So this time I did things I little different, I decided to try something new, I wrote my thoughts on the book as I was reading it and not after I finished the whole thing. This is how it went, every time I read a bit I wrote my thoughts on it, not necessarily right after (I started this book right after I finished Drunk Dial, in the early a.m. and when I put it down I went right off to sleep), so I just wrote before I picked it up again.

Ok, right off the bat you get to know the main characters in the book and their background together. And you get the feel what the book is gonna be about. Of course you'd already know from reading the blurb, duuh! Spoiler alert: it's one of my favorites, best friends to lovers!!
My feeling so far are: Chase is an actual nice guy pretending to be a huge jerk and womanizer but in reality he isn't, at least not as much as he makes himself to be. Cassie is getting on my nerves, I don't really like her so far, she's Chase's best friend but the way she talks about him and just doesn't know the real REAL Chase doesn't sit right with me! I get that he's been her only bff for YEARS and she hasn't let herself think about him as an actual male but they way she talks or just thinks about him sometimes, I seriously don't like it. She seems to be starting to think about it, since everyone can see that if they aren't in a romantic relationship yet, they will be someday and their not afraid to be vocal about it. Also, even though she's just not picturing the guy naked in the same room as her, you can tell every time she mentions him with girls, she's jealous, it's not obvious to anyone but us readers. I'm curious how their relationship will develop into more than friendship, I have a feeling it will be on their trip to Vegas and things are about to get real hot!! (I left off at 33%.)
Guess what I was totally right! Things got steamy in Vegas, but not only steamy, mistakes were made and things really went to shit for some of the characters. I won't got into great detail because I feel like I already did say to much and to those of you who don't like any type of spoilers might already be pissed at me for that. A lot happens in Vegas and after Vegas, things get complicated, relationship wise and among other things. Cassie managed to keep getting on my nerves throughout the rest of the book. I seriously disliked her sometimes. I just don't how she could be Chase's best friend and think so poorly of him sometimes, specially since he was the sweetest guy towards her, seriously he was perfect. She was the only one who couldn't see it or believe it and it just pissed me off. I felt really protective of Chase, he was such a good guy and Cassie was hurting him and that was not okay! I get that Cassie had all sorts of Mommy issues but that doesn't make it ok for her to hurt my baby Sin.
Anyway gotten that out of the way and my chest, this is a fast paced read, it's funny sometimes, sometimes sad or frustrating and the sexual scenes are HOT. I mean that, Chase and Cassie had years YEARS of sexual tension to release and boy did they!

This was the first book that I have read from this author, but will not be the last. The characters are so real as is the plot. Chase Barrett, other wise known as "Sin", is the bad boy hockey player, who sometimes spends more time in the penalty box than on the ice. He also has a reputation with the ladies. Which is why his best friend since college, Cassie Desrosiers, refuses to let her true feelings for him surface. Both have feelings for each, but won't voice them, because their friendship is too important and they won't risk losing it. Cassie is all work and barely any play, but because of her work ethic has worked her way high up in her company and is up for a promotion. She is asked to give the key note speech at a conference in Vegas and because it is between seasons, invites Chase to come along. Will something happen in Vegas to change their relationship? Does what happens in Vegas, really stay in Vegas? Read the book to find out.

I read an ARC of this enjoyable book, provided by the publisher, via netgalley.com

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.