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One Reckless Summer (Destiny #1)

by Toni Blake (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 2,750 ratings · 269 reviews

It's tough to play it cool on a sultry summer night...

The perfect daughter. The perfect prom queen. The perfect wife. Jenny Tolliver's been the good girl all her life, and it's gotten her nowhere. Now that her marriage has been busted up by her cheating ex, she's decided it's time to regroup and rediscover herself. This summer she's headed back to her hometown of Destiny,...more

Mass Market Paperback, 370 pages

Published May 26th 2009 by Avon

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May 03, 2011 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-toni-blake, first-read-of-an-author, series-destiny-blake, 2010-reads, 5-stars, genre-contemporary-romance, teacher, bad-boy-reputation, goodie-two-shoes, reviewed-by-me, keepers, caring-for-dying-relative, cancer, cried-like-a-baby, favorites

This is yet another “first read of an author new to me” and I really wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this story, but having read some great reviews I knew to look forward to, at the very least, an entertaining read. Well, I got that for sure, and much, much more. There are so many things to love about One Reckless Summer, I'm just not sure I can list them all. It’s a story about unconditional love, about not judging people until you’ve gotten to know them and given them a chance to prov...more
This is yet another “first read of an author new to me” and I really wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this story, but having read some great reviews I knew to look forward to, at the very least, an entertaining read. Well, I got that for sure, and much, much more. There are so many things to love about One Reckless Summer, I'm just not sure I can list them all. It’s a story about unconditional love, about not judging people until you’ve gotten to know them and given them a chance to prove what kind of person they really are, and about not allowing other people’s opinions of you to affect you so much that you change the person you are.

Jenny Tolliver was Destiny Ohio’s “good girl,” a nick name she had never resented until her husband had an affair because Jenny was too “good” for the kind of sex he wanted, so “good” in fact that he couldn’t even bring himself to tell her about the kind of sex he wanted. He called her a modern day June Cleaver, and from that point on, Jenny couldn’t stand being thought of as a “good girl” anymore because being a “good girl” had destroyed her marriage – at least that’s how she saw it. And yes, I'm overusing the term “good girl” because that’s what the people of Destiny did, too. She was never just Jenny; in fact, they used the term “good girl” so much that Jenny and I both wanted to scream.

Mick Brody was the opposite of Jenny Tolliver – he was Destiny’s “bad boy.” His parents were alcoholics who fought all the time and his brother was rotten to the core, so… it just stood to reason that Mick was the apple that didn’t fall far from the tree, right? So who could blame the fine folk of Destiny for not trusting him, for thinking so poorly of him? Trouble, that’s what he was. What they didn’t know was that yes, he was a boy who was headed down the wrong path, but when he saw which direction said wrong path was taking him, he took control of his future, left Destiny where he knew he’d never be given the chance to amount to anything in the eyes of its residents, turned his life around and became a good, hard working man.

It was quite by accident that Mick and Jenny bumped into each other one night and it was lust at first sight—or maybe they sensed something of themselves in one another, that connection that only someone else grieving, someone with a shattered heart would recognize in another person. Their relationship immediately became purely sexual, or so they kept telling themselves and each other. Normally, this kind of “no strings attached” sexual relationship doesn’t do anything for me, but in this case it was so painfully clear to me that they needed each in such a primitive way, needed that physical connection of one human being to another, someone to help them through the loneliness and the sorrow they were both feeling, that I couldn’t fault them for the way they found it.

(view spoiler)

This was such an amazing story, and I’ll be honest, loaded with very passionate sex. The thing is, this is one of those books where the story itself was so, so good that it didn’t need the sex to keep it emotionally charged because it was the people, Jenny and Mick, who made this book so poignant. Through their understanding, compassion and the need to love and be loved for who they truly are, they captured a place in my heart and made me laugh, cry, and yes, I did a lot of fanning myself.

I’m definitely reading the next book in this series, Sugar Creek.

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Jul 27, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of steamy contemporary romance

Recommended to Shawna by: Auntee's review

Shelves: contemporary-romance, 2009-reads, hero-bad-boy-playboy, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, heroine-i-adore, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances, why-do-good-girls-like-bad-boys, favorites, series-destiny, toni-blake-lacey-alexander, small-town-lovin, hero-alpha‎, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, star-crossed-lovers, favorite-romance-series, 5-stars, hh-across-the-tracks, heroine-girl-next-door, hero-brooding, hh-social-class-wealth-matters, heroine-good-girl-nice, hero-wrong-side-of-the-tracks

5 stars – Contemporary Romance

One Reckless Summer is a very touching, sweet, and steamy contemporary romance that’s a perfect escapist read for a hot, lazy summer day, but it also has emotional depth and makes you think and feel.

Jenny Tolliver returns to her small hometown of Destiny, Ohio to spend a summer in the lakeshore cottage where she grew up to heal and regroup from a painful divorce that’s left her self-esteem and soul bruised and battered. Her ex-husband had an affair with Jenny’s 21-y...more 5 stars – Contemporary Romance

One Reckless Summer is a very touching, sweet, and steamy contemporary romance that’s a perfect escapist read for a hot, lazy summer day, but it also has emotional depth and makes you think and feel.

Jenny Tolliver returns to her small hometown of Destiny, Ohio to spend a summer in the lakeshore cottage where she grew up to heal and regroup from a painful divorce that’s left her self-esteem and soul bruised and battered. Her ex-husband had an affair with Jenny’s 21-year-old teaching assistant at the school where they both worked as teachers, resulting in a crumbled marriage and her leaving the job she’s comfortable with. Her cheating “rat bastard” ex blames his affair with a “chippie” on the fact that Jenny’s too much of a good girl and just too nice to meet his needs in the bedroom. He even compares her to June Cleaver...yikes!

While staying the summer in Destiny, Jenny hopes to rediscover and reinvent herself while catching up with her childhood girlfriends. She’s tired of being the perfect, good girl and wants to prove, especially to herself, that there’s much more to her than that. She gave up her dream of being an astronomer to teach because her husband convinced her that it was foolish. Jenny’s nursing a broken heart and spirit, and she never expected to find everything she ever wanted and needed in town bad boy Mick Brody.

Mick Brody and his older brother come from the wrong side of the tracks, or lake in this particular town, and were Destiny’s notorious hellraisers. Mick and Jenny were in total opposite worlds as teenagers, but they shared a memorable moment of attraction that both were too scared to act on because of Jenny’s innocence and good girl reputation and Mick’s bad boy ways. Mick left Destiny to avoid following in his brother’s criminal footsteps and to turn his life around. Now he’s come home in secret to fulfill a promise to his brother that could cause a lot of trouble if discovered.

When Jenny crosses paths with Mick while trespassing on his family’s property across the lake to use their hill for stargazing, Mick makes her swear to keep his presence and secret from everyone in town, including her sheriff father. Of course, they experience an explosive attraction that ignites a wild, passionate, reckless affair that’s sure to complicate matters, and neither is prepared for it to evolve into a serious, deep relationship.

This is a very pleasant contemporary romance with lots of steamy sex scenes, and although there’s nothing too overtly erotic, it’s definitely hot! What’s really surprising, at least it was for me, is how heartwarming, moving, and thought provoking the story is. Jenny is a lovable heroine, and anyone who’s been hurt and left to pick up the pieces after a devastating break-up or divorce can relate to her. Mick comes from a poor, abusive background and has always been an outsider looking in, longing to be a part of Jenny’s world and to be accepted by the town. Anyone who’s ever been judged, teased, ridiculed, looked down on by the rich, popular crowd, and/or had to overcome abuse or hardships can relate to his struggles. I had tears in my eyes a few times, especially reading the scenes involving Mick and his brother. Jenny and Mick make a great couple, both trying to shed unfair stereotypes, her always feeling judged as the good girl and him never quite feeling good enough.

It’s an emotionally moving, tender, and steamy romance with great characters and a terrific story about looking beyond misconceptions, past mistakes, labels, and appearances, that things aren’t always black and white, and the healing power of forgiveness and love, even for yourself. It’s a delightful contemporary romance and a great summer read. I’m looking forward to the next book in this terrific new series. 5 stars!
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Dec 01, 2009 Miss Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, 2009, keeper, small-town-lovin, favorites

Jenny returns to her small hometown for the summer, following a painful divorce. She caught her husband cheating on her, and he basically says it’s her fault because she is too much like ‘June Cleaver’. Oh—and also she is boring in bed. She is totally shocked because she thinks things are great between them. He is the only man she’s been with, so why didn’t he say she was doing something wrong, or needed something different? In the end, she finds she really doesn’t seem to mind his leaving. He’d...more

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Apr 04, 2011 ♥ Sam ♥ ~S2~Im made of awesomness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: part-of-a-series, romance, erotic

Check out my awesome review @

http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 27, 2011 Juliana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Juliana by: UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish

Shelves: contemporary-romance, challenge-2011-wllk-all-things-smmr, recommended-by-goodreads-friends, 2011-reads, 2011-jul-reads, 4-half-stars, 4-to-5-stars, 0-own-as-nook-book, 0-wishlist-buy-in-dead-tree-form, 0-still-need-to-review, cr-childhood-history, cr-class-difference, cr-delicious-hero, cr-family-issues, cr-hero-reformed-bad-turned-good, cr-hero-player-ladies-man, cr-hero-very-bad-boy, cr-heroine-bookish-smart, cr-heroine-somewhat-wallflower, cr-instant-attraction, cr-one-night-stand-or-almost, cr-opposites-enemies-attract, cr-sizzling-chemistry, cr-heroine-good-girl, cr-sad-or-emotional, ebook-digital-copy, challenge-2011-2012-rrrc-drinks-1, challenge-2011-rrrc-the-4-elements, 2011-reads-my-favorites-of-the-year

4.5 stars
My thanks to Dhestiny for recommending this book. Had I found it on my own, despite the high rating average, I'm almost positive I would have skipped it. If I'm wanting a romance - and not just something to make my temperature rise - then almost as a rule I hate ones that are lust-based and start around a one-night stand situation.

Jenny and Mick's relationship definitely did start as a purely sexual one, but it developed so beautifully and they fit together so well. I loved it! I'm sti...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge-2012, contemporary-romance, the-habanero-shelf, dangerous-or-bad-boy, across-the-tracks, tearjerkers, tortured-hero, 1st-in-series, my-4-star-romances

I have mixed feelings about this one. I did enjoy it but felt at times it was more in the erotica genre and not romance. Still I liked the characters and the story did eventually get to a romantic theme. It had some heartwrenching moments that actually had me almost tear up. (I very rarely cry while reading). The secondary characters were likable too. There is a small second romance involving Jenny's father that was nice. I think I would have liked to see a little more of them in the story.

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Aug 17, 2011 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, bad-boy, scrumptious-hero, steamy, toni-blake

3 1/2 stars.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters, Mick and Jenny. When they were together the pages came alive. The dialogue was witty and engaging, and their sexual chemistry was scorching HOT! Unfortunately, I found the opposite to be true when they were apart. More so with Jenny, her frienships bored me, than with Mick.

Mick Brody is fabulous character. I completely fell in love with him. He's the prototypal "bad boy" with a tender heart...more

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Jan 01, 2011 KatLynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: g-contemporary-romance, smokin-hot-steamy, part-of-a-series, need-to-purchase, small-town-livin, hero-rake-bad-boy, 2011-reads, library-ebook

I really liked this book. I loved loved hot Mick Brody and those steamy hot sex scenes and there were a lot of them. I liked Jenny, and rooted for her when she stood up for what she wanted, regardless of others opinions. This book sizzled and I liked how their love for each other developed.

I was completely drawn to Mick’s plight, both present and past. I get that Mick was a “bad boy” and in his teens and early youth, had made some bad choices, while Jenny, her friends and family lived on the ot...more

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Jan 17, 2011 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Cheryl by: Dhestiny

Shelves: kindle-books-i-own, smut

Excellent story about a "good girl" and a "bad boy", what happens when their worlds collide and how you shouldn't judge by appearances and that people really can change!

This is a very sweet and romantic story and plenty hot enough for my friends with lusty appetites! ;)

Thanks, Dhestiny, for recommending this one! I look forward to the rest of the Destiny series!

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-romance, 2010-read-in, character-virginal, a-series, character-biker, character-small-town-sheriff, setting-small-town, zz-reviewed, i-love-this-old, zz-blog-list

I had to add this to my favorites shelf. The story was great. The characters were awesome and the romance and sex was hot! The story was a bit of the bad boy and the good girl and a little bit of a lesson pertaining to judging a book by it's cover and why you shouldn't.

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews

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3 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemporary, read-in-2010, read-own

I'm adding Toni Blake to my list of favorite authors. She has a way of drawing me into the world she creates. I loved the story of Jenny and Mick. Their chemistry was undeniable and the scenes where hot! Mick needed Jenny to help bring some happiness into his life because the burden he carried inside was taking a toll on him. My favorite scene was when Mick showed up on Jenny's doorstep, after his brother passed away, and Jenny comforts him. It was so cute. I loved this story and I recommend thi...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, battle-of-the-books-2013, feb-2013

I found this story to be one long slow drawn out read. The plot was weak, I didn't care for the characters. IMO the sex was VERY vanilla, and Mick constantly referring to Jenny as Pussy Cat was more annoying than 'affectionate'.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 08, 2011 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

So Tori has convinced me to read this book with her responses to reading the series. Had to buy it in paper form, as can't buy it on Kindle Down Under! Sigh!!

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2012 If it ain't good I don't read it ! rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: shitty-books

REVIEW AHEAD :) I ASURE YOU IF YOU WANT TO SMACK THE MAIN CHARACTER THEN YOU'LL LOVE IT

Really there isn't much I got to say about this book but what I do have to say I can assure you is all negative -__-
Okey so here I go listing numerous reason that this bitch should be put down !!!

1. this book was just moving too fast I mean hell during the first 2 chapters wait no scratch that during the first chapter she already did the deed with a fucked up soon to be in prison lowlife she didn't see in l...more

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May 09, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This was a quick read for me, and I got it on sale! I really connected with the characters of this story. Both are licking some pretty hideous emotional wounds, and are treading in some gray moral areas. I like how these areas were explored through the hero and heroine's relationship, and how both are doing the absolute best that they can. Usually in romance, the themes of the story are about the personal growth of the hero and heroine. However, the secondary characters have to grow as well--fro...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Eternal-Love78 Michelle Rossi's Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

An Emotional, Sizzling Entanglement!

If you have ever been nostalgic and admired someone from afar, knowing without a doubt that he/she would never accept you into their loving embrace. Yet when the opportunity presented itself, would you risk everything (your family, friends, and reputation), for an UNADULTERATED ANIMALISTIC LIAISON?

Well if "HELL YEAH!" is your answer, you won't be disappointed, for every page in this novel was filled with it from START to FINISH.

It's almost winter, and I'm STIF...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Dwi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Satu lagi novel contemporary romance yang menarik untuk dibaca. One Reckless Summer adalah buku pertama karya Toni Blake dalam seri Destiny, bercerita tentang unconditional love, tentang tidak menghakimi seseorang sampai kamu tahu siapa orang itu dan membiarkan orang itu membuktikan siapa dirinya sebenarnya serta tidak membiarkan pendapat orang lain mempengaruhi kita sehingga kita berubah... (Intinya sih begitu :D)

Sang wanita, Jenny Tolliver, is tired being a "good girl" sepanjang hidupnya. She'...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance-novels

This one was good, but kind of weird. The "secret" that Mick has is a HUGE one and is really... intense (? That's not the right word...), and I thought it was an interesting choice for a supposedly light-hearted contemp. romance novel. Mick's storyline is heavy, there's no doubt, and, really, the rest of the book is Mick and Jenny having sex in a variety of places. The writing was good, the storytelling better, but not much happens. It takes place over a summer, there's a secret, Jenny learns th...more

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May 14, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: contemporary romance readers who like a bit of sizzle

Shelves: contemporary, may-2011, own, sizzling, read-in-2011

Well this is the first time I've read anything by Toni Blake and I'm pleased I've got more on my 'to read' pile.
I really enjoyed "One Reckless Summer".
This book just started off sizzling, I mean there was action happening by page 27. What a bonus that was.
A recently divorced Jenny Tolliver is living back in Destiny. Jenny has been a good girl all her life. She's living in the lakeside home she grew up in. Jenny has a passion for astrology. As Jenny heads over to the other side of the lake one n...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

"PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

It's tough to play it cool on a sultry summer night . . .

The perfect daughter. The perfect prom queen. The perfect wife. Jenny Tolliver's been the good girl all her life, and it's gotten her nowhere. Now that her marriage has been busted up by her cheating ex, she's decided it's time to regroup and rediscover herself. This summer she's headed back to her hometown of Destiny, Ohio, to the very lakeshore cottage where she grew up, to figure out what life holds in store for h...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 31, 2010 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, series, romantic-drama, summer, small-town

Okay, this one had me a little on this side and a little on that, so let's see if I can explain my hesitant liking of this one.

First off, Mick? The male lead? Yum. He hits the right notes. For a reformed bad boy I thought he was almost peppered with a bit originality. This is a guy that chased his bad-to-the-bone older brother around and even held up a liquor store. After his brother ended up in prison he cleaned up his ways. Did he turn it around by becoming a super rich businessman? Nope. Doe...more Okay, this one had me a little on this side and a little on that, so let's see if I can explain my hesitant liking of this one.

First off, Mick? The male lead? Yum. He hits the right notes. For a reformed bad boy I thought he was almost peppered with a bit originality. This is a guy that chased his bad-to-the-bone older brother around and even held up a liquor store. After his brother ended up in prison he cleaned up his ways. Did he turn it around by becoming a super rich businessman? Nope. Does he own a huge bank account? No. Does he aspire to be some hero? Not even. This man after all was said and done worked for a heating and air company and is now a bricklayer. A BRICKLAYER. Ah, god, I see it and I believe it and I love it. He lives in a small apartment, has a truck and is getting by and that's enough for him and he didn't make himself all shiny and perfect just because he turned his liquor store holding up ways around. I understand that and I love that. Mick is battling the burden of why he came back to Destiny and it is HEARTBREAKING. It's soooo good. I was so impressed with the way Toni Blake wrote Mick and his journey. I ached for this guy, and I believed him. Especially the moments he was...let's just say...digging. Yeah, when that was happening I just felt the sweat and pain of it and I was signed up for wherever that man wanted or needed to take me.

That being said, the whole Mick and the reason he comes back to Destiny is the best part of this book. Okay, except the sex. This was some rockin', inventive sex. Written in a top-notch, oh-my-chest-just-got-tight kind of way. And let me tell you, there is a LOT of sex. Way more than I expected from a light, small-town romance book. I love them usually because they're fun, and always squeeze a warm laugh out of me. And while some may not fade to black and will give up the goods like a girl on prom night after just enough wine coolers, this one was that girl that didn't go to prom but invited you to hang out with her and Jack Daniels. I was a little taken aback by the amount of sex happening between Jenny and Mick. Like, whoa. You guys are busy, huh.

But still...this book was missing something for me. I got bored after awhile with Mick just showing up at her back door. And for a good long while it just felt like nothing was happening. Plot-wise I didn't feel myself getting attached to these two, other than what Mick was going through. Jenny was a bit...dry? I don't know. The good girl who was tired of being good. Okay, I got that. But enough didn't happen to make it work for me. Her banter with her best friend was the most personality I got from her, and I loved her in those moments, but then she just sort of faded every other time (unless she was having sex. Seeing a theme?) You know what makes small-town books work? The neurotic, funny townspeople. You get to go there in these kind of books, so do that. Use that. We enjoy it. Destiny was so damn perfect it was almost exhausting in its perfection. Destiny was a lot like Jenny in that way. A town a little more interesting, a little more like Mick, might have hit this one out of the park for me. (less)

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Jun 10, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

2 stars for plot and too much pondering. 3 ½ stars for the interesting characters and hot, passionate sex scenes.

STORY BRIEF:
Jenny had always been the good girl. Her husband cheated on her saying she was too sweet and passionless to have the kind of sex he wanted. They divorced. Jenny moved back to her hometown for the summer. Her father is the chief of police and lives in town, but he still owns the lakeside home where Jenny is staying. She loves looking at the night sky with her telescope. The...more

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Apr 02, 2010 Norma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I dont think this is a spoiler, but it could be seen that way, so reader beware...

While I enjoyed this book, it had a heroine who deliberately kept a secret/the truth from the hero and that action caused him pain and ultimately caused her pain too. As soon as the h decides on this course of action, I dislike her and I can't enjoy the book as much and I wait for her foolish action to bite her in the a$$--and it always does. They both could have been saved this hurt if she had just been honest, or...more

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Jun 06, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Toni Blake has written a nice small town romance in One Reckless Summer. Jenny Tolliver returns back to her roots in Destiny, Ohio after her divorce. She found out her husband was having an affair and the sleaze of a husband felt Jenny was just too much of a good girl and couldn’t give him the type of sex he always wanted. Jenny leaves him, takes her telescope and says bye-bye to the cheating jackass. Jenny’s dream was to work for NASA but those dreams were squashed because her cheating jackass...more Toni Blake has written a nice small town romance in One Reckless Summer. Jenny Tolliver returns back to her roots in Destiny, Ohio after her divorce. She found out her husband was having an affair and the sleaze of a husband felt Jenny was just too much of a good girl and couldn’t give him the type of sex he always wanted. Jenny leaves him, takes her telescope and says bye-bye to the cheating jackass. Jenny’s dream was to work for NASA but those dreams were squashed because her cheating jackass of an ex said her dreams were unrealistic. Jenny became a teacher instead.

As she crosses the lake to view some stars, she is caught by the former bad boy of Destiny. Mick Brody and his brothers were always getting into trouble and Mick was Jenny’s teenage crush. The Mick she comes across is a major jerk and he wants her off his land where his family cabin is located. She won’t back down and they get into a bit of a shoving match which ends with them having some hot sex against a tree. Let me say that again- they have HOT SEX AGAINST A TREE. So what if sap and some splinters may find its way into certain areas you really don’t want them to be?

Jenny can't believe she has hot, dirty bad boy sex with a man she hasn’t seen in a few decades. Mick is hiding something that he doesn’t want Jenny to know, especially her father who is the Chief of Police. But Jenny and Mick can’t stay away from each other. Jenny is Mick’s “pussycat” as he calls her and he is able to lose himself in her and away from all the stress in his life and the big secret he is hiding. Jenny knows what she and Mick are sharing is so very wrong, but when their bodies come together she can’t help but think he is the man she has always been waiting for.

One Reckless Summer is a great read to start your summer off. It is sweet and the sex is steamy enough that snuggling under the sheets is not needed. Jenny and Mick are mature adults trying to figure out the next step in life and you hope they will figure it out together. I really liked how Toni wrote a heroine who enjoys science and gazing up at the stars. One Reckless Summer is one nice romance.(less)

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Jun 04, 2009 Pj Ausdenmore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009, romance-contemporary

Jenny Tolliver had always thought her life was perfect until the fateful day when she caught her cheating husband in the arms of her 21 year old student teacher. Divorced, emotionally adrift and struggling with the fact that her ex-husband left her because he thought she was boring in bed, Jenny returns home to spend the summer at her family’s lake cottage sifting through the emotional debris of her failed marriage and figuring out what to do with the rest of her life.

Mick Brody grew up dreamin...more Jenny Tolliver had always thought her life was perfect until the fateful day when she caught her cheating husband in the arms of her 21 year old student teacher. Divorced, emotionally adrift and struggling with the fact that her ex-husband left her because he thought she was boring in bed, Jenny returns home to spend the summer at her family’s lake cottage sifting through the emotional debris of her failed marriage and figuring out what to do with the rest of her life.

Mick Brody grew up dreaming of a life in one of the pretty cottages across the lake where parents didn’t spend the entire day, and night, screaming at each other, where children were secure, safe and accepted by the people of Destiny - a life where someone like Mick would be worthy of pretty, sweet Jenny Tolliver. But dreams aren’t reality and after his parents died and his older brother went to prison Mick left Destiny, vowing never to return. He kept that vow for more than ten years but now he’s back, living in his family’s old shack on the lake, keeping a dangerous secret and determined that no one discover his presence.

Always the good girl, Jenny has never done anything reckless in her life…until she paddles her canoe across the lake for some stargazing and comes face to face with the sexy, gorgeous bad boy of her youth, Mick Brody. An angry and abrupt Mick orders her off his property but Jenny has had it with being the “sweet, good girl of Destiny” and refuses to go. Tempers flare, sexual energy ignites and an attraction that perhaps has been simmering, unacknowledged, for fifteen years explodes in white-hot passion. Morning after regrets are abundant, for both Jenny and Mick, but the sexual flame that burns between them is too intense to ignore and a secret, reckless affair begins that gradually, over the course of the summer, becomes much more than a walk on the wild side. Will Jenny and Mick be able to bridge the gap between her side of the lake and his to find their happy ending or will Mick’s secret, Jenny’s police-chief father and a perceived betrayal tear them apart forever?

One Reckless Summer is the sensuous, steamy and emotionally heartwarming story of a woman who has always been good and a man who has never believed he was good enough. It’s about stereotypes and misconceptions, living life to the fullest and having the courage to step out of your comfort zone, about complicated family relationships, doing what you believe in your heart is right even when everyone else says it’s wrong and about looking beyond the packaging, to the goodness and love inside a person who is the opposite of everything you thought you wanted but is exactly what you need.

Dive into the delights of hot, summer nights with Toni Blake’s terrific new contemporary, One Reckless Summer.

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May 31, 2009 Romance Novel TV rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Stacy Ahlgren
Publisher: Avon
41/2 stars

The perfect daughter. The perfect prom queen. The perfect wife. Jenny Tolliver’s been the good girl all her life, and it’s gotten her nowhere. Now that her marriage has been busted up by her cheating ex, she’s decided it’s time to regroup and rediscover herself. This summer she’s headed back to her hometown of Destiny, Ohio, to the very lakeshore cottage where she grew up, to figure out what life holds in store for her next.

She never dreamed the...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: conrom-romcom-romsusp

500th rating but, unfortunately, this book only garnered 2 stars (2.5 rounded down).

Just your average good girl grown up and falling in love with her childhood crush/town bad boy. There really wasn't anything spectacular or out of the norm about this Contemporary Romance novel - it's something I probably won't even remember by next week or so. The pacing was torturously slow, the plot was cookie cutter ConRom the "huge secret" was anything but (I figured it out less than a quarter into the book...more 500th rating but, unfortunately, this book only garnered 2 stars (2.5 rounded down).

Just your average good girl grown up and falling in love with her childhood crush/town bad boy. There really wasn't anything spectacular or out of the norm about this Contemporary Romance novel - it's something I probably won't even remember by next week or so. The pacing was torturously slow, the plot was cookie cutter ConRom the "huge secret" was anything but (I figured it out less than a quarter into the book so I'm sure other readers will as well), the hero was bland, the heroine was too perfect and very forgettable, and the entire story was one big bore. There were some good aspects to the book though. The sex scenes were smoldering and I loved the heroine's neighbor, the hard of hearing Miss Ellie but that's probably because she was the only comic relief in the entire story and showed up wayy too infrequently IMO.

Story:
Sweet little Jenny Tolliver goes back to her hometown for the summer after divorcing her cheating rat bastard of a husband. She's the ConRom version of Contact's Ellie Arroway and rows across the lake to stargaze on one of the best, and worst, spots to do so in town. Best being the fact that it offers an unimpeded view of the sky but worst due to the fact that it's on the Brody's, the black sheep of the town, property. Mick Brody finds Jenny stumbling through his woods and demands that she get the heck off his land because although he's secretly pleased to see her again after over a decade, he's keeping a secret that will land him in a world of trouble if anyone were to find out. Long story short, they embark on a summer long tryst - both unsure of where the other sees their relationship going and both unsure of their own feelings. Everything's smooth sailing until almost at the end of the book where, *cue angst*, something happens that tears them apart. Since it was obvious these two were getting their HEA regardless of the minor setback, I skimmed until it became clear that the story was getting back on track.

Overall, if you're looking for a decent contemporary romance about a good girl heroine then go ahead and give this one a try. The sex scenes alone make this a good read and that's a damn good thing too because everything else was just average. I will read the rest of the series though, just to see if Jenny and Mick decided to have any babies and because one of the minor characters mentioned in the book had me intrigued and the funny thing is she, Rachel, didn't even make a physical appearance in this book.(less)

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Feb 14, 2011 Photojim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, contemporary-romance, library-book, romance

Books two and three were given to me by my most wonderful neighbor ever (Thanks Amanda!). I just had to find book one if I was going to read them. So I asked in a couple of groups here and got nothing but good responses. So I ordered it in from the library. I'm glad I did.

I'll break the book down by different characteristics:
Plot *** - divorced Ms. Goody Twoshoes comes home to stay with chief of police dad and recover from rat bastard ex-husband's betrayal and gets involved with bad boy from acr...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, i-own, romance

I hadn't actually noticed but this is the 5th book that I've read from Toni Blake and I just can't seem to stop reading her stories. One, it is very fun and addicting. Two, the characters are somewhat related to one another and it's hard to miss one story out of the series though I've read a book or two of her stand-alone novels and that's what it takes for me to love her as a contemporary-romance author.

I know why you may think I read One Reckless Summer just recently but have read the next tw...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Maldivianbookreviewer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: toni-blake, against-a-tree-smexing, bad-boy-hero, divorced-heroine, emotional-wrangler, endearing-hero, endearing-heroine, explosive-passion, contemporary-romance, good-for-nothing-ex-husband, good-girl-heroine, favorite-alpha-heroes, forbidden-romance, hero-from-the-wrong-side-of-town, hot-as-sin-hero, hottest-first-kiss, hottest-sex-scenes-ever, intense-connection-between-hh, larger-than-life-hero, kitchen-smexing, laugh-out-loud-moments, loner-hero, opposites-attract, sizzling-sexual-tension, shared-past, unforgettable-hero, favorites

5++ Stars - Contemporary Romance

I have heard so many great things about the Destiny series by Toni Blake. When the latest book in the series was released this month and I saw the rave reviews the book received, I was determined that I would start on the Destiny series sometime soon and indulge. And indulge is what I did in this sultry and sinful summer romance that Ms. Blake brings to life with her vivid characterization and so very hot and tastefully done love scenes that a girl can’t help bu...more

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About Toni Blake

Toni Blake's love of writing began when she won an essay contest in the fifth grade. Soon after, she penned her first novel, nineteen notebook-pages long, and announced to her mother over breakfast one day that she was going to be a writer when she grew up. Since then, Toni has become the author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels. Her work has been excerpted in Cosmo, she's been a re...more

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Quotes from One Reckless Summer

“That’s the really annoying thing about love. I probably would be happier if I didn’t know it, but once you do know it, once you feel those things for someone, you can’t make yourself really wish it away. It’s like wishing away . . . your soul.
- Jenny” — 61 people liked it

“So, for her, I'll try. I'll trust. I'll ... open myself. I'll ... be this guy I've never been before and don't even known how to be—this goofy "in love" guy, this guy who takes care of his woman, this guy who gives more than he takes.” — 10 people liked it

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