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Bad Reputation

By Samantha J Ball
KINDLE UNLIMITED
AUDIOBOOK
Level 3 Intimacy
Zero Swearing
Zero Violence
Adult

Trigger Warnings

Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Publisher

Self Published

Series

New Haven

Book #

1

Point of View

Dual Third Person

Length

Novel
contemporary settingcoworkersfirst lovefound familyhe falls firstSecond Chanceworkplace

Found a trope you love? → Tap it to explore more ❤️

Audiobook Details

Narrators

Lisa Lynn Sandlin

Narration Type

Single

Synopsis

A reputation, a mistake, and years of separation.

Melanie Danvers thinks her life is on track. She has a successful career, great friends, and a special someone in her life. But when she least expects it, fate throws her a curveball—a face from the past—the man who deemed their one night together a mistake.

After eight years away, a temporary work contract brings Steven MacAlistar back to his hometown—a place to which he thought he’d never return. It only takes one encounter with Melanie to make him realize that despite the long absence, his heart has never left.

Inextricably linked, Melanie and Steven discover they have their own lessons to learn, mistakes to forgive, and fears to overcome before they can even hope for a future together. With all there is to lose and reputations to salvage, will Melanie and Steven finally take that bold leap of faith and get their happily ever after?

This is the first book in the New Haven series, following the lives of a group of people who are linked through family, friends, and coworkers. It can be read as a standalone. A happy ending is guaranteed, and there are no cliffhangers.

Where to Read

Amazon

*Affiliate link — I may earn a commission*

Audible

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Find Your Next Closed Door Romance

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KINDLE UNLIMITED
AUDIOBOOK
Amazon

*Affiliate link — I may earn a commission*

Audible

Bad Reputation

By Samantha J Ball

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Publisher

Self Published

Series

New Haven

Book #

1

Point of View

Dual Third Person

Length

Novel

Narrator(s)

Lisa Lynn Sandlin

Narration Type

Single
contemporary settingcoworkersfirst lovefound familyhe falls firstSecond Chanceworkplace

Found a trope you love? → Tap it to explore more ❤️

Content Guide

This guide helps readers understand the content of this book.
Click the ⓘ icons to see how each level is defined.

Level 3 Intimacy
Zero Swearing
Zero Violence
Adult

Trigger Warnings

Synopsis

A reputation, a mistake, and years of separation.

Melanie Danvers thinks her life is on track. She has a successful career, great friends, and a special someone in her life. But when she least expects it, fate throws her a curveball—a face from the past—the man who deemed their one night together a mistake.

After eight years away, a temporary work contract brings Steven MacAlistar back to his hometown—a place to which he thought he’d never return. It only takes one encounter with Melanie to make him realize that despite the long absence, his heart has never left.

Inextricably linked, Melanie and Steven discover they have their own lessons to learn, mistakes to forgive, and fears to overcome before they can even hope for a future together. With all there is to lose and reputations to salvage, will Melanie and Steven finally take that bold leap of faith and get their happily ever after?

This is the first book in the New Haven series, following the lives of a group of people who are linked through family, friends, and coworkers. It can be read as a standalone. A happy ending is guaranteed, and there are no cliffhangers.

Reader Reviews

Have you read this book? Help other readers by leaving a review.

No reader reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Leave a Review

Reviews help other readers know what to expect from a book.
Please avoid spoilers and be respectful in your review.

More Books to Explore

Only Forever
Building Dreams
Her Secret
Stolen Moments

Featured Author Picks

His Christmas Wish
Coasting Into Love
Fireworks at First Sight
Collision Course
Terms and Traditions
Bigger Than Versace
Reason To Be
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive
A Dragon Inside
A Dream of Magic
Crushing On My Grumpy Billionaire Boss
Adrift in Time

Find Your Next Closed Door Romance

Stop guessing — find books that actually match your preferences
Filter by intimacy level, tropes, and more in seconds

Find books you'll love

2700+ books • Filter by exact content levels • Built for closed door readers

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Physical Intimacy Levels

Level 1

  • Holding hands or affectionate touching
  • Compliments or confessing love
  • Low-description kissing
  • Tender embraces or cuddling
  • Blushing and sighing
  • Non-descriptive discussions of sex
  • Established relationships
  • Fade to black if married
  • Any sexual encounters are only referred to from the past, not described or shown on page
 

Level 2

  • Touch that signals attraction
  • No touching in the underwear zone
  • Long kisses, lightly descriptive
  • Deeper kisses, tongue implied but not described
  • Feeling warm or flushed
  • Gasping, deep sighs, light growls or groans
  • Thinking or speaking about desire in a non-descriptive way
  • Fade to black for established relationships after a scene that matches this level, though this may be unpopular if they are not married
 

Level 3

 

  • Hands moving, still not in the underwear zone
  • French kissing with tongue described
  • Make-out sessions that still follow these guidelines
  • Feeling hot or sweaty
  • Heavier gasping, groaning, deep growls, or panting
  • More frantic moments and some loss of control
  • Male shirt may come off, but nothing else
  • Leg may straddle waist, but no mention of arousal
  • If characters lie down together, there should be little description of contact or movement
  • May happen in a bedroom or on a bed, but should be interrupted or end with a fade to black scene
  • Focus stays on the emotion
  • Fade to black should still happen between married couples or at the end of the book between engaged or committed couples

Innuendo Levels

Level 0 — None

  • No sexual innuendo
  • No suggestive humor
  • No crude or sexual jokes

Level 1 — Minimal

  • Minimal innuendo or double meanings
  • Light teasing
  • Mild crude or dad humor
  • Not frequent or strong

Level 2 — Moderate

  • Moderate suggestive humor
  • Double meanings
  • Sexual tension
  • May include crude or sexual jokes

Level 3 — Heavy

  • Heavy innuendo
  • Strong suggestive dialogue
  • Frequent crude or sexual humor

Swearing Levels

Zero

  • No swearing

Mild

  • Up to 10 uses of “hel*” or “dam*”

Moderate

  • 10+ uses of “hel*” or “dam*”
  • And/or use of bodily swear words like “shi*,” “as*,” etc.

Severe

  • 30+ swear words
  • And/or any use of the F-word one or more times

Violence Levels

Zero

  • No on-page violence

Mild

  • Violence is present without detail or only referenced vaguely
  • May briefly mention blood or injuries
  • Comparable to a G-rated movie

Moderate

  • Violence is more frequent and/or more detailed
  • Can be more intense
  • Injuries may be lightly described
  • Comparable to a PG-rated movie

Severe

  • Violence is more detailed and frequent
  • Blood may be mentioned and injuries may be described in detail
  • Comparable to a PG-13-rated movie

Intimacy Levels

Level 1

  • Holding hands/Affectionate touching
  • Compliments/confessing love
  • Low-description kissing
  • Tender embraces/cuddling
  • Blushing and sighing
  • Non-descriptive discussions of sex
  • Established relationships
  • Fade to black if married
  • Any sexual encounters from past only referred to, not described or on-screen

Level 2

  • Touch that signals attraction
  • No touching in underwear zone
  • Long kisses, lightly descriptive
  • Deeper kisses, tongue implied not described
  • Feel warm/flushed
  • Gasping, deep sighs, light growls and groans
  • Thinking/speaking about desire non-descriptive
  • Fade to black for established relationships after a scene that matches this level – but may be unpopular if not married

Level 3

  • Hands moving, still not in underwear zone
  • French kiss with tongue described
  • Make-out sessions still follow guidelines
  • Feel hot, sweating
  • Heavier gasping, groaning, deep growls, panting
  • More frantic and lose some control
  • Male shirt may come off, but nothing else
  • Leg may straddle waist, but no mention of arousal
  • If they lay down together anywhere, use little description of contact/moving
  • May happen in a bedroom or on a bed, but should be interrupted or end with fade to black scene. Keep focus on the emotion.
  • Fade to black should still happen between married couples or at the end of the book between engaged/committed couples.