Theme: A funny, laid back, feel-good YA romance that covers every base a dramatic love story needs. Fairly cliche, but I could read about the same romance tropes every day and enjoy my life as a sappy romantic
Nature of Review: Netgalley provided me with a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Release Date: Set to release August 20, 2019 and is being published by Wattpad Books, a new company publishing aspiring authors’ works from the story-sharing website Wattpad.
Warnings: Sexual content, language, talk of kidnapping, murder and rape.

Dallas’s life has been anything but easy, but she has her eyes set solely on the future: CalArts, where she plans to follow her dreams and study dance. She knows how to take life in stride and has been forced to take care of herself- but the badboy QB Drayton Lahey gets under her skin, in a way she didn’t think possible.

But when it comes down to her future, follow Dray where his football career takes him or pave her own path through the world, Dallas has a hard time deciding when her heart gets in the way. A light-hearted, hilarious, high school romance with a power couple struggling to make their mark, and stay together in the process.

I’ll be honest here and say: I don’t really know what to tell you guys about this story. I gave it a 3.5 star rating, because while I didn’t hate this book (I actually enjoyed it) there was nothing that jumped out at me to gush over. That being said, despite the cliches and the un-notable plot line, I would read this story over and over again because it was just so much fun.

And, let’s be real, any Wattpad user or romantic reader loves hilariously fun books and reused tropes. So let’s focus on the things I enjoyed about this book:

Dallas and Dray. Their characters, individually, were both hilarious and refreshing, in the sense that the author make huge distinctions between the MCs and the side characters. You could always tell when Dallas or Dray were speaking, versus, let’s say, Gabby and Josh. Their histories and personalities really separated them from others in their group, and each character had a voice. Dray’s was sexual and unfiltered. Dallas was sassy and calculated. Gabby was sweet and romantic. Josh was kind and lighthearted. I loved the way they were so different, but they also meshed in such a fun, hilarious way.

I really appreciated how there were reasons and stories behind each character, and how, despite their inner insecurities (that were brought out to the reader over time) they always remain in character and true to themselves. They each had a goal they were going for, and the big part of the story was them having to navigate young adulthood, romance, friendships and their future.

I also want to point out how I enjoyed the truth in Dray’s character. He is not just a bossy, possessive guy for the fun of it. He’s more than a pretty face, but he’s had trauma in his past that causes these behaviors to come out. And in facing those traumas during their relationship, him and Dallas find a way to truly bond and understand each other on a deeper level that seems real. As well as his inability to filter himself, and his own distinct hyperactive personality traits that are like someone I know, I connected to Dray’s character in that sense as well. Men are so frustrating, but we love them anyways.

Overall, the plot of this story was kind of blah. But the characters were each so unique and real, their struggles were relatable, the way they had to discover their paths was entertaining to follow. If you are looking for a light, relaxing read that doesn’t make you second guess anything about the story, a story that is laid right out on the page for you, pick up this book. If you like high school romances, steamy tension, and feel-good moments, pick up this book. If the description or anything I wrote above interests you, I highly doubt you would regret giving this story a read. I look forward to reading further stories by this author on Wattpad!

This story is a twist on the star quarterback meets cheerleader trope. It is intended for those who enjoy YA or teen romances.

There were some good things for me about this story. I thought it was technically well written. There was really good character development. I especially enjoyed the heroine, Dallas. She was loyal, confident, and had a bit of a “devil may care” attitude. She rose above high school politics and would not let herself be bullied. The book was very detailed and had an intricate plot that developed at a good pace. The initial romance between Dallas and Drey is very slow burn.

Overall I did struggle with the book even though I was engaged in the story. I couldn’t get over feeling that there was no way these were high school kids. At one point, Dallas and Dray were suspended from school. So they used their suspension as on opportunity to hop on a plane and enjoy a vacation in California. They were frequently caught by a parent, another adult, or friends having sex. At a family dinner, Dray calls Dallas his “Baby Mama” and then laughs it off and asks if she’s on the pill in front of everyone. There were a couple of other scenes were Dray acted like such a jerk that there was really no recovery.

I’m not really sure if this intended for teens or for adults who like to read about YA. If it is targeted toward teens, I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting my teen read it.

*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a quick read that had surprising depth. While at first Drayton appears to be quite shallow, further on in the book a sad past is revealed that adds more depth to his character and explains some of his actions. Both Dallas and Drayton were well developed characters and I loved following the progress of their relationship.

Overall, this was a great read that had a nice ending and a well developed romance. I would recommend this to anyone who loves romance stories where hate turns to love.

Content warning: Language, drinking, sexual situations, references to death.

This book is long and indepth. It takes place over senior year in high school and focuses around two people with two main side characters thrown in. There is drama, angst, and more sexual tension than one can handle.
Overall I loved both Drayton and Dallas. They had chemistry and I spent most of the first half of the book waiting for the pivotal moment where they finally realized they liked each other.
The only downside I found was just how long this book was. It felt more like two books in one.

Oh jheez. The guy isn’t even a bad boy. All he does is wear leather jackets, smoke and ride a motorcycle. How does that even... and the characters are so annoying. The lack of proper guardians is worrying. It’s extremely unrealistic and too cliche. But extra points for some of the descriptions used — that was a redeeming quality for the book.

I read a lot of sports related books so maybe I'm a bit of a harsh critic, but I didn't like this one.

If you are looking for a fun, quick read then this is the book for you. This book is full of cliches and tropes but that's exactly what makes this an enjoyable read.

Dallas is your typical, 'not like other girls' cheerleader and Drayton is your typical bad boy quarterback. You're probably rolling your eyes as you read this but trust me, it works.

Dallas knows exactly what she wants in life, a dance scholarship to CalArts and nothing and no one will get in her way, until Drayton literally crashes into her life and suddenly she is left wondering whether or not she needs the good looking bad boy in her life.

While this book is set in high school, I think it would have worked so much better had the main characters been in college. They did not act like your typical teens, more like college students. They stuff they got up was not typical high school behaviour, yes teens go to parties and drink in high school but this was stepped up a notch, more like how college students act. Plus the author wouldn't have had to kill off parents or let their children 'do their own thing' while never being around except when needed for the story. However if you can look past that then what you are left with is a cute summer romance.

Overall this was a light fun read, a book you can pop in your bag as you head to the beach and will have you smiling as you turn the pages.

I was given early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The QB Bad Boy and Me by Tay Marley is a YA romance novel about two people Coming together despite self-inflicted protest to find comfort and solace in each other.

The main protagonist Dallas is a take no BS kind of girl who just wants to get through the year unscathed and get into her dream college where she can go and be independent from the city that she was born and lives in.. You follow her throughout her senior year as she starts spending more time with schools quarterback Drayton and watch their love story blossoms.

When I decided to read this novel I was thinking that I was going to get just an easy summer read and an regular every day teenage romance story, I got that but also a fulfilling story filled with beautiful insight about life and death.

The story was incredibly well written and paced very well. Marley also created a universe with well rounded believable characters that you could not help feeling for.

I love it!
Sweet story and very easy to read. Ideal for the summer.
You will adore the characters! And it will make you miss high school times. Give it a try.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I’ve seen a lot of lower stars on Goodreads but I have to admit I actually loved this book. I’m not usually a big fan of YA because I like more steam. But even those this book lacked it I truly enjoyed it. Both characters were loveable. At times I felt like they were older than high school students because of the drinking and partying but I don’t know maybe things are different than when I was in HS 20 years ago 🤣 My true only complaint is I wanted in Dray’s head. So much unexpected things I never saw coming. But I wanted to know what he was thinking. Glad we got a little glimpse in the epilogue it was just too short! Great first read from this author.

The book was so full of cliches I laughed out loud when it was revealed his twin sister was murdered. This reads like an unedited draft. .

This is my first book by this author. I love a good sports romance, so I was excited to read it. However, I felt like it was just okay. It didn't "wow" me, but it I did stick with it long enough to finish it.
I will read more from this author and see if possibly this book was just not for me.

I love a good sports story and this one doesn't disappoint. I loved Dallas and Drayton in this one. I love a good high school romance too. I'm 40 and I still love those type of books. This one doesn't disappoint I really loved this one.

Dallas is the quarterback who dad is putting on the pressure to follow his family footstep and go to that college. Drayton is the cheerleader who has dreams of going to dance school in California. They both have plans for after high school. So any connection with another person isn't really anything Drayton is looking for. She doesn't want any reason to stay. But Dallas has decided it's time to get noticed from Drayton. It is a interesting story that I loved. I would recommend this one for sure, if you love a good teenage romance!

This releases on August 13th so make sure to one click it.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was awesome.
I honestly got sucked in right away I love Dallas I thought she was a pretty bad ass main character.
Drayton was your typical cocky bad boy and I thought I would have him but the more I read his cheeky comments and bad flirting the more I fell in love with this character.
I entered this book thinking it was just going to be corny with a lot of cliches and while it does have both of these I still loved it so so much.
The plot was amazing and kept me totally invested the whole way through I literally could not put this book down until I finished it.
I seriously look forward to reading more from this author.
5 stars.

A light summer read, great for a day at the beach or by the pool, when you just want to relax and have a little fun.
It`s your typical high school romance, where the "good" girl falls for the "bad" guy and they live happily ever after.
It doesn`t bring anything new, but for all the hopless romantics out there is not gonna change anthing, we`ll still gonna love it.

Dallas is a cheerleader that has her whole dream college sorted and she`s trying to do whatever she can to make it happen. She`s very independent, has strong attitude and a "no-strings-attached" policy to keep her heart safe when she`s gonna move away for college. She`s not affraid to say what`s in her mind and definitly does`t take bulls**t from anyone.

Drayton is your typical main character, good looking, rich, quarter back and captain of the football team, drives a motorbike. He has a reputation, but he`s more than what people think and thats for Dallas to discover when she catches the ball that almost hit her in the face. They have great chemestry and you can see those sparks flying throughout the book.

Would defintly reccomend if you want a light read that will make you smile. :)

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this.

This was a cute, quick, and fun read that would be a good one to pick up for the summer to read by the lake or pool. It's a simple read that doesn't require any additional thinking (if that makes sense). Admittedly, even though it was a good read, it certainly isn't one that will leave a lasting memorable impression. It's the typical stereotype of a romance between a 'misunderstood' football star and a cheerleader that is relatable, quirky, and 'unlike the rest of the cheerleaders'. Both of these characters also share hardships in their past.

In all honesty, even if I joke, I could (and will) easily keep reading stories with this same plot. Clearly, I'm not the only one as this plot and these kind of characters are often recycled. Just don't go into this novel expecting a 'different' story because I think you could be disappointed. This story contains MANY of the common tropes and stereotypes that are found in YA contemporary romance. I'm not going to spoil you but it's almost painful because I want to make a long detailed list of just how many tropes that were used in this novel. Alas, I'll keep this list to myself.

I did like the main characters and the chemistry that the two of them shared. The novel was steamy but at the same time it was kept somewhat tamer for those that like a 'lighter' romance. With that being said though, I only really consider it 'lighter' because there is less detail in some of the scenes (you know the ones) and I'm used to scenes with quite a lot of explicit details.

Again, not a memorable read but still a light one to enjoy. I would consider reading more from this author in the future and have no doubts that there will be people who love this book due to the dynamic duo.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

What a great read. The Book started a bit crazy for me with Drayton and Dallas being so wishy washy with their feelings, but that is also how great love stories happen. I was saddened to hear about Drayton’s sister but was excited that he had so many layers like an onion LOL. I’m so glad Drayton followed his heart and not in his fathers foot steps, you should always be true to yourself.

This book was really bad. I can't believe I finished it. It read more like soft core porn than YA. And Drayton keeps stepping into punch people for her, which she secretly likes. Blech!

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a sweet ya romance with some heavier moments. I thought it was very entertaining and didn't really want to put it down. I really liked the characters. Although I wish Nathan had had a talk with Dallas a lot sooner because she was being ridiculous. I liked Drayton, I could tell the whole time he was interested in her and he just didn't think she felt the same. And having Gabby's romance included at the same time was a nice addition. I

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The QB Bad Boy and Me started off quite slow and I almost gave up, I definitely didn't like Drayton initially and Dallas wasn't the most endearing character, As the book progressed so too did my feelings towards the characters but I still didn't love it.

Dallas Bryan wants to attend CalArts to study dance. She is on the cheerleading team as there are no funds for a dance team, She goes relatively unnoticed at school until Drayton Lahey, the teams quarterback crashes into her car.

Dallas lost her parents from a young age and has been raised by her brother Nathan, she knew what she wanted in life and her sole purpose was to leave Colorado for California.

Drayton is rich and cocky, his back-story is interesting but his treatment of the people around him didn't endear me to him. He was quite possessive and known as the bad boy.

The pacing of this book was often slow and I found myself skimming in parts, scenes could have been shortened or discarded all together.

Dallas and Drayton both seemed alot older than what they were, the lifestyle that they both lived I wouldn't exactly put in the YA category - casual sex, drinking, social status.

Overall, this book was quite average unfortunately for me and wasn't unique amongst other books in the genre.