Title: Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson
Sometimes in Love Series Book Three
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 383 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
NEVER SAY NEVER
Sadie Gold is ready to take her career to the next level with the role of a lifetime. Finally, she can shake her reputation as a pretty face with more wealth and connections than talent. But Sadie is not prepared for the wild turn her own life is about to take. The man in charge of training Sadie for her most demanding role yet is none other than her first real boyfriend—the one who took her heart and ran away.
WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
Bo Ibarra is as good-looking and irresistible as ever. Maybe even more so, now that everything once worked against them—Sadie’s pampered and privileged upbringing and Bo’s childhood in a family struggling to make ends meet—is in the past. But the future is still unwritten…and getting there, together, means coming clean about painful secrets and slashing through nasty tabloid rumors while trying to control the attraction that crackles between them. Maybe it’s finally time for them to walk off into the sunset and into a true and lasting love?
Review:
Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson is a charming second chance at love romance. Although this latest release is the third installment in the Sometimes in Love series, it can be read as a standalone.
Sadie Gold is a former soap star who is about to begin filming her newest role as the lead in an action film. She is hopeful this movie will finally prove to everyone that her success is the result of her talent and hard work and not her wealthy family’s connections. Sadie is stunned to discover that her childhood friend and former boyfriend Bo Ibarra is in charge of stunt co-ordination. Their relationship abruptly ended eleven years earlier when he suddenly broke up with her. Sadie has gone on to achieve her life’s dream of becoming a successful actress but she has never quite gotten over Bo. Will their tangled history affect their professional relationship?
Sadie is a hardworking actress who is a little nervous about her upcoming role. But she is confident she is the right person to bring her character to life. She is thrilled to be filming on location in her hometown and she has been enjoying reconnecting with her best friends. Sadie is sassy and self-confident, and although she does harbor a few insecurities, she does not allow them to deter him from chasing her dreams.
Bo is a partner in an up and coming stunt co-ordination company and he is hoping his current project will be a huge break for their business. He is very close to his family and while he is comfortable with himself and his life, he does harbor a few insecurities due to his family background.
Despite a few qualms about mixing business and pleasure, Sadie and Bo are quickly embroiled in a red hot romance. Their scenes crackle with sexual tension but they also share an emotional connection. Sadie still does not understand why Bo ended their previous relationship the way he did but she is willing to leave the past in the past. But Sadie is keeping a pretty big secret from him and when she is forced to reveal the truth, will she lose Bo for good?
Once Upon a Bad Boy is a truly captivating romance that is engaging and uplifting. Sadie and Bo are vibrantly developed, three dimensional characters who are quite likable. Their romance is sizzling hot but there is not any doubt they are still in love. However, outside forces and a long held secret threaten to derail their romance. Melonie Johnson brings the novel to a realistic and completely satisfying conclusion. This newest release in the Sometimes in Love series is my personal favorite and I HIGHLY recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary romances.
