Bad Reputation

June 11, 2018
London capably follows Bad Bachelor with this frothy, spicy contemporary in which a gossipy dating app wreaks havoc. Playboy Wes Evans comes from Manhattan dance royalty, but he’s determined to make his own success with an offbeat ballet production his family doesn’t support—until the notorious Bad Bachelors app strikes, spreading rumors about his impressive physical endowment. Soon a key investor steps back from supporting Wes’s show. Quirky ballerina Remi Drysdale fled her native Australia after a devastating betrayal. After several flopped auditions, she’s convinced herself that she’s doomed to teach barre fitness forever. When Wes accompanies his niece to one of Remi’s classes, he’s immediately drawn to Remi’s quick wit and graceful body, and when he sees her dance, he knows he’s found his show’s lead. Remi’s powerfully drawn to Wes, but she’s mixed business and pleasure before with disastrous results. London’s hero and heroine have impressive depth and her charming supporting cast shines. This fun and heart-filled contemporary will satisfy London’s existing fans and garner her new ones. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary.

June 15, 2018
A creative genius can't fight his overwhelming attraction to the ballerina he's cast as the lead of his nontraditional Broadway dance show.Wes Evans is determined to leave behind the stifling expectations of his Broadway-royalty family and make a name for himself by staging a completely innovative dance show, but first he needs to find the perfect dancer to be his star. Enter Remi Drysdale, who moved to New York after being forced out of her Australian ballet company for having an affair with a fellow dancer. Since then, she's made three rules for herself: "Don't be scared. Say yes to every opportunity. Fun comes first." When Wes offers her an opportunity to dance professionally again, she makes it clear that she won't mix business with pleasure. After this brisk and pleasing opening, the romantic energy of the plot is put on the back burner, with Remi and Wes determined to fight their attraction. The narrative shifts to Wes' fight to keep his dignity and funding intact after a date reveals his prowess (and package) in the bedroom on the Bad Bachelors dating app, which promptly dubs him "The Anaconda." Meanwhile, Remi battles her lack of confidence and fear of failure, anxieties which are rooted in her painful past. Both Remi and Wes have tough decisions to make about prioritizing love or career, especially once jealous rivals enter the picture, but it's frustrating that most of their problems could have been solved with an honest conversation rather than avoidance. As in the previous book in this series, London (Bad Bachelor, 2018, etc.) explores the ethics and perils of the Bad Bachelors app.The behind-the-scenes look at the making of a dance production takes center stage in this competent but unevenly paced romance.

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August 1, 2018
The second title in London's Bad Bachelor series is another beautifully crafted and sizzlingly sexy tale of a man brought low by an app originally designed to help women make safer dating choices. Remi is teaching dance exercise classes when she meets Wes Evans, the scion of one of the world's leading dance families. He's there with his adorable little niece for her class when he spots Remi dancing with joyous abandon and knows she is the perfect lead for a boldly creative dance show he is trying to launch. Involvement with another dancer destroyed Remi's dance career; now reports on the Bad Bachelor app may sink Wes' show. A wonderful escapist treat.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)