Review: The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad by Cookie O'Gorman

Title: The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad

Author: Cookie O'Gorman
Publisher: Cookie O'Gorman
Published: April 25, 2019
Pages: 215
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
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Seventeen-year-old Sadie is tired of being a good girl.

Her Career Aptitude Test results say she's ideally suited for a career in the clergy (aka a nun), and on top of that, she receives yet another rejection. An aspiring dancer/choreographer, Sadie dreams of being featured on Dancer's Edge—but they say she's too sweet, needs more life experience. Her BFF, Kyle, and her oldest friend, 79-year-old Betty, agree: Sadie is in desperate need of a life makeover.

But she'll need a coach.

Sadie doesn't lie, cheat or steal--heck she doesn't even curse (part of the reason she hasn't checked off anything on her "Carpe Diem List"). Sadie doesn't know the first thing about being bad. But Kyle's twin brother, Colton, does. And he's willing to teach Sadie on one condition: she has to do everything he says for the next month.

A dazzling first kiss, two smokin' hot brothers and a bet that changes everything. In this enemies-to-more YA romance, Sadie learns:

Breaking the rules can be fun—especially when it leads to happily-ever-after.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers. 

I don't think that there are adequate words to express how much I loved this book. I was completely enamored with it from start to finish. I read this in a single sitting. I just couldn't step away for a moment.

The plot of the story was so energizing. I was metaphorically sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting for what would happen next. The story was interesting, compelling, and absolutely filled with feel-good moments. I loved the whole premise and the way that things worked out in the end. 

The characters really drew me into the story. They were so easy to like. They felt very real and I loved living through them within the pages. Colton was the perfect caring bad boy. A book boyfriend after my own heart. I immediately liked him. He comes off as an arrogant bundle of trouble, but not in a way that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. More like he was just confident and sure of himself in a playful way. Underneath everything, he was caring and loyal. I loved the side characters as well. They all added something to the story. 

Friendship had great representation in this book, in my opinion. I loved Kyle and Sadie's friendship. You could tell that they were completely comfortable with each other and were loyal to the other. They had fun together and told each other their darkest secrets. I also greatly enjoyed Sadie's friendship with Betty. Not many teenagers would feel comfortable being friends with elderly people and it warmed my heart. 

The warm and open relationship that Sadie had with her mother was great to see. Her parents were not together but they still worked together since they shared a dance studio. Her dad was present, though she lived with her mother. Sadie and her mom had such a great bond. The trust that her mother had for her was beautiful. I actually laughed out loud a bit during a scene when Sadie does something "bad" and then calls her mom to tell her about it. It was so perfect and such a Sadie thing to do.

This book is a perfect example of how tropes can be written well. There are many housed within the pages of this story, but they didn't even really occur to me until I started to contemplate writing this review. The story was so well written that they don't even really come to mind while you are reading the story. They were actually quite enjoyable. 

The romance was just the type of enemies-to-lovers story that I love. I loved that there was angst, but you could tell that there was emotion behind everything that the characters did for one another. They obviously cared about each other even though they have known each other since they were children and haven't ever really gotten along. The chemistry between Sadie and Colton was so explosive. Absolutely swoon-worthy chemistry, people. I couldn't get enough of the dialogue between Colton and Sadie. 

Overall, I couldn't have been more pleased with this book if I wanted to be! I devoured this book and I can guarantee that I will read this one again. It's that kind of book. It's definitely going on the reread shelf. This really is such a perfect YA love story. 

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- 2019 New Release Challenge
- Let's Read Indie Challenge
- Library Love Challenge
- Contemporary Romance Challenge
- The Bad Boys of Romance Challenge

Check out my 2019 Challenge Page to see my progress!

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I loved the book so much and will definitely give this author more love. What was the last new-to-you author that you loved? What have you added to your shelves lately?