Title: Reckless
Author: S.C. Stephens
Blurb:
Can love survive when life gets Reckless?
When
the band hits it big, Kiera and Kellan must ask themselves: Can their
love for each other survive the constant pressures of superstardom? The
friendships they've formed, the new family they've found, and the
history they've forged will all play a part in helping them navigate the
turbulent waters of the band's exploding popularity. A greedy executive
hell-bent on success, a declining pop star looking for an edge, and a
media circus that twists lies into truths are just some of the obstacles
the lovers will have to overcome if they are going to remain together.
Fame comes with a price-but will it cost Kiera and Kellan everything?
Links:
Reckless on Goodreads
Kala's Review:
I really really really wanted to like this book a lot. While
Thoughtless and Effortless weren't without flaws, the books were both
compelling and I found myself sucked in to Kiera and Kellan's trials and
tribulations. Reckless just doesn't come anywhere near that.
This
book just shouldn't have been written. It really brings nothing new to
Kellan and Kiera's relationship. In fact, the two get along just fine
for pretty much the entire novel outside of a few minor spats that Kiera
gets over almost instantly. The first 20-25% of the book is downright
boring. I was wondering what the heck I was reading, because I haven't
ever been BORED by S.C. Stephens before.
Perhaps it's because
nothing new was introduced. I mean, yes, Kiera gets drunk and Denny
takes her home and takes care of her (Kellan is out of town). But
Kellan doesn't get mad about it and Denny is a perfect gentleman. Yes,
one of Kellan's exes shows up and blackmails him about a sex tape, but
Kellan's former man-whore status was already a dead horse beaten to
death in the first two books. Kiera is mildly upset about the tape, but
gets over it after a page or two. We spend the majority of the first
20-25% listening to KIera and Kellan call each other husband and wife
(THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY MARRIED) and be all lovey dovey with each other.
It's cute, but a couple getting along perfectly doesn't make a good
novel.
The middle of this book is good. I really liked the
conflict that Sienna Sexton brought to the picture. While Kellan and
Kiera still got along perfectly throughout all of it, it made sense and
was still interesting because I wanted to find out exactly how
everything was going to play out with Sienna as Kellan's fame continued
to rise.
SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
Then
we get to the last 20% where things just go to shit again. Not in the
sense that Kiera's life goes to shit. Quite the opposite. There is a
car accident, but we're never afraid Kellan will die. He doesn't, of
course, and the accident suddenly changes the public opinion on Kiera
and from that point on, we spend probably 100 pages reading about how
perfect life is for Kiera and Kellan and all the D-Bags.
Seriously,
it's like a 100 page epilogue and that doesn't even include the ACTUAL
epilogue which is pretty much pointless. Before we even get to the
epilogue, we get to read all about how Kiera and Kellan have a 'perfect'
wedding (in the hospital), how all of Sienna's fans suddenly hate her
and now everyone loves Kiera (when before all the fans thought Kiera was
'stealing' Kellan from Sienna), how Kiera and Kellan go to the Grammys
and of course the D-Bags win, how Kiera gets pregnant and has a baby,
how her book becomes a huge self published bestseller and gets picked
up by a traditional publisher, how they buy a huge house on 11 acres and
it's so perfect...it just goes on and on and on. Complete overkill!
Then
we get a horribly long epilogue that really doesn't say anything new. I
mean, we already know that Kiera and Kellan are happily married with a
baby and a Grammy and a #1 album and a bestselling novel. What could
the epilogue POSSIBLY TELL US? And the answer is... nothing really.
Stephens
also tied up EVERY OTHER character's storylines as perfectly as
possible. Griffin turns in to the perfect dad who marries Anna. Denny
and his girlfriend get married and live happily ever after as they
become the perfect managers for the D-Bags.
This book just
reeked of Breaking Dawn syndrome. Completely unnecessary and everyone
gets exactly what they want in the end without really losing anything.
If the first 20% and the last 20% were cut out, this book would have
been a lot better. Pretty much the only interesting parts were the
entire storyline with Sienna (til the end) and almost everything with
Griffin and Anna.
I don't know. This book just really disappointed me.
2 out of 5 stars.
Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/403143603
