Reckless by Lauren Roberts

13+

This was the March Damsel book club pick and I NEED fearless immediately! Powerless was one of my favourite reads of 2024 – I read it twice and bought a paperback copy – so Reckless had a lot of pressure going in and it held up!

Paedyn is running from the king she killed, and the princes she betrayed across the desert and Kai is forced to follow her at the orders of his brother, now king Kitt. The romance, the chemistry and the emotion between the two of them is undeniable – much as they try to pretend – and they may be enemies but can they truly forget having been lovers?

In the desert city of Dor, far away from the Elite kingdom and without any powers for Kai to wield he is just as Ordinary as Paedyn which levels the playing field. Paedyn does nothing better than survive, but Kai always achieves his missions even when they emotionally destroy him. From illegal fighting rings to a shady gambling brothel to sewers and cells we are taken on a gorgeously vivid romantasy adventure that I could have devoured over and over.

I also love how ‘pretend’ is repeated over and over especially in Kai’s POV chapters. He knows he isn’t pretending, he knows that everytime he kisses Paedyn he loves her more but ‘pretend’ is the shield they both hide behind as they know that both of them have hurt each other – and this book could end up with one of them dead.

I see a lot of people not liking Kitt but I totally get his perspective. He was betrayed by a girl he risked the security of his kingdom and personal safety for, he lost his father, his stepmother is dying and he knows that his brother might pick the girl over him. Of course he is out for revenge – but that ending!

Here are a few of my favourite quotes from the characters before we launch into the star ratings! Don’t worry, none of these are spoilers because they are out of context and I have removed any spoiling titbits!

Kai had some of the most gorgeously poetic dialogue throughout and these I couldn’t not include!

“Out here I am Kai and nothing more.” His throat bobs. “Out here I am powerless. A monster without an ability to hide behind. An Enforcer free from his masks. A man shouting his love for a women.” – Kai Azer

“Because the Beast doesn’t get the Beauty” – Kai Azer

“Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity. You are my ruin.” – Kai Azer

“Call us even. Call me crazy, I don’t care. Just…Just call me yours.” – Kai Azer

“I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I’ll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you’ll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it.” – Kai Azer

A few more quotes!

“A ballad of betrayal, a sonnet of sorrow. I’m tired of writing from the villain’s perspective.” – Kitt Azer

“At my weakest, I wish for him. And at my strongest, I wish I could say it wasn’t the same.” – Paedyn Gray

This book had the swooniest quotes ever! But on to the star ratings!

Romance – 100000/5 – Suggestive Romance – I love Kai and Pae so so much. That’s all. but I also like Kitt. And I cant decide.

World – 5/5 – its real, its present but the world is never the focus, it is always the romance so I cant say much more about it other than it feels so real!

Plot – 100000/5 – WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?? No spoilers just read it and then come talk to me – I need people to rant over that ending with!

Characters – 5/5 – I love them all, or I love to hate them. Just perfection.

Romance Rating: Suggestive – more physical making out, mostly clothed, discussions of sex, can have some innuendo. This is still VERY clean and YA appropriate.

Violence Rating: Level 3

Content Warnings: they do go to a brothel at one point, but it (or the women) aren’t described in detail. Threat of drowning. Child death.