Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Siiiigh. That was adorable. It's very different from the other books in the series. Instead of meeting a new prince charming, Sadie meets up with the prince from her past. The prince who left her high and dry on prom night, never wanting to see her again. Sadie has come a long way since then, burying everything she went through that night deep down. When Bo is hired as the stunt coordinator on her new film, it's only a matter of time before their past and all that pain comes back to haunt her....and before the chemistry from their youth boils over into something much stronger.

I really appreciated this one. We got to understand where they were each coming from and we knew it was only a matter of time before they found their way back to each other. And the love scenes were a little spicier than I've seen from Johnson's other books (and I'm not mad about it).

Another great read....time for Ana to find her cake!

A second chance romance, good story and wonderful chemistry with the characters. Steamy romantic scenes and amusing banter to keep me entertained. I think I need more, bring on the next story.

Sadie Gold is an actress and wants to make it big time and prove that she can make a life on her own. She was raised with wealth and everything that it entails.
She had a broken heart on prom night but now 11 years later he comes back into her life. Bo Ibarra is a stunt coordinator and is working on her film. She can not forget the past with him and he never got over her. But she has a secret that could ruin things as they start getting close again. Then the media gets a hold of her and makes things look bad as well.
I loved this storyline and now Sadie and Bo want to see if they have something again. Her grandmother pretty much made her the person she is because her parents never had the time for her and used their money and prestige.

3.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was released at the end of June and I just read it on my roadtrip vacation!! It was the perfect vacation read--an emotional and heartwarming love story.

Sadie and Bo's story is a second chance romance, and I was so there for it. They both grapple with some big emotions in believable ways, and I enjoyed watching their journey through their past to arrive at a better present and future. Of course, they are both written as **extremely good looking** and flawless physically, and I am a bit tired of that in my main characters, but I could forgive it in this case since they are in the acting/movie industry and it kinda goes with the territory. I really enjoyed the side friends (I have read the first two books in the series so already had a lot of their backstory) and especially Ana, who is a great counterpoint to Sadie.

All in all, I recommend this read if you like flirty banter, big emotions, and hot bedroom scenes (that leave nothing to the imagination, fyi--in case explicit isn't your thing). My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit of a dramatic emotional turnaround, as if she decided "oh right, I need to wrap this up neatly now" -- but it mostly worked so I'm not complaining too loudly.

This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it. I would read more from them. I felt that the characters were not fully developed, but I still liked reading about their story. It held my attention and I did become involved in the storyline. I would recommend this.

Well written book but not really my cup of tea.

I have read other reviews where people have loved it & I'm sure this book will be like Marmite but sadly not for me

Once Upon a Bad Boy is the third and final installment of the Sometimes in Love series by Melonie Johnson. This time we follow would-be star Sadie Gold as she films an action movie.. along side her childhood boyfriend who broke her heart, Bo Ibarra. The tension is real when they find out they will be working together. Can they move on from their ancient past and be co-workers, friends, or maybe even more?

I very much liked the previous novels in this series, they were both so good that I had a hard them putting them down, however Once Upon a Bad Boy.. I felt like it just dragged and I was only reading for the sake of finishing it, therefore this review is going to be short and sweet.

Sadie's life felt "too perfect" (even though she said she worked hard for it, didn't seem like that) and Bo's explanations for what he did were such shit, I was rolling my eyes whenever it was talked about. Then, despite everything that happened between them and how things were left, it of course gets tied up in a neat little bow with a rushed ending. Sorry.. maybe I'm just being too cynical, but this book was only meh to me - Rated 3/5

This was so freaking cute and addicting! I read her previous books and just knew that i needed to read this one. It was cute and funny and had me reading into the wee hours of the morning. If your looking for a cute, smexy, funny romance then definitely give this one a try!

3.5 stars
Liked Smitten by The Brit, or Getting Hot With The Scot a little more than Once Upon a Bad Boy. This one was cute, but I didn't like it as much as the others.

Once Upon a Bad Boy was my second book by Melonie Johnson. I really like this authors writing. The characters were great and I really liked the story.

I voluntarily reviewed an Reader Copy of this book which I received through Netgalley.

Loved this series and can’t wait to hear Ana and Delaney’s stories!!!

First loves are never forgotten but can they be reignited? Sadie and Bo have the chance to do just that. I loved reading their steamy romance made even better for taking place in my hometown.

A strong female lead, a hero who dreams are made of and a feisty feline made me laugh, smile, burst into anger and sigh in contentment.

If you love a good romance I definitely recommend this series.

This is a great second-chance romance. One that has you eagerly awaiting the happily ever after that you know is coming but also allows you to embrace that little bit of doubt and concern that it may not actually happen. The author weaves several twists into the story and one very large surprise, making the road back to each other a bit rocky for Sadie and Bo. After having been childhood sweethearts their romance ended abruptly, and now it’s been many years since they’ve seen each other. Neither is sure what will happen next.

A chance meeting on the set of Sadie’s new movie has them remembering the good times and wanting desperately to grab hold of them once again. These two had wonderful chemistry. They shared some great banter and their love for one another was palpable. As with the other two books in this series, I may have (did) fall for the hero. Bo was strong and self-assured, sexy, and had a heart of gold. His desire to have Sadie back in his life was easy to understand and something I could definitely get behind. Their story required moving slowly, sharing secrets, and treading cautiously. But, most of all, it required a leap of faith that they were meant to be together…one I gladly took with them.

This is the third book in this series and I’ve enjoyed them all. The characters are fantastic and the writing is wonderful. Ms. Johnson has a way of pulling the reader into her story and making you feel less like a bystander and more like a participant in these characters’ lives. I enjoyed the road to Sadie and Bo’s HEA and can’t wait to see what this author has is store for me next. This is definitely a great series…give it a try!

A must read for any fan of second chance romances!

Where's my stuntman? Prepare to add another to your list of book boyfriends.

I really liked this second-chance romance. It's third in the series and although it can be read a s a standalone, I think the reader would benefit from having read the first two books prior to digging into this one. A bit predictable (but still enjoable), this is a classic story of the characters coming from "different sides of the tracks", it was nice to see Sadie and Bo come back together again.

*Advance copy provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*

This is a great a great 2nd chance romance. Sadie and Bo witty banter is fantastic and made me love it more. Sadie never expected to see Bo again and now that she is driven to get her career off the ground here he is. And now he is her trainer to make things worse. Will they realize that this was meant to be and move forward or will it explode in disaster

3.5 stars

Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson is a lovely second chance lovestory and I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the storyline and I enjoyed watching Sadie and Bo get their second chance at love.

Overall, Once Upon a Bad Boy is a good read and a lovely addition to the Sometimes in Love Series and I highly recommend them all.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson is a great stand alone book, but is also a part of a series about five girlfriends who have grown up together and are still close in their adulthood. There's no background information needed to read this story and everything wraps up and come to a complete and satisfactory conclusion. This is the story of Sadie Goldovitz (aka Sadie Gold) and Bo Ibarra. The tale opens with Sadie working out with her trainer as she a major part in a new movie being filmed. After a terrific workout, Sadie, after meeting up with one of her BFFs, is on her way to her first table read. Arriving at the studio Sadie meets and interacts with Ryan, her co-star. At the table read Sadie is introduced to Bo, who is actually an old boyfriend who dumped her, and is the stunt coordinator for the movie.. The storyline moves along nicely with Sadie's friends moving in and out of scenarios but the story itself is really concerned with the interaction of Sadie and Bo as he preps Sadie for her stunts. As Sadie and Bo grow close once more there's still the issue of why he dumped her and also involves their families. There are a few rough patches which just make the story more interesting and there's a very satisfactory HEA.

Okay, so I've finished Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson. I listened to it and I really enjoyed it for multiple reasons - the asshole cat being just a funny one that, okay, I could have used more of lol.

Thread w/ minor but important spoilers and CW to follow.
It's a second chance romance 12 years later w/ the heroine being an actress, hero a stunt coordinator.

Bo and Sadie broke up in HS and hasn't spoken to/seen each other until they meet again on set. Reason for their breakup is unclear through much of the bk and has haunted Sadie.
The chemistry between the couple super worked for me. Sadie is *not* pleased to see him, but she has to be professional. She grew up privileged but worked her ass off to get where she is professionally and is very aware of her public image.
Bo's family struggled to make ends meet and the two of them had to work against their families when they were young and decide if their chemistry they have now is enough to get past all of their differences.
CW + Spoiler: abortion

But beyond just the reason for the breakup (which I won't spoil) is Sadie's own secret - which I think is super important in today's climate to know, plus I know people might need CW. She had an abortion when they broke up.
CW: abortion

The way the abortion is dealt with was done really well imo. Sadie has some complicated feelings but nothing that made me angry. I really appreciated the reactions around her. I would go into more but don't want to give all of it away
CW: body issues

One thing though is that Sadie does discuss dieting and body image a few times. I didn't feel it was egregious b/c she's an actress, she's still eating donuts and eating. It's addressed that she works out and likes her body but wanted to mention it.
Overall I really enjoyed this - the abortion storyline is enough to make the price point worth it to me since it's dealt with well. I like both characters - I really love Sadie's grandmother, Bo's sister, and Clark, the cat, CLEARLY stole the show.

This was my first read from Melonie and I loved it. It was a quick read and was just perfect. It was a love story that had a little bit of rough edges and kept me engaged. Definitely look forward to reading something else from Melonie!

I really enjoyed the first two books in Melonie Johnson's Sometimes in Love series, Getting Hot with the Scot and Smitten by the Brit, so my expectations may have been a bit too high for Once Upon a Bad Boy. It starts off fun, but I just didn't like one of the main characters enough to root for this couple.

Once Upon a Bad Boy features Sadie, who we met in the first two books, and Bo. Sadie's been cast as one of the leads in a feature film, which she's hoping will be her big break. That's her focus. So imagine her surprise when Bo, her childhood sweetheart, suddenly reenters her life.

I didn't see Bo as a "bad boy" - mostly, he came off as a jerk to me. I wanted more from him in their discussions. Yes, this is a second chance romance, so you know that's coming... but I wanted much more from him before she agreed to give him a second chance. I also didn't like how he, or her best friend, treated Sadie at times.

But, Melonie Johnson is great at writing stories that pull you in, and the first two in the series were so much fun. I'm definitely interested in whatever she writes next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free e-arc of Once Upon a Bad Boy for review.