Return Of The Bad Girl
Rock Canyon Romance #4
By: Codi Gary
Published: December 30, 2014
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Source: eARC in exchange for an honest review
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GR's Summary:
Bad girls don't forgive.
Bad girls don't forget.
Bad girls don't fall in love.
Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked—to a dangerously hot bad boy—Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force. He may be sexy as sin, but she's not afraid of him … or his panty-melting smile.
Rock Canyon's got room for only one bad attitude—and Gabe Moriarty was here first. Still, starting over means playing it smart, so while sharing his new apartment is less than ideal, it's worth getting his dream business off the ground. Not to mention that it means shacking up with a sexy wild child. Caroline may be giving him the cold shoulder, but Gabe always was good at starting fires …
Caroline vows to keep things professional with Gabe, but as close quarters begin to ignite the sizzling chemistry between them, she's left wondering: Bad boy plus bad girl equals nothing but trouble … right?
Rock Canyon Romance #4
By: Codi Gary
Published: December 30, 2014
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Source: eARC in exchange for an honest review
Add to Goodreads
GR's Summary:
Bad girls don't forgive.
Bad girls don't forget.
Bad girls don't fall in love.
Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked—to a dangerously hot bad boy—Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force. He may be sexy as sin, but she's not afraid of him … or his panty-melting smile.
Rock Canyon's got room for only one bad attitude—and Gabe Moriarty was here first. Still, starting over means playing it smart, so while sharing his new apartment is less than ideal, it's worth getting his dream business off the ground. Not to mention that it means shacking up with a sexy wild child. Caroline may be giving him the cold shoulder, but Gabe always was good at starting fires …
Caroline vows to keep things professional with Gabe, but as close quarters begin to ignite the sizzling chemistry between them, she's left wondering: Bad boy plus bad girl equals nothing but trouble … right?
My Thoughts:
I have been interested in trying out the Rock Canyon Romance Series for a while. I love all of the book covers so much in this series, and think the titles are fun and attention catching. Return Of The Bad Girl is the first book that I have read by Codi Gary. It was a really sweet small town romance that reminded me a lot of Jill Shalvis' writing style.
In Return Of The Bad Girl, we get Caroline and Gabe's story. Caroline is returning to her estranged home in Rock Canyon, Idaho when she is notified that her father recently suffered a heart attack. She hasn't seen her father or her younger sister's, Val and Ellie in over ten years. When she returns to her hometown, we learn that Caroline has quite the colorful past, and has burned bridges along the way. However, she is in Rock Canyon to make amends, reunite with her family, and build a consulting business. Things don't go so well, when she learns that the apartment she had lined up to live in was double booked.
Gabe is excited for his new beginning, and has found the perfect place to open his new bike restoration shop. It is only two hours away from his younger sister, Honey, has a beautiful view, and is the place where is best friend from high school resides. However, things don't go smoothly when he learns that his apartment has become double booked. Therefore, he thinks up the perfect compromise; and convinces Caroline that they should share the apartment, and split rent and utilities down the middle, until one of them decides to move.
Both Caroline and Gabe have suffered greatly. They both have traumatic pasts, large regrets, and are looking for a fresh start. Little by little, we learn the life experiences that shaped Caroline and Gabe in to the people that they presently are.
\These two had major chemistry and loved pushing each other's buttons. As they got to know one another, they made a home together, and began to fall in love. I enjoyed getting to learn about Caroline's younger sisters, as well as both her and Gabe's good friends. I enjoy stories with a small town setting, and would like to go back in the series, and read all of the secondary character's stories. Return Of The Bad Girl was a sweet and entertaining read that touched on pain, trauma, abuse, redemption, healing, love, and new beginnings.
My Rating:
I give Return Of The Bad Girl, 3.5 Feisty, Sexy, Slow-Burn Filled Stars! If you enjoy realistic characters, some angst, and small town romance, check out this series!
My Favorite Quote:
"I don't care how damaged you are, because I am just as broken, maybe more so." (eARC, Loc. 2417)
~Caroline
Guest Post:
Return of the Bad Girl: A Play List
Music has always been a huge part of my writing process, and can inspire a scene or an action from one of my characters. For The Trouble with Sexy, Gloriana’s Kiss You Goodnight was a HUGE inspiration. Whitney Duncan was a serious factor in Things Good Girls Don’t Do and Lady Antebellum helped create the back story for Travis and Gemma of Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars. Jacob’s Ladder by Mark Wills was the centric theme for Bad Girls Don’t Marry Marines, so it was really no surprise that as I wrote Return of the Bad Girl, I was pulling songs from the radio to make up my playlist.
1. Take You Home by Thomas Rhett
2. Wake Up Lovin’ You by Craig Morgan
3. Everything Changes by Staind
4. People Know You by Your First Name by Dean Brody
5. When the Right One Comes Along from the Nashville Soundtrack
6. Sunshine and Whiskey by Frankie Ballard
7. Love by Jana Kramer
8. Speakers by Sam Hunt
9. Girl in a Country Song by Maddie and Tae
10. Break Up in a Small Town
11. Gonna Wanna Tonight by Chase Rice
12. Dirt by Florida Georgia Line
13. Show You Off by Dana and Shay
14. Something Bad by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood
15. Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves
16. Mean to Me by Brett Eldredge
17. Enough is Enough by Eli Young Band
So, several of the songs on this playlist (I.E. 4 and 10) set up the back ground and gossip running rampant about Gabe and Caroline, in part thanks to Miss Know It All. Sometimes the attitudes and antics of the towns people surprise even me, but they are oh, so fun! Especially the dreaded Mrs. Andrews. (Shudder). Then there are the angsty ones like 2, 3, 5, and 17. These songs help me through Caroline and Gabe fighting their feelings and the inevitable screw up by both of them, because true love never did run smooth, right? The fun/funny songs like 6, 9, and 14, helped me during character development and those funny interactions between friends and the h/h that make me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. (Caroline is the anti-girl in a country song and if you’ve never seen the video, you have to check it out!) Show You Off #13 inspired one of my favorite lines in the book, but I won’t give away what it was. ☺
But my favorite song on this playlist is Jana Kramer’s Love (#7). Caroline is a cynic who has never been in love and Gabe believes he doesn’t deserve it. This song gave me the inspiration for their Happily Ever After (because they have to end up together right?)
I hope you enjoy my Return of the Bad Girl Spodify Playlist!
About Codi Gary:
From the time I could put a Disney Book cassette into my little stereo,and read along, books have held a fantastic distraction. When I was eleven, I decided I wanted to be one of those magical people that brought stories to life. Devouring a book a day sometimes, my first romance novel stuck with me. I've always been a sucker for a happy ending (and the great romantic gesture)and that's what I try to put into my stories. I am so honored to be a part of Avon, and am so excited to have my own dreams coming true.
Giveaway: