After reading other reviews for this series, I have decided that it is not for me. I will not be reading or reviewing it for my blog.

This was my first Melonie Johnson book to read. I wasn’t prepared for all of the sex and cuss words. I felt like the first quarter of the book was a lot of backstory and there wasn’t enough conflict between the hero and heroine. Then at the end it’s no longer fun and flirty and there are heavy issues that drive the couple apart. This arc was confusing and the overall mood took a dive from fun to super serious. Overall, the writing style was good.

I love storylines like this one! An old love comes back into the picture, and fate intervenes: it is so romantic! That said, the author does a fantastic job weaving this story together, and I adored the characters. It is well written, romantic (as already stated here), and very steamy. The heroine is worthy of the title: she pushes past things that terrify her, and she owns her decisions. Can’t get much more inspiring than that. I’ve enjoyed the entire series (they can be read easily as stand-alones) and look forward to enjoying them again.

Meh. Of the series this is my least favorite book. I found myself skimming.....a lot. Neither characters resonated with me. It is not like I hated anything about this book, more like I just didn't believe them enough to care about their story.

Overall I would give this book a 3 and a 1/2 (rounding up to 4) star rating. It was an "ok" book for me. I figured out the “secret” early in the book (like the first time the main character brought it up). I felt like the book drug out the “secret” aspect of it. Also, I felt like the book got a little long and I was starting to get a little bored waiting for the next shoe to drop. Even with all this, I did think that Sadie and Bo’s love story was cute with how they reconnected after all these years and I was still glad I read it.

First of all, I have read the first two books in this series and I loved both of them.

This one, not so much.

This book works as a stand alone read. Relationships and past events are explained well.

There was a lot of hot sex and a plot that had holes in it.

Bo, has an Irish father, Hispanic mother and an Hispanic last name. Bo's sister hates Sadie and treats her rudely in front of their parents. His parents are courteous and charming people. But, no one says a word although they live in a home owned by Sadie's family.

There is a spy leaking information and no one can figure out who it is. I did.

There is a Huge Secret about why Bo broke up with Sadie when they were kids. I could figure it out.

Sadie had a Huge Secret from her past. I could figure it out.

I am sorry, but for me there were many plot “twists” that seemed to be thrown in just to have a plot.

This is a second chance story. Sadie is an actress looking at a huge break and starring in a blockbuster movie. She runs into Bo because he is the stunt coordinator for this film. They were in love and lovers when they were in high school. It did not end well and Sadie was heartbroken.

Now, that they have met, everything comes rushing back.

This is where the pages and pages of very intense descriptions of sex commence.

I am not against sex, but I would have liked a little more story wrapped around the sex scenes.

I know that Ms Johnson can write fun and funny books. I have read two of them. I know she can create plots which hold my interest. I have read two of them.

Ms Johnson creates interesting characters. Sadie and Bo are interesting and at times they are quite entertaining. But, it seems the idea of being honest with one another about the past never has occurred to either of them.

I hope that we get to see the stories for the final two members of the group of best friends. I know they can be interesting. I know they can be entertaining. I look forward to those two books.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book. I think the 2nd chance at love romance can be hard to carry off---an author has to show that the characters have changed enough to make it work this time around, when they couldn't the first time. I think the author does an admirable job of showing how the characters grew and changed since they were teenagers, but unfortunately, they do lapse into the same patterns they did of not really talking to each other and having a break-up. In that way, I do wish the author would have done more to show that their communication skills had grown.

Plotting wise, there's a huge work-impediment that Bo faces that is a big driver of his motives that gets wrapped up off-stage that I didn't find satisfying at all. If one of the character's is facing a major word dilemma that is throughout the book, then I think readers want more closure on that.

I'll admit that I mostly read the book for the abortion plot bc after this week, I'm interested in romances that have this plot because there are so few. I both loved and hated the treatment of abortion in this book. Part of me wishes we could just have women with no-regrets-abortions in romance, that's what I think we want and deserve. Instead. Sadie spends most of the book talking about how she has to force her feelings "into a box" which implies that she mostly felt guilty? But then, I found the ending way more satisfying, a staunch "this was my decision" and the hero although he is upset at first tells her it was her choice and there's nothing to forgive her for. It felt nuances and layered, and I ultimately it worked for me.

Once Upon a Bad Boy is book 3 in the Sometimes in Love series by Melonie Johnson. This is the first book I have read from this author and I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her books. This book is a second chance romance between Sadie and Bo. They met as teens and they were just too young and it just didn’t work out but now they are older, wiser; will they be able to make it work this time. This is well written and will hold you attention from the first page. I highly recommend this book!

This whole series is fantastic but this one had a bit more edge to it since our main characters have quite the history together. I also loved that we were also able to see the main cast of characters from the first two books so it was like visiting with old and new friends. I definitely highly recommend these books!

I loved learning more about Sadie! After reading Getting Hot with the Scot and Smitten by the Brit, I really enjoyed getting to know Sadie. She's a great character and has a lot more than just being a wealthy, beautiful woman. I know our library patrons will love this, so I've added a few copies to my purchase list. Thank you!

Sadie is ready to be the next big thing in Hollywood but she's not ready to face her first love again. Bo the boy who stole her heart is back in her life. He's her new stunt coordinator and they are forced to work side by side. Old feeling come flooding back and they realize they both never truly moved on. Bo and Sadie were adorable. I really love them and they had crazy chemistry! Once Upon a Bad Boy was sexy, fun and charming!

After Getting Hot with a Scot and Smitten by the Brit, I was really looking forward to find out why Sadie didn't believe in love. And now we know: she had already found the love of her life ten years ago. Growing up with Bo Ibarra, Sadie had imagined their lives together. Until Bo broke her heart at prom. So, Sadie has hardened her heart and picked up the pieces. She has worked very hard to become a famous actress. And now she has a chance as a lead role in a promising movie.
And then she meets the stunt coordinator on set... Bo never imagined to be facing his childhood sweetheart again. And after all those years, he still misses her. But Sadie and Bo grew up in different worlds. So, he thought he could never be part of her world.
But now that their paths have crossed: can the fire be rekindled? Or is their love not meant to be? A wonderful read about second chances, insecurities and different backgrounds. Opposites attract, right? I think Melonie Johnson has grown in this series. Her characters get more depth and the stories become more fluent. Mixing it with a lot of sass from all the girls (Cassie, Bonnie, Sadie, Ana and Delaney) and you have an excellent story! I'm awaiting the stories of Ana and Delaney... Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

“Fantasies were calorie-free and Sadie indulged often.”*

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Scoring the lead role on a hot new action film gives actress Sadie the opportunity to break out of her soap opera type casting as a rich, spoiled princess. Bo the man who broke her heart when then they were teens is hired to oversee the stunts. Not only does she have to work way outside of her comfort zone as an action hero, she must fight the distraction Bo brings. But their close working relationship has the potential spark a second chance for a happy ever after.

ONCE UPON A BAD BOY is the third book in the Sometimes in Love series, which is centered around a close-knit group of female friends. This installment has little of the larger friend group, instead concentrating on Sadie’s relationship with her best friend Ana, who I’m hoping is the heroine for the next installment. Sadie and her costar Ryan’s carb obsession is delightful. Bo and Sadie have great chemistry, and the baggage from their past provides engaging conflict.

There’s plenty of goodness here for romance fans in steamy love scenes and fun banter. Johnson combines donuts, glitter, boxing, a pampered pet, and a new take on bananas to create a great love story. I can’t wait to read Ana and Delaney’s stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to experience this book in advance of its release.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

I love this series. Melonie Johnson is back with the continuation of her series, this time focusing on Sadie and Bo.
Sadie is the rich friend, the actress, the one with the dad who has all the hotels from the previous books in the series. She is starring in her first major role and her stunt coordinator is none other than her first love, Bo.

This book works as a standalone or as part of the series, it does not matter if you have not read the previous books. I definitely recommend the series and the author. And I cannot wait for the next one, which I am hoping centers on Ana.

I love this book series. I finished this book in a day because I can’t get enough of her characters and sense of humor. Sadie is one of the girls group. We have heard Cassie’s story...and Bonnie’s story. Now it is Sadie’s story. Sadie is an aspiring actress with a rich family on both sides. She has always been painted as a jet setter. In this installment we see where Sadie comes from and meets her childhood sweetheart Bo. Sadie is starring in her role of a lifetime as an action heroine. She is training and dieting and in the best shape of her life. Bo owns a stunt company that just so happens to be doing all the action scenes. This means that the two of them have to work very closely together. The past comes rushing to the present for both our characters, but can they cut through their stigmas and see through to the real situation at hand? This is a great series and a great read because Melonie Johnson creates characters that we all love. She is funny, and sad, and show us that we all have issues that must be embraced in order to love.

Once Upon a Bad Boy is the third book in the Sometimes in Love Series and it follows the story of Sadie & Bo. All Sadie ever wanted was to be an actress. So, when she wins the role of a lifetime, she is over the moon and is excited about the direction her life is about to take....that is until she is brought face to face with the one man who's always owned her heart. Their upbringings tore them apart, but their love has never been forgotten. Their future is brighter than ever before, and maybe, just maybe it might be time to put the past behind them. What will happen when the truth comes out and secrets come to light? Will these two have the strength to fight for what they want?? There's only one way to find out.....

Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I am a sucker for those second chance romances and can never really get enough of them. I thought this book started off really well and gave us a good look at who Sadie & Bo are. Sadie is full of sass, a loyal friend and has an incredibly big heart. But, underneath all of that, she has imperfections and insecurities like the rest of us and I think those qualities made her easy to relate to. And then we have Bo, with his good looks and charm. He is fierce, yet vulnerable when he needs to be. He's worked hard to overcome his past and now that Sadie is back into his life, he can't help but go after the girl that has always owned his heart.

Bo & Sadie fell hard and fast and I loved that their journey wasn't always hearts and flowers. Sadie and Bo came from two different worlds, but the chemistry between them was undeniable. Neither one of them was perfect and Bo, especially had some growing up to do. But, I really did enjoy watching them try to figure things out and see if their love is the long-lasting kind.

I did have a few issues with this book though. The biggest one being the pacing of this story. I felt like the story started off really well, but then after the first quarter of the book, the pacing just died. It felt like the story was taking forever to progress. I found myself getting distracted at times and had to really force myself to stay on task. I will say though that the pacing does pick up about the last quarter of the book, which was great. I don't know what happened with the pacing of the middle of the story though....The other thing that had me scratching my head was the inconsistency with the important details, especially in regards to Bo and his heritage. A few things did not make sense to me and left me wondering if maybe these details were supposed to be changed and they were just overlooked?? I'm not really sure, but sometimes those little things really stick out.

As I previously stated, I thought Once Upon a Bad Boy was an ok read. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. There were a lot of good moments with family, friends and familiar faces. This story had the right mix of sweet and sexy. I think this author has a lot of great potential and I do look forward to checking out more from her in the future.

"Once Upon a Bad Boy" by Melonie Johnson
Thank you Melonie for another spell-binding contemporary romance. The description gives you a bit of a look at the stars of this story.. but does not prepare you for the roller-coaster ride of their reality. The individual choices made and secrets kept... and later revealed. Another spicy story told. I received an ARC from the publisher. This is my opinion of this story.. I really liked this story and think you will also. Happy Reading !!

Once Upon a Bad Boy is one story in a series written by Melonie Johnson following a group of girlfriends as they each fight for their own happily ever after with unexpected partners. Sadie belongs to an affluent family but is trying to make her own way as an actress. After landing a role completely different from her soap opera, Sadie hopes this one will show everyone that she is talented in her own right. She’s tired of people thinking her family bought her roles & career. After training hard for the role, she walks into the planning meeting & has her feet pulled out from under her. Her high school boyfriend, the one that dumped her own prom night, is the stunt coordinator for the show.

Bo can’t believe Sadie is back in town & that he has to work with her. He always felt inferior to her. His parents worked on her grandmother’s estate. Now, they are meeting as equals but he’s determined he isn’t going to get pulled back into her life. Their chemistry is too strong though & they end up having to work through memories brought back up from the past.

I really enjoyed this story. The families add additional dimension to the plot & a lifelike quality. The sister jealous of the relationship & disliking the girl friend. The grandmother thinking they are perfect together. His parents ignoring their “station” in life & enjoying friendships. I also enjoyed the band of girlfriends popping up from time to time with reminders of the other stories. This was an enjoyable story to read & I hope to read the next in the series!

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Getting Hot with the Scot, and wanted to read more of the novels in the series. This book started out pretty good, and I ended up liking it, but there were pieces of the novel that I didn't enjoy. I just don't really care for the whole "second chance" trope - I need to realize that at some point and stop trying to like them. I just always get so depressed thinking about how much time they've missed out on and how much of life they've wasted apart. Sadie and Bo had great chemistry and the emotions in this novel were off the charts, though at the end it got to be a bit much. While it was romantic and sweet, there were some pretty cheesy pieces to the story. I liked it but didn't love it, I think the first book in the series was my favorite. Overall it was a good series though and I really enjoyed it! I would recommend it.

We first met Sadie in "Getting hot with the Scot", but we didn't get to know her very well.

"Once upon a bad boy" is Sadie's story. And Bo's.

Sadie is career driven. She lives and breathes for her job.
Then Bo is hired to be the stunt supervisor for Sadie's new film. Bo, as in the Bo she used to date in her teens. The same Bo that broke her heart.

Suring this story we get to know their past and their secrets.
Sadie gets more confident and takes charge of her own faith.
This is a story about love, love lost and forgivness.

It's a very cute story.