My Bad Ex-Boyfriend

by Daryl Banner

Dane Cooper is gorgeous, thick-headed, and dangerously hot. He’s an ex-cop with an attitude - and my bad ex-boyfriend.
Dane wasn't always such an insufferable jerk.
Back in the day, we were young, reckless, and madly in love.
Then I went and broke his heart.

Now, after a string of shocking vandalisms puts my neighborhood in a tizzy,
I’m forced to go begging for his help in catching this mystery troublemaker.

And you thought you were having a bad day.

Can I keep from being seduced by his devilish charm?
Have I learned from all the foolish mistakes I made before?
Or am I doomed to fall for my bad ex-boyfriend all over again?

"My Bad Ex-Boyfriend" is a hot and hilarious second-chance M/M romance from Daryl Banner, author of the Amazon top-selling Bromosexual, Hard For My Boss, and Football Sundae.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, LGBT, Crime, Second Chance

231 pages, ebook

First published February 11, 2019

About the author

Daryl Banner is a USA Today Bestselling author, composer, and performer. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston Honors College with a degree in Theatre and Psychology. He is happily married to his piano. Theory suggests this is why he writes romance.

During Daryl Banner's time in college, he wrote, composed, and produced a musical under Tony Award-winning musical and Theatre producer Stuart Ostrow, as well as two original plays produced under the mentorship of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson, who also mentored Daryl through the writing of his very first novel. In addition to new adult and M/M romance, Daryl also writes post-apocalyptic fantasy as well as dystopian.

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Fun facts about Daryl Banner:

- He is an obsessive self-taught pianist.

- He is a huge video game enthusiast.

- He left his day job of 10 years to tour with a 2-woman-1-man original musical.

- He's been remixing video game music for over 20 years. One of his remixes is featured in the major motion picture "The Spy Who Dumped Me". Check out his work here: http://www.youtube.com/DarylBanner

- He composes original soundtracks that accompany his books and series, including The Beautiful Dead and OUTLIER. He is also the award-winning composer of the audio drama Janus Descending, as well as several films, games, podcasts, and other media. You can enjoy his music here: http://darylbanner.bandcamp.com

Reviews

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It finally happened!!! I found a book by this author I LOVED!? I haven't really had much luck, but the blurb sounded too good for me to not give a try. The plot is not complicated at all, but the emotions the characters brought me to was truly a gift. Two people who broke up, but still love each other trying to figure out if they can make it work. Dane was cocky and vulnerable, and I just loved him. Evan was a little too worried about self image and being an adult to truly LIVE his life. Two very opposite people who bring out the best in each other. I am definitely giving more books by this author another go.

[Ed Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 Stars. I liked this book. It’s a fun read.

I was expecting to like it better than I did because I enjoyed “Football Sunday “ so much.

Daryl Banner knows how to spin a tale with just enough humor and sexy times to keep you coming back for more.

I really loved Dane and Evan. The mystery wasn’t hard to figure out, but that was ok because this is a story about reuniting with the love of your life.

[Laxmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like-able, not bad just not great. I am a little disappointed because Banner can be great or a miss for me. This one fell in between

[Rohit · Rating 2 out of 5]

You remember there was a meme of a girl sitting on her bed and writing LOL or some shit on her phone while all the while she's just making a lazy face of a person so dumbed down by life that they are just over it? Frankly, that's how I felt reading this. Like I was reading a childish fantasy of a person who just can't reconcile with their reality. For me masculinity has always been hot but it's never been solely about objectification. Same goes for my flamboyant self. Yes, physical traits are hot but a man or what becomes of him in this day and age is more than that. I lost my interest in the book somewhere halfway through and I should have heeded the signs given by the title and the tropey blurb. But my reader self was hoping that Daryl would put up a humor of some kind. Clearly, this was a disappointment.

[Gustaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I'm a huge fan of Daryl Banner, but this one didn't really work for me. Maybe it was me, or maybe Mr. Banner should stick to sweet, small town romances and or heartfelt stories that will tug on your heartstrings.

My Bad Ex-Boyfriend felt messy. The writing felt messy, jumping back and forward between some sort of diary style, with half sentences and a more regular kind of story telling. Frankly it stressed me out. And the "bad" guy was totally obvious. Which made it a little less interesting.

Both Evan and Dane started out being quite unlikeable. Both drawn to the very end of what their characters was supposed to be. Evan, stuck up and only caring about his image and Dane, childish and crude. But as they slowly came out of their shelves, I found myself quite invested in their second chance.

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate everyone in this book. They are all terrible people. The neighborhood full of bitchy gay men feels like a hate crime. No attempt was made to turn any of these characters into sympathetic humans. While I’ve enjoyed some of the authors work in the past, this book plays to all of his worst instincts.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Daryl's books, but this one fell flat for me.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Evan annoyed me.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daryl's is one of my favorite authors so I'm always excited when he's releasing a book!

My Bad Ex-Boyfriend is an adorable, sexy and funny rom-com! Evan and Dane are very easy to fall in love with.
The mystery of who's vandalizing the neighborhood is silly but also funny and entertaining.

I'm not giving 5 stars because I felt like there's not as much sex as I was expecting. The sex is good, but mostly kinda short. It also gets a bit too cheesy for my taste by the end of the book.

But it's a good story! I enjoyed it, so I'm giving it 4 stars.

I certainly didn't miss the mention of Bobby & Jimmy in the epilogue, so I'm super excited for the third book in the Spruce series! Their story is finally coming!

[Samantha Love HEA Romance Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this rom-com was a fun, and enjoyable read. There were a few points that made me laugh out loud, and I loved the main characters of this book. Can we also just take a moment to stare at the cover of this book! Amazing. I love Johnny!

This book had a little suspense, a whole lot of love, and one crazy street. The characters in this book were all interesting to read about, and added to the fun factor. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, sweet and perfect for Valentine's Day (yes there will be V day celebrations happening). That cover alone has me swooning and he is the sexiest baddie of an ex-BF ever =)
Evan and his band of cohorts/neighbors enlist the help of Dane...a sexy and takes-no-BS ex cop who is more than he seems on the surface. Hilarious at times, steamy at others and just downright playful and fun. I loved it!

[Addicted2M/M · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I just wasn't very fond of the MC's--especially Evan but there were some cute moments.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what I just read. Was it the hormonal rantings of a teenager, or was it the complaints and whining of an overly dramatic suck-up? I finished the book, but TBH, I'm surprised that I was able to.

This overly verbose story made no sense. I wasn't really sure of timeline (maybe it was explained in one of the parts I skimmed over). I wasn't really sure of their ages, so again that didn't help me with understanding the timeline. Had they been apart for 5 years?... or one year?... Overall it was supposed to be about his bad ex-boyfriend... but I actually thought that Dane sounded pretty cool and Evan's explanation for why he dumped Dane made absolutely no sense. Plus they way they were all over each other immediately after seeing each other again made no sense because again it brought up the question as to why had they split to begin with?

I just re-read this review and I should lower my rating to 2 stars, but again, I finished it so I guess that'll count for the extra star. I'm going to have to check over my book stash and see if I have anything else by this author to see if I'm just being extra harsh.

[Mateo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed, too many inconsistencies about the mystery, sorry for myself, I really wait for this one.

[Toddles · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. For me, the blend of the romance plot and mystery plot was a but off. It didn't interweave properly. The spin on the title was great but wished their was another flashback scene or two to fill in more of the history behind out MCs bc I'm greedy like that. The mystery of who is vandalizing the neighborhood is cute. I called who the culprit was right off the bat. The hysterical meltdown was 'chef kiss'. Been there once or twice before myself. The biggest surprise of all though was SPRUCE being named dropped along with 2 of our favorite characters. That was pure gold! The spice level was ok, basic.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've come to love Daryl Banner's books. With this one, we get Evan and Dane. Dane is the ex boyfriend who has come back into Evan's life. This was a cute and funny Rom Com and it just made me smile!! Loved it!!

[annob [on hiatus]]

Dnf @ 23%.
I've read a several other books by Daryl Banner which I have adored (Football Sundae in particular), but I'm not warming up to either protagonist or to the neighbourhood mystery in this one.

[Brian Budd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book of the series. Definitely the weakest of the three. Really slow start but surprising ending. I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as the first two books. Kind of predictable as plot as well. Good easy read about working out differences with someone you know you love. Working out differences from when you were younger and immature.

[⚓Dan⚓ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! This was so much fun! Dane and Even are fantastic with side barbs and humor. A few times I had leaking eyes. Daryl never disappoints.

[Manouchka · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am definitely in the minority but this book just made angry. I couldn't deal with narration. the stuck up and judgmental main character. I normal love this author's books but I just couldn't deal with this book.

[Friendly Pilot · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. The first two chapters repelled me, with the caricature of bitchy, drunken gay men. I know this was supposed to be funny, and the author is apparently a gay man, but the book read to me like a minstrel show.

[Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I absolutely love books by Daryl Banner. And while I did enjoy this, a couple of things left me confused, namely with the title of the book. Dane was the bad ex-boyfriend. But he wasn't bad... at all??? I mean, so the guy had tattoos running up and down his arms (yum) dressed as a biker (double yum), and had a beard. Big deal. He was a total sweetheart! Evan on the other hand had a stick up his ass the majority of the book. He was a bit snooty. And his friends/neighbors- yikes! Talk about a dupe for the gay friends from Modern Family. Seriously! Raymond read exactly like Pepper to me! It was also pretty easy to figure out who was causing all the trouble in the neighborhood. Raymond should have been held accountable for what he did when it all came down to wanting Xavior? He needed a therapist, not a boyfirend. But this was light, easy read. Would I recommend this? Sure. Just don't take it too seriously. 3.5 stars.

[R. Frank Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to watch an expert toss off one with panache.

Evan is the uptight owner of high-end hair salon. Dane is his free-wheeling, hyper-buff ex-boyfriend. Evan dumped Dane five years ago for being too frivolous. Yet the sexual chemistry between them--when they let loose of their hang-ups--is way too strong to keep them apart.

The plot device is simple: some acts of homophobic vandalism have disturbed Evan's wealthy, gay neighborhood. Evan is pressed to get private detective Dane to try to track down the culprit. But the greatest fun is Daryl Banner's depictions of the snarky queens who make up the residents of the cul de sac. Off-putting and archetypal, the sniping and gossip is both familiar and hilarious.

Evan must learn (through his sexy ex-partner) how to escape the pettiness and fear inspired by the queen bee of the homeowners association, and to let his real self return to accept the love of his life. And have some mind-blowing "spice" in the process.

"My Bad Ex-Boyfriend" is a breeze to read and a gay treat.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh Out Loud

This is only my second book by Daryl, the first was Raising Hell. That book was soooo good but this one was freaking fantastic. I was engaged from beginning to end. Daryl's writing is sheer genius. He needs to be submitting screenplays to Hollywood execs and they need to wake up and discover the awesomeness of Daryl Banner. I laughed out loud throughout this book. I had to write my two favorite lines down so when it came time to write my review I wouldn't forget. The first was, then I flip him over like meat on a grill. The second was, I squeeze a Dairy Queen swirl of it onto my palm. I just love the analogies Daryl uses and his writing is off the charts. I get such vivid pictures in my mind as I read Daryl's books. I can't wait to read his back list of books if I'm going to be treated to this kind of writing and storytelling. Daryl is a Goddess among writers and I praise the talent bestowed upon him. Give me more.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t know what to expect but damn did I love Dane Cooper. He’s an ex cop turner private investigator who gets a call from his ex boyfriend about vandalism that is happening in his pretentious neighborhood. Evan is a salon owner who lives in a gay street and several of his neighbors including him have had their property damaged one way or another. When reported to the police they don’t feel like it’s being taken seriously so Evan asks to meet up with Dane to see if he could help since he is a cop. Dane asks to meet at a bar and there he starts the whole flirtatious thing and Evan falls for it. Come to find they both love each other and want to be with each other but their relationship ended 5 years ago and they never really discussed why it happened etc. They end up “fighting” again and Evan ends up finding out who the vandal is without Dane but when Dane shows up that night they get to talking and work things out. It’s a good read. I enjoyed

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I definitely devoured this book in just a few hours and was way up too late in order to accomplish this, lol. In the beginning, I wasn't sure whether to like Dane or not because I couldn't take him seriously because he was always joking but then getting to see his serious side made me love him and realize he's just a man-child who likes to live life to the fullest. Evan was a main character I enjoyed reading about too though there was definitely a couple scenes I wanted to strangle him--as well as Dane, of course--and I loved watching the two fall back in love (if they weren't already, that is) and seeing them get their second chance. Still not sure how I feel about Raymond, though, especially towards the end, but it was overall an amusing yet sometimes serious read!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4 stars

This book actually had more going for it than I anticipated it would. The two main characters were likable and worked well together. I wish they had been more developed. The secondary characters could have been quirky, but mostly just came off as annoying characterizations.

What didn’t work for me-

The title- I think the title is doing a real disservice to this book. In my opinion it makes it sound cheap, when there is more to this book than the title implies.

The first few pages are awful. Seriously, the writing in the first five or so pages is really bad. I almost stopped reading just five pages in.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one messy, snarky, hilariously good book!

This is a modern gay romance self-proclaimed “enemies to lovers” story, it is a stand alone. There’s this general formula that I see a lot from gay romance: hulking hunky boyfriend breaks the heart of the awkward, nerdy twink…this is not that story! I loved these snarky characters so much that I’m still thinking about them, the community and all that happens! You need some laughter, a story that’s going to make you smile and inwardly cheer as you try to work out who done it?! Give this one a chance! This is my first by this author but I’m planning to dive in deep and read what I can find because it was really that fun to read!

[Teresa Banschbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan & Dane

This is a voluntary review of an arc version of this story. This is a second chance romance story from Daryl Banner. Dane and Evan had been together for a few years before they broke up. They both had a little more maturing to do. After being apart about five years, Evan reached out to Dane as he and his neighbors were victims of homophobic vandalism and Dane was a former cop. One click on this fantastic story Daryl and follow along on this second chance journey. Do they discover the Vandal? Do they get back together? There is no cliffhanger. Just a great story

[David Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot wasn't that hard to figure out. The only two characters who were developed were Evan and Dane. Usually, this would be a bad thing but not in this case. We knew we were going to get a happy ending but it took a while.

The sex scenes were incredible. The author does a great job of writing sex scenes. It takes some real effort to write stuff that is both hot and sensual.

I also loved the mention of Bobby and Jimmy from the Spruce series.

Thanks Daryl for writing another great one!