The Bad Boy Next Door by Jody Holford | Kendrick Place #2
Contemporary Romance
Published on March 20th, 2017
ARC from Netgalley
Book Blurb:
Shay Matthews moved to Boston for a fresh start…new apartment, new job, new routine. After too many years being coddled by her overbearing older brothers, Shay’s ready for some freedom and maybe a nice, easygoing guy. She wasn’t expecting to literally run into the scowling, brooding, (and unfairly smoking hot) guy next door.
Fresh off a haunting undercover assignment, detective Wyatt Daniels is jaded about life, relationships, and especially happily-ever-after. But there’s something about the independent and beautiful Shay that makes him want to dig deeper. Or stay away, which is definitely the smarter option of the two.
But the more Shay tries to convince herself that her sweet building manager, Brady, is the guy for her, the more Mr. Completely Wrong-for-Her Wyatt invades her mind and her heart.
| Review |
I’ve been excited for The Bad Boy Next Door ever since I read the first book in this series, More Than Friends. And while this book was a decent read, it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. Wyatt was introduced in book one as one of the residents as Kendrick Place, and he was very growly. Well, it’s a damn good thing I like growly heroes, because that growliness was in full force in this book. Wyatt is just about the growliest hero I’ve ever read. (That’s FOUR ‘growlies’ for anyone keeping tally – five now!) I loved that he’d recently come out from being undercover and how he was having a hard time making the adjustment back to his ‘regular’ life after the things horrific things he’d seen, and the betrayal he felt from one of his informants. Wyatt wasn’t so jaded when he went undercover, but he had trust issues galore after what happened, and it didn’t work out so well for Shay. Shay was a likable character, and I think she’s someone I’d even like for a friend. But I don’t understand why everyone around her had their protective instincts kick in when she was around. It felt very much like a contrivance because Shay’s ‘thing’ was getting away from her family to be more independent. And I understand that, but there were times her determination to be independent got on my nerves when there were much better solutions available than going something alone. It was sheer stubbornness, and it’s adorable in the two year old I babysit, but not so much a grown woman I’m reading about.
Why did he always sound so calm? And why didn’t he ever get caught in ridiculous, Target-stalking, fighting-with-cardboard moments? Though he had run his cart straight into her butt, and she’d enjoyed the shade of red he’d turned.
What I find is often the case for me in Contemporary Romance is that Shay was an average heroine. Which I am fine with, but there has to be something (especially when we get the hero’s perspective,) that makes her extraordinary in the eyes of her hero. I didn’t get that here. Also, there was so much build up to how sexy Wyatt was, and then the sex scenes were…fade to black. I even had to go back and read the first one because…ahem…I’d missed it. I wish sexy Wyatt hadn’t been so fade to black, because I think there was a lot of heat to be had between those sheets of his.
How could one tiny woman take up so much space? She didn’t sleep on a bed. She conquered it like her goal was to touch every single inch of it at some point in the night. Even if he was on that inch. He looked down at her as she snuggled into him, her head in the crook of his arm.
Never in his life had he asked a woman to let him spend the night so he could be close to her. When he’d shown up last night, he just wanted…needed to be with her in any way he could. She rolled away from him and even in his somewhat-blurry-not-quite-awake state, he laughed that she was still moving. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against his front.
“You’re a tornado when you sleep,” he said into her ear.
Shay gave a sleepy giggle. “Yeah. I didn’t want to tell you.”
“I should probably wear protective gear if I’m going to sleep here.”
Her fingers twined with his over her stomach. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
Of course this book introduced us to a few new people who could be prospective players in the next few books, and I may stick around for them. I did enjoy Wyatt’s character very much, I just wish he’d been fleshed out a bit more, so it makes me want to read more from the author. Overall, The Bad Boy Next Door was a good read, and if you enjoyed the first one in the series, I think you’ll find things about this one to enjoy.
| Rating |
Series: Kendrick Place
Wonderful review!!! Bad Boys are on top of my list of favorite tropes. Too bad this one wasn’t a HIT!! Oh well, on to the next one;-)
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Thank you! I love bad boys, too, and Wyatt was very sexy. 🙂
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Dang. I had high hopes for this one. It sounds like such a good book though.
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There were a lot of good parts here, I just wish the build up for Wyatt hadn’t been so intense. I don’t think I would have been so disappointed.
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I like the cover, it is so sweet
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Yes, I love the cover, too. Very romantic!
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Fantastic review, I don’t have to have the heat, but I do need to feel the chemistry and have her feel special in his eyes.
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Thanks, Kim! I did like both characters, I’m just not sure I liked them together.
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Sounds like a few I’ve read where I’ve been ‘told’ something in the story, but it doesn’t match up with what I’m actually reading in the characters words and actions. I don’t get into the being stubborn for being stubborn’s sake either. Well, maybe a new pair of main characters will make the next one better for you.
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My next one was much better, thank you! Yes, stubborn just to be stubborn is so frustrating. Ugh. LOL
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I like growly heroes too. But boo to fade to black. 😀
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Yep – give me growly and then give me his bedroom prowess! LOL
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LOL at all the growlies. I LOVE a growly hero so could get into that I bet. Darn on the fade t black, though. My current has done that for most of the sex scenes and I’m like NOOOOO!!! Give me the naughty!!! lol
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Agreed. Or if not, then no super sexy build up! Lol
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Contemporaries are sometimes a hit or miss with me but I found that I enjoy listening to them on audio so I may see if this author is at my library because something about the covers are calling to me.
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Oh yes. These covers are gorgeous.
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