I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

Bad Romance by Jen McLaughlin is a stepbrother romance with all the feels. When Jackson Worthington’s mother remarries, he wants to hate everything about it. He wants nothing to do with his new stepfather or stepsister, but then he meets Lily Hastings. Staying away from her is one of the hardest things to do. When he can no longer resist her, they share a kiss neither forgets, but costs him deeply.

After seven years in the military, he is back home, but determined to stay away from his family. But life sometimes has other plans. Now they are back in each other’s lives, but he is determined to stay away. Meanwhile Lily is set on a path she does not want but was chosen for her. I loved Jackson so much. He was so caring and sweet. Lily was frustrating at times, but she felt she was doing what needed to be done.

Happy reading!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Jackson and Lilly are step-siblings. In the eyes of his mother and her father, their attraction to each other is forbidden. Jackson is kicked out, joins the military, Lilly writes him, years pass and then they have a chance encounter in a bar when he arrives home. The circumstances came across as far-fetched. The chances they'd run in to one another. And if he was so eager to escape the hook of his stepfather and the way his mother treated him, why return to the same city. All these thoughts were running through my mind. I tend to root for the underdog and Jen's words painted a picture of longing and completeness that Jackson and Lilly provided for each other and because of this, I wanted them to find their HEA. Lilly's battling what she should do as she's always done what her father says. Jackson pushes for her to stand up for herself. The back and forth was appropriate. Seeing them fight against what they weren't sure was "wrong" or "acceptable" and to whose opinion mattered: theirs or others. My stomach didn't knot, my feels didn't feel out of control, I was just content with how their story ended. I was hoping for more feels.

This is a stepbrother/stepsister romance. There has been a lot of these lately and I am starting to feel that they are all running together. Although this one was well written, I think I am starting to get burnt out on them. Sorry!

Jackson when he was living with his mother and stepfather, was not the best of boys. His stepfather tried to mold him into his mini me, but that didn't work either. The one thing that Jackson couldn't resist though was his younger stepsister. Jackson thought that it would just be best if he got out of town and so he enlisted in the Army. That is the only way that he was going to escape his stepsister.

Lily was always the perfect little girl and did no wrong according to their parents. The night before Jackson was to leave for the Army, Jackson and Lily had an explosive encounter and were caught by their parents. His parents told Jackson to just leave and that is what he did for seven years.

Jackson became a sniper in the Army for seven years, but when a shoulder injury makes his career come to a screeching halt, he decides that he has no choice but to go back and face his parents and Lily. Lily is about to marry a guy that she cares nothing about. When she sees Jackson again, the feelings ignite again. With Lily being a good girl for so long, she is ready to just be a bad girl for once. Will Jackson and Lily be able to overcome the past seven years and make a go at it for themselves? You will have to read this one to find out!

While the story of Jackson and Lily is a step sibling story, I felt it was more of a daddy's good little girl finally goes wrong and not only falls in love with the tough guy bad boy but he also just happens to be her step brother. She also decides to not do daddy's dirty work and marry the man daddy arranged for her so he can save his company. The story was full of conflict, on again off again relationship and of course second chance because Jackson was gone for seven years. It kept my interest and was a likable story.

DNF...too many step brother books out and this one wasn't for me.

I've always had a thing for a man in a suit but make it a Military man and my panties disappear. Jackson and Lily kept my attention and I couldn't even sleep till I finished this book,. I suppose it happens form time to time. I love when it happen, however now another Jen McLaughlin book ASAP!

This is one of my go to authors an I was disappointed with this book. There is a lot of romance in this book but there is more to this book than that. It is fast with a lot of things going on but doesn't get you lost in them just makes it a different read. Would recommend