Bad Influence
Bad Bachelors #3
By Stefanie London
Releasing February 26th, 2019
Sourcebooks Casablanca
In Bad Influence (Bad Bachelors #3) by Stefanie London, Annie Maxwell and Joe Preston were so in love, but they ended up going their separate ways with Joe leaving at a time when Annie needed him the most. However, now Joe is back in New York and determined to make things right with Annie. Except he finds that might be impossible, especially considering everything she's done after he left that has now brought trouble into her life. Will Joe be able to help Annie and keep her safe or will they lose their second chance at happy ever after because she can't forgive him?
Being a total fan of Ms. London's books, I've got to say that this is her best series yet. With each book entertaining me from start to finish because of the fantastic characters, compelling dialogue and wonderfully-crafted plots that had me loving the challenges each couple face to be together. The way this story started with the prologue had me sympathizing with Annie and Joe, as Annie has a tough choice to make. Did she make the right one? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine are reunited where this story really takes off because Joe is determined to push Annie's buttons.
As for the dialogue, it was highly entertaining and a wonderful combination of intense moments due to the main characters back stories, the threats Annie is receiving and the protectiveness of the heroine's friends and family that don't make it easy for Annie to forgive and forget how badly Joe hurt her when they went their separate ways years earlier; and playful banter that had me enjoying the growing relationship between Joe and Annie, as they find their way back together. Furthermore, I loved the range of emotion Ms. London brought to this story, which had me smiling, laughing, wanting to cry and left me with happy tears, as this couple overcome the tough obstacles they face to be together. Will Joe be able to win Annie and her family and friends over? Will Joe be able to help Annie get to the bottom of who is threatening her? Will Joe be able to finally make his parents understand that Annie is the one he wants to be with and will they accept her as part of the Preston family?
With the main characters, I absolutely loved Joe. He's smart, driven, hard-working and I liked how determined he was to win Annie over because he's never gotten over her and feels guilty for leaving when she needed him most. I also liked the decisions Joe makes throughout this story to show Annie that she'll always be the one he puts first from now on. No way will he let his family come between them. While the heroine, she's resilient, courageous and I liked how she handled Joe being back in her life. Then again, she has the help of good friends to support her. Furthermore, it's understandable why she was a little bitter over Joe leaving her and why she built the app she did to save other women from heartbreak. However, she never could have imagined how many problems it would create for her, especially someone threatening her. Will Joe be able to help Annie get to the bottom of who is threatening her before she gets hurt? Will Annie put her trust in Joe again because he's the only one that can help her?
Overall, Ms. London has delivered a fun, delightful and charming read in this book where emotions run high; the chemistry between this couple was off-the-charts; the romance was full of exquisite heat and passion and had me loving that these two find their way back to each other; and the ending had me loving the hero's determination to fight for his future with Annie. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly, as Annie finally has everything she's ever wanted for her life -- Joe, the support of friends and family, and finally making her dream come true of helping people. I would recommend Bad Influence by Stefanie London, if you enjoy contemporary romance with a touch of suspense, the second chance romance trope or books by authors Avery Flynn, Naima Simone, Erin Nicholas and Kristen Proby.
He's the bad bachelor who inspired it all...
Annie Maxwell had her whole life figured out...until her fiance left her when his career took off. If that wasn't bad enough, every society blog posted pictures of him escorting a woman wearing her engagement ring. To help the women of New York avoid guys like her ex, Annie created the Bad Bachelors app. But try as she might, Annie just can't forget him...
For bank executive Joe Preston, his greatest mistake was leaving the love of his life when she needed him most. Now, all he wants is to make things right--and she won't have him. But when Annie's safety is threatened by a hacker determined to bring down her app, Joe is the only one she can turn to. He'll have to lay himself on the line to prove to Annie that he's a changed man. But will their hard-won bond survive the revelation that Annie is the one pulling the strings behind Bad Bachelors?
BUY LINK: Amazon