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.

dnf for now, I just can't get into this at the moment. I will try again later.

There is something about this book that reminds me of an Agatha Christie plot.

Days after she is the victim of a home invasion, a reporter's assignment leads her onto a cruise aboard an exclusive, mall luxury cruise ship. She briefly encounters the woman in cabin 10. but later hears a cry and a splash outside her window. There is a bloody handprint on the wall between her verandah and that of Cabin 10. She sounds an alarm, but no one believes her. The cabin next door is empty. Who dunnit? Who was killed? Was anyone killed? Who is missing? Is it all in her head? A side effect of the anti depressant medication?

The story is well told and fast moving, and it's not clear who is coherent and who is corrupt. It's a decent thriller in the style of Gone Girl. Brings a suffocating eeriness to  cruise ships. . . 

This is the first edition from 1996, two subsequent editions have been released. If you have gone as far down the rabbit hole of Barbie collecting as I have you will want to check this author out. This book has minimal text - extended captions to the photos along with irrelevant values - but the photos are extensive and worth the price of admission.

Even as outdated as this book is the author's breadth of coverage is amazing. Sure, there are websites out there now that have all of this with perhaps better resolution and more accurate information, but as a single catch-all guide to classic vintage (pre-1973) and the new vintage of pre-'90s this book is hard to beat.

Barbie wearing 'Wedding Day' #972, flanked by Ken in 'Tuxedo' #787 and best friend Midge wearing 'Orange Blossom' #987. A classic group.

Especially noteworthy are the pictured dolls, accessories and clothes of Barbie's predecessor, the German comic doll Bild-Lilli. Ruth Handler had famously long wanted to create a fashion doll for kids, but it wasn't until she saw and bought some Bild-Lilli's in Switzerland that she was able to convince Mattel to start on a proto-type. You never see solid information on these dolls or their accessories.

A more modern wedding day. Skipper wears #1910 'Sunny Pastels', Ken wears 'Best Buy #9128', A Talking Barbie wears #3361 'Sweetheart Satin' and a Hair Fair Barbie wears a groovy clone fringe dress and accessories.

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?