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.

Sherrilyn Kenyon is great as always. She can take a hoaky situation and make it a good sizzling read. I never miss one of her books, and Amazon is the place to get them!

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.

I have grown to love most of Sherrilyn Kenyon's work, however, I felt at times that she was trying "a little too hard". There were times when she just seemed to be going through the motions. It wasn't that this book of short stories (One Bad Night,Bad to the Bone and Captivated by You)were horrible, they just seemed to lack something..maybe they were too short. However, the one saving grace is the continuing story of Tee and Joe, who evetually have to get together if for no other reasons than the fans. But if you would like a quick read, with some entertaining sex scenes, read Born to be Bad.

Born to be BAD is a collection of three novellas about members of BAD, the Bureau of American Defense. I hadn't read any of these stories before, so I didn't have the problems that other reviewers did with them being previously published. The BAD series is one of my least favorite of Kenyon's series, but these stories weren't all that bad.

One BAD Night: Jason Banks is an undercover operative who the BAD agency believes to be a double agent. They send in hotshot shooter Samantha Winslow to neutralize this threat. Little does she know that things aren't what they seem and she gets more than she bargained for.

BAD to the Bone: Marianne Webernec is a high school teacher who wins the Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes. Her prize is to have her favorite romance novel brought to life with herself as the heroine on a remote island. The book she chooses is about undercover agents and surprise surprise she actually meets one. Kyle Foster has been sent to the same island on a forced vacation after being injured in the line of duty. The last thing he expects is to find out that he is Marianne's fantasy brought to life.

"Captivated" by You: Rhea Stevenson is appalled to find out that she's being sent on a mission with her least favorite person, Ace Krux. She's even more appalled when she learns that she has to play the role of dominatrix to catch a Bettie Page-enthusiast arms dealer. Luckily for her, she finds something redeemable about the whole arrangement.

Overall, this book was okay, but nothing great. The stories were short and I finished the entire book in only a few hours. Still, the stories get old and the characters seem to be the same in every scenario. The men are standoffish because their life as agents might put their relationships at risk and the women are sarcastic and tough to show that they can handle the pressure of the job as well as a man. If you're in the mood for a steamy Alias/24 type romance novel pick these up, otherwise Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is much better.