I'm not sure if I would call Saffy a serial killer. She is actually doing everyone a service by removing rapists, murderers, domestic abusers, and other men from the streets. It might little bit of a vigilante justice, but someone needs to keep those guys away from our kids and fellow women. Her being a socialite is a plus to get herself out of trouble and do it fast.

When she met this new guys, who was a podcaster with a headless body dropped by his door, Saffy felt something moving inside. She liked this guy. He wasn't one those above. She didn't need to get rid of him, but she could help him get rid of his problem. With her vast knowledge in doing the deed and hiding it well, she could help her podcaster to identify his dangerous stalker.

I loved how Saffy made herself someone she was not just to protect her relationship with this dude. She was doing all the cringey things you wouldn't expect from an socialite with everything laid under her feet. Also, I'm not going to lie, I'm very impressed by the description of that walk-in closet.

Female serial killers are really having a moment in fiction right now, and joining the fray is Saffy Huntley-Oliver, a glamorous socialite who happens to be a vigilante serial killer on the side. Her specialty is killing bad men – but then she meets a good man, a true crime podcaster named Jonathan Desrosiers, and her crush on him swiftly becomes an obsession. While she’s busy orchestrating a meet-cute, Jonathan’s marriage is falling apart and he’s embroiled in a police investigation after finding a chopped-up body on his porch. Saffy is determined to make Jonathan fall in love with her, and if that means she has to clear his name, she’ll do it with no hesitation – and no matter who she has to kill.

Bad Men started off promising, with a prologue that made Saffy seem sympathetic and provided a plausible backstory for her future as a serial killer. I love rooting for an antihero, so I was ready to take a bloody journey right alongside her. Obviously, I didn’t expect her to be a good person, given the whole “serial killer” thing – but I didn’t expect her to be such a terrible human being either. In addition to murder, some of her favorite activities are stalking, gaslighting, animal abuse, and emotional abuse – and on top of all that, she’s insufferably obnoxious, entitled, and privileged. She doesn’t even seem to like other women, except her sister, so the idea that she kills on their behalf just doesn’t track. Julie Mae Cohen went to great lengths to make her inner monologue funny and feminist, but the tone just didn’t work for me. I didn’t love to hate her; I just straight-up hated her. Jonathan was likeable enough (and more than half of the book is written from his perspective, which I thought was a bit odd), but he was also pretty bland, and I’m not sure how he inspired Saffy’s vehement devotion.

Beyond Saffy herself, Bad Men has lots of problems. The pacing is weird, and all aspects of the whodunnit are incredibly predictable. And I find it hard to get behind an orchestrated romance that feels completely contradictory to Saffy’s allegedly “feminist” ideals. I loved the premise but the execution was way, way off for me. Nathalie Buscombe did a fabulous job reading the audiobook, which kept me entertained while listening and earned Bad Men an extra star from me. Thank you to Recorded Books for the complimentary listening opportunity.

I have read the story as physical book but the audio was an experience.

Great narration, thrilling and just what I needed.

This was a fun, easy to listen to audiobook. It won’t stay with me, but I enjoyed it. The two main characters were likable and I enjoyed their. History as well as the FMCs hidden sise

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen

Thank you so much RB Media & NetGalley for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
Meet the most irresistible serial killer of the year . . . Award-winning author Julie Mae Cohen’s twisty feminist thriller is lethal and wickedly fun.

✨ My thoughts:
It’s fast paced and full of fun! I love books about women serial killers… it just hits different. Although the twists could have been more shocking, I still really enjoyed this one! The narrator was absolutely fantastic and I loved this story as an audiobook plus!!! The cover looks super fun too. If you’re looking for fast, fun, and an audiobook to get you through your errands, I highly recommend this one!

Happy reading 📖

Thank you so much Netgalley and publisher for the early copy. I was really happy when I saw it approved.
Now, after reading it... I wasn't that happy about it.

Unfortunately, this was not what I expected. It was promised a feminist serial killer story but I got a remixed version of Colleen Hoover's thrillers and the Mindf*ck series. Admittedly, a better remix in my vision.

Saffy felt like a secondary character, and honestly... she sounded like what non feminists think we feminists talk and act like.

I did appreciate some ideas and the narrator, Nathalie Buscombe, did a great job.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up

Thank you RB Media for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS-- Saffy Huntley-Oliver is as glamorous as her name. A trust fund socialite, she's used to leading a double life: wealth on one side, murder on the other. For the last 15 years, she's hunted down every type of bad man -- murderers, abusers, and rapists -- and ended their lives so that women can better theirs. She's finally met a good man: Jonathan Desrosiers, a true crime podcaster with a big following. By some less-than standard methods, Saffy and Jon's lives become intertwined, and so do their passions: killing and catching killers. Can they fall in love AND stay alive?

This book was SO fun and so clever. YAY for feminism in such an unexpected way! Saffy's character was ridiculous in the best sense; she was badass and funny and made me laugh out loud at times. I do wish there were more of her murders on the page, rather than the lead-up to them and the present moment, but what we were given was really fun to read. Some bits of this book turned out to be a tad predictable, but parts were SO unexpected, and all of it was delivered in a great way. I think the ending could have been a little bit better -- it felt slightly rushed and anti-climactic in comparison to the rest of the book -- but the overall vibe of this one was shocking and delightful. I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down!

This was an okay reading for me, although I came in thinking it was a feminist thriller but it was a barely feminist odd story of a sociopathic woman who kills bad men, and enjoys it. I do believe the story could have explored more the FMC and her past trauma, and her reasonings for killing these men. When the story decided to include Jonathan and his life as a murder podcast host, it became a little bit boring if I'm honest.
I do believe that if I hadn't listened to this on audiobook, I wouldn't have finished the book, which is a bummer. I just need more from the story, and as an enthusiast of complex characters, I feel like this could've been taken to another path where I would appreciate the storyline more.

This book is a little bit of everything. Drama, romance, thriller. I enjoyed the banter and that it was more 'lighthearted', even though the subject matter was dark... if that even makes sense? The narrator for the audiobook was a great choice.

Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read. I wanted a bit more 'oomph', but I am glad I read it.

"Bad Men" by Julie Mae Cohen is an enjoyable and well-written thriller that keeps readers guessing from start to finish. Cohen masterfully weaves together a gripping narrative filled with suspense, twists, and turns.. Her vivid descriptions and well-developed characters bring the story to life, making it difficult to put the book down. Overall, "Bad Men" is a must-read for fans of the genre.

On A Mission…
Women on a mission in this audiobook version, well read and perfectly performed and nuanced, of a darkly funny serial killer thriller come romcom. Saffy may well be a serial killer but she is so justifiably proud of that fact - after all, she’s only killing the bad men. Right? When she teams up with a true crime podcaster and author we can only assume that secrets may out. A genre crossing pleasure, Bad Men will have the reader laughing out loud and cringing simultaneously with its deftly drawn and delicious cast of characters and unique and wholly entertaining plot.

I loved Saphie!! I would love to see her come back in another book. This is the first of this author I have read and I really enjoyed the subtle humor In her personality. It flowed so easy and didn't feel fake or forced. She was a brilliantly developed character. I didn't feel there were any major plot twists or mystery but the ending wasn't what I expected. The narrator in this book was absolute perfection. She did such a good job bringing every character to life. I almost wanted more!!! Almost felt like the book was cut a bit short or left something out. Maybe I just liked it so much that I was sad when it was over! Aside from that I would highly suggest reading! I will be looking for more from this author!

Thank you netgalley for the audiobook. This book. This is a different take on a cozyish mystery. It was funny in some places and a little sexy. The narration was done very well too.

Bad Men — ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Okay! My first NetGalley ARC! Thanks so much to the publishers for letting me listen to this before it came out. I was so pumped about this one because it sounded fun, sexy, and thrilling!

This book has Money, Murder, and Mystery! A usually winning combo — but, it just fell short for me. While the book was an easy read with interesting characters, I wouldn’t describe it as “thrilling”

Things I loved:
- the prologue sucked me right in and made me excited for the story ahead
- Saffy’s quest to get rid of bad men was such a fun concept and I loved her inner monologue.
- There were several gasp-worthy moments in this book

Things I didn’t like as much:
- The characters were well developed but the story itself was not. The mystery felt very basic.
- I was never “on the edge of my seat” and the twist was rather predictable
- I was super pumped about the female serial killer but wanted more actual murders from the main character rather than her just recalling past ones.

Overall, a fun and easy read! A great palette-cleanser for regular thriller readers who need a change of pace.

This was like An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good crossed with My Sister, the Serial Killer and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. It was interesting to be in the head of someone who objectively isn't a good person but justifies her crimes to herself. The dual narration worked well with the story and kept me invested in a book with an unlikeable main character. I liked that it was very easy to tell when the POV switched in the audiobook. I think the mystery and comedy aspects combined well in this. However, I will say that marketing this as a feminist book feels inaccurate to me.

This was a really entertaining take on a female serial-unaliver looking for love. There was mystery, humor, and some pretty shocking twists! I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did great at bringing the characters to life.

Gyaaah!! My audio broke at 96%! I ended up shelling out the twelve bucks to get the ebook just to see the ending. That ought to be enough of a review, but I'll keep going.

This was so much fun. Saffy is a sneaky serial killer and socialite who has zero tolerance for bad men. When she develops a monster crush on Jon, a true crime podcaster with a pretty good track record and some sort of magnetism to serial killers... you see where this is going.

As much as I enjoyed this, I'm holding off on the 5-star rating because of what the protagonist did to the dog. Also the opening scene was ehhhhhh not my favorite. Thankfully, that's the extent of the animal and child abuse. All the rest is deserved.

3.5 stars rounded up. Not sure what category of this book, dark comedy?
I really enjoyed it. Very well written. Good cast of the characters, even I kind of disliked Saffy (sorry , can’t forgive her for what she did to the dog). I also expected a different ending. It’s surprised me.
The story is slow down at the middle, but beginning and the last 20% I read in one sitting. Overall this book is good fun to read.
Audiobook is so good. The narrator did a fantastic job.
Thanks to NetGalley and editors for providing free audiobook.

Interesting reading from a serial killers perspective. It was surprisingly light hearted considering the content and at times funny.

Bad Men is a fun take on the trending “men suck and i like when women kill them” trope (very much here for this trend). Our main female character is not necessarily likable nor virtuous; however, I think that made this book infinitely more interesting -but not here for any form of animal abuse 1 point off for Saffy. Our romantic interest and male main character is a complete opposite character of her, with a deteriorated marriage and true crime obsession. I was rooting for their romance to bloom while also knowing Jonathan deserved better lol.
The plot did feel a bit all over the place and dragged a little, but overall enjoyed this debut.
3.5 stars