Better When He's Bad

Bestseller Crownover (Marked Men) begins her Welcome to the Point series with bad boy Shane "Bax" Baxter, a violent ex-con who's so self-obsessed that he has his own name tattooed across his back, and good girl Dovie Pryce, a quasi-virgin who ticks every box in the romance heroine checklist down to her red hair and green eyes. Crownover has a strong voice, and the minor characters, like damaged, machete-carrying military veteran Lester, are well-drawn. But though the dialogue is snappy, the two narrators are so wooden it's hard to imagine them speaking those clever words. Bax has no emotional arc other than becoming monogamous. Additionally, his assault-like kisses and dubiously consensual sex with Dovie make their relationship difficult to root for. Crownover may be aiming for gritty, but it just leaves the reader feeling grubby. (June)