Review: Reckless by Priscilla West



Reckless was my first novel by Priscilla West so I was not familiar with her writing and did not know what to expect. Perhaps that is why for the first chapter or two I was wondering if Reckless was meant to be a parody. Several scenes were portrayed as over-the-top dramatic and clichés abounded, enough so that I questioned the intent of the novel. A few examples:

- Jax's sexual charisma/magnetism is so extreme that no woman is immune. Women faint. One woman apparently climaxed from the sound of his voice alone. (Color me impressed!)

- As Jax walks through an audience, crazed female fans each grab a sleeve of his shirt which, naturally, rips down the middle leaving him bare chested, and seemingly unaware. (Didn't this happen often in 80's music videos?)

- Jax is literally run out of town by a mob of angry husbands/boyfriends. (Insert much eye rolling here.)

For these reasons and others I was unsure exactly how Reckless was to be taken. As tongue in cheek humor or realistic? Once I adjusted to the writing style I was able to go with the narrative more.

Riley is an accountant but is hardly the straight laced prototype. She has a wild side which is how she meets Jax, lead singer of The Hitchcocks. They have a competitive relationship from the very start. Both are stubborn and prone to play mind games rather than be forthright. When Riley ends up on tour with the band for two weeks to oversee the band's budget and spending she is determined to keep their relationship professional... but where would the fun be in that?

It was interesting to see Jax and Riley's relationship develop and watch as their personal lives began to infuse with their work relationship. Both had troubled pasts (one more so than another) and I enjoyed learning more of their back stories. Considering Riley was only with the band for two weeks, the relationship seemed to progress at lightning speed and I was surprised at some of Riley's assumptions about a relationship that was so new and supposedly temporary. Additionally, Reckless ends on a pretty significant cliffhanger.

Fans of rock star romances will likely enjoy Jax and Riley's story but it's doubtful I will continue on with the series.

*ARC provided by NetGalley and Blackbird Publishing in exchange for an honest review.


No comments