Review: In a Bad Way

In a Bad Way by Karin Tabke

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A cop and a stripper walk into a bar… In a Bad Way, Flynn Ryker meets his match when he takes a stripper home for a one night stand. Wild Style, aka Isadora Fuentes is determined to find her sister. As the bastard child of a powerful politician, Isadora is left out in the cold when her father throws her and her mother out of his house. Young Isadora has to grow up very fast and some of it all alone as her best friend who turned out to be her sister gives her the cold shoulder. In addition, Isadora's mother passes away. Still, Isadora is determined to make something of herself. One could say she has daddy issues. Amazing, she does not. She does have something to prove but not at the expense of her sanity.

I really liked the characters in this story. I loved Isadora. Her life makes my heart hurt. The suffering she experiences at the hands of callous adults and still manages to be a well-adjusted adult, impresses me. Her perseverance in the face of adversity and her loyalty astounds me. Isadora is a role model exemplifying how parents can be the reason why a person works harder, not an excuse for being pathetic. She's not perfect though. She's a stubborn girl who does seem to like things the hard way. Some of the conflict in this story could so easily be resolved if Isadora didn't take such a hard stance to keep Flynn in the dark. To her point, Flynn is a bit of a jerk and deserves it. He is supposed to be this "Special Agent" and he can't even be bothered to get the full dossier on Isadora. Talk about pathetic.

I think in this series, I must be resigned to disappointment when it comes to the male leads. Flynn is not a bad guy; he is just irrational. Perhaps his character is specifically designed in this manner because it shows how a man who is hot for a woman cannot abide by her choice to strip. Stripers do not equate to prostitutes but this is pretty much the case. Flynn is hung up on Isadore's job and never tries to understand why she does it and learn more about her. She is more than just a job. The point Ms. Tabke makes with Isadore's hard stance is a good one. Unfortunately, it is a commentary I believe many will neither understand nor appreciate. I'm team Isadore.


The suspense to this book is predictable which is a surprise for me when it comes to a Ms. Tabke book. The plot does move as expected and the story pace flows well. I expected a few more twists and they finally show up at the end. This leaves a slight cliffhanger which makes me hope the next book in this series comes quickly. I get that this is a "bad boys" series. I'm just hoping the next "boy" is less a moron and more a dangerous "bad" boy. This series should be about bad girls and the idiot men who love them. Recommended for romantic suspense readers who like a sassy and risk-taking woman.

*provided by NetGalley



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