Review: 'Bad Will Hunting' by Heather Wardell (2014)

During her time on "Ragged Royalty", Ashley developed a reputation as the show's scowling shrew. Clever editing, no doubt, but she still hates it. Now that her stint on the show is complete, she's determined to get the revenge she deserves on the producers who made her look so awful. Without it she can't move forward and decide what comes next for her. She knows what doesn't, though--ever seeing MC or Kent or any of the other contestants again. She hates all of them and they hate her too. Who could like "Angry Ashley"?
When she meets sexy attorney Will on the flight home, she believes he can help her get everything she needs. Until he double-crosses her. Now she needs revenge on him too.
After reluctantly enlisting fellow contestant Sam's much-needed help in her "Bad Will Hunting" mission, Ashley turns up a ton of dead ends but also some exciting life-changing possibilities. But she can't get over her need to get one over on Will, and on everyone else who's wronged her.
With so much "bad will" in her way, can Ashley ever find true happiness?
Last year I got the chance to check out Heather Wardell’s novel ‘Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many’ (click here to read my review), and after I posted my review I was contacted by Heather, asking whether I was perhaps also interested to read and review the sequel to that novel, ‘Bad Will Hunting.’ The first book had made me curious enough to want to find out more about the different characters and check out some more of the author’s writing, so I said ‘yes’ and received that review copy (thanks, Heather!). While I was going through my list of review books a few weeks ago I stumbled upon this one and decided to sit down with it, and today I’ve got my review to share with all of you, so be sure to scroll down and check it out!
Taking part in reality TV show ‘Ragged Royalty’ has affected Ashley’s everyday life in more ways than she had imagined when she decided to give it a go. Known as ‘Angry Ashley’ to the public, Ashley hates the way the producers decided to portray her and she’s determined to get the one thing she desperately wants: revenge. She doesn’t quite know how to go about this, though, but then meets handsome lawyer Will while on her flight back home. He is willing to help her and Ashley can’t believe her luck, until he suddenly disappears and leaves her to fight for herself. Ashley’s revenge list only grows longer and longer, and while people around her, such as fellow ex-contestant Sam, try to make her focus on more positive things in life, Ashley just can’t let go. But will this idea of revenge really help her to become a happier person in the end and will it really help her find what she has been looking for?  
‘Bad Will Hunting’ is the sequel to author Heather Wardell’s novel ‘Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many’, which completely focused on reality TV show ‘Ragged Royalty’, a mix-up of The Bachelor and Survivor with the author’s own ideas added to the mix. In this second novel of the series we get to learn more about contestant Ashley, who has arrived back in the real world but can’t seem to find peace with how she was portrayed on the show (she received the nickname ‘Angry Ashley’), and is therefore keen to get her revenge. In the rather fast-paced novel we join Ashley on her self-discovering journey to get revenge, while running into some familiar and some unfamiliar faces along the way. While this novel could be read as a stand-alone (background information is provided), I do recommend starting this series at the beginning, just so you know what happened and how the characters got where they are in this novel.
I was expecting this sequel to be kind of similar to the first book in the series, but it was quite different, especially since this book is set in the real world and does not read as a reality TV show. I personally had some difficulty liking Ashley; she really has a lot of anger inside of her, resulting in some ridiculous behaviour at times, in my opinion, and I just didn’t really feel for her or wanted to start rooting for her. The story did captivate me enough to keep on reading, and I do think there is something promising in Heather Wardell’s writing, but I didn’t feel like really looking forward to picking up the book and wanting to read what was going to happen next. ‘Bad Will Hunting’ is best read as a sequel in this series, and provides the reader with a look at a different character in the series; an enjoyable novel that I am sure numerous readers will really like, but it just wasn’t the read for me.

Rating:7,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.