Elliot Wake's books have been on my TBR for years. I started "Bad Boy" way back when and was too busy to actually read it, but figured I should start from the beginning since they tie together. And I'm glad I did! It seems important now that I understand the backstory of how Black Iris was founded.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book. I found myself wanting to do nothing but finish the book, despite all the obstacles in my life that made that difficult and the process a bit drawn out.

The writing was beautifully poetic, and the characters very complex. The only thing that brought this down to a very solid three for me would be that there's simply too much smut for my little demisexual self. A lot of it felt unnecessary, even though I do understand that it helped to seal Laney's characterization. If I was someone else, maybe it wouldn't have bothered me as much.

All that aside, the thrilling twists and turns really did keep me engaged and I can't wait to continue reading the rest of his books!