Monday, March 4, 2019

Bad Influence by Stefanie London Blog Tour


He's the bad bachelor who inspired it all...

Annie Maxwell had her whole life figured out... until her fiancé left her when his career took off. If that wasn't bad enough, every society blog posted pictures of him escorting a woman wearing her engagement ring. To help the women of New York avoid guys like her ex, Annie created the Bad Bachelors app. But try as she might, Annie just can't forget him...

For bank executive Joe Preston, his greatest mistake was leaving the love of his life when she needed him most. Now, all he wants is to make things right—and she won't have him. But when Annie's safety is threatened by a hacker determined to bring down her app, Joe is the only one she can turn to. He'll have to lay himself on the line to prove to Annie that he's a changed man. But will their hard-won bond survive the revelation that Annie is the one pulling the strings behind Bad Bachelors?

Add to Goodreads –


Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo




“You’re not thinking about seeing him again, are you?” Darcy shoved the sleeve of her sweater up, exposing her elaborate tattoos. “Please tell me you’re not in self-destruct mode.”

“I’m not,” Annie said, unsure which of the two things she was actually addressing.

She should be repulsed by the thought of having Joseph back in her life. Spitting in anger that he’d waltzed back into Manhattan and was hanging around “their place” without warning her. But the fact was, Friday night had shifted something between them. He’d come to her rescue when she’d needed him.

This time. Let’s not forget that his presence and attention are conditional.

Darcy pulled on a pair of pink rubber gloves and wrenched Annie’s mother’s old, squeaky taps. “Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not thinking about seeing him again.”

The answer should have been an immediate absolutely not, but the words didn’t spring to Annie’s lips. “Maybe it’ll give me some closure.”

“It’s been three years. What other information could change the way you feel?”

“I don’t know.”

“The answer is none. Nothing will change what happened.” She squirted detergent into the basin and Annie watched the luminescent bubbles multiply under the hot water. “Think about the reasons why he might want to talk to you. Stay the hell away. Trust me, your sanity will thank you.”

Of course, she knew Darcy was right. When Joseph had walked out, she’d fallen to pieces. Her friends had helped put her back together. They’d crashed at her place that first night—Darcy and Remi sleeping on the cramped pullout sofa bed—to make sure she got up the next morning and ate a proper breakfast. They’d stood by her while she called her boss and asked for a few days off to deal with it. They’d plied her with wine and pizza and cheesy movies.

They’d gone to the hospital with her after her mother’s mastectomy, held her hand, and promised her that everything would be okay. Things he should have done.

“What are you two gossiping about?” Her mother appeared in the doorway, a knowing smile on her lips. Only she wouldn’t be smiling if she actually knew that their “boy talk” was about he who should not be named.

Darcy shot Annie a look. “Your daughter is harassing me about my charity run.”

Connie snorted. “That sounds like her.”

“Ma! You’re supposed to be on my side.”

Her mother walked over and wrapped her arms around her, her head barely coming up to Annie’s chin. She smelled like lemon and sweet basil and perfume. Like always. It struck Annie, even now, that her mother’s shape was so permanently changed. She’d decided not to have reconstructive surgery after the double mastectomy—one to address the cancer and one as a preventive measure—having always hated her huge bust. But they’d never actually talked about it. And Annie hadn’t wanted to pressure her mother when she knew it was still a painful topic.

Her mother and Sal had always been determined to “protect” their kids from anything painful in life, including their health problems. At the time, they’d hid Connie’s diagnosis until it was decided she needed to have surgery. Had Annie known about her mother’s situation earlier, she might never have agreed to go to Singapore. Perhaps with that on the table from the get-go, things might have turned out differently between Annie and Joseph.

But it hadn’t, and knowing her parents were inclined to harbor such big secrets had made Annie jittery. And untrusting.

Wow, and the hypocrite of the year award goes to…?

“You know I love you, topolina. But you are a giant pain in the ass sometimes.” Connie’s loud laugh ricocheted off the worn linoleum and weathered walls.

“Charming,” Annie replied, extracting herself from her mother’s embrace and heading behind the breakfast bar to gather more dishes. “Let me know when we want to do dessert, and I’ll get some coffee going.”

“Soon. The girls have gone for a walk and the boys are in the garage.” She attempted to muscle her way into the kitchen to help, but both women waved her away.

Connie rested against the breakfast bar. Her once-chocolate-brown hair was now peppered with gray. The lines had deepened around her eyes, which still had a mischievous twinkle, and she wore her signature bright-pink lipstick.

To Annie, she would always be the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth. And the bravest.

“So,” Connie said. Annie’s ears pricked up at her tone. It was the I’ve heard something interesting tone. “When were you going to tell me Joseph is back in town?”

Darcy made a choking sound and Annie froze, her back to her mother as she dried one of the white ceramic platters. “Huh?”

“I ran into Zia Mariella at Costco, who said she’d had lunch with Anna-Maria from down the street, and she had spoken with Petra—Petra who’s married to Tony—whose grandson works for one of the banks, and he read an article saying Joseph is now the chief something-or-other.”

Annie blinked as her brain took the necessary time to catch up with her mother’s story. “Wait, which Petra?”

Connie ignored her question and narrowed her eyes. “Did you know?”

Darcy looked like she was about to back out of the kitchen, so Annie grabbed her wrist, shooting her a Don’t you dare leave me look. Crap. What was she supposed to do now? She never lied to her parents. Ever.

“Uhhh…”

“You did know.” Connie’s lips flattened into a line so thin that almost all of the pink lipstick disappeared. “How could you not tell me?”

“I didn’t think you’d want to know, to be honest.” Annie tucked her hair behind her ear. Shit. This was not a time for her tells. When it came to dealing with her mother’s warpath, the mantra needed to be: Show no weakness!

“Well, I do.” Connie planted her hands on her hips. “So now I can tell him to leave again. He’s not welcome in this city.”

Her mother would definitely freak the hell out if she knew he’d been in Annie’s apartment.

“Thanks, Mayor Mama. I’ll be sure to revoke his Connie visa.” She rolled her eyes.




Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Second Chance Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Annie and Joe thought they were super happy. They had plans that went beyond just their relationship – they had future plans. But when tragedy strikes Annie's family, she has to choose whether to follow her heart or be there for her family. While Joe wants Annie to be with him, he is more upset that Annie decided to stay without consulting him. He wanted to be included in the decision but makes his own decision to continue on their journey without Annie.

What follows is a series of events that lead Annie and Joe on paths so different from what they intended. Annie develops an incredibly popular app in which women can review men to warn or help other women. But because it's controversial, she keeps her identity hidden. Despite the attempts to figure out who runs this site, she has stayed hidden for a while. But with mounting pressure and a stalker focused in, she knows it's just a matter of time.

Joe comes back to his life with every intention of seeing Annie. He just doesn't intend to see her as fast as he does. I loved that she wasn't willing to just forgive him. I know a lot of people will blame Annie for their relationship mishaps, but I think it falls mostly on Joe. He knew how important Annie's family would be to her – heck, they should have been just as important to him. But he was selfish and seeking approval from people who don't deserve it.

I did like how Joe did prove himself again and again to Annie. To show he wouldn't leave again. He became the man I knew he could be and I loved these two together.


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series and I would definitely recommend that you read them in order. Each one builds on the underlying story and this one finally gives us some of the answers to the question we have all been asking... just why does Bad Bachelors exist at all?

Bad Bachelors app creator Annie finally comes face-to-face with the man who caused her to be in the position of having to start dating again. But not unexpectedly, the events leading up to him leaving her and the way that they interpreted it may have been skewed by perception and prior experiences. We can all see that they probably should be together but wow, the chasm between them is going to take more than hot memories and incredible chemistry. There are some really sad moments, as they realise where they went wrong, but hope in that they still could put it right.

Annie's friends come to the rescue, and finally she can understand better Remi's distress. As she comes under fire about Bad Bachelor, she has to decide just what is important in her life, and how to protect herself and those around her. This is a very full on story with a great conclusion.


Mary☆☆☆☆
Annie thought she had her life figured out, the perfect man with his dream job taking them around the world. Then her life comes crashing down and she makes a decision that affects them both and Joseph leaves New York without her.

Now three years later, she thought she was over him until they literally crash into each other and the old feelings come back at full force. She tries to stay away from him but when something happens with her computer, she only trusted one person to look through computer and that one person is Joseph.

Joseph Preston thought going overseas would be the thing that would make his father proud of him, but all it did was make him push him more. Now Joseph is back in New York and the younger CEO in the banking world and still all his father can do is complain. Joseph finally wants to do what he wants and that is to make himself happy. To do that, he must make Annie accept that he is sorry for the way things ended when he left. And maybe they can move forward and rekindle their relationship.

Annie created Bad Bachelors as a way to help with the pain of losing Joseph and she thought it would help other women to find a good man. And she kept her identity a secret until she needed to tell Joseph before he started working on her laptop. When Joseph finds that a hacker is threatening Annie, his protectiveness comes out.

Can Annie forgive Joseph and they both move on together? Or will they be able to remain friends if nothing else? Will the hacker be found out before something happens to Annie? What will happen to Bad Bachelors app? Can Annie and Joseph survive his parents if they get back together?

I have loved this series and this one has been my favorite couple with the suspense added to the story. And the ending is perfect. I would recommend reading this series, but please read them in order so you don't miss anything.


Also Available in the Bad Bachelors Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Bad Bachelor post.


Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Bad Reputation post.



Books that make you laugh a little, and love a lot.

Stefanie London is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen contemporary romances and romantic comedies.

Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and her writing praised as “Elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have earned prestigious awards such as the RT Top Pick and have achieved bestseller status with USA Today and iBooks.

Growing up, Stefanie came from a family of women who loved to read. After sneaking several literature subjects into her ‘very practical’ Business degree, she got a job in Communications. But writing emails for CIOs didn’t fulfil her creative urges, so she turned to fiction and was finally able to write the stories that kept her mind busy at night.

Originally from Australia, she now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels and anything zombie-related.

Connect with Stefanie

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Stefanie London's Hero Appreciation Club



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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bad Influence (Bad Bachelors #3) by Stefanie London to read and review for this tour.

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