REVIEW: Things Good Girls Don’t Do by Codi Gary

In Things Good Girls Don’t Do by Codi Gary, Katie Connors finally just got over her break up with her longtime boyfriend and wants to do something fun and out of character. She’s tired of being the good girl that always does the right thing and never speaks up for herself. After a particularly bad day, Katie drowns her sorrows in a cocktail or two and makes a list of the things she’s always wanted to do but had been warned against by her mother that they weren’t appropriate for good girls. Before she can hide the list, hottie and tattoo parlor owner Chase snags it and offers his services to help out with a few, or all, of the items on said list. Katie’s mortified but soon realizes she has a real chance to make some changes in herself, to take a few risks. Chase is just the guy she’d love to have some fun with, but will she also be risking falling head-over-heels for him?

‘She couldn’t just sit there and listen to him read off each idiotic idea that had come into her head after one mojito. Note to self: Next time you decide to make a crazy list of things you want to try someday, do it at home.’

Chase Trepasso has had his eye on Katie since he rolled into town. He’d love to take her out but he knows her type: she’s probably a goody-goody who will possibly flirt with him behind closed doors, but will think he’s not good enough for her to date in public. Chase figures it’s worth a shot when he sees her with her list at the local bar. He’d be happy to help bring out Katie’s inner bad girl. They agree to have some fun and keep it casual, which is the norm for him. But the more time Chase spends with Katie, the more he likes her. He’s never contemplated having an actual relationship before after what he watched his mom go through during his childhood. Katie might just turn out to be the girl that makes him change his mind for good.

‘He wasn’t scared. He was petrified. Petrified that if he stayed with her, he’d start to rely on her, need to have her with him. Need her sweetness to brighten his day, his home, his life. And then have her figure out what the whole town had been telling her all along. She could do better.’

Things Good Girls Don’t Do is a wonderfully sweet romance with lots of sigh-worthy moments. I love a well written small town romance and Katie and Chase’s story is just that. Codi Gary has taken two characters with very different personalities and shown us once again that opposites really do attract, and that when they get together…it’s explosive. And fun. (And really hot!)

Codi writes in a manner that makes the story flow easily, no matter if it’s from Chase or Katie’s perspective, and it makes them both very relatable. There was a nice mix of emotions ranging from lust to jealousy to longing, with everything in between, and all blended with a sense of humor. I think her premise behind the story is a good one: Katie had a rough day and finds herself making a list of all the things she’s wanted to do but has been told over the years that they’re not the kinds of things that good girls should do. I think we’ve all got similar mental checklists or even bucket lists that we can compare to Katie’s. (*cough* tattoo)

Katie was a fun character. Yes she was a good girl, but even she knew that she needed to change it up and let more of her personality come out to shine. Some time with a bad boy, albeit one with a good heart, was just what she needed to feel alive again. Chase was wonderful to get to know. He appeared to be the quintessential bad boy but he was also smart and very talented. If people would have got to know him and not gone by preconceived notions, they would have seen what Katie did too. Even the secondary characters in the story were well developed and made this book a joy to read. From cranky Mrs Andrews to best friend Steph and newcomer Becca, they all make their presence known and add something extra to the story.

I recommend reading Things Good Girls Don’t Do if you’re looking for a small town romance with a few laughs, a few tears, and definitely a wonderful HEA.

Book Info:

Published August 27th 2013 by Avon Impulse

Good girls don’t steal.
Good girls don’t visit sex shops.
Good girls don’t have one-night stands.

For Katie Conners, being a good girl just isn’t worth it anymore. It used to mean getting the life she always wanted. But that was before she got dumped and her ex got engaged to his rebound. So, after a bad day and one too many mojitos, Katie starts making a list of things a girl like her would never do, not in a million years . . .

As a tattoo artist with a monster motorcycle, Chase Trepasso isn’t the kind of guy you bring home to mom and dad.

And when he finds Katie’s list in a bar, he’s more than happy to help her check off a few items. Especially the ones on the naughtier side . . .

Katie’s more than tempted by Chase’s offer, as long as they keep things uncomplicated. But as they spend more time together, she may just wind up breaking the most important rule of all: Good girls don’t fall in love with bad boys.