Disorderly Conduct
The Academy
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4.4 • 86 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Tessa Bailey, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker, brings her signature humor and spice to this new adult rom-com trilogy...
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone…
Police academy cadet Charlie Burns can’t believe his luck when the gorgeous blonde he meets in a bar murmurs those magic words: “Nothing serious, ’kay?” Mind-blowing, no-strings sex with Ever Carmichael—it’s the holy grail of hookups for a guy who’s too busy following in his family’s footsteps to think about getting serious. Charlie’s all about casual…that is, until Ever calls it quits and his world tilts on its axis.
Ever knows that when you control the relationship game, you can’t get played. But for the first time, she wants more than short-term satisfaction. Step one: end her fling with commitment-phobic Charlie. Step two: sacrifice herself to the ruthless NYC dating scene. Yet everywhere she turns, there’s Charlie, being his ridiculously charming self. No online match or blind date compares to the criminally hot cop-in-training, but they’re over. Aren’t they?
If love is a four-letter-word, why does the idea of Ever seeing someone else tie Charlie up in knots? Now he’s desperate to win her back…and a little date sabotage never hurt anyone, right?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A no-strings-attached physical arrangement takes a turn for the messy and coercive when police academy cadet Charlie Burns and caterer Ever Carmichael begin navigating a complex relationship. He's all but married to his work, and she lives by a "30 days and it's over" relationship credo passed down by her mother. When they break up at the end of the allotted month, Charlie realizes he wants more from Ever. His strategy: act as her friend, sabotage any other dates she goes on, and catfish her online in another persona, all to win her affections for good. Meanwhile, Ever, now searching for true love, remains susceptible to Charlie's physical charms; they wind up in bed frequently, despite being "just friends." The end goal is a traditional romantic happily-ever-after, but this particular story seems more like a cautionary tale of an obsessive stalker with rage issues (such as assaulting a fellow cadet) and a brainwashed victim who's far too willing to forgive his excesses and trespasses. Bailey (Too Hard to Forget) packs this story with copious scenes of steamy sex, powerful chemistry between the leads, and enjoyable supporting characters, but they don't mitigate the abusive aspects.
