Bad Boys Do

Olivia Bishop is a cardigan wearing, buttoned up instructor at the local University. Jamie Donovan is the bad boy brother of brewery owning Donovan family. When they meet at the brewery (for Olivia’s book club) sparks don’t exactly fly, but they are intrigued by each other. When their paths cross again, they strike a deal to help each other out. Jamie is going to help Olivia have fun and Olivia will help Jamie with his dream of expanding the brewery into something bigger.

Bad Boys Do is the second book in the Donovan family trilogy by Victoria Dahl. I love a good love story and what makes this so good are the honest emotions and feelings. Dahl does a great job connecting her readers to the characters; she makes them human, which isn’t always the case in romance novels.

I loved Jamie when he was introduced in Good Girls Don’t and I did like Olivia as well. I could have done with a little less of her “older woman” bit; she was only six years older than Jamie. She was really buttoned up and a tad prudish but she really grew as a character for me. She was able to take control of her life and move forward in a positive way.

At the heart of the book are real people dealing with real issues and emotions. What makes this book good in my opinion is its honesty and its roots firmly planted in reality. There is no cheesy storyline (maybe a slimy ex), the story is simply two people trying to make something of their lives and finally realize and make their dreams come true. Falling in love along the way is just an added bonus.

I liked that Jamie was vulnerable in this book. It’s not often the hero gets to be vulnerable and I don’t think it took anything away from his masculinity, in fact it made it hotter. Olivia is divorced and struggling with her own issues but she doesn’t shrink from them, she stands up for herself and takes charge of what she wants out of life. I think Jamie and Olivia are similar in that way, they are sick of being everyone’s idea of who they should be and they are finally living for themselves.

These are the first books I’ve read by Victoria Dahl and the sex scenes? Make sure you have a glass of water handy – they are hot. Yet they manage to be fun and playful at the same time. (Not all the time). I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, every man should own a kilt.

I love a family trilogy and this book is focused more on an emotional storyline and you get to see more of the Donovan dynamics in this book. Although I really disliked Eric in this book and I’m a little torn about his book, but I think it’s going to wind up pleasantly surprising me.