Do people say they hate someone’s guts so that they can still fall stupidly, head-over-heels in love with the other parts?
Asking for a friend.
Okay, fine. I’m not asking for a friend.
I’m asking for me—and I’m begging you to tell me that the practice of falling in love with your should-be-enemy is common.
Please tell me that I’m not the only person to track down a guy—who used to be … guy—who used to be Hollywood’s baddest bad boy before he left LA for good—at his off-the-grid cabin in Alaska, show up unannounced, and find him gloriously naked.
This probably happens all the time…right?
Tell me I’m not alone in my stupidity—that I’m not the only woman who would fall for gorgeous blue eyes and a sexy devilish smirk, even if they belong to a broody, mysterious jerk.
Please. Please. Please. Tell me I’m not alone in this.
For the love of everything, I need all the supportive girl power I can get if I’m going to convince Luca Weaver to come back to Hollywood—otherwise known as the place he hates so much that he ghosted Oscar-level success and escaped to no-man’s-land for the last eight years just to avoid it.
Yeah, don’t worry—that smoke you’re smelling isn’t your house catching fire as you read this…it’s just my career and what was previously known as my heart going up in flames.
Gah. Is it just me, or am I totally, completely, and utterly screwed?
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I absolutely loved everything about Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy by Max Monroe. It was fun, charming , emotional and everything I love about reading a book. Billie has a dream and she is determined to reach it. She wants to work on movies. She is good at her job and she knows this. So why, oh why did she tell her boss she knew Luca Weaver and that she could get him to consider the new movie they are working on? Yes, that Luca Weaver. The one who left Hollywood years ago and has not been seen or heard from again. That Luca Weaver.
The characters were wonderful and charming. Billie was sweet and so freaking adorable and likable. She was also determined and stubborn. Luca Weaver was disillusioned, grumpy and just as stubborn, but there was so much more underneath all that. And the way they meet will have you laughing and delighted. Right from the start, I loved their push and pull, witty banter and quirky start. And the last twenty-five percent just had me falling for Luca so much.
Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy by Max Monroe was one of my favorite reads this year so far. It was fun, charming and gave me all the best feels. I laughed, I cried and I swooned. A must-read for sure!
Loved it! Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Every time I see that Max Monroe has a new release, I do a little happy dance. No one does rom-com with heart like this duo and Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy was no exception. The opening alone had my eyes bulging and me looking around to make sure nobody saw me laughing aloud while reading in public.
I adored Billie. Her tenacity. Her kindness. How she went for what she wanted. How she didn’t back down from a challenge. Especially when that challenge was a trip to the middle of nowhere to face down a broody, alpha with no plans of ever going back to the life he left behind.
Oh that Luca. What a mess he was. Stuck in his anger and resentment. But with a hidden heart of gold. It shone in the moments when his protective instincts came out. In his friendship with Lou. With how he took care of Billie even when she pushed all of his buttons. How he couldn’t stop looking at her, wanting her…
But with two people as strong willed as these two are, it was only a matter of time before things spun out of control. Words were thrown around, tempers flared, feelings were hurt. Nobody was happy. I have to say my favorite thing was how Luca made up for his mistake. How he proved to Billie, not just through his words, but through his actions how much she meant to him. Have the tissues ready because that one gesture had my eyes leaking the happy tears.
With more than one fun backdrop, leading characters who couldn’t be more different if they tried, and the sweetest dog ever, Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy was a laugh out loud page turner. And that ending, lets just say Billie and Luca’s love story was made for the movies.
This was my first Max Monroe read and it was a total blast! Billie and Luca has chemistry off the charts and their story is totally dazzling! Billie is a production assistant grinding away to prove herself and in doing so, she sets herself up for the Herculean tasks of convincing Luca to return to Hollywood.
Luca walked away from Hollywood 8 years ago – he walked away from the fame, money, and shallow vipers that plagued him. Being a star cost him everything and he wanted nothing more than to leave it behind and never come back. He’s lived in near-total isolation ever since in the Alaskan wilderness – getting to him basically requires a bachelors in survival training. So when a determined, gritty PA shows up on his doorstep, he’s equal parts impressed and annoyed.
Billie is made of strong stuff – she’s isn’t afraid of pushing Luca and calling him on his nonsense. She is determined but not without a heart – she wants to prove herself in her job but not at the expense of other people. She isn’t just another industry user trying to play Luca. While Luca can be a total jerk, he is also aware of his wrong doings and makes no bones about setting them right.
Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy is a romcom to lose yourself in!
Max Monroe’s books are so much fun to ready, and Taming Hollywood’s Badest Boy fits into this category. We get the meet the illustrious Luca Weaver, once a huge Hollywood star, and Billie Harris, she wants to be a big time Hollywood producer. Like every other Max Monroe book, you have so much fun getting to know their characters, this story has awesome funny time, very hot sexy scenes, a broody Hero and and feisty Heroine. I didn’t think anyone could top Thatcher for me, but Luca is now at top spot. Will Billie convince Luca to return to LA?
Luca and Billie’s story was a great – fast and addicting read.
Billie’s verbal diarrhea gets her in a pickle. She “promises” Luca – Hollywood’s Badboy to star in an upcoming blockbuster. Only there are a few problems…Luca left Hollywood years ago, no one really knows where he went, and yeah – Billie doesn’t know him – so the odds of finding him and bringing him back to Hollywood are against her.
Thankfully, Billie is a badass and has set her mind to getting exactly that – Luca back to Hollywood which will catapult her career. Billie is faced with an Alaska, off-grid adventure to do this.
From the moment they lay eyes on each other (hers on a specific, large appendage on Luca) – the “fun” begins. Luca wants absolutely NOTHING to do with going back to Hollywood or Billie. Due to Billie’s insistence, she embarks on a hike with Luca and that’s when the fun begins.
Luca is so headstrong but he finds himself with a weakness or Billie and Billie is so determined that she presses on, and on, and on.
The laughs are abundant in this slow burn. enemies to lovers romance, something that Max Monroe has done so many times before. Their ability to continue to entertain with laughs and love is unparalleled! They continue to be my go-to for Rom-Com!
OH MY GOD (janice voice) THIS BOOK might be the funniest book I’ve ever read!! I LOVE LUCA and BILLIE. Max Monroe outdid themself, I always love their books, and I always get a new book boyfriend, but even Thatch isn’t my number one anymore and I’m not even sorry DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND READ THIS BOOK!!!!
Billie has big dreams. Dreams of being a big time Hollywood producer like her boss. So she will nail this new job – get gone off the grid former Hollywood bad boy, Luca, to come back from where he’s been secluding himself, and star in her boss’ movie. Um yeah…
Except she never planned on grumpster Luca to be um without clothing when she first saw him, and she didn’t count on the attraction that would flare up between them.
Nor did she count on what would happen if she actually completed her job…
These authors can always be counted on to bring the fun, and the heat, and this time they brought something extra – lots of heart. Luca is a like a big onion with lots of layers. He causes a few tears, and he is a bit hard to take at first. But it’s what lies underneath the layers that really makes this such a great story. I absolutely loved Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy and Luca and Billie together. He’s a grumpy mcgrumpster with a big heart and she’s awesome – sweet, funny and sassy. Classic MM!
4.5 stars!
This book is so much fun. It’s about Luca, a former bad boy actor who left the business, and Billie, an aspiring movie producer who is determined to bring him back to Hollywood. It’s a fantastic mix of fun and feels, and another Max Monroe hit!
Billie finds herself fighting for her dream job she offers to get in touch with Luca in an attempt to have an advantage over the competition. The only problem is that she actually doesn’t know him. Now, if she wants a chance at the job, she must track down the infamous actor and convince him to read the script. With only one lead, she is off to Alaska to find Luca and has a wild adventure along the way.
Gah, this book is so great!! Luca is a brooding former Hollywood bad boy who is super pissed when Billie shows up unannounced. He gets even angrier when he finds out she wants him to read the script. He escaped Hollywood for a specific reason and he is not going back! Or is?
Luca and Billie are awesome together. When Billie joins him on his hiking trip, it starts off as a disaster but it is so funny. The banter is fantastic and their interactions are hilarious.
“I didn’t ask for a boner wake-up call!”
He smirks. “You think that has anything to do with you? Morning wood is a normal part of male physiology. It’s pretty much always going to come with the territory if you want to use my body as your heat source for the night.”
Billie won’t give up and Luca can’t get away from her. They are both stubborn and it doesn’t seem like either will budge on their position. Things get more challenging as they get further into the trip, and we see a new side of Luca that is so different than the angry, closed off one he shows Billie. We actually get a super sweet side when he lets his guard down. We see his charming personality come out when Billie starts to grow on him. And Billie is a great trooper when it comes to Luca. I loved her determination and how she pushed through the awkward and difficult moments.
Finally, we see a sort of friendship form as they get to know each other and I loved watching them together. The tension is palpable and when the spark between them is lit, they are hot, heavy, and oh, so good. But then Billie needs to go back to Hollywood. It’s really sad when things come to an end and my heart broke right along with Billie and Luca’s.
The first part of the book is Billie trying to get Luca to do the movie and we get the entertaining enemies-to-lovers trope. The second part is Luca trying to get Billie back, and we get a sweet, swoony second chance romance. The groveling is great and I loved watching Luca win Billie back.
“I feel like I’ve been climbing a fucking mountain these past several weeks, trying to get her to forgive me, trying to make her understand, just trying to be what she deserves.”
Overall, Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy is an entertaining enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance that will fill you with love and put a permanent smile on your face. It is so much fun and I loved it!
“For me, life really has always been a song. But now, it finally seems like someone else can hear the music.”
*ARC generously provided by the author and Social Butterfly PR*
It was a good story with likeable characters, funny at times and I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope.
4.5
I loved this book! Everything you expected from a Max Monroe book! There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, great banter, swoon moments, and then some sad moment to give a well rounded story. Luca and Billie’s story is a slow-burn enemies to lovers story. Luca isn’t your typical hero and that’s what make me really enjoy him. He is grumpy and could careless about anything outside of his secluded lifestyle. Then you have Billie who is a sassy firecracker. She is stubborn and when she sets a goal she is determined to see it through. I loved the banter between the two. This story was great. The progression was perfect. Once I started this book I didn’t want to put it down! This another must read by Max Monroe!!!
I read an advanced copy for an honest review.
When Billie and Luca meet, it’s HATE at first sight! Sure they think the other is physically attractive, but’s that’s all they have going for them. Both of them are stubborn and neither one of them is willing to give an inch!
Billie is desperate to get Luca back to Hollywood. She kind of told a whopper to her boss and now she needs him to read the script she brought up with her.
Luca wants nothing to do with Hollywood, it almost killed him! Alaska is the place where he has found his center and cleaned up his mind and his body.
When he needs to go a a trek, to deliver supplies to a friend, Billie insists on going along (even though she is not prepared at all). For crazy reason Luca agrees, thinking she’ll change her mind and hop back to where she came from at the first opportunity.
Billie shows Luca more grit, than he imagined. The two of them start to let down their walls and then the chemistry between these two explodes!
The story then becomes a rollercoaster ride of feelings. You will laugh yourself silly, you will want to punch the main character and you may even cry. There is a lovely “Easter Egg” from a previous book, so pay attention. All in all a satisfying read.
4.5 stars
I loved this book! The magical duo of Max Monroe have done it again. These ladies gave us all the laughs, swoons, banter and Alaskan adventures. This was such a fun read, I devoured it in one sitting.
Billie Harris and Luca Weaver are everything. I couldn’t get enough of their chemistry. Even when they’re bickering, or I should say especially when they were bickering, it was electric. These two could not be any more different. Billie is my favorite kind of heroine. She’s sassy, adorable, stubborn yet determined. Oh my gosh! I absolutely adore her. Billie works as a production assistant for a big time producer. Recklessly, she promised to bring former Hollywood bad boy, Luca Weaver, on board to star in their movie. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t know Luca and he left the Hollywood scene years prior for a more peaceful and reclusive life in Alaska. Her determination to her job leads her to do things she never imagined doing.
I really liked Luca right from the beginning. Yes, he was a gruff, broody mountain man to start but he really softened up as the story went on. His past and what eventually led him to leave Hollywood was brought up. However still knowing what he did, I couldn’t really see him as a bad boy.
Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy felt so different from other Max Monroe books because it felt like two stories weaved into one. We got the enemies to lovers yumminess in Alaska in the first half and the second chance grovel in the second. – I love a good grovel. And let me tell you, Luca Weaver brought his A game. – Both halves together made for a romcom perfection.
If you need a laugh out loud, sweet and swoony romcom, you definitely can’t go wrong with Max Monroe’s Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy. You won’t want to put it down.
I love a good Hollywood romance but I think now my faves are Hollywood Rom-Com’s. I love these ladies’ writing style. I get to feel all the feels but still have such a good laugh. I have yet to read a Max Monroe book without laughing out loud at least 2 or 3 times. This is why whenever the chance for me to read an early copy of anything by Max Monroe comes up I sign up without even know what I am about to read. Luca and Billie will take you on a fun and romantic adventure. This is an absolute must read!
Non-stop laughs!
Max Monroe deliver yet another hit with Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy! It is an endearing and love story with hilarious, touching, sexy, and unexpected moments. You get a grumpy, yet swoony, ex-Hollywood bad boy mixed with a sassy, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer heroine. The plot is entertaining and well-written. The opening scene is everything. It is beyond funny and unexpected. The story hooked me and kept me entertained throughout the entire story. The characters are relatable and I loved them! I am so glad that I had the chance to read an advanced copy, and highly recommend reading this book!
****ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.****
In true Max Monroe fashion, this book started out completely wild and stayed that way until the very end.
Billie is super sassy and I want to be BFFs with her. She’s completely fierce, insanely funny, and really down to earth even though she’s trying to make a career in Hollywood. Luca is total grump and I loved how he was so stubborn up until he wasn’t. Once Luca got it together, he was all the swoon. Like I’m going to faint, swoon.
This duo is a huge favorite of mine and I’m so excited for more Hollywood!! I need all the words ASAP!!!
In-freaking-credible!!! My ladies did it again. No one writes hilariously crazy characters like Max and Monroe. I laughed so much. Let’s just say I’m glad that I wear panty liners. Listen to me when I say BUY THIS BOOK. Your going to love it. There has never been a Max Monroe book that I didn’t love. Until next time y’all happy reading.
I loved this latest book by writing duo MaxMonroe! The characters were likable with great character growth, the storyline flowed without pause and the book was as expedited entertaining page turning!
Overall Grade:
So now that we know the coronavirus is a thing, we’re finding ourselves worried, stressed, and feeling isolated. During times such as these when the NBA has canceled the rest of their season, schools are closing, stores are understocked with apocalypse-type goods, and the news brings us more numbers, books can be our saving grace, a respite from our worries. Yes, Netflix and Hulu still exist, but they too bring us the dark side of human nature. What we need is some funny in our lives. And Max Monroe are the purveyors of the funny. Their books bring us the laughs, the tears, and the happily-ever-afters. Their newest book, Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy, is no different. Unlike their billionaire men, this book finds us seated in the glitz, plastic world of Hollywood, and it’s everything we love about it plus a whole lot of great romance too.
The story follows Billie, a hard-working production assistant who just wants to be her boss’s right hand “woman” permanently. Billie lives life with songs in her head and a running movie script of a mind. She also has a tendency to misspeak, which creates a conundrum for her. How does she get Hollywood’s former Baddest Boy into her boss’s new movie after lying about knowing him? Well, she tracks him down to Alaska and engages in the adventure of her life.
Luca has left Hollywood behind. His past brings only bad memories, and he has no interest in returning to it. However, when a winsome, beautiful, persistent, stubborn production assistant comes calling, her guile begins to break down his fortified walls. As these two adventure through the Alaskan wilderness, they begin to catch feelings for each other and their chemistry grows fiery. Yet, will Billie persuade Luca to return to Hollywood to do the movie, or will Luca shut her down, causing her to lose her career and her connection to him?
In true Max Monroe form, this book has it all.
The romance between Billie and Luca is the best part of this book. This is enemies-to-lovers done well. Luca “hates” Billie at first glance. Their meet-cute is hilarious, and it’s clear from the beginning that Luca is a grumpleton who needs some redeeming. I love this type of conversion. There is nothing more funny and interesting than a shut-down, grump of a hero who becomes woo-d by the sunshiny, optimism of the heroine, in this case, Billie. He loves to hate her and hates to love her. Watching him struggle between his ardor and disdain for her is the main sail of this book. You can’t help but fall for Billie: she’s quirky, funny, awkward, a girl who is both parts city and country, and stubborn. All of these qualities conspire to win over Luca. When these two fall, it feels important. While they tussle with feelings and the tension of their enemies-to-lovers transition feels big, it really is the meat of this story. It’s what kept me gobbling Max Monroe’s romance.
This book, in true Max Monroe form, is funny. From the absurdity of Hollywood to the stark life in Alaska, there are so many moments where you find yourself chuckling. This is what Max Monroe does well, and Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy is a respite from the heaviness of our world.
The prospect of future books in this world is high. There is nothing more exciting than a new Max Monroe world. There are several ancillary characters in this story that read like burgeoning stories. From Billie’s sister, Birdie, to Luca’s sister, Rocky, there is more to be found here, which is a promise of more laughs in our future. As they do so well, you get a sense that Max Monroe are once again world-building. And that, my friends, is exciting stuff.
Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy came at just the right time. I had come off of a couple months of angsty, heavy romances. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE those romance stories. However, Max Monroe can be counted on to offer up a story that engages you, titillates you, and entertains you. Taming Hollywood’s Baddest Boy will make you laugh, and cry, and feel all the happy feelings at the end. They don’t make you work so hard for it too. In a world that seems overwhelming right now, Max Monroe are saving us a little bit from ourselves. Billie and Luca are the couple you need right. this. moment.
I am really enjoying the books by these authors. Not only they are so funny but there’s something underneath the story that you can’t help but fall in love with the characters they write about!
Billie has been doing her best to make something out of her career and learn from the best. To try and get a foot in the door, she says something that she may not be able to deliver. When she gets on a flight to Alaska, she is determined to make Hollywood’s forgotten golden boy Luca see that he’s the right man for the part for an up and coming movie. But right from the start everything seems to be going wrong and Luca wants nothing to do with Hollywood again, not after all these years of having Alaska’s solitude. But there’s just something about Billie that he can’t seem to resist and there’s a spark in her that ignites something in him that seems to have been lost for a long time. Even though they got off on the wrong foot, each day they spend together brings them closer together and seems to shift their relationship into more… But will Billie be able to convince Luca to come back to LA with her and give the movie a chance?…
4.5 “don’t get the meatloaf” stars
I really enjoyed this read, not too angsty, not too silly, just the right amount of feel good to have me smiling and humming and rooting for the MC’s the whole way through.
Billie’s trying to make it in Hollywood. She has dreams of becoming a producer and nabbing the assistant job to “it” producer Serena Koontz could get her one step closer to that dream. Her only obstacle is brown nosing, coffee grabbing, overly attentive Charles, who’s also in the running for the position. Maybe it’s stress, maybe a full moon, who knows, but when Billie promises to deliver Hollywood’s former bad boy, Luca Weaver, as the male lead for Serena’s next big movie there’s one big problem. Billie doesn’t know Luca and Luca has been AWOL from Hollywood for 8 years, like poof, no one knows where he went! Enter a comical trip to the Alaskan wilderness for Billie to try and convince Luca Weaver not only does he want to return to Hollywood, but he wants this role.
I loved Billie’s drive and her “won’t take no for an answer” determination. She was a strong character that I could relate to. Luca may have been a bad boy once, but now he’s a grumpy, bearded, not quite a hermit, but pretty jaded about Hollywood lumberjackesque stud who does not take kindly to Billie tracking him down. Of course they get off on the wrong foot with each other and a slight enemies to lovers plot line takes hold. I liked Luca a lot. I liked that he held his ground and was willing to give Billie a hard time for her antics.
I admit I liked the first half of the story a little more than the second, but only because I thought the second half was rushed just a bit. I would recommend this for those wanting a low angst HEA read!