ARC Review: Betting the Bad Boy by Sugar Jamison

Betting the Bad Boy
Author: Sugar Jamison
Series: Bad Boys of Destiny (Book 2)
Publication: Swerve (February 2, 2016)

Description: Ten years ago, Duke King knew that getting involved with Grace Truman would only bring trouble into his already hard life. After all, the son of the town drunk has no business falling for the judge’s daughter…a passion that led to disaster and ended with Duke serving a ten year prison sentence. Duke never wanted to return to Destiny, especially now that he’s built a multimillion dollar custom car empire with his brothers. But when his sick aunt calls him home, he must face his past and discover a secret that instantly changes his life.

Grace never thought she would see Duke again, especially after years of silence. But when Duke comes storming back into her life, looking hotter than ever, and determined to get to know the son he never knew he had, she realizes that maybe she’d been wrong about him so many years ago. So Grace decides to make Duke a bet. If he can stay in the house with them for the next thirty days and prove he’ll be a good father, she’ll agree to letting him be part of his son’s life. If not, he’d better be prepared for a fight.

Going from single guy to family man isn’t going to be easy for Duke, especially with the still sexy, now fiery, Grace clouding his every thought. Can Duke be the man he never thought he could be or will his old bad boy ways be too much to conquer?

My Thoughts: Book two of the Bad Boys of Destiny stars Duke. He is the oldest King boy. It is also an example of the hidden baby trope.

Duke, the son of the town drunk, falls for Grace who is the banker's daughter. They have a hot, secret romance when she was eighteen and he was twenty-one. When he learns that she has a chance to go to Dartmouth to become a doctor, he breaks up with her because he doesn't want to stand in her way. She goes out with another boy from the town to try to show Duke what he'd be missing, but the boy gets drunk and makes improper advances. Duke sees this and almost beats the boy to death.

Since the victim was the son of the sheriff, Duke winds up being sent to prison for ten years. Grace is sent away by her father and her letters to Duke are intercepted. She finds herself pregnant and makes a life for herself and her son in Boston. When her mother becomes ill, she comes back to Destiny. Before she dies, her mom makes her promise to take care of her father. Their relationship is not good because he encouraged her to get an abortion when she became pregnant.

Now, thirteen years later, Duke is very reluctantly back in town to visit the aunt who raised him and his brothers after his father abandoned them. She is in the ICU but has some requests for each of the boys. She makes Duke promise to spend 30 days in the town and to talk with Grace.

Their relationship is filled with anger. Each feels betrayed by the other. However, Grace has never loved another man and Duke has never had other long term relationships. The sex is the easy part of their relationship. Duke wants to get to know that son he didn't know he had who has some anger issues of his own. And now the tables have turned. Duke is a multi-millionaire who owns a string of car detailing shops and Grace works two jobs as a nurse to take care of herself and her son. She feels that Duke is belittling her efforts when he spends lots of money on her.

This was a quick read and an entertaining story. I can't wait to read about the third brother's romance.

Favorite Quote:

"You sent me away. You tried to marry me off to someone else. You wanted me to get rid of Ryder."

He looked pained. "I regret that part, but I could have fixed things for you if you let me."

"Don't you get it? I didn't want you to fix things for me! I just wanted to live my own life."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.