Customer Reviews

She Did A Bad, Bad Thing (Harlequin Blaze)

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

 

 

Plain mousy Jane Kurtz's life turns upside down when she learns that she's won a multi million dollar lottery. Desperate to release her inner wild child and get the hell out of dodge and her jerk neighbor, she packs up and jumps on the next plane to Vegas. For a fabulous makeover, some fun and lots of fornication!

Lawyer Perry Bower didn't hit off well with his new neighbor. Not only did he irritate her by playing loud music, but he also created some obnoxious noises of his own with his date. And he downright insulted her behind her back. He new she heard it all and has been guilt ridden since seeing her obviously red I've-been-crying-all-night eyes the next morning. And he doesn't know why, but something about her sadness/loneliness bothers him inside and he wants to make it up to her. And now he's got to follow her to Vegas to do it.

Basically a make-over story where the plain heroine changes her hair and clothes and then all of a sudden is gorgeous. Only then does the hero notice her. Normally I like these kinds of books, but this one I didn't. I simply could not get past the hero's behavior in the first few pages of the book. He was such a complete jerk to the heroine. I couldn't possibly accept that he really was this great lawyer that helped out the 'little guys'; A person who saw beneath the exterior of Jane to the real lovely women she is. I tried, I really did, but the first impressions were just seared into my head throughout the entire read. If you can get past it, more power to you. Too bad because I absolutely loved Bond's (author) other Blaze book 'Just Dare Me'.

Jane Kurtz is a homely little geek who works as a makeup artist for her best friend Eve's daytime talk show. Perry Brewer is a beer-drinking, Kayla-screwing, collector-ducking attorney who's recently moved in next door. When Perry's sexcapades interrupt Jane's favorite nighttime soap, she pays him a visit to give him a piece of her mind. He retaliates by calling her names even a fourth-grader would scoff at, but for some reason Jane spends the next fifty pages crying and being woe. Then she wins the lottery, flies to Vegas, bleaches her hair, and--since Perry, feeling equally woe about having hurt Jane's feelings, has followed her to keep her away from loan sharks and Celine Dion--takes part in a fourway.

As other reviewers mentioned, Perry's first impression doesn't jibe with his taking on a pro bono case that nearly bankrupts him. His behaviour to Jane is beyond rude. I hate seeing women appear to have no self esteem.
The thing that bothered me about the book the most was the sub plot of these three friends, who played the lottery together, and one storms out a year earlier and isn't in the book until the last chapter, wanting her share. It isn't part of the story, and it doesn't get resolved before the book very abruptly ends. It appears that Perry is going to save Jane, after she finds her own sense of independence.
It made no sense to me to include that, and then leave it hanging, it is as if the author remembered what she had set up in the first chapter, and went oh oh, I have to tie this up in the next four pages but didn't.

Not a very satisfactory read from an author who usually produces.

Plain Jane is how Jane Kurtz has always seen herself. She has been content to stand behind the scenes and let others have the limelight. In fact, she has prided herself in helping them look fantastic while doing it. But, now she is not as content as she once was. She seems to be stuck in a rut and when she overhears her new neighbor insult her; she realizes it is time to make some changes. When she wins the lottery she really lets loose and decides to let her "inner wild child out" and boy does she do it with gusto. But, what is Perry, the sexy neighbor who now feels like a heel about insulting her and even worse that she heard him, to do as he finds himself attracted to her. Well he follows her to Vegas for one thing and makes her a proposition she is unable to turn down. But, are they both in it for more than one weekend only? And what will happen if her well-meaning friends jump to the wrong conclusion about Perry and is it all just too good to be true?

Some might think She Did A Bad, Bad Thing by letting out her inner wild child. But I think others, as I did, will cheer that Jane is finally letting loose and stepping way outside of her comfort zone. Though it does help quite a bit that she just won the lottery with coworkers but still her spur of the moment trip was definately the wild child within. I think Ms. Bond had a fun time poking fun at a number of stereotypes in this story as well as writing about the dangers of making a judgment without knowing most of the facts. As you expect with a Blaze romance this one lives up to its name and the main characters do manage to heat up the sheets a time or two. Overall I found She Did A Bad, Bad Thing to be fun, sexy read. You will enjoy this story.

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I wasn't very impressed with this book. The hero was rude to the heroine in the beginning of the story, then suddenly decides he wants to protect her? Not very realistic. I also didn't like that the heroine was so lacking in self-confidence.

I agree with the previous reviewer who said they couldn't get past the first few pages when the hero was being a jerk. As if someone like that could be a turn on, no matter how hot he supposedly is. Drop this.

Sometimes I don't like a Blaze book too much because they seem so implausible and mostly about sex, but I enjoyed this one. I liked plain Jane's transformation and sexy Perry's beginning turn around toward his neighbor BEFORE she was so hot. I felt a little disappointed not to know what happened with the lottery case...oh well. Stephanie does a great job telling an entertaining story that light enough to be fun and just deep enough to be believed.