Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Return of the Bad Girl by Codi Gary









Bad girls don't forgive.
Bad girls don't forget.
Bad girls don't fall in love.

Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked—to a dangerously hot bad boy—Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force. He may be sexy as sin, but she's not afraid of him … or his panty-melting smile.

Rock Canyon's got room for only one bad attitude—and Gabe Moriarty was here first. Still, starting over means playing it smart, so while sharing his new apartment is less than ideal, it's worth getting his dream business off the ground. Not to mention that it means shacking up with a sexy wild child. Caroline may be giving him the cold shoulder, but Gabe always was good at starting fires …

Caroline vows to keep things professional with Gabe, but as close quarters begin to ignite the sizzling chemistry between them, she's left wondering: Bad boy plus bad girl equals nothing but trouble … right?






I always seem to forget how much I love Codi Gary's writing in between her books. She's got such way with words that she draws me in every time!

Well, this is only my second book by her but I can tell that this is a series I definitely want to read the rest of!

I loved Caroline and Gabe's story. I have to say that in this book, along with the previous book Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines, I hated how horrible the towns people were to the Willis girls. I seriously wanted to go Dexter on the whole town, leaving just the good guys standing in the end. Lol, the author is truly talented to make me hate a whole town of people. ;)

Omg I know! They were so rude and hateful that I wanted to bitch slap almost every singe person! The grocery store bitties were awful and every time Caroline went to get something I wanted to reach in the book and do some damage on her behalf! I agree that Ms. Gary did a great job writing those crows and making me hate them and feel for Caroline!

One of the things I loved most was how real Gabe and Caroline felt. Both of them had made mistakes in the past, had their lives destroyed and they both worked hard to rebuild their lives.

I felt for both Gabe and Caroline too. I hated how they both were bascially tarred and feathered by the people around them and were never shown any compassion. People make mistakes and they both just wanted to atone and move on, but thier towns just couldn't, or I should say wouldn't, let them. I was happy that they found each other.

I loved learning more about the Willis family but I really hated some of the things Elle did in this book. It will be interesting to see what happens to her in the future and if she gets a book. Being the revenge-y/bloodthirsty sort of reader, I was slightly disappointed that some of the towns’ people didn’t get their comeuppance for treating Caroline so bad. I really wanted them to eat some crow.

LOL! I know you did! I wanted some crow for dinner too! ;)  And I agree about Ellie. She was out of control and I hated that she let you-know-who do you-know-what to her and get away with it. I was really hoping they would get a far harsher and painful punishment. >:)  I guess I've been spending too much time with you. ;)

I can’t wait to read more from this author and this series.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I also can't wait for the next one! 








Music has always been a huge part of my writing process, and can inspire a scene or an action from one of my characters. For The Trouble with Sexy, Gloriana’s Kiss You Goodnight was a HUGE inspiration. Whitney Duncan was a serious factor in Things Good Girls Don’t Do and Lady Antebellum helped create the back story for Travis and Gemma of Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars. Jacob’s Ladder by Mark Wills was the centric theme for Bad Girls Don’t Marry Marines, so it was really no surprise that as I wrote Return of the Bad Girl, I was pulling songs from the radio to make up my playlist.

1)      Take You Home by Thomas Rhett
2)      Wake Up Lovin’ You by Craig Morgan
3)      Everything Changes by Staind
4)      People Know You by Your First Name by Dean Brody
5)      When the Right One Comes Along from the Nashville Soundtrack
6)      Sunshine and Whiskey by Frankie Ballard
7)      Love by Jana Kramer
8)      Speakers by Sam Hunt
9)      Girl in a Country Song by Maddie and Tae
10)   Break Up in a Small Town
11)   Gonna Wanna Tonight by Chase Rice
12)   Dirt by Florida Georgia Line
13)   Show You Off by Dana and Shay
14)   Something Bad by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood
15)   Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves
16)   Mean to Me by Brett Eldredge
17)   Enough is Enough by Eli Young Band.

So, several of the songs on this playlist (I.E. 4 and 10) set up the back ground and gossip running rampant about Gabe and Caroline, in part thanks to Miss Know It All. Sometimes the attitudes and antics of the towns people surprise even me, but they are oh, so fun! Especially the dreaded Mrs. Andrews. (Shudder). Then there are the angsty ones like 2, 3, 5, and 17. These songs help me through Caroline and Gabe fighting their feelings and the inevitable screw up by both of them, because true love never did run smooth, right? The fun/funny songs like 6, 9, and 14, helped me during character development and those funny interactions between friends and the h/h that make me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. (Caroline is the anti-girl in a country song and if you’ve never seen the video, you have to check it out!) Show You Off #13 inspired one of my favorite lines in the book, but I won’t give away what it was. J
But my favorite song on this playlist is Jana Kramer’s Love (#7). Caroline is a cynic who has never been in love and Gabe believes he doesn’t deserve it. This song gave me the inspiration for their Happily Ever After (because they have to end up together right?)

I hope you enjoy my Return of the Bad Girl Spodify Playlist!




From the time I could put a Disney Book cassette into my little stereo,and read along, books have held a fantastic distraction. When I was eleven, I decided I wanted to be one of those magical people that brought stories to life. Devouring a book a day sometimes, my first romance novel stuck with me. I've always been a sucker for a happy ending (and the great romantic gesture)and that's what I try to put into my stories. I am so honored to be a part of Avon, and am so excited to have my own dreams coming true.

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