Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Bad Bachelor is the kind of book I hate to stick a rating on. I absolutely loved the main characters, the romance, and Stefanie London’s writing. But the story also had some big drawbacks that kept me from falling in love with the book overall.

Let’s start with the good, shall we? I adored Reed and Darcy. Darcy is a librarian and the black sheep of her family. She’s hardworking and cares so much, which I absolutely loved. She’s also incredibly vulnerable between the contentious relationship with her mother and the way her engagement ended the day before she was supposed to be married. She has walls a mile high, but that’s nothing compared the walls Reed has around his heart. Reed is rich, polished, and a PR whiz. But no one sees the man beneath the glossy exterior…until Darcy. Reed has seriously deep old wounds he doesn’t allow anyone to see and they make him unwilling to open his heart and trust any woman. He’s dedicated to his job and being the best, not because of ego, but because the money allows him to care for his ailing father. Aside from wanting to push people away, Reed’s pretty much the perfect hero. He and Darcy are dynamite together and I loved watching them put together a fundraiser for her library. They’re a perfect match even though on the surface they seem nothing alike. The fact that they outwardly seem so different but inwardly have a lot in common is what makes them such an appealing couple. Their love story is easy to fall into and Ms. London makes it impossible not to root for them.

I adored Darcy and Reed so much that I hate to say anything bad about Bad Bachelor. However…the Bad Bachelors app plot was beyond aggravating. The Bad Bachelors app is – in essence – a Yelp review site of New York City’s bachelors. In a place as big as NYC, the number one “Bad Bachelor” isn’t a predator, criminal, abuser, liar, user, addict, cheater, or even someone who doesn’t tip well. No, it’s – brace yourself for the horror – a man who doesn’t want to commit. It’s necessary to roll with this premise or the entire book falls apart, so I knowingly went into this willing to suspend disbelief. The problem is, the more I saw Reed’s hard work being torn apart, his personal and professional reputation being shredded by this popular app, the more sour the taste in my mouth. The more the popularity of the app grew, the more it was like watching a good person be repeatedly kicked in the face not just by bitter and shallow exes, but workplace rivals and possibly internet trolls. The last bit is not altogether implausible, which makes it all the more depressing.

Bad Bachelor has good characters, an engaging and sexy romance, and a background plot that just left a bad taste in my mouth. Darcy’s two best friends, Remi and Annie, are featured in the next two Bad Bachelors books. I loathed Annie and will likely pass on her story, but I adored Remi and I love Ms. London’s writing so I will definitely be reading the next book in the Bad Bachelors series, Bad Reputation.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For every heartache that darkens our day, a rainbow is waiting to chase the storm away. The Aussie Next Door takes a childhood wish and turns it into an adult love story. All Angie ever wanted was someone to love. After a childhood of disappointment as an adult she decides to make a change. A fresh start is just what she needs to leave her troubles behind. Her new beginning turns into an adventure of the heart. Jace is the culmination of a dream she never thought would come true. Has love finally led her to that missing piece of her heart?

Fun, entertaining read. Two emotionally challenged persons, find their way through past heartbreaks, deceit, transgressions, a quagmire of trust issues.  Sweet couple with puppy sidekicks and lots of family fun along with a head of steam. Don’t miss this one.

3.75 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin

A Greek billionaire meets his match in How to Lose a Fiancé. I’m generally not one for billionaire romances, but how could I resist one where the heroine pulls a reverse Ugly Duckling and is armed with a taxidermy fox? Author Stefanie London does a good job of mixing humor and heart in this story.

All her life, Sophia Andreou has worked to keep her father happy. She’s so close to getting her freedom when the man pulls the rug out from under her and says he’s arranged a marriage for Sophia. Marriage to a Greek billionaire may sound like a dream to some, but Sophia has no desire to be controlled by anyone ever again. She can’t refuse for fear of what might happen to her mother, so she’s determined to drive Dion Kourakis away with eccentric outfits and a few unique interests (see aforementioned fox). Sophia is a kind, likeable heroine who’s been put in a hard spot and won’t let herself be walked over. I liked her spirit and found her easy to root for. As for Dion, the man has a great deal of patience. He has a heartbreaking past that drives his present and really made me feel for him. I enjoyed watching him roll with the punches and handle whatever Sophia threw at him. I won’t spoil his reasons for agreeing to the arranged marriage in the first place, but suffice it to say they make sense for his character. Dion is pretty much perfect book boyfriend material, so I was eager to see he and Sophia fall in love once he got to see the real her. The two of them are well-suited and there isn’t any false drama, which I greatly appreciated.

How to Lose a Fiancé is the second book in Ms. London’s Greek Billionaires series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed Sophia and Dion together, but I will admit I didn’t find them or their romance very memorable, which is a bit of a downside for me. Baroness Sasha Foxington III was definitely the breakout star of this book, a fairly impressive feat considering she’s stuffed. But even with this quibble, I still recommend How to Lose a Fiancé to anyone looking for an entertaining contemporary romance that’s fast-paced, warm-hearted, and fun.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Das Buch:

„Bad Bachelor“ ist ein Liebesroman von Stefanie London, der am 7. Januar 2019 als E-Book bei Forever by Ullstein erschienen ist. Die broschierte Ausgabe folgte am 22. Februar 2019. Der Roman ist der Auftakt der New York Bachelors Reihe.

Der Inhalt:

Nachdem Darcy ihren Ex kurz vor der Hochzeit mit jemand anderem erwischt hat, sind sämtliche Männergeschichten tabu. Sie hat das Vertrauen komplett verloren. Als die App namens Bad Bachelor auftaucht, in der die Single-Männer von ihren Dates bewertet wurden, drängen ihre beiden Freundinnen sie dazu es endlich wieder zu versuchen, zumal man ja nun die Arschlöcher vorher aussortieren kann.

Reed ist, aufgrund seiner Frauengeschichten, der am schlechtesten bewertete Junggeselle New Yorks. Sein Beruf besteht daraus, das Image anderer aufzupolieren, doch durch diese App geht mittlerweile sein eigenes Image den Bach runter. Er sucht händeringend nach Möglichkeiten, da mittlerweile auch sein Job in Gefahr ist. Als er dann beruflich auf Darcy trifft kracht es ordentlich, denn sie bietet seinem selbstsicherem Auftreten von Beginn an Paroli.

Meine Meinung:

Das Cover passt zum Buch, ist aber relativ langweilig. Nachdem ich anfangs ein paar Seiten gebraucht habe, um richtig in die Geschichte einsteigen zu können, hat sie mich dann Stück für Stück überzeugt. Die Gespräche zwischen Darcy und Reed waren mir ganz am Anfang zu aufgesetzt und es hat da noch nicht richtig gepasst. Im weiteren Verlauf hat sich das extrem gebessert, denn sobald sich die Charaktere ein paar Mal begegnet sind, ist dieser witzige Schlagabtausch auch wirklich authentisch rüber gekommen. Die beiden Protagonisten haben mir gut gefallen, da beide sehr gut ausgearbeitet waren. Darcy war durch ihre Art und ihr Auftreten mal was ganz anderes und Reed hatte auch einiges mehr zu bieten als oberflächliche Sprüche. Der Schreibstil hat mir ebenfalls gut gefallen. Die 2 Perspektiven fand ich super, nur hatte ich manchmal das Gefühl, dass es kurz nicht richtig auseinander gehalten wurde, aber das hat mich auch nicht großartig gestört. Nur die Nebencharaktere waren mir zu dürftig, die hätte man gerne näher beleuchten können. So sind sie nur langweilige und teils sogar fast unsympathische Mininebenrollen, was die darauffolgenden Bände dann eben nicht sonderlich interessant für mich macht. Die romantischen und erotischen Szenen waren sehr gut umgesetzt. Das Ende, welches als Überraschungseffekt geplant war, war für mich schon viel früher offensichtlich, aber das tut dem Ganzen keinen Abbruch. Was ich besonders gut fand, war, dass die App und der ganze anonyme Onlinebewertungskram nicht nur positiv beleuchtet wurde, denn das hätte die Story für mich unglaubwürdig gemacht.

Fazit:

Ein interessanter und moderner Liebesroman, der mit besonderen Charakteren und humorvollem Schlagabtausch auf sich aufmerksam macht und dennoch genügend Gefühle zulässt. Kann ich jedem Fan von Liebesromanen empfehlen.