Nancy D
Meghan March is the QUEEN of hot reads with heart. I mean really hot reads with a whole lot of heart. In Bad Judgment, March pulls on her own past as a law student to tell the story of law students who find love and challenges in being with one another. The plot is engaging and original: a law student who wants to finish her education but needs money to do so. She can become a stripper, or she can tutor a guy who is sure to be a major distraction to her. Except, the stripper thing washes out and all that's left is Ryker. And Ryker's father, who makes Justine's situation just a little bit easier to bear. And much, much harder at the same time. Ryker. Hot. Smart. Sexy AF. And major player. MAJOR player. Not the kind of guy a girl like Justine needs in her life. Except for the whole tuition thing, she'd just continue to stay away from him and study. But then other things happen and Justine's origins find her, as Ryker's family problems pop up for him, too. Ryker becomes a calm in the storm, at least for a little while. And it's a big storm. I'll leave the plot description at that, because I hate to give away all the good stuff. Suffice it to say that this book is worth the reading because Ms. March gets better and better and better with every outing. When you take her prolific production into account, that's amazing! This book is her best to date and only a glimpse of what's to come in three or seven or fifteen books down the road. Because in addition to being good and getting better, March shows no sign of stopping, either. Five stars for Justine, who sets her mind to a goal and never waivers. Even in the face of some pretty scary adversity, Justine keeps her eye on the prize - even when a hot man and even hotter sex come into the picture. Even when her goal moves further out of her reach due to circumstances beyond her control. Even when all seems lost, she finds a way to persevere in a personal goal. Thank you and all the writing gods, Meghan March, for writing a heroine who actively fights for the thing she wants and doesn't let a guy rescue her. I mean, there is rescuing, but she does it for herself! How refreshing is that? Five stars for Ryker, who plays the field because he can but recognizes when it's time to stop. For a guy who faces a difficult choice and makes it wholeheartedly. For an alpha who isn't so overbearing and controlling that you start out hating him. For a man who realizes that a determined woman not only doesn't need him to rescue her, but finds her enticing in spite of - or maybe because of - that. And for a guy who totally delivers the screaming O's. Those are important, too. Five stars for hot, smutty sex, for life-changing love, for pro-bono work, for legal aid, for honest communication, and for my favorite thing about Meghan March's romancerotica: the fight is always external. Two people against the world, fighting to make it work. The characters have their own issues, but they work them out; the battle to be together is always against a common adversary, not each other. Not every romance author gives us this and I so LOVE that Meghan's stories include loyal friends, honest bystanders, realistic introspection, and situations that allow our lovers to fight FOR one another. You will find this book compelling enough to read in one sitting, and totally worth the time. You'll also find it fun, exciting, intense, sexy, and romantic. And totally enjoyable. So, get yourself a big glass of wine, kick the cat out of your comfy chair, and let Bad Judgment entertain you.
11 people found this review helpful
Jeff Roberts
Bad Judgment by Meghan March is a standalone contemporary romance about not-quite-friends who become lovers and secrets that can make or break a relationship. It is well-paced, well-written, and was an absolute joy to devour! Justine has never had it easy. With her con-artist parents ruining her before she even reached adulthood and her scholarship getting yanked out from under her the only bright spot in her life was her grandpa. He is gone and she is pushing forward into her third year of law school, bound and determined to make ends meet somehow. Ryker is privileged. His father is a supreme court justice and on the board of the law school he and Justine attend. Despite his father's wishes for his future, Ryker is having a crisis of conscience and doesn't want to be a lawyer or a politician anymore. While convinced to stay in law school he is less than willing t participate in any of his classes. So this is where Justine comes in - always pushing Ryker away in the past, determined to ignore his hotness in favor of studying and maintaining a perfect GPA, she has a chance to help him and herself and she is going to take it. But with everyone keeping secrets from each other and her past ready to yank away anything good she ever has, will this fragile relationship that is brewing between Ryker and Justine make it past the stage of physical or are they as doomed as they seem? Loved it. Meghan March is another MUST READ author for me and I haven't been disappointed yet! Enjoy!
11 people found this review helpful
Amber
Bad Judgment is an impressively unique and stunningly original masterpiece. This incredible story will drag you down the rabbit hole and make you want to burrow deeper with every second it has a hold on you. There is nothing you won’t do to discover all of its mystery and unearth all of its secrets. It will consume you whole and extract every drop of emotion and humanity from you. What will surprise you the most is that you won’t think twice about walking this powerful journey. You will beg for so much more. The terrifying freedom and the dark unknown that you will experience will make you run toward it and not away. The heart found within these pages will draw you to itself like a helpless, curious moth to the flame. Don’t fight it; instead welcome the warmth and the wholeness it offers. Justine is clawing in desperation to obtain her greatest dream: become a lawyer. When her dream is finally within her grasp, it is callously ripped away leaving her feeling afloat in a sea of disappointment and pain. When her only means of regaining her dreams involves two very unsavory evils, she knows she has to make a choice no matter how much she may regret it. Choosing the lesser of the two evils, she decides that she will tutor Ryker Grant who just can’t seem to figure out that she wants nothing to do with him beyond staying in law school. Ryker can’t believe his luck when the object of his obsession is now helping him study and regain his course towards graduation. He doesn’t question his luck, but decides to see how far he can bend their rules and get a taste of what he has been dying for the last two years. When unexpected events entwine these two together, will they break from the sheer force of the impact, or will they find out that bad judgment may lead to the greatest rewards in the end? While I am well aware of the astounding characters that Meghan March can bring to life, I can’t say that I was entirely prepared for Justine and Ryker. They made me feel the most raw and honest emotions that I have ever felt from any of her books. They felt so down to earth, and that made me love them so desperately and unconditionally. Watching these two navigate through the treacherous waters of love and lies, I was clinging to the hope that once they saw the real person behind the mask that it would give them even more to fight for. What I found was a brilliantly crafted, romantic mystery with more twists and turns to keep even the pickiest reader engaged and captivated. I love that Meghan March has chosen to venture into uncharted waters with this book. She has thrown off the comfort of the known and waded into the dark terrain of the depths of her heart to bring us a rare treasure that will challenge and delight both her devoted followers as well as new readers who are thirsting for something new and different. Do not pass this book up because it is not the usual wonderful offering of March, but instead embrace it for the rare beauty and exquisite sophistication that only Meghan can give us.
1 person found this review helpful