3.5
Bad Boy
ByPublisher Description
“Wake presents an intense, suspenseful, and unusual tale of romantic suspense that will make readers question their perceptions of gender and relationships.” —Booklist (starred review)
A “fast-paced, mind-bending romantic thriller” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a transgender vlog star who struggles with a past that continues to haunt him as he sets out to prove that he’s not a “bad boy,” but something else entirely: a good man.
Vlog star Renard Grant has nothing to prove: he’s got a pretty face, chiseled body, and two million adoring video subscribers. Plus scars on his chest and a prescription for testosterone. Because Ren is transgender: assigned female at birth, living now as male. He films his transition and shares it bravely with the world; his fans love his honesty and positivity.
But Ren has been living a double life.
Off-camera, he’s Cane, the muscle-bound enforcer for social justice vigilante group Black Iris. As Cane, he lets his dark side loose. Hurts those who prey on the disempowered. Indulges in the ugly side of masculinity. And his new partner, Tamsin Baylor, is a girl as rough and relentless as he is. Together, they terrorize the trolls into silence. But when a routine Black Iris job goes south, Ren is put in the crosshairs. Someone is out to ruin his life. He’s a bad boy, they say, guilty of what he punishes others for. Just like every other guy: at heart, he’s a monster, too.
Now Ren’s got everything to prove. He has to clear his name, and show the world he’s a good man. But that requires facing demons he’s locked away for years. And it might mean discovering he’s not such a good guy after all.
Elliot Wake has written a “searingly modern game of cat and mouse” (L.S. Hilton, New York Times bestselling author) that “compels readers to question their conceptions about gender and desire” (Publishers Weekly). Darkly humorous and evocatively sexy, Bad Boy is romantic suspense at its finest.
A “fast-paced, mind-bending romantic thriller” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a transgender vlog star who struggles with a past that continues to haunt him as he sets out to prove that he’s not a “bad boy,” but something else entirely: a good man.
Vlog star Renard Grant has nothing to prove: he’s got a pretty face, chiseled body, and two million adoring video subscribers. Plus scars on his chest and a prescription for testosterone. Because Ren is transgender: assigned female at birth, living now as male. He films his transition and shares it bravely with the world; his fans love his honesty and positivity.
But Ren has been living a double life.
Off-camera, he’s Cane, the muscle-bound enforcer for social justice vigilante group Black Iris. As Cane, he lets his dark side loose. Hurts those who prey on the disempowered. Indulges in the ugly side of masculinity. And his new partner, Tamsin Baylor, is a girl as rough and relentless as he is. Together, they terrorize the trolls into silence. But when a routine Black Iris job goes south, Ren is put in the crosshairs. Someone is out to ruin his life. He’s a bad boy, they say, guilty of what he punishes others for. Just like every other guy: at heart, he’s a monster, too.
Now Ren’s got everything to prove. He has to clear his name, and show the world he’s a good man. But that requires facing demons he’s locked away for years. And it might mean discovering he’s not such a good guy after all.
Elliot Wake has written a “searingly modern game of cat and mouse” (L.S. Hilton, New York Times bestselling author) that “compels readers to question their conceptions about gender and desire” (Publishers Weekly). Darkly humorous and evocatively sexy, Bad Boy is romantic suspense at its finest.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities32 Reviews
3.5

Cgquack
Created 5 days agoShare
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Amanda 📚
Created 10 months agoShare
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“4.5 stars, rounded down”

Allison Lee
Created almost 3 years agoShare
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“Still not entirely sure what I think. On the one hand, it's a beautiful story of a man finally being the person he wants to be. On the other, it's about vengeance and violence.
With a different ending, I would have been extremely unhappy, but I think Elliot did a great job. I loved being able to better understand what Trans people go through throughout their "transition".
Elliot, if you're reading this, thank you for sharing your story. I've followed you on Twitter and Instagram for a while and seen you transition into the beautiful man you are today. I'm so happy you're finally comfortable in your skin and that you've taken it upon yourself to educate people like me about gender dysphoria and the LGBT community through your beautifully written books. Keep posting those hot selfies on Instagram!”

allisonsbookshelf
Created over 3 years agoShare
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“Thoughts to come.”

Hope
Created over 3 years agoShare
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About Elliot Wake
Elliot Wake (formerly known as Leah Raeder) is a transgender author of four novels: Unteachable, Black Iris, Cam Girl, and Bad Boy. Aside from reading his brains out, Elliot enjoys video games, weightlifting, and perfecting his dapper style. He lives with his partner in Chicago.
Other books by Elliot Wake
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