Julianna's Reviews > Born to be Bad

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Born to Be BAD is an anthology of three contemporary novellas that include some light suspense elements. They comprise the first three stories (a prequel of sorts) in Sherrilyn Kenyon's B.A.D. Agency series.

One BAD Night
"4 stars" In my opinion, One BAD Night was the most well-written of the original trio of B.A.D. stories with respect to the plot. It has a little something for everyone, action, adventure, suspense, romance and passion. It may not have been entirely believable, but it was highly entertaining. One BAD Night was somewhat reminiscent of watching an episode of the television show, Alias. Reading about Jason and Sam and the intrigue of them trying to elude the bad guys was great fun. I didn't think the characterizations were quite as well fleshed out as they were in the first two novellas, but the fast pace of the narrative helped to make up for this deficiency. In the short story format, there usually isn't a lot of space for both plot and characters to be thoroughly developed anyway.

Sam was a rather feisty, spitfire heroine, who was initially ready to kill Jason, but quickly warmed up to his charming personality. I really enjoyed their bantering. It was not only humorous, but usually charged with sexual innuendos, which made it all the more fun. I thought that Jason and Sam were a very well-matched couple who had great chemistry. Their love scenes were quite steamy, while still being sweet and tender, which seems to be a Sherrilyn Kenyon trademark.

The main secondary character, Renate, an unassuming, middle-aged woman who can fight like a commando, was a hoot. Readers are treated to brief appearances by Agent Retter and B.A.D. co-directors, Joe and Tee, who also appeared in the first two novellas. I sense a story for Joe and Tee sometime in the future, and greatly look forward to Ms. Kenyon eventually writing it. One BAD Night is the third story in the B.A.D. Agency series. I found it to be yet another enjoyable tale, and a great wrap-up to this anthology.

BAD to the Bone
"4 stars" BAD to the Bone was a pure fantasy that was very fun and enjoyable to read. I thought that the beginning and ending of the story could have benefited from a bit more clarity and tighter plotting, but the rest of the story really helped to make up for these deficiencies. The premise of a woman living out her romance novel fantasies in real life with a hunky hero was very entertaining. I especially liked that Kyle actually read Marianne's favorite book and was trying to make it all come to life for her. It just made him seem so caring and thoughtful.

I found both characters to be likable, relatable, and well-drawn. Marianne, as an average, ordinary woman, just couldn't have been sweeter, yet she was passionate and adventurous enough to step outside her comfort zone. Kyle was a tough guy with a tortured past, yet he accepted Marianne's tenderness toward him as something that was missing from his life instead of being suspicious or shutting down emotionally. In fact, she was able to fulfill his fantasies every bit as much as he fulfilled hers. I loved the way the author built a beautiful relationship between these two characters in such a short time mainly with the use of communication, a seeming rarity in romance novels. This made for some extremely sexy and sensuous love scenes that were still very sweet and romantic. Overall, I found this novella to be a delightful read that even showcased a little humor, a great story for anyone looking for a bit of escapism.

BAD to the Bone along with its two companion novellas in Born to Be BAD are something of a prequel to the main B.A.D. Agency series. It was first published in the Big Guns Out of Uniform anthology, and was later reprinted in this single-volume anthology. BAD to the Bone was my first read by Sherrilyn Kenyon, but it certainly won't be my last. I am looking forward to continuing the B.A.D. series as well as exploring her other books.

"Captivated" by You
"4 stars" "Captivated" by You was another fun-filled offering in the B.A.D. Agency series that I found very enjoyable to read. The hero and heroine, Ace and Rhea are both very likable and relatable characters. They begin the story with lots of humorous sharp-witted banter that is laced with sexual innuendo, but quickly evolves into passion when they are thrown together on a mission that involves some sizzling hot situations. Their love scenes involved some light bondage and domination which may not be some readers cup of tea, but in my opinion they were very mild and written very tastefully. In fact, I thought these scenes were quite nice, with Ace and Rhea showing a beautiful level of trust in each other and lots of playful sensuality. I loved that Ace was full of bluster and then seemed almost as out of his element in the B&D atmosphere as Rhea was. There was just enough character development to make their fast-moving relationship at least somewhat believable, and I liked how the author took the time to explain why each of them chose to work for B.A.D. which also added a bit of depth. Ace and Rhea's actual mission ended up being more humorous than suspenseful, but overall I found this novella to be another delightful, escapist read. My only complaint would be that it simply wasn't long enough.

"Captivated" by You is the second story in the B.A.D. Agency series. It was first published in the Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down anthology, and was later reprinted in this single-volume anthology. Secondary characters Joe and Tee, the leaders of B.A.D., as well as agents Dieter and Retter from BAD to the Bone, make another appearance, with a few more details being added to their characters. I really look forward to continuing this entertaining series.

*Review updated 11/2/10