Requested and received an ARC from NetGalley

When I requested this I thought I would enjoy this far more than I did. I like friends to lovers, Vegas trips, hockey and drunken nuptials. Cassie and Chase are likeable, but the story is so focused on them and there's so little growth or character development, that the story itself is almost too simplistic. It would easily be an afternoon beach read with a simple plot and hot sex. For whatever reason I stopped reading just over halfway through and forgot about it entirely for over a month. The only reason I finished it was because I saw it was still on my shelf on NetGalley when I went to submit a review for a different book. I had to go back and skim the first half because I had no memory of it. None. It's a perfectly pleasant read, but there's nothing truly memorable about it other than the sex scenes, although I have to give kudos for the epilogue. Well done. For me this is the kind of book just made for KindleUnlimited...enjoyable to read but not necessarily one you'd have any desire to read again.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed being introduced to a new to me author. I love sports romance and this one did not disappoint...the chemistry was there which kept me turning the page. Cannot wait to read more. Thank you!

Bad Reputation
Bad Boys of Sport #1
Nicole Edwards
4.5 Stars ✨

Another one that made it to my favorites list. A cute and sexy sports romance where What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas isn't always the case. I love it when best friends turn into lovers. I can't wait to get my hands on more books by Nicole Edwards. She has a very easy to read writing style and you can get lost in her books right from the beginning.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

From the very first chapter I enjoyed this book. I found Sin to be funny and the relationship that he had with Cassie to be enjoyable. I always enjoy a good friends to lovers story, so this was up my alley. I do think that it wrapped up a bit too perfectly/quickly at the end, but part of that was because I didn't want it to be over.

This was my first Nicole Edwards novel, but I'm happy to say that it won't be my last. I enjoy sports romances, and this one was a friends to lovers story.

Both of the main characters, Chase and Cassie, were flawed in ways that made them more interesting. Chase as a bad boy of hockey was quite likable, and he complemented Cassie's slightly more uptight personality in a good way.

No spoilers here, but Chase really showed the depth of his feelings for his best friend turned lover when she needed him most, and that made him all the more attractive. Cassie's error in judgement, however, made her more human and approachable. This couple worked well together on many levels.

In addition to a good story, there was a lot of steam. Once this couple hit the sheets, they got busy, busy, busy. Whew!

Bottom line: you get two themes wrapped in one and that is sports and friends becoming lovers. It's a win-win situation for all readers.

While there is nothing wrong with this book, as I read it in one sitting, the constant use of "friend zone" was grating and often took me out of the story which I was enjoying.

I loved this book. The characters were fun to read about. The story was captivating. I would recommend this to anyone who asks for a GREAT book to read. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

This is the first book that I have read by this author but it won't be the last. I loved this story! I loved the chemistry between Chase and Cassie. They were wonderful together. Read this book..I highly recommend it.

Bad Reputation was a sweet, friends to lovers story with some smoking hot steamy scenes. Chase and Cassie have been friends for years, until one trip to Vegas changes things drastically. I loved Chase's character throughout the book, and both main characters were easy to relate to. And oh boy was their chemistry off the freaking charts. The book was funny, sweet, nostalgic, sexy and hopeful. This was my first Nicole Edwards book and I loved it. I read it in one sitting as I could not put it down. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This is the first book in this series by this author. This is a friends to lovers story which will have you hooked from the first page. This is a really fun sweet read with the added hunky hockey players. The characters in this book are really well developed and had fantastic banter between them. I really enjoyed the characters they made the story seem real. I can't wait to read more in this series and by this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

I was quite enjoying this friends-to-lover story about a bad-boy hockey star and his best friend since college. Cassie is a brilliant, hard-working executive for some indeterminate tech firm. She and Chase have a great relationship. Then he accompanies her to Vegas for her firm’s big roll-out of their new product. And they act as people do in Vegas, or at least as book characters do in Vegas. I mean, if you have a couple in Las Vegas in a romance novel, you know what is going to happen.

Spoiler alert:

Then we’re supposed to believe that this very intelligent and dedicated, mature woman does something disastrously stupid. I didn’t buy it and, frankly, I didn’t enjoy reading about it. It was rather like a nightmare when something goes terribly wrong and you can’t stop it. Since it’s a romance, you know things are going to work out, but I really lost all patience with these characters for the mistake they made. I didn’t enjoy reading it as it happened or feel all that much for her after she made this mistake. I really just wanted to skip ahead to the ending and that isn’t what I read novels for. I just wish that Nicole Edwards had picked a different plotline to help this couple find their HEA.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable friends to lovers story. I will say I was expecting more of a bad boy in Chase but he was actually a really nice guy and I liked that about him. I love sports romance books and the ones that don't have a player H are always a nice surprise. Cassie was a likeable heroine. She was smart and beautiful, if maybe a little to prim. However, she sure loosened up when they finally got together. I'm not always sold on the friends to lovers scenario but the author did a good job with the reasons they were friends for so long. It made sense and worked for this book.

No cheating or abuse and very mild other woman/men drama. ARC provided by NetGalley.

This is my first Nicole Edwards book and I'll definitely be back for more!!

I love Chase and Cassie in this fun, sexy friends to lovers romance! Chase and Cassie are best friends in every sense of the word and I adored their relationship. Chase is one bad ass hockey player and Cassie is a brilliant executive and their friendship, then relationship, was amazing!

But when they go to Vegas.....all bets are off and this book gets hot as hell! I loved it!

Bad Reputation is a wonderful book and I look forward to more from Nicole Edwards!!

Friendship, love, fear....those are the things this book is based on. A hockey bad boy & a button upped corporate executive who are best friends move through their relationship with a definite ease until one working trip to Las Vegas turns everything on end for them. After a night spent drinking & coming up with stories for each couple they see in the hotel bar, Chase & Cassie unknowingly at first make a huge change to their relationship. Still unaware of the change to their relationship they embark on the physical aspect that they've been denying themselves but it has devastating consequences. Now with things changing the fear of losing the one most important person in their lives brings it all to a screeching halt & the admission that they never thought they'd make..... they did the unthinkable and fell in love. This book was very funny with Chase's devil may care personally & Cassie's need to egg Chase on & also how they each tried to find the perfect person for the other (with some hilarious situations). It was sweet in the love & friendship these two shared for so many years, and it was wonderfully heartbreaking when neither knew how to put their friendship back on track or how to tell the other how they really felt. I laughed, I cried & I didn't want to put this book down. Definitely recommend to read.

Enjoyed this book and the chemistry between the 2 characters

ARC given by Netgalley and author/publisher for honest review.

I have read a few books by Nicole Edwards.. this is probably one of my faves! I absolutely loved this book. I love the whole friends to lovers. You don’t want to risk the friendship but what if…
Bad Reputation is funny, laugh out loud with a whole lot of sexiness all wrapped up in a hot as hell book.
Chase and Cassie have been Best Friends since the start of college. Chase has always had a thing for Cassie but she pretty much put a stop to that in the beginning.. pretty much friend-zoning him.
Chase is known for being the Bad Boy of Hockey.. I mean how else would he get the name SIN. His opponents hate him and the women love him..
Cassie is the VP at a High Tech Company.. and she is at a point in her life that she is ready to start the whole settle down process.. she just needs to put herself out there.. but she is afraid considering her mother’s past.
When a HUGE and I mean HUGE opportunity opens up for Cassie (her being asked to give the Keynote Speech for her company..)and it sends her to Vegas.. who else do you bring but your BFF… and when one drunken night leads to a Kiss and sooooooo much more..
I seriously loved this story.. and I can not wait to see what the author has in store for us with this series.
Gail – Night

I think I was expecting more from this book --- sports romances are one of my favorite tropes --- but this story fell a little flat for me.

Chase, the H, isn't as much of an a-hole as the blurb makes him out to be. He's, in fact, a pretty darn nice guy. I loved that he has 2 dads and he's so proud of it. Cassie, I didn't like as much.

I wish there were more snark, more fun banter, more push-and-pull, and more flirting. Also, there's not enough hockey in it to suit my tastes.

Overall, it's still a pretty cute story but it left me wanting more.

Chase and Cassie are best friends and have been since undergrad. Even though Chase is now a hotshot hockey player, they are still best friends and Cassie calls him out on his shit. However, Chase has a weakness for Cassie and wants to be more than friends. However, because Cassie shows now interest in Chase, he settles with what he can get - being friends. After Chase goes with Cassie to Vegas their friendship is forever changed.

I LOVE hockey player romances, they are my weakness, but this romance had me wanting. I loved Chase and Cassie's dynamic and found the two fun and easy to picture. However, the book had me wanting more hockey. The book takes place during the very end of Chase's season and then the off season. It almost wasn't necessary for him to be a hockey player he could have been any kind of hunk. My next criticism is purely based on my taste - there was too much sex in the book. Now, I understand that romances often have sex and I am usually all for it, but in this case the sex scenes felt too often and although they were steamy stalled the book a bit for me. Overall though, I did enjoy this book and it did keep me up until 2am last night to finish it. Cassie and Chase are perfectly matched in many ways and it was fun to watch their relationship unfold.

Chase, the bad boy of hockey, has had feelings for Cassie, his best friend, for years. It's getting harder and harder for him to hide and fight his feelings. When an opportunity presents itself, will Chase reveal his feelings? Would pursuing a relationship with his best friend ruin their incredible friendship?

This is such a fun friends to lovers story! Chase and Cassie have such a great dynamic and their fun wit and banter made the story exciting.

The writing is great and really showed how close Chase and Cassie are by their interactions, so I really didn't need to constantly hear they are best friends, as you can see and feel how close they are every time they were together. Their bond is great and I loved their comradery. They are so much fun together and you could feel their chemistry. The beginning is great and leads to much anticipation.

I really enjoyed Chase! He's such a great character, he brings so much fun! Not to mention he's caring and an all-around great guy. And just maybe Cassie is blind to his actions and the way she perceives certain aspects of him.

I loved how the chapters started with a portion of an interview with Chase and how it ties into the story and the way the story wraps up. This story is fun, dramatic, steamy, and it makes you laugh. I really enjoyed it.

Chase and Cassie have been friends for years. They are always there for one another and have been a constant in each others lives for nine years now. There have always been feelings there on Chase's part but he hasn't acted on them out of fear that Cassie may not feel the same. While Chase is quite aware of his feelings, Cassie has always thought of Chase as a friend. She never thought anything of it. Cassie is a successful businesswoman who is moving up the ladder at her job. Chase is a hockey star in his own right and plays for a major team. What was supposed to be a fun work trip, ended up changing the entire course of their relationship.

The dual point of view was so crucial for this book! We got to see how Chase felt through his own eyes and not what Cassie may have interpreted it as. Chase and Cassie were both such lovable characters. I honestly envied their friendship because they were at ease with one another constantly. My only gripe with this book was the situation in Vegas. The writer handled it well but I wasn't a fan of that aspect of the story. Other than that, the author wrote a great story about friends who turn into lovers.