90210 was something I was able to share with my tween daughters. Of course, like everyone else, Dylan was my favorite. I watched Luke Perry mature and "seem" like someone we could all like. Many times, in Hollywood, people are not who they seem. I don't think this is the case here. I remember reading a book by the late Leslie Jordan, and he also said Luke was a nice guy (and good looking to boot.)
That mid-west work ethic shines through (my family is from Ohio, so I know all about this.)
I learned things about Luke and the show that I hadn't known. I loved reading the anecdotes others said about him, the honesty about some of the conflict on the sets, etc.
I am certain I would've liked being Luke Perry's friend.
That said, this novel was unique as the chapters are split being about Luke, and about the author. Initially, I thought there would be more weaving of that time, but the chapters about the author were memoir like, and I think this will throw some readers off.
I skipped through some of the "memoir" portions but savored all the rest. I also would've loved to see photos added to the book, which is normal for a "biography."
Thank you to Simon & Schuster as well as NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Simon and Schuster provided an early galley for review.

By the Fall of 1990 when 90210 debuted, I was already in my mid-twenties and married. My high school (and college days) were well behind me. Still, my wife and I both found this show entertaining and tuned in weekly. Perry was just one of the many acting draws in the cast. And in 2017 when Riverdale debuted, I was also right on board (even though I was well into my fifth decade). What can I say? I have a Peter Pan syndrome.

I enjoyed looking into Perry's life and learning details I had not previously known. I savored details about auditions and behind the scenes exploits from various television and movie sets. The focus on moments from episodes gave me a longing to revisit shows I have not watched in several decades.

And though not as many people of the industry or Luke's family were interviewed for this book, those that did share their memories ended up painting the picture of a well-liked, hard-working, and supportive individual. I came away with a better understanding of who he was from those who interacted with him in all walks of life.

What makes this book different, though, is Wappler's supplementing of his biographical journey with slices from her own life (tacked on to the end of each chapter). It is a little jarring at first, throwing the rhythm a bit. However, it soon settles in well enough and provides the supportive "...and How a Generation Grew Up" part of the book's tagline. I did notice, though, that quite often a chapter is more about her life than it was about Perry. Some readers might see this as padding a book; a thicker tome always has a perceived increased value.

I watched Luke as Dylan on Beverly Hills, 90210 and my daughters watched him in Riverdale. I loved learning about his background in this book and the stories from people who knew and loved him. I skipped over the author's parts and thought it was distracting and unnecessary.

This book was ok. I used to watch Beverly Hills 90210 when I was younger. This is the second book I have read about one of the stars of the show. I loved reading about Luke Perry's life. What I didn't like , is the author's commentary on her life. I think think this book would be better without it. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read A Good Bad Boy because I was a huge fan of 90210. Now I'll be honest I was team Brandon, never one to go for the bad boy type lol I loved the show so much that I remember being in labor with my first daughter and watching 90210 and then giving birth to her right after Melrose place. It's always interesting to read the behind the scenes gossip and get all the 411 about how a show was made. Did you know that Luke and Shannon didn't get along? They both respected each other as actors but had very different work ethics and butted heads quit a bit. I also thought it was interesting to learn Luke wouldn't have been cast for the show but Aaron Spelling offered to pay his salary himself because he believed Luke was perfect for the part.
I really enjoyed reading the book and getting to learn about Luke and his life after the show. His passion for animals and people in general, he seemed like such a down to earth genuine guy. The book was set to release exactly 5 years after Luke's passing and I thought Margaret Wappler did an amazing job at sharing stories about this amazing man. I think he would be very proud to have a book about his life and what a nice gift for his two children who lost their father at a young age.
You don't have to be a Luke Perry fan to read the book, you will learn a lot about Hollywood and even more about a very humble and generous man.

I enjoy biographies and autobiographies, so I was delighted to get a copy of this book. While I enjoyed learning about Luke's life, I didn't enjoy the alternating chapters. In fact, I was unable to finish the book as a result.

Since I'm not the target reader, I will not share my review on other sites. I feel that would not be fair. Thank you to the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this book.

I was thrilled to see this book and have a chance to review. I feel like I grew up with Luke Perry and his friends in the 90210. While I loved reading the stories that involved him and his life I wasn’t expecting so much of the authors life mixed in. Overall a good read though and reminded me why I miss his bright talent.

As a Gen Xer, I was excited to learn of this book. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed learning the sweet stories about Luke, I struggled with the alternating chapters of the author's memoir.

Thank you, Simon & Shuster and NetGalley, for the eARC.