The Bad Boy Experiment - Reese Ryan (HD #2849 - Jan 2022)

Series: Bourbon Brothers (Book 6)

A steamy fling with an old crush who doesn't do commitment?
What was she thinking!
 
What happens when you say yes to a bad boy? Even if divorcée Renee Lockwood were willing to give love a second chance, she wouldn't choose Cole Abbott. The sexy, successful real estate developer doesn't do commitment. But he's perfect for a no-strings fling -- exactly what Ren needs now that she's moved back home to raise her son. Mind-blowing pleasure with the man she once crushed on is harder to quit than Ren expected. Impossible, in fact. Is time running out before the bad boy bolts…or will the results of her experiment surprise her?
 
Terrific conclusion to the Bourbon Brothers series. Cole is the youngest of the family and the last man standing as far as relationships go. He is as anti-commitment as they come, preferring no-strings hookups to anything that smacks of permanence. He is also the only siblings not involved in the family distillery. Years earlier, he made it known that he had no interest in being part of it by refusing to go to college and apprenticing with a local builder instead. While this created great tension among the family, Cole became very successful in real estate development and construction. I ached a bit for Cole as I learned more about his background. Learning difficulties left him with some insecurities that persisted into his adulthood.
 
After divorcing her husband, Renee returned home, bringing her four-year-old autistic son Mercer. After dealing with the entitled, rich-boy mentality, the last thing she is interested in is a relationship with anyone. She plans to purchase the family's farm property from her grandfather and create an organic vegetable and flower farm staffed by workers with challenges such as those her son faces.
 
I loved the first meeting between Renee and Cole. He didn't know she was back in town and the sight of her left him gobsmacked. They became friends (with mutual crushes) in high school when Renee tutored him in math and science, and to say the geeky girl had changed would be an understatement. But Cole still feels guilty because their friendship ended badly. If things were awkward between them now, they were about to get more so. When Renee approaches her grandfather about purchasing the property, she learns that Cole also wants the same land. He plans to build high-end homes there. Her clever, perhaps devious, grandfather tells both that he will give them six months to prove which one will make the best use of the property. Though not happy, neither backs down from the challenge.
 
I loved watching the relationship develop between Cole and Renee. Though both claim to be anti-relationship, there is no doubt about their attraction. Both are determined to resist it and instead rekindle their friendship. Though Cole has the whole bad-boy reputation, he has a surprisingly soft and honorable heart. I loved watching him find ways to help Renee, both with fixing up her house and setting up her farm. He also connects quickly with her son, Mercer, with whom he feels a slight kinship over similar challenges. There are sweet scenes with Cole and Mercer, who calls Cole "Vroom!" because of his truck.
 
I loved seeing Cole and Renee spend time together. Though she's a bit hesitant, Cole finds ways to involve her in his family's life. It was fun to see how they could all see what was happening between Cole and Renee. As the flames of attraction grew stronger, a chance discovery of her great-aunt's diary led Renee to propose a "bad-boy experiment." They give in to the attraction, indulging in a no-strings affair while maintaining their friendship, with no expectation of more. Of course, both go into it firmly convinced they can keep their feelings out of it. It was fun to see their families, who clearly see what is happening, try to point out the obvious while neither one is willing to listen. After panicking when they realize the truth, it takes a little time apart to realize the truth of what they want. I loved Cole's big moment at the end - trellis + balcony = <sigh>
 
I loved the epilogue. It was great to see the whole family together at the grand opening of their mother's restaurant. I loved Iris's excitement at the new challenge and her homage to the importance of her family. The epilogue ended with an unexpected twist that left me anxiously awaiting the next book.