Bad Boys Do (Donovan Family) [Mass Market Paperback]

Victoria Dahl (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 27, 2011 | Series: Donovan Family

Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it's time to grow up. He's even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sparkling, special and oh so sexy-Victoria Dahl is a special treat!"

-New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips on Talk Me Down

"Sassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down is one delicious joyride of a book."

-New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway

"Dahl smartly wraps up a winning tale full of endearing oddballs, light mustery and plenty of innuendo and passion." -Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down

"[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters."

-Booklist on Start Me Up

About the Author

Victoria Dahl lives with her family in a small town high in the mountains. Her first novel debuted in 2007, and she’s gone on to write seventeen books and novellas in historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance. Victoria's contemporary romance, Talk Me Down, was nominated for both a RWA Rita Award and the National Readers' Choice Award. Since then, her books have been nominated for two more Rita Awards, and she hit the USA Today Bestseller list with the anthology Midnight Kiss.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (September 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780373776023
• ISBN-13: 978-0373776023
• ASIN: 0373776020
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Divorce

More About the Author

Victoria Dahl lives with her family in a small town high in the Utah mountains. During the summer, she hikes and drinks margaritas (usually not at the same time.) During the winter she likes to curl up with a book and a cup of hot cocoa and think about all those poor, freezing skiers working so hard out in the snow. Victoria has published over eighteen books and novellas, including three USA Today bestsellers, and several of her books have been nominated for the prestigious RITA® Award for excellence in the romance genre.

Find out more about Victoria and her books at www.VictoriaDahl.com or write to her at [e-mail].

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta Love Jamie! September 27, 2011

By Sonoma Lass

Format:Mass Market Paperback

BAD BOYS DO is my favorite book of this trilogy; the other two were good reads, but this one really resonated for me. I have to say up front that some of that is personal -- Olivia really struck a nerve for me. She's a divorced academic, in an adjunct teaching position where she's underpaid and at the bottom of the college pecking order. Why? Because she was married to a full-time professor in the department, and she got rather stuck in a rut there playing second fiddle to him and his career. So yeah, been there, done that, got a whole drawer full of t-shirts; I feel Olivia, I really do. But I think most readers will feel where she's coming from, even if they haven't been there themselves, because Victoria Dahl writes her so well. It is tough starting over single when you've been part of a couple, and it's hard sticking to your resolution to get on with your life when your former spouse exploits his knowledge of you and the good aspects of your years together to try to get you back. Ahem.

Jamie Donovan, the book's hero, is a delight. He's a breath of fresh air for Olivia -- younger, full of plans and dreams, and (of course) damn sexy. Olivia is sexy too, but she doesn't realize it or celebrate it, because until now she's been a one-man woman. She gets much-needed confidence from how strongly Jamie is attracted to her, and taking the risks involved in being with him are huge growth steps for her. And she challenges Jamie, in different ways; they are good together and good for each other, and I never doubted for a minute that they belonged together.

Jamie is the misunderstood Donovan sibling. He has a party animal image and a love-'em-and-leave-'em reputation that really aren't deserved, but then he hasn't done much to counteract them, either. He wants to be taken more seriously, especially regarding his role in the family business, but he has quite a bit of insecurity of his own to deal with. Olivia believes in him, and she has the knowledge to help him with the business plan he wants to develop, so they form a partnership on a number of levels. It's nice in an older woman-younger man story that there's more going on than sexual attraction fairly early in the relationship.

One twist I really appreciated in this book was the issue of Jamie's sexual exploitation. Jamie is the face of the family brewpub, the head bartender, and he often works the bar in a kilt. His sister Tessa, in charge of publicity and promotion, has a Twitter account for the pub, from which she tweets messages as if she were Jamie. These are flirtatious little tidbits, designed to bring in customers, but sometimes Jamie is dismayed by what she gets him into. When he steps up and insists on controlling his own image, I gave a victory shout. It's a terrific gender role reversal, and yet the point is true for both men and women.

The middle book is sometimes tough to write, but Dahl crafts her overall story arc well. The issues between the siblings shift and build in this book, and some progress is made, but it's clear at the end that these Donovans have some work still to do in the area of family harmony.

As with other Dahl books, this one had me laughing, crying, and -- well, I won't say "panting," but certainly reacting to pretty steamy writing in places

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Discovering what's under that kilt September 27, 2011

By akb--bookworm VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

4-1/2 Stars

Jamie Donovan really isn't a bad boy, but nobody wants to hear any different, especially his older brother, Eric. He's ready to grow up and be taken seriously, if only someone would listen. Jamie is sure he's found that someone in Olivia Bishop, and older divorcée who also happens to be his teacher at a summer course he is taking in order to research a business idea. Olivia's ex-husband told her she is no fun, which is unfortunately true since she put her life on hold to be a wife. Olivia is determined to regain her identity and have fun again, and who better than notorious bad boy Jamie Donovan?

There really is only one word to describe this book: fun. It was just so fun. I loved how Jamie and Olivia converse. It wasn't banter; it was conversation with humor and inside jokes. Even their romantic scenes had laughter and amusement. This book isn't filled with one liners and snark; it was filled with real life laughter.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Olivia. We meet her as she goes to her first "Girls Night Out" after her divorce. She comes off as shy, reserved, and totally the opposite of Jamie. But, her teacher persona starts to shed as we get to know her and she starts to date Jamie. She's a bit paranoid after her divorce when she realizes that she gave up everything for her ex-husband and his likes, his wishes, and his dreams. Add to the fact that she's 5 years older than Jamie and "no fun" and she thinks dating Jamie could only be a short term thing. She's been out of the dating world, so she makes a lot of assumptions of how it all works now...which leads to some misunderstandings and funny situations.

Jamie had been portrayed as the bad boy with a revolving door on his bedroom. He hasn't done much to correct that perception because every time he has tried people just scoff at him. His brother Eric is pretty hard on him, but Jamie hasn't given him much reason to take him seriously. But when Jamie really tries to step it up, Eric throws everything back at him. Because of this dysfunctional family dynamic, Jamie doesn't show anyone his true self...except for Olivia. We finally get to see "under the kilt" and see what Jamie is really like. He's tired of his sister's coddling, of his brother's disapproval, and most of all that of people's perception that he's only a kilt-wearing beer-slinging man woman feel they can grope because he's nice.

I loved the development of both Jamie and Olivia's characters. They both have so much room for growth. Their romance was so fun and hot at the same time.

We still get to see Tessa and Luke from Good Girls Don't (Hqn), and I love that they both act like themselves! Life is still moving forward for the Donovan siblings, but it doesn't involve sunshine, roses, rainbows, and unicorns. Everything felt real.

We got another glimpse of Eric as it relates to Beth, the owner of the sex store "The White Orchid" whom he had a one-night stand with in the prequel. Oh Eric! I can't wait for you to show up to Sunday Dinner with Beth on your arm. This is going to be delicious.

The Donovan Brothers Brewery Series
"Just One Taste" in The Guy Next Door: Ready, Set, Jett\Gail's Gone Wild\Just One Taste (Hqn)
Good Girls Don't (Hqn)
BAD BOYS DO
Real Men Will (Hqn)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another hit from Victoria Dahl!! September 27, 2011

By Kati

Format:Kindle Edition

Oh that Jamie Donovan. *sigh*

Here's 5 reasons why he makes me sigh:
1. He looks good in and out of a kilt.
2. He's a great instructor of fun.
3. He's good with his hands; in bed and putzing about the house.
4. For telling a joke or kissing him, first pint's half price.
5. He's charming, approachable and totally panty dropping worthy.

Previously in GOOD GIRLS DON'T, we meet Jamie Donovan who has completely screwed up. He slept with the daughter of the man that the brewery was planning on doing business with and on top of that, the woman he slept with steals the security code so her brother could break in to the brewery to steal sensitive information. Jamie has a rocky relationship with his brother Eric and still thinks of his sister, Tessa, as an innocent little girl.

All his life, he's felt like a no-good screw up and finally wants to be more than the bad boy who the ladies swoon over when he's wearing his kilt. He's ready to take on more responsibility at the brewery besides being bartender, server and 1/3 owner, and he's got a plan. A really good one. He secretly takes a class on food and beverage management to help him with his plan.

Olivia Bishop doesn't know what fun is. You wouldn't either if you were married to some stuck up tenure chasing professor. Of course, Olivia is no longer married to Victor who she walked in on going at it with a student. Yikes! She's ready to discover who the real Olivia is and well, learning to have fun with Jamie seems like a good way to start.

In exchange for Jamie teaching Olivia how to have fun, she would help him with his plan to expand the brewery into a brewpub. And cue in the bow chicka wow wow music. Insert hot for teacher joke here.

Olivia and Jamie enter into a deliciously hot sexual relationship (hello mirror!) and must deal with creepy, possessive ex-husband Victor, Olivia's insecurity about her age and Jamie's volatile relationship regarding the expansion of the brewery with Eric while trying to deny their growing emotional attraction to each other and pfft-ing it off as hot and heavy sexual attraction. Didja get all that?

Tessa's book (GOOD GIRLS DON'T) was pretty hot but Jamie's book (BAD BOYS DO) was hotter. I'm sure Eric's will be the hottest. Ms. Dahl makes me smile every time I read one of her books and BAD BOYS DO is no different. I lust Jamie Donovan. He's a bad boy with a good heart. (Wait, is that like a hooker with a heart of gold?) Anyway, this hot for teacher, older woman/younger man story is well done. Okay, hot for instructor if you want to get technical. Olivia sort of annoyed me when she kept emphasizing on their age difference but I grew to like her. This book is sexy, funny and heart warming at times. P.S. I wanted to punch Victor in the face and may have cheered when Jamie did. :)

***Requested off of NetGalley. Review originally posted at Romancing Rakes***