Book Review – Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters

Bad Rep
<—- Yes! Good! Much of what we have come to expect in our New Adult colleged-aged reads, sure, but… Jordan made this book, for me. His reactions and his… passion (okay, I’ll say it again because this word works so perfectly for him – his intensity) were sublimely reminiscent of my beloved Travis, that many of my little hiccups with the book were quickly forgotten.

Jordan’s bad-boy/good-guy character was not only believable but he had that extra edge to him that made him seem real. Okay sure, his initial introduction made him seem a little too much of a …. “cookie cutter heartthrob” to me. Successful college student, fraternity president, most popular (and gorgeous) guy in school, legions of groupies (he even has a nickname because of it) but he’s also tattooed, pierced and a drummer in a popular local band. Oh! And sexy unattainable bartender by night. Yep. He’s perfect. I was feeling like a bit of a hypocrite, ’cause he was absolutely everything I thought I wanted in my bad boy characters and yet, I was a touch jaded at first.

But I was hoping the characters would eventually come alive, and had my fingers crossed that I’d come across a more “raw” version of him, and I’m delighted to say, he emerged. A bit cocky, but a bit insecure, too. The way he flirted,

“What was that? I think I got pregnant just watching you two,” she snarked.

… the way he pursued “her”, the way he was. To be fair, I sometimes questioned why he was so intense about her specifically (I would have loved more detail and attention to the initial friendship) but hey… attraction is attraction and sometimes right from the very first look, it can’t be denied. So I went with it. But then, there were my favorite moments. His jealous moments, his overreactions, his anger… his pain. THERE it is. There. He. Was.

Maryse’s Book Blog: I’m reading this one right now!! It’s pretty good! Jordan is … *sigh* (WOW!!) and embarrassingly enough, I’m enjoying (and relating to) her running away issues. I know.. eye roll – hehe but I can’t help it. I’m all… “Ugh! Time to leave!” hehe. Fun! AND!! Wait! At the same time, my logical side is also exasperated with her “issues”. I’m just enjoying getting carried away in her mindset.

Brandi: Loved this one…..Jordan = smoking hottie

Candice: I’m reading it right now too. Almost finished! It’s so good!

Clarice: I just finished it last night. Ooh the number of times I just wanted to slap some sense into the girl!

Jennifer: Finished last night (well really at 1am lol) loved it but I agree her issues did get a lil annoying BUT in the same breath I did like that she *spoiler*!!!

Ashley:  I’m about 60%, really enjoying it as well. I know somewhere you posted that it was BD mixed with Mean Girls. I’d throw a little Thoughtless/Effortless in there too with her issues, not the same issues, but still very flighty.

Chrissy: It was really good, so good I was up till 4 am reading it because I had to finish it.

Manda: I finished it this morning. I love that they didn’t tap dance around the situation and you actually got to see what happens when you make those kinds of decisions. There is always a price for happiness.

MaryJoan: I literally just finished it and I really loved it. Jordan can be added to the never ending list of book boyfriends…sigh…

Sabrina: Maryse– I really liked this book too– for some reason I could not put it down!!! Enjoy!!!

Kim: OMG I so loved Jordan

Danielle: I loved this book! And like a true book zombie stayed up till 4 AM to finish it.

Liz: I really enjoyed this book. But yes her “issues” drive me nuts towards the end.

Rachel: Reading this one atm too, not bad

Kristie: Loved it

Krista: I just read this…..I liked it too. It was like Kellan Kyle, Travis Maddox and Jack Carter rolled into Jordan Levitt.

⇈ Yep!!! What they said. 😉 ⇈

Did I love it? Sometimes, yes. Lots of moments I loved, and quite a few that I really struggled through. Struggled with the heroine, as if I was her (her pain, and insecurities and shame… oh yes. I felt those at first, right there with her).

I felt battered and bruised and the tears started again. I couldn’t stop them. And I hated these people for witnessing my weakness. I had never been brought so low before. And they all had a front row seat.

But at some point… she lost me, and I struggled to believe her. I “get it”, I got her, where she was coming from, what she naturally struggled with, and how she was dealing with her “issues”. Yes. I got all of that. And for the most part, I stuck by her mindset (and perceptions). After all, we are only human and when we are in the middle of a mess, we often can’t see or think straight.

However, the level of “crazy” that she experienced with her outrageously immature student faculty, and her insistence that she stick to her “ideal of belonging to a group” made me eyeroll. There was viable drama here, for the purpose of the story, struggle and growth of the characters. And then there was over-the-top drama that the character seemed to force upon herself. And that’s when I started skimming.

So what’s it about?

Maysie meets Jordan at her new job in a bar. He’s got everything going for him, and he’s got an eye on her. Sweet smiles, super flirty (and I mean… so obviously wants her). They start connecting…

He was going to be difficult to stay away from.

But who says I even wanted to? We had chemistry and he was f&%king hot. I was a hot blooded college girl, why shouldn’t I indulge?

… until… D’oh! She finds out he’s got a girlfriend.

Everyone loved Olivia. Including, apparently, the guy I had just spent the entire evening lusting after.

And not just any girlfriend, but the president of the sorority she’s just dying to belong to. They’re a royal couple. And he’s known to be 100% faithful to her. Good right? He’s a faithful guy. But when Maysie crosses his path, he can’t resist his attraction to her, and it’s that very lack of resistance that gets this story rolling.

God, this guy was a complete player! I was so thankful I had wised up before being sucked into his rock god pants.

I’ll let you experience the resulting “hot mess” for yourselves.

Hot mess… and, sometimes just a mess. Had I not been as exasperated with the somewhat “high school” feel of this college’s student faculty, I may have loved it 100%. I just didn’t believe this type of “reaction” and gossip could happen to this extent. From my own college experience, I remember everyone having an “older” feel. An independent, focused air, and not so caught up in petty drama, and name calling. I’m not sure if it was simply because the college I attended was so large, and the one in this book was so small, but the rumor-mill, and immaturity level of these college students just didn’t… convince me. The problem wasn’t just within the “clique”. It became school-wide. And this was pretty much the main part that sidetracked me and had me skimming in exasperation.

I wanted to feel that sense of community. Now, I wished nothing more than to be lost in the crowd.

BUT!!! Things get rolling and then there is a whole lot more to “it” (this story) than petty clique issues. And that is what I connected to. Thank goodness for the few of her more “true-to-life” friends (especially one in particular). And for the more realistic moments/emotional confrontations, ’cause they allowed me to experience Jordan in his full glory (I stressed over him quite nicely, thank you very much). We all know… I LOVE doing that. My heart felt him in all of his heartthrob moments, and especially in his anguish.

4 stars total from me, for this guilty pleasure (3 to 3.5 stars for the melodrama, 4 stars for the love story and 5 stars for Jordan)!

P.S. Wanna see what he looks like? Here’s the author’s example right from her Facebook page.

Thank you for that, Ms. Walters!! It made envisioning him soooooo easy, and well. Just look at him!! Perfect for Jordan. Oh and! Thank so much for sending me this review copy. 🙂