When Good Things Happen to Bad Boys: WITH "Playing Doctor" AND "Lady of the Lake" AND "Hardhats and Silk Stockings" [Paperback]

Yes! It's another Bad Boy anthology which once again offers the reader a fun sexy romp in three short stories by some of today's hottest romance authors.

In Lori Foster's "Playing Doctor" Dr. Axle Dean is shocked and surprised when he spots sexy Libby Preston at a party. Not exchanging names they enjoy a sizzling kiss and a little more in the garden. When he finds out Libby's secret...he hightails it out of there...only to be haunted by the memory of the time they shared. Imagine his surprise when he walks into his treatment room and finds her sitting there. Life has just gotten a little more complicated. Will these two find a happy ending?

In Erin McCarthy's "The Lady of the Lake" Kindergarten teacher Violet Caruthers thinks she's found the perfect man to be the father of the baby she's always wanted. Well, this is until she falls off of his boat...while dressed in a bikini, and left behind. Things look like they are only going to get worse...until she is rescued by baseball hottie Dylan Diaz. These two people are about to find out that things are not always as they appear and there is fun in finding red hot attraction where you least expect to find it.

In HelenKay Dimon's "Hardhats and Silk Stockings" Whit Thomas has the unfortunate luck of tangling with Hannah Bridges...one of the most frustrating women ever created. Too bad he also suffers from a twisted burning attraction for her. Imagine his surprise when opportunity hands Hannah over to him for one night of no hold bar pleasure. Will they walk away from what they find...or will they grab and hold it with both hands?

All three stories are sexy fun reads with entertaining characters. This is a perfect "vacation" read that offers some really "Bad Boys" who finally meet their match! Falling in love should be so much fun!

PLAYING DOCTOR by Lori Foster

When Dr. Axel Dean sees Libby Preston working for the caterer at a hospital dinner party, he sets out to have her. Libby is equally interested in Axel, and holds nothing back when they meet in a secluded section of the garden; until Axel finds out that she is totally inexperienced and halts the action so suddenly he practically left skid marks. Libby is furious. When they meet again, Axel discovers that Libby has every intention of finding a lover and decides that he wants her first lover to be him. Little does he know that an inexperienced, younger woman could touch him so deeply. Libby was forced to be independent at an early age and allowing someone to love her and take care of her is something new to her; convincing Libby that she needs him may prove difficult. Axel and Libby are adorable characters, and his tenderness towards her, given her inexperience, is especially moving.

LADY OF THE LAKE by Erin McCarthy

Violet Caruthers thought being accidentally dumped overboard from her boyfriend's boat was bad; things went from bad to worse when neither he nor any of his friends even realized that she was missing. Thankfully, Dylan Diaz comes along in his boat and saves her life. Despite their limited time together, Dylan wants nothing more than to make love to Violet. He thinks that her so-called boyfriend is an idiot for not appreciating her or recognizing the wonderful woman she is. Violet agrees to sleep with Dylan, but she has her own reasons; she doesn't think that she needs Dylan to have a continuing part in her life to be happy. Dylan wants a lifetime with Violet, but it isn't going to be easy convincing her that his feelings for her are true. Readers will be cheering for Violet and Dylan from the time he pulls her out of the water.

HARDHATS AND SILK STOCKINGS by HelenKay Dimon

Contractor Hannah Bridges is a woman working in a man's world; having to remain hardnosed so no one will try to take advantage of her femininity. Whit Thomas wants Hannah so badly but anytime he attempts to get close to her, sparks practically fly off of the insults she hurls at him. When Whit can't take anymore, he tricks her into spending time with him, determined to prove to her that there is great chemistry between them. Unfortunately his trickery results in a hurtful misunderstanding and there is even more distance between him and Hannah than before. Hannah and Whit may be total opposites, but they are cleverly and satisfactorily brought together in this wonderful story.

This is a wonderful anthology that provides a range of entertainment, from romance that is lighthearted and fun to passions that are scorching, yet tender.

Playing Doctor: Axel Dean is a sexy physician devoted to staying single and enjoying the company of as many women as he can. He's happy that his brother Booker and his best friend Cary have found love, but he wants no part of it. But what he does want is a night or two with the lovely and delectable young woman who catches his eye at a formal affair he attends. Going down the path of temptation, Axel can't remember the last time he wanted this much, and she seems to feel the same way. Overcome with lust, Axel is ensnared in her sensual web until he learns of her innocence. Stubbornly refusing to break his own rules, he regretfully walks away....only to meet up with the lovely Libby Preston again in an unexpected manner. This time turning her down is no longer an option, and Axel realizes that some rules are made to be broken, especially when they lead to love.

Lori Foster creates some of the sexiest alpha males around. They may be determined to live footloose and fancy-free, but once they fall in love, no woman can resist all that intense concentration and incredible passion. She also writes about some of the most innocent yet responsible heroines, and I love the complete honesty in her characters. One gets the sense that these are traits that Lori values very highly, and she captures those qualities so well. Her stories are about honorable people who make mistakes but who don't back down from their responsibilities or from their families. A very traditional outlook that Lori manages to keep fresh and entertaining. She is an auto-buy author for me.

Lady In the Lake: Shy school teacher Violet Caruthers is so forgettable that when she falls off her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend's boat into the lake, he doesn't even realize she's gone. Thankfully she's soon rescued by sexy baseball player Dylan Diaz, who is instantly captivated by this shy, honest and sexy woman. All he can think about is how much he wants to take her to bed, but Violet is not like one of his groupies, thank God, and getting her there is going to take more than a persuasive smile. Fortunately for him, he has something she wants, and soon they both see stars. Dylan realizes he's found what's been missing in his fast-paced glamorous life, and Violet realizes that she's not so forgettable after all, at least not by the man who loves her.

Oh my gosh, I completely fell in love with Dylan. Sweet and sexy and oh, so wicked, he is the perfect match for reserved, maternal Violet. Erin McCarthy writes such funny, sexy stories, and she also has her own strong voice and style that is her trademark. She is one of my all-time favorite authors - it is amazing and wonderful how she keeps outdoing herself in her writing. Her humor is honest, and she says what other people only think about - this makes it extremely easy to relate to her characters right from the start. If you have not read a story by Erin McCarthy, well, what are you waiting for???

Hardhats and Silk Stockings: Contractor Hannah Bridges is bound and determined to prove herself to her family and step away from the blue-collar stigma she grew up with. She doesn't have time for the irresistible yet exasperating Whit Thomas in her life. But Whit has other plans, and they all have to do with Hannah. He's very attracted to her, and deep down knows she feels the same way but she can't let go. He decides to help her out with that by giving her a night of passion, no strings, no regrets. Things are going really well until Hannah catches on to him. Now Whit has to prove to her that their night of pleasure was not just a notch on his bedpost, but just the beginning of something really wonderful.

This is HelenKay Dimon's first story, and it was rather enjoyable. I did have a problem with all the interruptions the couple had to deal with - jarred me out of the story and made me groan in frustration because I didn't feel that it added to the scene, at least not every single time it occurred. Instead it led to too many misunderstandings. I felt the characters were not given enough time together to really work on their relationship, and that bothered me. HelenKay had a great concept and I enjoyed her writing, just not how some of the scenes were handled. I do think she has a lot of potential to tell some really amazing stories, so I will definitely give her stories another chance.