Making Bad Choices

By: Rita Stradling

Narrated by: Maureen Hoff

Culter Fuller came back into my life on the day my mother died, as if losing my mother wasn't bad enough.

We hated each other since childhood. Well, I hated him, and I thought it was mutual. He had a very different story.

When I moved to my dad's house to finish my last semester of high school, we went from bitter enemies to...something else. He was suddenly everywhere, occupying my space, determined to pull me into his life, filling me with thoughts I knew were wrong.

I knew that soon we would cross a line that should never be crossed.

I knew crossing that line could have very serious consequences; because Culter Fuller wasn't just any irresistible boy, Culter Fuller was my stepbrother.

But, I was always very bad at making the right choices.

©2016 Rita Stradling (P)2017 Rita Stradling and Maureen Hoff

Loved it!

I loved this book! Stradling gives us a well written version of high school forbidden love, with lots of funny banter, while resisting to go over the top with the cliches that are typical with this genre.

What I love most about this book is all is the wonderful relationships - Cassie and her mother, Cassie/Tyler, Cassie/new friends and of course Cassie/Culter, and then there is Culter with his friends and family. There is so much loyalty, love and respect between these friends and family you can't help but fall in love with most of the characters, most of whom seem to be rising above serious dysfunction in their lives.

My biggest beef about this book is that the cover art and title suggest an erotic romance, which thankfully this is not. So if you can get by the cheesy graphics and your are looking for an entertaining romantic quick read, with a couple of good plot twists, I highly recommend Making Bad Choices.

Great YA/Teen Romance!

This story sucked me in right from the start. There were some really sad moments in the beginning and it felt real and heart wrenching. The characters were well developed and the story flowed well. There were a few surprises and some difficult moments.

The narrador did a great job bringing the story to life. She was able to put a lot of emotion into her narration. Excellent job narrating this book.

I really liked Cassie & Cutler. Their romance developed slow and sweet. It had a lot of depth and it was not superficial or uncertain. Their feelings were deep and strong.

Rita is a great author and I have enjoyed several of her books. This one is no exception. It is very well written and captivating. I'm looking forward to her next book.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Enjoyed this book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I enjoyed this book- this is one of those "taboo" subjects. She's too young, he is too old, but they have fight feelings for each other. Over all I enjoyed the narration, there were some spots that got a little wired, like the sound was off. Not sure if it was the audio or something else.

Good story line

I received this book free in return for an unbiased review. I liked the story line. Would have liked a little better ending but was overall a good read.

Enjoyed this book

A good story with great characters, but the end seemed rushed, the backstory was a little confusing, and could have developed the rivalry between Cassie and Lily more.

Making bad choices

What was one of the most memorable moments of Making Bad Choices?

The story was good and because of the unconventional relationships it was what some would call taboo. Culter and Cassie weren't blood related and overall it didn't distract me from the storyline.

Loved the story

I received this as a gift and my review is voluntary and in no way influenced by the author or narrator.

I loved this story, it was fun and sweet and kept me hooked the entire time and wanting more at the end. Also this was a very clean book as far as young adult romance books go.

I have to say that the first hour or so of listening to the book was a little off putting because the narrator sounded like she had a cold and I could hear her sucking a breath at a times. But after that it was okay. I'm glad I stuck with it as I really enjoyed the story. This is a first for this author but it left me wanting more. Will check her other books. Would love to listen to more of her books.

Well written and sweet listen!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

I think this book was a little young for me but still a great book. Any young adult would love this one. The story was great and the characters developed well. Narration also felt right for this genre.

Great Romance

This well written story quickly pulls you in and you soon become captivated by both the characters and the storyline. The development of Cassie and Cutlers relationship is slow, sensual and has a beauty to it that you don't often find in YA romances. The convoluted family relationships are realistic and heart wrenching, and the taboo of Cutler being Cassie's stepbrother adds complexity, uncertainty and a hint of daring to the story. The narrator suited Cassie to a tee, she captured the feel of a teen, the sorrow of loosing a parent and the breath holding feel of forbidden love. This is an enjoyable love story containing excitement, angst, romance and some surprises. It is different to the norm and is thoroughly enjoyable

narration is yerrible

First, I am from the PNW, so I am not a stranger to fast talking. Furthermore, I can get going so fast that I almost sound manic when I am enthusiastic about a topic. With that said, the narrator reads the book like it is a James Joyce "stream of conscience" style narrative (otherwise known as a big ol' run on sentence). Slow down and BREATHE. Also, she needs to blow her nose or invest in some allergy meds. Good googly-moogly.