Book review: Something Reckless (Reckless & Real #1) by Lexi Ryan

Something Reckless (Reckless & Real #1)
by Lexi Ryan

New Adult contemporary romance
Paperback, 248 pages
Published December 22nd 2014 by Lexi Ryan

He talks dirty to me, but I don’t know his name.

He wants to tie me up, but I don’t know his face.

He turns me on, but I couldn’t point him out in a crowd.

I’ve fallen for an anonymous stranger, and now the anonymity ends. I want more than typed secrets and texted promises. I want something reckless. Heat. Passion. The thrill of being entirely possessed.

Because I suspect this anonymous stranger isn’t a stranger at all.

*****

Lizzy Thompson met riverrat69 online through a service promising to deliver meaningful relationships by forbidding its users to share names or photos until they’ve reached a certain benchmark. She was looking for love. He was researching an investment. They hit it off. Talked and flirted, hid behind screen names and cartoon avatars.

Now they’re breaking the rules and meeting in person. But Liz is prepared. She’s picked up hints and followed clues. She’s nearly convinced she’s discovered the identity of her dirty-talking online friend.

She wonders if her ex-lover Sam Bradshaw knows her identity too.
When she rolls the dice on one reckless night, her chance at something real could crumble.

Something Reckless is part one of the Reckless & Real series. Part two, Something Real will be released in 2015.

Lizzy and Sam receive the starring roles in the new Reckless & Real  series by Lexi Ryan. In Something Reckless, Lizzy has learned to keep her heart away from smoking bad boy Sam. He's already proven to her and countless others that he isn't the type to stick around. Since this fast-paced story is narrated by both, readers get to see exactly what happened to Sam to make him the way he is. It's also great to see the interaction between these two--this couple not only sizzles between the sheets but during their everyday interactions. Talk about chemistry!

Already a fan of the Here and Now series, I relished my return to New Hope. After devouring Something Wild, it was nice to see both main characters undergo some changes. Trying to move on, Lizzy signs up for a new local online service where she meets an understanding guy. When she's not pouring her emotions out to him (she assumes it's a guy), they're sharing sexy talk. He says the right things and they seem to be so compatible. Lizzy begins to wonder about who he really is. Could the mystery man be someone she knows--someone like Sam? Or will the identity reveal someone she least suspects or doesn't know? I'm not saying. Lizzy does land a sweet job and Sam gets a visit from someone from his past to turn the events of this story into very interesting with a capital "I." But that ending! Don't do this to us!

Lexi Ryan never fails to deliver with her emotionally complex characters and the toe-curling hotness. Toe-curling! I really liked both characters in this new series. I will admit at times it felt like the story needed something more, some more depth besides the flirting and sexy scenes. I mean I enjoy those scenes and there were supporting scenes, but I wanted a bit more to make these people complete for me--to truly make me connect and understand. I suspect that what I need will be given in the next book. The cliffhanger ending will come as no surprise to New Adult readers. Still, it's maddening to see such build-up, to be taken on an emotional roller coaster only to reach the top of the ride and be made to sit there in suspended animation until the next installment is published. Ms. Ryan, why do you do this to your readers? 

Okay, being serious, I need to say that since I'm already a Lexi Ryan fan, I'll tighten my seatbelt and wait it out until the next book, Something Real, is published. Please, please make it soon!

Rating: 3.5

1/2

Cover comment:

This is an okay cover.

Book source:

I received a complimentary copy in return for my honest review.