Born to Be Bad

Born to Be BAD is an anthology of three contemporary novellas, all written by Sherrilyn Kenyon. BAD to the Bone was previously published in the anthology, Big Guns Out of Uniform, and "Captivated" by You was previously published in the anthology, Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down. These two stories were then combined with One BAD Night to be reissued in this single volume. The three stories together comprise the first three volumes of the B.A.D. series.

One BAD Night
"4 stars" In my opinion, One BAD Night was the most well-written of this trio of stories with respect to the plot, showing a little more adventure and suspense than the other two. Even though it wasn't entirely believable, I found it to be highly entertaining, somewhat like watching an show more episode of Alias. I didn't think the characterizations were quite as well fleshed out as they were in the other two novellas, but the fast pace of the narrative helped to make up for this deficiency. Sam was a rather feisty, spitfire heroine, who was initially ready to kill Jason, but quickly warmed up to his charms. Their bantering was humorous and charged with sexual tension. I thought that Jason and Sam had great chemistry, and their love scenes were very steamy, while still being sweet and tender. Overall, I found One BAD Night to be yet another enjoyable tale, and a great wrap-up for this anthology.

BAD to the Bone
"4 stars" I found this story to be a fun enjoyable fantasy. I thought the idea of a woman being given the opportunity to live out her favorite romance novel was a creative one. I absolutely loved both the hero and heroine, and felt these characters would have been worthy of a longer story. Marianne was a plain Jane who was as sweet as could be. She didn't know why a hunk like Kyle would want to be with her, but it didn't stop her from enjoying the experience. Kyle was a tortured hero, but that didn't stop him from accepting her tenderness. They spent their time together baring their souls to one another (among other things;)) which I thought was very romantic. The love scenes were very sensuous, but also sweet. I found all these elements to be very refreshing. I thought that the story could have benefited from a little more clarity and tighter plotting especially at the beginning and end, as I was left with some unanswered questions. Overall though, I thought it was a good beginning to this series. This was my first read by Sherrilyn Kenyon, but definitely won't be my last.

"Captivated" by You
"4 stars" "Captivated" by You was another fun-filled offering in the B.A.D. series. I thought that Ace and Rhea were both very likable and relatable characters. The story begins with lots of humorous, sharp-witted banter that is laced with sexual innuendo, but quickly evolves into passion when they are thrown together on a mission that involves some sizzling hot situations. Their love scenes involved some very light bondage and domination which in my opinion, was very tastefully written, showing a beautiful level of trust and lots of playful sensuality. The character development was a little light, but just enough to give some background and make their relationship fairly believable. Ace and Rhea's actual mission ended up being more humorous than suspenseful, but overall I found this novella to be another delightful, escapist read. My only complaint would be that it simply wasn't long enough, but I really look forward to continuing this entertaining series. show less

This is an anthology of three novellas about BAD (Bureau of American Defense, an ultra-secret agency) agents. If I understand correctly, one of them was new (as of September 2005), and the other two had been published elsewhere. As I hadn't read any of them before, that was no problem. Also, I could tell by looking at the cover that they weren't Dark Hunter stories. Those two misunderstandings, as far as I can tell, account for most of the bad reviews of this book.

"One BAD Night". BAD agent Samantha Winslow is sent to capture rogue agent Jason Banks, who has apparently gone over to the other side. She's been torn between thinking he goes too far, and being attracted to him, so she takes the opportunity to torment him a little. Fun and show more games is over, though, when the terrorists catch up to them.

"BAD to the Bone". Marianne Webernec has won 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 BAD agent Kyle Foster, recuperating on the other side of the island, who kidnaps her and gives her the fantasy of a lifetime.

"Captivated by You". BAD agents Rhea Stevenson and Ace Krux are going undercover to catch a drug lord. Rhea has to pose as a dominatrix, and Ace is tasked with helping her train for the role... much to his delight, as he's been secretly in love with her for a while. What Ace doesn't know, though, is that his affection isn't unrequited.

All three stories are rather over-the-top, in the manner of James Bond, which I love, so that's a good thing. "BAD to the Bone" is the funniest of the three, I thought, and slightly reminiscent of the movie American Dreamer, while "Captivated by You" evokes memories of Exit to Eden.

Besides the humor and the sensuality, there's also some heart. I especially liked that in "One BAD Night" and to a lesser extent "Captivated by You" the agents acknowledge how lonely it can be to have to keep their real identities secret and how freeing it is to have a relationship with a fellow agent, someone with whom they can be completely themselves.

The characters are engaging, and the action exciting, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of Kenyon's BAD stories. show less

This set of novellas are full of romance and steamy sex and I didn't find them as interesting as the Dark Hunter novels. That isn't to say that they weren't entertaining but the emphasis was more on sex than story. The stories are pretty predicatble as they do follow some romance conventions.
Samantha Winslow is to try and find out whether or not Jason Banks is double crossing the agency. He has always fancied her and this adds to the tension.
Marianne wins the Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes, where she gets to live out her fantasies about her favourite romance novel on a remote island. She bumps into Kyle Foster who is recouperating on the same island and sparks fly.
In the last one Rhea has to go undercover as a dominatrix and Ace Krux who show more has always desired her is to help her learn about her role. I'm sure people in the know would have found it funnier but I was quite amused myself. show less

These stories were funny and sexy. There was just enough story to keep it from being porn. I'll be getting the rest of her B.A.D. series!

In the all-new "One BAD Night" the bureau believes that agent Jason Banks has sold them out. Agent Samantha Winslow has never particularly cared for Jason, whom she reluctantly finds attractive, and she volunteers to bring him in. Under orders to infiltrate his rogue mission and kidnap him, she is also trying to pull off the ultimate double-cross. But who would have guessed that Jason would be so pleased to be her captive?

In "BAD to the Bone" Marianne wins the Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes and a chance to pretend to be the heroine in her favorite romance novel. Whisked away to a remote island, Marianne's daydreams become real when BAD agent Kyle Foster kidnaps her and uncovers her every fantasy.

In "'Captivated' by You" BAD agent Rhea show more must go undercover as a dominatrix to capture a deadly terrorist. Fortunately, Agent "Ace" Krux, whom she has long desired, is her training partner. Immediately, the roles of master and slave are wonderfully blurred, and Rhea and Ace unleash a wealth of hidden desire. show less

Two of the three short-stories were totally delectable :) the second was a little corky, but fun nonetheless! I love the heroes in this series, they are badass!

I found this book to be fun to read because it wasn't just all about sex, there was some humor in it as well. Can't wait to read some more from this author.