Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Bad At Being Good

SERIES: Standalone

AUTHOR: A L Morrow

PUBLISHER: SourGirl Books

LENGTH: 256 Pages

RELEASE DATE: November 28, 2023

BLURB:

No one is good all of the time. Especially me.

Six years ago, I promised my friend Kellan that I’d never mess around with his little brother. I accepted it. I didn’t regret it, and I didn’t think twice about it. Milo Sterling—the good student, perfect son, and promising dancer—was off limits.

But that was before.

Before we went away to college. Before Kellan died. Before I flunked out of school.

Now, I’m back home, and Milo’s different. He’s quieter and colder, no longer a boy but a man. And that hurt in his eyes? I put it there the night I failed to save Kellan’s life. I have a lot to make up for. Falling for Milo, no matter how much I want him, would be one more thing to add to my list.

But promises are meant to be broken, and if there’s one thing I’m bad at, it’s being good.

Bad at Being Good is a best friend’s brother/brother’s best friend (dual POV) M/M romance featuring hurt/comfort, found family, coping with grief, and—of course—a happily ever after. Readers are advised to check the Author’s Note for content sensitivities.

REVIEW:

In New England, a grief-stricken Milo is at the hospital with his mother and brother’s best friend, Benji, following the accidental death of his brother, Kellan. A year later, Benji is flunking out of university and has ghosted Milo, which the man feels guilty about. On the other hand, Milo, despite being hurt by Benji’s actions, still harbors feelings that were years in the making.

Bad at Being Good was an amazing coping-with-grief read where I was in tears from beginning to end. So why not give it five hearts? It was because I was in tears from beginning to end. Instead of ‘I dream of Genie’, Milo has a case of ‘I dream of Benji’. So, have a new, large box of tissues to hand before settling in to read as once started, it’s like a packet of Hobnobs or container of Maltesers; you can’t stop till there’s no more. You might need the chocolate, too, between the hiccupping sobs.

The story is told in the first person from the viewpoints of Milo and Benji. Worldbuilding is a mixture of memories, coping with life, and a tennis match between guilt and horny, grief and sex.

Milo is a ballet dancer and is the serious one of the two. He also has the classic, sassy, fire-cracker female best friend/guard. Benji has a heart of gold, a wicked sense of payback, and a way of describing things that would normally make me smile. But, during these occasions, I was still recovering from my latest attack of tears which negated any levity. Both men have challenging homelives and use different coping methods. While Kellan’s death was a catalyst, there were already underlying problems – some were avoidable, some not.

Bad at Being Good is a story covering the grieving process, with characters whose journey leads them to permit themselves to be happy. The simple use of a memory or text had me reaching for the tissues. Despite being entirely drained by the end, I must applaud an author who can convey such emotion with words. Also, the author has included a link to a bonus epilogue at the end.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon