Bad for You is the third installment in J. Daniels Dirty Deeds series. It reads as a complete standalone with just a few appearances from other Dirty Deeds characters. Although it can be read perfectly fine by itself, I absolutely recommend reading Four Letter Word and Hit the Spot ahead of time.

"He didn't feel worthy. And he was absolutely worthy. Not just of me, but of everything good this world had to offer him. Of love. Of Kindness. And I was going to make sure he knew that for good."

Bad for You is a perfect opposites attract romance. I'd call it friends to lovers, but it was more one-sided in that regard. Shay (or Shayla you'll get it when you read it) is determined to get to know Sean "Stitch" Molina. He's the quiet cook at Whitecaps where she's a waitress. She talks and he listens, at least she hopes he's listening. Once Sean starts opening up to Shayla, she realizes that he's got so many demons in his head and she'll stop at nothing to rid them for him.

"I didn't need to be a people person. I was still a Sean person."

Sean deems himself worthless. "I'm nothing to nobody." He's at Whitecaps to get his life back on track to make up for lost time in his past with his family. He's always had a thing for Shayla, but as he sees it, she's too good for him. When she breaks down his walls however, it's a beautiful sight to behold.

"I'm so fuckin' sick of bein' nothin', Shayla."

Hands down, this is J. Daniels most emotional and versatile work to date. Bad for You pulls out all the stops. J.'s signature romantic comedy is absolutely present but a few pages down you may find yourself crying (I cried and I'm not ashamed of it). Sean's story is just so heartbreaking and hopeful and the way Shayla swoops in to save him is really just...special. That's what this book is, special. It's no secret that J. Daniels is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I always try to read her words completely unbiased, but once again, she nails it on every single level.

This book is more than romance. It's a sweet slow burn with a fantastic ensemble of characters that will make you turn the page until you've realized you've read it in one sitting. Bad for You is unputdownable and unforgettable.

Bad for You is the third book in the Dirty Deeds series and in my opinion it is the best. This is the story of Sean "Stitch" Molina and Shayla. If you have read the others (you can read this as a standalone), you will remember Stitch is the broody cook at Whitecaps and Shayla is waitressing.

Shayla is crushing hard on Stitch but after he rejects her, she tries to let it go and move on. Shayla is clueless to the fact that Stitch does want her but he does not feel worthy of her attention. I think J. Daniels did a fantastic job with Stitch’s story. His backstory was so incredibly sad. Despite his horrible upbringing he has had some good come his way in life. He just cannot see he is worthy of love. I freaking love a good redemption story and Stitch worked damn hard to get back what he lost.

When Shayla finds herself in a bind, Stitch steps in to help her. This leads them to developing a friendship. As they spend time together, Shayla starts to learn why Stitch is broken. This makes the already determined Shayla fully commit to helping Stitch. Shayla goes in guns blazing and vows to fight against Sean’s inner demons and anyone on the outside who dares to hurt Sean. I thought Shayla was a kick ass heroine. She was funny and feisty and wasn’t afraid to get in anyone’s face; including Sean. It was comical that she was so tiny but for Sean she took on the world. She was willing to bury her feelings for Stitch in order to get him to a better place. I have to say the tattoo scenes got to me. I would have cried as hard as Shayla did. You could feel her rage at the wrong done to Stitch and her desperation to make him whole.

Stitch and Shayla’s characters were well written. I loved the inclusion of Stitch’s ex and the relationship there. In addition, you get a glimpse of the rest of the Dirty Deeds gang. All in all this story was deeper and more emotional than I expected it to be. Well done!

Let’s start this review by saying this as a fact: Bad For You is J. Daniel’s BEST BOOK YET. There I said it.

I have been eagerly awaiting Shayla and Stitch’s story since I got a touch of it in HIt The Spot. It was clear from the teases we got that this would be an angsty hard romance but still, I was unprepared for the depth of emotion this story brought out in me. I am torn between gushing over every well thought out and planned detail in this book and keeping my lips shut so you, the reader, can discover all the details that J. Daniels meticulously laid out. Bad For You is incredibly well written. She mixed tenderness, with heat, heart, and a dose of soul-crushing angst (not so much you won’t recover but Sean’s story will have you tearing up in parts).

There were so many hits in this novel for me I cannot even list them all without the review feeling too gushy. I adored how she mixed in pop culture, Snapchat. I fell hard for Stitch, he was so much more than I could have ever imagined. Shayla’s determination had me rooting for her from the start. These were two characters determined to get what they wanted in this life, even if that meant sacrificing in order to achieve it. Neither had it easy but both worked hard and deserved their HEA so so so much.

Bad For You was addicting in the best way possible. I yearn for more. I have been a longtime fan of the author but I can honestly say I am so proud of the depth and heart she put into this story.
~miranda

You know that book that is just so amazing you want to call and tell all your friends to read it? Well, that's Bad For You. I cannot get over how awesome it was. It had everything: humor, romance, angst, heart, emotion, depth...I could go on and on.

I always thought no other Dirty Deeds book could top Four Letter Word. The connection between Syd and Brian that started this whole series was one I didn't think J. Daniels could beat. Well, I was wrong. Bad For You surpassed Four Letter Word by far. The connection between Sean ("Stitch") and Shay was so raw and so much deeper than I expected. Their romance was not light and fluffy. There was so much for them to overcome -- especially for Sean. The darkness they had to navigate to get to each other was heartbreaking. Not that there wasn't humor. There was a ton of it. It's what helped bring light to this book and to Sean and Shay.

My favorite thing about Bad For You is the way Sean and Shay supported each other. Sean's support showed up in the sweetest, most unexpected ways. Shay's was a little more exuberant and entertaining. When it came down to it, the support they had for each other is what helped build their friendship and relationship. I loved the progression of it.

Bad For You is J. Daniels' best book yet! I absolutely adored everything about it. I feel like I can't adequately express how outstanding it was. I guess I'll just close by saying YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!

ALL THE MOTHER EFFING FEELS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just when I think J. Daniels can't outdo herself she does. OH THIS BOOK was just so full of hit you in the gut make you want to squeal feels. My heart literally pounding almost the entire time.

This story was just soooo compelling and my heart is so full right now.

Sean oh my gawddddddddddddddd, my heart literally broke for him. I wanted to jump into this book and wrap my arms around him and bring him home with me. His past is so gut wrenching and it's one of those stories where you so desperately feel the emotions.

Shayla OMG I absolutely loved her, she goes straight to the top of my list of fav female characters. She's so caring and fiercely protective of those that she does care about.

I can't tell you how many times I clutched my heart while reading this book. I loved their exchanges with one another throughout. I don't want to spoil this so my review will have very little detail in it.
But the relationship between Shayla and Sean was just special, I don't know what other word to use here. This story has some ugly in it and it's heart breaking but at the same time as Shayla and Sean spend more time with each other that ugly turns into something so beautiful and did it call to my inner soul.

I absolutely love a romance that has some angst but also gives you the heart stopping feels and this book definitely has that. I have goosebumps just thinking about all the sweet moments this book has. I also shiver at the moments that brought me to my knees.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would.

Bad For You is an intensely beautiful story that will give you all the feels, you will absolutely fall in love with Sean and Shayla's story.

Quite possibly one of the best books I've read in a long time. My heart broke, mended, broke and finally healed. I can't even say enough about this story.

Bad For You was actually a lot more emotional than I went into it thinking it would be. I ended up really liking that it was so heartwarming though and it had me feeling very protective over Sean.

There were so many moments in the book that had me sobbing and just cursing the world for being so cruel to such a wonderful character. Sean really held my heart throughout this book and learning everything he went through had me very passionate about his character. It also brought me a lot closer to Shayla when I saw how protective she was over Sean.

These two just held onto my heart all throughout their story and I loved both of them. They were truly perfect together and I was rooting Shayla on whenever she was there to help Sean realize he was worth a lot more than he thought.

The bottom line is that this was a brilliant story full of some very touching moments that had me balling like a baby. And I have no shame in admitting that because those tears led to a very loving ending that I will be reading many more times in the future.

If you read the first two books in the Dirty Deeds series, prepare yourself for something a little different. Bad for You is a bit of a rollercoaster. More emotional than the others, with a heartbreaking backstory, this book will open wounds you didn't know you had.

Stitch!! I've had my eye on Stitch since he was first introduced. A little mysterious and a lot intriguing, his was a story I really needed to know. I had no idea what I was in for. This guy is all kinds on contradictions wrapped up in a warm blanket of love and self loathing. He's fighting demons, determined to win a war that he's battling with himself.

Shayla is determined to find out why the brooding cook is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder. She's sassy and soft, kind and loving, and she's willing to fight for those that won't fight for themselves. Determined would be a good way to describe her.

Heartfelt, heartbreaking, funny, and sexy, Bad for You is a test of courage and acceptance. The characters were raw and real. The story is beautiful and full of emotion. It has ALL. THE. FEELS. Grab your tissues and settle in because this one will take a hold of your heart on won't let go until you turn the last page.

Wow what a beautiful, and intense story! I have enjoyed this series, but this story was my favorite. It had so much love and emotion. This is a must read. I definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.

I’ve read all of J Daniels books and love each and every story and character. Ms. Daniels writes complex and well-developed characters, deep emotions, entertaining dialogue, and scorching hot sexy times!

I don’t want to give away much of this amazing story, so readers can absorb the magic as the story unfolds. We read about Sean (Stitch) and Shay previously. He seldom spoke, was terribly grouchy and ended up hurting Shay’s feelings. I just KNEW there was a good story coming!

I was thrilled that as Sean fought with himself NOT to speak to Shay and find out what was wrong or how he could help her, he went ahead and did it. It was painful seeing his inner struggles that he wasn’t good enough for her and should stay away. As he gradually helps Shay, he is still grouchy but starting to talk a little more and his personality starts to shine through.

Shay is one feisty, happy, passionate, caring woman and a hard worker. She loves working at Whitecaps as a waitress and also as a hair stylist. Shayla is just so joyous in her offer to help someone in need and she made me laugh with her enthusiasm.

As parts of Sean’s life is shared, my heart was terribly broken and I had to hold in the tears. Ms. Daniels takes some disturbing situations and while they broke my heart, she made me love Sean even more for what he had lived through.

The more you find out about his life, it becomes clear why he feels unworthy of Shay. Shay becomes his staunch supporter and she was like a mama bear when it came to standing up for Sean. I laughed out loud during a scene with a can of hairspray!

There is so much to this story but I just want to share that I felt every emotion from happiness, sadness, terror, fury, sweetness and love as if they were my own. I couldn’t help but be drawn into their lives.

A couple of Ms. Daniel’s books are my top favorites (love Reese and Dylan, Ben and Mia) but I love all of her stories. I think the most recent becomes one of my top favorites and then she manages to amaze me with her talent and I have another new favorite. I read this story too fast the first time so now I will re-read it and enjoy every word and every emotion all over again.

You would probably want to start with Four Letter Word and Hit the Spot, but I believe that you could read this almost as a standalone and not feel like you are missing much about the other couples if you want to give Ms. Daniels work a try. But the first two books are also amazing and it was great to see the previous couples in this book.

This story is MAGIC and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I have an addiction to Ms. Daniel’s stories with the Sweet Addiction books as my first introduction to her work. The Alabama Summer series is definitely a favorite and now the Dirty Deeds series.

The ages of the characters are all in their 20s and 30s but I never feel like I’m reading about people much younger than me. I get lost in the story and the emotions and always want more when the story ends.

I have been dying to read more about Stitch since Four Letter Word and Bad For You did not disappoint! It was emotional, beautiful, sexy and sweet! I am seriously in love with Sean Molina aka Stitch! He was broody, sexy and just everything! I just wanted to hug him! I loved seeing the way he was with Shayla! Shayla, she was pretty amazing and so sweet. I loved the way she helped Sean! They were perfect together! Don't tell Jamie and Tori but Sean and Shayla are my new favorite couple and book of the series!! As usual J. Daniels gives us amazing books! This is a must read! You will not be disappointed!

🎶They say I did something bad
Then why's it feel so good?
They say I did something bad
But why's it feel so good?
Most fun I ever had
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could
It just felt so good, good🎶

I've been sitting here trying to figure out where I want to start with this review and I can't stop singing I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift. 😂 The whole song doesn't fit this story, but that chorus just speaks to me when I think about Sean aka Stitch. Especially the first time Sean and Shay get it on (😍🍆💦💦🍾🚬)...but I'm getting ahead of myself...

My new goal (when reviewing) is to be better about not rehashing the blurb and sticking straight to what I felt while reading, but I would like to say this...

Sean is the strong and silent type (and a damn good cook), so it's no wonder why Shay is attracted to him. Of course those strong, silent types have baggage, and Sean fits that to a T. All this baggage he carries around prevents him from making real connections with the Whitecaps crew. In Sean's mind, he isn't good enough, but there is just something about the adorably kind-hearted Shay that he can't ignore.
...

As usual, I was thoroughly entertained by J. Daniels' gift to make me laugh, cry, and squirm (from all the sexiness)! You can't help but route for Sean to get everything he wants (and needs, but doesn't know it!) and Shay is just the girl to help make that happen. Shay is a sweet little thing, but she's a go-getter and I love that in a heroine.

With any story, especially romance, you're going to have those high and lows to the relationship, and man oh man, the lowest of lows towards the end had me tearing up right alongside Shay... BUT what was nice about Bad For You was that even with the ups and downs it didn't feel overly angsty-- which is a plus to me!

Get ready to one-click this baby come January!

Goodness this book had me an emotional wreck the whole time. It also had me loving people that show kindness. This was one heck of a book. I loved Shayla and Sean, they were each amazing and perfect. The slow burn between them was explosive and hot. It is very well written and I can't wait for more from this series.

***ARC received in order to provide an honest review***

3 stars

I liked this book more than I thought I would. It was a straight-forward, KA-esque story with enjoyable characters and a steady plot line.

<b>”I hadn’t been offered many chances in my life. Not from people I knew who should’ve given a shit about me. Not from strangers who could’ve. If I wanted something, or if I needed something, which was typically the case, I took it.”</b>

Super-standoffish Sean can’t help falling for loud, peppy Shayla even though he has a ton of childhood issues. She’s a tenacious little thing - determined to get in under his armor and help him overcome his crap. Sean barely talks. Shayla talks a lot. Overall there’s a sweet easy vibe throughout the book.

<b>”It was the most beautiful, chaotic thing I’d ever experienced.</b>

Some of the lines in this book felt straight out of Kristen Ashley (but this book was about half as long). The drama wasn’t over the top - I never wanted to smack a character. And I liked perky Shayla. A completely satisfactory read.

<b>”Always doing shit like this, shit I didn’t deserve. Caring for me. Looking out. Willing to go up against anyone if it meant having my back.”</b>

<a href="http://www.alleskelle.com/"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1471716947r/20097901.jpg?v=1471716951482"width="400"></a>

So I haven’t read a J. Daniels book since early 2016, and I’m kicking myself, because good god this woman can write a story. I’m pretty sure I saw the author is keeping details on Bad for You on the “less you know before is more” side, so I’m only going to say that I loved this book so hard. It’s an emotional ride. Beautiful, fun, sexy, and sweet. Shayla and Sean are everything. The back stories, their present problems. The way they come together. Everything.

Agh. Now I’m off to read the first two books in this series, because I haven’t yet.

➳An emotional ride of a love story that will have you craving for much more than just the ordinary...
➳We all knew snippets of the story behind Sean a.k.a. "Stitch" and Shayla, but finally having the chance to read it and know that their love story has so many twists and turns had my head spinning with so much curiosity. Sean and Shay, both working at the WHITECAPS restaurant, encountered upon themselves, and their opposite characters, to be a liking of their own. Sean, being the quiet, very rugged and broody man he is, and Shay being the beyond high spirits and compassionate young woman. After taking comforting moves of Shay talking to Sean, him listening and saying nothing but just listening, and her slowly start to admire his lack there-of actions, she opens her heart towards him. However, Sean is a very closed person when it comes down to his emotions and his past history that has brought him to the place he is at. But to Shayla, he is a man that oozes so much strength and in need of love and compassion. Her love for him never diminished, even after he stood her up after her having the courage of asking him out;

"I wanted Sean. I wanted to kiss him and touch him and God, head his voice more. I had gotten so little of it. I wanted to do everything with him..."

➳After being put in a situation that that has brought her so much sadness, Shayla comforts on Sean again once he unexpectedly offers his help with no questions asked. Her confusion for the sudden help diminishes as well as she soon starts to realize that Sean wants to be her friend. At least that's what Shay thinks. For Sean however, his attraction towards Shayla has taken a place of full force and potential- but to him it is a desire that he has to control as he does not believe that Shay deserves anything coming from him. His rugged past, his mistakes, and his present dilemmas are the reasons and blockades that bring him to that conclusion of not being with Shayla.

➳The angst in this story is one that I actually tolerated, and everyone who knows my reading habits and niches know that I really cannot tolerate an abundance of angst in a love story. However, the fact that Jessica provided a back story of how Sean's present's dilemmas are being brought, and also the problems that Shayla has t go through after the sudden death of a family member of hers, brought so much curiosity to the story and how every page will end, wanting you to turn the page for more and more. This story not only makes you curious, but it makes you crave for the love and admiration both Sean and Shayla have. These are two characters that have you wrapped around their finger with their crashes and burns, but also the achievements and emotional attachments.
➳Every love story needs to have ups and downs, because the perfect romances are not ones that are ideally the ones that interest a reader to continue for more. Unless of course you are one who likes the frisky, steamy romances every so often—which I do, but only if it's Alexa Riley😉. Shay however, is a character that brings so much hope towards the sadness of anyone. Her passion towards her business and the people she cares for is an admirable characteristic of hers that is unique and not found in many romance novels. But when it comes down to Sean, she is a woman who wants to heal him, help him overcome his fears emotionally;

"You deserve love and kindness because you put out those things, Sean. You deserve to feel wanted. I want you. I want you so much. Let yourself feel that..."

➳Overall, this book being the third in the Dirty Deeds series has brought so much love towards the characters that we have met before in the past—and also a curious touch towards the characters that are coming such as Nate and Jenna, whom we actually did not get to read about very much because J. Daniels is a tease and cannot seem to share her ideas with anyone until the time is right. The other characters we meet that have me theorizing stories for them and for them to be part of this series are J.R.—the new cook at WHITECAPS—Lauren—the new waitress at WHITECAPS—Patrick—the son of the owner of the apartments that Shayla lives in—and Angela—a tenant that lives in one of the other buildings Patrick and his father own. However, we cannot forget about Kali and Cole. They were mentioned in this story and were also introduced as a newly couple, but we still don't know much about them except that Kali works ate WHITECAPS and has a son, and that Cole works with Brian and Jamie at their surf shop. Hopefully we get more details on them maybe a small story on how they are doing? **wink wink** Jessica, get writing girl—but this story has so much potential for readers that enjoy J's writing. A story filled with passion and second chances at finding your soul mate, second chances at forgiveness, and most importantly, second chances at rebuilding your life to a better place than what it was before. Thank you to Forever Romance for providing a copy of this novel as I will forever cherish it's story and writing style that I have slowly become attached to thanks to J. This novel can be read as a standalone, but it is highly recommended that you read the previous books in the series to not be spoiled over the other characters and get to know them better...

When you get Bad for You by J. Daniels... you stay up all nigh t read it. Once I started this emotional story, I could not put it down. To be honest, this might be my favorite book in the series so far! It was just that good!

Shay and Stitch... oh my heart cold not take the heartbreak and the pain that Sean has endured. And the things that he has experienced left me in tears. Just when I thought I could not take anymore, J Daniels made my heart break even more for him. Shayla was the perfect person to help him heal and overcome his past. I cried the majority of this book, but it was good tears. I loved every second and every year I shed!

I like this series and I loved this book! Stitch was such a dynamic character and Shayla was so sweet and honest and and I loved that she didn't throw in an obvious plot twist but really focused on their development and their relationship.