REVIEW: Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

Bringing Home the Bad Boy (Second Chance #1) by Jessica Lemmon: After years of mourning the loss of his wife, Evan is ready to move on and moving includes leaving the house and city where he and Rae made a home and his business. Evan is a sexy tattoo artist and children’s book illustrator. He’s also a dedicated father to his pride and joy, Lyon.

Charlie has also mourned Rae, who was her best friend, and has vowed to look out for Evan and Lyon. She’s thrilled to have Evan and Lyon move to Greenwood Cove as her neighbor. Although Charlie had a crush on Evan when they first met as teenagers, she never expected the attraction and desire to return at all or return so much stronger. Evan is so used to seeing Charlie as his wife’s best friend that he was surprised by his sudden attraction to her. She feels so guilty over her feelings, as if she’s betraying Rae, that she constantly pushes Evan away.

“I’m heading home,” Charlie said. “Thanks for dinner.”
“No.” He grabbed her hand before she walked off his porch. “You’re having a drink with me.”
Her eyes strayed in the direction of her house with a look that was almost longing. “I don’t know…”
“I do. Haven’t had a chance to talk to you all evening, Ace.”
“Evan.”
He took two full steps toward her until he stood so close she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “One drink.”
They had things to talk about. He wasn’t letting her run from him again.

Charlie and Evan bond over their shared loss as well as a tendency to work at night. As a photographer, Charlie understands Evan’s need to create. Evan is a determined and persistent man. He’s already loved and lost, so he isn’t prepared to walk away once he realizes just what they could have together. Evan finds himself in the position of pursuing Charlie and persuading her they deserve to be happy.

He sighed. “Baby, it is something real. You don’t see that?”
Her mind was spinning. Her stomach sick. Nauseous and angry and confused. And-
“I want this to be more to you than a handful of orgasms,” he whispered, his fingers returning to tip her chin. “Something involving you living in my house, working out of yours, coming on vacation with Lyon and me to Osborn to see dad and Aiden, or to Tennessee to see Angel, or to Chicago to see Landon.”
His family. His entire family. Her mind blurred along with her vision.
“Something that looks a lot like family where we’re home. With you in the role of mom, me in the role of dad, and us sitting Lyon down someday to talk to him about sex, and college, or let him know he’s got a brother or sister on the way.”
Time stopped.
Had Evan implied he wanted to have a child with her?
And now her head was spinning.
He poked her under the ribs. “Diaphragm, Ace. Breathe.”

Ms. Lemmon also created great secondary characters in Charlie and Evan’s friends. If you’ve read the Love in the Balance series, you’ll recognize Evan and Lyon and you’ll know Evan’s siblings and significant others, who are mentioned in the story.

Bringing Home the Bad Boy is a steamy love story between the bad boy and the good girl he previously overlooked. Jessica Lemmon created a believable chemistry as Charlie and Evan went from friends to lovers.

Book Info:

Publication: January 27th 2015 by Forever |  (Second Chance #1)

Evan Downey needs a new beginning. Since the death of his wife five years ago, the brilliant tattoo artist has shut himself away in a prison of grief that not even his work can break him out of-and what’s worse, Evan knows his son Lyon is bearing the brunt of his seclusion. Moving back to the lake town of Evergreen Cove where he spent his childhood summers is his last chance for a fresh start.

Charlotte Harris knows she owes it to her best friend’s memory to help Evan and his son find their way again, but she can’t stop her traitorous heart from skipping a beat every time she looks into Evan’s mesmerizing eyes. Charlotte is determined to stay strictly in the Friend Zone-until a mind-blowing night knocks that plan by the wayside. Now, if they’re brave enough to let it, Charlotte and Evan might just find a love capable of healing their broken hearts . . .