For years I’ve been saying that negative reviews don’t influence me one way or the other when it comes to books, but I think they definitely do.

I used to think that I was only swayed when it was an author I’d never read before, but I was wrong.

You know how I know I was wrong?

Because this weekend, I managed to scale the top of Mount TBR, and plucked two books that I bought when they first came out, but because of the negative reviews, I put off reading them.

The first book I read was Tara Janzen’s Crazy Love. I’m mad that it’s taken me this long to read this book, seeing as I’d loved all the others in the series.

This is the blurb from Tara Janzen’s website:

Government operative Dylan Hart has survived some of the riskiest mission known to man. But no nemesis could have prepared the Special Defense Forces commander for the newest member of his team. A street-smart heartbreaker in Day-Glo pink and black leather,

Skeeter Bang has been recruited to aid and abet Dylan’s latest mission: Steal a top-secret file and bury it before all hell breaks loose. And when a black-tie Washington soiree erupts in a bullet-flying free-for-all, Skeeter’s got danger on her trail and Dylan arousing every bad-boy fantasy, she’s ever had. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time, is about to plunge one man and woman right into the sizzling line of fire…

I loved Baby Bang, and I loved the thought of her and Dylan together, and I remember how much I was looking forward to their book. Until I read a less than positive review, that is.

I totally blame Gisele Bundchen.

Anyway, I read it, and regardless of the over-the-top drama, the over-the-top use of lethal weaponry, and the age-difference angsting, it rocked. Skeeter was kick-ass, Dylan was hot, and the plot totally worked for me. It was also lovely to see Superman and Kat again, as well as the other Steele Street peeps.

Reading Crazy Love was like visiting old friends, I knew what to expect, but it was still entertaining as hell, and I’d recommend it to those people who don’t mind the lack of really big words, and for people who just want to have fun for a couple of hours.

Thank Goodness I already have Crazy Sweet on my TBR.

I’ll reveal the other book tomorrow.