Bad Fix

Yearn for ... #1

by Allie Kinsley

Faith:

I used to be a good girl—believe it or not. Used to bend over backwards to make my parents proud. Did whatever I could to please my ex. It was all for nothing—because I've hit rock bottom.

Maybe even below rock bottom.

The only way to get away from everyone and everything is to get the hell out of dodge—so that's what I do. I start over someplace new, someplace big—a needle in a haystack.

A new life in New York requires money, so I walk into the first bar I see and ask for a job.

Adam owns the place. Six-foot-something, with sleeves of tattoos and a panty-dropping smile, he’s what I’d call a hunk. In a different time, I would have done anything to make him mine. But that was then…and this is now. He agrees to give me a job, but that look in his eyes tells me he wants to give me more than that.

Too bad I’m done with men. I don’t need another man to break me.

I need a man to fix me—and this guy is a bad fix.


Adam:

I hire Faith and stare at her every chance I get. Drop-dead gorgeous but dead behind the eyes. Interesting mix.

I can feel the spark between us like a lightning strike, but she pretends it’s not there. My charm and smile wins over every woman I’ve ever wanted—but not this one. They say people put up walls. Well…Faith puts up skyscrapers. I could save myself time and hassle and move onto someone else…but I don’t want to.

Then I realize the truth—she’s scared.

Scared that I’ll hurt her.

Like all men, I’ve done things I’m not proud of. Said things I shouldn’t have. But I would never do those things to her.

Not when I can see she's already been broken into a million pieces. Not when she's skittish at the slightest touch. Not when she's taken every single measure to be invisible, like shave her head, hide her curves under baggy clothes, do everything she possibly can to hide how utterly beautiful she is. I'd have to be blind not to see it.

I want to fix her. I want to bring life back to her eyes. A smile to her lips.

But how do I convince her to let me?

Genres: Contemporary

422 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2015

Reviews

[Izzie d · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somehow I'm not sure why I was sent this as an ARC.

This book is not for me.
It's dual POV.
I felt the chapters at the start were very short so it felt it jumped back and forth in POV too quickly.

There is no emotional exploration of the situation from the past, he gets angry at her, she shaves her head and shouts get away from me, don't put your hands on me, giving mixed signals, but it doesn't really explore the issues or give depth to the explanation.

For the safety gang.
The Hero and heroine kiss, she stops it, she's obviously had a traumatic sexual experience in her past so like the man child he is he then meets a random and has a ONS with her.

DNF.

[Coral · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read romance novels for their entertainment factor. It's my way of getting away.
I had a hard time getting into this book because it was a choppy read. Every chapter went back and forth between the central characters (Faith and Adam). Because of this the character development felt choppy as well. \Trying to understand how they were even attracted to one another was difficult. On the surface, they are both somewhat damaged, which makes for an excellent start of a steamy read, but it never quite connects the dots. I mean Faith has been traumatized yet she will get aroused at seemingly inappropriate times and there did not seem to be any thread with the traumatizing moment and the need to connect with Adam. The resolution is a bit strange because it starts so late in the book (75% in) so you know it will be a rushed finish. I wanted to like this book, but it was too choppy for my tastes.

[Vinia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC for review. The relationship between Adam and Faith wasn’t rushed and I liked that. However, I didn’t quite like how Faith having gone through what she had gone through that a bar is her profession of choice. I think there’s a lot more options out there that wouldn’t place her in a position to constantly be triggered.

The book starts of in the present and it covers some of the historical context needed but I wished those were more developed like more about Adam’s family and Faith’s family. There’s a lot of pain there and angst that could have been explored.

The trial was glazed over and I think that’s a really important part of the book that should have been keyed in. But in the end justice prevailed. Good riddance.

Overall, it’s a good book. Can’t wait to see what happens to Lilly and Slade.

[Lissie Reince · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wish this had been written in first person instead of third. Felt like it was written by a robot. No emotion, things happen fast with little to no detail. Felt very detached like you were hearing this story from an outside source instead of being immersed in it. I would skip this one.

[Chelsea Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!
Faith, the heroine, is broken and doesn't feel comfortable in her own skin. It goes as far as losing too much weight, shaving her head, and becoming as unappealing as possible in her baggy clothing. Something traumatic has happened to her but it's not revealed until later in the book. Faith walks into a hole in the wall bar and meets Adam, the owner. Faith says Adam is the type of guy she'd normally go after, but now all she wants to do is hide and not appeal to anyone. Adam hires Faith after looking into her lifeless eyes, and he can tell something has happened to her in her past also.
They have obvious chemistry, and Adam just can't stay away from her, so much that he just has to kiss her one night, where Faith freaks out and runs away.
After their awkward kiss they find a common ground as friends and start to become really close, where Adam makes sure to greet Faith with a hug and kiss when she comes in and out of work. Faith is obviously hunted by her demons and wants to impress Adam, so she tries to make herself look good for him. They eventually sleep together, where Faith decides it was just a one night stand and dips after he falls asleep. Adam isn't to happy about her impression that its a one time thing or that she left, and he's furious. He tells her that she isn't a one night stand at all cares for her.

Adam talks Faith off the ledge so many times and brings her back to reality and grounds her. He gets her trust him and becomes her saving grace. Faith finally tells Adam what happened to her on his birthday, after a similar occurrence happened to the day she was sexually assaulted. Her then boyfriend, Paul, and his two other friends S.A. Faith brutally and drugged her one night after drinking where Faith was flirting with his friends playfully. Her parents told her it was her fault for acting the way she did and to get over it. She instead had a mental breakdown and shaved her head and lost a lot of weight. Paul had high influence everywhere, and after Adam talks Faith into going after him, it becomes even harder for her to get justice.

This was a sweet story about a man and a woman helping each other through hard times, shitty parents, and traumatic events. It shows how Adam helps Faith through her assault by remaining patient with her but pushing her now and then to get her to face her demons. It was spicy in some parts, I'd say like 2/5 spicy.
"Its still not enough, but I don't have the words to describe how incredibly perfect you are. Most of all, your heart."


***Arc was provided by Hartrow Review Team

[Kristi L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book a few days before available on Kindle Unlimited in exchange for an honest review.

Short review: I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of contemporary romance.

Longer version: Usually when reading a new author it takes a chapter or two to get the feel for their writing style and really enjoy it - not with this book. 'Bad Fix' was my first Allie Kinsley book, but right away it felt super comfortable and engaging. Once I started it was hard to put down (stayed up way too late reading, hard to get up and get the kids to school the next day.)

Kinsley took the time to flesh out the main characters enough to understand why they wanted to be together - no they met Friday, are miraculously in love by Saturday. Too many authors forget to "show not tell" as if repeating "he was in awe because she was the most strong and amazing woman ever" could make a reader care about a character. Kinsley gave her characters a reasonable difficulty and made them work their way through.

I look forward to reading the next book in the set.

[Dawn Cipressi-Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Fix is the first book for a new author, Allie Kinsley. I thought it was a good start to her trilogy. The book was a little slow to start with but it definitely picked up. Beware there is a dark back story to the main character Faith.

Faith is looking to escape and get a new start. Her new life begins when she gets a job at a bar. What I'm sure she wasn't expecting was to meet Adam. Adam is exactly what she needs and he pushes all her boundaries. I really love him for Faith. We get to see how important he is; not only as her boyfriend but as her support system.

While the storyline is solid and well written; I'm giving this book 3 stars. I felt that there was too much shoved into the book. How much drama can two people really have? I felt like it was so slow starting but then the end was really rushed and glanced over. It was a good casual read and I will definitely read the next book in the series.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great debut

Rating: 3.5

I thought this was a good debut novel. The story was quite interesting; two unsuspecting single people meet and then realize that they can't do without each other.

Faith is looking to start over, she moves to New York and needs to find a job. In order to keep a low profile she decides she would prefer to work in a bar. There is something though that she is hiding, it can be seen in the way she dresses and behaves.

When Faith meets Adam, life starts to change for her. She makes a friend and so much more that is entailed in the story.

Adam has his faults, but he seemed to know that Faith was hurting and he wanted to be the one to help. While battling his demons, he is also trying to show Faith that he is a good person and does not want to use her.

I thought the story was quite interesting. I enjoyed how they both related, got to know each other and stand strong together. Their chemistry was a nice slow burn.

[M Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This interesting love story developes from physical attraction through trust and vulnerability to dedication and devotion. The story switches narrative voices between Faith and Adam, both with pain from their past that needs to be shared to find healing. I appreciate the real struggle of developing a relationship which Allie portrayed through the story arch, and there were a few twists I did not see coming.

As Faith seeks to start a new chapter in her life, trying to heal from physical and emotional pain is proving difficult, until she meets Adam. Slowly he gently deconstructs her walls and shows his heart and dedicated protection, while she offers a balm to his soul. While he encourages her to address her past he provides support that builds her strength and confidence, finding that they are better as a team and healing many old wounds.

Note to the reader, there are triggers in this book, so please read responsibily with a prepared mind.

[Gabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had a slow start for me. Once the plot thickens it picks up the pace and the story unfolds rather quickly. But I felt this was rushed towards the latter end of the book more so than being spread throughout the story to grip the reader. It was a bit of a bummer because I did want more of a backstory when initially starting off instead of feeling rushed with quite a bit of information closer to the end of the book. I guess this adds the overall mystery of what is really taking place with Faith and her developing relationship with Adam. I did like the characters but felt it was a bit harder for me to connect with each of them initially and keep me from putting the book down due to the pace that was set at the beginning.

I think the story itself was good and the characters relatable overall. Will definitely read the second book once that is available!

[Sara Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Fix follows a girl who experienced traumatic events who, after running away from everyone she knows, meets a boy with troubled past. The love they build helps them overcome obstacles and bring Justice where it’s needed.

Despite its cute and tragic story line
the story fell flat for me lacking emotions and feelings. I didn’t feel the passion or desire due to it feeling rushed and monotone. There was so much happening with such little detail, the intimate and spicy scenes felt out of place and rushed. Perhaps if it was written in first person instead of third a deeper connection to the characters could have been developed.

[Roseann Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could give 3.5 I would. It was a decent story but the 3rd person writing really bugged me. It made it lack really immersing myself in the story. There wasn't much character build imo so I wasnt ever able to feel a strong attachment to the characters. Some parts of the book seemed to skip over quickly while other parts drawn on. The suspense was there making you wonder what happened to faith. It's sad what happened to her and you do appreciate adam being so supportive and patient and definitely want justice for her.

[Tiffanie Emans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was perfect. From the female main character and male main character to the story line. The story was light and passed so quickly. This book is absolutely perfect for any occasion, whether as a break peice from a book you've read recently or getting back into the groove of reading again.

It does have some trigger warnings:
-r*pe
-arson
-voilence
-blackmail
-mental health of FMC

There maybe be more that I have missed. But I didn't see these posted anywhere prior to picking up the book or in the book.

But moving on, the only thing that could've made the story line better was either an extended ending or maybe there is gonna be another book.....it does have a happy ending thought. There will be a 2nd book in the series so maybe Faith and Adam's story will continue in book 2 even if they aren't the main focus.

[Michelle Branco · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish the book was written in Faith’s and Adams POV vs Third person. It made it harder to follow the storyline ( a bit choppy). Also, didn’t feel like the characters emotionally story was explored deeply or soon enough, as a reader i wanted to know more (in depth) about Faith and Adam’s family life…didn’t get that really in the chapters. Although I liked how Adam stood by Faith, being a supportive person for her. Adam’s character was great as was Faith’s to to Adam during their family involvements. Felt that emotion came across very well in the chapters.

[Mindi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea for the storyline was good, but the end product was lacking in so many ways. There was so connection built between the characters. I love an author who makes me feel the story…there were zero feels with this one. At around 80%, I actually left this story & read 4 other books by one of my favorite authors & there is just no comparison. I really did have to make myself come back & finish bc I did receive an ARC so felt it was my duty. Overall, it felt like a very amateur attempt.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC for my honest review. book was a good start for the author, it kept me interested from the beginning. I liked Faith and Adam, but storyline was somewhat predictable. I would have liked to see more of a backstory on some of the other characters like Allie, she was Faiths best friend, but wasn’t mentioned very much in this book. But other than that it was a good start I would recommend it to other readers.

[Shae Coon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good bad boy and Adam was born for the role.
Faith is a grumpy chick with a chip on her soldier, but with her past who would blame her. She doesn't give in to Adams charms like all the other women, but eventually attraction always wins.
A Spicy, decadent story.
Why 4 Stars then?
I felt the book could have been much shorter and the author tended to use too much filler.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, a bit slow to start with but then once you got into the story, I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a strong read and can be quite distressing but I was gripped.
Faith is all alone and is punishing herself and won’t go or be near anyone. Till she gets a job at a bar and then Adam tried to help Faith and make her believe in herself.
A good story and very powerful.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received ARC copy for a up and coming new author. The story was good but I felt a prologue for Faith would have been helpful. The characters need more history and the story seemed rushed. I also thought it jumped from each characters narrative too quickly. I am looking forward to the second book in hopes it develops better.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out really slow. It was hard to keep reading it that is why it took me a few weeks to finally finish it. It would of been better if what happened to Faith was told before the story started. Once the story finally got going after reading the same thing chapter after chapter I then did like the story between Faith and Adam.

[Debra K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very good story but the only thing, for me that is, the story felt too rushed
It would have been nice to experience each and every moment in the book fully. If felt like as soon as something big happened it was rushed to the next thing
I’d read more books from this author because I’d want to see how she grows
The story was good in some very ways it was heart-wrenchingly good

[tastewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this author! Pretty good! I like how it was a standalone book with no cliffhangers. Faith is “damaged” by her past but she has a good man to help her deal with it. Good story with a few unexpected twists. Quite a few biblical names, Faith, Adam, Peter, Paul, Lilly….wonder if that was on purpose? Anyway, the story was good and I will definitely read others from her.

[Candace Adams Mize · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great story about a woman who wnt through a terrible situation. She worked hard to rebuild her life. Adam helped her more than he could know to become the woman she wanted to be. I did feel there were moments when the story seemed choppy and jumped around. But overall, it was well done.

[Amanda Ellington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think readers looking for something that's quick and easy to read, this is a solid option. The backstory is a little dark, which is something I enjoy in a book. I found the dialogue to be a bit stiff at times, but overall an entertaining read.

[Cyrelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC. I thought the book will be a slow burn on how slow it started in the beginning however it felt rushed midway. It would have been better if the trial was included though the conclusion with Peter is satisfying.

Interested to see how the other stories will play out.

[B E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith needs to start over and goes to NY. She needs money and walks in to Adam’s bar looking for work. He hires her and is also interested. Faith says she’s done with men, has had trauma in her past. What will the future hold for them?

[Michele Bovasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. A very hot story. Loved Adam and Faith I thought those two where a perfect match for each other. Hot guy falls for good girl turned dark. I won’t spoil the book but once you start reading it, you won’t be able to put it down. Enjoy

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book for the most part. I had one main issue. I felt like the first part of the book went really slow then towards the end it felt rushed. If anything it would have been nice to have two books instead ending it so abruptly.

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad fix is from a new author who is still learning what her fans like. I like the story overall. It’s a slow burn but it has the making to be a good trilogy. I look forward to seeing her grow and become an even better author.

[Natalie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much that I could say about this book. Once I picked it up I was unable to put it down! The way the author developed the story makes you feel like you're inside of it. The passion, love and mystery all play well together to build a fantastic story with a great ending.