Review: Bad Things (Love Is Messy Duet - Ana & Cole #1) by Emily Goodwin --> 5 Stars!
TITLES: Bad Things
SERIES: Love Is Messy Duet - Ana & Cole #1
AUTHOR: Emily Goodwin
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATES: May 10th, 2017
They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. I think that’s total bullshit. No one wants to be a loser in the Game of Love. Trust me, I know. With a lying fiancee and a canceled wedding, I’ve lost big time. And that loss turned me bitter, so hell bent on vengeance that I almost let it destroy everything. Determined never to go down that dark path again, I’ve sworn off romance. Work became my priority, my safe place, the one constant in my life that wouldn’t tempt me. Until I took on a project I normally wouldn’t, and it introduced me to someone I never would have talked to before. No matter how hard I try, my professionalism slips away the more we work together, and I know it’s a disaster in the making. Bad things happen when I open my guarded heart. But when I look at her, bad things are all I want to do. **BAD THINGS is a spinoff from the popular LOVE IS MESSY series, and can be read as a complete standalone novel. Release day TBA**
I loved the first Love Is Messy duet about Lexi and Luke and was really intrigued about Cole’s story. I’m extremely pleased with Bad Things! It was everything that I was anticipating and more. Emily Goodwin once again created a lovely story that left me with the stomach full of butterflies.
Diana “Ana” Ventimiglia is a newly signed author at Black Ink and travels to New York City to meet her new editor, Cole Winchester. They connect on all levels and the attraction is intense between them. This perfect chemistry soon leads them to bed with scorching hot moments. Even with the short amount of time they’ve known each other, you really feel the undeniable connection they share, not only physically but emotionally. Both of them have been hurt in the past and don’t believe in true love anymore. But what they’re living is pretty much a fairy tale. They both have trouble admitting to themselves these growing feelings.
Cole still has a lot of guilt for the way he treated Luke all these years and doesn’t feel like he’s deserving of someone like Ana. He sees himself has the villain in the story and not the hero. Ana is a really sweet girl who lost her lively personality after her last relationship broke her. With spending time with Cole, she slowly rediscovers her true self, but she still has her own fears to surpass.
An aspect I really enjoyed was the Winchester brother’s bonding. After years having a strong rivalry, they now have an improved relationship. It was fun to witness Luke being an annoying “little brother” to Cole.
Bad Things is swoony, steamy, beautiful and had me completely enchanted. While it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Hot Mess / Twice Burned before to really understand the dynamic between the Winchester brothers and Cole’s hurtful past. I adored this story and can’t believe Emily Goodwin left us on this cliffhanger. Luckily, the next book Battle Scars is coming soon. Can’t wait to see Ana and Cole to finally embrace their relationship for what it is and let go of their past.
THE LOVE IS MESSY DUET (LEXI & LUKE)
Book #1
Hot Mess
Book #2
Twice Burned
