This book had great potential but it fell a little short to me. I did enjoy the narrator of the audiobook. The only negative was that it was a little hard to follow. Each chapter should have been more clear on who was speaking. Overall a pretty good book though! Would read more from this author.

This was such a fun read! I live for women who slay their public life and who aren’t afraid of any man. BUT they also are a serial killer on the side for fun. Saffy is one of my favorite characters ever!
The ‘justice system’ serves a lot of purposes but one of them is rarely justice. Especially when it comes to rich white powerful and awful men. I love any book at is from a strong independent women. Is Saffy a psychopath? Absolutely! But is she also intelligent, sophisticated, and irresistible? Also yes. In her defense, the world is definitely better off without these men and saved your tax dollars at the same time.. (FBI please don’t read this)
One of my new favorite trope is a psychopath trying to fall in love.
The only reason this is not a five star for me is because the ending didn’t have that last shocking OMG feeling like I was anticipating the entire book.

If you loved the Mind Fuck Series or the Dr. Gretchen White series by Brianna Labuskes, you will love this book. Do psychopaths get along with each other? I’m not sure but I would love a book where Saffy visits the States and helps Dr. Gretchen White solve cases!

I received the audio book from NetGalley. The narration was done by Nathalie Buscombe and she was perfect for this book. She gave the perfect sophisticated, partly (always) annoyed by people tone I would 100% expect from Saffy.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an arc of Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen!

I loved this audiobook. Saffy is an extremely confident woman, aware that she has some skills that others absolutely do not. Her fierce love for her sister and desire to keep her safe since childhood is commendable. What this protective nature turns her into is bizarre, yet completely normal for Saffy. Jon is a loveable character and I was surprised that he didn't realize what was happening or who Saffy truly is. But, then again, he's not a detective. I definitely saw the killer coming but it did not impact my enjoyment of this book. It was enjoyable to listen to, even if Saffy's valley girl accent was a little bit too much at times.

I highly recommend this book for murder mystery readers and those who want a bad-ass heroine/villain? You decide.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book!

absolute banger of a book! not only do we get a female serial killer mc on the sociopathic spectrum, but a well blended in romance and mystery that keeps you waiting for more on the edge of your seat! and, with that ending, this book is easily in my top 5 for this year so far! a must read for all!

Love love love. Loved being in this girls brain while she was murdery. And I actually liked the romance and seeing it play out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced, easily listen and despite the characters being bland and beige (Jonathan) or incredibly annoying (Saffy), it's somehow an enjoyable listen.

The plot is fairly predictable, thanks to the random inclusion of the villain who then disappears never to be seen again until the end of the book. However that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

My main issue with this book was the amount of saliva which could be heard from the narrator which left me feeling uncomfortable for the first half of the listen.

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.