REVIEW: Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

Recently I had the honor of reading, what I consider, the best book ever. I know it's only January, but I feel I can safely say that I've found my best book of 2015. This was my first book by author Jessica Lemmon, but I can also say that I'm now a huge fan and she definitely goes on our Authors to Stalk list (in the most loving way of course)! 

This was a book that had me ignoring my computer, phone, the blog and even family. I was in a bubble and never wanted to come out. 

So, are you curious about the book yet? Without further ado, I present Bringing Home The Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon! 

The Bad Boy Is Back

Evan Downey needs a new beginning. Since the death of his wife five years ago, the brilliant tattoo artist has shut himself away in a prison of grief that not even his work can break him out of-and what's worse, Evan knows his son Lyon is bearing the brunt of his seclusion. Moving back to the lake town of Evergreen Cove where he spent his childhood summers is his last chance for a fresh start.

Charlotte Harris knows she owes it to her best friend's memory to help Evan and his son find their way again, but she can't stop her traitorous heart from skipping a beat every time she looks into Evan's mesmerizing eyes. Charlotte is determined to stay strictly in the Friend Zone-until a mind-blowing night knocks that plan by the wayside. Now, if they're brave enough to let it, Charlotte and Evan might just find a love capable of healing their broken hearts . . .

      

 

THE FUNK HAS BROKEN!!!!! Well, I say that but I can definitely see another one on the horizon. This book will be a hard act to follow.

There are only a few books that leave me feeling like they deserve more than 5 stars. By that, I mean that I’m typically happy to dole out 5 stars to books I love but there are only a select few that leave me wishing the scale went up to a million. This was one of those books.

I’m also in a weird emotional position of wanting to scream from the roof tops about how amazing this book is and holding it close and wanting to keep it a secret because I loved it so much and know that other people will love it too and then I’ll have a fight on my hands for Evan. *I'm ready for the fight! Bring it on!*

But the book and author totally deserve the screaming from the roof tops so….on to the review.

I’ll admit that the first thing to catch my eye was the cover. The guy is smoking hot. The blurb wasn’t an instant “READ ME!!!!” but it called enough for me to put this on my TBR list. But then this horribly amazing thing happened…I was in a book funk. It was massive…lasting the whole of 2015 (seeing as it’s January, it’s technically not that long but it feels like it’s been forever). I’ve gone through countless books trying to find something to read, even reading some of them (with mixed results), but nothing was really holding my interest.

I started this on a lark. I never expected to be pulled into the book and fall in love with the story, characters…everything. I wanted to live in this book.

From page one I was transported to Evergreen Cove and into the lives of Evan, Charlie and Lyon. I didn’t want this book to end. I found myself checking the % of how far I was into it, dreading the 100% mark. I wanted to stay with Evan and Charlie forever.

                      

I loved Charlie. She was funny and quirky and sweet and caring and just all around amazing. She was also insecure and unsure of her worth when it came to love. The more you found out about her, the more I hated her ex Russell for how he treated her. On the surface he was nice and sweet but he undermined her, looked down on her and overall, made her feel like crap. Add to all of that the fact that he cheated on her then returned to take advantage of her good nature and spewed his horrible venom at her, making her doubt herself and her relationship with Evan and Lyon, and I seriously wanted to go all Queen of Hearts on him…well, after some long drawn out torture. I seriously loved when Evan went all alpha and stepped in to protect his woman and punched that jerk!

Evan. How do I describe pure perfection? He’s like my dream man (Nero) all grown up and hot and tattooed and AMAZING. Evan has been through a lot in the last four years. He lost his wife, has been raising his son and is now selling his business and moving to start a fresh life away from the bad memories of how his wife died. My heart broke for him and his experiences. I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and comfort him every time he remembered how his wife died. It’s rare for me to fall in love with a fiction character and love the heroine just as much. So I was really glad Evan had Charlie there to help him move on. One of the things I loved most was the fact that once Evan realized that Charlie was an attractive female, and that he was interested in her, he never deviated from that path. He let his interest be known and when it was reciprocated, he went about making them happen. He knew what he wanted and went after it. There was stuff they had to work through since Charlie was his wife’s best friend, but there was never a time when he was interested in someone else.

I never once doubted Evan or Charlie’s interest in each other. Their chemistry was off the charts and their antics often made me laugh. I also have to say that I loved Lyon. It’s been my experience that kids in books are…difficult to get right. Either they’re never around, around too much or they don’t act like real kids. But I thought Lyon felt like a real boy! (sorry, I couldn't resist the Pinocchio reference.)

This book was pure perfection.

I have not read any books by this author before, and I deeply regret that. After I finished this book, I went to see what else the author has written and I have seen her books around…I just haven’t read them. So, upon completion of this review, I’m embarking on a journey through her backlist.