Everybody’s talking about the hot new app reviewing New York’s most eligible bachelors. But why focus on prince charming when you can read the latest dirt on the lowest-ranked “Bad Bachelors”—NYC’s most notorious bad boys.
If one more person mentions Bad Bachelors to Reed McMahon, someone’s gonna get hurt. A PR whiz, Reed is known as an ‘image fixer’ but his womanizing ways have caught up with him. What he needs is a PR miracle of his own.
When Reed strolls into Darcy Greer’s workplace offering to help save the struggling library, she isn’t buying it. The prickly Brooklynite knows Reed is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But the library does need his help. As she reluctantly works with Reed, she realizes there’s more to a man than his reputation. Maybe, just maybe, Bad Bachelor #1 is THE one for her.
Stefanie London is a multi-award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances and romantic comedies.
Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and “elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have won multiple industry awards, including the HOLT Medallion and OKRWA National Reader's Choice Award, and she has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA award.
Originally from Australia, Stefanie lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels and anything zombie-related.
3.5 Will To See More Stars * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free- It's Live Nothing worse than a grudge and using the latest app to get your Bitchin out... Reed has become infamous... and not because for good reasons... so he needs to clean up his image...
Hmmm, now what would work...
Why doing a Library Fundraiser and there being a sweet Librarian cannot hurt at all...
But What...
She is not giving him any chance to show his real concern...
Tables turn and these people end up seeing each other for who they really are... not their image.
A gifted copy was provided by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via NetGalley for an honest review.
I was looking forward to reading this and it turned out to be a cute little read.
Reed McMahon is the lowest scored bachelor on the new Bad Batchelor app. While some of this is deserved, there’s no denying he’s had a lot of sex with a lot of women. Not all the review are genuine or well meaning. Now Reed is not looking for a relationship or commitment he’s been badly affected by his parents broken relationship and is determined to remain single.
Darcy is a tattooed librarian living a kind of half life. She’s avoided any kind of relationship since her marriage was cancelled the year before. She has a strained relationship with her family and as she try’s to please her mother she hides her real self.
Reed and Darcy would never normally meet but circumstances push them together. And the more time they spend in each other’s company the more they find themselves strangely attracted. They become friends and more but Reed panics. He doesn’t want a woman he wants to be single and successful but the stupid Bad Batchelor app is ruining his life. He’s just barely hanging onto his job and with his father’s ill health he can’t cope with any more.
Why only 3.5*? It was slow in places, it really seemed to drag which resulted in me skimming the middle sections.
It works best when Reed and Darcy are together, the dialogues is sharp and funny.
“Do you ever get sick of women fawning over you?” Darcy asked once the woman was out of earshot. She slid into the booth. “No.” He appeared totally unapologetic. “Why would I get sick of it?” “I don’t know. Don’t men live for the thrill of the chase?” “Some men do.” He popped the button of his suit jacket as he sat. “I find women who need to be chased are usually more trouble than suits my needs.” “You mean they don’t want to be chewed up and spat out?” “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Most of the women who encounter my ‘chewing’ leave without any complaints.”
My quote is from the advanced copy and may change in the final version.
I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca.
Bad Bachelor is actually my first read from Stefanie London. I’m pretty sure that the galley I received is for a republish of this book. I can’t speak to whether or not the content is any different, or if the advanced copies were sent as part of marketing. What I CAN say is that Bad Bachelor is the perfect contemporary romcom. Our heroine is a librarian who is stunting her true self to please her mother. She hasn’t had much luck in love since her marriage that never happened. Our hero has a bad reputation. The Bad Bachelors app that this series is based around has him ranked at the very lowest eligibility. But I think that the book community knows that reviews are usually written with passion, so maybe his rating is a little flawed? Darcy and Reed together are everything. Their banter is so funny and quick, and their tension is just... through the roof. Bad Bachelor is a bit lengthy, but it was entertaining the entire way through. Well written and fun.
If you’re looking for a romcom with a sort of reluctant love story, and with side characters that will get their own books, then I would check this one out!
Bad Bachelor is a delightfully, witty rom-com set in the hip-and-happening New York City where the Bad Bachelor app is the latest-and-greatest source for finding your mate and the fiery, intelligent, librarian, Darcy may not be able to trust everything she reads when it comes to the successful, suave, Reed McMahon.
The writing style is whimsical and clever. The characterization is spot on, with an incredible cast of characters who are quirky, charming, loveable, and fun. And the plot is a well crafted, amusing blend of drama, emotion, playful banter, exquisite tension, touching moments, steamy chemistry, and smoldering romance.
Bad Bachelor is undeniably an entertaining, lighthearted, humorous read that I thoroughly enjoyed and is without a doubt a fantastic way to kick off this new series!
Thank you to Stefanie London and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was in the mood for a romance with a librarian and this book came recommended several times. Romance book twitter never disappoints. What's not to like? A prickly and sassy librarian is forced to work along with an unapologetic manwhore to save her library. They make it clear neither like each other when the reality is... they secretly want each other bad. The banter between them was clearly foreplay. C'mon! Characters were not so much cookie cutter as the blurb lets on, it was very satisfying to watch them reveal layers of their personality as the story unfolded and clothes went flying. The steam and intimacy between Darcy and Reed was super hot.
Overall a great read, I just find the plot revolving around the mysterious creator of the app a bit of a let down and some inherent problems left unresolved, in my opinion. Maybe in the next book?
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A tattooed librarian heroine was my hook, but maybe I should have fully read the description where the sexy PR guy comes in to save the library. Uuuuuugggggghhhhh, this feels like a totally outdated and sexist set up. I know probably 100 or so librarians, 85-90% women, and they are all totally capable, professional, badass women who can run their own fundraising programs thankyouverymuch. I do not think that London has been in a public library ever, or at least for a very long time. So Darcy's librarianship feels superficial at best. In the end she ends up as the innocent type who tames the independent Reed and sometimes shelves a book or two. There was some good banter, but I don't think that London could decide Darcy's characterization and so she never feels like a realistic figure. My other complaint is that after reading modern takes on romance like The Wedding Date and Hate to Want You, this feels very white despite the NYC setting. Errybody is white except the one friend Gabriel and his sassy pregnant Latina wife who shows up only to make paella (so she's Spanish? IDK). In addition, both Rai's and Guillroy's heroines own their sexual agency because of MODERN TIMES. Darcy's cold showers and inexperience feel like a romance book from 15 years ago, ashamed and naive. Soooo, eh.
Bad Bachelor is one of my favorite recent romance reads. I knew the minute I read about the “Yelp for NYC Bachelors” concept in the summary, that this is a book that I needed in my life. I was right, of course. Bad Bachelor had everything I love in a good romance: likable characters, a fun setting and swoons for days! Plus, it had some serious depth to it that I was not expecting.
I loved both Darcy and Reed so much! Darcy was sassy, funny and had a no-bullshit attitude. She was also a tattooed librarian, which absolutely delighted me. I can never tire of reading about bookworms! I loved how passionate Darcy was about her library, and how she wanted to do everything in her capacity to help her library flourish. At first glance, Darcy seemed like the kind of girl who was reserved about her emotions, but as the story progressed, we get to see her open up with her wants and desires. Her relationship with her mother especially brought her feelings of frustration and disappointment to the surface. She had been burned by love in the past when she found her fiance cheating on her days before their wedding, so, for the most part, she was also wary of relationships.
Of course, all that changes when Reed enters the picture. Reed was just as fascinating as Darcy. I have to admit, that I initially judged him and thought he would be the typical man-whore bachelor, especially given all the reviews of him on the Bad Bachelor app, but he completely surprised me. Yes, he liked women, but he always made it clear what his lady-friends were getting into. I was also surprised by how much the reviews and their impact on his life bothered him. It wasn’t all fun and games. It actually affected him mentally quite a bit. There was definitely more to Reed than what he was portrayed on the app. I loved his relationship with his dad, especially. It made me swoon with how kind and patient he was with his dad.
When Darcy and Reed meet, sparks fly, and they don’t get off on the right foot. But with their common goals, they slowly become friends and soon, this friendship developed into more. I was especially glad that Darcy gave him the benefit of the doubt, and that there weren’t unnecessary misunderstandings between the two. Together, Darcy and Reed were fantastic. There was banter, steamy sexy times, and a whole lot of the opposites-attract romance goodness. We also get fairly well-acquainted with Darcy’s best friends, and I am dying to read their books too. One other thing I appreciated about Bad Bachelor was the depiction of the downside of social media and gossip. Like I said, the app has impacts on Reed and his job, and we see that in detail here. Kudos to Stefanie London for showing that here and not just romanticizing the app. I have to say, I was also taken aback by who was behind the app, but I am now even more curious as to what even prompted them to do this, so I will most definitely be reading the next books in this series.
Bad Bachelor was an excellent romance book, with some fantastic characterizations, lots of swoons and terrific writing from Stefanie London. Add this to your TBRs, friends. You won’t be disappointed!
On the surface, Stefanie London’s latest release, Bad Bachelor, is a fun, romantic comedy with a modern premise. It’s the story of an unlucky-in-love librarian finding herself in a relationship with a playboy bachelor she first sees on a dating app. While it definitely lives up to that promise, it also offers some sharp commentary on our current society’s use of social media and our inherent tendency to believe what we read until we find contradictory evidence. While I hoped for an enjoyable story, it surpassed my expectations and has a good chance of ending up on my ‘best of’ list this year.
Darcy Greer almost didn’t escape what would have probably been a disastrous marriage if she hadn’t caught her fiancé and their best man canoodling right before the wedding (ouch!). It’s been several months since that fateful event, and her friends have been encouraging her to re-enter the dating world. There’s a new dating app available called Bad Bachelors that rates some of New York’s most eligible men – men, who are way out of Darcy’s league, but still worth a look, if only to remind herself she’s not the only one with dating problems. The worst of the bunch is the devilishly handsome marketing and PR executive Reed McMahon. So imagine her surprise when ‘New York’s Most Notorious Bachelor’ shows up at her struggling library to help organize their charity fundraiser.
Reed is getting pretty tired of the sideways glances, the behind the hand giggles and the not so funny jokes from his co-workers and friends due to his lousy Lothario profile on Bad Bachelors. But what seemed like just an embarrassing social status is having real world consequences when his clients start ditching him, citing concerns that they don’t trust him to handle their PR crises if he can’t manage his own. Reed relies on his job to pay medical bills for his aged father. He can’t afford to lose it, or a chance for a promotion due to a stupid dating app.
Reed puts on a good face with Darcy, playing his role as a smug playboy while working with her to set up the library fundraiser. But as they spend time together, it becomes obvious that there’s more to him than his reputation. Should Darcy trust the opinions of the women on the dating app who make it clear that Reed is only good for a one-night stand or her own instincts that say he’s worth a second look?
When I read the synopsis for this romance, I loved the idea of a dating app that would rate the bachelors based on women’s experiences. Each chapter in the story starts with one of the reviews left on Reed’s profile, and the general consensus is that the women are quite satisfied with his bedroom performance but don’t think much of his bedside manner after the fact. What becomes clear is that while some of the reviews are truthful and have been written by women Reed remembers, a large portion of them are fake. It looks like someone is out to damage his reputation. Because Reed’s job is in jeopardy, he makes it his mission to discover who is behind the app, and why they have targeted him. What seems like something fun and harmless has serious consequences. It makes one wonder about review sites in general, and whether an outpouring of positive or negative comments is an honest reaction from individuals or a coordinated attempt to influence opinions. It’s a cautionary note to keep a healthy dose of skepticism if something looks too good (or too bad) to be true.
Darcy initially believes the reviews about Reed on the app. But the more time she spends in his presence, the more she has trouble aligning what other women have said with the man in front of her.
Darcy finds herself attracted to Reed the caring son, Reed the community baseball player, Reed the hardworking fundraiser, Reed the man. And that attraction is mutual. Reed finds Darcy refreshing in her honesty and forthrightness and appreciates her ability to give as good as she gets. She’s nothing like the type of woman he’s dated before, with her tattoos and piercings and casual approach to life. Their banter is fun and flirty and leads to some sexy scenes where Reed proves his prowess isn’t exaggerated. But Darcy is under no illusion that a steamy affair with this committed bachelor will last for long.
As the story progresses we learn a little bit more about Reed’s rocky relationship with his father and why he’s wary of getting too deep into a relationship. We also find out that Darcy has her own complicated history with her family, including a stepfather with whom she doesn’t get along, a judgmental mother who sees Darcy’s body modifications as a personal affront, and a half-sister who by comparison, can do no wrong. When Darcy finds herself confiding in Reed about her family issues, and Reed shares his worries about his father, it cements their growing friendship and emotional connection. Eventually they both have to decide whether what they’re building is worth pursuing when the fundraiser is successfully completed. Along the way, Reed also makes some surprising findings about the origins of the dating app that have caused him so much grief. Bad Bachelor is more than just a fun and sexy romantic comedy. It’s got a depth of emotion and heart that make it a thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking read.
I thought that this one was fun. This book has been on my radar since it was first published. The cover redesign grabbed my attention again so I decided to move this book to the top of my tbr pile. Reed and Darcy were great together and I loved the chemistry that they shared. I thought that parts of the book were rather funny and had a really good time with it in the end. I am so glad that I finally got around to giving this book a try.
Reed is at the top of the list on the Bad Bachelors app. This is an app where women can rate the men they date and Reed has an abundance of negative reviews. This has had an impact on not only his dating life but his professional life as well. Darcy is a tattooed librarian that almost made it down the aisle a year ago and is having trouble trusting someone again. Both Darcy and Reed have some family issues that they are dealing with which were very relatable. These two were great together. I wanted to see things work out for them and felt like they were meant to be.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Kendall Taylor did a great job with this story. I thought that she portrayed a wide range of emotions through her reading. The character voices that she used in her narration were distinctive and believable. I feel that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. The opening scene of the book was outstanding and grabbed my attention right away. It was easy to get behind these characters as they made their way to their happily ever after. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca.
Initial Thoughts I thought that this one was fun. Reed and Darcy were great together and I loved the chemistry that they shared. The app was interesting and I felt bad for Reed for all of the problems it caused him. I thought that parts of the book were rather funny and had a really good time with it in the end. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with the story.
Stefanie London did an amazing job creating a story where opposites attract and against all odds become something more. I'm not going to say much about the plot–just that it was refreshing, well-written, and with a great concept.
I really enjoyed both characters, but my favorite was definitely Darcy. She was not your typical bookworm and that really gave the story tons of brownie points.
Bad Bachelor went from this is just ok to I’m not sleeping till I finish it. And even though I felt the ending a little bit rushed, I enjoyed it. A fun start to a sexy series. Can't wait to read Bad Reputation.
Such a fun concept for this book! Reed is a charmer, Darcy is a badass. An opposites-attract story filled with realistic characters with a unique, fun Bad Bachelor app at the center!
the author used the verb “niggle” an absurd amount of times. i’ve never heard the word before and i never want to hear it again. yes, that is my entire review.
This is my first read from Stefanie London, and I admittedly got sucked in by this cover and the very Tom Hardy looking cover model. This book also brought out my heroine hater tendencies and found me squarely in the corner of all the bad bachelors out there. Shocker!
The premise behind the story revolves around the Bad Bachelor app - an app along the lines of the former Don't Date Him Girl site that was around a handful of years ago. Touted as a way to empower and educate women, the Bad Bachelor app allows anonymous users to rate and hate on men, airing grievances and saying whatever their heart desires without any consequence whatsoever. As you can imagine, that can result in countless keyboard warriors being vile and vindictive and making my lip curl with their petty behavior.
So let me start off by saying that I really liked that our heroine was unique. A somewhat emo-frumpy librarian with full sleeve tattoos, piercings, literary t-shirts and combat books - Darcy Greer was not what we usually find in romance books. But I dug her vibe and that she was willing to battle her family to be true to herself. I often wish I could let my tattoos all hang out - but I think that would be frowned upon by my stuffy government job. Darcy definitely had a lot of baggage, not just from a overly critical mother, but also from a near marriage that ended in a shocking way. All of this made me sympathetic to her character. I even understood her prickly nature when it came to dealing with our uber-handsome hero at first... but I wish overall that she would have been less judgy and less willing to believe everything she read online.
Reed McMahon is a successful public relations whiz schmoozing clients in expensive bespoke suits. With no time for a relationship, Reed is seen as a playboy and women view him as the ultimate catch, the one they all hope they can change with one sweaty session between the sheets. Even though Reed tells them up front not to have any expectations, do you think they listen? Of course not. So when the Bad Bachelor app gets going, all those women (plus some other fake and vindictive types) absolutely trash Reed and make him the #1 worst bachelor in the city. Unfortunately in this day and age, people are all too willing to take what they see online is gospel and no one stops to see that there is more to Reed than meets the eye. While he did project what he wanted people to see and had a problem with pushing people away, he was actually a good person, close to his father, and definitely good at his job. I liked Reed immensely. And I liked that the author made him such a likable, if misunderstood, character. It would have been easy to paint him as the villain that women made him out to be, and I'm glad that is not the direction this story went.
The power dynamic gets flipped a couple times in this story. Reed is the playboy flirt and doesn't hold back from seductive quips and propositions to our grumpy heroine. Then when things are getting heavier between the two, Darcy has the power to wound Reed with her words, and vice versa. They did seem like an odd pair - but I liked them together. Their relationship was not without drama and misunderstanding, but when they were together, they were a lot of fun. The snark and banter was great, and they steamed things up pretty well between the sheets.
The Bad Bachelor app was this cancer growing in the background of this story. It really irked me to no end, so I give kudos to London in this regard. She certainly got me invested in the story and rooting for our hero. She also had me hating the creators of the app and the petty vindictive women who were posting.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
Also erstmal: Die Bad Bachelors App ist absolut verwerflich! Dates sind schließlich keine Dienstleistungen, die man öffentlich bewerten sollte. Damit haben wir schon eine recht seltsame Grundlage, aber abgesehen von dieser unmoralischen Anwendung mochte ich das Buch schon.
Ich mochte Reed eigentlich sogar sehr gerne! Er ist sehr verschlossen und fast immer professionell. Zum Teil mögen die furchtbaren Dinge, die Frauen über ihn schreiben, stimmen, aber er ist kein böser Typ, wie er online dargestellt wird. Er will keine Beziehung und sich auch nicht einfach so verändern lassen. Die Frauen hatten andere Erwartungen an ihn, denen er nicht gerecht werden konnte, und dafür muss er jetzt zahlen. Die schlechten Bewertungen sind schlecht für seinen Ruf, was als PR-Manager ziemlich ironisch ist, und er ist ziemlich genervt von der ganzen Sache, was absolut verständlich ist. Er arbeitet hart und ernst, aber er ist auch ein leidenschaftlicher Mann, der sich um seinen Vater und seine Freunde sorgt.
Darcy fand ich auch ganz sympathisch, auch sie trägt ihre Lasten mit sich, doch sie bleibt sich treu. Ihr liegt viel an der Bibliothek, in der sie arbeitet und trotz ihres Stresses mit ihrer Mutter, will sie ihr irgendwie gefallen. Als sie Reed kennenlernt, fühlt sie sich zu ihm hingezogen, doch sie hat schon von ihm gehört und begegnet ihm mit vielen Vorurteilen. Umgekehrt findet Reed sie auch oberflächlich, aber trotzdem zum Anbeißen. Ihre Neckereien aufgrund ihrer Differenzen sind wirklich unterhaltsam und ich fand, dass sie ein wirklich niedliches Paar sind, auch wenn sie sich nicht auf ihre Gefühle einlassen möchten. Darcy wegen der allgemein schlechten Meinung über sie, Reed, weil er eben nichts Festes möchte.
Ich fand die Geschichte ziemlich unterhaltsam, aber die Prämisse war manchmal schon irgendwie sehr flach. Und das Ende brachte dann die üblichen Entwicklungen, wo jemand plötzlich kalte Füße kriegt und um sich schlägt. Das fand ich schon schade, denn das hätte die Geschichte nicht nötig gehabt.
Fazit: Insgesamt fand ich "Bad Bachelor" trotz der verrückten App unterhaltsam und mochte auch die Protagonisten sehr gerne. Es war teilweise etwas oberflächlich, aber ich bin sehr zufrieden mit dem Buch.
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
I loved Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London! This is one of those stories where the two main characters are complete opposites. The reader never envisioned the two of them together, but somehow it works.
Reed is a gorgeous, wealthy, womanizing PR executive. Due to his love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude, he makes some enemies. He thinks he is living the dream life and is not yet ready to admit his life is a farce and so is he.
Darcy is a tattooed and pierced librarian with an attitude. She has a defense mechanism that keeps people at arm’s length. She almost got married once but that didn’t work out. She’s afraid to get out there and start dating again but knows she should. Her best friends show her the “Bad Bachelors” app. This is an app similar to Yelp where women rate eligible bachelors to help take the guesswork out of dating. Darcy decides to approach dating as a research project using the reviews on the app. Her first glimpse of Reed’s profile picture has her spellbound, but his reviews are awful and she vows to stay away from him.
Darcy and Reed meet when the library needs to have a fundraiser. Reed is the PR Executive partnered with Darcy to plan the fundraiser. They are very antagonistic toward each other but eventually become friends, confidantes even - with an explosive chemistry that they both try to ignore. Darcy learns to not believe everything she reads as she gets to know Reed and discovers there is more to him than the reviews portray.
This is a wonderful story of two people that despite the odds become something more. There are misunderstandings, touching moments, and big reveals. I really liked Darcy’s character. She is tough on the outside but is so sweet on the inside. I also really enjoyed the scenes with her mother. I felt after those scenes, Darcy really grew up and accepted herself more.
You will never suspected who is the mastermind behind Bad Bachelor app! Shocking!! I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series! Five stars.
My first read from this author but certainly not my last.
I adored the unique spin on this romance story.. A fuck the world feisty librarian Darcy and a brooding cock sure PR hotshot Reed. This story really puts forward not to judge a book by its cover (or by gossip from dating sites in Reeds case).
I really enjoyed both characters. I luuuurvd that slow burn romance that had the I hate you but I want to fuck you vibe stamped all over it. That sizzling hot build up to the inevitable explosion of pent up sexual frustration was sooooooo worth the wait. It was freaking hot hot hot!!!!. I loved the back and forth bickering and banter, the super sweet moments they connected to eachothers struggles and even the moments they kinda really hated eachother. They are so easy to connect to as a couple and individuals that it made it so easy to believe in their chemistry, relate to their struggles and fall in love with them as a couple.
My annoyance is with the friend! I won't say to much however she pissed me off and I knew it was coming!.
It didn't affect my enjoyment of the story however it did make me feel more sympathetic towards Reed. That's not to say he wasn't an asshole because he totally is on more than a few occasions. However Darcy wasn't a saint either so for me it was an even playing field.
Over all I really enjoyed the story. It's written well with a unique spin that sucked me in from the first page. I enjoyed the variety of emotions and connected to the main characters, I think the author did a great job of getting that across to us as readers. There are a few niggly bits that peeved me off but as a whole I loved it. The sarcasm, the humour. The constant inuendos and banter between Reed and Darcy.. I'd definitely read it again for sure. I'm looking forward to what's next if this is to become a series.
I kindly received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a fabulous story, wow I didn’t want to put it down once I started it, Stefanie London has such a way with words they bring life to her characters on the pages they become friends people that you feel close to and I just about inhaled this story and yay it is the start of a new series bonus, I do highly recommend this one and if you have not read a Stefanie London book before this is a great place to start and I am sure you will be reading her backlist.
Reed McMahon is gorgeous, confident and fabulous and in his PR job he has been made partner and he is a love em and leave kinda of guy, he has no intention of settling down and loving someone heaven forbid you see they might leave him at some stage, so he prefers to keep people at a distance get on with life. But suddenly there is the new app that has found its way onto the internet Bad Bachelors, New York’s bad boys and Reed finds himself no 1. This turns his life totally upside down as does the fact that he has to help with a fundraising project at a library of all places and the librarian Darcy Greer is going to turn him inside out.
Darcy Greer is an individual she loves her job as a librarian she loves her two best friends Annie and Remi and she has been known to be different with her tattoos and boots and black clothes, yes she is sworn of men since she caught her ex fiancé with someone else the day before her wedding a year ago, but she is caring and such a smart lady. With pressure from her friends to check the Bad Bachelors app out to start dating again she sees a lot about the bad boys so when number one bad boy turns up at her library to help with the fundraiser this throws them together and if looks could kill or heat New York up well let’s say it is heating up.
I loved both Darcy and Reed two special people both a little damaged from their pasts, both a bit scared to love but their first meeting sends them both into a spin, the dialogue throughout the book is just fabulous the come- back lines are amazing, but as they build walls around themselves to stop them from being hurt we get to see their real personalities and when those walls start to crumble the emotions skyrocket up. Darcy and Reed are just made for each other and MS London has bought them together in the best story it really is fabulous, MS London you have left me one very happy reader, I can highly recommend this one it ticks all of the boxes for a fantastic romance. Maybe Reed is not a real bad boy after all or is he?
Librarian romance is my catnip! Bad Bachelor was a fun and surprisingly moving read. It’s not perfect (heads up for bi-erasure) but it was filled with quirky, well-developed characters and backstories that made me want to know more. Reed and Darcy’s banter was on point (always the key to my heart) and I loved watching them go from reluctant colleagues to something more. I couldn’t put it down!
"I never wanted to let people get close to me because I'm afraid I'll do something to drive them away. For a long time, I feared being abandoned. But I learned recently it was more a fear of being the reason for someone leaving."
I enjoyed this drama tense OMG romance. We all thought with the reviews from Bad Bachelor Apps, our Reed is a player in New York... Is he really? Darcy needed help to save the library she is working for and the only person who could is our bad boy Reed. Is he really the player we read or were they just rumour?
This book is definitely very character-driven. We have strong character development and following with Reed and Darcy. By themselves, they have their own insecurities, past and struggles with relationships stories that affect them as a person.
I would say the plotline is very fast but I feel like the middle portion of the book feels like nothing is really happening or there was confusion about which road the story wants to concentrate on, the app or their chemistry. Who was behind the app was really unexpected, I didn't expect it. I know the person got hurt but I was hoping the outcome of it should have been more and fair.
We do get a tease, flirt and banter with the two leads but I wish there was more. The ending was sweet and everything but I wish they got more time to each other than their thoughts but I understand where they are coming from.
Interested to see where the series is going and other bad boys we are going to meet.
"Tonight you're going to become a dirty story, Darcy. Maybe not quite as dirty as the monster erotica you so favor, but I'll do my best.
H-O-T LIBRARIAN ROMANCE. Need I say more? If so, I'll leave you with the fact that there are Goodreads, library and ARC references galore, in addition to a whole lot of sassy romance. I LOVED THIS BOOK!
OMG what an amazing story! There was so much humor in this story but it was also filled with drama and heartache. I loved the constant back and forth between Reed and Darcy; how they fought their obvious attraction to each other at every chance they got. I loved how at times Reed seemed so sure of himself while at other times you saw the unsure little boy who still carries the scars from his childhood.
I was not sure I would like Reed cos of the blurbs talk of womanizing ways, but...Reed never lied to a woman. He was upfront about what he wanted. A good time. And if a woman got mad later on cos she wanted more, then give it a rest girl. He said no!
Which is why this site in the end made me SO FREAKING MAD! Because what if it had been a site about ranking women? Oh yes all hell would break loose. What a horrible site. Women can rank men and give them reviews, and yes, what says all those reviews are right? Maybe someone is upset with their ex, a coworker, a friend. And since Reed is the worst ranked of them all, it gives him problems at work, in his personal life, you name it.
Now when I have that said. Reed is all for a good time and when he meets Darcy she does go all hell no! She does not need someone like that! Or does she. You know, back in the saddle and all.
But I really liked Reed. Underneath that tough all knowing outer shell there was an angry boy. He had so much to deal with.
And Darcy. I loved that she was just not some pretty little thing. She had piercings, tattoos, dressed like she did not give a damn.
The librarian and the PR guy. The tough girl meets the preppy boy. They are just so different, and they are totally what they both need. He needs to be grounded again, she needs to let loose again.
Fun, passion and lots and lots of banter!
Narrator Kendall Taylor I liked her voices for everyone and she made it fun listening too. She really had me in her grip when Reed struggled with things and when Darcy went all prejudiced (made me think of pride and prejudice ;)
Dating sites, curse or blessing for the modern singleton? With Bad Bachelor, Stefanie London breathes freshness into this rom-com trope about the worst rated bachelor in NYC and the shy, tattooed and pierced librarian who broke through his defenses.
Darcy Green knows the library she works at needs help. Desperately. So when she recognizes the #1 Bad Bachelor walking in to offer his highly sought after PR skills pro-bono, she grudgingly accepts his help. She only knows about Reed McMahon’s infamy through a new bachelor reviewing app, but being forced to spend time together reveals his soft and vulnerable underbelly.
Convinced love is akin to a death sentence, Reed has spent his life keeping everyone at arm’s length and building walls to protect his heart. He’s dedicated to his career and little else, but when his job leads him to the enigmatic librarian his life begins to unravel in unexpected ways.
London crafts a delightfully charming love story with a wonderful balance between snarky fun, sexiness and tender understanding. Using the bachelor reviewing app as part of the story’s premise gives an original twist to modern dating and the unchecked comments that create havoc in Reed’s life rings true.
The antagonistic attraction between Darcy and Reed is fun and ultimately sexy, enhanced by their snarky banter. Yet they both relate to one another deeply even though they present a vastly different façade to the world. Finding their happy ending will be a difficult journey, but a certainly enjoyable one in which Reed overcomes his fear of love and connection and Darcy learns to accept herself.
With Bad Bachelor, London pens an easy to read, lighthearted romance with an original plot and delightful characters. I can’t wait to read the next instalment in the series.
Bad Bachelor is book #1 of the Bad Bachelors series by Stefanie London. It is a standalone romantic comedy in the opposites attract, enemies to lovers genre. Told from both points of view with a happily ending, no cliffhanger.
This was such an enjoyable read! Finding love in the big city, dysfunctional family dynamics, abandonment and commitment issues, a rebellious librarian, a big-shot image maker
Full review: This is my first book by Stephanie London and I decided to read it following a recommendation from a friend. I found the premise really interesting - how would an application for rating bachelors/single men work and affect the dating in the internet age.
I end up enjoying this story a lot both in terms of plot and in terms of hero and heroine who I found to be interesting, complex and easy to relate to.
Darcy was a wonderful mix of a good girl with a bit of wild side - breaking the conventional with colourful tattoos and a personal style which favours comfort over fashion. At the same time she was shy, hesitant when it came to feelings and relationships, still recovering from her one and only disastrous long term relationship.
Reed was the perfect bad bachelor on the surface - confident, successful, good at his job (image making), cold and distanced in his personal life. He guards his private life really tight but his softer side showed when he was with Darcy despite his continuous efforts to hide it.
I loved their banter, sort of enemies-to-lovers element in their romance. Most of all I enjoyed about Darcy and Reed because they felt like real people with their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We seen them both struggling with some complicated family dynamics which were handle rather well in my opinion. There was this moment for both of them when getting to know the other person and family gave them insight into their own family issues and how to deal with them.
As a minor quibble I'd say I wish the website thing was handled better. It was in fact a site where women rated the men they have gone out/had relations with. It was done anonymously and with the consent of the men rated which violated all ethical norms for me. I see this as dangerous approach to people as inanimate objects and also as an easy tool to smear someone's reputation. Even though it was called out and it got transformed into a kind of a dating site, I felt it was too serious an issue which needed a firmer condemnation.
Overall, I liked the easy flow of the story and writing was engaging and fun. I'm very much looking forward the next book in the series.
Eine anonym erstellte App soll den Frauen von Manhattan ihr Dating-Leben erleichtern. Dort dürfen sie Single-Männer bewerten und sich gegenseitig warnen. Am deutlich schlechtesten schneidet das PR-Genie Reed McMahon ab. Doch gerade der taucht in der Bibliothek auf, in der Protagonistin Darcy Greer arbeitet, um ihr bei der Planung einer Spendengala zu helfen. Ob sich wohl alle Vorurteile, die Darcy hat, bestätigen werden?
Meine Meinung:
- WOW. Ich hatte ehrlich gesagt eine ziemlich stereotypische und seichte Geschichte erwartet: der böse Bad Boy kann seine liebe Seite nur der sympathischen Heldin des Buchs zeigen. Weit gefehlt! Sehr schnell wird klar, dass hinter Stereotypen und Vorurteilen oft ganz andere Menschen stecken. So auch bei Reed, der sich nach und nach als jemand entpuppt, mit dem die Online-Bewertungen NICHTS zu tun haben. Und auch bei Darcy entdeckt man hinter der Fassade ganz komplexe Züge.
- Richtig super fand ich auch, dass beide Hauptfiguren mit einem echten Umfeld (Freunde, Familie, Gegenspieler etc.) und einem echten Leben (Ambitionen, Berufstätigkeit, Hobbies etc.) gezeigt werden. Weniges ärgert mich mehr, als isolierte und damit unrealistische Figuren, die keinen anderen Lebensinhalt haben als die Romanze, von der das Buch handelt.
- Die Thematik, wie oftmals unmenschlich wir online miteinander umgehen, hier am Beispiel der Bad Bachelor-App, hat dem Buch weiteren Tiefgang verliehen. Toll!
- Einziges Manko: Die Vergangenheiten und Konflikte der beiden Hauptfiguren waren fast zu komplex, um auf ein paar Hundert Seiten erzählt zu werden. Ein paar Komplikationen weniger hätten es weniger überladen gemacht.
Darcy is a librarian who is in charge of the library's gala to help raise money for the library. She is also recovering from a very sudden end to her last relationship, but she is ready to start dating again. She is worrying about getting hurt again, so when a new app launch that helps women avoid the unworthy men, she is using it as a guideline.
What she didn't expected was to meet the number one bad bachelor when he is enlisted to help her plan the gala. The problem with Reed is that the more she gets to know him, the less sense the reviews make. Now she has to decide which version of him is the real one and if she is ready to risk her heart.
Reed doen't trust people and he is not interested in a relationship, his life is exactly the way he wants and he is fine with that. Until a librarian is entering his life making him question what he knew.
The idea of an app rating bachelors is very interested especially given the fact that the owner is a mystery and Reed is determined to figure out who is behind it. The connection between Darcy and Reed was so apparent from the start, they weren't ready to meet the other person and that made the story even better. It was a very enjoyable book.
*I received an arc from the publisher through Netgalley.
A heroine who is a librarian with a passion for books, a primary storyline around saving a library ... um, yes, please! I love the character of Darcy - she's such a unique and interesting character. Add in Reed to the mix and you have the perfect set up for a great romance! I thought the story was delightful and I really found the overall vibe of the book to be witty and cute! The writing was clever with lots of humor and heart. All of the characters were fun, quirky and charming! I love the idea of an app that tells women who are and are not worth their time. That was a fun little wrapper to the overall story. There is a lot of depth to the characters and the story. I really enjoyed this one!
NOTE: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for an honest review.