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Danika hasn’t had an easy life. Being insanely attracted to bad boys has never helped make it easier.

One look at Tristan, and every brain cell she possessed went up in smoke. This man was trouble with a capital T. It was a given.
She knew better. Bad boys were bad. Especially for her. Considering her history, it was crazy to think otherwise. So why did crazy have to feel so damn fine?

For as long as she could remember, Danika had been focused on the future with single-minded purpose. Tristan came along and taught her everything there was to know about letting go, and living in the present. She fell, hard and deep. Of course, that only made her impact with the ground that much more devastating.

Bad Things is about Tristan and Danika, and their train wreck of a love story. This series can be read as a standalone, or with the Up in the Air series.

Tristan: Chaotic bad boy.
Danika: Infatuated girl with control issues.

Tristan and Danika were instantly attracted to each other the first time they met, however, they decided it was in their best interest to ignore said attraction since Tristan was all about the hook up and Danika wasn't that type of girl, commitment was her game. Instead, they decided to set their focus on building a friendship...something neither of them had experience with when it came to the opposite sex. Sigh...where in the world do I start with these two? Classic case of boy meets girl, sparks fly, and then the eventuality of the well-known fight and flight syndrome; not to mention the hellafied roller coaster ride your emotions take with everything going on in between. Tristan and Danika were a complication of hot sweet possessive dramatic fun, and yet so far beyond dysfunctional that it almost bordered on insanity.

"Our chemistry had always just been so crazy...out of control"

Due to this, I have some major mixed feelings regarding Bad Things. The first 65% or so was a strong 5 star read for me even if I was a little frustrated with the movement of their relationship, and the last 35% ran more along the lines of a 3 star read for me. Let me clarify that my rating is not due to the author's writing. R.K. Lilley is amazing at developing characters that engage you, leaving you with a feeling of addiction. Tristan and Danika are no exception. In fact, I found myself enjoying their story even more than the Up In the Air series. James and Bianca were great, but there is just something intriguing about Tristan and Danika, I connected with their characters, from the very first moment. That is until the big "dramatic moment," at this point, I found myself struggling with the characters and their actions after the choices they made and lost my ability to continue connecting with our hero and heroine. I wasn't as invested in their outcome, their behavior left me on many occasions wanting to throw my tablet across the room.

"Yes. Hurt. That night we were together in the rain. I thought it was special, and it wasn't, and I feel like I lost something important when a night that was special to me lost all of it's special."

Bad Things seduced me as I flew through Tristan and Danika's story. I couldn't devour the pages fast enough, so engrossed in a relationship filled with intense chaotic chemistry (in and out of the bedroom). It was seriously off the charts hot with tons of tension, flirting, teasing, and stolen forbidden moments. I adored the fact that theirs wasn't a story filled with love at first sight, lust yes but love no, because of this their journey from friendship towards love was breathtaking, in my opinion.

I was impressed with the riveting foundation the author used to build their friendship and preparing them for that ultimate final step. I was cheering them on the entire way, screaming for someone to make the damn move. They were absolutely made for each other, there was no doubt about that. Everyone around them saw it, I saw it, yet they continued to deny it. Most of that though was due to their stubbornness. I couldn't wait for our playboy hero to fall hard for our damaged heroine. I think that is one of the most thrilling aspects to a romance novel. I love how that soul wrenching love changes a person, forcing them to become abetter person for the "one" they can't imagine life without.

"I hated that you had a word for this. A word made cheap by using it on other men, and then throwing it in my face, like that should convince me to say it back. I don't have a word for this, because I've never felt this before. But I do love you. I just wish there was a way to explain to you that love is just the start of it, because it's turned into so much more for me."

Now, here is the part where my mixed feelings come in. This read has everything described above, right up to that pivotal moment. Then BAM! I had to face the crucial realization that neither of my characters matured. They weren't striving for the same thing I was. I didn't feel that self-sacrificing love, nor did I see a clear way to that HEA we all strive for. I couldn't fathom how a person could tell someone that they missed and loved them so much, but yet couldn't find it in them to become a bigger person. Tristan was so damn self-serving and so was Danika, just in different ways. He didn't give a care to how his actions would affect others and she was so beyond needy that she was willing to push aside herself respect for any time spent with Tristan. My heart (not to mention my head) hurt for the both of them. It literally broke each and every time a truth was revealed and it was swept under the rug solved with time spent between the sheets. And I mean every. damn. time. They didn't talk, there was no communication between them or steps to heal the wounds inflicted. The jealousy and trust issues literally fucked them, and not in a good way. Their possessiveness was taken to a whole new level. I began to miss the Tristan and Danika we started with. I begged R.K. to please bring back the fun loving couple I fell wicked hard for.

Does this mean I won't continue with their story? Hell no, it doesn't! As I said earlier, R.K. Lilley has this way of making sure you crave the next edition. Her writing is just that damn addicting. She definitely has the ability to feed my weakness for lost damaged characters that can't seem to get out of their own way.  Therefore, I am left with this underlying compulsion to know what the hell happens next to Tristan and Danika. Do either of them actually have it in them to mature and have a functional relationship? Is either of them able to overcome their jealousy and trust issues? Will they get their HEA and if so at what cost?  Who knows? However, I think no matter where R.K. decides to take them it will definitely end up being one hell of an intense and intriguing ride, all the way to the end that's for sure.

Thank you to R.K. Lilley for providing me with an ARC of Bad Things to read and review in exchange for  my honest opinion.