A Bad in Baltimore Story Bad in Baltimore: Book FourCan a future be built from pieces of a broken past? Jordan Barnett is dead, killed as much by the rejection of his first love at his moment of greatest need as by his ultraconservative parents’ effort to deprogram the gay away. In his place is Silver, a streetwise survivor who’s spent the last three years becoming untouchable… except to those … those willing to pay for the privilege. He’s determined not to let betrayal find him again, and that means never forging bonds that can be broken. No matter how hard he tried, Zebadiah Harris couldn’t outrun his guilt over abandoning his young lover—not even by leaving the country. Now, almost the moment he sets foot back in Baltimore, he discovers Silver on a street corner in a bad part of town. His effort to make amends lands them both in jail, where Silver plans a seductive form of vengeance. But using a heart as a stepping-stone is no way to move past the one man he can’t forgive, let alone forget….
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I listened to the Audible version. I love the narration and even though there is a whole host of characters I never felt lost in the narration. This story has some very dramatic moments. Silver is a strong survivor but you can feel the wall he has built around himself. Zeb really seems to put his foot in from the moment they meet again. He seems to be his own worse enemy at times. I really wondered how these two would ever manage to get past their hang ups and baggage. This story shows that the struggle can sometimes be very real and heartbreaking. It also shows that while everything can sometimes turn out okay the past will still leave a lasting mark.
Bad Influence is the fourth book in the Bad in Baltimore series by author K.A. Mitchell. This is a gritty, fast-paced love story that I really loved reading.
Silver is a complex character. He has many levels and has been through a lot. He has been betrayed by his lover, he has survived parents that do not understand him nor want too. He has survived the streets and come back from all that fighting. He is a strong character who has put in the work to have the life he has now.
Zebadiah knows he has made many mistakes. His biggest was letting Silver go. Now he wants to make amends. He is a fish out of water in Silver’s world. And without Silver’s trust, he is not sure he can get back the love he threw away so long ago. He is not the boy Zeb once knew.
I loved this story. It is a tale of growing up, survival, and learning who you are along the way. Lots of angst and love to keep me turning the pages. Well done. I have not read the previous books in this series and I was not lost at all. I would though like to go back and see what I have missed. Cannot wait for more.
Five Shooting Stars
This book was different than the previous books in this series in that we only get Silver’s POV rather than Zeb’s too. I usually want dual POVs but only getting Silver’s POV worked perfectly for this book. There was a lot to unpack with Silver as a character. He had been through a lot from the time he was a teenager to when we see him in this book and I think it was important to learn all of those things through his eyes. Zeb was an easy character to pull for because he as so calm and kind. He was patient in his quest to be in Silver’s life and I think that is really what helped to start breaking down the walls that Silver had put up.
I like how much these books are intertwined with each other. In this book, we obviously see a lot of Eli and Quinn and I think that is another important piece to Silver letting people in. Eli is a force all by himself and he sort of makes Silver act like a friend and be a friend.
This is a pretty slow-burn story with Silver and Zeb really not completely connecting until later on in the book. However, it really works for this story and for the MCs and their history together. It was true to their characters and their situation!
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review*
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Kris –
Fourth book in the Bad in Baltimore series, which I’m really enjoying, and the one I was really looking forward to! This is Silver’s book. He’s been a bit of a side character, a lost boy, an enigma. He’s been into porn and for hire as a homeless runaway, and we know of him only previously as one of Eli’s friends who skates on the peripheral of the main group.
I’ve been intrigued by his character so was very happy to get his story. This book was really good, and I really felt for Silver and his backstory. He overcame so much and crawled his way out of a bad situation to a real job and a place to live and then gets busted on a technicality of a fraudulent license. Silver finds he has real friends, people who really care what happens, and he starts to believe he’s worth something! It was a great “coming to realize that not everyone is out to hurt you” story. All spurred on by the love of his young life popping back up as a friend of a friend.
Zeb is the one who turned his back on Silver in his greatest time of need. Silver was Zeb’s first boyfriend, and Zeb still regrets how things went down and with Silver running away. He sees a second chance to prove himself to Silver. I even found I liked Zeb, who had his own reasons for what he felt he had to do when Silver needed him most. The two have a slow burn that leads up to some fevered trysts in bathrooms and garages that burn up the pages.
My only complaint on this book is the overuse of descriptors and purple prose. I understand the scene setting but felt it a bit too much to weed through at times. The story kept me riveted even while I skimmed through the mundane details. The next book is Beauchamp’s and that should be interesting!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bad Influence (Bad in Baltimore #4) by K.A. Mitchell to read and review.