Bad to the Bone

It was fun to see what happens when you come home again. I love how Alex's family and friend help him move forward. I love stories where you get back to your first love when the timing is right. Ricky Lee has a great outlook on life and was able to see the good in a bad situation.

Reviewed by Michael for Diverse Reader

Going home after a long time away can be difficult. Re-acclimating to the changes that take place in any town, small or large, can be daunting. Stores closed that you had frequented as a child are now closed. Friends that you had grown up with have moved away or gotten married and had children of their own.

Life goes on.

Now imagine having left town as the town Pariah, held responsible for things that were outside of your control. This is the exact situation Ricky Lee Jennings finds himself in when he returns home to his small town for his ten-year high school reunion. He was bullied and tormented in high school for being the son of the town’s alcoholic, his mixed heritage, and ultimately his homosexuality. His one friend was Alex Morrison. He was sent away after getting caught kissing another guy in the school’s library.

Alex Morrison was the star football player in high school with a bright future ahead of him. He’s awarded a scholarship because of his skills on the football field, but an injury cuts his career short, and he’s forced to return home to care for his family and run their business.

The funny thing about small towns is that the residents have long memories. No one wants to let Ricky move past his circumstances growing up, they don’t want to know the truth. No one that is, except for his former best friend, Alex.

Shortly after returning to town, Ricky Lee and Alex reconnect, and those old feelings are rekindled.

It’s kind of a slow burn, with Alex wrestling with the idea that he’s always been attracted to Ricky Lee. The villains’, if you will, are exactly who you thought they would be. I especially loved the relationship that Alex has with Sam, who, through her position as a police officer for the town, offers to dig into Ricky Lee’s past and comes up with a surprising secret.

I made a promise to myself earlier this year that I would reach outside my comfort zone and try new authors. Some have been complete misses, but I’m happy to say that I enjoyed this one.

Sometimes you can go home again.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a sweet, second chance romance between two high school friends who find each other again at their school reunion.

As adults, Alex has settled into the small town they grew up in and he runs his family’s hardware business with his sister. After being chased out of town as a teenager, Ricky Lee now lives in Portland and works in the tech industry.

As a Dreamspun Desires story, the book has lashings of drama, more than a little glamour, and a hint of a Cinderella story underneath it all. Alex and Ricky Lee are both a little bit too perfect and their high school nemesis and his friends are a little bit too horrible – but it all works in a classic Harlequin romance sort of way.

I actually found some of the supporting characters more interesting than Alex and Ricky Lee. I really enjoyed Alex’s sister, his cop best friend, and Ricky’s assistant. There is a crime story subplot that felt a little bit over the top but on the whole, this is an entertaining, if slightly fluffy read.

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bad to the Bone by Nicki Bennett to read and review.