Mascen Wade, star pitcher of the Aldridge University baseball team, is a lot of things.
Rich.
Hotter than sin.
The campus’s reigning bad boy.
We knew each other once upon a time, but even if I’m named after a princess, it doesn’t mean my life is a fairytale.
My plan is to keep my head down, get my degree, and leave this town.
But the moment Mascen Wade recognizes me all my carefully … fairytale.
My plan is to keep my head down, get my degree, and leave this town.
But the moment Mascen Wade recognizes me all my carefully laid plans come crumbling down. He’s decided he wants to make my life a living hell. But I’m not so easy to push around and won’t put up with his bully playground antics. Too bad for me I’ve never been able to resist him.
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“I’m not in the mood for the chaos and necessary socialization. But when am I ever? I’ve learned to play a part, but it’s not me. Honestly, who the fuck am I? What do you have to be afraid of Mascen? Everything. But the stars above me? They don’t judge me, not like the entire world does.
First time reader of Ms Smeltzer and I found this book provided me with some light entertainment. Not sure which trope it falls into, neighbours, enemies or best friends to lovers as all fit. I fell under Aurora’s spell immediately loving her sense of humour and her honesty. I felt for Aurora and Mascen’s inner torment and their struggles. I found myself giggling and smiling often throughout this angsty story.
Kids, neighbours and best friends one day, the next their worlds were turned on an axis. Separated, devastated and they had no idea this was happening until Aurora had gone. Fast forward ten years and they both attend the same college. However it was an awkward reunion and Mascen chose to take his anger out on “Princess” Aurora. Why did everyone else get to call her Rory, because they were her friends, but he hadn’t even been friend zoned.
MY KINDA BAD BOY!!!
First I LOVED COLE!!!! I need more of him!
Second…it doesn’t matter how much I love Cole, from the get go I felt like Mascen & Rory were ENDGAME!!! I just loved every one of their interactions from start to finish!
Not only did I ADORE their “childhood love” but the banter between these two when they met back up was hilarious at times!! You could really feel all the sexual tension just seeping from the pages too. Have you ever been reading a scene and all of a sudden you get butterflies…just from reading a scene between the hero & heroine! When an author can make that happen, you know you’ve found a keeper!
I loved the depth of the characters too! There was so much more than meets the eye for both of them and I loved seeing them for who they really were.
The newly felt attraction, old memories and the banter was EPIC! But let’s be honest…IT WAS THE BASEBALL FOR ME!!!
*Enemies to Lovers
*Childhood Friends
*BASEBALL HOTTIE!!
This was such a good book! I loved the history between Mascen and Rory, and they were just so hot together once they found each other again.
This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it honestly gave me all the feels. Can’t wait to read Cole’s story, but in the meantime, this one is definitely recommended!
I’m in love with this book, the characters and the whole aspect of friends to enemies to lovers. Oh my God!! Can we take a moment to appreciate Micalea to have written such a beautiful story.
I started it yesterday night and didn’t know when I completed half the book!!! It was too good and interesting to even keep it down. I had this on my TBR since forever and I actually never read it. But as soon as I read the prologue I knew I had to continue. And I’m glad I did.
Mascen was a sweetheart when he was a kid but grew up to be an ass. Rory is such a strong girl, I adored her. She was strong and independent and knew what she wanted and strived for it. I just wanted to see that her relationship with her sister would have improved a bit but that’s the reality. I love Cole, he is the best. He is such a sweet person and I can’t wait to read his book
The Thanksgiving break scenes were the best and also I was so tensed everytime they were together…afraid that they would be caught.
But loved how Mascen grew as a person and owned upto his mistakes and also his dad making up for it had me in tears. Epilogue was so cute and funny. Can’t wait to see what happens with Cole. I love him too much already!!
I don’t know if anyone in this group has read this book. SWEET DANDELION is conceivably the book that leads us to Author Micalea Smeltzer, primarily if you love slow-burn and character-driven storylines.
I was scrolling through my Goodreads account and I’ve seen my review of this book. And I think why not recommend this on Mary’s Sick Twisted Bitches group. Because it truly deserves love and recognition. I don’t know why this book fell under the radar.
Title: Bad Boys Break Hearts
Series: The Boys 1
Author: Micalea Smeltzer
POV: First Person (Dual Perspectives)
Main Characters: Mascen Wade and Aurora ‘Rory’ Abbott
Books in The Boys series are stand-alone, but most enjoyed if read in order:
Book 1: Bad Boys Break Hearts
Book 2: Nice Guys Don’t Win (March 19th, Available for Pre-order)
Book 3: Real Players Never Lose (coming soon)
Hero rating: 5
Heroine rating: 5
Sexual tension rating: 4
Sex scenes rating:
Sex scenes frequency: 3+
Plot rating: 4
Dialogue rating: 5
Storytelling Rating: 4+
Story ending rating: 5
Overall rating:
Would I recommend this series: Yes
Would I re-read this series: Yes
Would I read future books by this author: Yes
Tags: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, academic, sports romance, and angst.
Well this was a cute second chance, childhood friends to lovers story! (Two of my favourite tropes)!
A new adult college romance, with a side of sports. Fans of Tijan or Maya Hughes Fulton U series – I think would devour this book.
Rory & Mascen were next door neighbours and best friends for most of their childhood, until a family incident occurs in Rory’s family which finds them moving away. Rory was only 11 years old when she had to stay goodbye to her first kiss, her first best friend and her first, everything.
“One thing I remember my mom telling me before everything went to hell was if one person thinks you’re special then that’s worth more than all the gold in the world.”
Fast forward and Rory has received a scholarship to Aldridge University. With an absent mum, and an older sister she hasn’t seen in four years, she is excited to make something of herself – for herself! Until she unexpectedly runs into Mascen, while she is exiting his best friends bedroom…
Mascen is an emotional new adult, trying to find himself. With a famous rockstar father, he has found it difficult to find people that are true friends to him. He also is more into sports than music, which causes rift between his father and himself. When he unexpectedly runs into Rory, he at first is shocked but then finds himself feeling mad that she is exiting his best friends bedroom. Rory has always been “his”. Not Cole’s. This then causes an emotional love triangle.
While Mascen tries to work out his feelings, Rory tries to date Cole. However even when on a date with Cole, Rory is only thinking of Mascen. This then brings Rory to reality and she realises what she needs to do. If only Mascen would come to his senses and stop being an immature boy!!!
“Being a decent human being means facing your fears, owning up to your wrong doings, and doing what’s right.”
I got very irritated with Mascen. I am not sure if the author was trying to do an enemies to lovers trope? However unfortunately, it wasn’t written very well. I found myself exhausted at Mascen for how the way he treated Rory. Then exhausted from Rory trying to hold back her feelings. And in-between of that, I felt so sorry for Cole. It was clear he was going to get his heart broken.
Unfortunately, there was something missing with the writing of this story. I think the slow burn annoyed me. I found the author concentrated on silly details like what the characters were eating, more so than the actual emotions the characters were feeling.
All in all, did I enjoy this story? Yes. Will I be continuing the series with Cole’s story? Yes.
But I didn’t love it. 3.5/5 Stars with 2/5 steam.
I saw the promo for Good Guys Don’t Win and I had to get my grabby hands on it. Then I read the first few pages and felt like I was missing out on something, so I checked on GoodReads and realised it was book two in the series. Since I had some time with our current Covid restrictions I decided to one click this on KU and read it first and I’m glad I did.
From the start I loved Aurora, AKA Rory. She was so strong and competent and after everything she had been through, I wanted everything to work out perfectly for her. And honestly despite the fact that I wanted Mascen to get a junk punch for most of this book the chemistry between them was electric.
Mascen really had no reason to be the jackhole that he was, which kind of frustrated me. Obviously, it added to the story but the fact his life had been awesome while Rory’s fell apart and he was the bitter one annoyed me. Then he would do something sweet or have a silent epiphany and I would be putty in his hands again.
And now I get to dive into Cole’s book which already has me so excited. Especially since he was so awesome in this book.
4.5 STARS
I’m pure trash for Micalea Smeltzer. After reading Sweet Dandelion, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on another one of her books. Since I preordered Nice Guys Don’t Win, which comes out this week, I figured I should probably read Bad Boys Break Hearts…
I really loved this one. We have Mascen, the cocky bad boy that gets everything he wants, and we have Rory, the girl that’s just doing her best to make it through life with the cards she’s been dealt. Honestly, this was a pretty typical enemies to lovers romance, but Micalea’s writing is what made it special. She has such a way with words, and I swear I’d let her write both my wedding vows and my funeral eulogy.
My only critique and what stopped me from giving BBBH five stars was that in the blurb, the first thing mentioned is that Mascen is a star baseball pitcher and there isn’t any baseball in this book. I really wanted some baseball games!
I finished this book a few days ago and I must admit even if there were some personality issues I didn’t like on the main characters, I really loved and enjoyed reading this story.
Rory has a tough past she never managed to overcome, which affected her personality. While she is pretty shy, timid and reserved on the one hand, she can also be sarcastic and bitchy. I really loved the part where she never let Mascen walk over her and always managed defend herself well from his ‘bully attacs’. On the other hand I really didn’t like she forgives so easily and without hesitation. I really loved her strong personality and her determination to survive, make something from her life and fircefully moving along all obstacles on her way.
Mascen on the other hand is a rich, famous, attractive, self-confident baseball star pitcher. He is really confident with a huge ego, can be a bit arrogant and he tries to overcome his own problems. I really didn’t see the point in his anger towards Rory, but this is his personality. I really loved how he could bi arrogant bastard at one point and a prefect prince at the other. I fell in love in the way he was a perfect match for Rory and how she colud manage him, his personality and his ego.
This book really took me to an emotional journey and to saj it short: I LOVED IT.
Rory and Mascen have to face their fears!
Aurora (Rory) Abbott thought that being accepted to Aldridge University on scholarship would give her the opportunity to become somebody after dealing with the aftermath of her father’s very public suicide. But Rory runs into her childhood best friend Mascen Wade at school but the best friend that she married at 8 years old is somebody she doesn’t want to know but the attraction between them isn’t something they can’t ignore. Mascen has to face his fears because he can’t let her go.
I love a good college based, enemies to lovers read! My first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the writing style!
“He can act like a bully all he wants, but he’ll never get me where he wants me.”
Bad Boys Break Hearts is a standalone, enemies to lovers college romance. It follows grumpy baseball player Mascen and hardworking, witty Aurora “Rory”. The two used to be friends when they were kids, but Rory’s life pulled her in a different direction. Now reunited at college, it’s not a welcomed surprise on either end. Mascen is not the boy she remembers and Rory has dealt with things he has no clue about during their time apart. The only thing they appear to be on the same page for is their fiery attraction to one another.
“Mascen Wade seems more like a ghost than a human.”
This book started off slow for me, but I ended up really loving it. Mascen’s relationships, including the one with himself, were especially interesting to me. It was more than a typical bad boy story. I loved how everything developed and the growth Mascen experienced in this book.
“If anyone was ever going to be my girl it had to be you, Princess.”
Mascen and Aurora had real chemistry. It was rocky watching the two push and pull each other and struggle with being vulnerable. There was something sweet about these two. I would love to see more about them in the future.
Check this book out if you like enemies-to-lovers, sports romance, college romance, and character growth.
This book is just WOW!!
This book is about Mascen and Rory. These characters are absolutely AMAZING. Rory is so strony and Mascen so stubborn and their interaction are full of angst, steamy words and everything what is the best.
I started reading this book because I read Sweet Dandelion ( which is one of my favourite books) and I must say I am not disappointed. I know I will read books of this author again.
I received an ARC for my honest review. Mascen and Rory’s story has so many believable layers. Every time I thought I had reached the end of my rope with Mascen, he would show a softer side of him. Every character has a story that needs to be told. Great storyline with twist and turns of its own, well developed characters.
I LOVED this book. At this point, I’m unsurprised at how good this book was – because great writing and storytelling has just become something that I expect out of Micalea Smeltzer. In this “enemies to lovers” type romance, Mascen and Aurora, who were friends 10 years ago, meet once again and don’t really get along to say the least. Over time they begin getting to know one another again and become friends. The romance was beautiful and I loved watching Mascen and Aurora’s love evolve.
This book was just what I have come to expect from Micalea Smeltzer. It was fun to read with the undeniable chemistry between the main characters. The banter was to die for. I read this book unbelievably fast and I hated that I devoured it so quickly. I love Rory and Mascen. This one is considered an enemy to lovers. They had to recover from a broken friendship and the angst kept my little heart so happy. Thank you, Ms. Smeltzer, you made my reading heart happy.
Mascen and Aurora have collided (literally) back into each other’s life after 10 years of an unresolved absence. There is nothing left of the childhood best friends.
Aurora “Rory” arrives on campus with her hard-fought freedom to have the best freshman year possible. Life has other plans. Mascen, the star pitcher on campus with a bad boy reputation, can’t help remind Rory that they aren’t friends at every opportunity.
This story can be best described as ‘best friends to enemies to lovers’.
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Micalea — I love you, but this one fell flat for me. It might just be me or coming off the high of your last book ‘Sweet Dandelion’, but I just wanted more from these characters.
I’m my opinion, Rory’s tragic background could have had a bigger reveal moment. Her reluctance to talk about it built some suspense that didn’t hit as hard as it could have.
Also, her relationship with her sister and her mother felt like it was bit unexplored. A conversation with Mascen about her family dynamic could have been a nice moment between them. Having more detail would have added to understanding her drive to succeed. Maybe… Hazel is getting her own story and that’s why these relationships felt unexplored. I don’t know.
Mascen is an asshole. He knows it and he sometimes enjoys it. I feel like we’ve read a few bad boy characters from Micalea that are similar in attitude but have different origins and reasons for their behavior. I would have like to see a bit more depth to his origin story as a bad boy. We see him as a sweet kid, but then what happened? We get bits and pieces to explain why he is the way he is, but I felt like there was never a revelation moment of “I have abandonment, trust, and self-worth issues as the middle child of a rockstar whose best friend disappeared”. His friend, Cole, does help to explain Mascen’s behavior in certain moments though.
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Overall, I enjoyed this story. If you are into college romances with an enemies to lovers trope. This is a read for you!
Amazing! I love hearing about the kids from original series, it makes the book even more enjoyable!
Bad Boys Break Hearts is a beautifully written new adult college romance that will have you nostalgic over your college days. This is a romance story all about second chances and repairing two broken hearts…two hearts that were always destined to be together, even if obstacles stood in their way. Your soul will be consumed by this love/hate relationship between Mascen Wade and Aurora “Rory” Abbott the entire time you devour every word of this fast paced romance.
Micalea Smeltzer ALWAYS manages to write the BEST romances that stick with me long after reaching the final page and let me just say that this (friends-to-)enemies-to-lovers romance was no exception. The chemistry was off the charts HOT and I absolutely adored the banter between Mascen and Rory. I just couldn’t stop swooning when it came to these two! The childhood besties deserved a happily ever after and the she definitely delivered on that.
This is one of those stories that you are going to read in one sitting because it’s impossible to put down. I LOVED every second of it and could not imagine their story any other way. It might have taken sometime for Mascen to remove his head from his a** because boys can be so clueless sometimes, but the moment he did…sparks were flying!
Whether this is your first Micalea Smeltzer book or not, you will recognize her attention to detail when it comes to her characters and their storyline and find yourself FALLING head over heels in LOVE with every moment of their journey!
**3.5 stars
I really struggled with this book, and I don’t know if it was just me, but I didn’t feel the connection between Mascen and Rory at all, nor did I understand his animosity towards her.
So Mascen and Rory were the best of friends when they were younger, but due to a tragic situation, Rory is forced to move without so much as a goodbye and these two don’t see each other until she walks out of Mascen’s roommates bedroom when they are in college. Right away the insults flow, and honestly, Mascen is a giant prick. As the story goes on and their relationship evolves, Rory opens up so us readers know why her mom had her and sister leave so suddenly, and being how Mascen was so close to her and their families literally lived next door to each other, Mascen knew why she left.. and because he was so emotionally inept he blamed her for leaving him when Rory was the one who lost everything? I just found thay to be incredibly selfish. He treated this poor girl like dirt for the first few months after they were reunited because of a situation that she had no control over? No.
The only character I really felt any emotion for was Mascen’s dad. Yes, they had a huge disconnect, but with the way Mascen treated him, I don’t really blame Maddox. He thought his own son didn’t want him around no matter how hard he tried, and that was truly heartbreaking to me. Plus his speech towards the end where he and Mascen repair their relationship really got to me too. (As you can tell, I just really love Maddox.)
Another thing that threw me for a loop was they we were told countless times how bad Rory’s mom was after they moved away, plus the disconnect with Rory and her older sister, but it’s never explained as to how it was so bad.
The ending also felt a bit rushed to me, and again, that’s because I never really felt the connection between them.
I truly adore Micalea and will always be such a huge fan of her, but this just wasn’t my favorite.
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.**