommi is wonderful, broken and yet so strong. She is a heroine, much like my beloved girl-crush Tam (McKenna)...she and Mac have chemistry in spades and the locale...so close to where I live, I wanna rush over to the west coast of the island and hide out in Mac's lodge!

The last story was sweet...in the vane of first love returned. I love those when they aren't cheesy!

Seriously, one hot book with great plots and amazing characters! Enjoy!
Profile Image for Elaine.
258 reviews5 followers
May 12, 2012
Wow!

I loved these three stories! Somewhere between short stories and novellas, each one featured a hot story, a hot guy, some fun banter, suspense, danger, and some hot erotic action.

Of course, all end HEA.

If you are looking for some fast moving action-filled erotic romance reading, it's all right here. This goes into my worthy of a re-read shelf.
224 reviews
January 21, 2014
Just read this & the 3 stories were great fiction!!! Smoking HOT guys, doing what they do best from Military, to Police....& love triangles in the midst!!! I laughed, I fanned myself (some were really hot) & smiled a lot...
Profile Image for Becky Moore.
Author 5 books18 followers
August 23, 2011
Noble and Sheedy's stories were okay, but I love Shannon McKenna. Just the turn of phrase she puts to paper is so enthralling. And John Amendola is one sexy dude.
Profile Image for Reading Addict.
1,087 reviews21 followers
February 23, 2022
I bought this paperback years and years ago because of Shannon McKenna's novella and I love Robin and Jon's story that I reread it annually! Robin has had her eye on her older brother's friend for almost a decade. He only saw her as a kid but now that he's divorced and she's older Robin plans to finally get to experience Jon in the way she as always hoped or he could turn her down she'll continue on her plan to take an entertainment position in a new city and restart her life. Jon is a police detective that has just come off a brutal case and is at a low point in his life. The last thing that he expects is some woman to turn up on his weekend getaway cabin's doorstep. When he finds out that the mystery woman is his friend's no longer kid sister he's in shock. This story is hot with a capital H! Told from dual POV and shouldn't be missed.
Profile Image for Jane Stewart.
2,462 reviews966 followers
September 14, 2010
4 stars for one story. 3 stars for the other two stories.

This book contains the following three stories.

4 stars for AFTER THE LOVIN’ by E.C. Sheedy.
Very enjoyable. Nice story. I liked the characters and plot.
Tommi (heroine) has evidence against Reid who stole money from her employer. Reid threatens her. Her best friend suggests she stay with his brother Mac for a while, which she does. Mac had a crush on her all through high school and is 5 years younger than Tommi.

Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: three. Setting: current day Seattle and Vancouver Island. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.


3 stars for ANYTIME, ANYWHERE by Shannon McKenna.
I enjoyed it. Good characters. Pretty good plot. Very erotic.
Robin has had a crush on Jon who has been her big brother's best friend for 14 years. Jon is 9 years older than Robin. She learns that Jon is going to a cabin in the mountains for some recuperation time after a tough case. Jon is a cop who just got a serial killer sent to prison. Without his knowledge, Robin goes to the cabin to be with him and hopefully lose her virginity.

CAUTION SPOILER:
I did not like one part of the plot. After Robin and Jon get together, Jon runs out of condoms. Robin tells him that's ok since she's on the pill, and he doesn't need to use condoms with her. He gets mad saying she should never have unprotected sex, not even with him. She should never trust any man, including him. She is hurt from his yelling and leaves him. This was not a reasonable reason for a fight. If the author needed a way to separate them, I wish she would have used something different, for example: a power outage, a fire started by lightening, other damage from a storm, a wild animal causing a problem.


Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: ten. Setting: current day Portland, Oregon, Oregon mountains and San Francisco. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.

For a list of my reviews of other Shannon McKenna books, see my 5 star review of “Ultimate Weapon” posted 11/15/08.


3 stars for DEAL WITH THE DEVIL by Cate Noble.
Better than average. Good story. I liked it.
Ellie, the heroine, was a little too wimpy and fearful for me. I didn't like that she would run away from situations rather than stay, get the facts and make rational decisions.

Ellie and Max had a brief romance when Ellie was 19, but they were separated by relatives' deaths and circumstances. Ellie later marries Max's brother Stefan who dies. Stefan and Max owned equal shares in a shipping company. Ellie offers control of her voting stock to Max in return for one night of sex. He counters the offer saying he'd like one week of being together, not just one night. Max's ex girlfriend shows up and causes trouble.

Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: four. Setting: current day Boston and a private island. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.

For a list of my reviews of other Cate Noble books, see my 2 ½ star review of “Deadly Seduction” posted 2-9-10.
Profile Image for Cindy.
1,706 reviews5 followers
May 3, 2015
Three stories in a book, always fun, especially with this theme.
The first story is written by Shannon Mckenna. I like the McCloud brothers series she writes very much. This is a shorter story, but also a very good story.
I can totally imagine that Robin is sick of the protecting of her older brothers and how they rule her life. She takes matters into her own hands by coming to the cottage of her brother to meet up with Jon. First he did not recognize her but he can’t stand up against her soon.
Only one thing they do not know is that there is someone who wants to take Jon back by doing something to Robin. Whether this work? Read the book, you will not regret it.

The second story is from E.C. Sheedy. Another good read with tension and sexual heat in it. Pity that the scene when Reid wants to kill them has so less words. Tommi gets shot, blacks out and when she wakes up again the fight is over. What happened in the mean time? That isn’t really told.

The third story is from Cate Noble. This is a better story including (sexual) tension. Because of not speaking out his feelings Max and Ellie didn’t stay together years ago. Now they get a second change. But Ellie’s stalker and an ex from Max don’t agree. This is causing moments for tension and danger.
Profile Image for Angela.
1,774 reviews23 followers
November 1, 2011
Anytime, Anywhere by Shannon McKenna
After the Lovin' by E.C. Sheedy
Deal with the Devil by Cate Noble


I will usually comment on each story separately, however in this case - all three stories are very similar. A woman who wants the guy, a guy who secretly wants the girl, and a remote location -- oh and someone BAD is after the girl. Now, saying that, all three stories were also very readable and I enjoyed them. I just wish there had been a bit more variety in the story telling.
Profile Image for chanceofbooks.
214 reviews25 followers
May 18, 2009
Shannon McKenna's story is one of her strongest offerings--well plotted, great characters, tons of depth. She didn't skimp on this story at all. It's the rich feast that I wish more novellas had. After reading her story twice, I was afraid I would be disapointed by the other two, but both are also nice reads. E.C. Sheedy's is notable for the strong heroine who really doesn't need rescuing--I liked her strength a lot.
Profile Image for Goge (BARRONS) le Moning Maniac,.
822 reviews68 followers
February 5, 2012
Robin-w/a-motive and her brother's best friend:

"Grab, twist, and he had the fucker bent over in a hammerlock, wrist torqued at an agonizing angle, gun to the nape. It squawked.
Female. Long hair, swishing and tickling over his bare arm. A delicate wrist that felt like it might break in his grip. What the hell…?
“Jon! Stop this! Let go! It’s me!”
Huh? The chick knew him?"

"Deal with the Devil" was yummy too, can't recall the other one..
Profile Image for Ann (Noumena12).
478 reviews14 followers
June 5, 2008
McKenna has some of the most disturbing bad guys. Still I enjoy her stories. These were my first EC Sheedy and Cate Noble reads...I'll be looking for more from each of them!
Profile Image for Alta.
91 reviews14 followers
November 16, 2008
It was predictable, and sometimes that's just what you need, other times it's not.
Profile Image for Suzette.
65 reviews
May 8, 2009
This book has three short stories. The first and best one is by Shannon McKenna. Don't bother with the others.
Profile Image for Melanie♥.
1,094 reviews1 follower
June 7, 2010
5 stars for the Shannon McKenna story - wish it had been a full length book.
3 stars for each of the other two stories.
Profile Image for DM.
116 reviews
May 28, 2016
3 nice stories. They were light fun reads. :)
Profile Image for Tonya Warner.
1,214 reviews13 followers
June 26, 2015
Just 3 short stories. Nothing spectacular in them. Last one was completely confusing.
Profile Image for Jenny.
227 reviews1 follower
Read
January 18, 2024
Absolutely awful! I’m a huge fan of Shannon McKenna, but this just felt like a complete farce. And the other two books by Sheedy and Noble were so unrealistic and cringeworthy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.