What do you think?
Rate this book
Cocky Hero Club
Vengeful Bastard
Sean is a normal guy. Has a great job as a photographer. Drives a new car, but not overly flashy. Has his small group of friends.
Yeah he's just your run of the mill average Joe.
Except, is anyone really all that normal?
The secrets Sean harbors run deep. Stemmed from agony deep inside and a thirst for vengeance.
Melody is perceived as the beautiful spoiled princess that fell for a beautiful, confident stranger many years ago.
Two polar opposites. One night that changed everything without either of them knowing it.
Can love conquer all? With the help from a mysterious stranger, Adele. Who you may all know from a certain Cocky character's life. Unlucky in love herself. Anything is possible.
***This book is in conjunction with the Cocky Hero Book Club with Adele and maybe some of your other favorite Cocky characters guiding these characters through their journey.
Yeah he's just your run of the mill average Joe.
Except, is anyone really all that normal?
The secrets Sean harbors run deep. Stemmed from agony deep inside and a thirst for vengeance.
Melody is perceived as the beautiful spoiled princess that fell for a beautiful, confident stranger many years ago.
Two polar opposites. One night that changed everything without either of them knowing it.
Can love conquer all? With the help from a mysterious stranger, Adele. Who you may all know from a certain Cocky character's life. Unlucky in love herself. Anything is possible.
***This book is in conjunction with the Cocky Hero Book Club with Adele and maybe some of your other favorite Cocky characters guiding these characters through their journey.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2020
57 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Dykes
83 books2,370 followersNicole Dykes is a wife and a professional assistant/mom to two gorgeous girls. Currently residing in Kansas, she’s a lover of coffee, Kansas City Chiefs, and all things romance.
She's found her passion in writing M/M romance because love is love is love. Some popular works include Hostile, The Spark of Hope Series, and The Kensley Panthers Series!
Email at nicoledykes_author@yahoo.com
Or visit my website at Www.authornicoledykes.com
She's found her passion in writing M/M romance because love is love is love. Some popular works include Hostile, The Spark of Hope Series, and The Kensley Panthers Series!
Email at nicoledykes_author@yahoo.com
Or visit my website at Www.authornicoledykes.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
June 30, 2020
SPOILERS!
The blurb peeked my interest, but I got approximately 4-6 chapters in before I gave up and skimmed to just satisfy my curiosity.
First of, just who the hell is the heroine in this story? We have Melody whom Hero asshole slept when they were 16 yrs and treated like trash after making her believe she was special to him. His motto is to sleep with rich girls/women and have a ONS and then kick them to the curb because he had issues with his father who was rich and abandoned him & his mother so he took revenge out on innocent rich women as part of his sick payback to his Dad. Nice.....🤬 Apparently he had "feelings" for Melody and got scared, so he treated her just like any of his OW.
Then six yrs later in the present, before Melody comes back in the picture, he meets a girl (Adele) in a bar, gets drunk and takes her home (which apparently he never did that with any of his women) and f**ks her. However, Adele doesn't go away as one would think of a one-and-done. Nope, they wake up the next day and form a close friendship which both describe as a brother-sister type relationship even though they f**ked the night before. She even calls them "soulmates". This chick would be front and center for the first half of the story and we get more history, bonding and whatnot about her then about him & supposedly the heroine, Melody!
Now, some make ask reading this, what purpose did this OW have? Beats the heck out of me! There was much more emotions from Hero for this woman then he had ever expressed for heroine throughout the story. In fact, I choose to believe that the love story here is between him and the OW and the fact that she left him for OM, is icing on the cake! 😁
Now for the heroine Melody, some reviewers claimed how strong she was and blah, blah, blah. Yeah...NO. This chick who is only 22 and still in college, has not been able to move on from the asshole and all we get from her is how jealous she is of the OW (Adele), though that doesn't stop her from being BFFs with her! 😕
Then the next 50% once Adele disappears from the picture, we have literally a story about their 2 BFFs who have some kind of love/hate relationship.
So now you are wondering what about the 2 MCs story that you know we are supposed to be reading about? Yeah, well, I wondered too.... There was NO story there! Basically, after Adele leaves the picture, Melody decides to pursue the asshole. They sleep together, separate again for some months, she comes back and forces him to have a relationship with her AND even asks him to marry her in the Epilogue! True love my ass! 🥱
Did he redeem himself you ask? Nope. Nada. So I have to ask, what the hell was the author trying to write here? What purpose did Adele have to insert her in this story? He fucks her and then for a guy who we are told doesn't form close relationships with women or sticks around, suddenly finds he adores this OW and wants to become her BFF. And it is not enough that we - and the heroine - know he slept with the OW the night before heroine comes back in the picture, but we have to see him be all possessive, supportive & affectionate with the OW in front of heroine AND have heroine love her too? Give me a break!
Also, for anyone who thinks this masterpiece is still worth reading, you should know that there was NO chemistry between him & heroine, no dialogue for over 70% or more and no redemption on his part at all! He even thinks of fucking OW again for a moment at around the 50-60% mark!
Sean is standing right next to her, and I’m not sure what they were talking about before we came downstairs, but they look cozy, familiar with one another.
The fact that she slept with Sean is killing me even if I won’t admit it out loud. Watching how close they are is gutting me. Clearly, he cares for her. He didn’t leave her lying alone in a park after they slept together, wondering what the hell she did wrong.
Instead, he went on a road trip with her and seems to already know a lot about her.
Am I witnessing the beginning of an epic love story?
Will she end up staying in Kansas? Or will he move to California? Or will they both relocate to Iowa?
-----
I wonder if Adele would be up for a pity fuck.
I’m not in the mood for the usual game, especially after my talk with Melody. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back to my old crutch when I’m feeling shitty.
Sex has been a release for me since I was fourteen. Maybe it’s sad, but it’s true.
SAFETY: Hero DOES have sex with OW before heroine comes back in the picture. No detailed sex scene AND he has very warm feelings about her. There is also briefly yet another OW towards the end who he seems to find very attractive and struggles with the fact that he may want to fuck her too but he doesn't because he is annoyed at her for attempting to use him. (this scene left this reader thinking what if this woman had not opened her mouth and was kind to him, would he have fucked her too at this stage? me thinks so.....).
Heroine for her part said she had 2 serious relationships after she & Hero separated the first time.
Epilogue/HEA: Yes, though very, very disappointing. It shows heroine returning back to Hero after they separated a few months and forcing him to be with her. Then epilogue of 6 months later in which she asks him to marry her. The End.
The blurb peeked my interest, but I got approximately 4-6 chapters in before I gave up and skimmed to just satisfy my curiosity.
First of, just who the hell is the heroine in this story? We have Melody whom Hero asshole slept when they were 16 yrs and treated like trash after making her believe she was special to him. His motto is to sleep with rich girls/women and have a ONS and then kick them to the curb because he had issues with his father who was rich and abandoned him & his mother so he took revenge out on innocent rich women as part of his sick payback to his Dad. Nice.....🤬 Apparently he had "feelings" for Melody and got scared, so he treated her just like any of his OW.
Then six yrs later in the present, before Melody comes back in the picture, he meets a girl (Adele) in a bar, gets drunk and takes her home (which apparently he never did that with any of his women) and f**ks her. However, Adele doesn't go away as one would think of a one-and-done. Nope, they wake up the next day and form a close friendship which both describe as a brother-sister type relationship even though they f**ked the night before. She even calls them "soulmates". This chick would be front and center for the first half of the story and we get more history, bonding and whatnot about her then about him & supposedly the heroine, Melody!
Now, some make ask reading this, what purpose did this OW have? Beats the heck out of me! There was much more emotions from Hero for this woman then he had ever expressed for heroine throughout the story. In fact, I choose to believe that the love story here is between him and the OW and the fact that she left him for OM, is icing on the cake! 😁
Now for the heroine Melody, some reviewers claimed how strong she was and blah, blah, blah. Yeah...NO. This chick who is only 22 and still in college, has not been able to move on from the asshole and all we get from her is how jealous she is of the OW (Adele), though that doesn't stop her from being BFFs with her! 😕
Then the next 50% once Adele disappears from the picture, we have literally a story about their 2 BFFs who have some kind of love/hate relationship.
So now you are wondering what about the 2 MCs story that you know we are supposed to be reading about? Yeah, well, I wondered too.... There was NO story there! Basically, after Adele leaves the picture, Melody decides to pursue the asshole. They sleep together, separate again for some months, she comes back and forces him to have a relationship with her AND even asks him to marry her in the Epilogue! True love my ass! 🥱
Did he redeem himself you ask? Nope. Nada. So I have to ask, what the hell was the author trying to write here? What purpose did Adele have to insert her in this story? He fucks her and then for a guy who we are told doesn't form close relationships with women or sticks around, suddenly finds he adores this OW and wants to become her BFF. And it is not enough that we - and the heroine - know he slept with the OW the night before heroine comes back in the picture, but we have to see him be all possessive, supportive & affectionate with the OW in front of heroine AND have heroine love her too? Give me a break!
Also, for anyone who thinks this masterpiece is still worth reading, you should know that there was NO chemistry between him & heroine, no dialogue for over 70% or more and no redemption on his part at all! He even thinks of fucking OW again for a moment at around the 50-60% mark!
Sean is standing right next to her, and I’m not sure what they were talking about before we came downstairs, but they look cozy, familiar with one another.
The fact that she slept with Sean is killing me even if I won’t admit it out loud. Watching how close they are is gutting me. Clearly, he cares for her. He didn’t leave her lying alone in a park after they slept together, wondering what the hell she did wrong.
Instead, he went on a road trip with her and seems to already know a lot about her.
Am I witnessing the beginning of an epic love story?
Will she end up staying in Kansas? Or will he move to California? Or will they both relocate to Iowa?
-----
I wonder if Adele would be up for a pity fuck.
I’m not in the mood for the usual game, especially after my talk with Melody. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back to my old crutch when I’m feeling shitty.
Sex has been a release for me since I was fourteen. Maybe it’s sad, but it’s true.
SAFETY: Hero DOES have sex with OW before heroine comes back in the picture. No detailed sex scene AND he has very warm feelings about her. There is also briefly yet another OW towards the end who he seems to find very attractive and struggles with the fact that he may want to fuck her too but he doesn't because he is annoyed at her for attempting to use him. (this scene left this reader thinking what if this woman had not opened her mouth and was kind to him, would he have fucked her too at this stage? me thinks so.....).
Heroine for her part said she had 2 serious relationships after she & Hero separated the first time.
Epilogue/HEA: Yes, though very, very disappointing. It shows heroine returning back to Hero after they separated a few months and forcing him to be with her. Then epilogue of 6 months later in which she asks him to marry her. The End.
June 26, 2020
Vengeful Bastard was a wonderful addition to the Cocky Hero Club, and it was almost a four-star rating. As much as I enjoyed this one, I couldn’t quite bring myself to round my rating up.
Vengeful Bastard was a quick read with plenty packed into it, ensuring I devoured the story in a single sitting. I quickly fell for the characters, I adored the way the story developed, and I would love to read more about the side characters to get more of them. As much as I enjoyed all of this, some details felt a bit too quick and never quite had the depth I had hoped for. There were certain things I would have liked to find out a lot more about, elements that were introduced and never taken quite as far as they could have been. It was certainly an addictive read, one I really enjoyed, but it wasn’t quite enough for me to love it in every way I could have.
I’m certainly curious to find out if any of the characters in this one has – or will get – their own story, as I’m desperate for more.
Vengeful Bastard was a quick read with plenty packed into it, ensuring I devoured the story in a single sitting. I quickly fell for the characters, I adored the way the story developed, and I would love to read more about the side characters to get more of them. As much as I enjoyed all of this, some details felt a bit too quick and never quite had the depth I had hoped for. There were certain things I would have liked to find out a lot more about, elements that were introduced and never taken quite as far as they could have been. It was certainly an addictive read, one I really enjoyed, but it wasn’t quite enough for me to love it in every way I could have.
I’m certainly curious to find out if any of the characters in this one has – or will get – their own story, as I’m desperate for more.
Shelved as 'nope-nope-nope'
June 30, 2020Apparently the heroine in this book is a glorified stand in for the actual heroine in the book who is the OW who gets to be the special one in the heros life 😂
Sounds like the author needs to rethink her chosen profession 🤔
Sounds like the author needs to rethink her chosen profession 🤔
June 28, 2020
A slow burn romance that caught me off guard and a new to me author I’m looking forward to reading more from! Excellent #win all around! The one thing that could have been better done, in my opinion, is the past. This particular journey starts years after an incident and even tho the connection to the past is told, I just didn’t feel like I knew enough. That very well could be a me thing LOL I hate reading a book where characters have been introduced in past books by the same author. It is very rare that an author spends enough time on those connections to make me feel like I’m not missing something. If they did, books could run 600+ pages and nobody wants that LOL It was a tiny disconnect for me, but it’s there and it bugged me LOL *shrug* BUT, not enough to ruin the enjoyment of this story for me!
![Profile Image for Amy [Book Addict Reviews].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1572307419i%2F47676940._UY200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 24, 2020
This is my first read from Nicole and I know it won’t be my last. I loved these characters, both the main characters and the secondary characters.
Melody had her heart broken at 16, she was promised the world and woke up with nothing. Sean is all about the games, especially when it comes to rich girls like Melody. He was drawn to her, but treated her like all those before her. Now, six years later they are forced to go on a road trip with their friends. The past is coming back and truths and all that hurt will be revealed, but will Sean and Melody be able to admit their true feelings?
I loved the chemistry between Sean and Melody from the moment the met, even though he claimed he was just playing games, you could tell there was something more and that he knew she was different. Melody sees something different in Sean. She doesn’t see the broken boy and broken man who grew up in a completely different world than her. Their relationship was definitely more of a slow burn, but I enjoyed the ride.
The secondary characters were fantastic and added a lot to this story, specifically Adele. She played a major role in Sean and Melody’s relationship. I love Blair and Rhys and I’m definitely curious about their connection.
Vengeful Bastard is a MUST READ!
Melody had her heart broken at 16, she was promised the world and woke up with nothing. Sean is all about the games, especially when it comes to rich girls like Melody. He was drawn to her, but treated her like all those before her. Now, six years later they are forced to go on a road trip with their friends. The past is coming back and truths and all that hurt will be revealed, but will Sean and Melody be able to admit their true feelings?
I loved the chemistry between Sean and Melody from the moment the met, even though he claimed he was just playing games, you could tell there was something more and that he knew she was different. Melody sees something different in Sean. She doesn’t see the broken boy and broken man who grew up in a completely different world than her. Their relationship was definitely more of a slow burn, but I enjoyed the ride.
The secondary characters were fantastic and added a lot to this story, specifically Adele. She played a major role in Sean and Melody’s relationship. I love Blair and Rhys and I’m definitely curious about their connection.
Vengeful Bastard is a MUST READ!
June 27, 2020
This is a second chance romance of two young people who have been burnt by their past in very different ways.
Sean grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and used his charms to get the pretty rich girls. He was the use them and leave them type. Melody was one of those girls and he has regretted it ever since it happened and now she came back into his life in an unexpected way.
Sean has always been vengeful because of his path and this story opens up as we find these two on a road trip with a few others. As the road trip inches toward their destinations, you see old wounds open up and they both reflect on the past that brought them. The truth hurts and makes you appreciate the story behind Sean and Melody. It's years in the making but it's time to see if they can work things out.
It's short but Dykes is straight to the point and uses a familiar character to sort things out .The real magic happens once Adele opens up the chest and gives her thoughts. It's not an overnight thing and Dykes make sure to dive into the wounds before letting them heal and figure out a future.
One thing about this story did nag me. It felt like there was a backstory with secondary characters. It seem like Sean and Melody had been crossing paths prior to this story. I would like to know what that is about and hopefully there is a book explaining this backstory and the other characters' history. As Dukes can write a heart wrenching story and her side characters just added a little too much not to notice them.
Sean grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and used his charms to get the pretty rich girls. He was the use them and leave them type. Melody was one of those girls and he has regretted it ever since it happened and now she came back into his life in an unexpected way.
Sean has always been vengeful because of his path and this story opens up as we find these two on a road trip with a few others. As the road trip inches toward their destinations, you see old wounds open up and they both reflect on the past that brought them. The truth hurts and makes you appreciate the story behind Sean and Melody. It's years in the making but it's time to see if they can work things out.
It's short but Dykes is straight to the point and uses a familiar character to sort things out .The real magic happens once Adele opens up the chest and gives her thoughts. It's not an overnight thing and Dykes make sure to dive into the wounds before letting them heal and figure out a future.
One thing about this story did nag me. It felt like there was a backstory with secondary characters. It seem like Sean and Melody had been crossing paths prior to this story. I would like to know what that is about and hopefully there is a book explaining this backstory and the other characters' history. As Dukes can write a heart wrenching story and her side characters just added a little too much not to notice them.
July 4, 2020
This novel was pretty good. I enjoyed it. I just sometimes felt that the hero was too much of a jerk and that was somewhat a turn off. Otherwise, pretty good.
June 29, 2020
Vengeful Bastard is a second chance romance in the cocky hero world. Sean and Melody find themselves thrown together 6 years later and revelations and past hurts will need to be confronted. This is a slow burn romance and one that has you captivated by the emotion and passion shown by these two. At times Sean can be a little frustrating and you want to reach in to your kindle and give him a little wake up call. An overall enjoyable story that had me wishing I had read previous books by Nicole Dykes to have a little more of the back story from the secondary characters.
June 26, 2020
Maybe it's just because of the headspace I was in when I was reading this book, but it just wasn't my favorite. I felt like it needed be a quite a bit longer to truly have the emotional depth the author was going for, but it just fell short for me. Plus I didn't like Sean at all -- it felt like he was this immature boy who wouldn't let himself grow into the man he should have been. I hated how he would do the most obvious thing to screw things up with Melody, then immediately tries to hook up with his ex. This just was a miss for me.
However, I do really love author so I will be reading more from her in the future.
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.**
However, I do really love author so I will be reading more from her in the future.
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.**
June 13, 2020
If you are a fan of Nicole you have been waiting for Sean and Melody to get their story (if you a new to Nicole, don't worry it can be a stand alone). Running his usual game of tricking a rich girl into bed then ditching them has never affected Sean until a beautiful blonde has him feeling things he doesn't want to.
This story picks up 6 yrs later when fate has been her usual conniving self and made their friends joint friends. Forced into spending time together some truth and a whole lot of hurt gets spilled.
Does time heal all wounds or just give it longer to fester.
Total tease for Blair and Rhys getting a book cos that really needs to happen.
Also I loved Adele. Funny, witty and vulnerable she is a character I want more of!!
This story picks up 6 yrs later when fate has been her usual conniving self and made their friends joint friends. Forced into spending time together some truth and a whole lot of hurt gets spilled.
Does time heal all wounds or just give it longer to fester.
Total tease for Blair and Rhys getting a book cos that really needs to happen.
Also I loved Adele. Funny, witty and vulnerable she is a character I want more of!!
June 21, 2020
This is the first time reading this author and it won't be my last. This was a good story. I enjoyed the characters and seeing Adele as a secondary character was great. Having said that, I do feel like I should have known the secondary characters prior to reading this book. I am not sure if Logan, Quinn, Rhys, or Blair had previously been introduced or not but it felt like that they had. The author did explain a little bit about who they were but I felt a disconnect. If there isn't a story about Rhys and Blair there needs to be because I REALLY need to know what is going on there.
Even though Melody and Sean were the primary characters this seemed a little bit more about the others. I wanted more focus on them as characters. I enjoyed that Melody was the one to do the "rescuing" in this case. Off-topic, this cover is one of my favorites of all the Cocky Hero Club books so far.
Even though Melody and Sean were the primary characters this seemed a little bit more about the others. I wanted more focus on them as characters. I enjoyed that Melody was the one to do the "rescuing" in this case. Off-topic, this cover is one of my favorites of all the Cocky Hero Club books so far.
June 9, 2020
Absolutely loved Sean and Melody's story. It had me gripped from the start and the way Nicole describes and sets the scene had me hooked. The characters will make you feel every emotion and at times I wanted to shake Sean and yell at him. Melody surprised me with her strength of character that made me love her even more than I already did. This is a brilliant story that you will love.
June 23, 2020
I am not one to normally leave less than 4 star reviews because I know these authors work really hard on their books. This book just didn’t do it for me. I honestly didn’t like any of the characters until almost the very end. I am assuming that the secondary characters appeared in other books and it seemed at times that Sean and Melody’s story was just totally pushed back behind Blair, Rhys, Logan & Quinn. I honestly felt we needed more back story on why Sean acted the way he did way sooner than when he finally explained his actions to Melody.
I also felt that Sean’s “game” should have been done when they were all a bit older than 16. It just didn’t seem realistic in the slightest. I think if the game he played on women (even if he started it when he was this young) should have been showed to us when he was older. I didn’t like Sean at all, I thought he was just the biggest jerk when he didn’t need to be, and I get that he is a bastard but it just didn’t work for me. I did not like the relationship he had with Adele. Their one-night stand turned friendship was just odd and it almost seemed forced. Then when he screws up with Melody (yet again) his first thought is to hook up with Adele again. Even though he kept acting like Melody was where his heart was supposed to be. I was hoping to see one of the original Cocky Hero’s but we got his sister. Just didn’t make sense to me.
The fact that these two didn’t work anything out until almost the very end (like 4 or 5 chapters until the book was over) was extremely frustrating.
This was a very quick read, only took me a few hours to get through.
I also felt that Sean’s “game” should have been done when they were all a bit older than 16. It just didn’t seem realistic in the slightest. I think if the game he played on women (even if he started it when he was this young) should have been showed to us when he was older. I didn’t like Sean at all, I thought he was just the biggest jerk when he didn’t need to be, and I get that he is a bastard but it just didn’t work for me. I did not like the relationship he had with Adele. Their one-night stand turned friendship was just odd and it almost seemed forced. Then when he screws up with Melody (yet again) his first thought is to hook up with Adele again. Even though he kept acting like Melody was where his heart was supposed to be. I was hoping to see one of the original Cocky Hero’s but we got his sister. Just didn’t make sense to me.
The fact that these two didn’t work anything out until almost the very end (like 4 or 5 chapters until the book was over) was extremely frustrating.
This was a very quick read, only took me a few hours to get through.
July 6, 2020
Nicole Dykes took everything you usually get from an angsty romance and changed the game with a reverse fairytale that will leave you laughing, crying, and begging for more!
Sean and Melody have a beautiful story that needed to be told and Nicole definitely brought her A game with this book. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Sean and Melody have a beautiful story that needed to be told and Nicole definitely brought her A game with this book. I look forward to reading more from this author!
June 28, 2020
Our main man in Vengeful Bastard has more baggage than the baggage claim at an airport. This guy does NOT trust easily! This is a second chance romance with a lot of complications included, but there are a lot of layers to not only Sean, but Melody as well, and the story is filled with all kids of feels.
All in all the book is one that will keep you enticed throughout the entire story. It was an enjoyable read and I was sucked into the story and the characters. I will say that I wish there was a bit more backstory with not only the main characters, but also the secondary, because I felt as if I was being thrown into the middle of something. Other than that, I totally enjoyed the book and give it 4 outta 5 stars!
PS: Thank you to Nicole Dykes and Cocky Hero Club and Give Me Books PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly.
All in all the book is one that will keep you enticed throughout the entire story. It was an enjoyable read and I was sucked into the story and the characters. I will say that I wish there was a bit more backstory with not only the main characters, but also the secondary, because I felt as if I was being thrown into the middle of something. Other than that, I totally enjoyed the book and give it 4 outta 5 stars!
PS: Thank you to Nicole Dykes and Cocky Hero Club and Give Me Books PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly.
June 21, 2020
Sean never knew his father and abandoned by his mother but he created a family of his own with Quinn, Logan and Rhys but the emotional scars run deep. As a high school football player for a school in a questionable neighborhood he had a habit of choosing a privileged princess to spend the night with after the game but the night that he chose Mel became a game changer.
Melody comes from an affluent background but her homelife isn’t the fairy tale that others would believe. From the first time that she meets Sean she sees past his demeanour to the person he is but when he made promises he had no intention of keeping it left her bruised and unable to trust.
They never expected to see each other again but not only do they find themselves in the same group of friends but going on a trip in the same vehicle. Will this be their chance to heal from the pain of the past or are they destined to end in heartbreak once again?
Sean is a loyal friend, but he doesn’t believe that he deserves love especially from someone like Mel while Mel has always seen the man that Sean is and now she just wants him to see it as well.
Melody comes from an affluent background but her homelife isn’t the fairy tale that others would believe. From the first time that she meets Sean she sees past his demeanour to the person he is but when he made promises he had no intention of keeping it left her bruised and unable to trust.
They never expected to see each other again but not only do they find themselves in the same group of friends but going on a trip in the same vehicle. Will this be their chance to heal from the pain of the past or are they destined to end in heartbreak once again?
Sean is a loyal friend, but he doesn’t believe that he deserves love especially from someone like Mel while Mel has always seen the man that Sean is and now she just wants him to see it as well.
June 25, 2020
Oh this book got all up in my feels. I wasn’t prepared for the heavy baggage that each of the characters carried. I loved that the heavy topics of foster care, addiction and abandonment weren’t glossed over but embraced as a part of who each person was and where they came from.
Knowing that Sean and Melody came from different worlds made me think that she was going to be a spoiled brat but she surprised me with her open mind and open heart. Sean and his vengeful attitude didn’t surprise me in the least but I was rooting for him let go of his past and really live for the future. The path they took as teens and into adulthood was exactly what they each needed but just didn’t know it at the time and I enjoyed reading as they discovered that.
Knowing that Sean and Melody came from different worlds made me think that she was going to be a spoiled brat but she surprised me with her open mind and open heart. Sean and his vengeful attitude didn’t surprise me in the least but I was rooting for him let go of his past and really live for the future. The path they took as teens and into adulthood was exactly what they each needed but just didn’t know it at the time and I enjoyed reading as they discovered that.
June 29, 2020
A quick and emotion filled read.
Sean is a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy and kind of a jerk. Melody is a spoiled princess. Both are looking for more in their lives. Lots of emotions are brought out in this story. A quick read with all the feels.
Sean is a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy and kind of a jerk. Melody is a spoiled princess. Both are looking for more in their lives. Lots of emotions are brought out in this story. A quick read with all the feels.
June 28, 2020
Another phenomenal read from Nicole Dykes. She certainly knows how to keep you hooked in her world!!
Sean and Melody's story was one that I felt I couldn't put down even for a second. I needed to see where it was going and I wanted more with every word I read.
Sean and Melody's story was one that I felt I couldn't put down even for a second. I needed to see where it was going and I wanted more with every word I read.
June 30, 2020
To the lovers of broken boys, this is the book for you. Nicole Dykes takes it a step further in Vengeful Bastard by giving you a whole group of characters of broken things.
This book will pull at your heart strings and have you on an emotional Rollercoaster from the start.
This book will pull at your heart strings and have you on an emotional Rollercoaster from the start.
June 29, 2020
Nicole Dykes always manages to jam pack her stories with just the right amount of drama, angst and chemistry. I was hooked on Sean and Melody and couldn't wait to find out how their story unfolded!
June 26, 2020
A great addition to the CHC world. With fantastic characters and a well written story!
**I was generously provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review**
**I was generously provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review**
June 28, 2020
I devoured this story. A good book
December 11, 2021
I'd started to read Rhys's book and saw that i was missing Sean's, so I stopped and picked this one instead.
I don't really have much to say about it, because i know that the author had to met some requirements to be into the cocky bastard world, but i think that that's what ruined a little of the book to me.
Starting with Adele...
She's the younger sister of the protagonist on Cocky Bastard, but that's not the issue... I really loved her character, but she wasn't the FMC here and That's an issue when she's more interesting than the real FMC...
She had sex with the MMC and developed a weird insta friendship with him and everyone else in the book, she's too present in the story, even when she's not physically present, says still mentioned.
So much so, that her name is used 131 times in the book... And she's only present in half of the story, while Melody, the real FMC, is used 143 times.
This book ain't bad, but it's also not amazing... I couldn't relate to Sean and Melody as a couple and I don't really know why... The lack of smut was also a turn down.
But i liked Sean and Rhys and I liked all the random shit that happens between all of them...
I'm honestly more interested in Rhys and Blair anyway. 😂
June 19, 2020
Road Trip!
Car- check.
Time schedule plan- check (minus a few..delays)
Snacks- Check buy on route in an actual highway pitstop store!
A fortnight worth of luggage-for a weekend check.
Four companions?
One pampered temperamental princess, with the thought of going anywhere without 5 star review is slumming it.
A male with a hard edge and with an unforgivable glare, but who’s beyond loyal to those from his past.
Another princess, who is soo over finding prince charming and now she’s about to come face to face with her villain who left her in the night.
Then a cocky male, with a checkered past and loves nothing more than to leave a girl wanting more.
Oh scratch that five... add in a guest along for half the ride, bringing her sunshine personality and fun spirits this group needs to help buffer the close tension between them all.
This is sure to be a road trip to remember!
I told her I didn’t remember her, but how could I forget her?
Sean Bennet, life has turned around from the one he had growing up and now Sean is doing well for himself. Never forgetting his roots Sean has a strong bound with his friends. Sean is a charmer with the ladies, rich, posh are his ideal type...and no he’s not after their money or looking for eye candy on his arm…
Even when Sean comes across Melody one faithful night, he falls into his charm offensive ways but, he knows there’s something different about this girl and that rings alarm bells.
Now 6 years later, Sean crosses paths with Melody and now he’s got to spend a whole weekend with her. Will Sean step up and tell Melody how his past changed his outlook on life?
“Any promise I could make her, I would break.”
“Says who?”
“History. My DNA.”
After a sweet night with Sean under the stars, Melody didn’t expect to be waking up alone and feeling hurt inside. Melody learnt a lesson that night and wouldn’t be making that mistake again...but Sean is a guy who leaves a mark on you.
The truth is, I don’t know the man I’ve yearned for all these years. I have no clue who he is. All I know is when I close my eyes at night to dream, it’s his face I see. It’s also all his lies I hear.
Like a blast from the past, Melody has come face to face with Sean again. The road trip with her best friend Blair has been sabotaged by Rhys and Sean joining them...in a close confined space Melody must try and hold herself in check... and let's face it, to hold back Blair from tearing Sean limb from limb.
“I want to hate you.”
“You should.”
“I don’t.”
Take a trip with some characters that are soon to become your new book friends and with a familiar face from the Cocky Hero, this is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.
I was along for the journey, finding out new characters' stories and catching up with friends from Nicole Dykes series. I love reading this soo much! Fun reading and still within Nicole style, keeping you wondering with each page what could happen next.
Sean. The man I knew as Lyric. The asshole who ripped my heart out. The liar. The vengeful bastard himself.
So, get comfy because there's no way this road trip will run smoothly!!
Car- check.
Time schedule plan- check (minus a few..delays)
Snacks- Check buy on route in an actual highway pitstop store!
A fortnight worth of luggage-for a weekend check.
Four companions?
One pampered temperamental princess, with the thought of going anywhere without 5 star review is slumming it.
A male with a hard edge and with an unforgivable glare, but who’s beyond loyal to those from his past.
Another princess, who is soo over finding prince charming and now she’s about to come face to face with her villain who left her in the night.
Then a cocky male, with a checkered past and loves nothing more than to leave a girl wanting more.
Oh scratch that five... add in a guest along for half the ride, bringing her sunshine personality and fun spirits this group needs to help buffer the close tension between them all.
This is sure to be a road trip to remember!
I told her I didn’t remember her, but how could I forget her?
Sean Bennet, life has turned around from the one he had growing up and now Sean is doing well for himself. Never forgetting his roots Sean has a strong bound with his friends. Sean is a charmer with the ladies, rich, posh are his ideal type...and no he’s not after their money or looking for eye candy on his arm…
Even when Sean comes across Melody one faithful night, he falls into his charm offensive ways but, he knows there’s something different about this girl and that rings alarm bells.
Now 6 years later, Sean crosses paths with Melody and now he’s got to spend a whole weekend with her. Will Sean step up and tell Melody how his past changed his outlook on life?
“Any promise I could make her, I would break.”
“Says who?”
“History. My DNA.”
After a sweet night with Sean under the stars, Melody didn’t expect to be waking up alone and feeling hurt inside. Melody learnt a lesson that night and wouldn’t be making that mistake again...but Sean is a guy who leaves a mark on you.
The truth is, I don’t know the man I’ve yearned for all these years. I have no clue who he is. All I know is when I close my eyes at night to dream, it’s his face I see. It’s also all his lies I hear.
Like a blast from the past, Melody has come face to face with Sean again. The road trip with her best friend Blair has been sabotaged by Rhys and Sean joining them...in a close confined space Melody must try and hold herself in check... and let's face it, to hold back Blair from tearing Sean limb from limb.
“I want to hate you.”
“You should.”
“I don’t.”
Take a trip with some characters that are soon to become your new book friends and with a familiar face from the Cocky Hero, this is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.
I was along for the journey, finding out new characters' stories and catching up with friends from Nicole Dykes series. I love reading this soo much! Fun reading and still within Nicole style, keeping you wondering with each page what could happen next.
Sean. The man I knew as Lyric. The asshole who ripped my heart out. The liar. The vengeful bastard himself.
So, get comfy because there's no way this road trip will run smoothly!!
September 3, 2020
a hot mess
June 29, 2020
Sean and Melody share a past. He was great with words and made empty promises. When their mutual friends invite them to a gig in Chicago, Sean and Melody, along with their friends Rhys and Blair, and their new friend Adele embark on a road trip. It was great to read about Adele and her ongoing road to recovery! But, I digress... this story was about Sean and Melody. Both had preconceived notions about the other; Melody's from her past with Sean and Sean's from his childhood experiences. What they both didn't expect was to feel. To get in touch with their deepest, darkest feelings. Once that happened, there was no denying how the story would end up.
Thanks to Nicole Dykes for writing an amazing story that blended so well with my love of the Cocky Hero World! She wrote a host of characters who were multi-faceted and with different personalities that were relatable. Now, I just need Rhys and Blair to have their own story... hint hint!
I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.
Thanks to Nicole Dykes for writing an amazing story that blended so well with my love of the Cocky Hero World! She wrote a host of characters who were multi-faceted and with different personalities that were relatable. Now, I just need Rhys and Blair to have their own story... hint hint!
I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.
July 1, 2020
3.5 stars. Finally a Hero Club book that’s not cheesy, ridiculous, or full of goats. I’ve read a lot of them and loved a couple but the last 5 or 6 I’ve read were duds.
I like the characters. They’re flawed and immature (they’re 15-21 in the story) but not overly ridiculous, petty or generally difficult to like. I wish the characters weren’t so stereotypical. Black male abandoned by parents, rough childhood. Lies and steals to make it. White blonde female is rich and spoiled. Then they overcome their stereotypes to be together.
It’s short and the connection between them was not developed enough. But it was still good. Plus I listened to the audiobook and Jakobi Diem makes everything better. CJ Bloom isn’t my favorite but that’s ok.
I like the characters. They’re flawed and immature (they’re 15-21 in the story) but not overly ridiculous, petty or generally difficult to like. I wish the characters weren’t so stereotypical. Black male abandoned by parents, rough childhood. Lies and steals to make it. White blonde female is rich and spoiled. Then they overcome their stereotypes to be together.
It’s short and the connection between them was not developed enough. But it was still good. Plus I listened to the audiobook and Jakobi Diem makes everything better. CJ Bloom isn’t my favorite but that’s ok.
June 27, 2020
Seriously! What a Vengeful Bastard Sean is! So why would you read this book? Because dont bastards still deserve love? Well if you said yes, then get it and read it!
This is one of those books that you are going to want to own. It's not just the typical man and how he uses women like toys. And it's not the typical damsel in distress that needs saving. Its a tale of learning to love and grow and still be who you are and hopefully find someone that is just as broken, that will put you back together and then wraps their arms around to keep you together. The question is, who is the broken one? And who fixes who?
The torment and passion the fills these pages make every chapter a emotional delight to read. Although you feel like stopping you don't because it's just to damn good to stop. Yeah its completely like that! Nicole Dykes likes to torment her readers but will always make sure it's worth it by the end. . . So keep the vengeance to a minimum while you finish the read!
P.S. there is no claiming Sean . . . He is taken!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book.
This is one of those books that you are going to want to own. It's not just the typical man and how he uses women like toys. And it's not the typical damsel in distress that needs saving. Its a tale of learning to love and grow and still be who you are and hopefully find someone that is just as broken, that will put you back together and then wraps their arms around to keep you together. The question is, who is the broken one? And who fixes who?
The torment and passion the fills these pages make every chapter a emotional delight to read. Although you feel like stopping you don't because it's just to damn good to stop. Yeah its completely like that! Nicole Dykes likes to torment her readers but will always make sure it's worth it by the end. . . So keep the vengeance to a minimum while you finish the read!
P.S. there is no claiming Sean . . . He is taken!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book.
June 30, 2020
I'm loving the Cocky Hero Club novels. This one was a good quick read. Sean and Melody's story was one of those that I was really excited to read about. I've seen them pop up in a couple of the authors other books as side characters and couldn't wait to read their story. I adored the characters and the story development was very well written. I can't wait to read more Cocky books.
Merged review:
I'm loving the Cocky Hero Club novels. This one was a good quick read. Sean and Melody's story was one of those that I was really excited to read about. I've seen them pop up in a couple of the authors other books as side characters and couldn't wait to read their story. I adored the characters and the story development was very well written. I can't wait to read more Cocky books.
Merged review:
I'm loving the Cocky Hero Club novels. This one was a good quick read. Sean and Melody's story was one of those that I was really excited to read about. I've seen them pop up in a couple of the authors other books as side characters and couldn't wait to read their story. I adored the characters and the story development was very well written. I can't wait to read more Cocky books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews