Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London is a good fit for those seeking a lighthearted, contemporary romance with a touch of humor, focusing on the redemption arc of a flawed but charming protagonist and his opposites-attract love story.

I absolutely loved BAD BACHELOR!!! Darcy and Reed were fantastic! Their chemistry was amazing, and I loved seeing their relationship evolve! I can't wait for the second book in this series, BAD REPUTATION!

Bad Bachelor is a contemporary romance with two main characters who are a lot like Transformers. Not in the sense that they are robots in disguise, but there is definitely more than meets the eye. There is some amazing banter and some fantastic sex scenes, though I had to overcome one major hurdle.

Darcy Greer is a goth librarian who is desperately trying to get more funding for her branch. Reed McMahon works in PR. His firm has selected him to do pro bono work to increase their image in the community, and Darcy’s library has been chosen as his client. However, Reed hates libraries, though that issue isn’t full addressed until the final pages of the story. If you read it, don’t focus so much on that issue like I did. Because it drove me to distraction.

The main source of conflict is that there’s a pesky new dating app on the market which allows women to rate bachelors, like a dating version of Yelp. Reed has been voted the #1 bad bachelor because he’s received so many terrible reviews from women. All of these reviews note that Reed is not the settling down kind and he’ll pull a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am on your ass. I don’t really see this as a bad thing because Reed seems pretty clear that commitment is something he’s not looking for when it comes to dating.

Darcy is trying to get back into the dating saddle and has been using the Bad Bachelors app to help her find a good guy. She’s obviously surprised when Reed walks into her library as the one to rehab the library’s image. She’s seen him on the app and she isn’t sure she can trust her reputation in the hands of a man who has trouble managing his own personal rep.

Here you have your standard trope of two prickly people who are forced to work together and I eat this shit up with a big ol’ spoon. And while I was all for the setup, it took many, many pages to settle into a good rhythm for one particular reason.

Darcy.

She positions herself and her hobbies in comparison with other women. She’s not into fashion. She prefers burgers over salads. She has tattoos and piercings! Here’s a passage that provides a great example of what I’m talking about:

Before the silence could stretch on too long, the first round of tasting plates arrived. Darcy’s brows rose as she picked up a small hors d’oeuvre with cheese, blackberry, and fresh dill on a skewer and popped it into her mouth. She twirled the empty stick.

“Do people really eat like this?” she asked, shaking her head. “God, no wonder all these rich women are so skinny. Give me a cheeseburger any day of the week.”

“You don’t pull any punches, do you?” Reed asked with a smirk, taking an hors d’oeuvre for himself. Truth be told, he’d have preferred a cheeseburger, too.

“I don’t care for BS.” She reached for another item from the tasting plate and instead of taking a delicate bite like most people would have, she shoved the whole thing into her mouth. “That’s just how I roll.”

I hate using the phrase “not like other girls,” but that’s the most succinct way I can describe the feeling I got from Darcy’s characterization. But women contain multitudes! We can love burgers and fancy finger foods! (Also, no one is going to be serving a greasy burger at a fancy gala. It’s just not practical.) One of my personal mottos is “Let people enjoy things.” I don’t need to shit on a food or hobby another woman enjoys. Something might not be for me and that’s okay. My burger is not going to taste any better because I insulted someone who really digs kale.

This happens with Darcy quite a bit through the first half of the book, but seems to ease up after that. Or perhaps I just stopped caring. That said, if this sort of thing makes you grit your teeth, tread lightly.

I did love the secondary cast of characters in the book. Both Reed and Darcy have a great group of friends and complicated family dynamics. Darcy in particular has a strained relationship with her mother. Darcy never knew her father and she’s always felt her mom was really hard on her growing up and still is now that she’s an adult. There’s a lovely come-to-Jesus moment between the two of them that made me cry. Same with Reed and his dad. Stefanie London does well capturing emotions that resonate and feel very human.

Aside from the characters, the best part was the sexytimes. There are only two sex scenes in the book, but they’re wonderful and I can remember both vividly. Don’t get me wrong; I have no problem reading some erotica, but I also love reading about intimate moments between a hero and heroine that really further their connection.

As a bonus, the scenes are incredibly charming and the banter left me grinning and rosy-cheeked. Darcy and Reed are great with communication and know that sex can be both personal and very awkward. Sometimes humor and light teasing can really ease the nerves.

There is a villain to this story and I was able to suss out who it was before the reveal. I have mixed feelings about it, but in a good way.

Villain Reveal
The one running the Bad Bachelors app is one of Darcy’s best friends, Annie. She’s been severely burned by an ex before, though her history is never fully explained. She sees Reed as collateral damage from her app and while she knows some of his reviews are fake, she believes the end justifies the means if it keeps more women from getting their hearts broken.
I feel for Reed on this because the app winds up putting his job in jeopardy, a job that he uses to care for his ill father and keep his dad from an assisted living facility.

As the next book is about Darcy’s other friend Remi (who is an Australian ballerina – hello!), I’m guessing the third book will feature Annie has the heroine. I really want to see how the author will redeem her in my eyes.

I’m all for this gray area when it comes to characters, but I recognize some readers may find her too villainous for their liking. Truthfully, I was just as relieved it wasn’t some vindictive ex-girlfriend of Reed’s trying to make trouble for him.

There is a moment during the climax of the romance where Reed turns into an asshole to push Darcy away, as romance heroes are wont to do. He throws it in her face that they travel in two different worlds and never the twain shall meet. This didn’t feel genuine to me as 1) Darcy has never been insecure about who she is with Reed and 2) Reed has shown Darcy his down-to-earth side that he typically masks with wealth and elitism. I will say, though, that this scene would be perfect in a romantic comedy. I was immediately reminded of the titular scene (that I can quote line by line) in She’s All That where Rachel Leigh Cook screams at Freddie Prinze Jr., “Am I bet? Am I fucking bet?”

London did a great job creating characters that I came to care about, despite some of the issues I had. I wish it didn’t take as long for me to reach extreme levels of reading enjoyment. The villain of the story complicates things and I really want to know how it’ll affect the friendships and romances in the next books.

Oh, and Reed showers Darcy in books that she loves, which is #RelationshipGoals for most of us.

It wasn’t a perfect read and I know I was coming off the high of The Kiss Quotient, but I’d compare this to a diamond in the rough. I had to overlook some imperfections to get to its goodness, but when it shines…boy, does it.

This unique plot is a departure from so many other books that are written with the same plot by so many other authors. I have to give Ms London props for the originality of her latest book. Because of one woman's bad experience, from a previous relationship, a unique way of retribution is created to the detriment of one man, Reed (who incidentally was not the bearer of that experience), who has become the target of many women (some of the reviews were genuine, but was there abuse in many of others?) becomes a detriment to how he is viewed by droves in both his personal and his professional lives.

It took one woman to break the cycle that directed Reed's personal life for so long. When Darcy comes into his life, he finds himself experiencing his life in a different light. Once I started reading the book, I found it quite difficult to put it down...who was behind the web site? Once you get to part of the book, you will be taken by complete surprise...a terrific hook to keep the reader turning the pages to get that answer.

My appetite once again has been whet for what this author has in store. I will continue coming back for more as quickly as the stories are released.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Such a nice and funny read !

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. The "Bad Bachelor" app added great originality to the plot.
Reed and Darcy were really good together. The dialogues were sharp and witty.

The love story follows a very common pattern but this whole concept makes it special.

The only thing that bothered me a bit was that sometimes the pace was really slow.

We've all read those stories before, the ones with polar opposites attracting. What makes this one stand out even more, however, is the Bad Bachelors app. And I loved the tidbits in the beginning of each chapter. Darcy has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but learning more about her, i can understand why. She feels out of place with her family, and her mother can be a bit much.

Then there's Reed, the man who's perceived as a serial dater and all around uncaring guy. But as we go through the story, we learn the reviews about him are way off. What I loved the most was how he showed more of his true self to Darcy. In a twist of events, she's the one who tried to play things off like they weren't more than what they actually were, and it hurt me to read it when Reed took that to heart. He showed more vulnerability first in that sense. I loved the way he was with his father, too. It showed man who has a love for his family, or what's left of it.

My one complaint, if you will, was I wish we had more with them together at the end. The epilogue was great, but I'd have loved more on their relationship between the last chapter and the events of the epilogue. This is a new to me author, and I will be looking for more books in the future.

I don't know why I kept putting off reading this book as I enjoyed it thoroughly. With a clever writing style, great cast of characters, and a plot that has a little bit of everything (drama, playful banter, tension, steamy chemistry, and smoldering romance) this book is a great read. Can't wait to read more in this series.

Very sexy romance novel that kept me reading from the first page to the last. If you love a bad boy, you'll love this novel!

3.5 Stars
This was a fun, fast-paced and sexy book. I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Darcy and Reed. I love a good "manwhore falls for a women" story and this hit all the right spots for me. I really didn't care for the behavior of one of one of the characters. I thought it was mean-spirited and I felt like I didn't have enough information to really believe in it. I am looking forward to the next book.

Read my 4-star review of Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London. Added 8/mar/18

** ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review **

Clever premise with a modern heroine, Bad Bachelor sets the scene for a new series from Stefanie London. More meaty than the stereotypical romance books but still a cute read. Definitely one to add to the list and can’t wait for book 2.

Great book and great premise. We all have our real self that we keep hidden from others even our closest friends. I enjoyed the banter between the two lead characters.

Sizzling, sexy and so much fun! I am a sucker for a good librarian romance story and Bad Bachelor delivers.

Darcy is the hip librarian, working hard in her library that needs more funding and swearing off men for a while. She is cool, smart and witty. I loved her right away. She is a little prickly with me, but with good reason. Her friends are fun and I could totally relate to her. We’d be good friends in real life.

Reed McMahon kind of starts as the man you love to hate. He is in PR, which is the total opposite of librarianship, and can spin stories with the best of them. It’s his job to make people look good and he is perfect at playing the part. However, the reader and Darcy find out at the same time that there really is a lot more to him. There is a bit of mystery as to who is behind the Bad Bachelors app that is making Reed look really bad and is actually threatening his job. He hires a PI to try to get to the bottom of all the bad publicity he is getting through poor reviews.

Reed and Darcy are opposites, but man, is the chemistry between them HOT! Their witty banter will have you cracking up throughout the book. As both their secrets are revealed, you will be rooting for them to make their relationship work. The story is set in New York City and it makes you want to go explore Darcy’s public library. You won’t be able to put this book down once you start it. Highly recommended….especially if you are a librarian.

I did not enjoy this book. I will not post anything to Goodreads about it, but it really wasn't that original. I have read many romances and this seems just like all the rest. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

Bad Bachelor

Stefanie London

Sourcebooks Casablanca, Mar 2018

386 pages, ebook, paperback, audiobook, audio CD

Contemporary romance

✮✮✮✮✮

I was provided a complimentary copy by Casablanca via NetGalley. This is my honest review for which I receive no compensation of any kind.

The cover is great and goes along with the title and the story of this book really well. This looks like one bad boy. Bad Bachelor is a new app that shares the bad scoop on local bachelors. And Reed McMahon has been almost as bad as he’s being painted and the app is going viral. But does that mean he should be targeted to the exclusion of almost every other bachelor in town? To the point of causing trouble for him with his board of directors and clients starting to be worried that he might really be that bad? Now he’s doing a pro bono fundraiser for the library. And he hates libraries because his mother, who left when he was 15, was a librarian. But he’s very good at what he does.

Our heroine, Darcy, is the librarian he has to deal with. She’s not fond of bachelors, having just had a “wreck the dress” party one year after her canceled wedding. The bride and her two best friends, Annie and Remi totally destroyed her wedding gown. And they took pictures to prove it! But Darcy and Reed have to work together for this fundraiser, and she’s passionate about her library.

The pace is easy without being slow. The tension keeps you looking to see what else can happen with these two! They share their history. They share their present. They question and do their own thinking. They talk and forgive. They look beyond the facade. This is a romance and has a HEA, but I’m not going to tell you how they get there or reveal any of the secrets of the book. There are only so many in any romance. Suffice to say, this a 5-star recommendation!

Being a librarian myself, I was charmed by this book and engaged in Reed's and Darcy's story. I thought the app premise was a fun approach- it's a little different from the usual meet-cute scenarios, not to mention that social media is such a heavy influence now. Plus, it delves into the dangers of anonymous posting, where it's easy for readers to buy into smear campaigns without checking the facts. All in all, I recommend this book for any romance fan.

BAD BACHELOR captivated me from the first page with sympathetic, relatable characters and anticipation of the upcoming fireworks. It's unusual that I would be so excited to read onward since the hero and heroine haven't even met by Chapter One. But such is the engaging and compelling power of the author's writing.

BAD BACHELOR is a slow burn romance, quite different from the ones I usually read, so I find myself a bit miffed as I read onward. I'm used to a somewhat faster pace. The upside to this though is that the romantic development was believable and realistic and you can really see that these two characters are slowly falling for each other as their views about the other changed with each interaction and as a little bit more of themselves was revealed. I love reading the chapter openings even as I find myself feeling sorry for Reed, that women would write such about him.

In this, the author quite surprised me. I thought the app would be a good tool in helping Darcy find her "the one", but instead the author took the other route and showed us how such a tool could be abused. And this is all too likely. Pick any technology tool today and I bet you'd know of some horror story.

The identity of the person behind the Bad Bachelors app surprised me only a little bit; I had been putting my bet on that person when Reed had become adamant about discovering it in an effort to salvage his ruined reputation.

The writing is engaging and the story well-plotted. Coupled with unforgettable characters, BAD BACHELOR is a must-read, especially in this modern dating age.

A heroine who is a librarian with a passion for books, a primary storyline around saving a library ... um, yes, please! I love the character of Darcy - she's such a unique and interesting character. Add in Reed to the mix and you have the perfect set up for a great romance! I thought the story was delightful and I really found the overall vibe of the book to be witty and cute! The writing was clever with lots of humor and heart. All of the characters were fun, quirky and charming! I love the idea of an app that tells women who are and are not worth their time. That was a fun little wrapper to the overall story. There is a lot of depth to the characters and the story. I really enjoyed this one!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
The premise of the book was solid, but I never did understand the reason that Reed was "targeted" by the Bad Bachelor app. The person behind it said it was just the way the reviews fell, but to me, there should have been a better reason.

The whole app sounds like a great idea, but honestly, I don't know if an app like that would or could work in the age of social media, especially when the app’s reviews begin to have an effect on a person's livelihood.

The romance between Reed and Darcy was well paced, but the reasons behind Reed and his father's issues aren't discussed until the last chapters of the book and the ending itself seemed rushed.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆
3 1/2 to 4 stars.

I liked the idea of this story and wanted more of why Reed was the target of Bad Bachelors but it wasn't explained very well, hence the 3.5 stars. But the banter between Reed and Darcy was great and them wanting more is worth four stars.

Reed McMahon is the man everyone wants to hate – he is successful, good looking, and every woman wants him. But he doesn't do commitment, that is why he has landed on the Bad Bachelors app as the worst bachelor. He has the worst reviews as a date. At first, he doesn't care what the reviews say, he told the women he dated up front that it would not lead anywhere, so why should they be hurt he didn't call them. When he takes on a fundraiser for a library to help his assistant, he finds himself face-to-face with Darcy Greer. She is nothing like the women he is used to.

Darcy Greer is still not sure about dating, even a year after finding her ex with another man the day before their wedding. She doesn't want to put her heart out there with the chance she might get hurt again. When her BFF shows her the app for Bad Bachelors, she can't believe they have such a thing. But she is drawn to Reed McMahon, who just happens to have the worst reviews. When Reed shows up at the library to help with the fundraiser, Darcy is drawn to him, but she uses banter and her sharp tongue to keep her mind and body from thinking about him.

As Darcy and Reed spend more time together, they share personal things and their past. Something that neither would do with anyone else. Can they make a relationship work for them? Will the Bad Bachelors app come between them? Will Reed find out who is running the app and why he was targeted?

This is a first for me from this author and I enjoyed the story; I just wish there would have been a little more about the app and Reed's past. I can't wait to see where book two takes us. If you are looking for a new author and a good story, then check this one out and I hope you enjoy it too.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

In the digital age, someone was bound to create an app to help those out there who are single and looking for a potential partner – a rating system to help weed out those who might not be worth your time. Unfortunately for Reed, he is the target of this app and its poor review ratings. But, you're left wondering why he was targeted throughout the story. It was somewhat confusing and convoluted in terms of the app and how it played in to Reed's life.

Then you have Darcy. She has a great group of friends who worry about her and her sex life. She is a tough as nails woman who really wants to help her library succeed. She is also a woman who has a stubborn streak and isn't afraid to show it.

The banter between Darcy and Reed is combustible and I really enjoyed watching them together. I think where this story fell a little short was there were hints about a backstory for Reed, but we weren't really given much until the very end. It would have been a much more emotionally engaging story had we been given more pieces throughout.

Overall, I really hope the other women in Darcy's life get their own stories. It was a fun romance and I will definitely look for book two.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series, and I am looking forward to the future directions it will take. Bad Bachelors is an app developed to help women see how their previous dates have rated them. In modern day New York this seems like a good idea, but as we find, there are some definite issues with the app.

Reed McMahon is the biggest loser when the app is revealed, as he is the worst rated bachelor in town. Not unexpectedly, this does some terrible things for his reputation generally. I did have a bit of an issue with how toxic the app really was and the ratings it was achieving, but I appreciate that was the crux of the story at the end. I laughed at the five-star Darren though!

Darcy is a great character and I enjoyed her greatly. She was a great friend and a fun person. Her interactions with Reed were generally fascinating and often amusing. There was no denying the chemistry between them, even with all the barriers that they both erected to ensure they were safe. I found Reed's story to be well crafted and given credence through what we see of his father and his care for him.

This is a lovely romance with an interesting twist with the Bad Bachelors app being involved. The end reveal will have a significant impact in the next story I am guessing and am curious to see what direction it will take.

Darcy needs to raise money for her library. Reed is the person to help her. This is not someone she knows yet her perceived thoughts of him from an app is what makes her judge him.


This book did not hold my interest at all, and I did not finish, however I may go back at a later time to finish it.


** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I love the premise of this book--the idea of an app to rate eligible bachelors is definitely an interesting one, though it's easy to see how it could get out of hand, as it seems to here. I really liked both Darcy and Reed as characters--the prejudices each has about the other going in gives the book a Pride and Prejudice vibe that makes it fun to read. Overall it was cute, though it didn't quite live up to its early promise in the end.

A few items that reduced its rating for me:

- Reed's hatred of libraries is initially a big deal for him, then virtually forgotten until the very end. The explanation for it doesn't seem to live up to the hype, nor does the fact that he was so dead set against them at the beginning but then it's a non-issue for so much of the book.

- What is revealed here of the mystery/drama of the Bad Bachelor app was pretty anticlimactic here and not at all satisfying for the role it plays in making Reed's life fairly miserable. Clearly this is a continuing series, so the app itself will be back again, but still--it felt like it was not enough.

- Darcy's a librarian, which is of course awesome, but all she seems to do is shelve books, find mis-shelved books, and plan a single program once. Oh, and tell amusing stories about patrons--which we never get to hear (this I was particularly bummed about). I loved that she personally seemed to break so many of the librarian stereotypes, but our glimpses into her at work were a major letdown in terms of realism.

Still, I enjoyed the book and series premise enough that I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.