My second blog tour book of the day is the delightful Reckless by Kimberly Kincaid. This contemporary romance was also released by Zebra on January 26th. It's the first book in Kincaid's Rescue Squad series. I've read a few good firemen romances in the last couple years, and so I was quite curious about this one when the opportunity to review came up. Stick around to find out just how good it was...
The Book
SOMEONE’S BOUND TO GET BURNED…
Zoe Westin may be a fire captain’s daughter, but feeding the people in her hometown of Fairview is her number one priority. Running a soup kitchen is also the perfect way to prove to her dad that helping people doesn’t always mean risking life and limb. But when she's saddled with a gorgeous firefighter doing community service after yet another daredevil stunt, the kitchen has never been so hot.
Alex Donovan thrives on adrenaline, and stirring a pot of soup doesn’t exactly qualify. He’s not an expert at following the rules either, not even when they come from the stubborn, sexy daughter of the man who's not only his boss, but his mentor. Determined to show Zoe that not every risk ends in catastrophe, Alex challenges her both in the kitchen and out. One reckless step leads to another, but will falling for each other be a risk worth taking, or will it just get them burned?
Zoe Westin may be a fire captain’s daughter, but feeding the people in her hometown of Fairview is her number one priority. Running a soup kitchen is also the perfect way to prove to her dad that helping people doesn’t always mean risking life and limb. But when she's saddled with a gorgeous firefighter doing community service after yet another daredevil stunt, the kitchen has never been so hot.
Alex Donovan thrives on adrenaline, and stirring a pot of soup doesn’t exactly qualify. He’s not an expert at following the rules either, not even when they come from the stubborn, sexy daughter of the man who's not only his boss, but his mentor. Determined to show Zoe that not every risk ends in catastrophe, Alex challenges her both in the kitchen and out. One reckless step leads to another, but will falling for each other be a risk worth taking, or will it just get them burned?
Reckless is available now!
Amazon | B
& N | Google
Play | iTunes | Kobo
Goodreads | Goodreads Series
My Review
Reckless is an enjoyable read. Featuring a firefighter and the daughter of his captain, the latter of whom is now operating a soup kitchen, the story is driven by the attraction between the two. Different conflicts arise that felt realistic - there's no heightened drama here, within the context of Alex and Zoe's jobs. I liked that I could relate to this element of the story, that the relationship issues were issues that normal people could face.
I loved the differences between main characters Alex and Zoe. Alex's no-holds barred approach to life was pretty infectious as I was reading, and I liked the self-awareness around endorphins and adrenaline. By contrast, Zoe's risk-free (or heavily weighing risk vs reward) approach to life sounded pretty familiar to me.
I also really liked that a lot of emphasis in the story was placed on the necessity of a reliable support system. Having people who will go to bat for you, who you can count on no matter what is such a valuable resource. It plays nicely into the story, and adds an element beyond the romance.
Reckless started on an odd for me, wherein Alex wasn't quite as swoonworthy as the average romance hero is. He wasn't a complete write-off--don't get me wrong!--but I was wary about how the romance would play out. He undergoes some fantastic character development, one that made it seem like he was maturing on the page. It was kind of awesome, once I got over my hesitancy around his suitability.
The story establishes a lot of single characters, all fodder for potential books in the series. I'd definitely be happy to return to the Rescue Squad series in future, and hope that Alex and Zoe play a part in future books!
I loved the differences between main characters Alex and Zoe. Alex's no-holds barred approach to life was pretty infectious as I was reading, and I liked the self-awareness around endorphins and adrenaline. By contrast, Zoe's risk-free (or heavily weighing risk vs reward) approach to life sounded pretty familiar to me.
I also really liked that a lot of emphasis in the story was placed on the necessity of a reliable support system. Having people who will go to bat for you, who you can count on no matter what is such a valuable resource. It plays nicely into the story, and adds an element beyond the romance.
Reckless started on an odd for me, wherein Alex wasn't quite as swoonworthy as the average romance hero is. He wasn't a complete write-off--don't get me wrong!--but I was wary about how the romance would play out. He undergoes some fantastic character development, one that made it seem like he was maturing on the page. It was kind of awesome, once I got over my hesitancy around his suitability.
The story establishes a lot of single characters, all fodder for potential books in the series. I'd definitely be happy to return to the Rescue Squad series in future, and hope that Alex and Zoe play a part in future books!
Unless you have something against firefighters or soup kitchens (or contemporary romance), I'd suggest grabbing this one!
4.5 stars
For fans of firemen, food, friends-as-family
About the Author
Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary
romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not
sitting crosslegged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber,”
she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from
enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book.
Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the
mantra that food is love. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly
patient husband and their three daughters.Giveaway
Note that the giveaway is hosted by Zebra, and is US only.
Lovely review! Thank you for hosting RECKLESS today!
ReplyDeleteCrystal, Tasty Book Tours