Colleen Collins
Building a Bad Boy (2005)
Author: Colleen Collins
Genre: Romance
Plot Summary:
Twenty-eight-year-old Kimberly Logan owns a dating service, Life Dates, which offers one-on-one consultations to men looking for “the woman of their dreams.” One day Nigel Durand, 34, a 6’ 5” former professional wrestler “The Phantom,” with a shaved head and 285 pounds of “rock-hard, chiseled muscle” comes into Life Dates, thinking it’s his last chance for finding love. Despite his look he’s a Celine Dion loving, brownie-baking, sensitive guy who wants a wife, 2.5 kids, and a white picket fence (Nigel has “the body of The Hulk and the heart of ET.”). His major career embarrassment was appearing scantily clad as The Phantom in a TV ad for a badass truck called The Crusher. He hates the ad and wishes he’d never done it. Ms. Logan signs him up for her “How to Make a Bad Boy” program and gives him a new name, “Nicky.” Her coaching crosses the professional line more than once, and they start to fall for each other. But when Kimberly uses footage of Nigel’s commercial in an ad for Life Dates without asking him, Nigel’s feelings of betrayal are overwhelming; he walks out of her life. Six months later Kimberly has sold Life Dates, started Life Gates, a series of personal growth programs, and become a motivational speaker. Ripe with encouragement from her gay former assistant, Maurice, Kimberly visits Nigel at home. After some awkward moments they once again declare their love for each other and a happy ending ensues. A minor subplot involves Austin, a 15-year-old boy whom Nigel is mentoring.
Geographical Setting: Las Vegas
Time Period: Contemporary, 21st Century
Series: Harlequin Temptation #1016
Appeal Characteristics:
This is a fast-paced, character driven quick-read; very breezy and non-substantive. Its tone is lighthearted, sometimes funny, and not at all heavy. Kimberly has issues in her past that make her an uptight, emotional fortress; these are mentioned only as an explanation for her reluctance to give in to Nigel. The narrative is told from both Kimberley and Nigel’s point of view and helps the reader get inside their personalities. This romance novel is heavier on eroticism—the word “Heat” features prominently on the cover—and will appeal to readers who aren’t comfortable with erotica or porn but who aren’t offended by detailed, albeit euphemistic, descriptions of sexual activity between two consenting, unmarried adults. Vulgar words for sex are completely avoided, no f-word and only one instance of a 4-letter word. As with most novels of this genre, the sexuality occurs within a (fledgling) relationship and has a happy ending. This story would especially appeal to readers who like men of Nigel’s physical type, a very important consideration in women’s fantasy. Nigel first appears in Collins’ earlier story Joyride (Harlequin Temptation #867).
Similar Authors: Jamie Sobrato, Heather McAllister, Leslie Kelly, and many more.
Red Flags:
Readers of romance novels expect a certain level of sexuality and sensuality; this novel is explicit without vulgarity. Contains seduction scenarios; detailed descriptions of sexual activity and consummation occur in three separate instances, all tempered with the knowledge that the protagonists like each other. Overall, it is rather tame but some readers will be embarrassed by the level of eroticism. It is best to be sure what level the reader is looking for before recommending this one.
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