The Bad Ones

by Stylo Fantome

Love isn't always bright and shiny.

Sometimes, it's dirty and wrong, buried six feet deep in a secret place where only wild things dare to go. Hidden behind a big black curtain that covers things no one should ever see.

Sometimes it happens between two people who should never be allowed to come together. One who is a match, and the other who just happens to be gasoline.

One strike is all it takes to burn the whole world down, and that's exactly what they plan on doing.

Even if it kills them.

warning: this book contains graphic sex, extremely brutal violence, bad language, and people repeatedly and knowingly breaking the law.

Genres: Dark, Dark Romance, Romance, New Adult, Adult, Erotica, Abuse

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2016

About the author

Crazy woman from a remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds about right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.

I like dogs more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't understand me.

Yeah. I think that about sums me up.


I also write contemporary romance under the name Penny Sixsmith

Reviews

[Alex ✰ Comets and Comments ✰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Little red riding hood fell for the wolf."





DNF at 44%
There are so many levels of no that this book made me feel. I could not possibly even begin to put this review into any systematic sense; so endure this one with me...


_____________

The Characters
I feel like stating that if I had to give a star to anything - anything at all, it would be how the two main characters met and the first maybe 3 (more like 2) chapters panned out.

Constantine and Dulcie are... an enigma

Probably not in the sense you're thinking, folks. I'm talking if Ted Bundy gave a TED (ever so welcome for the pun) talk - these two would be the only two fucking psychopaths sitting front and center wearing "Make America Dead Again" hats.

"She thought maybe she didn't need oxygen anymore. He could just breathe for her."

There are multiple trigger warnings given by the author, and it would be wise to read them before you read this book. Con Masters and Dulcie Travers meet unexpectedly, but both of them have noticed each other before. It seems he is one of the only people that actually does notice her. Both of them fester a creature of darkness inside them that sparks and lights on fire when they are together.

Do they know this is harmful? Yes.
What do they do? Kill people.

There a couple things I found that I hated besides the gore and the toxicity. Not that those weren't overkill because they are - even for my tastes. I enjoy dark romance because the author is explicitly stating that the novel that the reader is about to venture in is going to be something you must go in clear- minded and not looking to judge on the thinking processes of (most times than not) fucking sociopaths.

The Bad Ones was something else entirely. There's this shade called vantablack:

"Vantablack is the trademarked name for a chemical substance made of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays and is the darkest artificial substance known, absorbing up to 99.965% of radiation in the visible spectrum"

If ever there were to come a shit show that could uphold that kinda shade of fucked up - let me tell you about The Bad Ones...

"She wanted his darkness to swallow her whole. She wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to give her own darkness back to him."

The Bad and The Ugly (It Was A Buy 1 Get 1 Free Kinda Thing)
Now don't get me wrong if this is you're kinda jam, then jam it out. Unfortunately, it was not mine. So to make everyone's life easier; I'm going to list some things that made me want to chug a Gordon's straight from the bottle.

- Dulcie the Doormat. God this one was so bad.If anything this aspect of the book took away at least 3 stars. It felt like the author was making up for how weak and constantly chasing she was with Con, by making her seem strong in other places. But all it ended up doing was having a flat and poorly executed character. Everytime Con left and came back 234o2912379 years later. There she was standing with a home-baked pot roast, and a massive "Welcome Home" smile on her face as if I didn't just read infinite number of chapters of her bitching about Con leaving her.

- The whiplash that I got from these characters nearly, just nearly made me rip my hair off. One minute they were yelling and the next they were dirty talking each other after nothing got resolved. It was like poorly written fan fiction that needs to give readers some angst and "ooh he's so mysterious" and "damn, i want to be her right now".... Shut the fuck up. Honestly, shut the fuck up. (Was that petty? That was probably petty - especially because I can totally imagine a 13 year old me hiding and reading smut and thinking those exact things...)

- It felt like the author was trying to one up herself each time with shock value. In a sense, their was too much of trying to make it as dark as possible, and that took away from any sort of storyline, plot or character development. I felt zero reliability with anything that happened, and everything - including the sex scenes were drier than the Sahara.

- The time jumps pissed me the fuck off. Time Jumps piss me off anyway if they have no significant meaning to the plot at hand. But this book had neither a plot, nor any sense to it - so it ended up making me want to scream.

“Dulcie,” he whispered, and for a moment, she wondered who he was talking to. Dulcie? Dulcie who? No Dulcie here. She's buried in a ditch by an abandoned train station."

..

Yeah me too, after reading this killer. ;)

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 - 2.5 Stars

This was like "Bonnie and Clyde: The Dark, Early, Unorganized Years."

But on crack.



I feel very apathetic about this book, quite honestly.

I didn't like the characters.
But I didn't dislike the characters.

I thought I knew what was going at times.
I had no fucking idea what was going on at times.

Now, I LOVE dark, twisted books.

But there has to be something I connect to for me to love a book.

And there just wasn't anything for my to "latch onto" here for some reason.

Find me at:

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS



Stylo Fantôme presents a story of two souls who fall in love and recognize their deepest darkest qualities in one another. Their union makes for one deadly read!

”Was he bad for her? Or was she bad for him? When he was surrounded by plastic shiny people, he had an easier time pretending he was normal, and an easier time pretending his dark thoughts didn’t exist. When he thought of Dulcie, though, all pretending stopped.”



Dulcie Travers’s family is from the wrong side of the tracks. She’s very artistic, quiet and doesn’t pay any attention to the goings on at her high school until the day that she decides to give an alibi for Constantine Masters. Constantine is a senior he’s also the football team’s quarterback and the smartest guy in the school. His father’s the town's Mayor, and if that wasn’t enough, he’s the hottest guy in town. What catches Dulcie’s eye isn’t any of those impressive attributes but the fact that she sees a darkness that mirrors her own hidden under his Mr. Wonderful façade and soon Con reveals that he sees the same in her.

”She wanted to go, wanted to corner him somewhere, wanted to kick and scratch and bite until he recognized her for what she really was – his reflection.”

Con and Dulcie’s relationship and fall for one another was extremely well done and so very captivating. Constantine Masters was cleverly done he always left me wanting more.

”There’s a difference between being an asshole, and being a monster. One is much better at hiding his character.”



Con leaves the heroine just when they do something that bonds them for life. He goes onto to bigger and better things in college and out of town, while Dulcie graduates with her class and works two jobs to get her own place. Three years later and Constantine is back in town along with their feelings for one another and their quest to be bad.



The couple’s revenge plans and scheming keep these two very busy and soon the town will see them as a couple. I must mention that the author did a fantastic job with the sex scenes because they were original and smoking HOT.

”I want to fuck you until you have bruises in places you didn’t even know were possible,” he hissed against her ear.

“I have been dying for you to do that to me.”



This story is an unconventional love story which takes the characters from high school students into adulthood. I truly enjoyed their journey even with the addition of a body count. That’s where the story fell a bit short for me, the bigger picture wasn't as broad as I thought they could have planned, also I thought Constantine had been planning something huge his three years away. Nevertheless, if you like a good dark story I’m happy to recommend you meeting Dulcie and Constantine!

"It's only ever us, Dulcie. Now, yesterday, tomorrow. Whenever."

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

(nah, I give the trashiest of trash ⭐⭐, so since the story was at least decent, I up the rating. Otherwise, t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶h̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶o̶o̶k̶ my damned consciousness will be haunting me)
“You're goddamn amazing, you know that, right?” he breathed.
“Tell me why.”
“Because you helped me kill a man.”

This quote basically represents EVERYTHING I look for in the romance books I read. So FUCKNG WHY DID I NOT LOVE THIS? 😭

“I can't believe we just did that.”“What, killed a man?”
“No. I can't believe we just fucked in your truck.”

WHY? 😭😭😭

Con lunged across the seat, and absurdly, her first thought was “wow, he's really fast” before his fingers wrapped around her throat. She wasn't fazed, though, and she pushed right back, slapping him across the face. This only caused him to clench both hands around her neck and he yanked her forward, dragging her to him so their faces were only inches apart.

I mean the FOREPLAY IS REAL y'all😍🥰 but you know what I actually wanted?


Jesus Christ, these dudes are fucking psychos 😍🥰😘 - that's what I wanted to think.

Jesus Christ, these dudes are fucking psychos 🙄😬🙄 - that's what I really thought.

You know that a book ain't it when the main characters kill and then, dripped in blood, they fuck not 5 minutes later but the only thing this can summon is a bored yawn.

Their connection is supposed to make readers realize how close-minded those two sickos are, but instead it reads more like a cheesy highschool fluffy unbelievable type of "we're meant to be" thing than a book about, apreciate the idea for a sec, love-birds-MURDERERS WHO KILL PEOPLE just because they feel like it. 🥰

Someone is constantly trying to rape the heroine. 💀🤚
She draws dark pictures that will make any sane person scream in their sleep. 🤡
She's the wolf and the hero is a red riding hood 😂😂

The book is obviously my type of batshit crazy mess... nonetheless, I don't care enough to continue. I don't give a single flying fuck who else they are going to killlll,those guys bore me to death so I give up at @30%

And one little detail.
The last thing on some real ass psycho's mind is how abnormal they actually are. Real-life psychos are usually clever enough to understand that other people won't appreciate their perspective on some matters and, thus, shouldn't get the memo of who they are, at least until their knife is at a person's throat or any other part. 😍 Also they are psychopathic enough not to give a damn about being not "like others" or abnormal which is not the case with the main characters. It felt as if they bonded not over the fact that they love killing unsuspecting dudes but over the fact that no one else would accept or understand their "real selves" (Dudes, there are 7 Billion People ON THE GODDAMN PLANET, SOMEONE WILL, I PROMISE) which is pretty cheesy (and a well exploited idea, especially in romance) but not psychotic. 🤡

Why the authors write about people with psychopathy without first getting an insight about them in books or articles or documentaries I have no idea 🙄

[Lo Bookfrantic · Rating 5 out of 5]

EARLY LIVE ALERT LIVE 4/11/16 AND IS ONLY $1.99 SAY WHAT? NO WAY HURRY AND GET THIS!!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E...

SNEAK PEAK VIDEO CLIP OF "THE BAD ONES" AT THE END OF CRAZIES JANUARY'S TOP PICKS

5★★★★★ CRAZY~TWISTED~WICKED Stars

Genre: Dark Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: Third Person – Dual
Publication date: April 12, 2016

“This is the part where you run away, little girl.”

Dulcie Travers; the low class girl who lived in a trailer park loved to take pictures of the world “her world” and then she would draw what she saw through her lenses. Sometimes what she saw was not always flowers and roses but darkness. However; she was the girl at school that slipped around unnoticed; the quiet one, the odd girl. Dulcie liked it that way; no one to bother her or to see everything she could see.

Constantine aka “Con” Masters; the popular star football quarterback always knew he was different but he hide his darkness really good under his mask of popularity. Having his father as the small town mayor helped; and being hot and popular with the girls also helped. Until her…He saw her really saw her but he knew she wasn’t ready. Constantine knew though that they were both the same it was just a matter of time.

“Maybe, just maybe, their hidden pieces matched. Con very much wanted to see the real her.”

Dulcie accidentally bumps into Con while he was a senior and she was a junior in high school. She really sees him for what he was no one else did thought; it was like a secret that only both of them could see. She knew that she needed to stay far far away from him but something kept pulling her towards him. One night, one magic kiss made her feel so much for him. She couldn’t get those deep blue eyes from her thoughts; it hunted her.

“She wanted his darkness to swallow her whole. She wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to give her own darkness back to him.”

Constantine was one year older than her; he left the town after graduation and did not return after three years. Dulcie moved on; graduated and was so upset at Cons that he never came back for her; she thought for some reason that the feelings were mutual.



After three long years Con finally returns to town; so much happened while he was gone. Dulcie had moved away from her trailer park and on her own and even was dating. Con had plans for the both of them thought and that was why he stayed away for so long. He waited; he planed; he prepared. Con is now determined to win Dulcie back he knows she is upset with him but he also knows that what they have is unbreakable and he will have to show her and earn her trust. Would their love destroyed each other or would it conquer anything and everything?!



I literally devour this book in one setting; it was a total page turner. All the events that occurred when Con and Dulcie gave into each other will leave you double guessing everything you think you ever know about them. This book it’s an absolutely complete twisted ride full of surprises and craziness. It has a lot of dark elements which I personally did not mind but if you have hard limits I will recommend reading the blurb before picking this book up. I loved everything about this book and I cannot wait for everyone to read it. To all my dark readers this book is for you and make sure to read the warning: this book contains graphic sex, extremely brutal violence, bad language, and people repeatedly and knowingly breaking the law.




Book Order: Standalone


"I WAS LUCKY AND FORTUNATE TO WON AN EARLY EARLY ARC COPY ON FB GIVEAWAY ON STYLO'S BIRTHDAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH!"


For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

O.M.G. the struggle is real. This book, I was not prepared, like for real. I didn’t really care what it was about because I love Stylo and I will read whatever she writes. That being said, I thought this book, based on title alone, was probably more like her Mercenaries series. So imagine my surprise when we meet a junior in high school, Dulcie.



Dulcie isn’t like her classmates, she is an artist and lives in her own world. That is until Con Masters comes crashing into it. Everyone knows who Con is, he is the mayor’s son, star football player and straight A student. Dulcie and Con are complete opposites from the outside looking in, but in each other they find their other half.



That’s all I can really say without spoiling this one. I will just say that this plot is crazy, twisted and completely unpredictable. I swear I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I just knew I couldn’t look away. I started this one before bed, just going to read a few chapters until I fell asleep. At 1:00 am I was done and wired, I couldn’t sleep. I was literally laying in bed thinking about this story.

This one is honestly probably a 5 star read for 95% of the people who read it and I can complete see why. However, this one was just a little too dark for me, so while I loved how addictive and unforgettable the story is it’s just a little too much for this baby. If you love dark reads, want to be surprised and obviously super entertained I definitely recommend!

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

Teasers created by me with stock images purchased from depositphotos.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

LIVE I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH <3 AMAZON http://amzn.to/1N4bMVB

5 CRAZY STARS

Wow what a wild and crazy ride!I freaking love this story!!Constantine and Dulcie are something else!Once you meet them you'll never forget them...Their journey is dark,crazy,intense and twisted!This is the third book I'm reading from Stylo Fantome and its so different yet so captivating.Idevoured every part of this story!



Constantine and Dulcie are unique characters and their bond is strange and intense..Seriously when these two are together you don't know what to expect..I loved their intense connection.



The plot is brilliant and the writing beautiful!Overall it was an amazing book that left me impressed!!!I highly recommend it to everyone who loves dark stories.And even if you haven't read one yet.Maybe it's time to try this!!!



*An advance reading copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.*

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 5 Stars ★★★★★

Now LIVE!
Amazon US | Amazon UK



What can I say about this book, it was dark, fucked up, sexy, it was all of those things and more but if you like a love story with a whole lot of crazy and twisted, then you need to pick this up and read it. I seriously adored this book, I couldn't put it down for a second and by the end my eyes were bulging out of my head waiting to see what was going to happen next, I was constantly second guessing everything that was happening. My heart was thumping out of my chest!

The Bad Ones follows two people from very different backgrounds from High School to their early twenties, two dark souls who have found each other in their madness.

Popular high school star Quarterback Con Masters has been watching quiet little Dulcie Travers for a long time, biding his time for when he will make his move - he sees the dark and morbid pictures she draws in her notebook, and knows deep in his soul that she is the same as him.



Dulcie is trailer trash, with a junkie mother and a sicko for a brother, all she wants to do is get out of their small minded town of Fuller and leave it all behind. Her life is thrown off course however when the golden boy at school, the son of the town's respected Mayor, one destined for a successful future - the complete opposite of her; steps into her path and sees into her mind and soul in a way that nobody, not even herself, has ever seen.

"What a beautiful darkness we are."

This was the start of a relationship which is explosive, in more ways than one, but they are a perfectly matched pair of psychopaths that I couldn't help but fall in love with, all I wanted was for them to be together in their madness.

I could not fault one moment of this story, I devoured every word and every beautiful depraved page. Days later I am still thinking about it and I know that it will be one of those books that will be etched into my soul, I honestly loved it that much.

It's only ever us, Dulcie.
Now, yesterday, tomorrow. Whenever.
You get that, right?"

Amongst all the wicked thoughts, there was a beautiful love story and although it wasn't healthy or normal, it was true and I believed in them. In my opinion, this is Stylo's best work so far, and I would love for her to write more dark romance because this book worked so well and I truly hope many others fall in love with it as much as I did.

The Bad Ones is a standalone dark romance, told in alternating in third person POV's.
Releasing April 12th, 2016

ARC gratefully received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I discovered The Mercenaries Series by Stylo Fantome....I have become a die- hard fan of hers. So how excited was I when I started reading THE BAD ONES!!!

Okay, so this author writes some dark and scary stories...but this book................hell, I certainly was not expecting the crazy and weird ride that I was taken on.

The story of Dulcie Travers and Contantine Masters is daring, twisted, dark, edgy, raw, sick, insane, depraved..........geez............these were two characters that blew me away..........how could one possibly love these two immoral people!!!! Strange but true.........there was something about these two damaged, broken and totally deranged characters that just got under my skin................They're killers...allright...one could say that their victims deserved it.....jeez.....they're both insane.....no doubt about it!!!

Including moi........because I found myself most of the time kind of rooting for them....weird!!!!

It was like watching the movie, Natural Born Killers on LSD.............

This is not exactly a love story. But it's a book that you will not forget for a very long time.

I love this author's writing - she has an unique voice that it's totally hers.

So, if you brave enough.....read this book!!!

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may never look at a hot football player the same way again…

I’m a little bit freaked out. I’d read Stylo’s The Mercenaries series and I thought I was sooo cool hanging out with the other dark readers. Thought I was so tough and invincible. Well, The Bad Ones taught me that I ain’t so tough. I don’t know how many times hubby walked in on me reading The Bad Ones and I had one eye open, cringing and then trying to shake off the bad juju. He asked me why I kept reading and my answer was –

I can’t look away. It’s bloody good…and bloody bloody…literally…and they’re just so BAD!!

I don’t know how all you dark readers do it. Don’t you start questioning how people think this way? Aren’t you freaked out that all of this could be happening right next door…AND YOU DON’T KNOW? How can people not see the evil and darkness lurking?

Seriously, I came to the end of the story thinking…I need to read Pride and Prejudice again. I need clean and sparkly with NO darkness.

We meet our two lovebirds in high school. There is one year separating them school wise and a mountain separating them background and lifestyle wise. Constantine is the son of the Mayor, lives in a mansion, is the star quarterback and an academic. Dulcie lives in a trailer, her mum sells her body for drugs (not for herself but to give to her deadbeat husband and step-son), and Dulcie’s step-brother wants in her pants. Perfect and imperfect worlds collide, but the funny thing is, deep down they were exactly the same…

To be honest, I'm not sure who was the darker of the two characters. We mostly see their story play out through Dulcie's eyes and the thing that stood out the most was her lack of feeling. She describes herself as being behind a curtain and I have to agree. I did not like seeing what happened when the curtains were drawn back...it was ugly. Con's darkness was a little different. He knows how to hide it and is exceptional at giving everyone around him the perfect mayor's son, footballer and academic. The beautiful exterior hides his ugliness.

This is a SERIOUSLY trigger happy book. By that I mean, if you have triggers of any kind, you may come across it in this book. It’s not safe or hearts a flutter or even happy buzzes. What it is, is intense, consuming and a little deranged. There is love, but it's the obsessive ... possessive ... destructive kind.

Saying that, this book was exceptionally written. Stylo Fantome is an amazingly talented author. Her writing draws me in even when I don’t particularly want to deal with what I’m reading. I started questioning from the beginning how I would want this story to play out? Do I want an HEA? Does it make me sick if I did? Would it have made me feel better if the whole town of Fuller was wiped off the map, instead of having to decide whether they should get off scott-free or pay the consequences?

This story is bad...but really good too.

I received an ARC of The Bad Ones via the author for an honest review.

To purchase The Bad Ones from Amazon - http://amzn.to/1qmYWaP

I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -

[MischaS_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 29/06/2018:

After reading Checking In I just had to re-read The Bad Ones. And I still love this book so much. Love how wicked and insane they are.

Original review:
What did I just read? :o

Perfection!

This is the kind of story I was looking for for ages. I believe that books have no limits - you can imagine anything. You can bring the most amazing villains to life for readers to fall in love with them.

This is sick, sinister, twisted and beyond wrong.
And absolutely perfect. Dulcie and Constantine could be pretty normal even boring. ALONE. But together they are bringing up something in them. They are daring each other to be as bad as possible.

Usually, if you read a story about someone bad you'll be getting a long list of excuses for what they are doing. Then they gonna regret everything and change.

Not in this one. They're bad because they want to be. They are aware that what they're doing is wrong. And they want more.

“ When do we get to be bad again?” She smiled big.
“Baby, I thought you'd never ask.”

I hope they'll be bad again - soon. Because this story just found it's way into my TOP 10. I just cannot resist the wicked characters, I guess.

EDIT (12/4/2017): Got so much to do. And all I do is re-reading.

[TJ ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yeah. That's the one.



These two pychos really hit the spot. I'm not usually into insta-love but in the context of this story it worked for me, in fact when one of the first things Con said in his POV was that he was obsessed with Dulcie and watches her all the time I was like yep... that's the right kind of creepy obsessive behavior for me, lemme just settle in here.



“So you stalked me all through high school,” she clarified.
“Kind of romantic, isn't it?”
“It's creepy as fuck.”
“Yeah, exactly–romantic. Anyway,"

At first when they were in high school and they both kept referencing this mystical 'connection' between the two of them I wasn't really buying it, but then the blood, gore, excessive violence and sociopathic behavior got started and I was like ohhhh



These two were onto something with the soulmate stuff. I loved how simple but complex their relationship was. They didn't need many words bc they understand each other on a base level, but their love was also so twisty and bloody I loved how Con knew exactly what she was before she did. That he had been waiting for her as a foregone conclusion and knew it would always be the two of them in the end.







The sex was also fucking bombbbb they had chemistry up the wazoo. A++ they really went there.

It hurt, but she didn't care. She cried out, but he didn't care. She bit down on his shoulder so hard, she tasted his blood in her mouth, but neither of them cared.

Dulcie was such a perfect heroine for a story like this, her maturing as the years went by was done v realistically and I liked how her character was either ice cold or scalding hot, there was no middle ground with her and it made her reactions to things so much more exciting and hard to predict.

She was still shouting, still hitting him, but did nothing when he unbuttoned the front of her shorts and began yanking the material down her legs. “... god, I hope someone kills you. I hope someone kills you, and I hope I'm there. I'll bury your fucking body under a cardboard box by the train station, and I won't even fucking care.”

I'm literally so obsessed with Con, he was perfect in every way. He had so much presence, so much charm and dominance and just like... chaotic energy, man I was loving it. I also loved the way he loved Dulcie, it was unconventional but still really swoony in a fucked up I-will-kill-everyone-but-you way.

"You're goddamn amazing, you know that, right?"
"Tell me why."
"Because you helped me kill a man."

So yeah all in all this book really blew me out of the water. My only complaint was gonna be that there was a lot of talk about murder, but not enough actual murder, but then the last 20% all my worries were sated. When they reaped a bloody harvest and then finished it off with Con stabbing the shit outta her?



I truly cannot recommend this more if you like your romance with a side of blood and guts. Cannot wait to reread.

“We're going to kill each other, aren't we?” she whispered.
“Baby ...” he sighed, his eyes fluttering shut as he moved to rest his forehead against hers. "What a beautiful thing to say."🩸

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh dear *clutches pearls* this is one dark read.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Overall Opinion: I really don’t know what to think about this tbh. I was looking through Stylo Fantome’s books looking for a stand-alone after reading the Kane trilogy. This was crazy! I briefly read some reviews but didn’t go into too many details because I decided to go in blind and I’m glad I did. It made me uncomfortable. It was super dark and messed up. I wouldn’t say I was really routing for these two or anything, but I felt their connection to each other, I felt as though they were meant to be, and I stayed engaged — I think that says a lot for the author! But just a warning: if you don’t like dark books with f-ed up sociopathic characters and/or graphic violence — this is NOT for you! ...I’m honestly not sure how to rate (because saying I liked it feels wrong 🙈), so I’m going with middle of the road 3 stars.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Dulcie and Con’s story. I’m going to keep this vague because I think it’s best going in blind. They have both noticed each other through the years and it isn’t until Con sees some of Dulcie’s art that they confirm their suspicions that they are very similar in the darkness they have behind their every day masks. They experience an intense situation together and after years go by they reunite and work together to get some revenge on the people of their small town. There are some super crazy dark scenes and some sexy times...and there is a HFN ending

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Dulcie and Con in 3rd person narrative.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove:No, they’ve known each other (or been around each other) since they were young.

H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Con. Psycho #1. Not really sure how I feel about him.

h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Dulcie. Psycho #2. Again, not sure how I feel about her.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The H does push away to cause their separations, but I’d say he’s also the main pursuer of the relationship

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Rough sex with drawing blood by scratching, spanking, and some bondage

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Not in the typical sense

Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes Not actual sex but one scene with the H making out, heavy touching, and fingered OW

Cheating: Not IMO When they were separated I don’t think they were in a relationship to consider it cheating, and with the above scene with the H and OW — it was part of their plan and the h asked him to do it, so I don’t consider that cheating either

Separation: Yes They are separated shortly, but there was suggestion that they both had other partners during this time (h for sure but not confirmed for H).

Possible Triggers: Yes Violence/murder/sexual assault/blackmail (on page), drug abuse/criminal activity (side character on page), and the h was a virgin while the H had many partners (on page)

Closure: This has what I would call a HFN ending, but it might actually be as close to an HEA as we would get for these two! I’m not sure I was left wanting in the end — so there is that, I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️

Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating (see above)
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with the H and OW
- Does have the H pushing the h away
- Does have a few separations between the h and H
- Does have abuse
- Does Not have a HEA ending (see above)

[Dee Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE DARK and BEAUTIFUL STARS**************

(ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review)

I'm rating this book five stars but I wish I could really rate it 100,000!!!! I COULD HAVE READ THIS BOOK FOREVER AND EVER.

The Bad Ones is such a complex and unpredictable story, and it takes the reader to a whole new level of excitement and thrill. The sex, the love and the depravity that shaped this novel was so lively, I felt as if I was reading it with 3D glasses.




Constantine Masters and Dulcie Travers are not your typical MCs. They knew each other in passing through school. He was the popular sports Jock and she was the introverted artsy girl, but one fateful afternoon their paths crossed and when they looked into each other's eyes they saw the reflection of their own dark souls.

They both felt like they didn't belong in the world that surrounded them, but when they are together and it's just the two of them and they own the world.




I really don't want to say more because the best thing about this story was its unpredictability, the thrill of not knowing what Dulcie and Con were going to do next made my blood sizzle and my heart was almost beating out of my chest. The Bad Ones is probably one of the most outrageous and electrifying books I've read in a long, long time.




Don't just take my word for it, don't wait, don't hesitate; READ THIS BOOK!!!! I loved getting lost inside the pages of this beautifully dark story. Stylo Fantome's words were intoxicating and so arousing to every single one of my senses and I really wish that everyone I know, gets to experience the amazing craziness that is The Bad Ones. Being bad never felt so good....

[Deanna❤Pink Lady❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Wildly Wicked Stars


The Bad One.......I knew I was in for an interesting and dark read but what I got blew me away completely. I am a fan of Stylo Fantôme and what she managed to do in The Bad Ones was totally wicked and devious and absolutely freaking wonderful.

So let's start with this -
warning: this book contains graphic sex, extremely brutal violence, bad language, and people repeatedly and knowingly breaking the law.
You have the warning in bold text- it's a true fact and if you are not strong enough for that warning then don't read. This story is all of that warning and Sooooooooo Much More.

This book starts out in high school and then jumps to 3 years out of high school. I'm not a fan of reading this young but the story crept into my soul and I was riveted to my iPad. The connection the characters had to one another emerged at a deep and devious level. Dulcie Travers is a junior in high school, she's a loner, an artist, from the wrong side of the tracks, she's beautiful and has dark tendencies. Constantine "Con" Master is the Senior football star, the Mayor's son, gorgeous and definitely has a dark side that no one sees. A moment happens in high school and Dulcie and Con see each other for what they are and their connection is sealed. Time is needed but their fate is sealed as their darkness becomes one.

There is so much to this story. The warning is accurate but it is also a wickedly, psychopathic love story. The depth that the author reaches with these characters goes deep and profoundly emotional. They are convicted to their darkness, they are not repentant of their actions, they are psychopathic to a tee and they are 100% kindled souls. Their conviction to one another is twisted, diabolical, profound and completely loving. Doing a violent act for one another is completely the norm and those acts are ones they both crave to do. Darkness, bleeding, death.........all help to feed the souls of Dulcie and Constantine.



I will say that Dulcie and Constantine are bad souls. They have an devious nature when provoked. But boy do they enjoy being provoked and they take it to the next level when enacting their brand of justice. But in all this depravity, their love for another is overwhelming. To have found each other, to really know what the other feels and wants is emotionally delivered in spades.

I'm not sure what it says about me but I Loved every word, every chapter, every moment of this story. The author roped me in from the get go. Every feeling was transcended thru the story.......the good, the bad, the evil, the violence, the lust, the desire and the love. It was perfectly executed.

So if you want a totally different read, one that takes you out of your comfort zone, one that is full of violence and despicable acts, then look no farther. But besides all the gruesomeness, Stylo Fantôme is a fantastic writer and she makes you feel for Dulcie and Con, makes you want to commit to them, and makes you love them for what they truly are- 100% Psychopaths.

Advanced copy given by author in exchange for an honest time.

[TheCrazyWorldOfABookLover · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yep. Another book everyone seems to love that I did not. AWKWARD. I think I need to add "Black Sheep" to my GR name.

The Bad Ones tells the story of Dulcie and Con, two kids with depraved/dark minds who don’t think twice about acting out on their sick thoughts. The story starts with them as teens, and follows them throughout adulthood.

Once they realize they are basically one in the same, Con and Dulcie get together as lovers and “partners in crime.”

There were some things missing in this that I personally feel would have greatly improved the story for me. I don't feel like the development of the characters was done properly. Yes, we know they are "crazy" but I would have liked to get a more in-depth look as to why. Especially when the story starts with Con and Dulcie as teenagers. This is when we first get a feel for how dark they really are, but I would have liked the author to have delved deeper and spend more time on the characters around that age. We only get a minor glance during this period of time, and it is then fast forwarded to three years later and what they do during that time is kind of skirted over. Con, for me, was the more developed character between the two (though not by much) while Dulcie's behavior felt very contrived and she herself felt one dimensional.

I definitely enjoyed the first half of this way more than the second, where for me it just went downhill. As adults, I again felt like they were underdeveloped (which as I said I think could have been solved by spending more time discussing their teenage years) which caused me to lose interest in where it was all going. I just didn't get a good grasp on who they truly were or why they were that way. And it’s not because I felt like this would give me justification for their actions – I didn’t need that at all. I just wanted to get a better look into their psyche and what made them them.

All in all this was an okay read, but it didn’t blow me away as I hoped it would. I found it to be pretty flat with little substance, lacking any real depth and more a story about two weird teenagers killing people for fun.





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[Stylo Fantome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sounds a little fucked up, but I had a lot of fun writing this book. Kind of like writing Kingsley, it's fun when you get to write characters who get to do whatever they want.

One thing I have learned since starting this journey is that for every type of idea someone can have - no matter how weird or strange or gross or out there or disturbing - there is at least one person out there who enjoys that kind of idea, and the best part is seeing a book work its way to that person. I'm happy this one found its way to some kindred spirits.

.... or kindred big bad wolves ;)

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the author
"Stylo Fantome" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!





TITLE: The Bad Ones
AUTHOR: Stylo Fantome
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: April 12th, 2016

MY RATING


This will be my first time reading anything by this author so I'm really not sure what to expect..

A unique twisted, gritty, raw, disturbing read

Buckle up your seat belts, charge those devices and one click release day and get ready for one highly charged crazy ride!!
Those who know me, know that I tend to enjoy the dark twisted genre, for me this ticked most of the boxes other than the dark, some will find it dark but others like me will find this borderline, but it delivers on all the rest, it's gritty, crazy and twisted..

THE BAD ONES: Introduces us to Dulcie and Constantine, Con as he goes by are as different as chalk and cheese, he's the rich son of a mayor everything at this finger tips, the star quarterback, home coming king.
Dulcie lives in a trailer park, a hooker as a mother, meth head for a brother and a step father supplied the community with meth.

There's something unnerving about these two, they aren't *air quotes* normal people, they don't connect with others, they hide behind their masks..
Dulcie hides behind her dark art she draws, and Con hides his darkness behind his mask he presents to the world by acting how he thinks he should act..

Being a teenager was a strange process, Con always felt. He didn't feel young. He didn't feel any particular age. He felt like he was always going through the motions, always pretending to be something he wasn't, something he didn't want to be, anymore.

So you would think these two wouldn't have a connection, that's where you're wrong..Con has had his eye on her for years, watches from afar, she's clueless..They ran in different circles..

He is obsessed by her..

And all her fantasies features a man made of shadows. A boy with a golden smile and a dark heart.

Little red riding hood fell for the big bad wolf

She wanted his darkness to swallow her whole. She wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to give her own darkness to him.

They embrace their darkness within one night at the train tracks where they unleashed their dark demons, a secret only they know, a bond that seals these two twisted souls like glue, blood on their hands.



3 YEARS GO BY

After that night at the train tracks when shit went down, these two parted ways, Con being a year older than her left town after graduation and never looked back, they never spoke to each other again..
Dulicie never left, she graduated, moved out of the trailer park and into her own apartment, and turned a few tricks on the side.

Until the night he cruised back into town,
back to where it all began,
back to his obsession,
back to the scene of the crime

“They were a match and jar of gasoline”

"What are the chances that two people like us were born in the same town, around the same time, and went to the same school? Maybe it was something in the water. Maybe our mothers did the same kinds of drugs. Maybe we're just blessed. Maybe we're cursed,” he told her.



MY THOUGHTS
Through out the book there's that underlying feeling that somethings going to happen, that build up you just can't shake. And boy does it happen this book does not disappoint.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 Twisted, Dark, Mess-up, I LOVE IT STARS!!!

I loved Stylo Fantome from her debut novel, but The Bad Ones, well she just took my breath away with this one. The Bad Ones is an EPIC romance novel that will leave you shocked, speechless and in awed. The book is like a work of art and it should be cherished and praised because it simply deserves it.

The Bad Ones is not for the faint of heart. It’s for those romance dark junkies like me. I crave these books like mad. You will be instantly drawn from page one and believe me when I say you will need to block off hours of the day to read this one. It’s a non-stop read and I love every bumpy second of it.

The Bad Ones is about two characters. One is rich and popular and the other is poor and an outcast. Both are completely opposites, yet they are completely alike.

The beginning is like a little treat of what’s to come. You get introduced to the two main characters in high school. I really enjoyed the beginning. I loved how we got to know the characters and the history. There’s something so innocent about them that you know something more will happen later. I love how they are opposites and I love how they are attracted to each other.

Con is the main Hero, he’s full of himself and everyone loves him. Con is a book boyfriend. He’s a man and knows what he wants. He hates his dad and he hates how he has to be the “golden boy” but he does it because that’s what he needs to do.

“His full name was Constantine Masters. It just had an evil ring to it, like a crazy megalomanic.”

Dulcie is the trailer park trash girl. She’s an artist and sticks to herself. She has a wicked crush on Con but she knows nothing more will come of it. Oh Dulcie, she’s so troubled. All she wants is to save enough money so she can leave town, but she runs into Con a few times and things start to happen. I really enjoyed Dulcie’s character. I felt like she has the perfect mixture of damsel in distress and sassy wildfire. She’s so strong and yet she’s weak compared to Con. It’s a yummy combination.

The book shifts a few times and each time it’s like a slap in the face and I’m grinning from ear to ear. I just can’t get enough. Con and Dulcie soon realize how much they can’t get enough of each other, but how bad it would be to be together. I had a lot of conflicting emotions throughout this book and it was ALL GOOD. Trust me. I loved the tension, I love the steam and I love never knowing where things were going to go.

“…she didn’t want to ‘snuggle’. She wanted someone to take a bite of her. She wanted someone to bleed for her.”

“I’d kill anyone who hurt you… And that’s one of the things I find particularly attractive about you.”

The Bad Ones is Con and Dulcie’s explosive and troubled relationship. It’s about two people doing wrong, but feeling good together. It’s very taboo, yet you can’t look away. The best part of this book is that from page one the book never stops. It’s a fast pace book with so much happening. I can’t gush enough how good this story is.

“Don’t ever be scared. It kills me. From now on, tell me whenever you’re scared, and I’ll take away your fears. Tell me when you’re hurting, and I’ll bleed for you.”

When I finished, I wanted to read it again.

Bravo Stylo Fantome. Bravo.

An ARC was provided

AMAZON On Kindle Unlimitd $1.99

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★4 Stars★★★★



"Are you scared of me?"

"No",

"I think you should be"

I went into this story knowing that these characters were pretty messed up and being the kind of girl I am, I couldn't wait to get inside their heads. They took crazy to a whole other level and I don't know whether to admire them for their don't give a shit personality or continue scratching my head because let's be real:Dulcie and Constantine has more than a few screw loose in that warped head of theirs.



Dulcie Travers is an unpopular Seventeen year old artist and photographer. She see things differently and from that she tries to capture it in her photography and drawings. When the star quarterback Contantine Masters crashes into her during school, she does something that ultimately seals her fate as being "His". Seeing a darkness inside of someone else other than herself has Dulcie not only conflicted, but scared. What will happen if they both give in to their dark desire? One fateful night changes that and that evil they both tried so hard to bottle up,finally unleashed.

"Falling in love with this chick would be easy, but surviving each other.....that's an entirely different story".

Constantine Masters has it all. His father is the town Mayor,and he's rich and popular. But he always knew that there was something off about him. A hunger that he has managed to not growl has finally had enough and he wants nothing more than to induldge in all it's dark glory. Seeing Dulcie and realizing that they're the same person has made his hunger even more profound. And what do you do when you've been starving yourself? You EAT.



Three years go by and Dulcie is now an adult. She has a grownup job,good friends,and her life is simple. Seeing Constantine again after all these years has turn her into something she's tried so hard to contain. Will Dulcie and Constanstine give in to their weakness and set their town on fire,or will they end up killing each other in the process of trying to figure out who they were really meant to be.

"Youre not the bad guy in this story," he whispered.

"And neither am I,"

"We are," "Both of us. We're the bad ones."Together".

This story took a while for me to get used to in the third person pov but I once started, I found that I wasn't bothered by it. This was a different read for me which I appreciated and I enjoyed seeing Dulcie and Constantine being bad with each other. And can I just say when those two get together?! HAWT!!. Now I did have a few issues with this story, incliuding the time jump. I didn't care for it all and even though I understood Constantine's reason, I wished it could've been done differently. Aside from that, I enjoyed this story and I wouldn't mind reading a novella about what happens after.

*Arc kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should be afraid of a massacre, so why am I biting at the bit for bloodshed?

Aptly I’ve been listening to a punk band called Say Anything. Here’s some lyrics to give you an idea of why it’s so apropos;

‘Should they catch us and dispatch us to those separate work camps,
I'll dream about you. I will not doubt you with the passing of time (oh yeah)
Should they kill me, your love will fill me, as warm as the bullets (yeah)
I'll know my purpose. This war was worth this. I won't let you down.’-Alive with the Glory of Love

Can I get more h’s like Dulcie Travers?

The fact that he was the star of their high school and he dreamed of her, a little artsy nobody to notice him. Yeah, that’s just everything.

“So you stalked me all through high school,” she clarified. “Kind of romantic, isn't it?” “It's creepy as fuck.” “Yeah, exactly – romantic.”

Who doesn’t enjoy a relationship built to implode? Con and Dulcie’s love is the kind that both terrifies and enthralls. And it was one crazy and entertaining ride!

[K. Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not a secret. I'm a hard core Stylo Fantome fan. Everything she's written somehow consumes my every thought. So, when I discovered she had a "bad" book, I was all over it and sold my soul to the she-devil herself to get an early copy. And boy was selling my soul worth it.

Dulcie and Constantine are "different" in the eyes of others. She's an outcast, gothic, outsider. He's a rich boy, handsome, loved-by-everyone kind of guy. Two people like them could never connect. Right?

Wrong.

"They were just friends, in everyone's eyes. Friends that can't stop sleeping together and don't understand what kind of monster they're becoming and maybe want to burn down the whole town. That kind of friends."

Con and Dulcie were so much more than friends. They were everything to each other.

"Con was the darkness, and she was simply drawn to it."
"Con was her dark little rainbow, spreading peace over her world."
BUT
"Con wasn't the only big bad wolf lurking around."

Sometimes, things aren't as they seem. And what we outwardly portray is not at all what lives, breathes, and festers on the inside. Sometimes, darkness seeks darkness. Evil finds evil. Shadows play with other shadows. And for Dulcie, she'd called to Constantine in a way no one ever had.

"Little red riding hood fell for the wolf."

Those two had a twisted, intense chemistry. It bled from the pages and I soaked every drop of it.

"He needed to devour something, it was clear, and she was fresh meat. She wanted to split open for him and lay at his feet."

This suspenseful, dark read had me devouring each page like a bloodthirsty monster. I felt at home with these twisted characters. They spoke to me in a way no other characters ever have. They were raw, intense, and brutal. But they also loved...in an odd, fascinating, and completely obsessive way.

"Maybe we're sick."
"If this is a sickness, then I don't want a cure."

I loved this book so much. I can't wait for everyone else to fall in love with them just as I have. Stylo, keep being friggin' amazing, girl.

"What a beautiful darkness we are."
"We are. Both of us. We're the bad ones. Together."

And bad never felt so good. This book is definitely a dark, twisted fairy tale unlike any you've ever read before.

"One of those tales that come out of the Black Forest, and ended with children being eaten and big bad wolves going home satisfied."

I know I was more than satisfied.
I guess that makes me a wolf.
And I'm okay with that because apparently wolves can be happy too.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wondered how a relationship between two psychopaths would work out? Now I know.

This book was so much better than I expected! I had seen so many mixed reviews for this one that I was hesitant to pick it up. After all, my recent dark reads haven't worked out so well for me and I was beginning to wonder if my tastes were changing, steering me away from my usual preference for darker stories.

However, 'The Bad Ones' was just what I needed. Rest assured, these are not your run of the mill H/h. Constantine and Dulcie are seriously disturbed individuals. Together, they go on a murderous rampage, dishing out revenge to anyone that had wronged them.

The thing is, there wasn't a person that they targeted that I felt bad for. Maybe my mind is just as twisted as theirs, but I loved this batshit-crazy couple! Honestly, I was glad to see Matt get what he deserved, along with a variety of others.

That being said, this definitely isn't a couple that will appeal to everyone. This is a dark, gritty story and contains multiple scenes of violence, abuse, blood and gore. In real life, this is a couple that you'd want to stay far away from.

For me, this book was a fantastic read. I couldn't put it down! With each page, I was equal parts scared and curious to see what they would do next. Their unconventional relationship was different than anything I've ever read about. I was completely captivated by this story!

[vee]

2.75

”So you stalked me all through high school,” she clarified.
“Kind of romantic, isn't it?”
“It's creepy as fuck.”
“Yeah, exactly – romantic. Anyway,”

interesting, but

”You wanna know why I lit your car on fire?” Con growled, and Dulcie watched as Chuck's eyes opened wide in shock.
“You fucking did that!?” he shouted.
“Because,” Con ignored him. “I thought you were in it.”

just couldnt connect

'Constantine knew his looks worked in his favor. Much the same way Ted Bundy's had worked in his; except Con had no interest in being a serial killer. He didn't even think of himself as a killer. He just didn't like obstructions, and human beings were little more than moving obstructions at the best of times.'

[Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Stupid little Dulcie,” he whispered, his breath hot against her lips. She held onto his wrists and glared at him, but didn't try to pull away. His fingers got tighter. “So scared of the big bad wolf.”
“I'm not … scared of you,” she managed to gasp out, but then his grip grew so tight he completely cut off her oxygen.
“Of course you aren't scared of me. I'm not the wolf. You are.”

____________

It feels impossible to write this review. I've been trying and I can't figure out what I want to say. Weeks later, I'm still asking myself what the hell I read? How do I feel about it? I'm not sure. I don't think this is a book that'll make you scream, "OMGGGGGGG!!!!! I LOVED THE CHARACTERS. THEY'RE THE BEST THINGS EVER." Because for me, I didn't even liked them. ***gasp*** I thought they were INSANE. Crazy, over the top, NUTSO! They scared me, they made me feel panicky, yet at the same time they intrigued me. It was sick and twisted really. As grossed out as I was with their actions and thoughts, it was like watching a train wreck, I couldn't look away. I couldn't put the story down. Dulcie and Con are WHOAA characters! Over and over and over again, they did things that made my jaw hit the ground.

So, people keep asking, "WHAT DID YOU THINK?!?!" And the only thing I can come up with, the only thing I find myself repeating is...

THIS. WAS. PURE. FREAKING. INSANITY. And for the life of me I could not stop reading. It was messed up, but I was invested, connected, and totally enthralled by the actions of these people who clearly need HELP. **laughs**

I swear in parts this felt evil. It was wicked and cruel and wrong and just OH MY GOD.
The Bad Ones seemed to seethe with feels that were malevolent and malicious in nature.
I felt like a co-conspirator at times. And even though I shuddered and gasped, I wanted these characters to be okay. (I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THAT.) I wanted them to have an HEA. Even though I got sweaty and nervous, some twisted, jacked up part of my heart was cheering for Con and Dulcie the entire time.

I don't know what that says about me. It was CRAZY. It was just crazy.

I have to say, Stylo Fantome is truly a gifted writer. She is a writer I admire so much. The sheer fierceness it takes to pen this story, the amount of creativeness, blows me away. I can't imagine what it felt like to be in this book from a writers perspective. I can't imagine what living in these characters psyche felt like! It must have been INTENSE.

The Bad Ones follows Dulcie Travers and Constantine Masters. Dulcie is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. And Constantine is a boy who's father was the mayor of the town and has a bright future. Con has never wanted for anything a day in his life. And Dulcie is just trying to get through one day at a time.

When it comes to 'life paths' Con and Dulcie are on opposing sides, but deep down, in the core of their beings, they share a darkness that no one else but each other sees. It's really hard to explain in a review, but while Dulcie and Con are different the darkness inside them connects them. They are drawn to each other.

"He wanted to grab her by the arm and drag her out of the building. Take her into the woods and tear her apart. Become one with her, consume her. Find out what was wrong with him, and see if maybe she could cure him. Or even better –maybe find out she was the same."

The Bad Ones trails Dulcie and Con from high school forward. It is not a read for the faint of heart. Again Dulcie AND Con are two of the most f*cked up characters I have ever read. They get off on doing bad things to other people. The CRAVE it. They THRIVE of the mayhem. It feeds the most bad part of their souls and they are OKAY with that. I can't list any good qualities about these two, because I'm not sure they have any. But I will tell you this, there is no way you will forget a word of this book.

I haven't.
I don't think I ever will.
This is a story that lingers in your head.

Overall, I thought this was a CRAZY. It feels WRONG saying I loved it. It's was brutal, bad, and once again, crazy! LMAO! I can't find the right words to describe it. BUT I would absolutely recommend it to those who like a darker read. To the readers who are not turned off by violence and f*ckupery, this is YOUR book. The Bad Ones abounds with feels that are ADDICTIVE, yet COMPLETELY INSANE.

_______________________________

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"As his teeth left bite marks down the side of her neck, she thought maybe she didn't need oxygen anymore. He could just breathe for her."

"She wanted his darkness to swallow her whole. She wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to give her own darkness back to him."

“A secret. Between us. Promise me. This is just between us.”
He'd braced his forearms on either side of her head and was staring down at her. From that angle, she could finally see his eyes. So blue, looking straight into her soul.
“Only us,” she whispered, then dug her nails in and dragged them down his back. He hissed as she reopened the wounds.
“It's only ever us, Dulcie. Now, yesterday, tomorrow. Whenever. You get that, right? You believe that?”
“Of course I do, Constantine. Of course I do.”

“I want to fuck you until you have bruises in places you didn't even know were possible,” he hissed against her ear.
“I have been dying for you to do that to me.”

****ARC Provided in exchange for an honest review*****

[TeriLyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

**The Bad Ones generously provided in exchange for an honest review.**

IT'S LIVE!!!

5++ "What a beautiful darkness..." Stars

Absolutely fantastic. BRILLIANT. Stylo Fantome's story-telling reaches greatness with The Bad Ones. On the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the Kindle screen describes me from the first page until I reached the last. Darkness, depravity, and wicked passion perfectly describe this beautifully twisted tale.

"Such a clever boy, Constantine Masters."
Such a good girl, Dulcie Travers."

If you're looking for a typical swoony hero and loving heroine this book certainly isn't for you so, please, heed the authors warnings about the content of The Bad Ones. What you'll find instead in this wickedly delicious debase tale about two people void of emotion towards what they deem irrelevant juxtaposed with great passion for each other and the freedom they crave individually to be bad together forever. Constantine Masters and Dulcie Travers epitomize a anti-hero and his anti-heroine and they do it gorgeously. By societal standards they are not normal but to themselves they feel whole and beyond normal. However, in a lovely little twist by all outward appearances one of them is normal and only shows the darkness to the other half of themself while the other is unassumingly floating along as though the darkness isn't consuming. The battles and challenges composed of what they make themselves recognize in each other and the upheaval of emotion and deep passion from them both is remarkable. Stylo Fantome did such a remarkable job with these two characters, bottom line. No apologies, no regrets just two strong people who feed from each others strength in the dark parts of their souls.

It's so interesting to me thinking of this story and the seriously bad things that go down within the pages. Thinking about the gray areas, the dichotomy of that gray straddling black and white lines between what's right and what's wrong. Add into that mix two people clearly darker than most each with raging passions for pain, blood, and destruction becoming consumed by dark, heated erotica woven into the pages. The storytelling of Fantome deserves much praise as it's both deviously clever and devilishly good just like the characters themselves as in the quote above. The story has a huge psychological element for me that is fascinating. Devices of how the minds of these characters work, what they believe, what they feel, and how they react are deeply rooted in the narrative. This book challenges you to think outside the box, to go outside your comfort zone. If you can do that, I think you'll fall in love with the black souls of Con and Dulcie just as I did in this well constructed, deliriously twisted love story.

Every single thing about The Bad Ones I absolutely loved from it started to where it ended but most especially the journey I took with these characters. Dark and gritty lands right in my wheelhouse for favorite stories to read and Stylo Fantome took me there brilliantly. The fluid structure of this story, these two darkly compelling characters, the mesmerizing depth of depravity, the level of writing in third person points of view created a real winning combination for my own black heart. I love the dark, twisty, and manipulative. I love Con and Dulcie. The Bad Ones definite MUST READ! There's just not enough I can say to ever do the story justice. I feel like I could experience it all over again right now.



Thanks to my girl, DeannaPinkLady, for making me read this and holding my hand throughout the book.

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread - 4.5

Who is the real wolf in this story? Is it the obvious King of the town or the shy quiet little girl no one notices?


While the wolf is strong and mean and bad, with his teeth so sharp and his roar so loud.

There stands a little girl hidden behind her hood, so small, so quiet, with a basket full of sweet-smelling goods.

Should you fear the one that shows it's teeth or the one that hides beneath?

I didn't know whether to be excited or scared about starting this one. I had a feeling it would work me up into an excited mess, then break me apart into pieces. And Oh it did. It really really did.

It's messy, it's raw, it's depraved, it's full of passion and obsession and fucked up people. Full of characters I should hate but bloody LOVE. Everything EVERYTHING worked for me. Even the parts when I wanted to throat punch them; I loved. I literally could not put this down until I had finished it. I inhaled the pages, consumed them like a starving person, gorging myself on the depravity.




All the way through you can tell the story was building to something but I had no idea how it was going to end. I didn't see how anyone would come out alive around these two. It was like being in the eye of the storm. The ride was wild, bruising and it left me feeling both exhausted and exhilarated.

"There's a difference between being an arsehole, and being a monster. One is much better at hiding his character."

"Falling in love with this chick would be easy, but surviving each other ... that's an entirely different story"

"Falling for Con, well. It was all downhill, really. Just a descent into darkness."

I don't know any other author that can write characters quite as broken, depraved, unapologetic and passionate as Stylo Fantome. They're not light books, they're not pretty or SAFE; they're gritty, sharp, full of sex and I FUCKING LOVE THEM.

"What a beautiful darkness we are."

[martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: The Bad Ones
Rating: 5 stars!
Favorite Quote:. “Some day you will. Some day, you'll really love me, and if it's even half as much as I love you, we'll set the world on fire.”
Trigger Warning: Attempt Rape

Summary
Dulcie Travers is from the wrong side of the tracks. She lives in a trailer park with her addict mother and brother. She believes her only future is witling away in this small messed up town that she lives in. From a first glance, she may look like a sweet girl, but she’s far from nice. She doesn’t realize her true dark nature until she interacts with the town’s golden boy Constantine Masters. Constantine masters is the son of the mayor, he is the town’s quarterback, he is the homecoming king and more. Though most know he has a wicked side, he can’t fully bring it to light until Dulcie does as well. This isn’t your typical rich boy and rich girl storyline; this is some dark and twisted shit as we see these two psychopaths fall in love.

Review
This is exactly what I needed to read! I’ve been reading so much realistic and sweet romances lately; I have missed dark romances! Constantine and Dulcie were like Bonnie and Clyde, but just crazier and more toxic.

↳Plot. I love the way Stylo writes! She writes so flawlessly and easily; it’s hard not to get addicted to her books. They are always short and just straight to the point which is nice because I don’t really enjoy books that have so much detail. The plot was so fast paced. There was like no time to catch your breath because something else is going to happen, which I really enjoyed! I can’t even comprehend how good this was. And the ending, so fantastic!

↳Characters. I loved both of our main characters! Dulcie was pretty amazing. I know some people might think she’s a bit of a doormat and kind of annoying but I loved her anyways. I thought she was so fucking bad ass and I loved how crazy she was! She was messed up and sick in the head, but it worked! Also, I loved anytime she stood up to Constantine and did whatever she wanted.

Constantine was a great hero! Arrogant, rude, toxic, impulsive ➟ typically all horrible qualities in a man, but when he is a psychopath in the fiction world, he gets a pass! His character kept me on my toes; he always did things to surprise me. I’m going to keep saying this in my review but when I tell you this man is crazy, he was freaking crazy! Also, I love how nonchalant he was too, like he would kill someone and be like so, “what’s for lunch?”

↳Romance. As for the romance, it was a bit insta-lovey. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been reading so much slow burns lately, so I was just happy that they were kissing before 90% but it didn’t bother me in this book. Additionally, I think the insta-love did not bother me as well because they were soulmates. To be as crazy and psychotic as they were, they kind of had to be destined to be together. And Stylo did a great job of capturing those emotions in the page. At the same time Constantine and Dulcie, we’re not a romantic couple. Nonetheless, I enjoyed their intense chemistry and how perfect they were for each other. And the smut!! It was sooo good! Stylo writes the best steamy scenes!

In all, I absolutely adore this! This made me remember why I love dark romances!

[Elle ✟ Søren's ♡ (i'm too old for this shite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ~ish BAD BAD STARS!

My first read from Stylo Fantome and I'm impressed. The cover was so intriguing. This has been on my TBR for a while and I decided to read because I'm bored with happy romance. I bet The Bad Ones is not your traditional romance. Here I come!

He wanted to grab her by the arm and drag her out of the building. Take her into the woods and tear her apart. Become one with her, consume her. Find out what was wrong with him, and see if maybe she could cure him. Or even better – maybe find out she was the same.

The story divided into 3 parts with a few years apart. This is the life of our main characters, Constantine Masters and Dulcie Travers. They both live from different world. The first part is about introduction from both of them. Dulcie Travers was an average girl and live in trailer with her junkie mother, step father and step brother. They're useless. Constantine Masters is a football star and the only son of the Mayor. He's a respectable kid and older than Dulcie. They're meet in unexpected events. Dulcie was bored of her dull life and Cons always make fun and pranks. Inside, they have their own darkness and sinister side.



The first and two parts was more like how Constantine and Dulcie lead their own life separately. But it focused in Dulcie's life without him. She didn't understand him. Cons left her twice. Dulcie already know there is something dark and insane inside him. When Dulcie seems trying to move on, Cons back and bring the darkness. They made their first kill and no guilty at all. Cons know for a long time that Dulcie made for him but he still didn't convince enough. Their darkness itself enough to bring disaster.

“But if anyone else gives me any shit, I'm going to stab them in the eye.”
“And I'll help you bury the body,” he promised.
“Such a clever boy, Constantine Masters.”
“Such a good girl, Dulcie Travers.”

“Don't ever be scared. It kills me. From now on, tell me whenever you're scared, and I'll take away your fears. Tell me when you're hurting, and I'll bleed for you.”

In the third part, Both Constantine and Dulcie have their own world. Cons promised they will be together after everything's settled. For now, it's their playground. They appears like a psychopath who enjoy playing other's life. I might say that they're beyond help. This is not an easy reading for me when psychology involved. I'm starting to question my sanity, though. Dulcie isn't sure about her love for him even he's so goddamn perfect. Their sexy times could be overrated but strangely, I enjoyed it. They have raw and rough sex. Their intimacy was really made me shiver.

“I want to fuck you until you have bruises in places you didn't even know were possible,” he hissed against her ear.
“I have been dying for you to do that to me.”

Constantine and Dulcie are the result of ignorant and failed parenthood. They're finally found a way to feed their demon. The story itself is lack of depth. Everything seems so easy and casual. Nobody's question anybody. They're into gossiping others. Constantine and Dulcie run freely with their sick games. This is what I called 'twisted' romance. Carefully wrapped and unpredictable ending. The Bad Ones was an exceptional read that surely outside your safe limits.

“I want to know,” he breathed, his tongue moving between her breasts. “When do we get to be bad again?”
She smiled big.
“Baby, I thought you'd never ask.”