Pursuing your best friend’s dad is never a good idea, but Cameron Motel is feeling reckless. His life is about to change, and Luke is older, attractive…and he represents something Cameron has never had before.
Stability.
Luke didn’t mean to get involved with his son’s best friend, but Cameron needed a strong hand and Luke was willing to deliver on his promises.
This thing between them is … thing between them is supposed to be a secret, but something as big as love can’t stay hidden for long. Then a single phone call sends Cameron farther away from home than he’d ever planned to go, and Luke’s subconscious keeps him grounded in the past unable to move on.
Cameron is gone, and to get him back Luke needs to do something big, something bold, something…reckless.
Reckless is #1 in the Room for Love series. It is a 65,000 word romance that explores an unexpected love and survives unexpected distance. Reckless has EVERYTHING you would expect from a Kate Hawthorne book…and more.
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Two of my favorite tropes are covered in this book; age gap and best friend’s father. Add hurt/comfort into the mix and you have one amazing story. I honestly haven’t read a lot of Kate Hawthorne’s books, but the books I have read have been fantastic. This one is no different. If you enjoy any of the aforementioned tropes, I do recommend giving this one a try. I enjoyed this book and got through it rather quickly, and I cannot wait to read the next story in this series. I highly recommend giving this one a try.
Wow I freaking loved this book!!! From the first page to the last, I could not put it down. Everything about it just worked for me. There was a 24 year age gap, best friends father, first times, power exchange and so much love and feeling! Luke was Cameron’s best friend’s father, he should have been off limits, but their draw to each other was undeniable and unstoppable. Ms. Hawthorne expertly wrote their connection, it was so realistic and so emotional. They had the struggles you would expect with the obstacles in their path…they were not magically resolved either. There was pain and tension and uncomfortableness and they talked about it, they worked through it to come out ok on the other side…but it wasnt always easy.
This book was also very hot and very kinky and very steamy and this author writes that just so well. The best part about the sexy times was how integral they were to Luke and Cameron’s relationship, every encounter was important on their path of discovery to a future together.
My favorite thing about the book were the feelings and the emotions. The love these two had for each other was so evident in every thought, every action, every encounter, it flowed off the pages. The love between the brothers was apparent, the love between Eddie and Luke, the love between Cameron and Eddie…the relationships throughout were just so well done and I cannot wait for the next book in this wonderful series
This is the first story in a new series, and it introduces us to the Motel brothers. Cameron is the youngest brother, at eighteen, and we get to see him fall in lust, and then love, with his best friend’s father. Cameron’s feelings are reciprocated by Luke, who is sexy, dominant, and lonely. These two plan on their kinky fling being a short-term thing, but of course, their hearts get in the way.
I really cared about both characters, and I found myself anxious when they were upset. Even though Luke’s son Eddie was the same age as Cameron, the years between Luke and Cameron didn’t keep me from rooting for them. Cameron needed love and stability, and Luke needed someone to shake up his lonely life and let him love them. They were perfect for each other, even when they tried to deny it. And the dominance and submission made me all tingly!
The author did a great job making me want to know more about Cameron’s brothers, too, so I already feel hooked on the series. I can’t wait for the next book, and I hope Cameron and Luke show up often throughout the series, so I can see their relationship continue to grow. This is going to be great, and I am so ready!
A really engaging read with plenty of steam and gasp-worthy intensity. Great narration by Evan Carolina giving perfect voice to the characters.
I’ve read this author before. This is a great mm contemporary story set in the USA. Main characters are Cameron and Luke. Told from duel POV. Cam is Luke’s sons best friend but now Cam is 18 he wants different things. Luke is 6 months out of a relationship with Kevin. Luke is into light BDSM. These two have a rocky road with both families having a hard time accepting their relationship. Cam is the baby of 5 brothers. Great start to the series and introduction to many of the characters what will have their own book in this series.
3.75 Stars
I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I wasn’t expecting the D/s dynamic but I was here for it, considering I can’t remember reading it from a M/M couple before. Cameron is a bit of a brat and he is attracted and drawn to his best friend’s dad Luke. I am interested to read more from Cameron’s brothers. I really liked the age gap in this and the steam is on point. Not too heavy despite the dynamic scenes playing out. I volunteered to listen and review a complimentary copy of this. All opinions are my own.
Story :
Narration :
This was a sweet age gap opposites attract romance.
Evan Carolina performed an amazing audio delivery and narration and really brought the characters to life.
I was blown away by his ability to project different characters do well.
It was truly a transcendent experience listening to his narration.
The author does an amazing job of creating such beautifully flawed characters who are perfect in their own way.
The characters are complex, well fleshed out and so very real.
The writing style was enjoyable and compelling.
Definitely recommend this if you like a sweet contemporary age gap, taboo romance.
I am definitely looking forward to listening to the next in this series!
What a great start to the series! I really loved the introduction of the 5 brothers in this book. It makes you want to read all the other books right away. Very interesting storyline with the Motel family and the hotel. The chemistry between Luke and Cameron was explosive. I thought that they were both realistic, with strengths and weaknesses and that they really complimented each other. I loved reading their story. I listened the audiobook and the narrator was absolutely fantastic, I thought that the way he voiced the characters was really perfect.
Although I struggled with the beginning…I think it was me and my mood NOT the book itself….I really gobbled up the last 80%. Please be sure to have tissues on hand when reading chapter 27 and prepared to take an emotional break to get yourself together. I can’t wait to learn more of these Motel boys and the men they end up with
This was my first ‘best friends dad’ book. I was nervous going in, because, well it was new territory for me. Let me just say, I’m glad I gave this troupe a chance.
Cameron, with his smart mouth and need to please. Luke with his dominant nature.(Ummm, yes, please!) These 2 were kind of perfect for each other. Well, except for the pesky age gap and the fact that Cameron is Luke’s sons best friend. Ehh semantics.
I found myself rooting for these 2. Defending them in my head against anyone who questioned their “relationship”.
Reckless was a very good book with interesting plot twists. I’m looking forward to getting to know the next brother in Heartless, book 2 in the series.
By the time I finished reading, all I could think was “Wow.” This book was so much more than the fluffy, light read I expected. Cameron and Luke filled my heart up with so many feelings and I wasn’t ready to let them go.
In the beginning, Cameron is just looking for a bit of fun and games. He’s sassy, snarky, and determined in his pursuit of Luke. Luke, whose 20-year relationship fell apart seven months before this story starts, is hesitant at first, but something about Cam pulls him in. “He barely remembered what it felt like to be so desired, and now desire was here, wrapped up in the body of Cameron Motel, waiting on his bed for Luke to just say the word.” The chemistry between these two was insane. Kate writes some of the best, kinkiest sex scenes and I was blown away by how incredibly dirty and hot Cam and Luke were together. What starts out as strictly physical turns into a hazy middle ground of unspoken feelings. Cameron is headed to college in a few weeks, so he doesn’t want to get attached to Luke. Luke is afraid that people, particularly his son, won’t approve of him dating such a young man. Because no one in this book can be sneaky to save their lives, their secret hookup doesn’t stay secret for long and Luke and Cam have to decide if they’re worth the risk.
I love how complex and emotional this book was. Luke and Cam experience loss, change, and self discovery all in a short period of time. Their reactions aren’t always perfect; sometimes they have misunderstandings and hurt each others’ feelings. They don’t always make the best decisions, but underneath it all is a deep layer of intimacy and warmth that ties Luke and Cameron together when the world tries to force them apart.
“Luke made a safe space for him to have this moment where he could be strong enough to be weak, where his fear and anguish could be wiped away with the strike of Luke’s belt.”
Even when Luke doubted that he could give Cam what he deserved, even when Cam was lost and so desperately lonely that he lashed out at Luke, they didn’t give up on each other. My heart broke for them as they struggled to make a long distance relationship work.
“I feel like all we are is a series of goodbyes.” Cameron swallowed and sniffled. “I can’t keep saying goodbye to you.”
At the end of the day, Luke and Cam made choices and sacrifices to be together. Their happily ever after was hard fought and well-deserved.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
Reckless is another winner for my Kate Hawthorne keeper-shelf.
I loved Cameron, mouthy brat that he was, and Luke as perfect for him even though looking from the outside they didn’t seem to work. Both needed that special someone to see them, really see them and let them know that they were loved. Packed full of feels and sexy times Reckless was a wonderful read from beginning to end. I cannot wait for the next book in the Room For Love series.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
One of the best takes on best friend’s father trope I have ever read! No only is it scorching hot, but the emotional value of the book is off the charts! Both characters have so much going on and it’s so perfectly presented in the story, it was difficult to put the book down! So brilliant!
Reckless by Kate Hawthorne is a well written and wonderfully sweet story about an 18 year old Cameron getting his Daddy kink on with his best friend’s father. There is family drama, relationship angst, emotional moments, humorous scenes and enough steam to heat you up on a cold winter night. I absolutely adore Cameron and Luke together and was rooting for them to figure it all out. The plot line involving all the brothers really piqued my interest and I am excited to read about these brothers some more.
Kate Hawthorne has always sucked me in with her kinky stories and this book is no exception. Cameron and Luke are so well-written, I loved their relationship from the beginning, even when they made me cry.
Cameron is a bit of a pushy brat, his mouth never stops and I fell in love with him right away. He’s so young but he knows what he wants, which is Luke. He wants a family. His brothers are all so older than him and he’s alone most of the time, he just wants to feel that someone loves him and really means it. He finds that in Luke, until his world comes crashing down around him.
Luke is still broken from his husband leaving him and he’s not expecting a whirlwind like Cameron to want him. He’s unsure of having Cameron, which is understandable because Cameron is so much younger than Luke, but when Luke gets his act together it works. Luke gives Cameron almost everything he needs (there’s a reason I cried y’all).
Luke and Cameron are so good together, once they figure out how to be together that is. Cameron is so young and his experience shows. He’s so eager to please, to be loved and cared for though he doesn’t fully understand what being with Luke means at first. His naiveté is endearing and makes me love him that much more because he tries. He pushes and mouths off but he tries his best and that, in my opinion, is the most important thing.
If you’ve read Unfettered then you’ve met four of Cameron’s brothers already when Beau and Heath go visit them for Christmas. In that book one of them was gone, in this one, you get to meet them all of the Motel brothers. Some are more prolific than others and I cannot wait for their stories. Seeing how everything happened and how Cameron and his brothers end up in Cherry Creek is bittersweet, while their father was never much of a father to them, he still put stipulations on them that forced them together. Though hopefully, this is a good thing for all of them in the end. Not only for Cameron’s own loneliness but for all of them. I won’t spoil anything for y’all, but Cameron isn’t the only one hurting from a life of neglect, he’s just the one we first get to see.
I did not expect this book to make me cry. Yes, Cameron’s loneliness made me tear up a few times. It was so easy to see that he just wanted love and his brothers, while they cared for him, had their own lives to live. And he never told them how bad it really was for him. Then he has Luke. Until he doesn’t. I was hoping that Kate Hawthorne would take a different path for them, but no, she just had to rip my heart into pieces doing what I wanted.
I’m excited to see where this series takes us. I want the Motel brothers to realize their mistakes and patch their family back together, which means I want to see more Beau. I am already excited about the next book in the series because there were so many hints dropped and I need it in my hands even though I just finished book one. I have a feeling that the next book is going to be explosive.
There is everything to love about Hawthorne’s new series. I love a good best friend’s dad trope but Hawthorne takes it to a new level. Cameron is not the shy naive 18 year old stereotype- he knows what he wants and it’s so much fun to watch him tempt Luke. Both MC have well developed backgrounds that make you understand why they make the choices they do. There’s a layered level of emotion and angst that draws the reader in along with lots of fantastic sex and kink. I just want to adopt Cameron and hug him- he has so much vulnerability that he tries to hide even from his best friend. There are fantastic secondary characters that I know we will see again- and I can’t wait. As usual (and reasons why Hawthorne is a must read for me) the book is well edited, the dialogue is clever and smart (and also age appropriate for each character- I hate when 40 year olds sound like 20 year olds) and the characters have depth. Her books are never cookie cutter and I know the entire series will be a must read.
Luke and Cameron are total sweethearts. Cam is the youngest of 5 brothers, he’s a sassy and mouthy teen but at the end of the day he just wants to please and be loved. Luke is Cam’s best friend’s dad. He’s sensitive, caring and still healing from the ugly end of his marriage and has forgotten what it feels like to be desired. He shouldn’t be an option… Neither of them planned on it, but once the spark between them caught, they quickly lost control of the burn. It was just supposed to be a bit of fun, but they fell hard and more than they ever expected. Life isn’t simple though, and as if the age gap wasn’t challenging enough, they face a lot of other big changes. Transitioning to long distance nearly breaks them and somewhere along the way Luke realizes that while he loves Cameron, he’s still been holding him at arms length afraid to risk his heart again. When he finally lets go and commits to being all in things fall perfectly into place. In short, I loved them. I do wish a little more of their early explorations were on the page but the story still works out nicely without it. Cam is stubborn and mouthy, always keeping Luke on his toes. Their story is a delicious balance of sweet & kink. Enough sweetness to bring on the feels when things get rocky and just the right amount of kink to steam things up and be a salve to the heartache. This is the first book of a promising series following the brothers and I can’t wait to see more of Cherry Creek. Well done!
O.K. Well, that was something…and do I have a something for steamy age gaps and sometimes taboo relationship; Reckless definitely fits the bill. Once the fuse is lit, what shouldn’t be more than a little crush that teenager Cam has on his best friend’s dad, Luke, turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to both of them….but with the worst timing!
What goes from a sweet and somewhat secret and serious affair that is what both of these leading men needed, transitions into a long-distance relationship. Thankfully the LDR pushes them both to realize even more about themselves, their wants and desires and how they can fully come to be the best partner for each other…taboos aside
Thank GODS!!!! Because I was gonna throw my kindle at the wall at one point 😉 You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there!
But Reckless was FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!! I’ve been excited to finally dive into the Motel brothers ever since they were introduced in the standalone Unfettered and it’s kinda the BEST that sweet Cam gets to go ‘first’ *wink*
But mostly I just loved that we got to see two wonderful men at such completely different stages of age and life come together and learn so much about themselves and their own happiness.
So, I truly can’t wait for more of the Motel brothers and for this happy little town of Cherry Creek. I am truly sucked in by another Hawthorne story, which I feel like is promising me some of the sweeter sides of her amazing kink writing.
Whether the rest of the series goes this route, sweet kinky Kate is kinda adorable!