Bad Boy
A Novel
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $0.99
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
“Wake presents an intense, suspenseful, and unusual tale of romantic suspense that will make readers question their perceptions of gender and relationships.” —Booklist (starred review)
A “fast-paced, mind-bending romantic thriller” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a transgender vlog star who struggles with a past that continues to haunt him as he sets out to prove that he’s not a “bad boy,” but something else entirely: a good man.
Vlog star Renard Grant has nothing to prove: he’s got a pretty face, chiseled body, and two million adoring video subscribers. Plus scars on his chest and a prescription for testosterone. Because Ren is transgender: assigned female at birth, living now as male. He films his transition and shares it bravely with the world; his fans love his honesty and positivity.
But Ren has been living a double life.
Off-camera, he’s Cane, the muscle-bound enforcer for social justice vigilante group Black Iris. As Cane, he lets his dark side loose. Hurts those who prey on the disempowered. Indulges in the ugly side of masculinity. And his new partner, Tamsin Baylor, is a girl as rough and relentless as he is. Together, they terrorize the trolls into silence. But when a routine Black Iris job goes south, Ren is put in the crosshairs. Someone is out to ruin his life. He’s a bad boy, they say, guilty of what he punishes others for. Just like every other guy: at heart, he’s a monster, too.
Now Ren’s got everything to prove. He has to clear his name, and show the world he’s a good man. But that requires facing demons he’s locked away for years. And it might mean discovering he’s not such a good guy after all.
Elliot Wake has written a “searingly modern game of cat and mouse” (L.S. Hilton, New York Times bestselling author) that “compels readers to question their conceptions about gender and desire” (Publishers Weekly). Darkly humorous and evocatively sexy, Bad Boy is romantic suspense at its finest.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wake (Cam Girl, as Leah Raeder) delivers a provocative and sexually charged novel of vengeance and betrayal set in Chicago. Renard "Ren" Grant, a popular YouTube vlogger, publicly details his intensely emotional gender transition (with echoes of Wake's own social media chronicles on the subject). But he has a secret life as well, as part of Black Iris, a social-justice group whose mission is to stop abusive men from terrorizing women. When a new assignment goes wrong, Ren is put on suspension, and an attractive new group member seems set to take his place. But soon Ren finds himself framed for rape, and he isn't sure whom to trust the members of Black Iris, his former best friend, or the woman he's falling in love with. Ren can only be certain that a dark character from his past has returned and someone is out to destroy him. This erotic and suspenseful tale offers illuminating and often heartbreaking insight into the psychology of its transgender protagonist and compels readers to question their conceptions about gender and desire.
Customer Reviews
Thank You, Elliot
Thank you, once again, for a fantastic read. Not only was the plot entertaining and riveting, the characters vivid, and your prose as usual like painting with words, but being in Ren's head was a true gift. Thank you for being you and writing.
Whoa.
Whoa. 4-4.5 stars. When you are so excited because you get To read a book you've been dying for early and then you finish it and need to discuss it but can't because your friends can't read it til December... Yep. That's me right now. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for honest feedback. This book starts and throws you right in the middle of black iris. Technically, you should be able to read this without reading Black Iris and Cam Girl, but I wouldn't. At least read Black Iris because it seems like it would be confusing as hell to get thrown into this world and not know the back story. I needed a refresher. But I loved being back at umbra and seeing all of these characters again. It was pretty freaking cool. And I loved Ren. When we are first introduced to him, he immediately felt lighter than some of Wake's other characters. His voice was more playful, which was a great contrast to the serious subject matter. Obviously, he's not all sunshine and rainbows. He's complex and raw and beautifully flawed. There were so many times I wanted to shout No! at him. Like how you scream at the girl in the horror movies. But I wanted to scream at his thoughts. Even though I always understood him I wanted to be like "don't think that!" And "don't go there". Lol. Anyway, moving on... There was plenty of suspense, twists, and mind-f*ckery. I loved it. And I loved the way his personal story and the plot were woven together. There's only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars, and that's some of the plot points concerning black iris still don't add up in my head. I know it's supposed to be twisty and confusing but those few things won't stop nagging at my brain. Which is why I need to discuss this...like yesterday...lol! So we'll see how I feel about this after I have a chance to discuss with friends. Part of me wants to up it to 5 stars bcuz the characters have really stayed with me. Will edit if needed :)