I spotlighted The Bad Boy Experiment by Reese Ryan as book of the day and included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

Reese Ryan is an expert category romance writer and I am so grateful she continues to share her skills with the world. Her categories just deliver again and again a complete story with impeccable characterization and little hints of things to come in the future that always leave me wanting more. This particular book is probably my second favorite in The Bourbon Brothers series, although I think I accidentally missed one that could knock it from its place in my list. But regardless, I really liked the way this book showcases Renee reconnecting with Cole, a sort of modern day rake. I really enjoyed the little glimpse we got of Wilhemenia's diary too, because I always love books that pull a little bit on history and make those connections to the present. And the spiciness in this book is well done as always! Just another very solid hit from Ryan.

I love Reese Ryan's Bourbon Brothers series. She has saved the best for last. I honestly can't believe I just said that. I mean I was so sure Waking up Married was my favorite book of the series. But each book gets better and better. I've been in love with Cole Abbott for a while now. I knew he was special. I just didn't know how special. I was afraid when I started reading The Bad Boy Experiment that the heroine wouldn't be right for him or worthy of his love. I am beyond happy to say that I was wrong. Renee Lockwood is perfect for Cole in every way. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Cole is the youngest son of Duke and Iris Abbott. The family owns and operates King's Finest Distillery in Magnolia Lake, Tennessee. The company was founded by Duke’s father Joe. Cole is the only Abbott to not work for the company, much to his family's displeasure. Cole never felt like he fit in with his family and for him, some things were a struggle. This has led to some hard feelings and conflict between his brothers, father, and grandfather. It also earned Cole the label of family rebel and black sheep. School was never a place Cole truly liked, but Renee made it bearable and a little easier. Living with her grandparents, Milo and Janice, Renee became Cole's math tutor and the Lockwoods welcomed him into their home. Over time, the two developed secret feelings for each other but never felt comfortable confessing how they felt. After Renee left for college, her grandfather gave Cole the opportunity to work with him at his construction company. With Milo’s mentorship, Cole was able to strike out on his own and build his own successful construction and development company.

After going to college, working as a pharmaceutical scientist, getting married, having a son, and getting divorced, Renee finds herself needing a change. Returning to Magnolia Lake seems like the most logical thing to do. Plus, she has huge plans for her and her son’s future. Renee wants to buy the land from her grandparents that her deceased aunts lived and worked on. With the land, she wants to grow an organic farm and employ people with special needs. While this is an admirable project, one thing, or I should say one person stands in her way.

For years, Cole has been trying to get Milo to sell the farmland that has gone unused for years to him. Cole's desire is to build a luxury community and cement his legacy separate from that of his family. Milo is willing to hear both Renee and Cole make their sales pitch. But in the end, Mr. Sly as a Fox, makes a proposition of his own. Milo wants both of them to live on the land for six months, in each of his late sisters' homes. Renee is to live in her Aunt Willie’s old place, and Cole is to live in Bea’s old place. With the sisters both being so close, their houses are only yards away from each other. Both homes are in need of cleaning out and some repair. Cole offers to help Renee with her repairs in exchange for her agreeing to be his plus one/date for the upcoming weddings of his brothers. This is a romance after all, and as they say, the rest is history.

Oops... I forgot to mention, The Bad Boy Experiment contains an amazing first kiss, a 4-year-old little boy who will steal your heart, a scandalous diary, and surprising discoveries. Whatever part of your heart remains after Renee’s son Mercer gets ahold of it will belong to Cole and Renee.

The Bad Boy Experiment is the standalone sixth book in the Bourbon Brothers series. All the past characters return with their kids and pets in tow. I'm definitely sad that the series is ending. But I'm excited for what’s to come.

~ FAVORITE QUOTE ~

“Knowledge is power. But knowledge not acted upon amounts to a whole lot of nothin’.”

Another beautiful romance from Reese Ryan. A touching story of love, family, and finding a second chance at love.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

I loved Book 4 in this series, A Reunion of Rivals, and so I am pleased to review The Bad Boy Experiment. Renee and Cole are great together, and the romance is steamy. Renee is divorced and has a son with special needs, Mercer. The characters are well fleshed out and I enjoyed the plot. Reese Ryan is one of my favourite romance/Harlequin authors.

Thanks to Reese Ryan and Harlequin for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
4 stars.

Research scientist Renee Lockwood has returned home to Magnolia Lake after her failed marriage, hoping to restore her family’s farming enterprise and create a better life for her 4-year old son Mercer. She’d hope to have more time before seeing her high school crush, Cole Abbott but no such luck when they connect at the grocery store. He’s not much for commitments and her feelings have only intensified. But, their mutual attraction is hard to ignore, even by their families. But maybe a fling with a bad boy friend might be worth the risk to Renee’s heart.

It’s rare for me to read a series out of order so starting at the last book would normally make me itchy. However, I am such a fan of the author and this story appealed on several fronts. I really liked Renee’s goal of managing a career and parenting a child on the autism spectrum on her own. She has a beautiful spirt and is smart, talented and resourceful. Cole isn’t any slouch either. Yes, he’s been quite popular with the ladies but always honest and up front about there being no strings. He stood up to his family and went his own way, now a successful real estate developer with his own company. The friendship between them was genuine, a great foundation for something more despite them thinking it wouldn’t work.

I enjoyed this story and never felt like I was missing all those back stories about Cole’s other siblings as the focus was on him. With that said, I’m committed to starting from the beginning and reading what came earlier because I also fell for these families. Cole and Renee were great characters and things got pretty steamy along the way. It was lovely how he bonded with Mercer, having his own connection with the child. While this book concludes the series, the epilogue sets up the upcoming spinoff spectacularly! Glad I get to have more of the Abbott family.

There is no way to read the first few chapters of this book and not automatically root for Cole and Renee. From the moment they run into one another in the grocery store, you just know that they belong together. Both of them feel as though they need to build a legacy, both are recovering from the past judgement of others and both would do anything for the people they love. They’re kindred spirits in every possible way, despite the fact that they seem to be opposites.

The real shining star of these story though is the relationship that Cole develops with Mercer. Without even realizing it, Cole is constantly putting Mercer and what he needs first. The domino effect here, of course, is that in doing so he also puts Renee first as well. Cole knows that Mercer and Renee need support and stability, something he doesn’t believe he can give them. And so, he’s determined that starting anything other than a friendship with Renee would be a disaster. Cole mentions early on just how much Mercer captured his heart and how he felt as though he could understand the young boy. Seeing how excited Mercer would get when Cole was around tugged at every heartstring that I have y’all. Children are very intuitive and it was clear that Mercer knew that Cole was a beautiful soul, even when Cole didn’t quite see it himself. Cole’s relationship with Mercer is actually one of the reasons that Renee falls so hard for him and it’s not hard to see why. After having her extended family show such indifference to Mercer, watching Cole love and care for her son makes her nothing less than emotional. I don’t think we often get such heartfelt interactions between love interests and children, especially not in the forefront of a story. I love that Reese was able to give that to us because it reinforced the values that both Cole and Renee hold close.

Reese managed to tell such a full story in just over 200 pages. It’s a story of love, family, support and hard work, all of which shines through in her characters. You can’t help but fall in love with them and you certainly can’t resist falling in love with their relationship. If you ask me, picking up The Bad Boy Experiment is a must. Oh! And the reasoning behind the title of the book wasn’t something that I saw coming. If you think it only has to do with Reese and Cole’s relationship, I think you’re in for a fun surprise.

I did enjoy this one. I found it well-written and entertaining.

I found this to be steamy but I loved every minute of it .

Renee Lockwood, a brilliant scientist, has returned to Magnolia Lake, Tennessee, after many years away. And this time she comes determined to stay. Her goal is to make her grandfather Milo’s farm functional again. A goal that becomes a bit complicated when Cole Abbott, her former friend and her teen crush, makes an offer to Renee’s grandfather to buy the land to turn it into a luxury home development. Aware that both projects will bring benefits to the community, Milo gives them the option of competing for the farm: they will have to live on it, in neighboring houses, for six months.

As time passes, Renee and Cole revive their friendship, although there comes a time when being “just friends” is not enough. It is then that Renee puts “The Bad Boy Experiment” into action and proposes a no-strings relationship to Cole. Which he accepts, of course. But what will happen when those nights of unbridled passion give way to love?

This is the sixth and final book in The Bourbon Brothers series, and I think it’s a great ending. The way the details are very well cared for (the messages on Cole’s t-shirts are hilarious!) and the alluring and funny dialogues, although serious when they deserve it, make the reading very entertaining. Likewise, the supporting characters, especially the Abbotts, are refreshing. And Mercer is a sweet, charming boy. A story that deals with issues such as autism and learning disabilities in a sensitive and simple way without overshadowing the essence of Harlequin Desire books, the sexy romance. Although I thought there was a little loose end when it came to Cole, I think it was a very good ending to this series.

FULL REVIEW IN HARLEQUIN JUNKIE:
https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-the-bad-boy-experiment-by-reese-ryan/

So sad to see this series come to an end. 😭😩
Cole and Renee definitely have chemistry and I enjoyed their banter, but I felt like I was being told about their reconnection and I wanted see it unfold as I read. It was nice catching up with all the other couples and kids. The ending of the story had my jaw dropping and I can’t wait to read all about the Valentines next!!

First of all, don't let the fact that this is the sixth and final book of a series steer you away from it. I read it without having read the first five books and never felt lost, confused, or like I was missing something while reading. Having said that, however, by the time I finished The Bad Boy Experiment, I was so invested in Cole's entire family I immediately sought out the rest of the books and am eager to lose myself in all of the stories.

As usually happens with a Reese Ryan book, I was pulled into the story from the get-go and that connection only strengthened as the book progressed. I loved all the intertwining threads between Cole, Ren, and their families, that gave their journey complexity and kept things moving forward. I loved the slow-burn chemistry between them, the reignited friendship after years apart, and the new, mature feelings that deepened, almost without them realizing. I enjoyed their individual journeys (especially Cole's) and the impact that had on not only their own growth but on their relationship as well. Secondary characters from both families added additional depth, humor, and emotion to Cole and Ren's relationship, leaving me wanting to know more about each of them.

One of the highlights of this book for me was Ren's son, Mercer, a heart-stealing four-year-old with non-verbal autism. Ryan's depiction of this character was handled with care and realism, evoking memories of a precious family member of mine at the same age. The relationship between mother and son was endearing and realistic but it was the scenes between Mercer and Cole, a man determined to avoid a marriage and family of his own, that captured my heart completely. Fate knew what it was doing when it brought these two together.

If you enjoy second-chance romances with great character development, realistic family dynamics, steamy chemistry, and a heart-tugging happily ever after, give The Bad Boy Experiment a try. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Terrific conclusion to the Bourbon Brothers series. Cole is the youngest of the family and the last man standing as far as relationships go. He is as anti-commitment as they come, preferring no-strings hookups to anything that smacks of permanence. He is also the only siblings not involved in the family distillery. Years earlier, he made it known that he had no interest in being part of it by refusing to go to college and apprenticing with a local builder instead. While this created great tension among the family, Cole became very successful in real estate development and construction. I ached a bit for Cole as I learned more about his background. Learning difficulties left him with some insecurities that persisted into his adulthood.

After divorcing her husband, Renee returned home, bringing her four-year-old autistic son Mercer. After dealing with the entitled, rich-boy mentality, the last thing she is interested in is a relationship with anyone. She plans to purchase the family's farm property from her grandfather and create an organic vegetable and flower farm staffed by workers with challenges such as those her son faces.

I loved the first meeting between Renee and Cole. He didn't know she was back in town and the sight of her left him gobsmacked. They became friends (with mutual crushes) in high school when Renee tutored him in math and science, and to say the geeky girl had changed would be an understatement. But Cole still feels guilty because their friendship ended badly. If things were awkward between them now, they were about to get more so. When Renee approaches her grandfather about purchasing the property, she learns that Cole also wants the same land. He plans to build high-end homes there. Her clever, perhaps devious, grandfather tells both that he will give them six months to prove which one will make the best use of the property. Though not happy, neither backs down from the challenge.

I loved watching the relationship develop between Cole and Renee. Though both claim to be anti-relationship, there is no doubt about their attraction. Both are determined to resist it and instead rekindle their friendship. Though Cole has the whole bad-boy reputation, he has a surprisingly soft and honorable heart. I loved watching him find ways to help Renee, both with fixing up her house and setting up her farm. He also connects quickly with her son, Mercer, with whom he feels a slight kinship over similar challenges. There are sweet scenes with Cole and Mercer, who calls Cole "Vroom!" because of his truck.

I loved seeing Cole and Renee spend time together. Though she's a bit hesitant, Cole finds ways to involve her in his family's life. It was fun to see how they could all see what was happening between Cole and Renee. As the flames of attraction grew stronger, a chance discovery of her great-aunt's diary led Renee to propose a "bad-boy experiment." They give in to the attraction, indulging in a no-strings affair while maintaining their friendship, with no expectation of more. Of course, both go into it firmly convinced they can keep their feelings out of it. It was fun to see their families, who clearly see what is happening, try to point out the obvious while neither one is willing to listen. After panicking when they realize the truth, it takes a little time apart to realize the truth of what they want. I loved Cole's big moment at the end - trellis + balcony = <sigh>

I loved the epilogue. It was great to see the whole family together at the grand opening of their mother's restaurant. I loved Iris's excitement at the new challenge and her homage to the importance of her family. The epilogue ended with an unexpected twist that left me anxiously awaiting the next book.

The bad boy experiment by Reese Ryan.
Mills & Boon Desire The Bourbon Brothers, Book 6.
Even if Renee Lockwood was willing to give love a second chance, she wouldn’t choose Cole Abbott. He may be sexy but he doesn’t do commitment. But he’s perfect for a no-strings fling. Yet mind-blowing pleasure is harder to quit than Ren expected. Is time running out before the bad boy bolts…or will the results of her experiment surprise her?
A very good read with good characters. I liked how Renee and Cole were together. Great story. 4*.

This was my very first Harlequin Series romance and I enjoyed my time reading this book. While there were time I rolled my eyes at some tropes or found certain plot points a little over the top or too perfectly placed to be believable, I did get the romance that I was looking for.

However, I think I could have used a little more of the two main characters spending time together without other family members butting in to give their opinions, just so I could watch the relationship form a little more before the two started their arrangement. I also would have loved getting to hear more about the passion projects that Renee and Cole were working on as I felt that got glossed over a bit.

In all, while I appreciated how light and cute this story was, I felt that it tried to pack in a bit too many elements, which didn't give each each element enough time to shine or develop. It was still a pretty solid romance though, so I gave it three stars in the end.

I'm sad this is the final installment of the Bourbon Bros series, but happy to get this story because it was deliciously spicy. I love a hero that is not a prince charming, who is kind of 'bad' for you but not in a crime and punishment way... he's just not polite and dashing. A hero that is a sarcastic a hole going up against a headstrong heroine who refuses to give in in a situation where they're in close proximity and can't help but cross the line that should not be crossed but probably will....
Magic. love it, and Reese Ryan does it again and again. I'm already pining for this new series coming because that last scene has piqued my interest!

The Bad Boy Experiment is the final book in the Bourbon Brothers series by Reese Ryan. While it is a standalone, I adore the entire series, so I highly recommend them all if you have it read them already.

This follows Cole, the remaining single Abbott brother. When his high school crush moves back to town, he might not be a playboy for much long. Ren is a divorcee and single parent to her adorable autistic 4-year-old son, Mercer. They're both vying for property on her family's land. Cole wanting to build housing and Ren wanting to build an organic farm. Her father proposes that they both live on the property and show what they plan to do with it. Being neighbors brings them close together and they quickly become friends once again and evolve into more when they decide to partake in a no strings attached physical arrangement. But will Cole's fears of not being good enough for Ren keep him from embracing their mutual feeling of love.

I loved so much about this one! Cole was absolutely charming right from the start and a gentleman helping her out when she was technically his rival for her family's land. I loved how he accepted her son and was so good with him. Ren was simply a wonderful mother. Oh goodness as a mother to an autistic mostly non-verbal son myself, her struggles were very relatable and the tender moments with her son warmed my heart. The romance between Ren and Cole was sweet, slow and passionate. There is no big drama, but it was highly enjoyable nonetheless. I was rooting for him to man up and proclaim his feelings to her

The Bad Boy Experiment by Reese Ryan has cheesy graphic t-shirts, mom life , meddling grandparents , family weddings, and passionate kisses .A great wrap up to the Bourbon Brother series, and I'm looking forward to the spin-off series, Valentine Vineyards.

Fire finds a soulmate. The Bad Boy Experiment breaks every rule when it comes to romance. Renee and Cole push the buttons of the heart with a steamy dance of unpredictable and emotional that worms its way under your skin and into your soul.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review.

The Bad Boy Experiment is the final book in the Bourbon Brothers series. It can be read as a stand-alone, as I have missed all but one and didn’t feel too lost. There is a sense of it feeling a bit crowded with all the previous characters living their HEAs, but that’s par for the course for a series conclusion, and I’m excited to go back and read what I missed.

Reese Ryan always writes such engaging characters and such wonderful takes on familiar tropes. I really appreciated Renee’s character, especially in how it explored her role as a single mom to an autistic child. While I can’t speak specifically to the accuracy of the representation, the inclusion is great.

I also really liked Renee’s relationship with her grandfather, and how he really believed in her despite her challenges. And he’s implied to be a bit of a meddling matchmaker, as it’s his actions that bring her and Cole back together.

I really liked seeing these two people who’ve always liked each other, but things never happened due to them being on different paths, finally finding their way to each other. And it’s interesting how they complement each other, with Renee having a lot of drive, and Cole kind of being a bit of a black sheep of the family, at least in terms of not really excelling academically and not working in the same business with the rest of his family.

This is a great book, both in its own right and as a conclusion to the series overall. Whether you’ve read the series or not, it’s absolutely worth checking out, especially if you like category and/or contemporary romance.

Renee moves back to her small hometown to find a quiet place to raise her autistic son. She hopes to purchase her grandparents' farm, but developer Cole has different ideas. Her former high-school crush wants to build high-end homes on the land. Their rivalry sparks their old attraction, and they agree to a short-term fling. But the more their lives become entangled, the harder it will be to say goodbye.

No one does steamy small-town romance better than Reese Ryan. I love her gentle humor, her clever use of language, and the characters who generally mean well even when they come into conflict. Renee and Cole both see themselves as too savvy to fall in love, yet deep down they can't fight the tender feelings that grow between them. This book has so much heart—it's like wrapping yourself in a big hug. And we could all use more hugs right now.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. As soon as I see the Harlequin symbol, I just know I'll enjoy it.