Series: Bad Love

Synopsis:

Allie

When I moved to River’s Edge, dating was the last thing on my mind.
I definitely didn’t expect to fall for him.
Jesse Shepherd.
Popular. Star athlete. Cocky as hell.
You know the type.
But as time passed, I realized there was more lurking beneath that gorgeous exterior.
Secretive. Angry. A little bit broken.
The more I peeled back his layers, the deeper I fell.
Until I slammed headfirst into his sea of lies.

Jess

I blew my shot.
Pissed everything away—college, lacrosse, my future—only to end up right back where I started in River’s Edge.
I was content to revel in my misery, spending my days drowning in a bottomless pit of booze and girls.
Until I saw her.
Allison Parrish.
Beautiful. Sarcastic. Perpetual bad attitude.
The pretty little distraction from the shit show that was my life.
But the sins of my past were closing in on me, and I learned the hard way that nothing gold can stay.

Review:

“So, we’re on the same page?”
“We’re not even reading the same book.”

Bad Influence is my newest obsession!  I found myself laughing, sighing, swooning and even crying.  I loved how much these characters meant to me and that every single time I pick up a book by Charleigh Rose, it becomes an instant favorite.  Her stories are emotional, sexy as hell and the characters always become embedded in my heart.  So if you love romance stories that will pull at your emotions, have fabulous banter and scenes that will have you melting into a puddle, then you definitely need to pick up one of her books!  

Love is real. Powerful. It has the potential to destroy you. To start wars and end lives. Love is a weapon. Love is dangerous, and I want nothing to do with it. – Allie

Within that first chapter I was sucked right in and my heart ached for Allie.  She tried her hardest to be emotionally strong and take care of herself, but she had been dealt a shit hand.  Her mother would rather be with her newest boyfriend and not be bothered by her.  And the way her dad died?  It was horrific, life truly sucks some times.  But Allie was a breath of fresh air to me.  She was fierce, loyal and had the hugest heart. Her sarcasm cracked me up and her taste of music made her feel like she was a long lost friend.  When Allie ended up working at the bar with Lo, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!

I study him, once again sensing that there’s more to him than his persona. I want to swim in his depths, uncover every little hidden piece that the rest of the world doesn’t get to see.

Let it be known that I had already fallen in love with Jessie Shepard back in Bad Intentions.  You can easily read this book as a standalone, but I have so much love for Bad Intentions too!  Jessie was Lo’s younger brother and his smart mouth, Netflix obsession and take no shit attitude completely hooked me.  Jessie was the ultimate bad boy who was tortured, seductive, charming and hot as fuck. *fans face*  So when Jessie started showing up where Allie always seemed to be, you couldn’t knock the smile off of face.  The way they met had me giggling and smiling so hard.  

He moves toward me, and instinctively I step backwards until my back is flush with the door. “I want you. And I’m sick of playing this game.”
I swallow hard, feeling the warmth of his skin without even touching him. “That’s not why you’re here,” I say, calling his bluff. 
“No,” he admits. “But it definitely sweetens the deal.”
“You had your chance. The offer’s expired.”
“Is that so?” he asks, moving closer. “And what’s changed?” He pinches my chin between his finger and thumb and tilts it up so I’m forced to meet his gaze. 
“Everything.” I don’t know why my voice comes out as more of a whisper.

Both Allie and Jessie were hurt from their pasts and were trying their hardest to find their paths in life.  But while both of them were struggling with their own problems or demons, they kept running into each other.  And while there was a carnal attraction between them, Allie tried her hardest to fight it.  But this is Jessie Shepard we’re talking about, there was no escaping him.  His charm was impossible to resist and the sexual tension between them was intense.  Even the moments that had me laughing so hard I couldn’t catch my breath, were still sigh inducing.  

He moves past me, his chest skimming my folded arms as he leans in close to my ear. I hold my breath, suppressing the shiver that’s fighting its way through me, but my traitorous heart doesn’t get the message. “See you at home.”

This story toyed with my emotions in the best of ways.  I was enchanted with the push and pull that played with my heart and through it all,  I fell in love.  And while I know that Charleigh Rose’s stories are emotional, this one hit me hard.  I cried, and before I could even stop the tears from falling, I found myself sobbing.  This story reached deep into my heart and Jessie and Allie’s pain became mine.  

She pushes off the doorframe, making her way toward me. Her arms wrap around my middle, palms flattening against my stomach, cheek pressing against my back. I squeeze my eyes shut, allowing her touch to calm the storm inside me.

So yes, a million times yes I recommend this book!  Bad Influence was absolutely everything I look for in a romance story and I loved that we alternated between Allie and Jessie.  I loved how important the side characters were.  You have to meet Halston and Dylan, Allie’s friend.  Btw I would kill for Dylan’s story!  And I loved that we got to see all of our old favorites!  If you’re wanting to give Charleigh Rose a try, this is the perfect book to start with.  Her writing is addicting, her characters are consuming and Bad Influence is my new favorite Charleigh Rose book!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Bad Intentions (Bad Love #2)
by Charleigh Rose
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Lo
Moving to River’s Edge was supposed to be a fresh start.
Away from chaos.
Away from bad influences and worse relationships.
All I wanted was to give my little brother more of a chance than I ever had.
It should’ve been simple.
I didn’t count on my transgressions following me.
And I definitely didn’t count on meeting Dare.
Tall, tortured, and tattooed.
A Lost Boy through and through.
Falling for someone like him was asking for heartache.
But I was a sucker for punishment.

Dare
I had a routine.
Eat, work, sleep, repeat, only ever doing the bare minimum to keep up appearances.
I kept my circle small and my guard high.
I spent years making sure I didn’t repeat the mistakes of my past, forming an impenetrable layer of ice around my heart.
Then Logan showed up in my town, in my tattoo shop, testing my patience along with my self-control.
She was fire and I was ice.
I should’ve stayed away.
But I had been cold for far too long.

Review:

Bad Intentions is my second Charleigh Rose book and I am beyond addicted.  She writes emotional, sexy stories that come to life off of the pages. The characters pull me in quickly and I keep finding myself with tears in my eyes, while I watch them try their hardest to find happiness, hope, and love.  This book was smile inducing, crazy seductive, emotional and I can’t recommend Bad Intentions enough!  While this book can easily be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with Bad Habit.  It’s about Dare’s friend, Asher, who you have to meet!  You can read my review of that book here. 

“Aren’t small-town folk supposed to be welcoming, and I don’t know, nice? You don’t have to be a dick about it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Who the hell responds with okay? His lackadaisical response only frustrates me further.
“Okay,” he repeats. “I’m a dick. You’re an asshole who can’t take no for an answer. Glad we’ve established that. Nice to meet you. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

It’s always just been Logan, aka Lo, and her younger brother, who is a senior in high school.  Their father abandoned them and their mother was an addict.  Lo and her brother, Jesse, just had each other.  And I loved how deep their love ran for one another.  It was one of the countless gems in this book!  In desperate need of a fresh start, Lo tracked down their father and moved her and her brother to the mountains to live with him.  

We’re all flawed, selfish humans doing what it takes in order to survive. Myself included. – Lo

I loved Lo’s voice and it felt like she spoke right to me, she was brutally honest and a realist.  Even though life could be rough for her, she continually pulled herself together to take care of her brother.  Lo had a heart of gold and was beyond resilient.  I had so much respect for her.  Even though it looked like life was finally starting to turn around, shadows from her past hung in the background.  And we got to see exactly how tough she was when it all hit the fan.

Don’t ask her if she’s okay. Don’t ask her if she’s okay.
“You okay?”
Smooth.

While out searching for a job, Lo ran into Dare, who owned the local tattoo shop.  To say he turned her down for a job would be an understatement ha.  It quickly became obvious how tiny this new town was because no matter what happened, they kept finding themselves near each other.  And what started out as a rough meeting, lead the way into Lo and Dare messing with the other.  They made me laugh so hard because it was playful, but at the same time it was also seductive.  While they toyed with each other, it was obvious that there was a carnal attraction that ran between them.  But as time passed, they slowly started to become intertwined into each other’s lives and whatever was between them turned something else.  Lust.  Friendship.  Feelings.  And more.  It all swirled together and was insanely addicting and hot as hell.

I decide that even though I don’t deserve her, I’m too fucking self-serving not to take the only thing that offers me peace. The only thing that allows me to feel warmth when I’ve been cold all my life.

I was obsessed with Dare.  He came across as a closed off jerk, and you know how much I love those guys.  But we eventually got to see all the different sides of him and he had such a beautiful heart.  That heart caused me to have tears in my eyes a few different times.  You see, he became protective of Lo.  He stood up for her. He helped her out.  He was such an amazing man.  Yet while he was thoughtful for others, he was his own worst enemy at times.  His past haunted him.  Just like Lo’s did too.  Unfortunately, not everything stays buried forever.  No matter how hard you wish it would.

This girl is a part of me. The one part of me I love. – Dare

This was such an emotional book.  Countless times I had tears in my eyes.  But I loved how it was extremely sexual too.  So I felt like we got the best of both worlds in this story.  Now I want to go binge read her next two books, they’re so addicting!  If you’re a fan of NA romance that is seductive, hilarious and will pull at your heart then definitely pick this one up!

I had so many countless favorite quotes….so here are a few more I loved:

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Dare. That’s not a name. That’s a warning. And I’ve been with enough bad boys to heed the warning. I think.

Well, that was one hell of a first kiss. And I didn’t even make it to her mouth.

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathes.
“Sure the fuck is,” I say, but I’m not talking about the drawing. She looks at it, but I’m looking at her.

“Lo. Stop.” I hold her shoulders, trying to get her to meet my eyes. “I’m just…fuck, I’m concerned for you, okay?”
“I can take care of myself,” she insists, her voice still full of steel.
“I see that. I know that,” I agree. “But it doesn’t mean no one else can give a shit.”

She’s been here for a couple of weeks, and she’s bringing shit out of me that I thought had died long ago. Conflicted doesn’t even fucking begin to cover it.

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