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Welcome to the Point #1
Better When He's Bad
Welcome to the Point
There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.
Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.
Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.
Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.
There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.
Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.
Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.
Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2014
About the author
Jay Crownover
103 books14.2k followersJay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point and Breaking Point Series, and the Loveless, Texas series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
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GUYS!!! I finally have a newsletter, so if you want to sign up for exclusive content and monthly giveaways you can do that right here:
https://www.jaycrownover.com/subscribe
You can email me at: JayCrownover@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,840 reviews
April 20, 2015
5 Bad stars!!!
After reading Rule, I’ve been a huge fan of Jay Crownover and her Marked Men. They are all good guys, maybe tattooed up and a little rough around the edges, but they’re good. Shane Baxter is not a good guy. He’s a bad guy. The blurb says it best: There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad.I love my antiheroes, my bad boys, so you know I loved Bax! With the exception of Rule (which is still my absolute favorite Jay story) I think this was her best book to date!
Welcome to the Point.
Shane Baxter is a 23 year old guy who just got out of prison. He went down to protect his best friend Race- not that Bax was innocent, but he went down for them both. He lives in a world of crime and violence. That’s how he grew up, it’s what he knows. He’s made a name for him on these streets and even being locked up for five years doesn’t lessen that. He’s a criminal, a man who takes what he wants without repercussion. He’s hard because he’s lived a hard life. Bax seeks out his best friend Race when he gets out only to discover that he’s missing. And he has a half sister Bax never knew about. Dovie Pryce.
Dovie came from the same side of town as Bax, unlike Race who grew up in a privileged world. Dovie isn’t as hard as Bax, she’s not a bad girl. Despite her surroundings, she’s managed to stay good and clean.
Dovie has red hair and freckles, she’s feisty, but also loving and caring. She’s concerned about her brother and she’s not letting Bax track him down alone. She wants to be right along with him. Even though she shouldn’t, she knows she can trust Bax. If Race trusted him, she can. He was her brothers best friend so she’s got no other choice. Bax is the only person who can get her brother back to her.
The last thing Bax needs is a good girl hanging around while he’s trying to find answers about Race. Especially one who’s bringing out feelings in him he has no business having.
Bax and Dovie go on a journey together. They are both looking for answers, but the more they look, the more things just don’t add up. The answers to their questions only bring out more questions. It’s pretty apparent that Race was hiding a lot from them both. So they continue their mission. To find the only person who can clear things up and give them the answers they desperately need. Race.
While on the hunt, Bax and Dovie spend a lot of time together. They say that opposites attract, and in this case, it couldn’t be more true. Bax and Dovie have no business being together, but for some reason, their chemistry is undeniable. They have a connection thats so strong, they can’t resist. Bax makes Dovie stronger. Dovie makes Bax better.
Dovie was one of those heroines you wanted to be best friends with. She had strength and determination. I loved how she saw Bax. Really saw all his sides and accepted him as he was. She didn’t love him in spite of the bad, she loved him because of it.
I loved both sides of Shane Baxter. Yes, he wasn’t a good guy, but he did have some good in there. Some sweetness and tenderness that only came out with Dovie. I’m not gonna lie though… I loved the bad boy part of him more!
Better When He’s Bad is story full of suspense, mystery, drama, and even some romance. It had it’s fair share of steam, and I loved that it was written in dual pov. It’s about imperfect people doing what they have to do to survive, and just maybe finding love along the way. The story was a page turner. Once I started, I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. I loved how the characters were all woven together. There were a few twists that shocked me. The writing had great flow. I really enjoyed this book and I’m very much looking forward to Race’s book!
‘some boys… they are just better when they’re bad.’
After reading Rule, I’ve been a huge fan of Jay Crownover and her Marked Men. They are all good guys, maybe tattooed up and a little rough around the edges, but they’re good. Shane Baxter is not a good guy. He’s a bad guy. The blurb says it best: There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad.I love my antiheroes, my bad boys, so you know I loved Bax! With the exception of Rule (which is still my absolute favorite Jay story) I think this was her best book to date!
Welcome to the Point.
Shane Baxter is a 23 year old guy who just got out of prison. He went down to protect his best friend Race- not that Bax was innocent, but he went down for them both. He lives in a world of crime and violence. That’s how he grew up, it’s what he knows. He’s made a name for him on these streets and even being locked up for five years doesn’t lessen that. He’s a criminal, a man who takes what he wants without repercussion. He’s hard because he’s lived a hard life. Bax seeks out his best friend Race when he gets out only to discover that he’s missing. And he has a half sister Bax never knew about. Dovie Pryce.
Dovie came from the same side of town as Bax, unlike Race who grew up in a privileged world. Dovie isn’t as hard as Bax, she’s not a bad girl. Despite her surroundings, she’s managed to stay good and clean.
Dovie has red hair and freckles, she’s feisty, but also loving and caring. She’s concerned about her brother and she’s not letting Bax track him down alone. She wants to be right along with him. Even though she shouldn’t, she knows she can trust Bax. If Race trusted him, she can. He was her brothers best friend so she’s got no other choice. Bax is the only person who can get her brother back to her.
The last thing Bax needs is a good girl hanging around while he’s trying to find answers about Race. Especially one who’s bringing out feelings in him he has no business having.
I shouldn’t be interested in anything about her; instead, I was interested in everything about her, and I didn’t like it one bit.And the last thing Dovie wants or needs in her life is a bad boy like Bax. The more she knows him, the more she discovers that there is so much more to Bax than she originally thought.
Bax was nothing but bad news, but Shane… well, Shane could be sweet, thoughtful, and there was more going on with him than met the eye.
Bax and Dovie go on a journey together. They are both looking for answers, but the more they look, the more things just don’t add up. The answers to their questions only bring out more questions. It’s pretty apparent that Race was hiding a lot from them both. So they continue their mission. To find the only person who can clear things up and give them the answers they desperately need. Race.
While on the hunt, Bax and Dovie spend a lot of time together. They say that opposites attract, and in this case, it couldn’t be more true. Bax and Dovie have no business being together, but for some reason, their chemistry is undeniable. They have a connection thats so strong, they can’t resist. Bax makes Dovie stronger. Dovie makes Bax better.
She was like some kind of redemption I never even realized I needed until we collided into each other’s lives.
Dovie was one of those heroines you wanted to be best friends with. She had strength and determination. I loved how she saw Bax. Really saw all his sides and accepted him as he was. She didn’t love him in spite of the bad, she loved him because of it.
“I’m never going to ask you to be a good guy, Bax, because I feel in love with you just the way you are. Bad.
I loved both sides of Shane Baxter. Yes, he wasn’t a good guy, but he did have some good in there. Some sweetness and tenderness that only came out with Dovie. I’m not gonna lie though… I loved the bad boy part of him more!
Better When He’s Bad is story full of suspense, mystery, drama, and even some romance. It had it’s fair share of steam, and I loved that it was written in dual pov. It’s about imperfect people doing what they have to do to survive, and just maybe finding love along the way. The story was a page turner. Once I started, I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. I loved how the characters were all woven together. There were a few twists that shocked me. The writing had great flow. I really enjoyed this book and I’m very much looking forward to Race’s book!
“I don’t know how love works, Dovie. I don’t know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me. I know I’m not the ideal, not the dream guy, but no one will ever fight for you the way I will...
June 17, 2014
Title: Better When He's Bad
Series: Welcome To The Point
Author: Jay Crownover
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA:
Bad boys. The best book boyfriends’ inspirations ever thought of. They’re intense, extreme, smokin’ hot and dangerous. They come in all the shapes and sizes. They make good girls gone wild and that’s why they are loved, lusted after and desired. They make ovaries go boom! And Jay Crownover certainly excelled in creating grade – A bad boys worth swooning over.
Every time I picked her novel I knew I have to ready myself for some rough lovin’. My heart beat furiously for every hero from Marked Men series. But after finishing Crownover’s newest book I must say ‘damn but this woman still has some aces up her sleeves’ and she’s not afraid to use them. In her Marked Men series, her heroes were slightly less badass and weren’t as extreme as main character in ‘Better When He’s Bad’ Shane Baxter. Why? Because he is as bad as they come. In comparison to Bax, Rule, Jet and Rome looked like a little, sweet lambs.
When I cracked ‘Better When He’s Bad’ open for the first time, I was as excited as nervous. I knew that Jay Crownover can write very well and her books are just as splendid. Yet the idea of her Welcome to the Point series made me uneasy. How could she overbeat Marked Men and their badass attitude? Could her new boys be worse and sexier? Is that even possible? Let me tell you, Bax certainly made Rule, Jet, Rome and others run for their money.
Shane is not only tatted and pierced twenty something young man who has some serious problems with bad attitude and manwhoring ways. Nope, Bax is convicted felon with few years spent in prison under his belt. He’s one of the best car thieves, that was unfortunate enough to get caught. Deeply connected to other criminals and in the world where law is constantly broken, Bax tries to fit. The same day he is released, Bax wants to find his best friend Race and the man that probably is the one who helped cops put him behind the bars. Trying to find Race before other thugs, Bax finds himself in close proximity with innocent looking red head called Dovie.
Told from dual point of view, Better When He’s Bad is a book full of suspense, action and hot romance. It’s a novel set in criminal world where the villain becomes a hero and unexpected romance between two very different people blossom.
Just like Jay Crownover’s previous books, Better When He’s Bad is steamy, heart racing romance that doesn’t slow down for a single second. With yummy, dangerous hero too swoon over and very relatable heroine, you can’t help yourself but fall head over heels in love with this story. I didn’t have a problem with finding myself in the rough world of Welcome To The Point and quickly started to crave even more.
If you are looking for fast paced plot full of unexpected twists and turns, spicy romance, with panty dropping bad boy and sweet heroine, you will definitely love this one as much as me!
Review Copy provided by publisher, via Edelweiss in exchange for honest revier
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June 18, 2014
4.5 BAD Stars
”You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
First things first, ever since Rule & Shaw I haven’t care for any of Jay’s heroines but Dovie was just WONDERFUL. Dovie wasn’t bitchy, she didn’t push Bax away, she was loyal and kind so thank you Dovie Pryce for making this an enjoyable experience.
My one issue was the good/bad thing was excessively used when we all know that Bax is Bax there is no need to label this fine piece of ass!
This series takes place in a rough part of any town U.S.A. called The Point. Shane Baxter is released from a 5 year prison sentence and is looking for answers as to why his best friend, Race and his half-brother, Titus seemed to have framed him.
Race is missing and with a little digging Bax finds Dovie, Race’s half-sister who is eager to find her brother as well. There are big bad guys like, Novak and Benny and all sorts of story line going on with Race’s father and Bax’s set up. This story is action packed and very steamy.
”There is always a choice, Copper-Top. Sometimes it takes balls to make the wrong one and deal with the fallout, but there is always a choice.”
Jay Crownover did a fantastic job building the relationship of Bax and Dovie. Bax played the bad guy very well and Dovie played the good girl in bad circumstances perfectly. What they find in one another was perfection!
”I don’t know how love works, Dovie. I don’t know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me.”
Overall, a very good read with mystery, action and steam that is a complete book story with a kick ass couple!
”You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
First things first, ever since Rule & Shaw I haven’t care for any of Jay’s heroines but Dovie was just WONDERFUL. Dovie wasn’t bitchy, she didn’t push Bax away, she was loyal and kind so thank you Dovie Pryce for making this an enjoyable experience.
My one issue was the good/bad thing was excessively used when we all know that Bax is Bax there is no need to label this fine piece of ass!
This series takes place in a rough part of any town U.S.A. called The Point. Shane Baxter is released from a 5 year prison sentence and is looking for answers as to why his best friend, Race and his half-brother, Titus seemed to have framed him.
Race is missing and with a little digging Bax finds Dovie, Race’s half-sister who is eager to find her brother as well. There are big bad guys like, Novak and Benny and all sorts of story line going on with Race’s father and Bax’s set up. This story is action packed and very steamy.
”There is always a choice, Copper-Top. Sometimes it takes balls to make the wrong one and deal with the fallout, but there is always a choice.”
Jay Crownover did a fantastic job building the relationship of Bax and Dovie. Bax played the bad guy very well and Dovie played the good girl in bad circumstances perfectly. What they find in one another was perfection!
”I don’t know how love works, Dovie. I don’t know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me.”
Overall, a very good read with mystery, action and steam that is a complete book story with a kick ass couple!
June 18, 2014
4.5--I Like 'Em Bad--Stars!!
There was a recurring theme in this book....BAD!
Bax was BAD. He grew up on the wrong side of town. Had a drunk of a mom. He began stealing at a young age in order to survive. To put food on the table, a roof over his head. He gets in deep with the bad guys and a job gone wrong lands Bax in jail.
Five years later, Bax is out and he's on a mission. Find his best friend Race and find out why he was set up. This leads Bax to Dovie, Race's half-sister.
Dovie's background isn't all that different from Bax. She had a druggie for a mom. She was passed from foster home to foster home. But where Bax is bad, Dovie is good. Dovie represensts everything Bax thought he could never have. Everything he thought he never wanted.
Bax and Dovie are on a mission.
To find Race. To find out what went wrong that fateful day. To not die in the process. To find a way to let the past go. For a second chance. To reconcile the Bax before he went to jail, with the Shane that came out on the other side.
Bax never thought he was good enough for Dovie. She deserved more than the life he could give her. Bax thought that everything that made him bad would erase all of the good in Dovie.
Dovie was a great heroine. She was strong, she was supportive. She believed in Bax, even when he didn't believe in himself. She saw the good in Shane and understood the bad in Bax.
A story of second chances, righting wrongs, overcoming past mistakes, uncovering hidden truths....accepting that there's nothing wrong with being a little bad but that maybe there's a little good in there too.
Really loved this story. It was raw, it was gritty. Bax was equal parts bad and good. He was an ass but he fought for those that were important to him. He was fierce, he was protective, and he loved with all he had to give.
So why not 5 stars??? The names...I'm sorry they were just BAD!
Dovie, Bax, Race, Reeve, Titus, Copper-Top...
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
There was a recurring theme in this book....BAD!
Bax was BAD. He grew up on the wrong side of town. Had a drunk of a mom. He began stealing at a young age in order to survive. To put food on the table, a roof over his head. He gets in deep with the bad guys and a job gone wrong lands Bax in jail.
Five years later, Bax is out and he's on a mission. Find his best friend Race and find out why he was set up. This leads Bax to Dovie, Race's half-sister.
Dovie's background isn't all that different from Bax. She had a druggie for a mom. She was passed from foster home to foster home. But where Bax is bad, Dovie is good. Dovie represensts everything Bax thought he could never have. Everything he thought he never wanted.
“You should let someone make you feel good, Dove.”
“You should let someone show you that being good isn’t all that bad, Bax.”
Bax and Dovie are on a mission.
To find Race. To find out what went wrong that fateful day. To not die in the process. To find a way to let the past go. For a second chance. To reconcile the Bax before he went to jail, with the Shane that came out on the other side.
"I’ve never had very clean hands, but the first time I touched you, that first gasp out of that perfect mouth, the first time I thrust into you, God, Dovie, you made me feel like I was the king in a land of second chances.”
Bax never thought he was good enough for Dovie. She deserved more than the life he could give her. Bax thought that everything that made him bad would erase all of the good in Dovie.
Dovie was a great heroine. She was strong, she was supportive. She believed in Bax, even when he didn't believe in himself. She saw the good in Shane and understood the bad in Bax.
"I feel like all day long Bax is who you have to be to survive this life you’ve chosen to live, but Shane is who you choose to be when you let your guard down and leave it all on the streets.”
A story of second chances, righting wrongs, overcoming past mistakes, uncovering hidden truths....accepting that there's nothing wrong with being a little bad but that maybe there's a little good in there too.
Really loved this story. It was raw, it was gritty. Bax was equal parts bad and good. He was an ass but he fought for those that were important to him. He was fierce, he was protective, and he loved with all he had to give.
"I’m never going to ask you to be a good guy, Bax, because I fell in love with you just the way you are. Bad.”
So why not 5 stars??? The names...I'm sorry they were just BAD!
Dovie, Bax, Race, Reeve, Titus, Copper-Top...
September 23, 2014
4 bad boy stars
“You survived in his world by being the best of the worst."
Jay Crownover has done it again! Love this lady's books! Short review this time:
Bax has just been released from prison after 5 years of being locked up. He wants to find his best friend Race to get some answers to questions about the night he was arrested, only Race is nowhere to be found. While looking for Race, Bax runs into Dovie, Race's younger half sister. Together the two of them team up to find Race, and they end up finding an attraction with each other.
I thought this was a great engaging read and it had me hooked until the very end. What I loved most about it, is that both main characters weren't perfect, but they did the best to survive in the world they lived in, good choices and bad.
The chemistry between Bax and Dovie was off the charts, and I wish I had a "bad" guy like this one in my life. My only complaint would be that while technically Bax was a bad guy, I sort of expected him to be worse from the book summary. He was actually a pretty cool dude most of the time, when he wasn't being a dick.
And Titus better get his own damn book! Or I'm posting an angry gif about it!
“I don't know how love works, Dovie. I don't know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me. I know I'm not the ideal, not the dream guy, but no one will ever fight for you the way I will. I promise you that you will always have the best parts of me I have to give.”
“You survived in his world by being the best of the worst."
Jay Crownover has done it again! Love this lady's books! Short review this time:
Bax has just been released from prison after 5 years of being locked up. He wants to find his best friend Race to get some answers to questions about the night he was arrested, only Race is nowhere to be found. While looking for Race, Bax runs into Dovie, Race's younger half sister. Together the two of them team up to find Race, and they end up finding an attraction with each other.
I thought this was a great engaging read and it had me hooked until the very end. What I loved most about it, is that both main characters weren't perfect, but they did the best to survive in the world they lived in, good choices and bad.
The chemistry between Bax and Dovie was off the charts, and I wish I had a "bad" guy like this one in my life. My only complaint would be that while technically Bax was a bad guy, I sort of expected him to be worse from the book summary. He was actually a pretty cool dude most of the time, when he wasn't being a dick.
And Titus better get his own damn book! Or I'm posting an angry gif about it!
“I don't know how love works, Dovie. I don't know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me. I know I'm not the ideal, not the dream guy, but no one will ever fight for you the way I will. I promise you that you will always have the best parts of me I have to give.”
June 21, 2014
4.5 I’ll be bad with you Stars
Bax, recently released from prison, is on a hunt for answers. He knows some shit went down the night he was arrested and needs to find his best friend Race.
Bax, on a mission, starts questioning people and finds out Race has been hanging out at with a girl from the Point name Dovie.
After breaking into her apartment, and getting attacked by Dovie he learns she is Race’s half-sister. Race told Dovie she can trust Bax, so she insist on helping him locate Race.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Dove was the perfect female lead. I know I can't believe it, but here's me..
She was strong and independent without being obnoxious. She didn’t take shit, but wasn’t a bitch. It’s hard to describe her because we don’t see a lot of female characters like her.
Bax...perfection. I love a bad boy and he was the quintessential bad boy. He was hard around the edges and didn’t make excuses for himself. He didn’t lie to Dovie or anyone else, what you see is what you get with him.
Dovie and Bax together…one of the best couples since Rule and Shaw. That is the only comparison I will make to Rule, because the books are so different, but I love them both.
So to answer the question I always ask my friends before embarking on a new book…was the sex hot…
Jay Crownover you have got your magic back baby!! Excited for Race’s book!!
Buddy reading with my bestie June Bug! Even if you did abandon GR, I still love you!!
Bax, recently released from prison, is on a hunt for answers. He knows some shit went down the night he was arrested and needs to find his best friend Race.
Bax, on a mission, starts questioning people and finds out Race has been hanging out at with a girl from the Point name Dovie.
After breaking into her apartment, and getting attacked by Dovie he learns she is Race’s half-sister. Race told Dovie she can trust Bax, so she insist on helping him locate Race.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Dove was the perfect female lead. I know I can't believe it, but here's me..
She was strong and independent without being obnoxious. She didn’t take shit, but wasn’t a bitch. It’s hard to describe her because we don’t see a lot of female characters like her.
Bax...perfection. I love a bad boy and he was the quintessential bad boy. He was hard around the edges and didn’t make excuses for himself. He didn’t lie to Dovie or anyone else, what you see is what you get with him.
Dovie and Bax together…one of the best couples since Rule and Shaw. That is the only comparison I will make to Rule, because the books are so different, but I love them both.
So to answer the question I always ask my friends before embarking on a new book…was the sex hot…
Jay Crownover you have got your magic back baby!! Excited for Race’s book!!
Buddy reading with my bestie June Bug! Even if you did abandon GR, I still love you!!
October 28, 2014
”You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
YES! Truer words have never been written! Shane Baxter....
There absolutely no doubt he is bad, and when I say bad I mean in attitude, in appearance, in activity. You name it and he embodies it! He walks out of the pokey after 5 years and instead of looking at a "new lease on life," he is looking for answers and he will get them no matter what actions he has to take.
Looking for answers puts him on the front door step of a young looking, "copper-top" enigma that both annoys him and yet appeals to him like never before....Dovie...
She is all balls and brass. She may be young, but she too has lived a life of drugs, neglect and harsh reality. On a quest to find her brother, who is Bax's missing answers, She goes ball to the wall with Shane Baxter! It was only a matter of time before Shane Baxter works his bad boy charm on Dovie...
No words of romance, no flowers, no sweet butterfly kisses...just a man conflicted about life finding comfort in the touch of a girl who "gets him"...a girl who makes him want more!
In a fabulously written tale, Jay Crownover has given us a story about second chances...although not sunshine and roses...a chance to be better than before. This story was suspenseful, heartfelt, sexy as hell, and yet it kept its rough edges. There is nothing pretty about carjacking, strip clubs, underground fighting, murder for hire and drugs...yet it is all acceptable lifestyles in the Point.
Jay Crownover delivered on her Bad Boy series. She proved that you don't have to leave your origins to find new opportunities, you just have to be smarter than your past...braver...and more open!
I give huge kudos to Jay Crownover because she completely rocked this man and never let him "go good."
YES! Truer words have never been written! Shane Baxter....
There absolutely no doubt he is bad, and when I say bad I mean in attitude, in appearance, in activity. You name it and he embodies it! He walks out of the pokey after 5 years and instead of looking at a "new lease on life," he is looking for answers and he will get them no matter what actions he has to take.
Looking for answers puts him on the front door step of a young looking, "copper-top" enigma that both annoys him and yet appeals to him like never before....Dovie...
She is all balls and brass. She may be young, but she too has lived a life of drugs, neglect and harsh reality. On a quest to find her brother, who is Bax's missing answers, She goes ball to the wall with Shane Baxter! It was only a matter of time before Shane Baxter works his bad boy charm on Dovie...
No words of romance, no flowers, no sweet butterfly kisses...just a man conflicted about life finding comfort in the touch of a girl who "gets him"...a girl who makes him want more!
In a fabulously written tale, Jay Crownover has given us a story about second chances...although not sunshine and roses...a chance to be better than before. This story was suspenseful, heartfelt, sexy as hell, and yet it kept its rough edges. There is nothing pretty about carjacking, strip clubs, underground fighting, murder for hire and drugs...yet it is all acceptable lifestyles in the Point.
Jay Crownover delivered on her Bad Boy series. She proved that you don't have to leave your origins to find new opportunities, you just have to be smarter than your past...braver...and more open!
I give huge kudos to Jay Crownover because she completely rocked this man and never let him "go good."
![Profile Image for [~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ .](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1388500902i/22427047._UY200_CR8,0,200,200_.jpg)
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
June 19, 2014DNF 43%
Im gonna have to part ways with this author. Just wasnt meant to be. Bax and Dovie actually werent bad and there was a good suspense/mystery element with what happened with Race. But when I dont care how the story ends thats normally my sign to give up and save myself some time
June 25, 2014
4 “Better When They’re Bad” Stars!
Bax isn’t a golden boy. He knows it and don’t have any intentions of changing soon.
Or ever.
Having spent the last 5 years in jail, now that he’s finally out he’s looking for answers. And that starts with finding is missing best-friend who owns him a lot of explanations, Race.
He soon finds out there’s another person looking for him, Dovie, Race’s half-sister. She is sweet, good and everything he shouldn’t want but right from the start she sees something in him too.
She’s too good for him. He’s too bad for her.
But somehow they are thrown in a path that neither of them wants to get out. Will eventually Bax want to be a good guy for Dovie? And will Dovie want him to change? After all, she’s for the first time, all in for a bad-guy ride.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Storyline: Finally a story about a bad guy (who isn0t actually *that* bad!) that doesn’t seek redemption. It was a refreshing and entertaining novel, but nowhere near the “Marked Men” series in my eyes.
Writing Style: First person. Dual POV. Good, sexy and engaging writing.
Character Development: Dovie was a good heroine, she wasn’t whiny, bitchy and didn’t tried to change Bax in any way. Bax was a nice hero. Yes, he wasn’t a sweet golden boy, but we could see a really nice soft side of him. Not to mention he was a good alpha-male. Titus was pretty good and Race was a “love-hate” kind of guy for me. I’m waiting for his book to decide which of it wins.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
HEA:
Bax isn’t a golden boy. He knows it and don’t have any intentions of changing soon.
Or ever.
Having spent the last 5 years in jail, now that he’s finally out he’s looking for answers. And that starts with finding is missing best-friend who owns him a lot of explanations, Race.
He soon finds out there’s another person looking for him, Dovie, Race’s half-sister. She is sweet, good and everything he shouldn’t want but right from the start she sees something in him too.
She’s too good for him. He’s too bad for her.
But somehow they are thrown in a path that neither of them wants to get out. Will eventually Bax want to be a good guy for Dovie? And will Dovie want him to change? After all, she’s for the first time, all in for a bad-guy ride.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Storyline: Finally a story about a bad guy (who isn0t actually *that* bad!) that doesn’t seek redemption. It was a refreshing and entertaining novel, but nowhere near the “Marked Men” series in my eyes.
Writing Style: First person. Dual POV. Good, sexy and engaging writing.
Character Development: Dovie was a good heroine, she wasn’t whiny, bitchy and didn’t tried to change Bax in any way. Bax was a nice hero. Yes, he wasn’t a sweet golden boy, but we could see a really nice soft side of him. Not to mention he was a good alpha-male. Titus was pretty good and Race was a “love-hate” kind of guy for me. I’m waiting for his book to decide which of it wins.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
HEA:
Want to read
March 7, 2014 HOLY HELL - this looks GOOD!!!! I can't wait for it!!
Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.
Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.
Bax terrifies her, awakening feelings she never thought she’d have for a guy like him. But it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize . . . some boys are just better when they’re bad.
There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad... meet Shane Baxter.
Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.
Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.
Bax terrifies her, awakening feelings she never thought she’d have for a guy like him. But it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize . . . some boys are just better when they’re bad.
September 12, 2016
4-4.5 Stars
I really, really liked this one. Bax was a badass with confidence, tattoos, and a touch of crazy - color me happy.
Also, I really liked the plot and (shockingly enough), I liked Dovie (despite her awful name).
...TANGENT - I don't know what is up with Jay Crownover and her names. Rule. Jet. Nash. Rowdy. Rome. Ayden. Now Dovie.
And Reeve.
And Race.
I know, Madonna. There, there.
I get that she's being all edgy and what not, and I totally dig unique names and all that jazz...I just have a hard time believing ALL of these people have unique names. And they ALL hang out TOGETHER. Somewhere in there there's got to be a John. Or an Ashley. Or a Matt. At least she threw in something a little more plausible with "Shane."
Anywho, random peeve, end TANGENT.
Back to the deplorably named Dovie. I kept picturing Ygritte the Wildling from Game of Thrones.
Copper top? Check.
Piney green eyes? Check.
Crappy, too-big clothing? Check.
Lack of makeup and primping in general? Check.
But without all the fur. And the bow and arrow.
All in all, I really enjoyed everything about the story; however, the ending kind of fell flat for me. Not the climax of all the action (that was pretty awesome) but what followed that, including the epilogue. It felt haphazard.
Anyway, looking forward to how this series continues, although I'm not all that excited for Race and Reeve. I didn't really cotton on to either of them in this story, not gonna lie.
I really, really liked this one. Bax was a badass with confidence, tattoos, and a touch of crazy - color me happy.
Also, I really liked the plot and (shockingly enough), I liked Dovie (despite her awful name).
...TANGENT - I don't know what is up with Jay Crownover and her names. Rule. Jet. Nash. Rowdy. Rome. Ayden. Now Dovie.
And Reeve.
And Race.
I know, Madonna. There, there.
I get that she's being all edgy and what not, and I totally dig unique names and all that jazz...I just have a hard time believing ALL of these people have unique names. And they ALL hang out TOGETHER. Somewhere in there there's got to be a John. Or an Ashley. Or a Matt. At least she threw in something a little more plausible with "Shane."
Anywho, random peeve, end TANGENT.
Back to the deplorably named Dovie. I kept picturing Ygritte the Wildling from Game of Thrones.
Copper top? Check.
Piney green eyes? Check.
Crappy, too-big clothing? Check.
Lack of makeup and primping in general? Check.
But without all the fur. And the bow and arrow.
All in all, I really enjoyed everything about the story; however, the ending kind of fell flat for me. Not the climax of all the action (that was pretty awesome) but what followed that, including the epilogue. It felt haphazard.
Anyway, looking forward to how this series continues, although I'm not all that excited for Race and Reeve. I didn't really cotton on to either of them in this story, not gonna lie.
October 20, 2016
3.5 stars
August 4, 2015
4.5 Stars
Better When He’s Bad sucked me in from the first page with its oh-so-sexy antihero, Bax! Danger, a fiery hot romance, and captivating characters start this series off with a bang!
Shane Baxter or “Bax” has just been released from a five year stint in prison knowing he’s been setup. Revenge and payback is high on his list of priorities. But the first person he goes looking for is his best friend, Race. When Bax finds out that Race went missing the minute Bax got out, he sets out to find him, but it looks like Race is running from some trouble and Bax isn’t the only one trying to track him down. His search leads him to Dovie Price, Race’s sister, a seemingly innocent and untouched girl. She’s completely not his type in any way, but there’s something magnetic about Dovie, the redheaded spitfire, and he can’t keep away:
That red hair wasn’t a lie. She was all kinds of fiery and full of fight. I shouldn’t like that nearly as much as I did.
Dovie Price knows how to keep her head down and survive. She’s been in and out of sketchy foster homes until Race, the brother she never knew about, rescued her from bad situation. Race is everything to Dovie so when he goes missing she makes it her mission to find and help him. Bax is just the type of guy she tries to stay away from, yet without his help Dovie’s chances of finding her brother are slim at best. As they work together, she finds herself more and more drawn to the dark, broody, and dangerous, Bax:
He was scary hot, and having him that close, being that intimate with him, was terrifyingly encompassing.
Dovie sees the rough side of Bax, but she also gets parts of him that make her feel precious and protected. Both parts attract her wildly, and Dovie can’t help but fall fast and hard. Their matchup was unexpected, but so very steamy!
It was impossible for me not to fall for Bax even when he was unapologetic for the life he led, because underneath all his grit and questionable morals was a big heart. Bax is loyal and willing to protect the few that he loves and cares for. Dovie seems to make it on that list fairly quickly, and what follows is an intensely passionate romance!
Jay Crownover has a way of making you love the imperfect characters she creates, and Bax is no exception. Dovie was just the right amount of sweet and pure to inspire him to be a better man, not completely good, but that works for these two. I can’t wait to read this next one!
A copy was provided by William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Better When He’s Bad sucked me in from the first page with its oh-so-sexy antihero, Bax! Danger, a fiery hot romance, and captivating characters start this series off with a bang!
Shane Baxter or “Bax” has just been released from a five year stint in prison knowing he’s been setup. Revenge and payback is high on his list of priorities. But the first person he goes looking for is his best friend, Race. When Bax finds out that Race went missing the minute Bax got out, he sets out to find him, but it looks like Race is running from some trouble and Bax isn’t the only one trying to track him down. His search leads him to Dovie Price, Race’s sister, a seemingly innocent and untouched girl. She’s completely not his type in any way, but there’s something magnetic about Dovie, the redheaded spitfire, and he can’t keep away:
That red hair wasn’t a lie. She was all kinds of fiery and full of fight. I shouldn’t like that nearly as much as I did.
Dovie Price knows how to keep her head down and survive. She’s been in and out of sketchy foster homes until Race, the brother she never knew about, rescued her from bad situation. Race is everything to Dovie so when he goes missing she makes it her mission to find and help him. Bax is just the type of guy she tries to stay away from, yet without his help Dovie’s chances of finding her brother are slim at best. As they work together, she finds herself more and more drawn to the dark, broody, and dangerous, Bax:
He was scary hot, and having him that close, being that intimate with him, was terrifyingly encompassing.
Dovie sees the rough side of Bax, but she also gets parts of him that make her feel precious and protected. Both parts attract her wildly, and Dovie can’t help but fall fast and hard. Their matchup was unexpected, but so very steamy!
It was impossible for me not to fall for Bax even when he was unapologetic for the life he led, because underneath all his grit and questionable morals was a big heart. Bax is loyal and willing to protect the few that he loves and cares for. Dovie seems to make it on that list fairly quickly, and what follows is an intensely passionate romance!
Jay Crownover has a way of making you love the imperfect characters she creates, and Bax is no exception. Dovie was just the right amount of sweet and pure to inspire him to be a better man, not completely good, but that works for these two. I can’t wait to read this next one!
A copy was provided by William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2014
4.5 Stars
I don't have time for a proper review because I'm heading to vacation soon.
But I can say that I loved Bax. He was the perfect mix of sweetness and assholeness.
In the beginning I thought that Dovie has good chances to become annoying. But
in the end she wasn't annoying at all.
Still I think she could have been a little more badass. The story has some nice twists near the end.
But I have to admit that sometimes I had problems to understand what was going on with Race/ Novac/ Hartman and all that crimial stuff.
So overall I don't have many complaints.. except that I wasn't fond of the names :D
Looking forward to Race's book.
June 19, 2014
The cover was YUM, Brax was delicious bad boy sadly I couldn't feel connected with them! No chemistry and UST!
And even worse, even the sex scene was sad!
Stopped at Chapter 8.
**BR with my darling girlies -- glad we did it**
And even worse, even the sex scene was sad!
Stopped at Chapter 8.
**BR with my darling girlies -- glad we did it**
January 9, 2016
Sin duda este libro es como un puñetazo en el estómago; uno de esos que te saca el aire de golpe. Eso sí, un puñetazo suave, sensual y oscuro. Me a encantado la historia. No puedo decir otra cosa. Me a conquistado La Punta y la gente que vive en ella, la manera en que la escritora forja el barrio y lo que pasa en él. Y desde luego me han gustado mucho sus personajes, la fuerza de Dovie y el lado oscuro y la ternura de Bax. Y, aunque sé que el próximo libro tratará sobre Race, estoy esperando poder leer la historia de Titus...
June 23, 2014
4- Bad boys are more fun - Stars
Shane "Bax" Baxter is a bad boy....
He likes fast cars.....He has been working for a bad guy named Novak and doing a little grand theft auto.
That has apparently gotten him in trouble and he's getting out of jail after five years.
He's determined to find out why exactly he was set up by his best friend Race, especially since he would never have expected Race to set him up. Unfortunately when he gets out, Race has gone missing and the only person he locates is Race's half sister, Dovie.
Dovie wants to find Race as well, especially since he's her only family and he took her out of a bad situation. She grew up having a hard life on the streets and that has toughened her.
Dovie has some major pull toward Bax and his bad boy ways.
At first, Bax thinks Dovie is very plain and ordinary and reminds him of a little kid. He nicknames her Copper Top.
Eventually Bax starts feeling it for Dovie too.
What will happen to Bax and crew when Novak shows back up and demands Bax join up?
I will agree with everyone else, I hated the names that the characters were given. :)
That being said, still very enjoyable book!
Shane "Bax" Baxter is a bad boy....
He likes fast cars.....He has been working for a bad guy named Novak and doing a little grand theft auto.
That has apparently gotten him in trouble and he's getting out of jail after five years.
He's determined to find out why exactly he was set up by his best friend Race, especially since he would never have expected Race to set him up. Unfortunately when he gets out, Race has gone missing and the only person he locates is Race's half sister, Dovie.
Dovie wants to find Race as well, especially since he's her only family and he took her out of a bad situation. She grew up having a hard life on the streets and that has toughened her.
Dovie has some major pull toward Bax and his bad boy ways.
"...every little girl still wanted her prince to come to her rescue, even if that prince had a star tattooed on his face and charged in under horsepower instead of on a white stallion."
At first, Bax thinks Dovie is very plain and ordinary and reminds him of a little kid. He nicknames her Copper Top.
Eventually Bax starts feeling it for Dovie too.
"She makes me want to think that even the bad guy can be a good guy when he needs to be."
What will happen to Bax and crew when Novak shows back up and demands Bax join up?
I will agree with everyone else, I hated the names that the characters were given. :)
That being said, still very enjoyable book!
June 19, 2014
4.5 Bad boy stars
Ms. Crownover:
Thank you so much for coming out of whatever rock you've been writing that last 2 mediocre Marked Men series books under to deliver a book that reminds me why I fell in love with your writing. I was beginning to lose faith and then BAM you bring me Bax.
That Bax was one sexy motherfucker. LOVED him. Yes he was a bad boy BUT he wasn't bad in a way that wasn't as my friends say "Polly Friendly". He was the right type of bad.
Few of my fav quotes:
"I've never has very clean hands, but the first time I touched yo, that first gasp out of that perfect mouth, the first time I thrust into you, God, Dovie, you made me feel like I was the king of second chances"
Swoon^^
Let's not forget how awesome Dovie was. There was not one thing that annoyed me about her.
"I'm never going to ask you to be a good guy, Bax, because I fell in love with you just the way you are. Bad"
Ms. Crownover:
Thank you so much for coming out of whatever rock you've been writing that last 2 mediocre Marked Men series books under to deliver a book that reminds me why I fell in love with your writing. I was beginning to lose faith and then BAM you bring me Bax.
That Bax was one sexy motherfucker. LOVED him. Yes he was a bad boy BUT he wasn't bad in a way that wasn't as my friends say "Polly Friendly". He was the right type of bad.
Few of my fav quotes:
"I've never has very clean hands, but the first time I touched yo, that first gasp out of that perfect mouth, the first time I thrust into you, God, Dovie, you made me feel like I was the king of second chances"
Swoon^^
Let's not forget how awesome Dovie was. There was not one thing that annoyed me about her.
"I'm never going to ask you to be a good guy, Bax, because I fell in love with you just the way you are. Bad"
January 9, 2015
❤️you don't need anyone to show you how to be good, you're so much better when you're bad❤️
Shane Baxter - full of every secret, every promise, and every temptation that can make a good girl do really bad things and enjoy every second of it.
Rule is still my #1 but damn Bax !!!! He owned this !
Shane Baxter - full of every secret, every promise, and every temptation that can make a good girl do really bad things and enjoy every second of it.
Rule is still my #1 but damn Bax !!!! He owned this !
September 24, 2021
Actualización de review
Bax y Dovie siguen siendo mis favoritos. Buena trama. Buenos personajes. Excelente novela.
Review anterior
F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.O *-*
El libro me encanto. ¡¡¡TODO!!! Fue perfecto. No hubo nada que no me gustara.
La trama fue maravillosa y Shane "Bax" y Dovie fueron una pareja WOW *-* fenomenal.
Los personajes secundarios también estuvieron bien y ese final...fue hermoso. Definitivamente lo leere un montón de veces.
Bax y Dovie siguen siendo mis favoritos. Buena trama. Buenos personajes. Excelente novela.
Review anterior
F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.O *-*
El libro me encanto. ¡¡¡TODO!!! Fue perfecto. No hubo nada que no me gustara.
La trama fue maravillosa y Shane "Bax" y Dovie fueron una pareja WOW *-* fenomenal.
Los personajes secundarios también estuvieron bien y ese final...fue hermoso. Definitivamente lo leere un montón de veces.
January 22, 2015
4.5 Bad is so good!! STARS
Wow, I knew I loved bad boys
but this first book in Ms. Crownover's Point series proved to me the badder, the better.
A really fast, action packed read with great characters that all takes place in the Point, the darker and seedier side of life where it's every man for himself.
This story was about Shane “Bax” Baxter...beautiful, dangerous, dark and wild and Dovie Pryce, a good, fierce and kind young woman who is the shining light in an otherwise very dark place. Bax and Dovie are thrown together due to circumstances and from there this unexpected yet special and rare bond forms between the two most opposites of souls.
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
"She was like some kind of balm that made all the ravaged and torn pieces of my soul feel less raw.”
“That was what undid me about him. He was unpredictable, he was a criminal, he was hazardous to my sanity, but then he held me when I couldn’t sleep and he touched me like I would break. It was an intoxicating combination that I was having no luck fighting.”
Bax was rough, rage and while I was drawn to him, I slowly fell for him, but I loved Dovie from the start. She is one of those special characters that are so unique: sweet, strong and formidable.
“She was like a flower that grew out of the impenetrable face of a cliff wall”
I really enjoyed everything about this book and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series about Race.
I think my favourite quote perfectly sums up the tension, the feelings and contrasts of this story:
“I kissed the living shit out of her as I came harder than I ever had in my life. I kissed her until neither of us could breathe. Kissed her until she was pulling at my ears to get me to let her go. Kissed her until I felt her start to shimmy and quake around my dick. Kissed her until I sent her back over the edge while I tried to get my wits and rationality back. I kissed her like I knew there were only a limited number of times she was going to let me do it, and I was going to make each one a memory.”
Wow, I knew I loved bad boys
but this first book in Ms. Crownover's Point series proved to me the badder, the better.
A really fast, action packed read with great characters that all takes place in the Point, the darker and seedier side of life where it's every man for himself.
This story was about Shane “Bax” Baxter...beautiful, dangerous, dark and wild and Dovie Pryce, a good, fierce and kind young woman who is the shining light in an otherwise very dark place. Bax and Dovie are thrown together due to circumstances and from there this unexpected yet special and rare bond forms between the two most opposites of souls.
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
"She was like some kind of balm that made all the ravaged and torn pieces of my soul feel less raw.”
“That was what undid me about him. He was unpredictable, he was a criminal, he was hazardous to my sanity, but then he held me when I couldn’t sleep and he touched me like I would break. It was an intoxicating combination that I was having no luck fighting.”
Bax was rough, rage and while I was drawn to him, I slowly fell for him, but I loved Dovie from the start. She is one of those special characters that are so unique: sweet, strong and formidable.
“She was like a flower that grew out of the impenetrable face of a cliff wall”
I really enjoyed everything about this book and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series about Race.
I think my favourite quote perfectly sums up the tension, the feelings and contrasts of this story:
“I kissed the living shit out of her as I came harder than I ever had in my life. I kissed her until neither of us could breathe. Kissed her until she was pulling at my ears to get me to let her go. Kissed her until I felt her start to shimmy and quake around my dick. Kissed her until I sent her back over the edge while I tried to get my wits and rationality back. I kissed her like I knew there were only a limited number of times she was going to let me do it, and I was going to make each one a memory.”
August 11, 2016
★I received an ARC on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!★
A bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. And a beauty trying to escape a tainted life.
After being framed for a crime he did not commit, 5 years later, “Bax” Baxter wants answers. As he journeys to unravel the truth, what’s a guy to do when the only person with the answers is MIA and the closest is a woman who claims to be his salvation’s sister? Not to mention, when that sister happens to be smoking hot and tempt you in almost every way? Will Bax ever be rid of his “bad boy” antics and seek proper justice? And will Dovie ever come to the bottom of her brother’s mysterious disappearance and schemes while breaking down Bax’s gritty exterior and bringing out the man he is underneath it all?
Read and you will find out!
#A very solid beginning for Ms. Jay Crownover!
A bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. And a beauty trying to escape a tainted life.
After being framed for a crime he did not commit, 5 years later, “Bax” Baxter wants answers. As he journeys to unravel the truth, what’s a guy to do when the only person with the answers is MIA and the closest is a woman who claims to be his salvation’s sister? Not to mention, when that sister happens to be smoking hot and tempt you in almost every way? Will Bax ever be rid of his “bad boy” antics and seek proper justice? And will Dovie ever come to the bottom of her brother’s mysterious disappearance and schemes while breaking down Bax’s gritty exterior and bringing out the man he is underneath it all?
Read and you will find out!
#A very solid beginning for Ms. Jay Crownover!
May 27, 2018
Some boys are just better when they're bad, and while Jay Crownover wrote a bunch of bad boys in her Marked Men and Saints of Denver series, none of them was as bad and as unapologetic about it as Shane Baxter. Still, even Bax managed to steal my heart: a jerk with just the right amount of good and love in him to make it impossible not to fall in love with him! I liked the way that we got more and more glimpses at different parts of his personality as the story progressed, and we saw him let go, learn, mature, love. Dovie, she's just an amazing, innocent, but strong-as-hell girl whose life put her through so much, but she managed not to be touched by all that darkness and all the bad. But ultimately her strength, underrated by most, is what makes her perfect for Bax: he can protect her from all the bad at the Point, but not everybody can save that boy from himself and the self-destructive streak that runs through him.
I loved this story and the criminal background story that's painted through the Point and its residents. I'm sure I'll enjoy all the other books in the series.
Recommended – if you're a fan of Jay Crownover's words, note that this book's just a little darker, with some suspense and mystery; but it's also a beautiful love story with so much heat – because we all know that bad boys are the hottest of all!
I loved this story and the criminal background story that's painted through the Point and its residents. I'm sure I'll enjoy all the other books in the series.
Recommended – if you're a fan of Jay Crownover's words, note that this book's just a little darker, with some suspense and mystery; but it's also a beautiful love story with so much heat – because we all know that bad boys are the hottest of all!
December 17, 2015
Of course it's 5 and a half badass bad boy being just bad stars duh?!
review coming, coming, coming....
Holy shit, I say!
Where the fuck have I been looking until now?! Not in my TBR apparently!!!
Well, what’s done it’s done, no regrets cause I’ve MISSED this jam last year!!!!
Ok, now that I’m somewhat relaxed, on the outside anyway, I have to breathe this out – this is THE BEST book I’ve had the pleasure of reading. There aren’t a lot of “those” books in my fiction world so this means a fuckin lot!
Boy, where to start – the story – appealing, stimulating, stunning, thrilling, amazingly written crime romance drama
Characters – hell, do I have to say it out loud? HELL YES!
The boy who is bad by his actions but that holds the image of a “bad boy” who is actually a quite decent guy who’s not afraid to pull the badass-ery if necessary. Yeah, that is my definition of Shane Baxter aka Bax – a thug, a criminal, a thief - a guy who was dealt the bad cards in life but who stood strong and did what he had to do to survive in the slams…
Sure, he was ruthless, tough on the edges, cruel and determined BUT there was so much more to him.
It all comes to a different stage when the circumstances take Bax, after spending 5 years in prison for the crime that he was set up to take the fall for, in the path of one feisty, truthful, loyal young soul in the form of a 20 year old Dovie Pryce – his best friends Race’s sister of whom he didn’t know about. And Race is MIA with every one of the wrong people from the wrong side of the tracks is looking for him.
Bax is determined to find Race before the others and the chances for that look slim and even impossible to handle when Dovie sets her plans of finding her brother in motion putting herself in the Bax’s sight and path.
The chemistry between them grows slow and it’s not even recognizable as such but it’s still there lingering around them and you can actually feel it, changing them from the inside out, especially Bax.
“She makes me want to think that even the bad guy can be a good guy when he needs to be.”
“She did more to set me free than walking out of those prison gates ever had.”
Things escalate pretty fast – Bax discovers another side of him that he didn’t even know existed in him and the one person that’s sets him on scorching fire is Dovie. (and the funniest thing, he doesn’t even like her at first…
“Are you going to try and tell me that changed when you saw me? That I was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen?”
“No. I thought you were ordinary.”
but she grows on him…
“And then you opened your mouth. All that love, all that loyalty, all the innocence, even though life had kicked you around time and time again and all I wanted to do was let some of that sweetness and light touch me.”
Then when they finally exploded…
once more from up close…
and one still…
And Dovie is a phenomenal female character
the guurl who knew what it was like to grow up poor, being tossed around with cruel facts that surrounded her but she made it through, she was tough, resilient, smart yet so innocent and sweet, warm and lovable and she accepted Bax just the way he was…bad with the touch of good., his both sides - to one she was drawn to being almost addicted and to the other that scared her and kept her on edge BUT she LOVED him (both of him LOL)
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.
The stakes become even higher, the price to pay is greater than life but Bax is willing to do the right thing even if it looks bad as hell.
“I would never want this for you. Me, this life, the messed-up shit that comes with it, but I missed you. I care about you and can never repay you for what you did for me. You set me free. I would die for you…”
“I know you would die for me, Bax.”
“What I need to know is if you are willing to LIVE for me?”
And Bax just made me swoon in the end…
“I don’t know how love works, Dovie. I don’t know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me. I know I’m not the ideal, not the dream guy, but no one will ever fight for you the way I will. I promise you that you will always have the best parts of me I have to give.”
And finally I just had to borrow these sentences (unfortunately, I don’t remember where I saw it, It was in my favorite quotes file, so I can’t really give the author any credit, but this fuckin counts, as well)
Scars on a person aren't always ugly. They add character, lifelines. The beauty of a person is always in the eye of the beholder, inside and out.
I fuckin LOVED everything about this book, main characters (Bax and Dovie, both), secondary cast (especially Titus (Bax’s brother)– man, that guy made me tingle, can’t wait for his story) the mood, the describtions, the dialogues, the sex scenes (especially those – there were couple of scenes so hot that made wet, yeah, what?! I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m only human and a woman for fuck’s sake!
WARNING!!! THIS IS EXPLICIT, so DON’T FUCKIN OPEN IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT!
Off to get the second book!!!!
review coming, coming, coming....
Holy shit, I say!
Where the fuck have I been looking until now?! Not in my TBR apparently!!!
Well, what’s done it’s done, no regrets cause I’ve MISSED this jam last year!!!!
Ok, now that I’m somewhat relaxed, on the outside anyway, I have to breathe this out – this is THE BEST book I’ve had the pleasure of reading. There aren’t a lot of “those” books in my fiction world so this means a fuckin lot!
Boy, where to start – the story – appealing, stimulating, stunning, thrilling, amazingly written crime romance drama
Characters – hell, do I have to say it out loud? HELL YES!
The boy who is bad by his actions but that holds the image of a “bad boy” who is actually a quite decent guy who’s not afraid to pull the badass-ery if necessary. Yeah, that is my definition of Shane Baxter aka Bax – a thug, a criminal, a thief - a guy who was dealt the bad cards in life but who stood strong and did what he had to do to survive in the slams…
Sure, he was ruthless, tough on the edges, cruel and determined BUT there was so much more to him.
It all comes to a different stage when the circumstances take Bax, after spending 5 years in prison for the crime that he was set up to take the fall for, in the path of one feisty, truthful, loyal young soul in the form of a 20 year old Dovie Pryce – his best friends Race’s sister of whom he didn’t know about. And Race is MIA with every one of the wrong people from the wrong side of the tracks is looking for him.
Bax is determined to find Race before the others and the chances for that look slim and even impossible to handle when Dovie sets her plans of finding her brother in motion putting herself in the Bax’s sight and path.
The chemistry between them grows slow and it’s not even recognizable as such but it’s still there lingering around them and you can actually feel it, changing them from the inside out, especially Bax.
“She makes me want to think that even the bad guy can be a good guy when he needs to be.”
“She did more to set me free than walking out of those prison gates ever had.”
Things escalate pretty fast – Bax discovers another side of him that he didn’t even know existed in him and the one person that’s sets him on scorching fire is Dovie. (and the funniest thing, he doesn’t even like her at first…
“Are you going to try and tell me that changed when you saw me? That I was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen?”
“No. I thought you were ordinary.”
but she grows on him…
“And then you opened your mouth. All that love, all that loyalty, all the innocence, even though life had kicked you around time and time again and all I wanted to do was let some of that sweetness and light touch me.”
Then when they finally exploded…
once more from up close…
and one still…
And Dovie is a phenomenal female character
the guurl who knew what it was like to grow up poor, being tossed around with cruel facts that surrounded her but she made it through, she was tough, resilient, smart yet so innocent and sweet, warm and lovable and she accepted Bax just the way he was…bad with the touch of good., his both sides - to one she was drawn to being almost addicted and to the other that scared her and kept her on edge BUT she LOVED him (both of him LOL)
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.
The stakes become even higher, the price to pay is greater than life but Bax is willing to do the right thing even if it looks bad as hell.
“I would never want this for you. Me, this life, the messed-up shit that comes with it, but I missed you. I care about you and can never repay you for what you did for me. You set me free. I would die for you…”
“I know you would die for me, Bax.”
“What I need to know is if you are willing to LIVE for me?”
And Bax just made me swoon in the end…
“I don’t know how love works, Dovie. I don’t know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me. I know I’m not the ideal, not the dream guy, but no one will ever fight for you the way I will. I promise you that you will always have the best parts of me I have to give.”
And finally I just had to borrow these sentences (unfortunately, I don’t remember where I saw it, It was in my favorite quotes file, so I can’t really give the author any credit, but this fuckin counts, as well)
Scars on a person aren't always ugly. They add character, lifelines. The beauty of a person is always in the eye of the beholder, inside and out.
I fuckin LOVED everything about this book, main characters (Bax and Dovie, both), secondary cast (especially Titus (Bax’s brother)– man, that guy made me tingle, can’t wait for his story) the mood, the describtions, the dialogues, the sex scenes (especially those – there were couple of scenes so hot that made wet, yeah, what?! I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m only human and a woman for fuck’s sake!
WARNING!!! THIS IS EXPLICIT, so DON’T FUCKIN OPEN IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT!
Off to get the second book!!!!
February 23, 2017
Es la primera vez que leo algo de esta autora y animada por una lectura conjunta, me he puesto a ello pero ufffff...
Como dice una amiga mia, no es libro para mi .... no me ha gustado nada ... no he visto quimica entre los dos personajes centrales...
Me he cansado de las mil ( y una) explicacion de la autora para justificar la vida en la punta y del porque son malos ( malisimos)...me he hastiado de leer esa ( supuesta) lucha de Bax entre ser malisimo y bueno...
Y no me he creido nada el personaje de Dovie ( es imposible que viviendo lo que ha vivido esta muchacha no tenga mas picaresca , ni sea mas vivida)....
Creo que no repetire con esta autora... pero como siempre digo para gusto, los colores:)))
Como dice una amiga mia, no es libro para mi .... no me ha gustado nada ... no he visto quimica entre los dos personajes centrales...
Me he cansado de las mil ( y una) explicacion de la autora para justificar la vida en la punta y del porque son malos ( malisimos)...me he hastiado de leer esa ( supuesta) lucha de Bax entre ser malisimo y bueno...
Y no me he creido nada el personaje de Dovie ( es imposible que viviendo lo que ha vivido esta muchacha no tenga mas picaresca , ni sea mas vivida)....
Creo que no repetire con esta autora... pero como siempre digo para gusto, los colores:)))
July 10, 2014
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
5 Fabulous, Flirty, Fun, Fast and Furious Stars!
Jay Crownover hit a home run and then some with this book! It was a perfect combination of action, romance, grit, and some serious smokin' sex scenes!
First we have our heroine Dovie!
Dovie is the epitome of what is good. She has been dealt some terrible cards. Abandoned by her parents, she has been thrown into the foster care system. She has learned to keep her head down and lay low. Despite all of the ugliness that she has been forced to live in, she has remained true to herself. She still believes that there is good in the world. Dovie has a half brother named Race. Race brings Dovie with him to the Point where he tries to help her have a better life.
Meet Bax
Bax is BAD! He has been in prison for five years and when he gets out he has three things on his mind: booze, women, and seeking revenge. Bax was framed by his best friend Race. Race has disappeared and left his sister Dovie un-protected in the Point. You know how the story goes. Bax and Dovie form a friendship which develops into so much more. These two have absolutely NOTHING in common and yet together they just make sense. It's the journey that makes this pair unique. It is a slow growth. You truly don't know if it's going to work out for these two.
“When a guy like that kisses you, it doesn’t matter if you’re important or special. All that matters is that it’s you he’s kissing, and man, was he kissing the shit out of you.”
Best book moment is when Bax takes Dovie on a ride. Let's just say it was HOT!
After everything these two overcome, the ending was beautiful! This is an amazing read! I recommend this to anyone who loves a little action and grit in a love story!
In the end....
5 Fabulous, Flirty, Fun, Fast and Furious Stars!
Jay Crownover hit a home run and then some with this book! It was a perfect combination of action, romance, grit, and some serious smokin' sex scenes!
First we have our heroine Dovie!
Dovie is the epitome of what is good. She has been dealt some terrible cards. Abandoned by her parents, she has been thrown into the foster care system. She has learned to keep her head down and lay low. Despite all of the ugliness that she has been forced to live in, she has remained true to herself. She still believes that there is good in the world. Dovie has a half brother named Race. Race brings Dovie with him to the Point where he tries to help her have a better life.
Meet Bax
Bax is BAD! He has been in prison for five years and when he gets out he has three things on his mind: booze, women, and seeking revenge. Bax was framed by his best friend Race. Race has disappeared and left his sister Dovie un-protected in the Point. You know how the story goes. Bax and Dovie form a friendship which develops into so much more. These two have absolutely NOTHING in common and yet together they just make sense. It's the journey that makes this pair unique. It is a slow growth. You truly don't know if it's going to work out for these two.
“When a guy like that kisses you, it doesn’t matter if you’re important or special. All that matters is that it’s you he’s kissing, and man, was he kissing the shit out of you.”
Best book moment is when Bax takes Dovie on a ride. Let's just say it was HOT!
After everything these two overcome, the ending was beautiful! This is an amazing read! I recommend this to anyone who loves a little action and grit in a love story!
In the end....
September 10, 2018
Review to come!!!
March 3, 2017
3/5 stars
I really like some aspects of this book but at the same time, I really don't like some aspects of this book. This is going to be one of those extremely contradictory reviews in which I say that I love the book in one paragraph and say that I dislike it in the next. I'm sorry, but my feelings and I just aren't aren't on speaking terms at the moment. So an advanced sorry for any confusion and I'll try to make it as comprehensible at possible.
The Point is notorious for its shady dealings, criminal underground and overall bad atmosphere; but for Bax, it's where he thrives. He isn't afraid to fight, steal and downright cheat to get what he wants. Fresh out of prison, Bax is more dangerous and more determined than ever. He knows that someone has been setting him up as well as his best friend who is missing.
Dovie Pryce is a good girl at heart but brought up like a lot of the people in The Point, by being left to fend for herself from a very young age. After her half-brother seems to disappear, Bax is the only one who she can trust to help find him, but even his intentions are unclear. She knows that he's dangerous and an ex-con, but even with all his darkness, he makes her life just a little bit happier. She can't deny the attraction she has for him, but she knows he won't change his ways so she'll have to accept him as he is: bad.
Finally! A book with a "bad boy" character who is actually bad! I never realised how sick of fake badass book heroes I was, until I read the author note on this book. It basically says that this author wanted to explore "bad boy" character is actually morally ambiguous and walks on the other side of the law. And I can tell you now, this was executed perfectly. Bax was just bad enough that he earned his title but not so bad that he became an unlikeable character. This is definitely the best executed part of the book and I'm so happy that it exceeded my expectations!
I found this book kind of slow to get into. There was a lot of characters and backstory that I had to slog through before I got to the intense and gritty romance. Once I started understanding the story, I really got into Dovie and Bax's romance. In fact, I would say that I loved these two together and revelled in all of their scenes. Their romance was much like the character of Bax, having both a sweet side and a much rougher side. This made for some very swoon worthy moments from both sides of the spectrum!
I did really enjoy both Dovie and Bax as characters as well as the minor characters. They both complimented each other so well and I'm am all for their relationship! Although they're both going through things that I can't related to in the slightest, I understood why they made the decisions that they did which made me respect them so much. In saying that, if the were real I'm not sure I'd go to The Point and meet them because it sounds like a downright frightening place!
The major problems that I had with this book is that I was never fully connected with the story. I'm not a major fan of crime mysterys and that was a big aspect of the book, I would go so far as to say that the crime elements were more prominent that. The romance elements. To be completely honest, I could not care less about the crime and mystery in this book. I just found it uninteresting and quite tedious and it made up about 2/3 of the novel. I did like how these elements panned out in the last couple chapters which was the only time that I actually cared about it. Those action-packed, plot-twist filled and intense last couple of chapters really brought my options of the book up.
On top of being bored with the overall plot, I found the writing really hard to like and get into. There was so much repetition in the book! If I had a dollar for every over descriptive explanation of Bax being "bad", I'd have enough money to overthrow the whole fricken criminal empire in this book! The characters talked about the same things constantly and I felt as if the story was just repeating itself in slightly different ways very chapter. This just made it such a hard book to fully connect to which is why I'd say that the romance, characters and the last couple of chapters are the only reason why I enjoyed this book at all.
I did enjoy the overall story but I can't say that I liked every aspect of the book!
“I’m never going to ask you to be a good guy, Bax, because I fell in love with you just the way you are. Bad.”
I really like some aspects of this book but at the same time, I really don't like some aspects of this book. This is going to be one of those extremely contradictory reviews in which I say that I love the book in one paragraph and say that I dislike it in the next. I'm sorry, but my feelings and I just aren't aren't on speaking terms at the moment. So an advanced sorry for any confusion and I'll try to make it as comprehensible at possible.
The Point is notorious for its shady dealings, criminal underground and overall bad atmosphere; but for Bax, it's where he thrives. He isn't afraid to fight, steal and downright cheat to get what he wants. Fresh out of prison, Bax is more dangerous and more determined than ever. He knows that someone has been setting him up as well as his best friend who is missing.
Dovie Pryce is a good girl at heart but brought up like a lot of the people in The Point, by being left to fend for herself from a very young age. After her half-brother seems to disappear, Bax is the only one who she can trust to help find him, but even his intentions are unclear. She knows that he's dangerous and an ex-con, but even with all his darkness, he makes her life just a little bit happier. She can't deny the attraction she has for him, but she knows he won't change his ways so she'll have to accept him as he is: bad.
“You don’t need anyone to show you how to be good, you’re so much better when you’re bad.”
Finally! A book with a "bad boy" character who is actually bad! I never realised how sick of fake badass book heroes I was, until I read the author note on this book. It basically says that this author wanted to explore "bad boy" character is actually morally ambiguous and walks on the other side of the law. And I can tell you now, this was executed perfectly. Bax was just bad enough that he earned his title but not so bad that he became an unlikeable character. This is definitely the best executed part of the book and I'm so happy that it exceeded my expectations!
I found this book kind of slow to get into. There was a lot of characters and backstory that I had to slog through before I got to the intense and gritty romance. Once I started understanding the story, I really got into Dovie and Bax's romance. In fact, I would say that I loved these two together and revelled in all of their scenes. Their romance was much like the character of Bax, having both a sweet side and a much rougher side. This made for some very swoon worthy moments from both sides of the spectrum!
I did really enjoy both Dovie and Bax as characters as well as the minor characters. They both complimented each other so well and I'm am all for their relationship! Although they're both going through things that I can't related to in the slightest, I understood why they made the decisions that they did which made me respect them so much. In saying that, if the were real I'm not sure I'd go to The Point and meet them because it sounds like a downright frightening place!
“I don't know how love works, Dovie. I don't know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me. I know I'm not the ideal, not the dream guy, but no one will ever fight for you the way I will. I promise you that you will always have the best parts of me I have to give.”I know Bax is a tough character, but here is no denying that he had his cute moments! This being one of them!
The major problems that I had with this book is that I was never fully connected with the story. I'm not a major fan of crime mysterys and that was a big aspect of the book, I would go so far as to say that the crime elements were more prominent that. The romance elements. To be completely honest, I could not care less about the crime and mystery in this book. I just found it uninteresting and quite tedious and it made up about 2/3 of the novel. I did like how these elements panned out in the last couple chapters which was the only time that I actually cared about it. Those action-packed, plot-twist filled and intense last couple of chapters really brought my options of the book up.
“Oh, honey, if you look close enough, everything is in those eyes. That’s why they’re so dark. They are full. Full of every secret, every promise, and every temptation that can make a good girl do really bad things and enjoy every second of it.”
On top of being bored with the overall plot, I found the writing really hard to like and get into. There was so much repetition in the book! If I had a dollar for every over descriptive explanation of Bax being "bad", I'd have enough money to overthrow the whole fricken criminal empire in this book! The characters talked about the same things constantly and I felt as if the story was just repeating itself in slightly different ways very chapter. This just made it such a hard book to fully connect to which is why I'd say that the romance, characters and the last couple of chapters are the only reason why I enjoyed this book at all.
I did enjoy the overall story but I can't say that I liked every aspect of the book!
“Some boys . . . they are just better when they’re bad. Bax is one of them and I’m starting to think my brother might be one of them, too. I just have to be good enough for all of us to balance it out.”
February 5, 2023
Aunque ha habido cosas que no me han convencido, he estado enganchada a la lectura de principio a final. Bax no es tan malo como lo pintan, Dovie está loquita por el, y el lío en el que están metidos no para de crecer
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