A full-length STANDALONE romantic comedy from USA TODAY bestselling author R.S. Grey.I was issued a warning: stay away from Ben Rosenberg.As Clifton Cove’s resident “king”, he thinks he’s entitled to anyone and anything.The trouble is, I’ve spent my whole life following the rules and playing it safe. I know what it feels like to be the good girl. I’m the police chief’s daughter and a librarian—… chief’s daughter and a librarian—for adorable children, no less. My wardrobe consists of colorful sundresses and baggy jeans. I might as well have a Post-it stuck to my forehead that reads: Yup, she’s a virgin.
An all-nighter with a fictional hunk is about as exciting as my life gets, until one day, fate decides to take pity on me and shove me straight into the path of Mr. Off-Limits himself.
Oof.
Just as I suspected, every inch of him promises to be my demise. Up close, he’s tall, menacing, dangerously handsome—the type of man who’s never spent a single moment worrying about the opinions of others. A well-behaved girl would do as she’s told and avoid him at all costs, but I’m overdue for a little rebellion.
No more Friday nights sprawled out on the couch in my comfiest pajamas. No more wishing I had the courage to misbehave.
Everyone thinks Ben is going to ruin me.
They think he’ll chew me up and spit me out.
Well, Ben…go ahead.
Tempt me. Taunt me.
Make me bad.
MAKE ME BAD is a full-length romantic comedy. For a limited time, I’ve also included an excerpt from my bestselling romantic comedy A PLACE IN THE SUN!
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Make Me Bad is the definition of a light-hearted low angst Romantic Comedy and even with a different vibe this time, truly R.S. Grey never disappoints. It is definitely a tad short and a quicker read than her previous works but this slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance with a family rivalry thrown in and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Madison, raised by a father who is a cop, is as straight as they come. A lover of books and the librarian at the children’s library, I was completely taken with this quirky woman.
Ben, raised in the wealthier part of the town and having led a privileged life, he is a rebel.
Grown up in different parts of the town and circles, a horrific chance encounter brings Ben and Madison into an unexpected friendship and the first task of this newfound friendship was for Ben to teach Madison, on her request, to unearth her rebellious nature and teach her how to be bad.
“So, does being your girlfriend come with any perks?
“What do you mean?”
“I mean like… you’re Ben Rosenberg—surely dating you comes with free admission to amusement parks, float privileges in the Fourth of July parade, etc.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
The whole journey of Madison learning to be “bad” and Ben helping her had me laughing, swooning and totally rooting for these two. From the beginning they this tension between them which slowly grew until the band snapped and helloooo Ben and Madison as lovers.
Ben and Madison are always up to some crazy antics and are full of fun and sharp humour. Add in the tension and the element of forbidden love because of one disapproving father and brother and a not so for Ben town, it is exactly what I wanted.
Make Me Bad is a witty, steamy, swoony and romantic read that I enjoyed through and through!
PS. Two of my favourite characters from Grey’s previous work make an appearance (nothing spoiler-ish) and it was a cherry on this cake that I didn’t know I needed!
4.5 Stars!
I love R. S. Grey’s books. I haven’t read one I haven’t liked, but I had a problem with this one. Yes, I’m the reviewer who says, it’s a light read…a comedy… Don’t take it too seriously–and I usually don’t, but when someone shoots a gun at someone else, it shouldn’t be glazed over.
That’s what happens. Madison is attached on a dark street while walking alone. The hero, Ben, comes to her rescue. When he walks her the rest of the way home, the remaining two blocks, her dad shouts at him to get away from his daughter. HELLO! He was just shot at trying to help her!! Why isn’t this recognized throughout the entire book!
There are several problems with this:
A. They were two blocks from her house. Her dad and brother are both home–and they’re cops! Why didn’t they hear the shots?
B. Ben SAVES her, and the brother or the dad never recognizes this fact.
C. Ben was shot at!! Shot AT!! Like, bullets buzzing past his head and they never acknowledge that. He ran into gunfire to help her, and the dad and brother never mention it. Instead, the dad insists he’s a bad guy and shouts at him to stay away from his daughter. HELLO!!
Take out the gunfire and this scene works. The gunfire made it too over the top to be believed.
Yes, I still loved this book, but I had a really hard time getting through the first couple of chapters because of this. Once I did, it was a great read.
Madison Hart is a children’s librarian who is suddenly held at gunpoint on her walk home from work on her 25th birthday (she had wished for more excitement when she blew out her candle). Her hero, Ben Rosenberg, chases off her attacker and comes to her aid just after being released from jail for starting a brawl in a bar on the wrong side of town.
After these two meet, sparks fly between them but neither acts on it until Ben is sentenced to community service where he unknowingly chooses the library which drops him right in Madison’s lap.
She recognizes with his newly minted rap sheet; Ben is just the right person to “make her bad”. As she proposes this arrangement, he is reluctant. To make sure he complies, she tells him he must agree, or he can do his community service elsewhere. As he considers, Madison is overtaken by the spicy smell of Ben, its intoxicating. In addition to beautiful features and his jaw that could cut granite, she self discloses she is still a virgin and would like to address that too. Ben is floored. What does that mean? Is she looking at him to help her with that, and if so, in what way exactly?
I have never read RS Grey before but Make Me Bad was fun and lighthearted. I LOVE R.S. Grey’s character development and the hysterical internal dialogue. It’s just the thing I needed as an escape from reality.
This rom-com was such a great listen!! It’s so funny but had more of a NA vibe than I was expecting.
I have needed some quick low angst reads and RS Grey always delivers. Ben was just the right person to bring out the bad in Madison. I loved her openness and I loved how from the start, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get her out of his head. It wasn’t my favorite of RS Grey, but I still read it in one day, which should say something.
Whenever I need a quick rom/com R.S. Grey never disappoints.
Still living with her Sheriff dad and brother, Madison wants to just be a little bad for a change and Ben is the one to help her. After a little scuffle at a bar, Ben has to do so some community service at the Library where Madison is the librarian. Oh man some serious chemistry between Madison and Ben, but can it be more than Ben teaching her to be bad? Well you must read for yourself.
I love whenever I am in a book funk, I can count on R.S. Grey to give me lots of laughs.
4.5 Stars! I’m such a huge RS Grey fan and was so excited for her latest book. It did not disappoint! I loved how quirky Madison was. I’ve always been more on the rule follower side as well, so I could completely relate to that as well. I loved Madison and Ben together. He was so sweet to her and their relationship had plenty of steam! There were multiple times I laughed out loud or had a big smile on my face, which is always a win. I also absolutely loved the epilogue, where Rachel surprises us with some familiar faces!
The only thing keeping me from saying this is a complete 5 star is because I just wish I got to know Ben a tad bit more. I learned a lot about him, but I feel like I know Madison so much better than Ben. And I wish Madison would have stood up to her family sooner. But overall, easily one of my new favorites of Rachel’s!
This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased, honest opinion.
RS Grey has done it again!!!!! This was such an adorable read!!! I loved all the characters, the small town, the romance, the humor, etc. I could go on and on!!
Madison Hart, 25 years old, works at her local library as head of the Children’s department. Madison was your typical bookworm. She loved reading and was excellent at her job. Madison lives in her childhood home with her chief of police father, Derrick. Her mother passed away when she was younger so Madison took on the motherly role in taking care of her father and sometimes her brother, Colten. The problem with taking on a motherly role at such a young age is she wasn’t able to really be a teenager/young adult. Her days were spent working then coming home to cook and care for her father. She wanted a change. Madison was tired of the rut she was in…..enter Ben Rosenberg.
Ben, 31, worked as a lawyer with his best friend Andy at their firm. Ben was sort of a celebrity within their town of Clifton Cove. His family was well off and their previous generations seemed to have jump started this town from what I could gather. Ben managed to get into some trouble and needed to complete some community service hours. He chose the library. That’s where our two main characters meet.
Madison has a proposition for Ben. Shake up her mundane life and to “make her bad”. That’s what the story revolves around and it did not disappoint. Madison is this quirky girl who says what’s on her mind. She doesn’t stop to think whether this would make her sound bad/cheesy and I loved that about her. These two had some great chemistry!! This was a slow burn romance but oh so worth the wait. You’ll be laughing and swooning before you know it!!
Overall, I love this author. I think she has a way of writing these amazing stories filled with humor, love, and steamy times. She creates the perfect balance. I highly recommend this story as well as her others.
4.5 Stars
In the aftermath of a truly pathetic 25th birthday, Madison Hart decides if she wants to find whatever it is that her life seems to be missing, then she needs to take some chances and live a little. And with her overly protective father and brother always standing by… she needs someone who knows a thing or two about being… bad.
Ben Rosenberg isn’t the same young punk who used to got away with everything in high school. Although his family has been placed on an impossible pedestal in his hometown of Clifton Cove, he has worked hard to earn his place in life since his misspent youth. Still, despite all of his growth, someone like Madison is still way too good for a man like him. That is, until she point blank asks him for his help with a little bit of ruin…
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Make Me Bad is another hilarious and unforgettable story from the one and only R.S. Grey!! Madison and Ben may be polar opposites, and while their attraction doesn’t make sense on paper, it certainly burns up page after page in this adorable book!
Madison has spent her entire life being sheltered by her father and older brother. Although she is understanding of their need to keep her safe, their attention has slowly turned her life into one stifled day after another. And when she garners the attention of the one and only Ben Rosenberg, they issue one very stern warning… stay far away from someone like him.
Ben is a nice guy with a last name that seems to rub people the wrong way. Although he tends to be unconcerned with what people think of him, there is something about Madison that has him caring very much how she sees him. While he is more than happy to help her with her desire to break a few rules, he also realizes that he needs to keep as much distance as humanely possible to avoid falling for someone as flawless as Madison.
This was seriously such a fun read! First of all, Madison was completely adorable. Her unfiltered views had me continuously laughing out loud, and she had the most unabashedly genuine personality, and she was completely comfortable with herself. The antics she invented for Ben to participate in during story time at her library are just about as innocently sexy as possible… and book boyfriend perfection for any romantic comedy lover.
Ben was pretty much as irresistible as they come. He seemed like a genuine good sport with his agreement to help Madison, but with maybe the smallest of ulterior motives in mind. He was always up for some fun, but also didn’t mess around when it came to Madison’s safety… and her heart.
This book was hilarious and sexy, and had only one small imperfection in it’s plot. I think the little bit of added drama ended with an unsatisfactory conflict resolution that I would have loved to play out differently. But, seriously… 4.5 Stars to Make Me Bad, because everything thing else in this book makes it an absolute must read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.
I loved this book so much!! There is something so magical and effortless about R.S. Grey’s writing that just sucks you into a story and keeps you up well past your self-imposed bed time. R.S. Grey creates female characters that are so relatable and Madison is no exception. And I fell hard for Ben too!! Ugh…this story!!! It’s just so romantic!! I loved it; absolutely loved it.
I enjoyed this one a lot! I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. This review is for an ARC, and reflects my honest opinion.
All of the characters were pretty great; I liked Madison, Ben, Andy, Eli, etc. There wasn’t really anyone I didn’t like. This book was definitely on the funnier side of a romantic comedy. I found myself chuckling out loud/on the verge of snorting with laughter several times while reading. Some of the funny parts were a little over the top/weird, but I still liked them.
The premise of this book isn’t something I’ve really read before, and it was nicely done. I wouldn’t say Madison or Ben were my favorite main characters of Rachel’s, but they were entertaining. I wanted Madison to stand up for herself sooner with her family, and I also wanted to get to know Ben on a deeper level. He was still kind of a mystery to me at the end, especially in regards to his past/family. I still enjoyed reading about these two though. One of my all-time favorite characters was Andy; he was a hoot!
In the beginning, Madison and Ben were practically strangers, but over time, they became friends…and then more. One thing that held me back from giving this 5 stars was the fact that we didn’t see their connection unfold like I was expecting. I thought we’d see a more natural progression of their relationship, see it all play out on the page, but there were quite a few time jumps instead.
Overall, this was an amazing read. The last couple chapters, and the epilogue, were so freaking cute. I called what was going on before it happened, and it made me smile. I preferred the last 1/3-1/2 of the book a little more than the rest, just because that’s where the romance was happening. If you like romance with some quirky, funny characters that’s a slower burn, check this one out.
3.5 stars! How adorable and fun was this story? I had a great time reading it. Major entertainment value for sure. It was a super entertaining, light and easy read that left me smiling!
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~~ 4.5 Badilicious Stars! ~~
MAKE ME BAD by R.S. Grey was just the sweetest, most charming rom-com I have read in ages! It’s my first book by this author and will not be my last!
Set in the quaint town of Clifton Cove, TX, I was hooked by this warm, whimsical opposites attract story featuring Madison Hart, a sweet, bubbly librarian who enlists the help of Ben Rosenberg, a tall, dark and roguishly handsome litigator into helping her “be bad” after their paths cross in the unlikeliest of ways!
Sparks fly immediately between this enamored duo and despite his scowly, broody demeanor and initial reservations about corrupting this straight-laced virgin, Ben ultimately can’t resist Madison’s tempting offer. Too bad her father and brother hate Ben—they think he’s a rich, entitled jerk and have warned him to stay away from Madison or suffer the consequences!
Like THAT’S gonna stop this determined duo? Think again! They just have to find clever ways to sneak around when wreaking havoc throughout town! Things are just supposed to be fun and games to bring Madison out of her safe good girl rut and to breathe renewed life into Ben’s melancholy world after his mother’s passing, but when love and passion ignites…they might be in WAY over their heads!!
Sigh!! I just relished every single moment of Ben and Madison’s delightful, slow burning romance! These polar opposites just had the most infectious, IRRESISTIBLY CHARMING chemistry, and their lol funny banter was just beyond endearing! Ben was such a sweet, gruffly charming hero— I loved how Madison could magically transform his handsome glowers into sinfully sexy smirks, and he just had this smoldering masculine aura about him that made me melt!
And the heroine TOTALLY stole my heart! Her funny, self-depreciating inner dialogues were a riot, she was so kind and compassionate, warm and LOVING, and I just adored her to pieces!
Ultimately, from start to finish, I got belly laughs, swoony butterflies and was just so smitten with this darling duo I could hardly contain my giddy glee! And the side characters were AMAZEBALLS too—I loved Ben’s bromance with his best bud Andy and adored Madison’s father and brother, Colten—those two fiercely overprotective, no-nonsense lawmen just had me grinning from ear to ear!
But honestly? I just fell in love with the WHOLE town of Clifton Cove and would love to see more installments set here.
And first on my wish list is a book featuring Colten!
BOTTOM LINE:
MAKE ME BAD sure made me RAPTUROUS with joy and being bad never felt so dang good! I cannot rave enough about this sweet, lighthearted confection—and the breathtaking HEA was the icing on the cake! I look forward to reading more from the mightily talented R.S. Grey!
Highly Recommend!
This was fun. Ben and Madison were great and I thought Ben’s friend Andy was hilarious. I was chuckling a lot at his parts. Another great story!
I’m still new to the R.S. Grey world, but every book by her that I read makes me fall more and more in love with her writing.
Make Me Bad is a slow burn, feel-good kinda book. The story is funny, sexy and light. You will have a smile on your face from start to finish, you will squeal and swoon and sigh. AND you will be fanning yourself with Ben and Maddison’s sexy times.
I normally don’t care so much about the heroine as I do the hero, but I could honestly feel exactly what Maddie was feeling when she was falling in love with Ben. I was too feeling the butterflies in my belly. He’s so dreamy! So, so dreamy!
The secondary characters are as captivating as the main ones. The story is amazing! Go get yourself a copy! You’ll love it!
Make Me Bad was exactly just what I needed to lift my spirits up after such emotion-heavy reads I’ve had recently. It was utterly cute and charming with a giggle-worthy kind of humor I couldn’t quite get enough of and the type of wittiness that not a lot of authors can pull off so naturally and effortlessly. Straight up, this is the kind of romantic comedy that will not only make you laugh out loud while wanting to drop your panties for the hero in the next breath, but it’s one that’ll undoubtedly leave you with heaps of good vibes for days and a long-lasting smile plastered on your face.
“So, does being your girlfriend come with any perks?”
“What do you mean? Outside of the bedroom?”
“No, I mean, like…you’re Ben Rosenberg—surely dating you comes with free admission to amusement parks, float privileges in the Fourth of July parade, etc.”
I loved everything about Madison Hart and her quirky personality so damn much. She was just incredibly sweet and relatable to boot—a girl with witty humor and a huge golden heart who adored her books above all else. And Ben Rosenberg? He took swoon-worthy to a whole other level! Hands. Down. He had my heart thumping wildly and had butterflies fluttering all over my belly the whole time. This tale may be a slow burn, but these two will absolutely have you hanging onto every single word. You’ll chuckle and giggle at their antics, blush and flush at the sexual tension brewing and flaming up between them, and melt on the spot with the kind of fun and unforgettable adventures they have together.
“I really want you to kiss me right now. Is that crazy? Because you could kiss me and I wouldn’t turn away. It would be another life experience I could cross off my list. Kiss Ben Rosenberg in the ocean: check.”
“Madison?”
“Yeah?”
“Be quiet so I can kiss you.”
Make Me Bad’s plot may probably come across simple or even common to many—where a shy, innocent librarian who also happens to be the police chief’s daughter seeks help from the town’s popular and unattainable king to teach her how to be bad—but it was completely so much more than that. I didn’t want Ben and Madison’s story to end at all… I wanted more. I wanted it to go on forever! Hell, I even wanted more of the secondary characters—especially Eli and Andy! Seriously, I need to go on a massive binge-read and catch up on all things R.S. Grey soon. She just made me crave all of her words after devouring this one!
Another knockout book from R.S. Grey! She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
This story is about a sheltered 25 year old who has never left her dad’s house and never really lived her life. She is held at gunpoint in the very beginning and is saved by the town “bad boy” (though the man isn’t bad at all and hasn’t done anything “bad” since he was a teenager). It just so happens that his family owns half the town and her family is all cops and they hate each other. No biggie.
She “blackmails” him into helping her become “bad.” I put all this in quotes because none of it is really bad at all! A couple of the things they do are a little naughty and scandalous but they never break the law and Ben is really a very good man and he cares about Madison from the very beginning.
She really enlists him to help her learn how to live her life. He definitely encourages her to do some mischievous things before she comes to her own conclusion that SHE is master of her own life and SHE has to make things happen if she wants change. It was great!
Like I said, Ben is wonderful, I loved him so much. Madison was super likeable and I loved her innocence. It wasn’t too over the top. I don’t usually enjoy virgin romance heroines anymore(unless it’s a historical novel), but that totally fit with the storyline and the first time they did it….DANG it was good! The scene is detailed but not super long. There’s also a make out scene, an oral sex scene and another sex scene where they get everything where it’s supposed to be but they get interrupted before finishing.
There’s barely any language, though a few f bombs used here and there.
I really love this author’s writing style but she’s definitely not a suspense writer. The whole aspect of the hold up and not finding the perpetrator til the end was exciting in the beginning but it was wrapped up too quickly and there was literally no excitement when all was discovered in the end. Maybe Ms. Grey was trying to keep it light, but a little more excitement would have been cool. But the lack of excitement certainly didn’t detract from the story for me either. I still loved it.
Having the nod to her book A Place In The Sun and revisiting those characters for a quick cameo was so fun! The two books have nothing to do with each other but my experience reading Make Me Bad was definitely enhanced by already having read A Place In The Sun!
I’m eagerly awaiting R.S. Grey’s next book!
First this books needs way more than 5 stars!. Ms. Grey has outdone herself again with Ben and Maddie, they are one of the most fun couples she’s created. You just can’t go wrong with an RS Grey book and Make Me Bad is a testimony to that yet again.
In this book we are in a small coastal Texas town. We have the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots” and the division is apparent when we meet Ben and Maddie. Maddy is the sheltered daughter of the police chief and her brother is also a police officer in town. We meet her on her 25th birthday. She the children’s librarian and she still lives at home. Her birthday wish….to make a change. Enter Ben. He comes from one of the “haves “ families in town. He finds himself in a bit of trouble with the law and is assigned to do community service. Here’s where the fun begins…he’s doing his time with the children’s librarian. Maddie has lots of plans for Ben.
This book is funny, charming, heartfelt and has a touch of steam. It’s basically all the perfect things you would want in a rom com all rolled into one great book.
Now if your a lover of all things RS Grey your in for a treat. We get to catch up with some old friends!!
I never thought I’d say this but I’m pretty sure I finally found a book that beats Arrogant Devil, RS GREY you did it, Make Me Bad was amazing! I’m not sure who I loved more Ben or Madison! The first 5 % I was like woahhh this is deep, where is the humor I need it lol. You can literally feel the love between Ben & Madison, from the first time they meet to the last page! Make me Bad is the perfect slow burn romcom, it has everything you need in a romance book!
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was OH SO GOOD! R.S. Grey absolutely NAILS the rom-com game EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I haven’t read a book I didn’t absolutely devour in one sitting. I haven’t met a character that I didn’t immediately fall head over heels in love with. Everything this woman writes is PURE ROM-COM GOLD! Her heroines are so relatable, quirky, and beautiful…inside and out. Her heroes are gorgeous, sometimes broody, and definitely ALWAYS scrumptious. You guys are gonna go CRAZY over Madison and Ben! If you enjoy romantic comedies that give you butterflies with every turn of the page…if you fancy your romances with tons of heart and a outpouring of comedic and witty charm, then you’ve come to the right place…your future happy place. Enjoy!
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2EOHhC3