Bad Boys Do [NOOK Book]

( 92 )

Overview


Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be ...

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Bad Boys Do

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More About This Book

Overview


Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it's time to grow up. He's even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"Sparkling, special and oh so sexy-Victoria Dahl is a special treat!"

-New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips on Talk Me Down

"Sassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down is one delicious joyride of a book."

-New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway

"Dahl smartly wraps up a winning tale full of endearing oddballs, light mustery and plenty of innuendo and passion." -Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down

"[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters."

-Booklist on Start Me Up

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781459213876
  • Publisher: Harlequin
  • Publication date: 9/27/2011
  • Series: Donovan Family Series
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 384
  • Sales rank: 27,639
  • File size: 352 KB

Meet the Author

Victoria Dahl lives with her family in a small town high in the mountains. During the summer she hikes and drinks margaritas (usually not at the same time). During the winter she likes to curl up with a book and a cup of hot cocoa and think about all those poor, freezing skiers working so hard out in the snow.

She's been reading romance since the age of twelve and started her first manuscript at the age of twenty. Occasionally, on dark and stormy nights, she bravely posts excerpts of that original story on her blog for the entertainment of her readers.

Her first published novel, the winner of the coveted Golden Heart for best long historical romance, debuted in 2007. That same year, Victoria decided to try her hand at writing a contemporary romance. It turned out to be the most fun she's ever had (while writing). Now she's fully committed to bouncing between the sexy, dramatic world of historical romance and the sizzling fun of contemporaries.

Find out more about Victoria and her books by visiting her Web site or write to.

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Read an Excerpt


This wasn't a book club; it was a manhunt.

Olivia couldn't believe she'd fallen for it. Actually…she couldn't believe she'd thrown herself headfirst into it. She'd read the assigned book. Twice. She'd downloaded important discussion points. Made detailed notes. Marked up the pages. And finally, before walking into the brewery, she'd sat in her car for ten minutes, pumping herself up for this first foray into a girls-only gathering.

They're just women like me, she'd assured herself. No need to be intimidated. You'll fit right in because you'll all have the book in common.

Now here she was, sitting in the barroom of Donovan Brothers Brewery, listening to seven women discuss their current dating lives and sexual adventures. And Olivia, having no dating life or adventurous sex to contribute, sat there like a bump on a log, the book club selection clutched tight in her tense fingers.

It wasn't that she'd never had girlfriends. She'd had a best friend in high school. And one in college. And then…then she'd had her husband. Her ex was as close as she'd gotten to a best friend in the past ten years, and he'd failed pretty spectacularly at that.

She needed girlfriends, and she needed them fast.

When Gwen Abbey had invited her to join her book club, olivia had felt honored and relieved.

She should've known better. Gwen wasn't exactly the type to opine about literature. Oh, she was smart enough, but her attention flitted about like a hummingbird after a shot of espresso. She might read a book, but Olivia couldn't imagine her spending two hours talking about it afterward.

"I'm so glad you came!" Gwen whispered, putting an arm around Olivia's shoulders for a quick squeeze. "Isn't this fun?"

"Yes!" Olivia answered, feeling her fingers go numb against the slick cover of the book. She really, really wished she hadn't posted so many sticky notes in the pages. They fluttered like tiny blue banners under the breeze of the ceiling fan.

"Can you even believe how adorable he is?"

Olivia glanced automatically toward the bar, where a very young, very handsome man filled glasses at the tap. He was Jamie Donovan, she'd been informed, and his welcoming wave had set the whole table tittering a few moments ago. The tittering had been followed by promises—or threats—of what the women would do if they got Jamie Donovan alone for an hour. "Find out exactly what's under that kilt," had been a common refrain.

"So," Olivia ventured, leaning closer to Gwen, "is he the reason you guys meet at this place?"

"Heck, yeah. No reason not to have a nice view while we hang out. Plus, Marie, Alyx and Carrie are all married, so this is a nice safe way for them to get a little flirtation in. They get to drool over Jamie, fantasize a little, and then their husbands benefit when they get home. Everyone is happy!"

"Great!" Olivia responded with fake enthusiasm.

But even she was tired of fake enthusiasm. Why couldn't she just be enthusiastic? Granted, it wasn't what she'd expected, and Olivia liked to know what she was getting into. She made plans. And lists. She believed that in life, you measured twice and cut once. But all the measuring in the world hadn't managed to make a good marriage. She needed to loosen up.

And in all honesty, she felt better knowing that some of the women were married. If it was just about having fun and not about picking up a man, she could get into it. Or she could try.

"Here he comes," Gwen whispered. "And it looks like we're in luck…"

"Jamie!" one of the women called. "You wore the kilt for us!"

The cute bartender with the messy dark gold hair winked at them. At all of them. "First Wednesday of the month. You ladies didn't think I'd forget book club, did you?"

If giggles could be raucous, these certainly were. As subtly as she could, Olivia tipped her head to the side to see past the other women. She finally caught a glimpse of the infamous kilt, and she couldn't deny that it looked good on him. Between the bottom edge of the dark kilt and the top of his work boots, a lovely expanse of tanned leg was revealed, dusted with the faint glint of golden hair. The kilt wasn't plaid. It looked like it was made from black canvas. His wide chest was covered by a faded brown T-shirt with a faintly visible Donovan Brothers logo stretched across it.

The man was gorgeous. Olivia couldn't deny that.

He continued past their large table to deliver beer to a group farther on. There was no hooting from that side of the room. The men there were focused on the baseball game on the wide-screen TV. They didn't even glance at Jamie Donovan's bare legs. The women of the book club table, on the other hand, craned their necks shamelessly. Olivia sank down a little in her chair.

"How long have you been meeting here?" she asked Gwen.

"About a year. Before that we used to meet at Starbucks. Frankly, the club was about to die. Nobody had the free time to read and then get together for meetings. But now we have one hundred percent attendance."

"And the reading?" Olivia pressed. But she didn't get an answer to that, because Jamie Donovan had reappeared, a wide smile already in place. His hair looked darker now, but the lights of the ceiling fan behind him limned it with gold.

"Happy Wednesday, ladies."

Gwen grinned. "Don't you mean happy hump day?"

"Aw, come on, Gwen. I'm a nice boy. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I'd like to be. Wanna help?"

For a split second, Olivia thought Gwen had gone too far. She'd offended this man. He was just doing his job. Olivia touched Gwen's arm, trying to prompt her to apologize, but suddenly his face cracked and he burst into loud laughter.

"Good one," he chuckled. "You been saving that up for me?"

"Maybe," Gwen said.

"I'm honored. So do you want the usual? A pitcher of India Pale and a pitcher of amber?"

Everybody agreed, but as he started to turn away, Olivia cleared her throat. "Pardon me. Could I get a water?"

"Absolutely," he said, swinging back around. When his eyes lighted on her, he stood straighter. "Oh, hello. A new member of the club?"

Now that the smile was directed at her, Olivia found herself mute. Her lips parted. Nothing came out.

"This is Olivia," Gwen volunteered.

"Hello, Olivia."

Good Lord. How did he make the few syllables of her name sound like a kiss? A deep, slow kiss. Olivia actually shivered.

Jamie Donovan's eyes drifted down. His eyebrows rose. "Well, look at that."

Outrage rushed through her at his words. Where did he get off looking at her breasts like—

He gestured. "You actually know something about how a book club is supposed to work. The rest of you should take note. Or notes."

Heat flashed over her face as she looked down to her marked-up copy of The Last of the Mohicans. The other women booed and tossed crumpled napkins at Jamie, and Olivia was thankful for the distraction. Of course he hadn't been checking out her body. He didn't even look at her again before heading back to the bar. Olivia leaned over and slipped the book into her purse.

"I watched the movie," the woman next to her said. "It was amazing. A really great story."

"It was. I'm honestly glad I read it. Even if we're not going to discuss it tonight." She slid her eyes to Gwen. "So why did you tell me we were reading The Last of the Mohicans?'"

Gwen shrugged. "Because you wouldn't have come if I'd told you we were just going to drink and hang out. Right?"

She wanted to be outraged that she'd been lied to, but Gwen was right. She wouldn't have come if it hadn't been a book club. The point of a book club was that it gave Olivia something to talk about. It helped smooth over those awkward conversations she usually had with other women. But now she was here, and this was exactly what she'd been trying to work up to.

"You're right," she said. "So thank you."

The discussion of The Last of the Mohicans led to talk of movies with hot men in them, and even Olivia could contribute to that. She'd been married, but she hadn't been blind. And when Jamie returned to the table with their beer, she wasn't blind then, either. His forearms alone were enough to draw her attention. They were strong and tan and undeniably male. She was still staring at his arms when a glass of water appeared in front of her.

"Your water, Miss Olivia," he said, addressing her as if she were a teacher. Which she was. Just a coincidence, or did the scent of dry-erase marker cling to her? "And a pint glass, too, I presume?" He slid an empty glass to sit next to the water.

She didn't like beer, but now she was fully invested.

"Absolutely," she answered, and his green eyes twinkled. God, could he just do that on demand? What a terrible and deadly skill. She averted her gaze in self-defense and kept her eyes down until he was gone. The man was constructed of nothing but charm and beauty. Indiscriminate charm. Fun to enjoy for a girls' night out, but definitely not something to feel flattered by. She knew that from painful experience.

But Olivia was flattered that Gwen had gone to the trouble of tricking her into this. That alone made her smile as she sipped at the lightest of the two beers. But the lightness belied its bitter taste, and she had to hide a grimace. Maybe she could talk the group into going out for martinis one time. But as the evening wore on, she felt the easiness of the brewery. This wasn't like a bar, where men swarmed like scavengers. Instead, it was safe and homey, and Olivia found herself loving it. She even managed to make it through half a glass of that awful beer, and by the time she excused herself to use the bathroom, her head buzzed pleasantly.

This was going to be part of her new life. A book club with no books. Women who wanted her company. And gorgeous men to wait on them hand and foot. Or one gorgeous man, at least.

Standing before the mirror, Olivia dabbed gloss on her lips, blinked several times to remoisten her contacts, and smoothed down her sleek new bob. She'd been tempted to try a new color, but she was glad she hadn't now. Because tonight she looked like herself, only better. Older, wiser and more self-assured. Slightly more self-assured. But not quite so confident that she didn't startle like a scared rabbit when she stepped out of the bathroom and straight into the path of Jamie Donovan.

"Oh, sorry!" She reached out a hand as if to help steady the keg balanced on his shoulder, but Jamie stepped smoothly around her and set the keg gently onto the floor behind the bar.

"Need a refill?" he asked.

"No!" she said too emphatically. His eyebrows rose. "I mean…I'm fine. Thanks."

"You don't like beer, do you?"

Olivia cringed. "No. I'm sorry. I don't mean to denigrate your life's work or anything…"

"Oh, I think my self-worth will survive." This time his smile was a little more natural, though no less dazzling.

"It's just too bitter for me. I've never liked it. No matter how light I try to go."

His eyes slid to the book club table. "Which one did you try?"

"The pale one?"

"India Pale Ale. There's your mistake. Light isn't always mild. India Pale Ale is notoriously hoppy. Extra hops were added to preserve it during shipment to India, hence the name."

"Oh, sure," she said, nodding as if she understood. But the truth was that she'd tried plenty of beer in her life and she hadn't liked any of it.

"Try the amber," he suggested.

"Okay." She started to turn away, but he raised a finger to stop her.

"Here." He filled a slim glass that appeared to be an overgrown cousin of a shot glass. She eyed the dark gold liquid with trepidation. She'd had no intention of trying the amber ale, but maybe he'd realized it. "Go ahead. I promise it's milder than the pale ale."

With a shrug of resignation, Olivia took the glass from him and tried a sip. She was already grimacing when she realized it wasn't so bad. "Oh."

"See? Told you." His eyes crinkled with pleasure, and Olivia told herself that the warmth pooling inside her was the beer. "Even our porter is pretty mild, though you're going to want to steer clear of the Blackjack Stout."

"Oh, no," she protested when she saw him drawing a glass of chocolate-brown beer. "No way."

"Don't you trust me?"

That couldn't be a serious question. Who the hell would trust this man and his sparkling green eyes? In fact, it was a little insulting that he'd flirt with her as if he meant it. Like she'd buy that this boy would be attracted to a thirty-five-year-old woman like her. Did he think she was so desperate she'd believe it?

Olivia raised her chin and took the glass from his hand, ignoring the slide of his skin over hers. "I wouldn't trust you in a million years," she answered, but she took a generous sip of the beer anyway, amazed that it didn't make her eyes water. It was actually kind of…smooth. "All right. Not bad."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 92 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(42)

4 Star

(33)

3 Star

(12)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(3)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 92 Customer Reviews

  • Posted September 19, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Another hit from Victoria Dahl!

    Previously in GOOD GIRLS DON'T, we meet Jamie Donovan who has completely screwed up. He slept with the daughter of the man that the brewery was planning on doing business with and on top of that, the woman he slept with steals the security code so her brother could break in to the brewery to steal sensitive information. Jamie has a rocky relationship with his brother Eric and still thinks of his sister, Tessa, as an innocent little girl.

    All his life, he's felt like a no-good screw up and finally wants to be more than the bad boy who the ladies swoon over when he's wearing his kilt. He's ready to take on more responsibility at the brewery besides being bartender, server and 1/3 owner, and he's got a plan. A really good one. He secretly takes a class on food and beverage management to help him with his plan.

    Olivia Bishop doesn't know what fun is. You wouldn't either if you were married to some stuck up tenure chasing professor. Of course, Olivia is no longer married to Victor who she walked in on going at it with a student. Yikes! She's ready to discover who the real Olivia is and well, learning to have fun with Jamie seems like a good way to start.

    In exchange for Jamie teaching Olivia how to have fun, she would help him with his plan to expand the brewery into a brewpub. And cue in the bow chicka wow wow music. Insert hot for teacher joke here.

    Olivia and Jamie enter into a deliciously hot sexual relationship (hello mirror!) and must deal with creepy, possessive ex-husband Victor, Olivia's insecurity about her age and Jamie's volatile relationship regarding the expansion of the brewery with Eric while trying to deny their growing emotional attraction to each other and pfft-ing it off as hot and heavy sexual attraction. Didja get all that?

    Tessa's book (GOOD GIRLS DON'T) was pretty hot but Jamie's book (BAD BOYS DO) was hotter. I'm sure Eric's will be the hottest. Ms. Dahl makes me smile every time I read one of her books and BAD BOYS DO is no different. I like love lust Jamie Donovan. He's a bad boy with a good heart. (Wait, is that like a hooker with a heart of gold?) Anyway, this hot for teacher, older woman/younger man story is well done. Okay, hot for instructor if you want to get technical. Olivia sort of annoyed me when she kept emphasizing on their age difference but I grew to like her. This book is sexy, funny and heart warming at times. P.S. I wanted to punch Victor in the face and may have cheered when Jamie did. :)

    ***requested off of netgalley***
    ***original review posted at Romancing Rakes***

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 6, 2013

    Good book!!

    It's a very good book about a family and you feel invested in their lives. Hated when it ended, the third story about Eric was my favorit.. The books a good read at 251pgs . SLMS3

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 9, 2012

    Good

    Good story, enjoyed a lot. Not as wonderful as Real Men Do.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 28, 2012

    A must read

    A must read

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 1, 2012

    Every bodys a bad biy

    Mmmmmmm bababab .mmmmmmmbababab

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 26, 2011

    Bad Boys Do

    Thiis a good rean but is not ffor teens. More like YOUNG ADULTS ages 19--29

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  • Posted November 19, 2011

    Very Much!!!

    I loved this book!!! I waited forever for it to come out and I was not at all disappointed with the quality of writing this author has!!!

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  • Posted November 3, 2011

    Loosen Up!

    Great read by Victoria Dahl. Jamie is such a stud who has dreams and Oliva is so straight laced and worried about what everyone else will think. It's great that he got her to loosen up and she got him to stand up for what he wants.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 2, 2011

    Fun read.

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  • Posted October 27, 2011

    sooooooo good

    this book was so good. i laughed out loud at some of the parts of it. this one is well worth your time and money

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 26, 2011

    Hot tub is where it at!!

    enjoyed!!!

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  • Posted October 8, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Cried, giggled & sighed. True signs of a great romance!

    Victoria hit this one out of the park! Fantastic read. Hated to 'click' the last page.

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  • Posted October 3, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Your first October must read

    Jamie Donovan loves his family and the family Brewing Company that came down to he and his siblings with the tragic death of their parents 14 years ago. His bad boy, screw up image has cost him the respect of his big brother, but now it might just cost him his future and not just in business.
    Olivia Bishop has been the dutiful daughter, dutiful wife and now the dutiful ex-wife and she's fed up enough to change her image, with her first sighting of Jamie she thinks she just might have found someone who can help her.
    Jamie and Olivia start on a path of lust and desire but soon it becomes more for both of them, they have many obstacles in their way and both with stigmas to deal with. Will luck be on their side or will their pasts predict their future.
    Welcome to book two of Victoria Dahl's Donovan family trilogy with middle child Jamie's story and like in book one she delves deeply into family dynamics and dysfunction where roles and rules are constantly changing and not always for the better. Her dialogue is trendy, fun and at times a bit raw but it goes too well with the tales to not fit. Her characters are brilliant in the novel as they seem so three dimensional you're surprised they don't leap off the page and not just the stars of the story but the minor players as well. The romance, ah the romance is complicated, it's engaging, it's emotional and it's a balm for the true romantic. Her hero & heroine are two parts of the same coin and as the romance progresses you'll be able to see for yourself how much they belong together. The love scenes, well I'll suggest you read them near a source of extreme cold as it will produce extreme heat, combustible heat.
    The balance between the romance and the family drama is what makes this novel and it's trilogy siblings so remarkable as is the way in which this very talented author tells her story and that makes this my first must read for October.
    This reads well as a stand a lone, but they're called trilogies for a reason.
    Thank you Ms. Dahl for another wonderful visit to the Donovan family, their brewery and their loves.

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  • Posted October 2, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Bad Boys Definitely Do!!!

    Jamie Donovan is supposed to be the happy, carefree one of the Donovan family, the friendly bartender that everyone, including most women, just loves. I must admit, I wasn't looking forward to his story as he seemed to be just another overgrown frat boy in arrested development. However, near the end of the first book in this series, we saw glimpses of him being something different, enough for me to want to jump right into this one.

    My instincts were dead on as there is so much more to Jamie than anyone knows or imagines. This man is gorgeous and his personality and face just sparkle with invitation, and therein lies the contradiction. Jamie has layers beneath that beautiful veneer, which doesn't help his case with his brother, Eric, who doesn't take him seriously. Jamie is secretly preparing himself to be better at handling more responsibility at the family brewery but is also afraid to let his family know in case it's just another of his failures.

    When Olivia Bishop connects with Jamie, it doesn't seem like a match made in heaven but they bring out the best in each other. She's a divorced, serious and staid 35-year old University instructor to Jamie's 29. Olivia is looking to be more "fun" and Jamie's the perfect man to bring out her playful side. She's able to reach beneath that veneer somewhat and see parts of the man no one else seems to get. Olivia is also helping him develop his business ideas.

    While the interludes between Olivia and Jamie are pretty steamy, Dahl has magnificently created romance, erotica and emotional depth in these perfectly written scenes. You cannot help being drawn into both characters as the narrative shifts between them with ease. I was captivated. And, there are scenes that brought me to tears as both Jamie and Olivia struggle with their baggage of the past when faced with confrontations of the present, he with his brother, Eric, and she with her ex-husband, Victor.

    I loved this story, better than the first in the series, which I also liked. Dahl's writing style continues to be a big attraction with her ability to move the story at a perfect pace and craft great dialogue. This is a writer to watch and I cannot wait to start the last book in the series.

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  • Posted September 30, 2011

    WOW!

    I thought this was worth the money, very good addittion to the other book. HOT!

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  • Posted September 27, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Loved this emotional book!

    My Review:
    Jamie is the black-sheep of the family and no matter what he does to try to escape this moniker, everything and fate seems to be working against him, because he seemingly screws up over and over again. Jamie works as the bartender at the brewery because he is the people-person of the family. He has an easy way with people and a natural charm. He likes to have fun and that shows through his personality in everything he does and people are drawn to that.

    Jamie was 16 when his parents died in the tragic car accident. He responded to that horrible loss with a ton of teenage rebellion and angst which older brother Eric had to handle. Eric was 24 at the time and suddenly found himself parent to his two younger siblings AND with the family brewery to run. As a result, they have always fallen into a pattern...Eric is the responsible one, Jamie is not. Now Jamie is 29 and trying to gain Eric's respect and trust, but Eric can't see him as anything but the screw-up kid that he raised. So Jamie secretly heads back to college so that he has a good basis for the changes that he wants to implement at the brewery. Eric keeps blowing his ideas off without even giving him a chance.

    Olivia is an instructor at the college in restaurant management. She just got divorced a year ago from an older professor that she had been married to for the last 13 year, since she was 22. She was the trophy wife...only there to help build up her husband and his career and left her own dreams in the dust. Now she is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life and how she became old and too serious before her time. She met Jamie first in the bar and then he showed up in her class and they come up with a plan...she will help him create a restaurant presentation to wow Eric and he will help her learn how to have fun and let loose a little.

    I adored this book!!! Really, REALLY LOVED IT!!! Both Olivia and Jamie are dealing with some really deep and difficult life changes and growth. They are complete opposites, but that works for them, and it helps to make each of them a better more balanced person. There are definitely growing pains as their relationship grows and develops, but their passion remains true and beautiful.

    My heart physically ached for Jamie as more and more is revealed about him and the struggles that he has been going through. There were several HUGE revelations at the end which I think will play out in Eric's book...there is going to be a LOT of emotion there. For that matter, there was a TON of emotion in this book. You all know that I love a good emotional book and an alpha hero with a vulnerable side...this book had both of those things in SPADES. So well-written and so perfect for my reading tastes. Did I mention that I LOVED this book?!? It was so good. Just the perfect mix of romance, fun, and angst rolled up into a book that may just make my top ten list for 2011.

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  • Posted September 25, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    The Divorce Club

    excited

    First let me start by saying, I really do enjoy Victoria Dahl's writing style and witty-ness. I look forward to her books and would recommend them.

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  • Posted September 8, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    The second Donovan Family contemporary romance is an engaging tale

    Her husband divorced her because he insisted thirty something Olivia Bishop was a pathetic downer. Having no friends and feeling alone and depressed, the college teacher likes to read so she joins a book club. However, the discussions at meetings have nothing to do with books and all to do with sex. Since she has no one, Olivia offers nothing just like he ex said about her.

    Still she attends the sessions with the latest meeting at Donovan Brothers Brewery. There she meets the younger Jamie Donovan. When he attends her class on restaurant development and management, Olivia surprises herself by asking the charming hunk out though she knows this is out of character for her. However, as Olivia regains her confidence she realizes Jamie is much deeper than the shallow bad boy she thought he was. On the other hand Jamie struggles to persuade his teacher he wants her to accept he is not just a bad boy sex toy. Each wants more from the other but both hesitate to take that first step.

    The second Donovan Family contemporary romance is an engaging tale of two individuals trying to reinvent themselves as they dislike how others see their respective image. The fascination in the fun story line is how similar the inner protagonists are to each other though on the surface they appear to be opposites since see Good Girls Don't and Bad Boys Do; yet each struggle with self esteem issues that make a long term relationship doubtful.

    Harriet Klausner

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  • Posted September 8, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Bad Boys Do

    Alright, I'll admit to doing something with this book that I very rarely do, I read the series out-of-order! I normally HATE doing that but I really wanted to read Jamie's story so I said **** it & took the plunge. That's right, Alyssa can walk on the wild side every now & again, lol!

    Ever since reading The Guy Next Door, the short prequel to the series, I've wanted to get my hands on these books, especially Jamie's. He's the traditional playboy hunk who everyone thinks has it sooo easy. I was intrigued with his character because from the short story alone, you could tell he had depth and that there was so much more to his story. I was not disappointed!

    Likes
    *Jamie - enough said! All I wanted to do, throughout the entire book, was give him a big ol' hug. His character was written fabulously & I enjoyed all of the facets that Victoria Dahl created for him.

    *Olivia's struggle. She just recently ended a bad marriage where she felt as if she had to give up everything that she wanted out of life to satisfy her husband. She wants to rediscover who she is but she lets her fears of reverting back to old ways get in the way of happiness. What I enjoyed was watching the internal debate & decision process she goes through as she figures out she doesn't have to sacrifice herself for love.

    *Tessa was hell on wheels and didn't take any bulls**t from her brothers! When Jamie or Eric needed anything, whether it be love or a brow beating, she dished it out.

    *Jamie & Olivia together steam up the pages with their hotness!

    Dislikes
    *Could Eric have been any more of an a**?! After reading The Guy Next Door I knew he had some issues with his brother. However, I didn't realize he was so unforgiving & unreasonable. Xanex anyone?!

    *All the whining about age difference from Olivia! While I loved her, I was so irritated with her attitude towards their age. She was 35, Jamie was 29 - I don't know about you but that's not a huge difference to me, but she talked about it incessantly. Get a grip & get over it.

    This is only my second Victoria Dahl read and I have to say I'm really liking this series. Cannot wait to get my hands on Eric's book, I need to see what his characters has to offer besides what we're given here, because I know there is SOO much more! Great read, go pick up - you won't be sorry!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 17, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

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