Spotlight & Giveaway: The Bad Boy Experiment by Reese Ryan

Posted January 13th, 2022 by in Blog, Spotlight / 48 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Reese Ryan to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Reese and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Bad Boy Experiment!

 
Thank you so much for having me back. I love connecting with HJ readers!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

When former high school crushes become current real estate rivals and reluctant next door neighbors, their renewed friendship quickly becomes more than either expected, forcing them to choose between love and business.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

Everything about this woman was profoundly sexy. The gentle sway of her hips. Her voice, as warm, sweet, and soothing as honey. Her single-minded determination. Her brilliant, intricate mind. Even that damn stubborn streak he’d found himself on the wrong side of more than once.

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • Actress Keke Palmer was the inspiration for Renee’s character, while singer Miguel was the inspiration for Cole’s character. I adore the gorgeous, dark brown-skinned cover models we landed for this cover. I’ve heard readers say the male model reminds them of: John David Washington; Donald Glover; a young Teddy Pendergrass. Who do you think he favors?
  • I always create playlists for the books I write. The playlist for this book is playful, yet romantic and ultra sexy. You can listen to the playlist on Spotify here: https://spoti.fi/3qZJOkM
  • My books always feature family, food, and music. And this one reminded me of how much I love chicken and dumplings—my favorite meal when I was a kid.

 

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Cole and Ren were first attracted to each other in high school when she tutored him in math and science. Cole was moved by Ren’s constant encouragement and genuine belief in him . It was life-changing because it helped him to recognize his talents and abilities, despite his learning differences. Ren was attracted to the soft, sweet, gooey guy and closet sci-fi nerd that Cole rarely showed to other people. They had a lot more in common than anyone might have suspected back then, and that hasn’t changed when they reconnect sixteen years later. Ren is also truly moved by Cole’s connection with her sweet, four-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum.

 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Several scenes in this book made me laugh, super emotional, or blushing and asking…Wow. Did I really write that? LOL. Here’s a snippet of a scene that makes me laugh. You’ll find the full scene below.

Was he amused because she looked like a disaster? Or because she was peering out of a small crack in the door with one eye, in an effort to hide the fact that she looked like a disaster?

“Not sure if you just don’t want to be bothered right now or if I should ask you to blink twice if you’re being held hostage.” Cole peered over her head into the kitchen.

 

Readers should read this book….

Readers are loving THE BAD BOY EXPERIMENT because it has ALL the feels. It’s sweet, funny, and filled with family and lots of emotion. Yet, Cole and Renee have sizzling chemistry and when they finally get together, there are fireworks.

 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently working on Book #1 in my new Valentine Vineyards series, which is a Bourbon Brothers spinoff.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: Giveaway: $10 Winner’s choice gift card. (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, or Starbucks)

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: This entire series has been as much about the Abbott family as it has been about each individual couple. But especially in this book. Do you enjoy romances that are part of a family saga? If so, what are some of your favorite romance series that follow a large family?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from The Bad Boy Experiment:

[Renee] groaned quietly. She would choose today, of all days, to look like a raging dumpster fire and to be wearing Cole’s sweatshirt while doing it.

She huffed, then hurried to the door before Cole could knock again.

Renee swept back the loose hair that had escaped her half-ass ponytail. She opened the door just enough to show her face.

While she looked like a hot mess, Cole looked… ridiculously handsome. How did the man manage to do that in a simple pocketed T-shirt bearing his company’s logo and a pair of broken-in but expensive jeans? Maybe it was the dark shades. They lent an air of mystery, since she couldn’t see his eyes.

“Hey,” she finally said.

“Hey.” Cole’s mouth curved in a slow smirk and one brow shifted upward.

Was he amused because she looked like a disaster? Or because she was peering out of a small crack in the door with one eye, in an effort to hide the fact that she looked like a disaster?

“Not sure if you just don’t want to be bothered right now or if I should ask you to blink twice if you’re being held hostage.” Cole peered over her head into the kitchen.

“I’m fine.” Ren sighed, opening the door wider. She tried to ignore the flames licking the sides of her face as she died a slow death of embarrassment. “I laid Mercer down a few minutes ago, and I’m trying desperately to make sure he stays asleep. As you can see, it’s been a rough day.” She indicated her stained and wrinkled outfit. “Let’s just say this nap is essential to his sanity and mine.”

“Sorry, I didn’t consider that Little Man might be taking a nap.” Cole rubbed the back of his head. “I came to ask if it’d be okay for me to park in your driveway while the guys are moving my stuff in. I’m expecting a few deliveries today, so I wanted to leave room for the drivers to go in and out.”

“Yeah…sure. I’m not going anywhere or expecting anyone, so help yourself.”

Cole thanked her but didn’t move. “Told you that sweatshirt looked good on you.”

“Uh…thanks?” Ren self-consciously pushed up the too-long sleeves. “Is there anything else?”

“No, but I definitely don’t want to wake your son.” Cole rubbed his beard. “So why don’t I give the guys a break? I’ll treat them to a long lunch. Then we can start moving once Mercer is up from his nap.”

“You’re going to halt work for two hours to accommodate my son’s nap?” Ren asked in disbelief.

“My sister-in-law, Savannah, adores my niece and nephew, and she’s an amazing mom. But she looks forward to those daily naps. You’re raising Mercer alone. I’d imagine that’s especially true for you.”

“Yes.” Ren wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. “It’s been more challenging than I expected to get work done when it’s just the two of us here.” She hated admitting that her plan already had a fatal flaw. She expected Cole to gloat, but he didn’t.

“Then I’ll let the fellas know before they get started. Text me when the little guy is up.”

It seemed like a small thing, Cole adjusting his day for the sake of her and her son. He was just being a decent neighbor, after all. So why were her eyes stinging with tears of gratitude?
Perhaps because he’d offered “the concession without her asking for it. Such thoughtful consideration had come to mean the world to her.

Ren stepped onto the back porch and called quietly to Cole, who’d trotted down the stairs.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. I didn’t mean to come off as…” She sighed, running her fingers through her messy hair. “I’m sleep-deprived and a little hangry.”

His mouth curved in a soft smile that made Ren’s heart melt. He nodded, then jogged over to deliver the news to the movers.

Renee returned to the sofa in her office because she really did need that nap. But as she lay there staring at the ceiling, she couldn’t fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was that damn smile of Cole’s.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

A steamy fling with an old crush who doesn’t do commitment? What was she thinking! Find out in the conclusion to Reese Ryan’s Bourbon Brothers series.

What happens when you say yes to a bad boy?

Even if divorcée Renee Lockwood were willing to give love a second chance, she wouldn’t choose Cole Abbott. The sexy, successful real estate developer doesn’t do commitment. But he’s perfect for a no-strings fling—exactly what Ren needs now that she’s moved back home to raise her son. Mind-blowing pleasure with the man she once crushed on is harder to quit than Ren expected. Impossible, in fact. Is time running out before the bad boy bolts…or will the results of her experiment surprise her?
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Reese Ryan writes sexy, emotional, grown folks romance with captivating family drama, surprising secrets, and a cast of complicated, sometimes messy, characters. And she’s the host of Story Behind the Story—her interactive YouTube show where romance readers and authors connect.

A Midwesterner with deep Southern roots, Reese currently resides in semi-small-town North Carolina where she’s an avid reader, a music junkie, and a self-declared connoisseur of cheesy grits.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |
 
 
 

48 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: The Bad Boy Experiment by Reese Ryan”

  1. Sonia

    I do enjoy a large family saga one of my favorites is The Sullivans Series by Bella Andre.

  2. Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz

    Yes!
    Some of my favorites are The Gilroy Clan Series by Megyn Ward, The Commander in Briefs by Kristy Marie and The Cook Brothers Series by BJ Harvey

    Thanks for the chance!

  3. Anita H.

    I love reading about large families and have so many favorites like Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers, Samantha Chase’s Shaughnessy Brothers, Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series, The Cynsters by Stephanie Laurens,The Ravenels and The Hathaways by Lisa Kleypas

  4. Pamela Conway

    I do enjoy large family books! The Men of Inked series by Chelle Bliss is amazing!!

  5. Lori R

    I really like books about large families. One of my favorites is the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber.

  6. Jennifer Shiflett

    The Landry family series by Adriana Locke, and the Bishop brothers series by Kennedy Fox.

  7. Marcy Meyer

    I love big family sagas. Some of my favorites are by Marie Force. Her McCarthy family series, Gansett Island, and her Abbott Family in Vermont.

  8. Pat Lieberman

    Bella Andre Sullivan’s series. There are so many, really hard to choose.

  9. Latifa Morrisette

    I love family sagas. Chelle Bliss’ Men of Inked is a great series.

  10. Timitra

    Yes, I love them! This series by Reese is one I love! I’m currently reading The Dragon Kin series by G.A. Aiken it’s about a large family of dragons! I’m totally loving it! Thank you!

  11. Glenda M

    I love family saga series! The Bridgeton’s are one of my tops as well as the Wilde’s and Grace Burrowes’ books are wonderful because of the entire city of characters and multiple families starring in different series.

  12. Kathleen O

    One of my fav family saga series is The Kings of California by Maureen Child. I have been reading her books for a long time.

  13. Laurie Gommermann

    I enjoy family series!
    Jillian Hunter- Boscastle family
    Shannon Stacy- Kowalski family
    Linda Lael Miller- McKettrick, Creed families
    Nora Roberts- O Hurleys,MacGregor families
    Kate Hoffman- Quinn family
    Julia Quinn – Bridgerton family
    Karen Hawkins- MacLean, Hurst families
    Jillian Hart-McKaslin, Granger families
    Bella Andre – the Sullivan family
    Sheryl Woods -O’Brien family
    Marie Force- Abbott family
    Jill Shalvis- Kincaid family
    Susan Wiggs- Bellamy family
    Eloisa Janes- Wilde family

  14. Laurie Gommermann

    I enjoy family series!
    Jillian Hunter- Boscastle family
    Shannon Stacy- Kowalski family
    Linda Lael Miller- McKettrick, Creed families
    Nora Roberts- O Hurleys,MacGregor families
    Kate Hoffman- Quinn family
    Julia Quinn – Bridgerton family
    Karen Hawkins- MacLean, Hurst families
    Jillian Hart-McKaslin, Granger families
    Bella Andre – the Sullivan family
    Sheryl Woods -O’Brien family
    Marie Force- Abbott family
    Jill Shalvis- Kincaid family
    Susan Wiggs- Bellamy family
    Eloisa James- Wilde family
    Janelle Denison- Wilde family

  15. Amy R

    Do you enjoy romances that are part of a family saga? Yes
    If so, what are some of your favorite romance series that follow a large family? one of my favorites in Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid

    • Mya Goss

      I am not huge on them, because I read such a huge variety of things. By the time I go back to any series, I forgot half of what the pre-stuff was about.

  16. Athena Graeme

    I don’t usually care for family sagas. I like stand alone books. If I do read a series, I won’t start it until the entire series is available. I’m a binge kind of girl! I want it all at once.

  17. Charlotte Litton

    I love family series, The Landrys from Erin Nicholas, is a favorite.

  18. Banana cake

    I love them but I don’t see them very often and the only one I can think of is the Abbott family by Marie Force and I loved it.

  19. Bonnie

    Some of my favorite family sagas are the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands, the Bridgertons by Julia Quinn, and the Hathaways by Lisa Kleypas.

  20. Latesha B.

    Yes, I enjoy reading about family sagas.The Bourbon Brothers, Brenda Jackson’s Westmorelands, The Fortunes by variors authors, The Coltons by various authors, The Mallorys by Johanna Lindsay, just to name a few.

  21. Janie McGaugh

    I recently finished Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers series, and they were a lot of fun. I’ve also been enjoying Mary Balogh’s Wescott family books.

  22. Terrill R.

    I’ve enjoyed some family sagas, but I don’t necessarily seek them out. Some favorites are:
    Pennyroyal Green Series by Julie Anne Long
    The Winston Bros. by Penny Reid
    San Francisco Sullivans by Bella Andre

  23. Jeanna Massman

    I love series that involve large family groups. One of my favorite authors, Mary Balogh, has several family groups that interconnected.

  24. anna nguyen

    yes i love seeing all the relationships. i love kristen proby with me series. seeing how everyone interreacts with each other as the series continues is so much fun

  25. Susan Smith

    I like reading books about large families. I can sometimes relate to some of the conflicts that are involved. One of my favorites is the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber.

  26. Ellen Cacc

    Mary Balogh has written some good family series for historical, and Nora Roberts for contemporary.