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E. J. Russell
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Bad Boy's Bard (Fae Out of Water Book 3) Kindle Edition

by E.J. Russell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 547 ratings

Old secrets, new lies, and fae behaving badly. What could go wrong?

As far as rock star Gareth Kendrick, the last true bard in Faerie, is concerned, the only good Unseelie is . . . well . . . there’s no such thing. Two centuries ago, an Unseelie lord abducted Gareth’s human lover, Niall, and Gareth has neither forgotten nor forgiven.

Niall O’Tierney, half-human son of the Unseelie King, had never lost a wager until the day he swore to rid the Seelie court of its bard. That bet cost him everything: his freedom, his family—and his heart. When he’s suddenly face-to-face with Gareth at the ceremony to join the Seelie and Unseelie realms, Niall does the only thing inhumanly possible: he fakes amnesia. Not his finest hour, perhaps, but he never revealed his Unseelie heritage, and to tell the truth now would be to risk Gareth’s revulsion—far harder to bear than two hundred years of imprisonment.

Then a new threat to Gareth’s life arises, and he and Niall stage a mad escape into the Outer World, only to discover the fate of all fae resting on their shoulders. But before they can save the realm, they have to tackle something really tough: mending their own broken relationship.

The story text of this second edition of Bad Boy's Bard is identical to the first edition.

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  1. Book 3 of 3
    Fae Out of Water
  2. Print length
    264 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    August 31, 2023
  5. File size
    4.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"There's suspense, and heartbreak, a haunting feeling as we follow Gareth and Niall's story... The whole series is wonderful for sure and I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, magic, myth, and legend." --Diverse Reader

"The alternate POVs gives insights into both men's heads, but Gareth's damn-if-I-do-damn-if-I-don't struggle and longing are just so heartbreaking. ...Of all the installments to this trilogy, I found this book to be the most touching. ...of the author's books I've read so far, "Bad Boy's Bard" is her best yet. The world building and characterizations really pulled me into the story." --Night Owl Reviews

"I am not really sure what to say about this story to accurately convey how it made me feel. I have loved this series from word one. It was such a great fit for me and hit on so many things I love to read. Bad Boy's Bard was no less perfect for me. ... Garrett and Niall were so multifaceted and multidimensional that I am sure I missed a good portion of their development and growth. Each man was so broken and each man needed to heal. On the surface things appeared to be "misunderstood" and they were, but there was just so much more! God I could talk about these men for days and never get to all the ways they impacted me. ... I highly recommend this series. I felt it was very well done and I loved every minute of my time spent with each couple." --Love Bytes Reviews

About the Author

E.J. Russell (she/her), author of the award-winning Mythmatched paranormal romance series, writes LGBTQ+ romance and mystery in a rainbow of flavors. Count on high snark, low angst, and happy endings.

Reality? Eh, not so much.

She's married to Curmudgeonly Husband, a man who cares even less about sports than she does. Luckily, C.H. also loves to cook, or all three of their children (Lovely Daughter and Darling Sons A and B) would have survived on nothing but Cheerios, beef jerky, and Satsuma mandarins (the extent of E.J.'s culinary skill set).

E.J. also writes traditional cozy mystery as Nelle Heran. She lives in rural Oregon, enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CH3YT9DX
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Reality Optional Press; 2nd edition (August 31, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 31, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 547 ratings

About the author

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E. J. Russell

E. J. Russell

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Multi-Rainbow Award winner E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she spent three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business intelligence consultant (as one does). She’s married to Curmudgeonly Husband, a man who cares even less about sports than she does. Luckily, C.H. also loves to cook, or all three of their children (Lovely Daughter and Darling Sons A and B) would have survived on nothing but Cheerios, beef jerky, and satsuma mandarins (the extent of E.J.’s culinary skill set).

E.J.'s book, The Druid Next Door, was a 2018 RITA® finalist. She lives in rural Oregon, enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Join E.J.'s Facebook reader group, Reality Optional, at https://ejr.pub/fb-group. You can also find her online at https://ejrussell.com, on Instagram as @ej_russell_author, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author, and on Twitter as @EJ_Russell.

E.J.'s books:

Mythmatched Universe

Fae Out of Water trilogy

Cutie and the Beast

The Druid Next Door

Bad Boy's Bard

Supernatural Selection trilogy

Single White Incubus

Vampire with Benefits

Demon on the Down-Low

Howling on Hold

Witch Under Wraps

Possession in Session (subscribers only)

Cursed is the Worst

Quest Investigations series

Five Dead Herrings

The Hound of the Burgervilles

The Lady Under the Lake

Death on Denial

Enchanted Occasions Universe

Best Beast

Nudging Fate

Devouring Flame

Legend Tripping Universe

Stumptown Spirits

Wolf's Clothing

Art Medium Universe

The Artist's Touch

Tested in Fire

Art Medium: The Complete Collection

Royal Powers Shared World

Duking It Out

Duke the Hall

King's Ex

Magic Emporium Shared World

Purgatory Playhouse

Contemporary Romantic Comedies

Clickbait

Mystic Man

For a Good Time, Call...

Historical

Silent Sin

Holiday Shorts

The Probability of Mistletoe

An Everyday Hero

A Swants Soiree

Christmas Kisses (box set)

Monster Till Midnight

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
547 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book and found it an enjoyable read. They appreciated the fresh, original storyline and thought it was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. The characters were described as relatable, sweet, and stubborn. The world-building was fantastic and undeniable. Customers also liked the romance and tenderness in the story.

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ReadabilityStorylineCharacter developmentWorld buildingRomance
19 customers mention "Readability"15 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book and series. They find the characters interesting and fun, with superb storytelling.

"...The world building is great and the characters interesting and fun. There is little sex, but that does not diminish the stories in any way...." Read more

"This was good! The first two books was sort of dipping into formulaic territory and I didn’t enjoy book 2 for that reason...." Read more

"Wow.... What a way to wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable series!!! Absolute awesomeness populated with amazing characters and superb storytelling!" Read more

"...This series was wonderful and world building was amazing...." Read more

11 customers mention "Storyline"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the storyline. They found the stories fresh and original, with a fabulous journey. The book was described as a contemporary urban fantasy with fantastic world-building.

"...To finally have their story and it actually being a pretty epic story? Awesome!" Read more

"...’s Bard is the third book in the Fae Out of Water trilogy, a contemporary urban fantasy with fantastic world building...." Read more

"This is a fantastic ending to this series...." Read more

""I felt that this final book dealt with the history and past details of the seelie and unseelie heritage much more adroitly then it’s predecessors...." Read more

6 customers mention "Character development"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the relatable and lovable characters. They find the book an enjoyable journey.

"...The world building is great and the characters interesting and fun. There is little sex, but that does not diminish the stories in any way...." Read more

"...Absolute awesomeness populated with amazing characters and superb storytelling!" Read more

"...I thoroughly enjoy this universe EJ has built, and the sweet/stubborn people that inhabit it." Read more

"...E. J. Russell’s writing style is just perfect. Her characters are always well written and the storyline is amazing...." Read more

6 customers mention "World building"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the world-building. They say it's fantastic and undeniable.

"...I think this is a terrific series. The world building is great and the characters interesting and fun...." Read more

"...Fae Out of Water trilogy, a contemporary urban fantasy with fantastic world building...." Read more

"...Wonderfully well-written by E.J. Russell and excellent world-building." Read more

"...This series was wonderful and world building was amazing...." Read more

3 customers mention "Romance"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's romance. They find the love story touching, with tenderness and honesty. The characters are complex and understandable, and the pairing is well-developed.

"...At the same time, there was also a lot of tenderness and love, and this balanced out all the angst and drama nicely...." Read more

"Lasting love requires trust, and trust requires honesty...." Read more

"...I really like the pairing in this book, very complex characters with understandable problems, who hasn't been kept in a hellish forge for 200 years...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Texan2
    5.0 out of 5 stars Third Time's a Charm
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Gareth, youngest of the three Kendrick brothers, fronts a band in the Outer World, which is easy, since he is the last true bard of the Fae. For 200 hundred years, Gareth has pined for his lost love.

    The third book in this series revolves around Gareth and Niall, who were lovers 200 hundred years ago. They were separated. Through much misdirection, Niall thought Gareth dead. Now with something rotten in Fae World, Gareth is called upon to help right many wrongs and possibly find love again.

    I think this is a terrific series. The world building is great and the characters interesting and fun. There is little sex, but that does not diminish the stories in any way. My only lament, is there was not as much humor in two and three as in the first one.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Nikki Attenbrough
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars?
    Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This was good! The first two books was sort of dipping into formulaic territory and I didn’t enjoy book 2 for that reason. This however, was different! I’ve always wondered about Gareth and his human lover. To finally have their story and it actually being a pretty epic story? Awesome!
    Helpful
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  • L.D.
    5.0 out of 5 stars True Love Reunited
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The Bad Boy’s Bard is the third book in the Fae Out of Water trilogy, a contemporary urban fantasy with fantastic world building. This book should not be read as a standalone – the first two books should be read first in order to fully understand and appreciate the plot and characters.

    Gareth is the last Fae bard, but his unique position has come with many hardships, the greatest of all was losing his only love, Niall. Unbeknownst to Gareth, Niall is not as lost as Gareth once believed, and soon their paths will cross again. With this plot setup, there was, of course, a lot of angst, drama, and suspense. At the same time, there was also a lot of tenderness and love, and this balanced out all the angst and drama nicely. I truly enjoyed this series, and thought this book was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. I hope there will be future books that will feature these characters, because I really enjoyed reading about them and hope that they will appear in more stories.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Len Evans Jr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best book of the series!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Wow.... What a way to wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable series!!! Absolute awesomeness populated with amazing characters and superb storytelling!
    Helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as books 1&2
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Gareth annoyed me in the first books. And he was just as bad here, sanctimonious, "speciest," selfish and arrogant. Ugh. Sure, by the end he sees the error of his views, but it takes way to long. Add to that Niall, who is essentially lying half the book. It wouldn't be so obnoxious is it weren't for the fact that their whole selfish ploy could have killed all if Faerie, and they don't even think about it until most of the book is done. Gareth treated his brothers horribly, and in this book that continues because of the events of two hundred years ago. Most if the book is dedicated to that. Even the romance is meh (essentially both still love each other but because of Niall's fake amnesia is put on hold).
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Love Wins
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gareth Finally Gets His HEA
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I was so excited to finally find out what really happened between Gareth (the youngest rock star Kendrick brother) and his human lover Niall. Gareth is the last true Bard of the Fae and for 200 hundred years, he has pined for his lost love who was stolen by the Unseelie.

    Niall is actually the half-human son of the Unseelie King who swore to rid the Seelie cour of its last bard (Gareth). Little did he know that he would end up falling in love with Gareth or that he would end up losing everything - his freedom, his heart, and his family. Niall and Gareth meet each other again after 200 hundred years at the wedding of the Seelie Queen to the Unseelie King who happens to be Niall's brother/kidnapper. Gareth still doesn't know the truth and he is so happed to find his human lover again after 200 hundred years.

    The first half of this book is spent dealing with the deceit and lies as Niall tries to hide the truth from Gareth. The truth comes out when danger threatens Gareth and the Fae Realm. Balance has to be restored. The third (but not final) book in the Mythmatched Universe does a great job tying all the loose ends and reuniting the Kendrick Brothers for the final battle in the Fae Realm. Wonderfully well-written by E.J. Russell and excellent world-building.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a fantastic ending to this series. This is a re-read and I'm sure I left a review the first time I read this book but no matter I'm happy to leave another review. This series was wonderful and world building was amazing. I am glad there is a spin off series (Supernatural selection series) where we meet our favourite characters from this series.
    Helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Niall made a bet and lost his heart.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Lasting love requires trust, and trust requires honesty. Gareth and Niall's chemistry is instantaneous and undeniable, but what they don't say leaves them mired in 200 years of pain. Untangling their feelings won't be easy, and first they have to decide if they even want to try. Everything seems to hit these two at once and I was rooting for them since the first book in the series. (I didn't know Niall was alive then, but I wanted Gareth to be happy). I thoroughly enjoy this universe EJ has built, and the sweet/stubborn people that inhabit it.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • K S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    What a great ending to the series. The storyline was interesting and I liked the characters. I not only enjoyed this book but the entire series as well.
    Report
  • Sieran Lane
    5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite in the series
    Reviewed in Canada on June 21, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Wow, this was my favorite in the series. Yes, I wasn’t too pleased with Gareth’s attitude in the previous two books, but he truly redeems himself in this final installment, and his romance with Niall was so intense. While I greatly enjoyed Mal and Bryce’s, and Alun and David’s books, I felt the most excited and captured by Niall and Gareth’s story, maybe because their circumstances were so extreme, and there was so much angst. I love angst, as long as there’s a happy ending. The greater the hardship, the deeper the joy at the end!

    I’m not sure why Alun would ask Gareth to see him in a professional capacity, though. They are brothers, so there is a clear dual relationship between psychologist and client, which would be unethical. Wouldn’t Alun refer him to another supernatural psychologist instead? It’s one thing to share professional knowledge with Gareth (i.e. give him psychoeducation), but it’s quite another to see his brother as a client.

    Out of the three love interests in the series, David, Bryce, and Niall, I think Niall was the most interesting. I love how tragic and dramatic his backstory is—not that I want him to suffer, but his experiences and circumstances were on such a grand scale, that I can’t help but feel enthralled by his story. In addition, Niall is sprightly, clever, and just very cute and resourceful. He is not morally perfect, but he’s still pretty amazing without being a prude. I love how selfless Niall is without being over the top.

    For Gareth, I certainly don’t find him boring, but I still find Niall more engaging to read about. I didn’t like Gareth at first, as he seemed very immature and irrational. But I enjoyed watching him grow and become a better person—and also a more complex character. He was never a flat character, but he felt simpler at the start of the story compared to the end. I’m glad he realized what a douche he was to Alun and later Bryce and Mal. And Gareth’s hatred of all Unseelie was horrible. I’m glad that Niall got to prove him wrong.

    The tension before Niall divulges his real backstory to Gareth, was gripping and exciting. And despite my gripes against Gareth, it was still heartwarming to see his pure, overwhelming joy when he gets Niall back after 200 years. Speaking of Gareth’s single-minded devotion to Niall, it was amazing that Gareth has never had romantic or sexual feelings towards anybody else. He sounds like a demiromantic demisexual! Demisexuals in particular are quite rare in romances, so I really appreciated this ace representation.

    On the minus side, I thought some parts of Gareth’s reactions were a tad unbelievable.

    As always, it was pleasant to see the protagonists from the previous books here. Too bad Mal (my favorite character in this series) had less screen time than I liked. I saw less of Eamon than I expected too. We got to see more of David and Bryce, which was nice. David is so adorable! Bryce seems more cantankerous than he was in Druid Next Door.

    An extra pleasant surprise for me was about the sex scenes. There was only one! And it was so brief a scene too. What a relief, because I usually find sex scenes to be such a drag, not to mention unnecessary.

    In addition, I liked reading about Gareth’s bandmates, Josh, Spence, Tiff, and Hamish. I know that Spence is a wolf shifter, Tiff a panther, and Hamish a kangaroo. But I don’t remember if we ever got to see what sort of shifter Josh was. When I first saw Gareth’s bandmates, however, I felt that they were just names on a page—would I even remember or care about these four strangers? Especially as there was such sparse physical description for them, to my memory. So I was glad that the band members got to display more personality and interact with the main characters, so they became more like flesh and blood people than like mere names on a page.

    One reason why I enjoyed this book more than the other two, is that the scale of worldbuilding feels grander and vaster. For once, we get a look into the Unseelie court through the eyes of an insider (Niall) rather than an outsider’s. I definitely liked the theme of having a prejudice towards a whole race, then finding out that one’s beloved is of that race (Unseelie fae). In general, I enjoy reading stories that talk about racism, but through the lens of fantasy species rather than human species, so there would be less defensiveness and discomfort among readers, since the people involved are not human. Nevertheless, we can see that it’s unfair to be hated just because you are a certain species or race. Niall and Eamon are not the only likable Unseelie fae. Paedar and Heilyn are too. Not everybody is an a-s-s like Tiarnach.

    It would be nice if we saw more of Niall and Eamon’s relationship, though. I would also like to know more about how faerie spawning (as opposed to sexual reproduction) works.

    This was a very lovely book that I would like to reread at some point. The love between Gareth and Niall is so passionate, intense, and they get a happy ending, thank goodness. I seem to have a thing for romances that are wild, deep, passionate, with lots of tragedy, but also a very happy ending. I like the dramatic contrast. It touches me so.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Least favorite
    Reviewed in Canada on May 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This was my least favorite book in the series. I found both characters really unlikeable, Garth more then Niall. But I didn't like Garth in the last 2 books either but his bad attitude towards interspecies couples was so much more pronounced and his selfish attitude about having a concert while Fairie and his brothers could be totally destroyed, like dude who cares about your concert! . Niall, he was alright. Little bit selfish but I could tolerate him. Should have just stepped up and told Garththe truth from the get go but what type of book would that have been?!?!?
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  • Sildil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic tale!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I've been completely gripped by all three Fae out of Water books, and I think this one is the best! I have a weakness for Fae bards anyway and loved the interaction between Gareth and Niall. Perfect.
    Report
  • Mac_Anne
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not the best of the series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Unfortunately not nearly as good as the first two books especially the first of the series (Cutie and The Beast)
    This was a disappointment as I had been looking forward to this one since finishing The Druid next Door
    Both protagonists had very little to offer they both seemed to very unpleasant individuals that I did not want to spend time with hence it took much longer to read then the first 2 as I kept putting it down and found other things to do the complete opposite with the other 2
    Report

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