I was quite enjoying this friends-to-lover story about a bad-boy hockey star and his best friend since college. Cassie is a brilliant, hard-working executive for some indeterminate tech firm. She and Chase have a great relationship. Then he accompanies her to Vegas for her firm’s big roll-out of their new product. And they act as people do in Vegas, or at least as book characters do in Vegas. I mean, if you have a couple in Las Vegas in a romance novel, you know what is going to happen.

Spoiler alert:

Then we’re supposed to believe that this very intelligent and dedicated, mature woman does something disastrously stupid. I didn’t buy it and, frankly, I didn’t enjoy reading about it. It was rather like a nightmare when something goes terribly wrong and you can’t stop it. Since it’s a romance, you know things are going to work out, but I really lost all patience with these characters for the mistake they made. I didn’t enjoy reading it as it happened or feel all that much for her after she made this mistake. I really just wanted to skip ahead to the ending and that isn’t what I read novels for. I just wish that Nicole Edwards had picked a different plotline to help this couple find their HEA.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable friends to lovers story. I will say I was expecting more of a bad boy in Chase but he was actually a really nice guy and I liked that about him. I love sports romance books and the ones that don't have a player H are always a nice surprise. Cassie was a likeable heroine. She was smart and beautiful, if maybe a little to prim. However, she sure loosened up when they finally got together. I'm not always sold on the friends to lovers scenario but the author did a good job with the reasons they were friends for so long. It made sense and worked for this book.

No cheating or abuse and very mild other woman/men drama. ARC provided by NetGalley.

This is my first Nicole Edwards book and I'll definitely be back for more!!

I love Chase and Cassie in this fun, sexy friends to lovers romance! Chase and Cassie are best friends in every sense of the word and I adored their relationship. Chase is one bad ass hockey player and Cassie is a brilliant executive and their friendship, then relationship, was amazing!

But when they go to Vegas.....all bets are off and this book gets hot as hell! I loved it!

Bad Reputation is a wonderful book and I look forward to more from Nicole Edwards!!

Friendship, love, fear....those are the things this book is based on. A hockey bad boy & a button upped corporate executive who are best friends move through their relationship with a definite ease until one working trip to Las Vegas turns everything on end for them. After a night spent drinking & coming up with stories for each couple they see in the hotel bar, Chase & Cassie unknowingly at first make a huge change to their relationship. Still unaware of the change to their relationship they embark on the physical aspect that they've been denying themselves but it has devastating consequences. Now with things changing the fear of losing the one most important person in their lives brings it all to a screeching halt & the admission that they never thought they'd make..... they did the unthinkable and fell in love. This book was very funny with Chase's devil may care personally & Cassie's need to egg Chase on & also how they each tried to find the perfect person for the other (with some hilarious situations). It was sweet in the love & friendship these two shared for so many years, and it was wonderfully heartbreaking when neither knew how to put their friendship back on track or how to tell the other how they really felt. I laughed, I cried & I didn't want to put this book down. Definitely recommend to read.

Enjoyed this book and the chemistry between the 2 characters

ARC given by Netgalley and author/publisher for honest review.

I have read a few books by Nicole Edwards.. this is probably one of my faves! I absolutely loved this book. I love the whole friends to lovers. You don’t want to risk the friendship but what if…
Bad Reputation is funny, laugh out loud with a whole lot of sexiness all wrapped up in a hot as hell book.
Chase and Cassie have been Best Friends since the start of college. Chase has always had a thing for Cassie but she pretty much put a stop to that in the beginning.. pretty much friend-zoning him.
Chase is known for being the Bad Boy of Hockey.. I mean how else would he get the name SIN. His opponents hate him and the women love him..
Cassie is the VP at a High Tech Company.. and she is at a point in her life that she is ready to start the whole settle down process.. she just needs to put herself out there.. but she is afraid considering her mother’s past.
When a HUGE and I mean HUGE opportunity opens up for Cassie (her being asked to give the Keynote Speech for her company..)and it sends her to Vegas.. who else do you bring but your BFF… and when one drunken night leads to a Kiss and sooooooo much more..
I seriously loved this story.. and I can not wait to see what the author has in store for us with this series.
Gail – Night

I think I was expecting more from this book --- sports romances are one of my favorite tropes --- but this story fell a little flat for me.

Chase, the H, isn't as much of an a-hole as the blurb makes him out to be. He's, in fact, a pretty darn nice guy. I loved that he has 2 dads and he's so proud of it. Cassie, I didn't like as much.

I wish there were more snark, more fun banter, more push-and-pull, and more flirting. Also, there's not enough hockey in it to suit my tastes.

Overall, it's still a pretty cute story but it left me wanting more.

Chase and Cassie are best friends and have been since undergrad. Even though Chase is now a hotshot hockey player, they are still best friends and Cassie calls him out on his shit. However, Chase has a weakness for Cassie and wants to be more than friends. However, because Cassie shows now interest in Chase, he settles with what he can get - being friends. After Chase goes with Cassie to Vegas their friendship is forever changed.

I LOVE hockey player romances, they are my weakness, but this romance had me wanting. I loved Chase and Cassie's dynamic and found the two fun and easy to picture. However, the book had me wanting more hockey. The book takes place during the very end of Chase's season and then the off season. It almost wasn't necessary for him to be a hockey player he could have been any kind of hunk. My next criticism is purely based on my taste - there was too much sex in the book. Now, I understand that romances often have sex and I am usually all for it, but in this case the sex scenes felt too often and although they were steamy stalled the book a bit for me. Overall though, I did enjoy this book and it did keep me up until 2am last night to finish it. Cassie and Chase are perfectly matched in many ways and it was fun to watch their relationship unfold.

Chase, the bad boy of hockey, has had feelings for Cassie, his best friend, for years. It's getting harder and harder for him to hide and fight his feelings. When an opportunity presents itself, will Chase reveal his feelings? Would pursuing a relationship with his best friend ruin their incredible friendship?

This is such a fun friends to lovers story! Chase and Cassie have such a great dynamic and their fun wit and banter made the story exciting.

The writing is great and really showed how close Chase and Cassie are by their interactions, so I really didn't need to constantly hear they are best friends, as you can see and feel how close they are every time they were together. Their bond is great and I loved their comradery. They are so much fun together and you could feel their chemistry. The beginning is great and leads to much anticipation.

I really enjoyed Chase! He's such a great character, he brings so much fun! Not to mention he's caring and an all-around great guy. And just maybe Cassie is blind to his actions and the way she perceives certain aspects of him.

I loved how the chapters started with a portion of an interview with Chase and how it ties into the story and the way the story wraps up. This story is fun, dramatic, steamy, and it makes you laugh. I really enjoyed it.

Chase and Cassie have been friends for years. They are always there for one another and have been a constant in each others lives for nine years now. There have always been feelings there on Chase's part but he hasn't acted on them out of fear that Cassie may not feel the same. While Chase is quite aware of his feelings, Cassie has always thought of Chase as a friend. She never thought anything of it. Cassie is a successful businesswoman who is moving up the ladder at her job. Chase is a hockey star in his own right and plays for a major team. What was supposed to be a fun work trip, ended up changing the entire course of their relationship.

The dual point of view was so crucial for this book! We got to see how Chase felt through his own eyes and not what Cassie may have interpreted it as. Chase and Cassie were both such lovable characters. I honestly envied their friendship because they were at ease with one another constantly. My only gripe with this book was the situation in Vegas. The writer handled it well but I wasn't a fan of that aspect of the story. Other than that, the author wrote a great story about friends who turn into lovers.

Two best friends fall in love. You may have read a book or two like this in the past, but this one kept you engaged and wanting more. Definitely a great book, can't wait for the next in the series! www.goodreads.com

I love finding new-to-me authors! And I LOOOOOVED this book! This book seriously packed a punch and held me completely captivated. As in, I didn't want to do anything else except devour this book! I love a good friends to lovers book and this one was exceptional! I enjoyed how Nicole brought the reader in on their friendship and expounded on it so that we had a good sense of their relationship, before things got HOTT!
I enjoyed the ease Chase and Cassie had with one another, but a friendship after so many years would do that for them. They know the good and bad things about each other, but yet they were still a part of each other's lives. I liked watching how things started to shift for them. And that pivotal moment that changes everything was quite amusing. I could picture it perfectly and found myself laughing out loud at what was happening.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Chase and Cassie totally lie to themselves and each other. Neither wanted to hurt the other one, but we saw the internal struggle they were having. They didn't want to ruin their great friendship, therefore they were at a standstill. But their love and compassion for one another only grew stronger. GAH! The FEELS in this book were real, ya'll! I loved how they bickered with one another or gave each other grief, but they were their biggest supporters of each other and were there when the time warranted it. I wanted to wrap myself in Nicole's words and now I have to deal with this book hangover ... I don't want to read anything else, I'm still dealing with living in Chase and Cassie's world and I don't want it to be over! Looking forward to more in this series. I can't recommend this book enough! Be sure to grab your copy on Oct. 3 or just go ahead and preorder now!

It's as steamy as expected but I thought more development was needed with the romance.

I am a big fan of Best-Friends-turn-to-lovers trope and this one didn't disappoint! I want me some Chase that is all I have to say!

Cassie and Chase were both developed and underdeveloped. I wished through the whole novel that we had a little more background information on their friendship that started 7 years ago. I really did like the plot for this novel but feel that the author could've developed the characters a little more - then my review would've been bumped to at least 4 stars. I give this easy, light-hearted read 3 stars. I also felt that Cassie forgave Chase a little too easily at times for someone who was supposed to be denying her feelings for him. Overall, I enjoyed this quick read and look forward to other novels by this author. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review!

Bad Reputation is the first book I read from Nicole Edwards - The cover attracted me and the plot was a temptation.

Chase and Cassie are friends since forever - long before Chase became a famous hockeyplayer. Long before Cassie became the most rising star in her company. But they never were a couple. Both thought it wouldn´t be a good idea. Because - you know - friendship lasts forever - and love and passion is just a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity.

But one trip to Las Vegas, some drunken nights - and everything changes. Fortunately or unfortunately not everything what happened in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas....

I do not want to spoiler - but I think it 's OK to say – of course they get their HEA.

While I found the two-thirds of the book could be tightened a little bit, I got the impression that the last third rushed to come to the point and to detangle the strings.

There were some situations where I thought the protagonists acts very absurd regarding their usual behaviour – they acted implausible – but – who cares – it is fiction!

Both main characters were well written and very lovable (although you want to strangle them sometimes!), but I really think, Cassie and Chase deserve their happy life together.

I am looking forward for the next „Bad Boys of Sports“ book.

Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.....

Absolutely Brilliant Read !!.
This was Chase (Sin) and Cassie's story. Chase is THE GUY in the Ice Hockey Arena and Cassie has been his bestie for many, many years. She has been steadfast and loyal and has seen Chase fly through women as fast as he can skate across the ice and that's VERY fast !. Anyhow, circumstances, or I like to think fate pushes Chase and Cassie together in Vegas......say no more !!. Chase has always had a soft spot for Cassie but is she THE ONE who can make Chase want to settle down and give up his playboy ways ?. Well you'll have to read this wonderful Friends to Lovers tale and see !!

I enjoy Nicole's books and found this to be slightly different, but just as steamy and well written.

A Massive Well Done Nicole. Many thanks for this opportunity xx

Later peeps xxx

I have yet to read a book by this author that I didn't enjoy! I would recommend all of her books. Two best friends fall in love after a fun, but confusing time in Vegas. They say "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", but with this story that is not the case at all!

I'll admit it. I haven't read a Nicole Edwards book in quite a while. I love me a good sports romance so when I saw the queen of steam was tapping the sports side too, I went all in. And when I learned Bad Reputation was friends to lovers, too I was even more enthusiastic to devour Chase and Cassie's story.

I liked how the two, life-long best friends were polar opposites. Cassie the shy girl with her head in the books and Chase the athlete with his larger than life persona on the ice. Whether it be for moral support, a place to vent or to just unwind and be who they were, they were always there for one another.

When the opportunity of a lifetime lands in Cassie's lap, it was no surprise she wanted Chase there to celebrate it with her. It's only a weekend trip to Vegas, what could go wrong? HA! What was supposed to be a work trip turned into a work nightmare. Cassie blames herself and the Vodka. Chase blames himself but puts on his best friend hat and does what he can to support a struggling Cassie. That support turned into more than either of them was expecting.

I could see it coming from two miles away but I liked the struggle between the undeniable attraction and not wanting to mess up their friendship. Cassie and Chase were dynamite between the sheets, and against the wall, and in the shower....you get the point. It was hot! Feelings were developed but neither one was willing to admit it until it was almost too late.

Once again, Nicole Edwards has written a book that was equal parts sweet and sexy with just a touch of drama. While there wasn't much sport to this "Bad Boys of Sports" story, it was made clear fairly early on that most of the book takes place during the off-season. I will say that Bad Reputation was a good start to what I'm sure is going to be a fun and steamy series.

Solid 2.5

I almost chose not to finish this book around 40% in. It suffers from a heavy reliance of clichés. It was tedious to wade through them all. ("Bad boy", famous athlete, friends to lovers, accidental drunken marriage, jealous misunderstandings, etc)

There are many times when the author tries to hard to be witty, and it just translates as forced.

The characters were fairly lackluster. Neither of them were particularly interesting.

The heroine's token girlfriend, Natalie, was one of the most obnoxious characters I've read in awhile. Her behavior was more akin to a sixteen year old rather than a mid-twentysomething.

The most frustrating part for me as a reader was Cassie missing her presentation. Author sets up the entire first half of the book with how dedicated to her job she is and how she prides herself on her achievements. Yet, simply because she is told by Natalie "you can sleep when you're dead", she goes along and jeopardizes her career over something as trivial as a night of drinking.