The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
sjj169's review against another edition
2.0
I liked this book. The sex scenes were extra steamy. Only 4 stars because it did seem if Mick Brody came on a bit strong at times.
dtrumps's review against another edition
4.0
Gone Pecan
Ooh, this is such a great start to the series. Literally, it’s hot from the second the two meet. Jenny and Mick are both kind of broken and distrustful. Jenny struggles to get out from under the perceptions of her good girl image, but it’s hard when people see you a certain way to change significantly. And if it’s hard for Jenny, it’s doubly so for Mick, the man with a rough past that Jenny’s father, the police chief, will not accept for his daughter. And then we find out that Mick’s hiding something, not just from Jenny, but from everyone…he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s back in Destiny. The story was very good, very well done. In the middle of reading this one, I had to run to the library and pick up the rest of the books in the series, all of which star another of Jenny’s friends. Pecans: 4/5
Ooh, this is such a great start to the series. Literally, it’s hot from the second the two meet. Jenny and Mick are both kind of broken and distrustful. Jenny struggles to get out from under the perceptions of her good girl image, but it’s hard when people see you a certain way to change significantly. And if it’s hard for Jenny, it’s doubly so for Mick, the man with a rough past that Jenny’s father, the police chief, will not accept for his daughter. And then we find out that Mick’s hiding something, not just from Jenny, but from everyone…he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s back in Destiny. The story was very good, very well done. In the middle of reading this one, I had to run to the library and pick up the rest of the books in the series, all of which star another of Jenny’s friends. Pecans: 4/5
waterfairy's review against another edition
2.0
I went into the book expecting much. I usually love contemporary romance. It's my staple, comfort genre compared to any other genre. Unfortunately, I was bored about 20% in and I finished it because 1. I hoped it'd get better 2. Works for a number of challenge.
Jenny returns to her small-town home after her divorce presumably to get over her divorce. A good girl with her father being a police officer, Jenny has never been a bad girl. The reason, her husband says why he cheated on her. Mick, a bad from the other side of the lake has come home secretly with a secret of his own. The two collide (literally) and how will their summer turn out?
From the onset,I couldn't really connect with the characters. I couldn't feel Jenny's pain over her husband or the divorce. Sue Ann her best friend felt like a cardboard cut off playing as her friend. Mick the hero is supposed to be hot and tortured. I can't vouch for the former but he certainly seemed to be the latter. Most of Mick's physical characters seemed to be derived from the two friends' conversation, definitely no show.
Since the father is a police officer, the book tried to deal with what is right, what is wrong and if there are shades I between. And also the value of judging people based on the past. The problem is that I've seen it being done far better and far more subtle that this seemed a little forced. The story wAs a lot predictable that I didn't really enjoy. A pity as i was expecting toenjoy and since everybody I knew raved about it
I don't think I'll continue the series. Life's too short.
Jenny returns to her small-town home after her divorce presumably to get over her divorce. A good girl with her father being a police officer, Jenny has never been a bad girl. The reason, her husband says why he cheated on her. Mick, a bad from the other side of the lake has come home secretly with a secret of his own. The two collide (literally) and how will their summer turn out?
From the onset,I couldn't really connect with the characters. I couldn't feel Jenny's pain over her husband or the divorce. Sue Ann her best friend felt like a cardboard cut off playing as her friend. Mick the hero is supposed to be hot and tortured. I can't vouch for the former but he certainly seemed to be the latter. Most of Mick's physical characters seemed to be derived from the two friends' conversation, definitely no show.
Since the father is a police officer, the book tried to deal with what is right, what is wrong and if there are shades I between. And also the value of judging people based on the past. The problem is that I've seen it being done far better and far more subtle that this seemed a little forced. The story wAs a lot predictable that I didn't really enjoy. A pity as i was expecting toenjoy and since everybody I knew raved about it
I don't think I'll continue the series. Life's too short.
eslismyjam's review against another edition
3.0
Hot, hot, hot! Oh my goodness within the first pages of this book there is a STEAMY scene. By that time your completely sucked in. This is the typical boy from the wrong side of the tracks meets the good girl. That part was kind of boring. But clandestine affair under cover of night, however, THAT was interesting and kept me reading.
I also don't love the small town trope. I skimmed over most of that part. The chemistry between Mic and Jenny was very well written. They literally can't keep their hands off each other. There's another scene in the kitchen with some ice...you get the picture.
There is also the secret that Mic is keeping in his cabin that adds intrigue to the story without making it actually scary. The reveal of the secret shows the reader the depth of Mic's character and makes him very sympathetic. Also he's a little broody and dark. And really there is nothing I love more than broody and dark.
I also don't love the small town trope. I skimmed over most of that part. The chemistry between Mic and Jenny was very well written. They literally can't keep their hands off each other. There's another scene in the kitchen with some ice...you get the picture.
There is also the secret that Mic is keeping in his cabin that adds intrigue to the story without making it actually scary. The reveal of the secret shows the reader the depth of Mic's character and makes him very sympathetic. Also he's a little broody and dark. And really there is nothing I love more than broody and dark.
nadiatrotwood's review against another edition
1.0
I wasn't expecting a lot out of this book and I didn't get a lot. The relationship is problematic at best, rape at worst. Good girl and bad boy figure out that they can meet somewhere in the middle. Sue Ann was annoying, but by far the best character. The only thing I really liked was how the novel treated Mick's secret. That and the phrase "column of granite" is now a new favorite.
jerzygrl70's review against another edition
5.0
I read the majority of this book in one day. That is crazy insane for me. I didn't want to put it down. Tried to finish reading at work but someone was talking to me, and here I just wanted to get back to it and see how it ended.
33p3barpercent's review against another edition
3.0
This one was good, but kind of weird. The "secret" that Mick has is a HUGE one and is really... intense (? That's not the right word...), and I thought it was an interesting choice for a supposedly light-hearted contemp. romance novel. Mick's storyline is heavy, there's no doubt, and, really, the rest of the book is Mick and Jenny having sex in a variety of places. The writing was good, the storytelling better, but not much happens. It takes place over a summer, there's a secret, Jenny learns that she isn't undesirable, and Mick has to learn that he does deserve some goodness in his life.
But, can I say, the more of these When Bad Boys Happen To Good Girls stories I read, the more annoyed I get at the concept of having the girl be this paragon of awesome goodness that the "bad" Hero uses to absolve his sins, sort of. It kind of annoys me. Like, even the best girls aren't angels. People aren't perfect. I feel that this kind of dichotomy only hurts the characters and makes me not believe in the relationship. Like, the Hero isn't really seeing the Heroine as she is, but what she represents. She's not a person, but a thing for him to use to fix himself. I know that's getting English major-y, and I might be reading too much into it, but I'm seeing a theme in these books, and I want it to stop.
But, can I say, the more of these When Bad Boys Happen To Good Girls stories I read, the more annoyed I get at the concept of having the girl be this paragon of awesome goodness that the "bad" Hero uses to absolve his sins, sort of. It kind of annoys me. Like, even the best girls aren't angels. People aren't perfect. I feel that this kind of dichotomy only hurts the characters and makes me not believe in the relationship. Like, the Hero isn't really seeing the Heroine as she is, but what she represents. She's not a person, but a thing for him to use to fix himself. I know that's getting English major-y, and I might be reading too much into it, but I'm seeing a theme in these books, and I want it to stop.
ikepauh's review against another edition
3.0
It was OK. I'm not blown away, not devastatingly so, it is not in the so-much-more category for me. One Reckless Summer is like the halved, boiled egg in the national dish of Malaysia, nasi lemak. It is not essential for there to be an egg but it is sort of expected? Any respectable person would expect it but I for one do not mind too much if there was no egg. Shocking to anyone who knows what enjoying nasi lemak means. One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake is about a woman who is picking up pieces of herself in her hometown after a failed marriage, and a man whose bad family reputation precedes him, trying to care for his family one last time. A classic middle class, ticks-all-the-right-boxes good gal vs low income, dangerous "bad man". Not good, not bad.
This is a new author to me. I thought I had no expectations. I found there to be more sex scenes than I expected thus cancelling out my earlier statement. Their conversation grew more and more appealing as I plowed through yet another act of love. I am entertained by Sue Anne and Jenny's friendship and am pleased Jenny has someone to exchange thoughts with her, besides Mick. Her other friends were more like wallpaper. I thought Jenny's dad and the owner of the bar's secondary relationship would be more compelling but it wasn't so. I'd liked that it was not the end of the world for Jenny at the end for there is much more to life than just a partner. Though a partner does make life ever so more worth the while. Mature.
As with any book I read, here are my noteworthy moments:
(1) When Mick's brother, Wayne passes away and immediately after, I was feeling sad that Mick had to bury him alone. I can't imagine the pain or how many tears I would shed. This was the climax of the book for me.
(2) Soothing an ache...Jenny helps Mick organize a funeral for his brother. We get some AC/DC, a prayer or two, some flower planting and an achy breaky heart of a reader. Still the climax, that ends after they proclaim their love for one another.
(3) Trouble the cat's first night with the lonesome Mick who is finally over licking his wounds and ready to put the past behind.
This is a new author to me. I thought I had no expectations. I found there to be more sex scenes than I expected thus cancelling out my earlier statement. Their conversation grew more and more appealing as I plowed through yet another act of love. I am entertained by Sue Anne and Jenny's friendship and am pleased Jenny has someone to exchange thoughts with her, besides Mick. Her other friends were more like wallpaper. I thought Jenny's dad and the owner of the bar's secondary relationship would be more compelling but it wasn't so. I'd liked that it was not the end of the world for Jenny at the end for there is much more to life than just a partner. Though a partner does make life ever so more worth the while. Mature.
As with any book I read, here are my noteworthy moments:
Spoiler
(1) When Mick's brother, Wayne passes away and immediately after, I was feeling sad that Mick had to bury him alone. I can't imagine the pain or how many tears I would shed. This was the climax of the book for me.
(2) Soothing an ache...Jenny helps Mick organize a funeral for his brother. We get some AC/DC, a prayer or two, some flower planting and an achy breaky heart of a reader. Still the climax, that ends after they proclaim their love for one another.
(3) Trouble the cat's first night with the lonesome Mick who is finally over licking his wounds and ready to put the past behind.
dreamerfreak's review against another edition
3.0
One Reckless Summer is a really decent book, all in all, just not what I would normally choose to read. There was an almost ridiculous amount of sex, but surprisingly it made since given the story line, and I did enjoy the plot and romance between Jenny and Mick. Pretty good, but not something I'll be re-reading.