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The Lovely Reckless
I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.
Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.
Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?
Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.
Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2016
About the author
Kami Garcia
112 books16.6k followersKami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. She is the coauthor of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, which has been published in 51 countries and 37 languages, with over 10 million copies in print. In 2013, Beautiful Creatures released as a feature film from Warner Brothers. Kami is a cofounder of the YALLFEST kid lit book festival and the author of five solo novels, including her Bram Stoker Award-nominated novels Unbreakable and Unmarked (THE LEGION series) and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos. Kami’s first graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, with artist Gabriel Picolo, is the first book in her TEEN TITANS series for DC Comics and the adult series JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY, from DC Black Label.
Find Kami online at kamigarcia.com, on Facebook @KamiGarciaYA, and on Twitter and Instagram @KamiGarcia.
Find Kami online at kamigarcia.com, on Facebook @KamiGarciaYA, and on Twitter and Instagram @KamiGarcia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 953 reviews
June 30, 2016
I received an ARC in the mail for The Lovely Reckless. When I opened the mailbox, I noticed a huge wasp nest tucked away in the back of the mailbox. Now...this could just be a coincidence and maybe the wasps built the nest themselves. But I have a huge suspicion that this book is being shipped with live wasp nests.
I doused the wasp nest with gasoline. If you've never seen what happens when a wasp is doused in gasoline, you should google it. It's amazing.
Anyway, luckily the book was in a bubble wrap envelope, so it wasn't damaged by the gasoline. I was still able to read it and it was a great book. But I'm suspicious as to why it came with a live wasp nest. Maybe if I were only reviewing the paperback, I'd give it 4.5 stars due to the strong aroma the gas left. But I'll be kind and count the eBook as well, so this is a solid five stars! Definitely recommend.
I doused the wasp nest with gasoline. If you've never seen what happens when a wasp is doused in gasoline, you should google it. It's amazing.
Anyway, luckily the book was in a bubble wrap envelope, so it wasn't damaged by the gasoline. I was still able to read it and it was a great book. But I'm suspicious as to why it came with a live wasp nest. Maybe if I were only reviewing the paperback, I'd give it 4.5 stars due to the strong aroma the gas left. But I'll be kind and count the eBook as well, so this is a solid five stars! Definitely recommend.
Want to read
November 5, 2016I can't be the only one seeing this right?
June 27, 2016
I am not normally a lover of this genre, but, i am pleased to say I did really enjoy this story!
I really hope that Kami comes on this series, and writes from Cruz perspective, i LOVE HER!
I really hope that Kami comes on this series, and writes from Cruz perspective, i LOVE HER!
July 18, 2016
I am absolute trash for this book
Even though I really shouldn’t like it.
You’re probably going to look at this cover, then read the synopsis and automatically think: romance, all romance. That’s what I was honestly expecting, but I found I didn’t care much for the romance over Frankie rebuilding her life.
It started off a couple months after the death of Frankie’s boyfriend and childhood friend, Noah. Noah death not only was tragic because he was a promising athlete, but also because he was brutally murdered- and in front of Frankie. She’s traumatized, grieving, angry, and clearly isn’t letting anyone be there for her.. which leads her to make some stupid decisions.. which means:
1. She’s expelled from her elite private school.
2. She’s moving in with the dad she barely knows.
3. She’s transferring to Monroe, the public school with a bad rep.
There she meets Marco, aka bad-boy, player, and infamous street racer.
I wish I had a million good things to say about Marco, but I don’t. You know those books where the guy is instantly intrigued and in love with the new girl, but we later find out he’s known her from somewhere else / actually has always liked her / something like that?
Well, that’s what I thought was happening here.
I was wrong, of course. It actually is pretty much instalove, because they are madly in love after having 4 short conversations. They were willing to risk everything for each other, without really, truly knowing the other person. *sighs* And yet, I liked Marco and Frankie. Does that make me a piece of trash? …probably. Do i care? … not really.
Besides that, I liked:
But anyway, I definitely should talk about the major issues so people know what they’re going to read:
Anyway, I’m pretty sure this review contradicts itself about a million times, but what I’m trying ton say is ITS GOOD. Problematic, but addictive nonetheless. And I won’t recommend this unless you don’t mind the issues I pointed out. I read this on a long bus ride in Peru, so I was kind of restless and this took my mind of everything so maybe that’s why I liked it so much?
Who knows.
Thank you to Imprint for the ARC :)
Even though I really shouldn’t like it.
You’re probably going to look at this cover, then read the synopsis and automatically think: romance, all romance. That’s what I was honestly expecting, but I found I didn’t care much for the romance over Frankie rebuilding her life.
It started off a couple months after the death of Frankie’s boyfriend and childhood friend, Noah. Noah death not only was tragic because he was a promising athlete, but also because he was brutally murdered- and in front of Frankie. She’s traumatized, grieving, angry, and clearly isn’t letting anyone be there for her.. which leads her to make some stupid decisions.. which means:
1. She’s expelled from her elite private school.
2. She’s moving in with the dad she barely knows.
3. She’s transferring to Monroe, the public school with a bad rep.
There she meets Marco, aka bad-boy, player, and infamous street racer.
“Dark eyes lock on mine. I stop breathing for a second. Guys at Woodley don’t look like this- rough, inked, and muscular. His hair sticks up in the front like he started spiking it and lost interest halfway through the process.”
I wish I had a million good things to say about Marco, but I don’t. You know those books where the guy is instantly intrigued and in love with the new girl, but we later find out he’s known her from somewhere else / actually has always liked her / something like that?
Well, that’s what I thought was happening here.
I was wrong, of course. It actually is pretty much instalove, because they are madly in love after having 4 short conversations. They were willing to risk everything for each other, without really, truly knowing the other person. *sighs* And yet, I liked Marco and Frankie. Does that make me a piece of trash? …probably. Do i care? … not really.
Besides that, I liked:
Lexie, Frankie’s best friend. I loved her boldness, ability to see humor in even the bad things, and her unfaltering loyalty towards Frankie. Frankie was not a good friend- if I’m being honest, but Lexie always came when she was needed and was honest with her.
CRUUUUZ. Oh my god, total girl crush over here. I want a spin-off of her story tbh. She is so unapologetically confident and honest. I loved her charm and how she never let anyone think she was anything less than the best.
Kami’s writing style!!! Even with the many, many issues I should’ve had with this book… I. Could. Not. Stop. Reading. Everything just flowed so perfectly that I read it all in one sitting.
But anyway, I definitely should talk about the major issues so people know what they’re going to read:
The romance: it’s definitely instalove, but even after that- Marco and Frankie really aren’t even together that much? Throughout the whole book, there is only a couple in-depth scenes with them together, which was a little disappointing.
The parents: nonexistent, or nonexistent and super rich.
The “street racing”: this was the thing I was most excited about reading because it’s nothing I’ve really read of before. Sadly, there was BAAARELY any street racing happening? Sure it was talked about, but it there were like two scenes where it actually happened..
AAAND MARCO: he kind of reminds me of Travis Maddox. Key word here is ‘reminds’, because they’re not really alike, but Marco did pull some Maddox-type stunts. There was some possessiveness stuff happening and not to mention where he gets super depressed and starts begging for her back while drunk.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure this review contradicts itself about a million times, but what I’m trying ton say is ITS GOOD. Problematic, but addictive nonetheless. And I won’t recommend this unless you don’t mind the issues I pointed out. I read this on a long bus ride in Peru, so I was kind of restless and this took my mind of everything so maybe that’s why I liked it so much?
Who knows.
Thank you to Imprint for the ARC :)
October 18, 2016
UGGGHHHHH What did I just read?!
The only thing this book teaches me is that Never judge a book too early .
There's no denying that I enjoyed reading the first 5 chapters because I knew something huge and unexpected is going on; thus, I kept preparing myself for that surprise to come but unfortunately, I didn't feel one.
Basically, as the synopsis says, the story is about Frankie, a 17-year-old teenage girl who witnesses someone beat her boyfriend to death and has been suffering from PTSD ever since. She starts drinking and trying to lose herself or remembering the killer's face but to no avail. Therefore, she is depressed and guilty the entire time so her mother sends her to live with her dad, who's too overprotective and has no qualification to be a dad at all. Anyway, she transfers to a private school full of wealthy kids, intimidating gangsters, and fierce street racers. There, she then meets a tattooed "bad boy," Marco, who speaks for justice and fights for the right reasons but never saves himself. Then, unbelievably, he starts to play the hero and protect her whenever she's in trouble and all of a sudden, BAM! they're together.
I don't want to talk about the absurdity of the insta-love because no kidding, it's the most ridiculous one I've ever seen so far. Marco just appears at the exact moment when Frankie is in the middle of some troubles and he gets jealous when some guy touches her, and then he tells her his miserable past when she simply asks(apparently, he never tells anyone before) AND bursts out 'I love you' out of the blue. I mean, how can it possibly be more hilarious than it already is??
I get why it's difficult for Frankie to be with Marco due to the environment they live in, and I truly appreciate that the author describes the situation (and somewhat reflects on reality) without sugarcoating it, but the issue between them and how they deal with it isn't black and white.
What I'm saying is that I hate the way Frankie talks to her parents, particularly her dad. Just because he doesn't play his role as a father well doesn't mean she can talk back with venom ALL THE TIME. In my opinion, Frankie acts like a spoiled little girl who gets whatever she wants whenever she asks and keeps throwing tantrums when she feels like it. Sadly, she doesn't grow as a mature protagonist throughout the book and she's still the girl I know from the start.
Remember the street racings and car-related stuff here? There are many terms or components about cars in the book and I barely understand them while reading it. Besides, it's also the first time I read anything about street racings and whatnot so getting to know some professional phrases is quite interesting in the meantime. Although I dislike Frankie in general, her taking risks of racing car for the first time really impresses me. I like how she manages to turn such a cold machine/engine into something as beautiful as music notes.
She makes me want to race a car right now.
The biggest problem of the story is that everything happens too quickly and ends too abruptly. I honestly hope the author could put more efforts in depicting a specific scene or incident so that I'd be able to picture it in my mind. As a result, I feel like piecing the scattered information from the chapters together and most of the time, I have to fill in the blanks by myself.
Moreover, I realize that the author tells the story of different characters at the same time so sometimes I have no idea who's the main one and that's confusing.
What's worse, the majority of the story is just pure cliché. For example, Marco's sweet nothings to Frankie are like those in the old movies, 'You're too beautiful to look at because it hurts.' or 'I can't live without you because you're my everything...' or something like that. I personally think that's not true love and those words only make me want to puke.
All in all, it's a happy ending but I don't enjoy the story as much as I hoped. After finishing this one, I'm sure that Kami's books are probably not my cup of tea because I'm unable to find her writing style enthralling. *Sorry, Kami!* For those who'd like to give The Lovely Reckless a try, I won't stop you from doing it but I genuinely suggest you not to in case the story doesn't live up to your expectation.
The only thing this book teaches me is that Never judge a book too early .
There's no denying that I enjoyed reading the first 5 chapters because I knew something huge and unexpected is going on; thus, I kept preparing myself for that surprise to come but unfortunately, I didn't feel one.
Basically, as the synopsis says, the story is about Frankie, a 17-year-old teenage girl who witnesses someone beat her boyfriend to death and has been suffering from PTSD ever since. She starts drinking and trying to lose herself or remembering the killer's face but to no avail. Therefore, she is depressed and guilty the entire time so her mother sends her to live with her dad, who's too overprotective and has no qualification to be a dad at all. Anyway, she transfers to a private school full of wealthy kids, intimidating gangsters, and fierce street racers. There, she then meets a tattooed "bad boy," Marco, who speaks for justice and fights for the right reasons but never saves himself. Then, unbelievably, he starts to play the hero and protect her whenever she's in trouble and all of a sudden, BAM! they're together.
I don't want to talk about the absurdity of the insta-love because no kidding, it's the most ridiculous one I've ever seen so far. Marco just appears at the exact moment when Frankie is in the middle of some troubles and he gets jealous when some guy touches her, and then he tells her his miserable past when she simply asks(apparently, he never tells anyone before) AND bursts out 'I love you' out of the blue. I mean, how can it possibly be more hilarious than it already is??
I get why it's difficult for Frankie to be with Marco due to the environment they live in, and I truly appreciate that the author describes the situation (and somewhat reflects on reality) without sugarcoating it, but the issue between them and how they deal with it isn't black and white.
"He's talking about street racing," Sofia whispers, filling in the blanks.
"Is that a big thing around here?"
Sofia leans toward me, and her dark waves fall over one shoulder, covering her scars. "For lots of people, it's the only thing."
What I'm saying is that I hate the way Frankie talks to her parents, particularly her dad. Just because he doesn't play his role as a father well doesn't mean she can talk back with venom ALL THE TIME. In my opinion, Frankie acts like a spoiled little girl who gets whatever she wants whenever she asks and keeps throwing tantrums when she feels like it. Sadly, she doesn't grow as a mature protagonist throughout the book and she's still the girl I know from the start.
Remember the street racings and car-related stuff here? There are many terms or components about cars in the book and I barely understand them while reading it. Besides, it's also the first time I read anything about street racings and whatnot so getting to know some professional phrases is quite interesting in the meantime. Although I dislike Frankie in general, her taking risks of racing car for the first time really impresses me. I like how she manages to turn such a cold machine/engine into something as beautiful as music notes.
One foot is on the clutch, the other on the brake. I picture the pedals on a piano, the way my feet controlled them as my fingers danced across the keys. Playing the piano requires a firm but delicate touch...and timing. Getting up this ramp can't be harder than playing Mozart's Concerto no.19 in F Major.
She makes me want to race a car right now.
The biggest problem of the story is that everything happens too quickly and ends too abruptly. I honestly hope the author could put more efforts in depicting a specific scene or incident so that I'd be able to picture it in my mind. As a result, I feel like piecing the scattered information from the chapters together and most of the time, I have to fill in the blanks by myself.
Moreover, I realize that the author tells the story of different characters at the same time so sometimes I have no idea who's the main one and that's confusing.
What's worse, the majority of the story is just pure cliché. For example, Marco's sweet nothings to Frankie are like those in the old movies, 'You're too beautiful to look at because it hurts.' or 'I can't live without you because you're my everything...' or something like that. I personally think that's not true love and those words only make me want to puke.
All in all, it's a happy ending but I don't enjoy the story as much as I hoped. After finishing this one, I'm sure that Kami's books are probably not my cup of tea because I'm unable to find her writing style enthralling. *Sorry, Kami!* For those who'd like to give The Lovely Reckless a try, I won't stop you from doing it but I genuinely suggest you not to in case the story doesn't live up to your expectation.
October 10, 2016
DNF @ 50%
The Lovely Reckless was a book that felt hyped up beyond belief. There is also the fact that literally every one of my friend's on Goodreads loved this book. However, I'm going to be in the minority when I state the fact that I hated this book. Now, it wasn't that way from the beginning. I was getting into the book because I was half asleep and then our protagonist Frankie meets our male lead Marco and everything falls apart.
Why Amber? Why does everything fall apart?
Well, Amber pretending to be someone asking a question - we get insta-love in the form of a cliche Twilight moment. Now, stay with me for a moment. I presume at least 80% of people who will read this review have seen at least the first Twilight movie. I'm talking about the scene where Bella see's Edward in the cafeteria for the first time and you can tell she's in love. This happened to Frankie and Marco.
But, see, more problems follow. This author tried to shove every possible cliche into every chapter, with Marco being a big bad boy who has an instant soft spot for Frankie, as well as his sister who Frankie gets to tutor. Frankie is also the rich girl who over the summer drifted apart from her friends - because they're messes too - and gets expelled from her rich people school to go to a public school. The horrors.
I kept reading because I wanted to know the big twist because see, Frankie saw her boyfriend be beat to death (she didn't do anything) and she can't remember who did it. So, obviously, the big twist would be that her new boyfriend, who I have a 100% assurance was Marco, had a friend who did it. This is my prediction at least, and I don't care if it's right or wrong at this point because I'm about to show why this book wasn't for me.
How will you do that, Amber?
Thanks again for your question, Amber pretending to be someone asking a question. I'm going to do that through a series of quotes with gif reactions to display my annoyance.
Please, Marco, let her deal with this herself. She obviously wants to be attacked, and is too dense to realize that the guy who grabbed her was a creep. With a father as an undercover police officer, you think she'd be smarter. But, alas, she is not at all. She is the classic "rich girl rebelling" stereotype.
Yes, he is, in fact, trying to scare you. How dense could you be not to realise this?! I mean, you literally just got hustled by some guy because your friend is an idiot, it's obviously not a safe environment. I swear all the rich people in this book thought they were invincible.
Insert the idiotic female best friend, who is bound to get jealous over the main character having other friends and gives horrific advice. Because Marco's behaviour didn't even give off the vibe of lunatic. Just a stalker. But, oh well, Frankie likes it.
You'd think if women are trying to eliminate the word "slut" being used negatively the word manwhore should also be eliminated. I just feel it is completely unnecessary to point out a guy's sleeping habits unless he somehow contracted an STD. I understand that above quote is supposed to be the "protective" female best friend, but it's just super judgy.
Literally, this book is basically a Romeo and Juliet remake with cars. Star-crossed lovers from different worlds struggle to get past their friend's opinions on the other. It's ridiculous. I should have stopped reading, but wait - I have more quotes.
When I hear/read some guy say "smile more" to a girl in a book I get low-key flashbacks to Jessica Jones where the villain had a thing for making the protagonist forcibly smile. It's not cute. It's not romantic. It's creepy. Do not tell me to smile more because I will go out of my way not to smile in your presence. The crazy thing here is - Frankie listens. Excuse me while I ram my head against a brick wall several hundred times.
All I have for this one is - what the heck? I'm sure later on there would be an explanation like "oh, but you saved me. You're my angel." Which is so damn lame that I may need to go vomit.
Freaking hell, Marco. You've known this girl for around two days, you have no right to be offended. Also, Frankie there is no reason for you consul him. It's ridiculous. I would be afraid if anyone approached me in the dark, though ultimately I wouldn't leave a party in the dead of night alone after my boyfriend had been beat to death. Just me, personally.
Please, stop. This isn't romantic. Especially when the characters know nothing about each other. I honestly felt sick here.
WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?! I have never met a 17-year-old who thinks like this. My sister is 17 and in a relationship and she isn't even this dumb about it, and she's incredibly stupid about the relationship. Excuse me while I go punch my sister in the face to get my annoyance at Frankie out.
Please, Frankie. Stop. It was a freaking kiss, move on.
And this, this quote, is where I gave up. I couldn't do it from this point. I've read bad books, I mean look through most of my DNF reviews - which follow this format. I just can't put myself through books I don't like anymore. I can't push through in hopes it'll get better because there are so many better books than this. There are also so many books that are similar to The Lovely Reckless - just watch Fast and the Furious if anything.
Don't even get me on the writing as well, nothing flowed and the protagonist had like eight different personalities. I was also getting continuously confused at who was in a scene and how they had got there, because it didnt feel explained enough to me personally.
The Lovely Reckless was a book that felt hyped up beyond belief. There is also the fact that literally every one of my friend's on Goodreads loved this book. However, I'm going to be in the minority when I state the fact that I hated this book. Now, it wasn't that way from the beginning. I was getting into the book because I was half asleep and then our protagonist Frankie meets our male lead Marco and everything falls apart.
Why Amber? Why does everything fall apart?
Well, Amber pretending to be someone asking a question - we get insta-love in the form of a cliche Twilight moment. Now, stay with me for a moment. I presume at least 80% of people who will read this review have seen at least the first Twilight movie. I'm talking about the scene where Bella see's Edward in the cafeteria for the first time and you can tell she's in love. This happened to Frankie and Marco.
But, see, more problems follow. This author tried to shove every possible cliche into every chapter, with Marco being a big bad boy who has an instant soft spot for Frankie, as well as his sister who Frankie gets to tutor. Frankie is also the rich girl who over the summer drifted apart from her friends - because they're messes too - and gets expelled from her rich people school to go to a public school. The horrors.
I kept reading because I wanted to know the big twist because see, Frankie saw her boyfriend be beat to death (she didn't do anything) and she can't remember who did it. So, obviously, the big twist would be that her new boyfriend, who I have a 100% assurance was Marco, had a friend who did it. This is my prediction at least, and I don't care if it's right or wrong at this point because I'm about to show why this book wasn't for me.
How will you do that, Amber?
Thanks again for your question, Amber pretending to be someone asking a question. I'm going to do that through a series of quotes with gif reactions to display my annoyance.
“My heart jumps, but I ignore it. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”
Marco heads for the cars. He slows down as he passes me, dipping his head close to my ear. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“Maybe I don’t need protecting.”
Please, Marco, let her deal with this herself. She obviously wants to be attacked, and is too dense to realize that the guy who grabbed her was a creep. With a father as an undercover police officer, you think she'd be smarter. But, alas, she is not at all. She is the classic "rich girl rebelling" stereotype.
“Things could’ve ended differently tonight. The guys who hang out at the races aren’t good guys.”
“You hang out here,” I say.
“Exactly.”
Is he trying to scare me?”
Yes, he is, in fact, trying to scare you. How dense could you be not to realise this?! I mean, you literally just got hustled by some guy because your friend is an idiot, it's obviously not a safe environment. I swear all the rich people in this book thought they were invincible.
“So is there something going on between you two? Because he’s a total lunatic, in case you didn’t pick up on that after this morning and tonight.”
Insert the idiotic female best friend, who is bound to get jealous over the main character having other friends and gives horrific advice. Because Marco's behaviour didn't even give off the vibe of lunatic. Just a stalker. But, oh well, Frankie likes it.
“You did not just say manwhore.”
She glares at me. “He has hooked up or slept with at least half the girls at Monroe, maybe more. Please stay away from him, Frankie. The way he was looking at you…”
You'd think if women are trying to eliminate the word "slut" being used negatively the word manwhore should also be eliminated. I just feel it is completely unnecessary to point out a guy's sleeping habits unless he somehow contracted an STD. I understand that above quote is supposed to be the "protective" female best friend, but it's just super judgy.
“He’d never be into her,” one of them whispers.
Because I’m not his type? Or because I’m from the Heights?”
Literally, this book is basically a Romeo and Juliet remake with cars. Star-crossed lovers from different worlds struggle to get past their friend's opinions on the other. It's ridiculous. I should have stopped reading, but wait - I have more quotes.
“Hey, Frankie?” he calls out.
I glance back at him, ignoring the eyes on us. “Yeah?”
“You should smile more often.”
A hint of one tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I’ll think about it.”
When I hear/read some guy say "smile more" to a girl in a book I get low-key flashbacks to Jessica Jones where the villain had a thing for making the protagonist forcibly smile. It's not cute. It's not romantic. It's creepy. Do not tell me to smile more because I will go out of my way not to smile in your presence. The crazy thing here is - Frankie listens. Excuse me while I ram my head against a brick wall several hundred times.
“Marco lingers by the door for a moment. “I’ll see you around, Angel.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Does it bother you?” He cracks a half smile...”
All I have for this one is - what the heck? I'm sure later on there would be an explanation like "oh, but you saved me. You're my angel." Which is so damn lame that I may need to go vomit.
“Marco looks confused for a second and steps back. “You mean me. I make you uncomfortable. Is that it? I’m a thug from the Downs. We’re all alone and it’s dark. I get it.”
“I’m not scared of you.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” He sounds hurt.
“I’m not.” I start to slide off the hood, but Marco leans over and boxes me in with his arms. Our lips are inches apart.”
Freaking hell, Marco. You've known this girl for around two days, you have no right to be offended. Also, Frankie there is no reason for you consul him. It's ridiculous. I would be afraid if anyone approached me in the dark, though ultimately I wouldn't leave a party in the dead of night alone after my boyfriend had been beat to death. Just me, personally.
“After all the girls you’ve hooked up with, I wouldn’t want to be a disappointment.”
He doesn’t break eye contact, and with just inches between us, the intensity is nerve-racking. “There’s nothing disappointing about you, Frankie."
Please, stop. This isn't romantic. Especially when the characters know nothing about each other. I honestly felt sick here.
“This can’t happen. Not with a guy who takes me apart with a kiss. I don’t want to get attached to anybody now that I know how quickly someone can be taken away. I haven’t even recovered my memories from the night Noah died. I need to be stronger, not more vulnerable. But I’m not admitting that to Marco.”
WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?! I have never met a 17-year-old who thinks like this. My sister is 17 and in a relationship and she isn't even this dumb about it, and she's incredibly stupid about the relationship. Excuse me while I go punch my sister in the face to get my annoyance at Frankie out.
“The last time I saw him we were kissing … and yelling. My lips tingle just thinking about it. Why is that kiss so hard to forget?”
Please, Frankie. Stop. It was a freaking kiss, move on.
“My mind flashes back to the kiss, the way his lips felt against mine. Without thinking, I touch my mouth. Marco sucks in a sharp breath.”
And this, this quote, is where I gave up. I couldn't do it from this point. I've read bad books, I mean look through most of my DNF reviews - which follow this format. I just can't put myself through books I don't like anymore. I can't push through in hopes it'll get better because there are so many better books than this. There are also so many books that are similar to The Lovely Reckless - just watch Fast and the Furious if anything.
Don't even get me on the writing as well, nothing flowed and the protagonist had like eight different personalities. I was also getting continuously confused at who was in a scene and how they had got there, because it didnt feel explained enough to me personally.
August 28, 2019
I adored this book! I loved the characters, the story, the Romeo and Juliet of it all. So, so good.
I'm a big fan of Beautiful Creatures series (not the spin-off though) so it's great to see Kami Garcia go in a different direction and still totally nail it.
I'm a big fan of Beautiful Creatures series (not the spin-off though) so it's great to see Kami Garcia go in a different direction and still totally nail it.
September 28, 2016
My reaction the majority of this book ^
This really had so much potential. You tell me the MCs are star crossed and I am all over that shit. I really loved the basis of the plot, but overall it was lacking in so many ways.
The story starts after the heroine Frankie’s boyfriend is murdered. This causes her to become depressed, lash out, rebel, and get herself into all sorts of trouble and get sent to live with her dad who doesn’t live in the best part of town. At her new school she meets Marco Leone – school bad boy and man whore (typical). Her dad doesn’t want her with him. She doesn’t care. Stupidity, insta-love, and annoying dialogue commence.
I don't think I’ve ever read about a more petulant, naïve, obnoxious heroine than the one in this book. Her constant whining about the trouble SHE caused was so incredibly frustrating. Her antics and behavior grew increasingly difficult to read about. My face every time she opened her bratty little mouth:
Maybe the author was going for feisty? I don’t know. But she came across as such a daft girl.
As I mentioned above, Frankie’s boyfriend was murdered. Not even 3 months later is when she meets Marco. And after I think about 4 times of them hanging out (which couldn’t have lasted more than 10 minutes each time) she claims to be in love with him. *insert BIGGEST EYE ROLL here*. And then claims even though she loved her dead boyfriend, she knew it wasn’t a “forever” love and really only played the role of a good girlfriend to please those around her.
Now insta-love isn’t usually a HUGE issue for me and something I can look past if done right. But what really bothered me here is I felt the author used her claiming to not really love her dead boyfriend as justification to fall for the hero so quickly. It was like she knew readers would think their insta – love was ridiculous, so she added that in. Sort of like a “Hey! She didn’t love her dead boyfriend as much! So it’s totally okay she loves this guy she just met even though she’s been mourning said dead boyfriend.”
Also, the writing in here was a little odd. The chapters ended so abruptly and the transitions between chapters did as well. It was almost like the author was rushing to get through this and just randomly stopped on certain scenes.
Overall I wasn’t a fan of the writing style or the heroine. I love a good YA story and have come across some that were so amazing I couldn’t get over them for weeks. I was hoping this would be like those. Of course, some people may like this more than I did but it’s not something I enjoyed.
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February 16, 2017
Actual rating 4.5 stars
Kami Garcia brings us a new daring and edgy story with The Lovely Reckless. The plot sweeps you up right from the beginning and the fast pace and relatable characters keep you immersed in this journey about healing, growing up, and finding love in the most unexpected places.
The Lovely Reckless follows seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux struggling to cope after witnessing the brutal murder of her boyfriend, Noah. The constant turmoil of reliving flashes of that night and unable to remember who killed Noah has left Frankie scarred, leading her to a reckless decision and ultimately sending Frankie from her life of privilege to living with her undercover cop dad on the poorer side of town.
Frankie is eager to leave behind her old self and start living the way she wants to live instead of what society says she should. Her new reckless lifestyle comes with some gambling, street racing, people with records, and potentially love with bad boy Marco Leone.
The relationship aspect was a bit insta-lovey and I won't lie, it did bother me at first. But that all faded to the background the more that I read. It's easy to see the draw between these two characters and I couldn't get enough of them. While they come from total opposite sides of the social circle, neither one is perfect and learn fast that they share a lot more in common than everyone thinks.
Thank you Kami for reminding me how easy it was to fall in love as a teenager and why I love YA romance so much! It's easy to forget that rush of falling for someone so fast and so hard. As a teenager you're experiencing all of these emotions for the first time and it's new and exciting and you feel it all tenfold. The love might not have as much depth as an adult relationship but the feelings are very much real.
I loved The Lovely Reckless! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough or stop texting my friends to make sure they preordered it. If you loved Katie Mcgarry's Pushing the Limits series (which happens to be one of my all time favorites!), you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's sexy, thought provoking, and has that added element of suspense that will keep you on your toes until the very end. I'll definitely be rereading in the future. Highly recommend!
Advanced copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Kami Garcia brings us a new daring and edgy story with The Lovely Reckless. The plot sweeps you up right from the beginning and the fast pace and relatable characters keep you immersed in this journey about healing, growing up, and finding love in the most unexpected places.
The Lovely Reckless follows seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux struggling to cope after witnessing the brutal murder of her boyfriend, Noah. The constant turmoil of reliving flashes of that night and unable to remember who killed Noah has left Frankie scarred, leading her to a reckless decision and ultimately sending Frankie from her life of privilege to living with her undercover cop dad on the poorer side of town.
Frankie is eager to leave behind her old self and start living the way she wants to live instead of what society says she should. Her new reckless lifestyle comes with some gambling, street racing, people with records, and potentially love with bad boy Marco Leone.
The relationship aspect was a bit insta-lovey and I won't lie, it did bother me at first. But that all faded to the background the more that I read. It's easy to see the draw between these two characters and I couldn't get enough of them. While they come from total opposite sides of the social circle, neither one is perfect and learn fast that they share a lot more in common than everyone thinks.
Thank you Kami for reminding me how easy it was to fall in love as a teenager and why I love YA romance so much! It's easy to forget that rush of falling for someone so fast and so hard. As a teenager you're experiencing all of these emotions for the first time and it's new and exciting and you feel it all tenfold. The love might not have as much depth as an adult relationship but the feelings are very much real.
I loved The Lovely Reckless! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough or stop texting my friends to make sure they preordered it. If you loved Katie Mcgarry's Pushing the Limits series (which happens to be one of my all time favorites!), you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's sexy, thought provoking, and has that added element of suspense that will keep you on your toes until the very end. I'll definitely be rereading in the future. Highly recommend!
Advanced copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
November 6, 2016
Something I have always loved about Kami Garcia’s books is her compelling writing. Kami knows how to set a scene, how to immerse you in the plot and action and character constellations from the get-go. Her newest release, The Lovely Reckless, which releases October 4th through Imprint Books, is no exception to this. Kami doesn’t shy away from complex and authentic teen characters either – characters that are relatable and for all intents and purposes not unrealistically clean-cut. Sure, she adds a bit of drama on top of universal teen experiences – rockstar dads and undercover cop dads – but at the core, the book is about growing up, learning to make your own choices and realizing that when life happens to you, it’s okay to lose your way for a bit.
The Lovely Reckless opens with female lead Frankie being pulled over for drunk driving as a result of trying to cope with her boyfriend’s recent death. When her mother ships her off to live with her undercover dad, Frankie not only has to deal with her recent trauma and subsequent PTSD, but with a new school and community service in the fiscally poorer parts of town, and ends up being pulled into street racing and car theft police investigations and a new love story with tattooed bad boy Marco. Their romance sometimes leans a little too much on the instalove side of things, but I didn’t care too much about how quickly these two fell for each other overall. In fact, much like with Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits Noah and Echo (my OTP for life), it felt natural for these two kids from different parts of the social hierarchy to realize they have more in common than what meets the eye. Kami did a great job at making me remember how it was to fall for someone at that age after an initial eye-roll or two.
What made The Lovely Reckless such a great read for me personally was the fact how right Kami got Frankie’s PTSD. As someone who has lost a loved one and who has gone through the exact same thing as Frankie, I was moved to tears on more than one occasion of how brilliantly and realistically Kami wrote Frankie’s journey. I loved how passionate and vivid, angry and depressed she was. She learned to cope with her losses and stand up for herself even amidst all the drama her family and old and new friends brought into her life on top of her grief. Cruz – a feisty street racer Frankie befriends who kicks some serious butt throughout the book – was one of the most badass supporting female characters I’ve read in a while. I loved how these two girls supported each other and didn’t tear one another down. In fact, most of the book depicts healthy female friendships and their ups and downs – even in the face of overprotective ex-boyfriends and new, over-bearing love interests. Kami plays with a lot of YA tropes here, but in a subversive manner that made me fist-pump air in solidarity several times.
I read The Lovely Reckless in one 3-hour sitting and loved it. It’s a fast and exciting read, almost like one of those car races depicted in it – a YA take on Fast & Furious, an entertaining yet thought-provoking coming-of-age story a la Katie McGarry’s Crash Into Me. I highly recommend picking this one up, you guys. It’s a good one.
The Lovely Reckless opens with female lead Frankie being pulled over for drunk driving as a result of trying to cope with her boyfriend’s recent death. When her mother ships her off to live with her undercover dad, Frankie not only has to deal with her recent trauma and subsequent PTSD, but with a new school and community service in the fiscally poorer parts of town, and ends up being pulled into street racing and car theft police investigations and a new love story with tattooed bad boy Marco. Their romance sometimes leans a little too much on the instalove side of things, but I didn’t care too much about how quickly these two fell for each other overall. In fact, much like with Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits Noah and Echo (my OTP for life), it felt natural for these two kids from different parts of the social hierarchy to realize they have more in common than what meets the eye. Kami did a great job at making me remember how it was to fall for someone at that age after an initial eye-roll or two.
What made The Lovely Reckless such a great read for me personally was the fact how right Kami got Frankie’s PTSD. As someone who has lost a loved one and who has gone through the exact same thing as Frankie, I was moved to tears on more than one occasion of how brilliantly and realistically Kami wrote Frankie’s journey. I loved how passionate and vivid, angry and depressed she was. She learned to cope with her losses and stand up for herself even amidst all the drama her family and old and new friends brought into her life on top of her grief. Cruz – a feisty street racer Frankie befriends who kicks some serious butt throughout the book – was one of the most badass supporting female characters I’ve read in a while. I loved how these two girls supported each other and didn’t tear one another down. In fact, most of the book depicts healthy female friendships and their ups and downs – even in the face of overprotective ex-boyfriends and new, over-bearing love interests. Kami plays with a lot of YA tropes here, but in a subversive manner that made me fist-pump air in solidarity several times.
I read The Lovely Reckless in one 3-hour sitting and loved it. It’s a fast and exciting read, almost like one of those car races depicted in it – a YA take on Fast & Furious, an entertaining yet thought-provoking coming-of-age story a la Katie McGarry’s Crash Into Me. I highly recommend picking this one up, you guys. It’s a good one.
September 21, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
Publisher: Imprint (Macmillan)
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.
Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.
Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?
What I Liked:
Confession time - I've not read any of Garcia's books. This is my first. I know she has several different series published, but none of them appealed to me. This book did, because it seemed like the kind of YA contemporary that I love, filled with romance and falling in love. There were those aspects, and so much more. I'm happy to say that I really liked this novel.
Frankie's boyfriend was killed recently, and she hasn't been able to fill that void. She has PTSD from what she saw (in terms of how he died), and she's been so different than she was before he died. One costly mistake and her mother sends her to live with her father. Frankie's dad is an undercover cop, living in the Downs (think of the Downs as a "rougher" part of town). Gone is Frankie's life in a trust-fund prep school. The teens at the Downs are more interested in cars, street races, and gambling. Marco Leone, a student at the high school, is a street racer, a tattooed, cocky boy who isn't afraid of a fight. He's exactly what old Frankie would avoid, but new Frankie finds him irresistible. But his secrets could cost Frankie everything. Is he worth it?
This contemporary novel reminded me of Katie McGarry's books. I've seen it compared to Simone Elkeles's books too, but I haven't read enough of her books to draw that comparison. McGarry's books are hit or miss for me, but I liked some of them and I liked Garcia's. We have the rich girl fallen from grace (so to speak), and a rough and tumble boy from the wrong side of town. I really like this trope.
Frankie has so much going on in her life - her boyfriend was killed in front of her, her mother is practically an emotionless robot, her stepfather is a royal pain in the butt, her father is an overbearing, overprotective cop. In the beginning, it seems like Frankie has given up on herself - she doesn't care about piano (she's really good and has played for years), or Stanford, or school. A DUI and being sent to live with her father and attend a public high school while doing community service? Frankie welcomes the change.
She meets Marco on her first day. Marco seems off-limits in a rough, bad-boy way. He has tattoos and a cocky, confident air about him. He loves cars and has a hint of danger around him. But Frankie begins to peel back Marco's layers. He takes care of his little sister, who was badly hurt years ago. He street races for reasons that have to do with awful circumstances that aren't his fault. Marco was once a genius AP student, not a boy who gets suspended for fighting and illegally street races. Marco is a good person, a sensitive and swoony and romantic guy, and I liked him a lot.
It seemed like every single character in this book had their own "tough issues" to deal with. I already talked about Frankie, and Marco. Lex, Frankie's friend, has a rich mother who is never around except to go to charity galas and publicity events. Abel, another friend of Frankie's, is the son of a rock star who committed suicide fairly recently. Marco's sister Sofia was in a terrible car accident years ago. Marco and Sofia's father is in jail, their mother dead from cancer. There was so much going on in terms of "tough issues", with every character. Sometimes it was a little overwhelming. But it was interesting to see how these events shaped each character.
This book is definitely about Frankie's healing, putting herself back together after Noah's death. She and Noah knew each other since they were little. They were dating, but their love wasn't the attraction love, like she felt for Marco. Frankie learns a lot about herself, and overcomes much.
The romance! So sweet. Generally, YA contemporary isn't my thing, unless there is a lot of romance. This book had a lot of swoony moments. I loved Marco, and I really connected with Frankie. Frankie and I are very different, yet I could connect with her easily. These two are fire together! Chemistry right from the start, and lots of good build-up. I see other readers complaining about insta-love, and I get it. I thought the I-love-you's were thrown out there pretty quickly. But I also loved the romance, so maybe I was able to look past that.
The climax is a bit scary, and nail-biting-worthy! There is no easy way out, for Marco, and therefore, for Frankie. I think Garcia did the ending justice. It's a happy ending, but there is a touch of bittersweetness to it (let's pretend that's a word). It's a satisfying ending though, with many questions answered. I would read companion books if this were a series!
What I Did Not Like:
I can see why some people are complaining about insta-love. Chemistry and insta-lust, I understand and don't mind. Insta-love... it's definitely a thing in this book. But I liked the progression of the romance, at the same time.
I don't really have any other complaints, beyond that one! And that one isn't really that major.
Would I Recommend It:
This book is definitely for fans of Katie McGarry, and probably Simone Elkeles! I've read many of McGarry's books and while some didn't work for me, a few did, so I feel good about comparing this book for McGarry's books. I love the rich, innocent girl meets cocky, bad boy trope, and it really works in this story.
Rating:
4 stars. This is a sweet and yet heartbreaking story! I would love to read companion novels about secondary characters, especially since several characters' stories went unresolved (in my opinion). Well done on your contemporary debut, Garcia!
The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
Publisher: Imprint (Macmillan)
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.
Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.
Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?
What I Liked:
Confession time - I've not read any of Garcia's books. This is my first. I know she has several different series published, but none of them appealed to me. This book did, because it seemed like the kind of YA contemporary that I love, filled with romance and falling in love. There were those aspects, and so much more. I'm happy to say that I really liked this novel.
Frankie's boyfriend was killed recently, and she hasn't been able to fill that void. She has PTSD from what she saw (in terms of how he died), and she's been so different than she was before he died. One costly mistake and her mother sends her to live with her father. Frankie's dad is an undercover cop, living in the Downs (think of the Downs as a "rougher" part of town). Gone is Frankie's life in a trust-fund prep school. The teens at the Downs are more interested in cars, street races, and gambling. Marco Leone, a student at the high school, is a street racer, a tattooed, cocky boy who isn't afraid of a fight. He's exactly what old Frankie would avoid, but new Frankie finds him irresistible. But his secrets could cost Frankie everything. Is he worth it?
This contemporary novel reminded me of Katie McGarry's books. I've seen it compared to Simone Elkeles's books too, but I haven't read enough of her books to draw that comparison. McGarry's books are hit or miss for me, but I liked some of them and I liked Garcia's. We have the rich girl fallen from grace (so to speak), and a rough and tumble boy from the wrong side of town. I really like this trope.
Frankie has so much going on in her life - her boyfriend was killed in front of her, her mother is practically an emotionless robot, her stepfather is a royal pain in the butt, her father is an overbearing, overprotective cop. In the beginning, it seems like Frankie has given up on herself - she doesn't care about piano (she's really good and has played for years), or Stanford, or school. A DUI and being sent to live with her father and attend a public high school while doing community service? Frankie welcomes the change.
She meets Marco on her first day. Marco seems off-limits in a rough, bad-boy way. He has tattoos and a cocky, confident air about him. He loves cars and has a hint of danger around him. But Frankie begins to peel back Marco's layers. He takes care of his little sister, who was badly hurt years ago. He street races for reasons that have to do with awful circumstances that aren't his fault. Marco was once a genius AP student, not a boy who gets suspended for fighting and illegally street races. Marco is a good person, a sensitive and swoony and romantic guy, and I liked him a lot.
It seemed like every single character in this book had their own "tough issues" to deal with. I already talked about Frankie, and Marco. Lex, Frankie's friend, has a rich mother who is never around except to go to charity galas and publicity events. Abel, another friend of Frankie's, is the son of a rock star who committed suicide fairly recently. Marco's sister Sofia was in a terrible car accident years ago. Marco and Sofia's father is in jail, their mother dead from cancer. There was so much going on in terms of "tough issues", with every character. Sometimes it was a little overwhelming. But it was interesting to see how these events shaped each character.
This book is definitely about Frankie's healing, putting herself back together after Noah's death. She and Noah knew each other since they were little. They were dating, but their love wasn't the attraction love, like she felt for Marco. Frankie learns a lot about herself, and overcomes much.
The romance! So sweet. Generally, YA contemporary isn't my thing, unless there is a lot of romance. This book had a lot of swoony moments. I loved Marco, and I really connected with Frankie. Frankie and I are very different, yet I could connect with her easily. These two are fire together! Chemistry right from the start, and lots of good build-up. I see other readers complaining about insta-love, and I get it. I thought the I-love-you's were thrown out there pretty quickly. But I also loved the romance, so maybe I was able to look past that.
The climax is a bit scary, and nail-biting-worthy! There is no easy way out, for Marco, and therefore, for Frankie. I think Garcia did the ending justice. It's a happy ending, but there is a touch of bittersweetness to it (let's pretend that's a word). It's a satisfying ending though, with many questions answered. I would read companion books if this were a series!
What I Did Not Like:
I can see why some people are complaining about insta-love. Chemistry and insta-lust, I understand and don't mind. Insta-love... it's definitely a thing in this book. But I liked the progression of the romance, at the same time.
I don't really have any other complaints, beyond that one! And that one isn't really that major.
Would I Recommend It:
This book is definitely for fans of Katie McGarry, and probably Simone Elkeles! I've read many of McGarry's books and while some didn't work for me, a few did, so I feel good about comparing this book for McGarry's books. I love the rich, innocent girl meets cocky, bad boy trope, and it really works in this story.
Rating:
4 stars. This is a sweet and yet heartbreaking story! I would love to read companion novels about secondary characters, especially since several characters' stories went unresolved (in my opinion). Well done on your contemporary debut, Garcia!
April 22, 2019
The romance part is way too fast and way too cheesy for me but the overall plot, particularly about the car racing and the mystery involving the death of Noah, I kind of dig. It was like watching a modern tele-novella. It’s a fast read, sometimes too fast but it’s entertaining enough that I was able to finish the book without struggling much.
October 14, 2016
*gnaws own arm off for fun*
I like Romeo and Juliet. I like cars.
But as it turns out, I don't like Romeo and Juliet in cars. (Guess I'm more of a carriage person when it comes to Shakespeare.)
I like Romeo and Juliet. I like cars.
But as it turns out, I don't like Romeo and Juliet in cars. (Guess I'm more of a carriage person when it comes to Shakespeare.)
June 25, 2017
Buddy read with my bro Sara.
This is actually Twilight fan fiction, right? RIGHT? It has to be. Did Kami Garcia actually just decided to put every single cliché in this book? Because that's the only explanation I have for this masterpiece.
This is a book about a rich girl and poor boy falling in love. She's rich which, of course, means that her relationship with her parents is awful and that she's just different from other girls. He's poor which, of course, means that he's associated with gangs and street racing and that he's family's either dead or dysfunctional. The moment they lay eyes on each other, their faith is sealed - they will express love for each other at about, let's say, 50% of this book. They've talked for about ten minutes and they already know, they just know, that this is somehow different.
Of course, every teenager has to have some drama in his life, right? So, our heroine saw her boyfriend getting killed, about three months ago, but, hey, dear readers, that's not a problem because the moment she sees Marco, she realizes that her boyfriend was more of a best friend than a boyfriend actually. Phew! Now you feel better, right?
Add some weird friends who get jealous over each other's happiness and heroines constant reminder to us that she's no longer the old Frankie and you have the perfect recipe for a wattpad bestseller!
Thank you for your time.
This is actually Twilight fan fiction, right? RIGHT? It has to be. Did Kami Garcia actually just decided to put every single cliché in this book? Because that's the only explanation I have for this masterpiece.
This is a book about a rich girl and poor boy falling in love. She's rich which, of course, means that her relationship with her parents is awful and that she's just different from other girls. He's poor which, of course, means that he's associated with gangs and street racing and that he's family's either dead or dysfunctional. The moment they lay eyes on each other, their faith is sealed - they will express love for each other at about, let's say, 50% of this book. They've talked for about ten minutes and they already know, they just know, that this is somehow different.
Of course, every teenager has to have some drama in his life, right? So, our heroine saw her boyfriend getting killed, about three months ago, but, hey, dear readers, that's not a problem because the moment she sees Marco, she realizes that her boyfriend was more of a best friend than a boyfriend actually. Phew! Now you feel better, right?
Add some weird friends who get jealous over each other's happiness and heroines constant reminder to us that she's no longer the old Frankie and you have the perfect recipe for a wattpad bestseller!
Thank you for your time.
Want to read
October 15, 2016DAMN!!
This book is everywhere, I mean literally everywhere!!
So, I might as well read it, as i had taken this unvisible oath to read every buzz book this year. :D
Why not, add another book to my "ever-lasting TBR pile."
Every book is worth reading, if only i can get my hands on the beauty, btw did i mention it that I hate this bloody cover?
or
That I also has my doubts on the "Name" of this book?? Like what does "The Lovely Reckless" means?? Is it a girl with glasses and pink skirt that is reckless?? :D So we can call her a lovely reckless?
Like for example, hey dude have you seen that lovely reckless girl with pink skirt and all?? :D lol
I mean comeon i can design a better cover than this!!
or Name a book with some deep shit names! :P Well i am really not exaggerating it, Pinky promise!! I really can Pull the shit off.!!
Well, that doesn't mean that i will not read this book before this year end.
For those who have read this book, Should i read it or NOT?
ONLY one can change my mind with some special techniques :D
This book is everywhere, I mean literally everywhere!!
So, I might as well read it, as i had taken this unvisible oath to read every buzz book this year. :D
Why not, add another book to my "ever-lasting TBR pile."
Every book is worth reading, if only i can get my hands on the beauty, btw did i mention it that I hate this bloody cover?
or
That I also has my doubts on the "Name" of this book?? Like what does "The Lovely Reckless" means?? Is it a girl with glasses and pink skirt that is reckless?? :D So we can call her a lovely reckless?
Like for example, hey dude have you seen that lovely reckless girl with pink skirt and all?? :D lol
I mean comeon i can design a better cover than this!!
or Name a book with some deep shit names! :P Well i am really not exaggerating it, Pinky promise!! I really can Pull the shit off.!!
Well, that doesn't mean that i will not read this book before this year end.
For those who have read this book, Should i read it or NOT?
ONLY one can change my mind with some special techniques :D
February 8, 2017
Dear book,
you had the potential to be so much more.
The blurb promises star crossed lovers, Fast&Furious style illegal car racing and undercover cops. What's not to like about that?
Alas, our Juliet turns out to be a whiny, spoiled rich girl with no backbone, and our Romeo is a stalker who happens to be a tattooed bad boy/badass car racer/poet/honors student/genius/… need I continue?
The story starts off when the main character Frankie witnesses her boyfriend getting beaten to death in a parking lot. Unable to cope with the trauma and the loss, she acts out and does reckless things, like driving drunk one time and dropping out of her piano lessons *gasp*. She is kicked out of her posh prep school and sent to a downtown high school, where she gets involved with schoolmates who compete at illegal car races and steal cars. You know, the usual teen pass-times.
Soon we are faced with her spoiled, and even brattier friends who all seem to suffer from rich kid issues and Senator daddies who neglect them *sad face*.
Not only are her friends awful people who I couldn't begin to care about, they are also give out a ton of idiotic ''well-meaning'' advice and often get her in trouble and in dangerous situations.
The other half of her friends are actually pretty decent, although caricatured ''poor kids'' from a bad neighborhood.
Absent fathers, domestic violence, criminal activity are of course the necessary staples to make this book feel more authentic and in touch with the realities of the poor (?).
Our love interest Marco is a walking, talking cliché – he is a sexy bad boy with a troubled past, who races cars and is also a hidden genius in Chemistry. He can fix(and steal) cars as well as spew out cheesy pick up lines that are meant to be swoon-worthy.
There is instalove galore, so readers, ye be warned.
The moment when the characters lay their eyes on each other they are in luuurve and I couldn’t help but being reminded of Twilight when Marco became so possessive and stalky… and even worse, Frankie seemed to love it.
Turns out that Frankie never truly loved her dead boyfriend, because Marco is her One and Only Tru Luv and they are meant to be together forevah. Mind you, they both know that around the 4th time that they saw each other and have barely ever spoken.
Regarding the the Who Killed the Boyfriend mystery, it was completely predictable and highly disappointing. Instead of providing mystery, tension and drama, or a whodunit plot, it only served to create more angst for the couple.
Why 2 stars if I disliked it so much?
To be honest, I don’t know.
Partly it’s because I simply don’t care enough to give it a 1 star rating – this is reserved for books that I hate with a passion, and this book I simply don’t care about.
Another reason is the car racing, I truly enjoyed those scenes. I love driving and I’ve been interested in cars ever since I was a kid, so I do appreciate that a YA novel aimed mainly at teenage girls features this subject.
All in all, this is an instalove heavy, cliched book that is instantly forgettable.
Not recommended.
you had the potential to be so much more.
The blurb promises star crossed lovers, Fast&Furious style illegal car racing and undercover cops. What's not to like about that?
Alas, our Juliet turns out to be a whiny, spoiled rich girl with no backbone, and our Romeo is a stalker who happens to be a tattooed bad boy/badass car racer/poet/honors student/genius/… need I continue?
The story starts off when the main character Frankie witnesses her boyfriend getting beaten to death in a parking lot. Unable to cope with the trauma and the loss, she acts out and does reckless things, like driving drunk one time and dropping out of her piano lessons *gasp*. She is kicked out of her posh prep school and sent to a downtown high school, where she gets involved with schoolmates who compete at illegal car races and steal cars. You know, the usual teen pass-times.
Soon we are faced with her spoiled, and even brattier friends who all seem to suffer from rich kid issues and Senator daddies who neglect them *sad face*.
Not only are her friends awful people who I couldn't begin to care about, they are also give out a ton of idiotic ''well-meaning'' advice and often get her in trouble and in dangerous situations.
The other half of her friends are actually pretty decent, although caricatured ''poor kids'' from a bad neighborhood.
Absent fathers, domestic violence, criminal activity are of course the necessary staples to make this book feel more authentic and in touch with the realities of the poor (?).
Our love interest Marco is a walking, talking cliché – he is a sexy bad boy with a troubled past, who races cars and is also a hidden genius in Chemistry. He can fix
There is instalove galore, so readers, ye be warned.
The moment when the characters lay their eyes on each other they are in luuurve and I couldn’t help but being reminded of Twilight when Marco became so possessive and stalky… and even worse, Frankie seemed to love it.
Turns out that Frankie never truly loved her dead boyfriend, because Marco is her One and Only Tru Luv and they are meant to be together forevah. Mind you, they both know that around the 4th time that they saw each other and have barely ever spoken.
Regarding the the Who Killed the Boyfriend mystery, it was completely predictable and highly disappointing. Instead of providing mystery, tension and drama, or a whodunit plot, it only served to create more angst for the couple.
Why 2 stars if I disliked it so much?
To be honest, I don’t know.
Partly it’s because I simply don’t care enough to give it a 1 star rating – this is reserved for books that I hate with a passion, and this book I simply don’t care about.
Another reason is the car racing, I truly enjoyed those scenes. I love driving and I’ve been interested in cars ever since I was a kid, so I do appreciate that a YA novel aimed mainly at teenage girls features this subject.
All in all, this is an instalove heavy, cliched book that is instantly forgettable.
Not recommended.
November 13, 2016
I was really liking this book in the beginning but at the the end it just started falling apart. How can you move on from a loved one after only 3 months and after watching them die before you?? I was not "feeling" the intensity of Frankie's and Marco's connection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2016
I love Kami's other books and coupled with the tagline of "Romeo and Juliet meets Fast and the Furious" and I was eager to devour it.
I liked Frankie well enough. She's in a crappy situation and we're getting inside her head for all of the aftermath. Even though I could understand why everything was so dramatic all the time, it got a bit old. Marco seems like a good guy with a lot of potential. I wish we would have seen more at the ending.
Normally I don't mind insta-love. It's not a deal breaker for me at all. Yet somehow I just couldn't believe that Frankie and Marco are truly, madly, deeply in love after maybe 4 10 minute interactions.
The plot was fast paced and interesting. There are a lot a lot a lot of subplots and secondary characters. With so many, it felt like we didn't really get to know some of them.
Overall, I was intrigued by the story and definitely wanted to know how it all turned out. Even though I liked it, there was something missing for me to be rabid about it, like I was expecting.
**Huge thanks to Imprint and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I liked Frankie well enough. She's in a crappy situation and we're getting inside her head for all of the aftermath. Even though I could understand why everything was so dramatic all the time, it got a bit old. Marco seems like a good guy with a lot of potential. I wish we would have seen more at the ending.
Normally I don't mind insta-love. It's not a deal breaker for me at all. Yet somehow I just couldn't believe that Frankie and Marco are truly, madly, deeply in love after maybe 4 10 minute interactions.
The plot was fast paced and interesting. There are a lot a lot a lot of subplots and secondary characters. With so many, it felt like we didn't really get to know some of them.
Overall, I was intrigued by the story and definitely wanted to know how it all turned out. Even though I liked it, there was something missing for me to be rabid about it, like I was expecting.
**Huge thanks to Imprint and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
October 3, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started The Lovely Reckless but it was 10x better than I ever could have expected. I loved this book so much.
The Lovely Reckless isn't a book that I would normally pick up but I'm kind of obsessed with it.
The plot is so much fun and entertaining. The writing is flawless and the characters are so well written. I read the whole book in just two sittings. It has some insta-love and even though I'm not a fan of insta-love, I didn't think it was a big deal.
Overall, The Lovely Reckless is such a fun, addicting read. I really enjoyed it and I can definitely see myself rereading.
The Lovely Reckless isn't a book that I would normally pick up but I'm kind of obsessed with it.
The plot is so much fun and entertaining. The writing is flawless and the characters are so well written. I read the whole book in just two sittings. It has some insta-love and even though I'm not a fan of insta-love, I didn't think it was a big deal.
Overall, The Lovely Reckless is such a fun, addicting read. I really enjoyed it and I can definitely see myself rereading.
October 27, 2021
If you are in a mood to watch a teenage version of Fast and the Furious or the Car race version of Step Up, this is the book for you. Everything in this parallels with the same outline you get to watch in those two shows. This also has a forced recycled trope of rich girl fall in love with bad boy. Ends up car racing like the said bad boy, yes cue in Grease. It was the usual, sad sob story. I can’t date you cuz you’re bad and I’m good. So many “I love you”s thrown your way. Honestly at that age I didn’t even know what love was. I cringe at such scenes. Call me heartless but I believe love won’t be found between sheets while you’re 16. End of story.
December 8, 2016
I have been waiting and wanting to read this story forever it seems. I can say it was well worth the wait. I loved how the author brings the characters emotions to life. I cried and cringed during some chapters. This is a story about young love which ends in a tragic way. My heart hurt for the main character because her struggle to remember was an emotional journey. The plot thickens when she finally remembers who? I could not put my kindle down until the end. I was so glad it was a happy ending.
December 18, 2016
you can read my review HERE on my blog if that kinda thing strikes your fancy!
and i also have a swoon HERE if you'd like to check it out! (it'd be cool if you did. no pressure, though. you're still amazing)
---
This book was a cliché after cliché and... I ended up liking it?
I started this book fairly late into the night and if I didn't have class the following day--well, later that day, I suppose--I would have continued until I was finished. There wasn't anything unique about the book, but it was strangely addicting.
Frankie's life was the perfect daughter, perfect friend, perfect girlfriend. But after her boyfriend, Noah, died, a new Frankie emerged and it wasn't one the people around her were used to. She's become reckless, believing that nothing matters anymore. When one of her new adventures gets too out of hand, she's kicked out of her house and her prestigious school in the Heights and sent to the Downs. If her life hadn't been a mess the past summer, it's about to get a whole lot worse because the Downs has two problems for Frankie: street racing and Marco Leone.
Like I've already said: lots of clichés. Frankie is the new girl at Monroe, the high school in the Downs, Marco is the bad boy with a secret past, and there is some sort of insta-attraction. Surprisingly, though, none of those things bothered me. I actually ended up really liking both characters and their interactions in the first half of the book.
Marco was the kind of boy who gave me swoons just by talking. That doesn't happen often (the last time was probably Noah Shaw) so it caught me off guard. Although I thought some of the ways Frankie and Marco bumped into each other was a bit too convenient (which was kinda expected, tbh) I loved how the two interacted! You could already tell there was ~something~ there and they were clearly not used to it, but I found it so adorable!
I also really liked Frankie as a main character. Yeah, she took some stupid risks but the fact that no one saw what was hurting her--well, it doesn't justify what she does in the book, but I get it. It hurt to see her misunderstood and unable to really tell the people who kept giving her a hard time what was going on with her.
Another thing I liked was the female friendship. I'm a bit torn here because while Frankie DOES has a great girl friend, Lex, I felt that because of what Frankie was struggling with, there wasn't much of the amazing female friendship that I really wanted to see. (I don't want to just pin it on what she went through, though. Frankie was a pretty bad friend to Lex, who was nothing but supportive and loyal to her. You go Lex, you're pretty amazing.)
However, Garcia also had another amazing and kick-ass character, Cruz. I loved Cruz so much--her strength, her loyalty, her no non-sense attitude. She could stand up for herself and she wasn't afraid to do just that. I liked that Frankie and her became friends because they were pretty great to see together.
I did like this book but there were some things that really bothered me.
For one, I didn't like how one of Frankie's old friends, Abel, kind of kept getting sidelined. It was introduced way early on that something fishy was going on with him, but it came back at odd intervals and I think that he should have been a bit more involved. It didn't really make sense to me to introduce an issue that bothered both Frankie and Lex but bring it up when it was convenient for the plot.
The romance in the second half also sort of bothered me. In the beginning, I enjoyed reading about the two, but in the second, it just got kind of melodramatic. This was the kind of cliché I did not like: parent breaking up the lovers because they were destined to be doomed or something (I mean, they weren't, but it had that vibe to it). Having to create a distance between the two because of the age old excuse of "I want to protect you." I'm legit so tired of that excuse so it was annoying to see Frankie's dad keep bringing that up.
There is some mention of PTSD in the book. Frankie knows her boyfriend was murdered but she can't remember much from that night, and memories filter back at odd times, like when she's writing, or when something someone says triggers a memory. If I'm honest, I would've liked to see a bit more of this, but it was okay for the most part. My only issue was that I had figured out who'd killed Noah (Frankie's old boyfriend) the minute the guy was introduced.
This is the real first contemporary I've read in a loooong while, so I was pretty happy with this book. It had its issues, but overall, I really did enjoy it. While the writing wasn't anything special or anything, it was engaging enough for me to want to continue reading.
So! Overall, 3.5 stars.
and i also have a swoon HERE if you'd like to check it out! (it'd be cool if you did. no pressure, though. you're still amazing)
---
This book was a cliché after cliché and... I ended up liking it?
I started this book fairly late into the night and if I didn't have class the following day--well, later that day, I suppose--I would have continued until I was finished. There wasn't anything unique about the book, but it was strangely addicting.
Frankie's life was the perfect daughter, perfect friend, perfect girlfriend. But after her boyfriend, Noah, died, a new Frankie emerged and it wasn't one the people around her were used to. She's become reckless, believing that nothing matters anymore. When one of her new adventures gets too out of hand, she's kicked out of her house and her prestigious school in the Heights and sent to the Downs. If her life hadn't been a mess the past summer, it's about to get a whole lot worse because the Downs has two problems for Frankie: street racing and Marco Leone.
Like I've already said: lots of clichés. Frankie is the new girl at Monroe, the high school in the Downs, Marco is the bad boy with a secret past, and there is some sort of insta-attraction. Surprisingly, though, none of those things bothered me. I actually ended up really liking both characters and their interactions in the first half of the book.
Marco was the kind of boy who gave me swoons just by talking. That doesn't happen often (the last time was probably Noah Shaw) so it caught me off guard. Although I thought some of the ways Frankie and Marco bumped into each other was a bit too convenient (which was kinda expected, tbh) I loved how the two interacted! You could already tell there was ~something~ there and they were clearly not used to it, but I found it so adorable!
I also really liked Frankie as a main character. Yeah, she took some stupid risks but the fact that no one saw what was hurting her--well, it doesn't justify what she does in the book, but I get it. It hurt to see her misunderstood and unable to really tell the people who kept giving her a hard time what was going on with her.
Another thing I liked was the female friendship. I'm a bit torn here because while Frankie DOES has a great girl friend, Lex, I felt that because of what Frankie was struggling with, there wasn't much of the amazing female friendship that I really wanted to see. (I don't want to just pin it on what she went through, though. Frankie was a pretty bad friend to Lex, who was nothing but supportive and loyal to her. You go Lex, you're pretty amazing.)
However, Garcia also had another amazing and kick-ass character, Cruz. I loved Cruz so much--her strength, her loyalty, her no non-sense attitude. She could stand up for herself and she wasn't afraid to do just that. I liked that Frankie and her became friends because they were pretty great to see together.
I did like this book but there were some things that really bothered me.
For one, I didn't like how one of Frankie's old friends, Abel, kind of kept getting sidelined. It was introduced way early on that something fishy was going on with him, but it came back at odd intervals and I think that he should have been a bit more involved. It didn't really make sense to me to introduce an issue that bothered both Frankie and Lex but bring it up when it was convenient for the plot.
The romance in the second half also sort of bothered me. In the beginning, I enjoyed reading about the two, but in the second, it just got kind of melodramatic. This was the kind of cliché I did not like: parent breaking up the lovers because they were destined to be doomed or something (I mean, they weren't, but it had that vibe to it). Having to create a distance between the two because of the age old excuse of "I want to protect you." I'm legit so tired of that excuse so it was annoying to see Frankie's dad keep bringing that up.
There is some mention of PTSD in the book. Frankie knows her boyfriend was murdered but she can't remember much from that night, and memories filter back at odd times, like when she's writing, or when something someone says triggers a memory. If I'm honest, I would've liked to see a bit more of this, but it was okay for the most part. My only issue was that I had figured out who'd killed Noah (Frankie's old boyfriend) the minute the guy was introduced.
This is the real first contemporary I've read in a loooong while, so I was pretty happy with this book. It had its issues, but overall, I really did enjoy it. While the writing wasn't anything special or anything, it was engaging enough for me to want to continue reading.
So! Overall, 3.5 stars.
June 1, 2017
this book was so good but so meh.
yeah, meh.
I'm sticking with meh as my review.
Ok jks, review to come!
yeah, meh.
I'm sticking with meh as my review.
Ok jks, review to come!
March 8, 2017
So, I was a bit disappointed with this book. The Lovely Reckless started off strong, but quickly became predictable which left me completely bored..
"I'm like a broken bone that wasn't set correctly. I might not heal perfectly, but I will heal."
I was completely intrigued by Frankie's story at the beginning of this book. It's obvious that she is struggling in her life. She's reckless and a little lost. I think Kami Garcia perfectly captured Frankie's voice throughout the book. I immediately felt the weight that Frankie carries on her shoulders. She's no longer that star student, but a teenager who is suffering from PTSD.
Her life continues to flip upside down as she moves in with her father, who lives on the opposite side of town. She switches from private school to public, and sees how different this world is from the one she has always known. Which I have to say.. There are books that capture this sort of realistic side of our world in an offensive way, but I found that Garcia did a great job at bringing it to life without any of the clichés present. It felt very real.
We are quickly introduced to more characters, friends from her "old" life and ones she makes at her new school. I liked every character, they were all real and relatable in a certain way.. All of them helped to play a role in helping Frankie heal and grow from the trauma she has gone through in the past 3 months. I just have to say that my favorite character was Cruz, who ends up being one of Frankie's best friends, because she was interesting.. and just so much girl power from this girl!
Let's talk about Marco.. Who I liked.. For the most part.
He was interesting. . . Then their relationship started to form and the instalove was real in this book. It was a complete downfall for me. I would've enjoyed it more if it was developed more slowly instead of them falling in love after 4 conversations. It would've felt more genuine to their characters.
The story takes a turn after they realize their feelings for one another.. And it becomes predictable and a little cheesy. I had to skim through some parts between Frankie and Marco because I just felt like rolling my eyes. I may be a bit too old for this type of love story though, so there's that.
I continued reading this book though because I was interested in seeing how Frankie would deal with her PTSD. Which it was portrayed in a very real and honest way, and I actually liked her individual transformation.
As the story wraps up, there's a bit of heartbreak and a few twists that I saw coming.. Which in contemporaries I usually can predict most things happening, and I usually never mind it. . . But I just wasn't connecting with these characters like I should have. It was a little disappointing.
Overall, this book was not for me. I appreciated Kami Garcia's writing and thought she captured this world and Frankie's voice in a great way.. But I just couldn't fully connect to the characters and their story. Although I did appreciate Frankie's personal journey without all the cheesy love lines. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to any of my friends, but I would recommend it to younger readers, roughly 14-16 year olds.
* Quotes listed above are subject to change.
"I'm like a broken bone that wasn't set correctly. I might not heal perfectly, but I will heal."
I was completely intrigued by Frankie's story at the beginning of this book. It's obvious that she is struggling in her life. She's reckless and a little lost. I think Kami Garcia perfectly captured Frankie's voice throughout the book. I immediately felt the weight that Frankie carries on her shoulders. She's no longer that star student, but a teenager who is suffering from PTSD.
Her life continues to flip upside down as she moves in with her father, who lives on the opposite side of town. She switches from private school to public, and sees how different this world is from the one she has always known. Which I have to say.. There are books that capture this sort of realistic side of our world in an offensive way, but I found that Garcia did a great job at bringing it to life without any of the clichés present. It felt very real.
We are quickly introduced to more characters, friends from her "old" life and ones she makes at her new school. I liked every character, they were all real and relatable in a certain way.. All of them helped to play a role in helping Frankie heal and grow from the trauma she has gone through in the past 3 months. I just have to say that my favorite character was Cruz, who ends up being one of Frankie's best friends, because she was interesting.. and just so much girl power from this girl!
Let's talk about Marco.. Who I liked.. For the most part.
He was interesting. . . Then their relationship started to form and the instalove was real in this book. It was a complete downfall for me. I would've enjoyed it more if it was developed more slowly instead of them falling in love after 4 conversations. It would've felt more genuine to their characters.
The story takes a turn after they realize their feelings for one another.. And it becomes predictable and a little cheesy. I had to skim through some parts between Frankie and Marco because I just felt like rolling my eyes. I may be a bit too old for this type of love story though, so there's that.
I continued reading this book though because I was interested in seeing how Frankie would deal with her PTSD. Which it was portrayed in a very real and honest way, and I actually liked her individual transformation.
As the story wraps up, there's a bit of heartbreak and a few twists that I saw coming.. Which in contemporaries I usually can predict most things happening, and I usually never mind it. . . But I just wasn't connecting with these characters like I should have. It was a little disappointing.
Overall, this book was not for me. I appreciated Kami Garcia's writing and thought she captured this world and Frankie's voice in a great way.. But I just couldn't fully connect to the characters and their story. Although I did appreciate Frankie's personal journey without all the cheesy love lines. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to any of my friends, but I would recommend it to younger readers, roughly 14-16 year olds.
* Quotes listed above are subject to change.
February 10, 2017
**I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.**
I love cheese in its many forms but I don’t love the mental constipation that came with this one. I rolled my eyes, I punched a pillow or two and I cursed and cursed and cursed some more but nothing would unblock it. There has to be more substance than this in a book. It can’t be this cheesy and fake and transparent and just plumb full of clichés.
Or maybe you should disregard the above paragraph because not every book is written for every reader (duh) and this one was most definitely not written for me. If we take my personal opinion out of it and only look at the general concept, it isn’t bad? It has words and they were used correctly and there is an obvious beginning, middle and end. So yeah, it is a book you can pick up and open and read and possibly even enjoy depending on your reading preferences.
There…that's me playing nice.
I love cheese in its many forms but I don’t love the mental constipation that came with this one. I rolled my eyes, I punched a pillow or two and I cursed and cursed and cursed some more but nothing would unblock it. There has to be more substance than this in a book. It can’t be this cheesy and fake and transparent and just plumb full of clichés.
Or maybe you should disregard the above paragraph because not every book is written for every reader (duh) and this one was most definitely not written for me. If we take my personal opinion out of it and only look at the general concept, it isn’t bad? It has words and they were used correctly and there is an obvious beginning, middle and end. So yeah, it is a book you can pick up and open and read and possibly even enjoy depending on your reading preferences.
There…that's me playing nice.
September 29, 2016
THIS BOOK!!!! FANTASTIC! ❤️
Thank you to Impulse and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange of a honest review.
This book is such a pleasant surprise. It is very reminiscent of Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits series, especially Crash Into You (which is my favorite book) and I love it! The story of two teens who come from different worlds finding a special connection with each other is one of my favorite stories and this was perfectly done.
The story surrounds Frankie Devereux after she witnessed her boyfriend Noah’s death right before her eyes. Suffering from PTSD, Frankie becomes a little reckless and has to move into a less “privileged” part of town with her father and enter a public school where she meets the sexy, passionate, and bad boy Marco Leone. The second Frankie meets Marco, an intense attraction begins and it’s all you need to realize that you need Marco as your next book boyfriend. I know I did.
Frankie is one of my favorite characters. She suffers from PTSD and flashbacks from the night when Noah died. She is desperately trying to remember who killed Noah and she lets this haunt her for majority of the book. I just felt so much sympathy for her. She is lost. She doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere anymore. She has to move into her Dad’s place where she hasn’t had that great of a relationship with in quite some time as a result of his job. Her mother is distant and pays more attention to her new husband and making Frankie who she wants Frankie to be rather than get to know her daughter. On top of all this, Frankie is trying to forget everything that is connected to Noah because it hurts her too much. That means trying to distant herself for her oldest friends. While I didn’t agree with Frankie’s decisions, I understood them. I loved Frankie’s development in this novel because it showed just how strong she is. She had to fight a hard battle trying to piece together what happened as well as save herself and learn who she now is. She took some risks and it was always for those she loved. She just wanted to do the right thing for the right reason.
Oh Marco, Marco, Marco. I was gushing so much over this beautiful soul. My heart broke a million times because of his story and the cards life dealt him, but you have to love his heart. His connection with Frankie is beautiful and the way he cares for his sister will make you love him. I dare you not to fall in love with him. He is so protective of those he cares about and will do everything to protect them and it hurts because he won’t fight for himself. He feels just as lost as Frankie does, if not more. He thinks so poorly of himself that it’s heartbreaking!
“Marco will fight for his sister, for his friends, and I’m willing to bet hed fight to the ends of the earth for you. But he won’t fight for himself. He only sees one door, Frankie. He needs someone to show him the others ones.”
What I really liked about this book besides the intense relationship between Frankie and Marco was the friendships Frankie formed. This book wasn’t only about a love story. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even really instalove (not really), but Frankie first developed a friendships with a girl from her class, Cruz and her new reconnected friendships with her older friends, Lex and Abel which was more important. She needed to know that she had people supporting her who can help her see the “other doors.”
Overall, this book is fantastic and quickly became one of my favorite contemporaries. It’s sexy, fast-paced, thrilling, and never a dull moment. I never cry while reading contemporaries, but this book made me bawl my eyes out. I felt so connected to these characters and so invested in their journeys. Thank you, Kami Garcia for writing such a beautiful, heartfelt story. It will stay in my heart forever.
Thank you to Impulse and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange of a honest review.
This book is such a pleasant surprise. It is very reminiscent of Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits series, especially Crash Into You (which is my favorite book) and I love it! The story of two teens who come from different worlds finding a special connection with each other is one of my favorite stories and this was perfectly done.
The story surrounds Frankie Devereux after she witnessed her boyfriend Noah’s death right before her eyes. Suffering from PTSD, Frankie becomes a little reckless and has to move into a less “privileged” part of town with her father and enter a public school where she meets the sexy, passionate, and bad boy Marco Leone. The second Frankie meets Marco, an intense attraction begins and it’s all you need to realize that you need Marco as your next book boyfriend. I know I did.
Frankie is one of my favorite characters. She suffers from PTSD and flashbacks from the night when Noah died. She is desperately trying to remember who killed Noah and she lets this haunt her for majority of the book. I just felt so much sympathy for her. She is lost. She doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere anymore. She has to move into her Dad’s place where she hasn’t had that great of a relationship with in quite some time as a result of his job. Her mother is distant and pays more attention to her new husband and making Frankie who she wants Frankie to be rather than get to know her daughter. On top of all this, Frankie is trying to forget everything that is connected to Noah because it hurts her too much. That means trying to distant herself for her oldest friends. While I didn’t agree with Frankie’s decisions, I understood them. I loved Frankie’s development in this novel because it showed just how strong she is. She had to fight a hard battle trying to piece together what happened as well as save herself and learn who she now is. She took some risks and it was always for those she loved. She just wanted to do the right thing for the right reason.
Oh Marco, Marco, Marco. I was gushing so much over this beautiful soul. My heart broke a million times because of his story and the cards life dealt him, but you have to love his heart. His connection with Frankie is beautiful and the way he cares for his sister will make you love him. I dare you not to fall in love with him. He is so protective of those he cares about and will do everything to protect them and it hurts because he won’t fight for himself. He feels just as lost as Frankie does, if not more. He thinks so poorly of himself that it’s heartbreaking!
“Marco will fight for his sister, for his friends, and I’m willing to bet hed fight to the ends of the earth for you. But he won’t fight for himself. He only sees one door, Frankie. He needs someone to show him the others ones.”
What I really liked about this book besides the intense relationship between Frankie and Marco was the friendships Frankie formed. This book wasn’t only about a love story. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even really instalove (not really), but Frankie first developed a friendships with a girl from her class, Cruz and her new reconnected friendships with her older friends, Lex and Abel which was more important. She needed to know that she had people supporting her who can help her see the “other doors.”
Overall, this book is fantastic and quickly became one of my favorite contemporaries. It’s sexy, fast-paced, thrilling, and never a dull moment. I never cry while reading contemporaries, but this book made me bawl my eyes out. I felt so connected to these characters and so invested in their journeys. Thank you, Kami Garcia for writing such a beautiful, heartfelt story. It will stay in my heart forever.
October 12, 2016
Out heart is like an
unfinished puzzle-
that is why we search
for the perfect one
to complete it.
The Lovely Reckless was my first foray into the writing of Kami Garcia and I have to say that it was a mighty fine success! Contemporary YA is so my thing, but add in some grittiness along with a huge dose of angsty reality and I'm all over that!
Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason.
The trick is knowing when the reason is right.
Seventeen year old Frankie Devereux is trying to come to grips with the brutal death of her boyfriend Noah. She's taken a new approach to life, one where nothing really matters. It's following that new path that see's her sent to live with her undercover cop Dad on the seedier side of town. It's here that she meets bad boy Marco Leone. The attraction is instant. But Marco is hiding a huge secret. That bad boy vibe goes so much deeper than Frankie could have ever guessed. When she learns Marco's secret she'll have to decide if the feelings she's developing for him are enough to overcome the hurdles placed in their paths.
For me, The Lovely Reckless reminded me a lot of Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits. And since that's one of my favourite series by one of my favourite authors, I couldn't read this book fast enough. I love stories where opposites attract, and Frankie and Marco definitely come from different sides of the tracks. But the more time that Frankie spends in Marco's world the more she realises that she's much more herself there than surrounded by the excesses of her past.
I loved the dynamic between Frankie and Marco. Both of them are dealing with so much. Their attraction to each other was very real and they both had such a need to protect and care for the other. I think that sometimes environment and circumstance can cause feelings to develop really quickly, so I didn't even have an issue with what some people might see as insta love.
Kami Garcia is definitely a wonderful author. She managed to drag me into the story completely and had me caring for the characters and the choices that they'd make. I really hope that Kami will explore some of the other characters stories in the future because there's a few that I would love to spend more time with and get to know better.
Overall, The Lovely Reckless was an enjoyable and gritty YA contemporary. If that's your thing then I highly suggest picking this one up.
Thanks so much to the published for providing me with a copy for my honest review.
unfinished puzzle-
that is why we search
for the perfect one
to complete it.
The Lovely Reckless was my first foray into the writing of Kami Garcia and I have to say that it was a mighty fine success! Contemporary YA is so my thing, but add in some grittiness along with a huge dose of angsty reality and I'm all over that!
Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason.
The trick is knowing when the reason is right.
Seventeen year old Frankie Devereux is trying to come to grips with the brutal death of her boyfriend Noah. She's taken a new approach to life, one where nothing really matters. It's following that new path that see's her sent to live with her undercover cop Dad on the seedier side of town. It's here that she meets bad boy Marco Leone. The attraction is instant. But Marco is hiding a huge secret. That bad boy vibe goes so much deeper than Frankie could have ever guessed. When she learns Marco's secret she'll have to decide if the feelings she's developing for him are enough to overcome the hurdles placed in their paths.
For me, The Lovely Reckless reminded me a lot of Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits. And since that's one of my favourite series by one of my favourite authors, I couldn't read this book fast enough. I love stories where opposites attract, and Frankie and Marco definitely come from different sides of the tracks. But the more time that Frankie spends in Marco's world the more she realises that she's much more herself there than surrounded by the excesses of her past.
I loved the dynamic between Frankie and Marco. Both of them are dealing with so much. Their attraction to each other was very real and they both had such a need to protect and care for the other. I think that sometimes environment and circumstance can cause feelings to develop really quickly, so I didn't even have an issue with what some people might see as insta love.
Kami Garcia is definitely a wonderful author. She managed to drag me into the story completely and had me caring for the characters and the choices that they'd make. I really hope that Kami will explore some of the other characters stories in the future because there's a few that I would love to spend more time with and get to know better.
Overall, The Lovely Reckless was an enjoyable and gritty YA contemporary. If that's your thing then I highly suggest picking this one up.
Thanks so much to the published for providing me with a copy for my honest review.
August 5, 2017
2,3 Street race Stars
Buddy read with:Norah <3
Well, this book was disappointing, yet it was addicting. I will say a masterpiece for a fanfiction work, but let's be real is not a fanfiction.
A week or so has passed and the only thing I can remember from this book is Sofia and honestly, I think is the only is worth it to keep in my memory<3
Buddy read with:Norah <3
Well, this book was disappointing, yet it was addicting. I will say a masterpiece for a fanfiction work, but let's be real is not a fanfiction.
A week or so has passed and the only thing I can remember from this book is Sofia and honestly, I think is the only is worth it to keep in my memory<3
June 28, 2016
4.5 stars!!
I don't know why but... I ADORED THIS BOOK. Oh my goodness. See here's the thing, the elements of the story individually aren't much. They're actually pretty normal compared to other books. But there's just something that makes it all fit together to make an AWESOME STORY.
Like, I could imagine all these scenes in a movie!! It moved at such a faster pace than I expected and omg the romance was EXPLOSIVE. This book was just soo addicting. SIMPLY A WILD RIDE
(And YAY FOR STREET RACING "BAD" BOYS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FLUFFY BUNNIES INSIDE
I don't know why but... I ADORED THIS BOOK. Oh my goodness. See here's the thing, the elements of the story individually aren't much. They're actually pretty normal compared to other books. But there's just something that makes it all fit together to make an AWESOME STORY.
Like, I could imagine all these scenes in a movie!! It moved at such a faster pace than I expected and omg the romance was EXPLOSIVE. This book was just soo addicting. SIMPLY A WILD RIDE
(And YAY FOR STREET RACING "BAD" BOYS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FLUFFY BUNNIES INSIDE
June 11, 2016
I received an ARC of this book at RT Booklovers Conference.
I absolutely loved this book. If you loved Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry series, you will devour The Lovely Reckless. Full review to come closer to release date.
I absolutely loved this book. If you loved Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry series, you will devour The Lovely Reckless. Full review to come closer to release date.
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