Jacqueline's Reads: Wild Reckless (Harper Boys, #1) by Ginger Scott [Review]

Kensington Worth had a vision for her senior year. It involved her best friends, her posh private school in downtown Chicago and time alone with her piano until her audition was perfected, a guaranteed ticket into the best music programs in the world.

Instead, a nightmare took over.

It didn’t happen all at once, but her life unraveled quickly—a tiny thread that evil somehow kept pulling until everything precious was taken from her. She was suddenly living miles away from her old life, trapped in an existence she didn’t choose—one determined to destroy her from the inside, leaving only hate and anger behind. It didn’t help that her neighbor, the one whose eyes held danger, was enjoying every second of her fall.

Owen Harper was trouble, his heart wild and his past the kind that’s spoken about in whispers. And somehow, his path was always intertwined with Kensington’s, every interaction crushing her, ruining her hope for any future better than her now.

Sometimes, though, what everyone warns is trouble, is exactly what the heart needs. Owen Harper was consumed with darkness, and it held onto his soul for years. When Kensington looked at him, she saw a boy who’d gotten good at taking others down when they threatened his carefully balanced life. But the more she looked, the more she saw other things too—good things…things to admire.

Things…to love. Things that made her want to be reckless.

And those things…they were the scariest of all.

5 Owen has My Heart Stars

Wild Reckless is a standalone and is part of the Harper Boys series. Each book will be about a Harper brother.

Okay, so let me just get all the gushing out of the way. I super love Ginger Scott books. They always make me FEEL and I never know what kind of FEELINGS I am going to get. I can’t even describe to you in words on how much I LOVED this book.

I SUPER loved Wild Reckless. I smiled the ENTIRE time. Right when I finished, I wanted to read it again! You get the point?

The story starts out with a bang. It’s explosive and it sets the tone for the rest of the read. I was instantly HOOKED by page one.

Owen is a teenager and a senior in high school. He witnessed a traumatic event in the past and it has shaped the way he is now. He doesn’t follow rules, he doesn’t care for relationships and school is his last priority.

Kensington just moved into the small town where Owen lives. She’s a pianist and is a Daddy’s girl. She loves school and is looking to make friends. Little does she know, she moved next door to the town’s trouble maker, Owen.

I love Owen’s reaction to Kens when they first meet. He’s rude, indifferent and it makes me want him even more! Owen has a huge chip on his shoulder and no one is able to break it. Kens doesn’t want anything to do with Owen. She has heard enough rumors about him to know he’s not worth the effort.

I really enjoyed Owen being kind of aloof towards Kens. It added sweet tension and it kept me completely interested.

Owen isn’t a quiet next door and a tiny war is forged between the two main characters. The beginning is entirely cute and I love the banter between Owen and Kens. Owen has loud parties and plays basketball on her drive way. Kens can’t play her piano and wants Owen to leave her alone.

“Since the moment my eyes met Owen Harper’s, he has owned me, terrified me, consumed me, and I don’t even remember the girl I was before him any more.”

“I don’t hate Owen Harper. But I want him. Unlike I’ve ever wanted anyone.”

As Kens and Owen run into each other more, Kens realizes maybe the rumors about Owen are just rumors. Kens faces some family challenges as well and this kind of brings Owen and her closer. I like how Owen and Kens kind of find some common ground and even though they are two different people, they sort of just work. I can’t get enough of it.

I pretty much highlighted the entire story! Ginger has a way with words. It’s written so well and I loved the flow. It’s a one-sit-down kind of read. It was perfect to the last sentence.

“Truth is, Owen Harper shot me through the heart that day he pointed his finger at me and pulled the trigger.”

Excerpt from Wicked Restless

“Alright, Harper. Who’s the target tonight?” Trent leans over me, startling me out of my trance, grabbing my next beer and taking it for his own.

“Hey, dickhead,” I say. He holds up a hand and orders another one, sliding it to me. “I’m pretty sure it’s your turn this time.”

His face falls and his complexion turns green. Trent and I have this game we play with one another. It started as a drunken dare a few months ago, when he goaded me into taking a girl home from Majerle’s Pub. I’m not suave; I don’t have great pick-up lines. I usually wait for girls to hit on me. I wait for easy. When Trent dared me, I came up with my own set-up—I stole a girl’s wallet. I returned it to her later, pretending I’d found it. She was so grateful she spent the rest of the night sitting on my lap, her arms looped around my neck, her lips sucking on my skin, her hands soon finding their way in my pants.

That first girl taught me to never bring any of them to our apartment. I go to theirs now. It’s easier to leave then it is to kick someone out.

“Fine, I’ll go. But next time, I get to pick your girl,” I say, tipping my beer back to drink what’s left before leaving the bottle on the bar behind me and pointing at my friend.

“Dude, whatever. You know it’s your turn anyway,” he says.

“My choice next time,” I remind him as I walk backward. I know it’s his turn, and I also know he doesn’t really like taking the dare. Trent’s too nice, and he usually ends up dating the girl for weeks after. He doesn’t like to be an asshole. Or maybe he just doesn’t like people to say bad things about him. Maybe there’s no difference between the two.

I couldn’t give a shit what people say about me. Let ’em talk.

I make one pass through the crowded bar, letting my eyes roam over the dance floor and the tables that line the back wall on the way to the bathrooms. It’s a Friday night, so there are lots of girls here. It’s the middle of the semester, too, so they’re all ready to party—no finals to worry about. There’s one group that seems like an easy target, a blonde on the end who keeps trying to talk the others into dancing. I hover around the restrooms waiting for my shot, and when she finally drags the group of girls with her out to the dance floor, I walk back through the crowd, passing their table.

So easy.

Their wallets and purses are all piled in the center of the table except for a red bag looped over the back of a chair, the ID sticking out of the top. I drag my hand along the bottom of the table, and as I pass the red handbag I grab the small plastic card poking from it, tucking it into the sleeve around my palm. I glance up to make eye contact with Trent, and raise the corner of my mouth in a smirk.

“Dude, you are so slick at this. Seriously, if you flunk out of the engineering program you should just turn to a life of crime.”

I slide into my stool and look away from him. I know he was just saying words, but the joke doesn’t sit well with me. I have a chip on my shoulder. It’s my fucking chip, and I earned it. He also doesn’t know how many nights I walk that line with Harley, fixing bets that are illegal in the first place. Trent just thinks I like the workout boxing gives me.

“Well…let’s see it? Who’s the lucky lady?”

I pull my sleeve loose from around my wrist and let the card slide out, flipping it over while I drink what’s left of my beer, and that’s when karma slaps me like a bitch.

She’s older. Of course she’s older. She’s twenty-one, too. But she looks…older. She also looks the same. Nobody looks good in an ID photo. Emma Burke looks like a dream. Her brown hair is just as I remember it, long waves around her bright pink cheeks, lips that stretch into this sensuous smile. I don’t know if it’s sensuous to anyone else, but to me, it sure as fuck is.

It’s also cruel. I swear to god she’s mocking me in her picture, her eyes shining through and looking at me, calling me stupid, telling me what a chump I am for thinking I was some sort of hero or something.

She’s slapping me in the face for being good and decent to her.

Don’t worry, Emma. I won’t ever be good and decent to you again.

I was lucky to meet Ginger at the RT convention in Dallas. She's is incredibly sweet and generous. I told her how excited I was for This is Falling in audio. I love meeting authors and it's extra special when they are humble and nice. More photos HERE

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