Book Review: Reckless, S.C. Stephens

Reading Level: Contemporary Romance/New Adult Format: Ebook (ARC) Publisher: Gallery (S&S)  3/5/13 Rating: 4

I've been holding on to reviewing this since I read it just before Christmas. I was so happy to get an early copy of this. Everyone loves Kellan Kyle and the D-Bags. In fact, I interviewed them back in November HERE. 

RECKLESS pretty much starts right where EFFORTLESS left off. Kiera and Kellan vowed to each other during her graduation party and declared themselves husband and wife. But we should all know that being with Kellan is anything but a piece of cake. He's got a biological dad he's getting to know, his band is starting to really do well and they're recording an album. And he's got a mad-as-hell ex-roommate who is looking to milk him for some money. With a sex tape.

However, the sex tape is neither here nor there. It's quickly relegated to dead and we're off to California for recording time. Kiera absolutely refuses to leave Kellan's side this time, so she's touring as well. Anna decides to come along as well. Since she's pregnant with Griffin's child. (um, sidenote, who'da thunk?)

Of course nothing will go smoothly for this couple. With an oily manager and a less than nice publicist, they become embroiled in tabloid fodder for the ages. An aging popstar who wants to rekindle her fame, decides that Kellan is exactly what she needs to catapult her to the stratosphere. Unfortunately, Kellan isn't buying it. 

Throughout the whole book, he always let people know that he was married. But that didn't matter to the record executives, they saw some gossip that would keep both groups in the spotlight. But at what cost is fame worth it? Kellan grew leaps and bounds in this book. Every time an opportunity appeared or what seemed to appeared for him to fall back into his manwhore ways, he managed to sidestep it. He's particularly unhappy when Sienna Sexton becomes a little too grab happy for him especially when they have to shoot a steamy love scene for a music video.

Kiera wants to be anonymous. She's happy being the wife who supports her husband by just being there for him. She's writing a memoir about her incident that took place in the first book. It's a carthartic, soul-cleansing thing for her. But with her staying out of the limelight, it's very easy to trick the public into a KELL-SEX frenzy.

The book did get a little draggy toward the middle. Some unnecessary scenes, but it's neither here nor there. I adored Anna in this book. She was absolutely adamant that she was having a girl. But when the ultrasound doesn't go her way, she must settle with having another little Griffin. The transformation for both of those characters, Griff and Anna, was amazing. I found myself wanting to read a story about their courtship or whatever you call it.

Back to Kiera and Kellan. With fans asking for more Kellan/Sienna pairings, the record company pulls them off their current tour and puts them on Sienna's comeback tour. I wish at times that Kiera was a bit stronger especially when it came to Nick and Sienna. She was always willing to take a ribbing from those two. But again, Kellan was the one who put his foot down time and time again.

When paparazzi catch Kiera and Kellan in a sentimental moment, she realizes that being in the background is no longer going to happen. But she's also not ready to be called a homewrecker, Kellan's mistress and every other bad thing in the book. Kiera finally decides that coming forward and being there in the open for her relationship is what needs to happen. She's tired of listening to people speculate that Kellan and Sienna are a couple. 

Kellan's adoration of Kiera is absolute. We know that. She's finally learned to accept it. But it's not until she almost loses him in a coincidental accident, that she realizes that they are soul-mates. Finally marrying legally, they begin their life together. The backlash of the staged relationship with Sienna and Kellan doesn't affect the band as hard as it hits Sienna. 

With an epilogue to make even the strongest of women weep, we see into what happens when Kiera becomes a published author, The D-Bags win a grammy, Denny and Abby get married. Everything is as it should be.