Adult Contemporary Romance
Publicaton Date: November 4th 2014
ARC Provided by publisher via Netgalley
Mike McCauley had his soul mate for a precious time before she died giving birth to their son. She left him with the best boy a guy could want, so why is everyone playing matchmaker? He's sick of it . . . until he meets Delilah Webster. For some reason, the foul-mouthed, tattooed mechanic sets his motor running. He sees the loving woman buried within. But the closer they get, the more the pain of past wounds throws a monkey wrench into a future he's not sure he can handle..
Saving the best for last. It's not a concept I particularly subscribe to. I'm an impatient reader and want instant gratification...most times. In the case of What To Do with a Bad Boy I was pleased that Harte saved her best for last. From the beginning of this adorable, sexy and funny series I have been craving Mike McCauley's story. A widowed single father locked in his own grief that we have slowly watched unravel through each book.The main theme of the story is ... Can Mike McCauley fall in love again and learn to let his grief go? Answer... Del Webster. Mike and Del have been circling the wagons for the last couple of books so when they finally give into their attraction it's HOT. Thankfully it didn't take long for it to happen because I have been dying for that moment. A no strings attached fling where both parties agree to keep it simple soon snowballs into a much deeper connection between the couple.
Mike has been grieving for the past six years after his wife died giving birth to their son Colin. Having buried his feelings so deep inside and only engaging in physical activities he ensures that he will never have to lose someone he loves again. You wouldn't know he suffers at the hands of his grief just by looking at him because Mike is a rock. He has to be in order to raise his kid. He's a strong guy with a great job, good head on his shoulders and an even bigger heart. When Del came into the picture a few books ago with her arms full of tattoos, steel toed boots and an attitude to rival Joan Rivers, I knew we'd be in for a great story. A lot like Mike, Del has an outer shell that you wouldn't think anything could get through but Del turned out to be incredibly vulnerable despite first impressions. I knew I would love her but getting the details behind why she is the way she is surprised me. Mother issues and immense feelings of abandonment in regards to her mother are at the heart of not only her attitude in life but love as well. Del is the kind of woman who uses sarcasm and jokes to mask her true feelings. Kind of reminds me of someone *points at self*. All she wants is for just ONE person to return the love she has tried to freely give away but always comes back "Return To Sender" leaving her heartbroken. I've never wanted to hold a character more than Del Webster.
I'm not sure if it was just me or not but Mike and Del's relationship was pretty drama free for the most part. Whether they were laughing during sex, arguing over silly things that ended up being a non issue or making fun of each other their courtship seemed to be founded on one key principle...Friendship. Regardless of their supposed hatred for each other these two clicked together so well it was flawless. Del's sarcastic attitude kept Mike on his toes and Mike's ability to draw out the sweeter side of Del made for some entertaining reading material. Plus the best part of the book was getting a POV from Mike's son Colin. I was totally caught off guard by his addition to the story and seeing him work his Ubie influenced charm and devious skills in involving almost the entire family to get these two together was a genius move on Harte's part. I loved the way Harte captured the youthful innocence of a six year old and showed how intelligent he was at the same time without feeling contrite. Colin's part in the story was charming, sweet and funny...as always. Because he pulled in so many secondary characters in his scheme I became acquainted with a very intriguing beefcake brother, JT and my hope now is for a spin off of this series featuring the new players. Not only was Del's brother a sexy and fun addition but her cousin Rena caught my attention as well.
There were so many things to love about this book but for me the main thing was how Harte didn't handle us (the reader) throughout this story. She didn't just wave her magic wand and *poof* the couple madly fell in love and all was right with the world. She actually fleshed these two people out and gave them depth which was needed with a story like this, Not only did we fall in love with Mike and Del but with Lea, Mike's deceased wife through a series of gut wrenching emotional memories each family member shared. It wasn't just about finding someone for Mike, it became this healing journey to love again and be loved again. I knew it would be emotional but I didn't expect to cry but to my surprise there were several moments where the dam broke for me. I love when things work out for two unlikely people and What To Do With A Bad Boy brought so much sexy, flirty, romantic fun to the table it was hard to walk away without going back for seconds.
He leaned down, so that his nose was all but touching hers. “Sweetheart, you couldn’t handle what I’m really made of.”
Stupid Del wanted to drag his stubborn mouth closer for the kiss she could all but taste. From the look in his eyes, he wanted the same. Mike might not like her much, but the man wanted her. She could feel the chemistry between them, and it burned.
Self-preservation reared its head, and she ducked under him and hustled to the door leading to the hall. She opened it and waited. “Don’t let it hit you in the ass, Mike.”
He chuckled as he sauntered to join her. “You’ll watch what you say around Colin?”
“Yep. When I see him Wednesday night, I promise to call you a buttwipe instead of an asshole. Fair?”
Stupid Del wanted to drag his stubborn mouth closer for the kiss she could all but taste. From the look in his eyes, he wanted the same. Mike might not like her much, but the man wanted her. She could feel the chemistry between them, and it burned.
Self-preservation reared its head, and she ducked under him and hustled to the door leading to the hall. She opened it and waited. “Don’t let it hit you in the ass, Mike.”
He chuckled as he sauntered to join her. “You’ll watch what you say around Colin?”
“Yep. When I see him Wednesday night, I promise to call you a buttwipe instead of an asshole. Fair?”
Excerpt:
He sighed. “Guess it’ll have to do. For now.” To her shock, he dragged a rough finger down her exposed neck. “Nice hair, by the way. I like the braids pulled back. Shows off your pretty neck. No tats here, sweetness?”
She didn’t know what to say, frozen by the combustible lust and confusion drowning her system.
He stared into her eyes again, gave a satisfied smile, then left.
She watched his fine ass leave the building, heard a few choice remarks from the guys in the garage who also watched him leave, and yelled at them to get back to work. Then she slammed into her office and plopped her butt in her chair, staring without seeing at the mess on her desk.
She rubbed her neck over the spot he’d touched and tried to be madder about what he’d done. What he’d called her.
Sweetness?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vcuTiT
Apple: http://bit.ly/1mJOcki
Chapters: http://bit.ly/1oMG8gP
Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1skZKf2
About The Author:
Marie Harte is an avid reader who loves all things paranormal and futuristic. Reading romances since she was twelve, she fell in love with romance and happy endings and knew writing was her calling. Years later after the Marine Corps, Information Technology, and 60 hour work weeks, her dream has finally come true. Marie lives in Oregon with her family and is constantly reading and writing.
It so hurts that these are all out now and I've still not managed book one. *flails* One day hopefully.
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