Bad Boy Bachelor Claus
by Ali Parker & Weston Parker
My review:
“Bad Boy Bachelor Claus” is a fun, holiday themed romantic comedy from authors Ali Parker and Weston Parker that can really be enjoyed at any time of year.
Chadwick is a guy who really likes to party, and a ladies’ man who truly enjoys being a wealthy bachelor. He’s not a degenerate though. He loves his dad and has great respect for the family business, Bamford’s. Tinsely has had to work hard for everything she has, and it’s been that way her whole life. She’s a young woman who adores Christmas, and she gets tremendous happiness from her job as the head of the events team at Bamford’s. She’s worked her way up through the company for a decade, since she was just 18, her hard work and enthusiasm paving her way.
When Chadwick’s father decides he’s going to retire, he makes the announcement on December 1st. He also announces that Chadwick is going to have to literally step into the Santa Suit and spend the month immersed in the joy of the holidays that Bamford’s tries to represent. Every Santa needs a capable elf as backup. When Tinsely is assigned the dreaded role of Chadwick’s elf, there’s nothing she can do except put on her jingly elf accessories and try to be enthusiastic about the huge amount of time she has to spend with Chadwick. It’s going to be tough for several reasons, including the feelings he brings out in her every time she sees him – an exciting combination of irritation, lust, and something she can’t quite figure out. Chadwick is thrilled to have the beautiful Tinsley by his side. He always reacts to her in ways he never reacts to anybody else. Although he doesn’t understand it, he absolutely likes it.
Chadwick and Tinsley have known one another for a decade so this isn’t an ‘instant’ anything story, yet the excitement of their new connection somehow does make it almost feel like one. The chemistry between them practically lights up the pages. Yes, part of that is steamy and hot, but part of it is also shown by great dialogue, banter and humor. I don’t want to give plot details but there are multiple times when Chadwick steps up and shows himself to be more than ‘just’ eye candy. A couple of those examples include how he deals with bad behavior by a talk show host, and by one of Tinsley’s friends at work. Both main characters evolved and changed for the better during the short time frame of this story. It was special to read this shortly before Christmas, but it will be just as good to revisit it in the heat of the summer.