Review: Melonie Johnson's ONCE UPON A BAD BOY.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.

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​I love a female action hero. Those characters resonate with me now more than ever, thanks to the largest biceps I’ve ever had—courtesy of carting around my giant babies.
 
So maybe it’s no surprise that I found the premise of Melonie Johnson’s Once Upon a Bad Boy to be delightful: Sadie Gold has just received the role of a lifetime, starring as an action hero in what’s sure to be a blockbuster film. To her shock, she realizes that the stunt coordinator on set is none other than Bo Ibarra, the man she grew up with and who broke her heart over a decade ago.
 
They both have secrets that they’re holding onto; will they break them apart for good?
 
This was my first Melonie Johnson book, and *cue dramatic voice*: it won’t be my last. It was hot and passionate. It was a celebration of female friendship, with friends who support one another and also tease, which rang authentic to me. And Johnson is a skilled writer, thoughtfully rendering the evolution of Sadie and Bo’s relationship (and beautifully showing how their feelings were/are possible of existing over a period of time, despite their years apart) and writing thrilling stunt scenes that are exciting and cinematic. They felt behinds-the-scenes-ish.
 
One last impressive aspect of the book is how Johnson handles Sadie’s revelation to Bo. Content warning ahead:
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Johnson handled the topic of a past abortion adeptly and admirably, portraying how painful Sadie still found the subject, but also how she was certain that she made the right decision for herself. I appreciated how Johnson made it clear that it was possible for both of those things to be true.
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Once Upon a Bad Boy is really good romance. Sign me up for more! (Also, I’d like to watch Sadie’s movie IRL). 

Q: Who is your favorite female action hero? I'm a hugeeee fan of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. Does that count if she's a superhero?