Born to Be BAD (B.A.D.: Bureau of American Defense)

It was enjoyable and a quick read. The story brings a séance of real possibilities to the current world. You can place yourself in the book not necessarily as the main character but as a witness. I am looking forward to reading the next series in the book.

If I understand correctly, some of the stories in this anthology were previously published in other anthologies, but since I've only recently "discovered" (read: finally caved in to friends' recommendations) Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, that wasn't a problem. I've also only read a couple of the Dark Hunter books so far, so I didn't have any preconceptions in that direction either. The stories are loosely connected, all about agents of BAD (Bureau of American Defense, an ultra-secret agency). In "One BAD Night," our heroine is sent to capture our hero, who has apparently gone over to the other side. She's been torn between disapproving of, and being attracted to him, so she takes the opportunity to torment him a little. Fun and games is over, though, when the terrorists catch up to them. "BAD to the Bone," the second story, has our heroine winning a fantasy vacation--a trip to an island where she'll act out her favorite romance novel. It's a little boring... until she stumbles across our hero, a BAD agent recuperating on the other side of the island, who kidnaps her and gives her the fantasy of a lifetime. In "Captivated by You," two BAD agents are going undercover to catch a drug lord. She has to pose as a dominatrix, and he is tasked with helping her train for the role... much to their mutual delight, as both of them have been secretly attracted to each other for a while. The Good: The humor. Much of it derives from the James-Bond-like, over-the-top tone. You can read the stories seriously, but they lose some of their charm that way. The pacing. These stories are fast-moving and exciting, and since they're novellas, that makes them go even faster. They all feel complete, though, and not rushed or curtailed. The characters. Although the novella form doesn't allow for much in-depth characterization, the characters are vividly realistic. I particularly liked the depiction of the loneliness of living undercover. The Bad: It is over-the-top. If you're looking for more realistic romantic suspense, this isn't it. Some (all?) of the novellas have been published elsewhere. Make sure you check before buying. The sensuality is self-conscious in spots. Most of the sex scenes are good, but I wouldn't buy this for the sensuality alone. The Verdict: The first story is the most emotional, the second the funniest, and the third the sexiest. All three are vastly entertaining, particularly if you're a fan of James Bond, or movies like American Dreamer (I'm both.). I intend to catch up with more BAD stories.

This steamy book has three novellas by author Sherrilyn Kenyon. BAD is the Bureau of American Defense, a group of agents who are trained to fight the enemy in any way they have to. But, there's time for war, and there's time for love... I have never read any of Ms. Kenyon's books before, so I didn't know what to expect. Well, I was not disappointed! "One BAD Night" tells the story of Agent Samantha Winslow's capture of rogue agent Jason Bank, a man she finds strangely attractive. (It rather seems like the prequel to the movie Undercover Blues!) In "BAD to the Bone," agent Kyle Foster is on enforced leave, but when he meets Marianne Webernec, he must find a way to her heart. And finally, in "Captivated by You," Agent Rhea Stevenson must train to go undercover as a dominatrix, but little does she realize just where her training will take her. These are three great stories, with hot and steamy sex scenes, and lots of love. I highly recommend this book to everyone! (Review of Born to Be BAD by Sherrilyn Kenyon)

"One Bad Night". The Bureau of American Defense (B.A.D.) has assigned Agent Samantha Winslow to rectify the Road Runner problem as Jason Banks betrayed them by giving another agent's name to terrorists. In Berlin, Sam shoots and abducts Jason to interrogate him. Though she hates him, she also finds herself attracted to the traitor. "Bad to the Bone". Thirty year old high school teacher Marianne Webernec dreams of being tall, thin, and terrific, but knows she is average. However, she looks forward to playing out her favorite romantic fantasy at a "sex camp". Instead of pretend, Marianne finds herself underneath and in other positions with real life B.A.D. espionage agent Kyle Foster as she is on the wrong side of the vacation island, but the right side of her lover. "Captivated by You". To capture a terrorist B.A.D. Agent Rhea Stevenson is preparing for an undercover assignment as a dominatrix. Training with her for her role is Agent "Ace" Krux, who she has secretly desired. As they rehearse, passion flows between them. These three good B.A.D. novellas are tongue in cheek (literally perhaps more so than figuratively) erotic romantic suspense tales with "One Bad Night" being new; the other two were in relatively recent anthologies. The B.A.D. collection is fun for Ms. Kenyon's fans, but not on a par with the author's Dark Hunter fantasies. Harriet Klausner