Better When He's Bad: A Dark and Dangerous Romance Featuring an Ex-Con and a Fiery Redhead (Welcome to the Point, 1)

"Do you want me to lie to you?"I grabbed his hand and forced him to hold the towel so I could work on his face. I cleaned him off with a cotton ball soaked in peroxide, which had him swearing and scowling at me. I found the little butterfly Steri-strip I bought and slapped a couple on his cheek."Yeah. I think I do." I couldn't tell the difference when he lied to me anyway. He grunted and narrowed his eyes even farther at me when I slimed some antibacterial goo on his lower lip."then no. You wold be exactly like all the rest."4 3/4 stars, I love Jay Crownover it seems that whatever she writes I can't get enough of. This girl knows how to write a hero to make me melt and fall in love as fast as lightning. And she (thank goodness) knows how to write a heroine that I not only don't hate but love. The second I heard about this book I knew it would be a release day read. I literally counted down the days till Better When He's Bad was released. And can we just pause and talk about the title Better When He's Bad *sigh*. I was hooked the second I started this book and would get mad when real life forced me to put it down.Bax and Race were best friends so when Bax got put in prison for five years and he knew his friend had something to do about it Bax sat and stewed for five years trying to figure out what happened. When Bax was released he wanted to find his friend to know what happened but Race went missing. Now it seems that everyone is looking for Race. While Bax was looking for Race Bax finds Dovie, Bax is shocked to find out she is Race's sister. A sister that no one seemed to know he had.Dovie grew up worse than most, so when she found out she had a brother and he took her away from the danger she lived in and made a family for the two of them Dovie learned what love and family was and she would gladly do anything for Race. Race always told her about Bax and that no matter what she could trust him so when Race went missing and the mysterious Bax with the star tattoo showed up she knew he would help her find Race.Now Bax and Dovie are trying to find Race so they can find out not only why he turned on Bax but also what he has over the man who runs their town. The more they dig the more questions they have and the more they know that Dovie may be in the cross hairs of the danger. The longer they spend together the more Bax and Dovie's attraction becomes to hard to deny. soon what started as only a physical attraction turns into something neither thought possible. And when Race finally shows up and the truth is revealed Bax is willing to do anything to keep the girl who stole his heart safe no matter the cost.This book blew me away. I enjoyed it the entire time I was reading it but then when the truth was revealed I was really surprised. Ms. Crownover wrote this book so well, the storyline was executed so well and it was so smart that I couldn't help but enjoy it the more I read. I usually am one to guess the twists and turns and the story line but this one I didn't see coming at all. Jay Crownover really impressed me and after reading all of her book I didm't think I could like her writing anymore than I already did.I loved Bax, what wasn't their to love, he was so good at being bad and even better at loving and protecting Dovie, he was tough but so gentle and loving with Dovie. Bax was willing to do ANYTHING for Dovie to make sure she was safe and he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. Dovie was a great heroine she was smart and kind and she didn't take crap from anyone or melt into a puddle just because Bax was hot or kissed her. This book was filled with characters that were too easy to love. before Race even showed up I was in love with him and hoping he was book two( and he is). When a man does everything to protect his friend and sister you know he's one you want to know more about, and the little we saw of Dovie's friend (who will be Race's heroine) makes so unbelievably impatient for book two.I really hope we get a book three to this series because I want Bax's brother Titus's story as bad as I want Race's story. He did all he could to protect Bax even if Bax thought he was one of the people who turned on him and helped to put him in prison. I love anti-hero's I wish more authors wrote about them but I also know that it's a thin line between an anti-hero and a jerk and Jay knows that line. Bax was so good at being bad I didn't want him to change. I do wish this book had an epilogue I would have loved to have had that icy on top of this great book but this book still left me with a smile on my face and my calendar marked for book 2.

Originally Reviewed on The Bewitching Bibliophile Book Blog as part of the Book Launch Blog Tour, I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, it did not affect nor influence my review.Ok so y'all already know I fangirl hard over Jay's Marked Men series, so when I heard she had a new series coming out and this guy was badder than Rule?? Girl chile you know I signed right the hell up right?? Of course you see the title, you know I did.My heart belongs to Rome but then Bax came along. He did his very best to hijack my heart and let me explain why. I love Bax, when I went into this book I had no idea what I'd signed up for; Bax makes Rule look tame and I do mean tame. This story grabs you by the throat and drags you down into the ground and makes you a part of it. I loved the grittiness; the showcasing of a world that normally doesn't get any love. Bax was a kid from the streets, someone who loved cars and was able to parlay that into a job, not a legal one but still it kept him in food and home because his mother wasn't well, his brother had abandoned him and he doesn't know who his father is.His life was a hard road through the toughest parts of the city, the parts the bright lights hide and pretend isn't there, it's the parts the people with money come to play in and leave behind when they have decided that slumming is no longer their thing. But people have to survive and Bax & Dovie struggle to survive, thrive and still have something worth smiling about. I loved reading this story, I told my sister it was like reading an old school rap song, amazingly graphic, raw, raunchy and real. It pulled me in, made me feel like I was watching the story unfold in real life. Although I have never lived on this side of the city I have friends who are from there, I have driven through it, I have worked with people from these parts of town, and I have worked with patients who have survived these parts of the city, and it's about time, the stories start being told.It made me feel like I was there and witnessing it real life, I loved Dovie and OMG Race!! (who was briefly in there was still not enough to make me very excited for number 2 "Better When He's Bold") Dovie was likeable character, she was vulnerable, yet tough and boy did she love fiercely. I loved how she was open to seeing more than meets the eye but also saw reality. She refused to be stuck with just what she was born with, she wanted more and aimed for that; she tried to be a good role model and give back to those who have less than her and all the time, she strives to stay above the fray, and not get pulled down by the many vices that rule the city.I LOVE THESE BOOKS!! (And no I don't get paid to say this, I just love them!!) I would fangirl more but y'all need to see it for yourself. It was like an episode of the Wire just as gritty and real. I was completely absorbed and found myself checking the counter to make sure I wasn't running out of book before the story gave me everything it had. Bax!??!! OMGAWD Bax, he's just so amazing. I'll be real I have no idea if I could have made his decision in the warehouse. That moment made me feel so many feels, just the rawness of it, the fear, the desperate moments of hope, the fleeting glimpse of love, and just knowing any moment it could go all the way wrong. I was deeply emotionally vested in this story. There was mystery, trying to figure out who all the players where, why they were playing, and even why this game in partiular.Please check out the series, I just know that I can't wait for January 2015 for book 2). This is an amazing story and it's about time the 'average guy from the block ' gets some love in the new adult genre and I'm happy Jay is writing it. ★★★★★Happy Reading and please don't forget to share the love with others and of course with Jay. I'm not even ashamed to say I have already read this again for a second time this month. LOL

Better When Hes Bad is book #1 in the Welcome to the Point Series, I LOVE Jay Crownovers books and it’s a travesty that I have left it this long to read this book.Is he better when he’s bad???Why yes, yes he REALLY is!!!Bax is dark, brooding and has an ingrained sense of danger that he exudes out of every one of his perfect pores.I love that he is unashamedly violent, he’s a criminal and he’s blatant about it!! He never pretends to be a nice or a good guy he just owns his dark side.This book is gritty and edgy and even the sweet, romantic bits have an undercurrent caused by the danger that surrounds this whole story.I honestly never even considered who Novak was until it was revealed but now I think about it, it’s kind of obvious. I enjoyed that the plot was drip fed to us, Why Race ran, why he left Dovie, how Titus was involved.I loved Dovie, she’s strong and determined and really like a much less volatile female version of Bax. Her character grew and matured through this book and by then end I felt like she held her head high and stood straighter.Everything by this author is well written and as I expected the dialogue flowed and everything felt conversational and real. As a reader a good book should create a picture in your mind and Better When He’s Bad was a film that I watched with ease.When Bax and Dovie got together they had this weird chemistry that shouldn’t work but really does. She was incredibly tenacious and chased him without even realising she was doing it.The sex was insanely sexy; it wasn’t particularly dirty or kinky just really intense and real.I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to Race and hopefully Titus’s book.Better When He’s Bad gets 4 stars from me.

OH BOY Bax really is the ultimate bad boy *SWOON* although I think he’d probably scare the crap out of me in real life :)Bax is an ex-con that wholly embraces his bad boy persona. The type of area in which he grew-up is reminiscent of the way in which The Bronx is portrayed on TV. The type of area where gangs/drug dealers/violence are the norm overseen by what can only be described as the equivalent of an overlord. It is most definitely a dog eat dog scenario where only the fittest survive. Projecting the right image is necessary for survival in Bax’s world. It is like it own separate universe, dark and dangerous cloaked in darkness while hidden in plain sight swallowed whole by the city.Initially, Bax is the personification of a self-fulfilling prophecy, that is until you delve below the surface. Don’t get me wrong, he really likes his ultimate bad boy status BUT he hides a heart of gold for the right people. He is loyal to a fault. There is just a fortress of barriers to crack before he lets anyone through.The dual narrative alongside the direct address to the reader enhances the personal connection to the characters.I loved how Jay Crownover showed how unfavorable their initial impression of each other was, it made the plot more realistic :) Bax really knows how to push Dovie’s buttons :)Dovie has had a hard upbringing yet she retains more compassion than most people have in their little fingers. Tied into Bax’s world by their joint connection to Race, Bax’s best friend and Dovie’s brother. Both feel indebted to Race for very different reasons.Dovie is very perceptive and sees through Bax’s smoke screen. Jay Crownover tackles the idea of identity including nature versus nurture head-on with some of the best quotes imaginable. I don’t normally include quotes but feel it necessary on this occasion to emphasize the identity theme within the narrative:There is more to you than the bad things you have doneThe idea that who we want to be and who we have to be in order to survive. Ultimately, it is about finding the right blend of those two parts of ourselves to become the best we can possibly be. Isn’t that the essence of what each of us strives for. It is all about perspective and being able to see outside the box you place yourself in.There are some surprising twists and impressive characterizations that take the plot to a whole other level. I loved the way in which it all tied together especially when all the barriers come crashing down.Jay Crownover goes from strength to strength, boy can this lady deliver an amazing book.

This is the first book in Jay’s new series Welcome to The Point! I was looking forward to reading this as soon as found out about it on Twitter because I’ve really enjoyed Jay’s Marked Men series (check out reviews in the 2013/2014 reviews section on the blog).Better When He’s Bad is all about bad boy Shane Baxter, or Bax. Bax isn’t just a bad boy, he is a guy who is actually bad. He’s just been released from a five year stint in jail and is out to get his revenge. Bax has grown up in The Point where money is scarce, addiction is rife and turning criminal seems to be an accolade. Dovie Pryce has recently moved to the point, a year before Bax’s release and now she finds herself in the spotlight with the local King Pin.There is a foreword in the book from Jay telling us all a little bit more behind her story, her reasons for writing it and just the type of character Shane Baxter is. It’s interesting to get a sneak peek into Jay’s thought process.This book is really quite different to any in her Marked Men series. While the Marked Men are all typical bad boys, none of them are truly bad like Bax. He’s scary bad actually if you allow yourself to think about it. His upbringing hasn’t been kind to him and it’s turned him into the tough ex con that he is. As much as he’s dangerous he’s dangerously sexy. I LOVED him, totally fell head over heels and I’m sure you will too!Dovie is the other main character. She has ties to Bax through her brother and since his release Bax has had to look out for her. I loved that she is a complete contrast to Bax. All white light to his dark demeanour and she actually balances out the story. I loved the side that she brought out in Bax, and I loved that he started to think he could deserve more because of her.The story was fast paced, I read it in two sittings and I just couldn’t put it down. Jay’s writing totally draws you into her story, even though this one is more gritty and darker than her others it’s still completely captivating. The narrative is dual POV which is common in Jay’s books and is another reason I absolutely love them. I love getting to know both the guy and the girl’s perspective and it really works here because of Bax’s upbringing you get to understand him completely.If you are a fan of new adult, and a fan of a bad boy then this book is for you and Jay’s Marked Men series will be worth a read too!

Ms Jay Crownover has done it again. I love her 'Marked men' series and this book is the absolute opposite to those books and its great that she can change from sort of books to another.Bex is out of prison after 5 years. He knows he was setup and now he wants answers. His best friend has gone missing but he has left behind a sister Dovie. There is an attraction between Bex and Dovie.When Bex starts unravelling the secrets behind why he was setup and who set him up is there a way for Bex and Dovie to survive in 'the point' or life?This is a fascination of how life in 'the point' is and how not only adults but kids survive it. Why Bex chose the choices he did and why.Life in 'The Point' is hard and kids learn fast how to grow up and learn to survive, it's where Bex and Dovie grew up but how different their lives are.Bex is a bad guy but he's not really. He's a good man that does bad things and the next book is about Dovie' s brother and her best friend. I can't wait for it.This is a great story I highly recommend this book and I highly recommend Jay Crownover other books they are just as good, I don't know what books are better because they are just fantastic.

I have read most of Jay Crownover's books and my favourite from the Marked Men series was Rule as it had so much angst and passion in it which this book also has. I wasn't as keen on the other Marked Men books as I felt they were a bit tame compared to Rule so I'm hoping the next one 'Rowdy' is going to have all the angst and passion I like. But getting back to 'Better when he's bad' - it has everything going for it with a great story, and keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. Bax is just a 'wow' guy and Dovie is his calm and he is her storm. Great combination. I love the fact that Dovie is not the usual blond hair and blue eyed every day girl but that she is different and not necessarily a beauty on the outside but definitely beautiful on the inside, which is more important. Good to see that there will be a story next about Race, Dovie's brother and the best friend of Bax but I don't know if I can bear to wait until February next year!!! Also want a story about Titus please. Keep up the good work Jay and please please continue with the passion and angst, I love it!!