Customer Reviews

Bad Boys Over Easy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Bad Boys of Brava are back in Bad Boys Over Easy. Fuzzy Logic by Erin McCarthy has Ashley Andrews taking on a second job as a part time Pleasure Party consultant. A package of sex toys is left on her hunky neighbor Lucas Manning's doorstop, he is befuddled. Lucas's natural need to know has him curious about the products and testing them out on the delightful Ashley. Fuzzy Logic is a laugh out loud story, the scenes with the products is a riot. Ashley and Lucas really steam up the pages at every turn. Erin McCarthy keeps writing such amazing stories. I love how they make laugh and then get out the fan from the steam.

Jen Nicholas writes the Cupid Curse. Valentine Lewis has had a rough love life. Given her first name and she was born on February 14. She decides to write to the headman in charge of love Cupid. Her letter falls into the hands of Gideon. Gideon isn't the best cupid yet but he tries. He aims, he fires and shoots himself. What started out as a big mistake turns into a love worth keeping. This is not your usual boy meets girl story but it works. It's light, funny and smoking hot.

Mesmerized by Jordan Summers has hypnotist Amanda Dillon making men beg for her affections. Derek Armstrong, ace journalist sets out to prove Amanda is a fake. He pretends to be under he power to get the real story. What he didn't plan on was falling for the real woman. Amanda isn't sure what to make of this man but she is falling for him but will she forgive him when she finds out the truth. Amanda and Derek connect from their first meeting, it sends sparks off the pages.

This is a great three-pack novella. Erin McCarthy is an auto buy for me and now Jen Nicholas and Jordan summers are as well.

Three tales, three talented writers add up to great fun. BRAVA is Kensington's current Romantica/Erotica line. While this book is great reading - I really enjoyed it - fans of pure Brava style might find this a little light in the erotica "heat". The writers are solid. I especially like Jen Nicholas' story. It has GREAT premise for a series, and I hope to see it done down the road. However, by Brava's hot hot hot standards, the story is slower developing. About 80-page novella and the Hero and Heroine don't meet until chapter four. I am not saying this is a fault, just a "meter" for those trying to gauge the level of their romances. If you go in wanting Red Sage level, you might be disappointed. For those of use just looking for a great sexy Romance Anthology then this is dead on target.

Jen Nicholas shows bright promise as a Romance writer. THE CUPID CURSE is engaging, breezy. She is very strong with quirky characters and an original premise that lends itself more to a sexy romance series than erotica. I hope she follows through on this premise and does some CUPID tales. We learn there is not one Cupid, but thousands. There is Cupid Central where they handle details of romances. Like a Romance Publisher who receives a flood manuscripts from hopefuls, Cupid Central is flooded with letters that are along the lines of `Dear Santa' letters, only these are `Dear Cupid, please find me the perfect man (or woman...lol). When Valentine Lewis sends in her request, they naturally sit up and take notice. Gideon is a cupid in training (along the lines of a nun - how they have novices and you get an idea of Gideon's standing in Cupid Central). This is THE case to put him over at CC and get him promoted to full Cupid. Only when he shoots his arrow meant for Valentine's chosen, he ends up accidentally shoots himself in the bum!!! Love has to ensure. The story is bright, witty, engaging, but it's until chapter for until the Heroine and Hero meet. Fine by me, but other erotica readers might get antsy. As I said, the premise is perfect for a series of stand alone titles and I hope to hear more from this talented writer.

MESMERIZED is another funny tale. Amanda Dillon has men dropping at her feet, but she discounts that as they are hypnotized at the time. The one man she wants on his knees is Derek Armstrong. Derek is a reporter and he is on the trail of the elusive Amanda and wants the scoop, even if he has to permit her to hypnotize him to get the down and dirty to prove Amanda is a scam artist. This one sizzles, as Amanda doesn't quite know what to make of the sexy reporter. A delightful tale.

FUZZY LOGIC is by Erin McCarthy and is another enjoyable tale. A bit more Brava style, this story has Ashley Andrew, confession shopaholic, is shocked when her credit cards are maxed to the limit and beyond. She is forced to take on a second job to make payments on the massive debt. She to accept a job as a Pleasure Party consultant. She accidentally leaves her case of "party favors" on the doorstep of sexy next-door neighbor, Lucas Manning. This story is a riot. Ashley and Lucas are a sexy couple, but it's the witty laugh out loud humor as Lucas feels the need to make sure Ashley is prepared to peddle the pleasure toys. McCathy's style of humor is what captivated me, leaving me looking forward to more from this writer.

So this is a SUPER anthology, thought the "heat" is light.

Brava has produced another fun "Bad Boys" anthology with Erin McCarthy headlining this time around.

"Fuzzy Logic" is the story of friends that finally realize that they are in love with each other. Well, kind of anyhow. Lucas has always known that he's loved his best friends older sister Ashley. It's now time to make Ashley realize that he is not just her brother's best friend, but the one man for her? Will she finally realize that age is not a factor and that Lucas really loves her for her?

"The Cupid Curse" is the story of Gideon a cupid in training. He has accidently shot himself with the "love" arrow that was meant for Valentine's true love. This might just be the answer to a wish rather than a true curse.

"Mesmerized" is the story of Amdana Dillion. She has more men falling in love at her feet that she can stand. Of course they are hypnotized at the time. The truth of the matter is Amanda would love for Derek to fall mesmerized at her feet but because of love not hypnotism. Will these two find love or will it just be a test of wills?

All three stories were entertaining. They are fun, light reads that are steamy and sensual. Brava has the ablitiy of turning out short stories that don't cheat the reader with content...or lack thereof. This is one read that I recommend that you add to your reading list. There fun, quick, and packed with yummy heros!

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

I read a few other books from the Bad Boys series and thought they were pretty good. This one was a disappointment. Fortunately, I picked it up at one of Border's going out of business sales and didn't spend a lot.

3.5 Erin McCarthy--Fuzzy Logic
Lucas and Ashley. He's been hot for her for years but she only sees him as her little brother's geeky friend. He opens a package on his doorstep which turns out to be for Ashley, 12 hot pink dildos. He takes the box to her apt upstairs; she's setting up for a Pleasure Party. She thinks he's just being his geeky self asking what all the different items are for, he's getting turned on and at some point she starts to notice him as a handsome man instead of her brother's friend. They get together and test out some of the party items. It was sweet, sex scenes were decent; but no conflict or danger to round it out.

2.5 Jen Nicholas--The Cupid Curse
Gideon and Val. She doesn't like men, but realizes she needs to get beyond hating them. She tells her sister she going to appeal to Cupid. She researches the subject and finds an old text that says she has to request of cupid in all seriousness, help to find the right guy. Gideon is a cupid in training. He finally gets his chance to graduate by helping Val. He screws up, when he lets his arrow fly the wind turns it around and sticks him in the butt. Silly plot, not very inspired as a paranormal story, not very hot, not very clever.

2.0 Jordan Summers--Mesmerized
Derek and Amanda. Interesting concept but poorly executed. She's an on-stage hypnotist, wildy popular shows where she gets 5 guys on stage, hypnotizes them and makes them do slightly embarrassing stuff. She never grants interviews because of what one bad interview did to her father, ruined them financially etc. Derek is a reporter, he goes to the show one night and gets picked as one of the guys. He manages not to be hypnotized and makes her all hot an bothered on stage, then pretends not to come out of the trance. It was OK up to here, but then she decides to take him home to research how to get him out of the trance. Did he come with someone? He stays with her for 4 days. Hello? No discussion of whether he has a job he should be at, is his family worried about his disappearance, what do they do all day, what does he wear--dirty underwear? They have sex of course. She takes him to his grandmother's house hoping that will bring him out of the trance and learns he's a reporter. Reasonable love scenes but even those don't save this from being so amazingly unbelievable to be enjoyed.

Bad Boys Over Easy is an anthology with stories from Erin McCarthy, Jen Nicholas, and Jordan Summers. The problem with anthologies is that it is very hard to have a well-developed plot with such short stories. Every now and then I come across a 5 star read anthology, but usually they are more like 3 and 4 star reads. This is a 4 star read. I loved the Erin McCarthy (love her books) story. Even though it was short, it was also very steamy and hot and funny too. The hero has been in love with his best friend's sister and his neighbor for years. The sparks start to fly between them when he wrongfully gets her mail by mistake. The Jen Nicholas cupid story was very cute and different. What happens if Cupid shoots himself? That is the premise of the story. I probably liked Jordan Summers story least of all. It was about a female hypnotist and a reporter who tries to prove that she is a fake. I didn't like how he pretends to be hypnotized to be able to have more time with her. That makes him the faker not her.

Since I'm one of the authors of this book (Jen Nicholas - THE CUPID CURSE), I have to say it's awesome!!

Seriously, it's got three great stories, and if you like hot & spicy romance (with, at least with my story, some paranormal thrown in), then you'll love BBOE!

"Fuzzy Logic" by Erin McCarthy. The package contained adult sex toys that should have went to his best friend Pleasure Party advisor Ashley Andrews, but a mistake delivered it to scholarly Lucas Marcus instead. Lucas realizes his friend has a thriving business over the Internet, but he wants to change their relationship by making him her sex toy. .

"Cupid Curse" by Jen Nicholas. Lonely and despondent Valentine Lewis, named for her holiday being her birthday, pleads with Cupid to send her true love to her. Cupid's apprentice over a century old Gideon intercepts the entreaty. Felling capable of handling the assignment, Gideon visits Valentine only to find he no longer wants to be a virgin as he desires the mortal; she reciprocates.

"Mesmerized" by Jordan Summers. Performer Amanda Dillon hypnotizes men in her act making them desire her. Journalist Derek Armstrong joins the audience to prove she is a fake. However, this time she is unable to bring the hunk out of his trance. Show over, she takes him with her to her home so that she can undo what she did to Derek, who shammed going under, but instead finds he is mesmerized by real desire.

These three erotic romances will hypnotize readers with fine erotic tales in which Cupid would agree that love is illogically fuzzy but searing fun.

Harriet Klausner

This book was so bad, I am now turned off from the whole "Bad Boys" series. They have gotten progressively worse, and this one took the cake. While the first story was actually readable and somewhat believable, the last two stories felt more like an insult to my intelligence. The "Bad Boys" series has lost a customer unless I know and like at least one of the authors from previous books.