*** A USA TODAY BESTSELLER ***Tori… want to be tempted by that rugged rancher. By his chiseled muscles or southern charm or the way he snuggles his kids at bedtime. Ethan Carter won’t get the key to my heart, no matter how much I want him.
Ethan…
Between us, she’s the last thing I need as I finalize my hellish divorce.
What sane man trying to rebuild his life wants a hot nanny with long, sexy hair, curves for miles, and a smart mouth? A perfectly kissable, pouty mouth that I shouldn’t notice.
My focus is on my kids and my ranch, not the insufferable siren who sleeps in the room next to mine. It doesn’t matter that she wins over my kids in a heartbeat or runs my life better than I do. Tori Duran is the one woman I can’t have and shouldn’t want, no matter how much I crave her.
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Tori is just lovable as all get – a perfect blend of sugar and spice
She learns early in life that not everyone or everything is as it seems – burdened with her own feelings of inadequacy she tends to strike out first and has a very limited brain to mouth filter
Ethan is all the qualities of you want in father and a husband –
dedicated- hard working – honest – and romantic – He is trying to keep the peace and harmony and the cost of his own sanity- and his wife is an evil harpy ‘IMO’ just wanted to get that out
This story easily roped me in – loved the characters
Smooth flowing story – strong plot line – oh and some serious OMG moments that you will never see coming
I read a comp copy
I have been waiting to write my review because I still was having a book hangover after reading this. I absolutely love Lex Martin & thought she couldn’t possibly top Shameless but this book may have just done that. I got to read this early but I had already pre-ordered it too because I have been waiting SO long for it. I love the angst and connection of the characters. In Lex’s books I always feel like I am transformed to wherever her book takes place and I feel like I am able to really be a part of the story as I read.
You will love this book. Absolutely 5 Stars.
Shameless was the first book I ever read by Lex Martin and I didn’t think it was possible to love any other Lex Martin book more than Shameless and she proved me wrong. She absolutely stole my heart with Reckless. I love, Love, LOVED the sh*t out of Reckless! The story is amazing and Ethan…Don’t even get me started on Ethan. He’s so dreamy! *insert heart eyes* I would seriously have his babies if I could and I’m not a maternal person, so that says a lot about his character. lol But he’s so good with his kids and the way he treats Tori is everything I want in a man. I truly envy Tori and want Ethan all for my own, but I’ll settle for her having him since I can’t have him. lol
I highly recommend Reckless to all romance lovers out there and give it five out of five stars! <3
My first read of this author. Single dads reads are my absolute fave. If I see the words single dad it’s an automatic one click. It’s story like this why I love single dad so much. To me there’s nothing hotter or sexy than a man who loves her children and puts them first always. Ethan coming out of a horrid marriage and needs help on his ranch enter Tori his nanny. Things are bumpy at first but Tori is a dream and fits into his family seamlessly. I love the two of them together, so hot for each other. The kids are so damn adorable and I like Ethan and Tori sibling great family support. This is such a great read I’m off to find more from this author
Reckless is exactly what I needed to read right now. Tori and Ethan are my new favorite couple. I’m not sure how that happened since Kat and Brady (from Shameless) held that spot for the past couple of years. Tori is Kat’s sister and Ethan is Brady & Kat’s neighbor. Reckless can be read as a standalone but I strongly recommend Shameless be read first just because you will want to know how it all began.
Tori needs a job, Ethan needs a nanny. Tori took a break for a year after dropping out of college. Ethan has been trying to divorce his wife for the past year but can’t help but see if his ex will want him and their kids again. Tori was misled in her previous relationship by a complete scumbag. Ethan never realized what real love was with his ex until Tori came along.
Tori and Ethan share a past that runs more parallel than we realize. These two have walls built so high that there’s no way to climb over them. Tori has felt she has let everyone down with her decisions and mistakes. Ethan has guilt of letting his family fall apart. Tori and Ethan will bring laughter, life and love back to one another.
This couple are a part of my heart. I loved how much they needed each other without evening realizing how much so. The back and forth in the beginning just created that much more tension, so when the time came for them to act on it, it was explosive.
Save a horse. Ride a cowboy.
And that’s what we should do, cause Cowboys….SEXY Cowboys are a dying breed !
So does Tori Duran . She’s A party girl on her back, cause life has fucked her over. So no degree, no set of skills and no money later she needs to get a job to survive ASAP!. Kat, her sister hooks her up with Ethan Carter and off she goes Even if it means enduring the summer in the middle of nowhere with some stranger and his two annoying booger-eaters.
Now here’s the problem. He’s Hot AF,suckable,lickable, jean-clad,tight assed Horse farmer and she wants to Reverse Cowgirl him tout suite! YeeeHaw!!! And the kids are the most adorable Mia and Cody who take instantly to her and vice versa.
The story is full of passion and desperate sex. There’s a particular scene in the back of the truck that had me holding the book with one hand
It had the same sentiments, adorability and wit of Shameless and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it .
Once upon a time, I didn’t believe in fairy tales.
But then I found my prince.
And we saved each other.
4.5 “Tasmanian Devil & Wolverine ” Stars
My heart has a soft spot for a feisty h who is also the one who feels she let everyone down and has something to prove. These are the ones who fight hard and love harder. With everything that was going on she new it was a mistake deep down in her toes but she couldn’t help it. Things were so much more complicated than she knew and he was just trying to juggle it all and make it all right. The battle is real and so is the fun. These two are not only working together but getting to know each other as well as being a little reckless. But oh heck who are they hurting. . . they have it under control.
This author has some great characters that keep the action and mayhem stirred up. This is my first time reading this author and while it moved a little slower than I like it was a great read that I do recommend.I look forward to enjoying a lot more of this author’s work.
Holy HOT tamales!
Ethan and Tori are on fire.
I mean, I love forbidden romances…. so this had a flavor of that with the boss angle. It also had a little bit of hate to lovers flair as well. Both of these characters come with some baggage. I just adore flawed characters. I wouldn’t call them flawed per se.
Tori has lived in the shadow of her sister most of her life, never quite measuring up in the eyes of their parents. So, she got out on her own and tended to stay away. Until her sister needs her help with a high risk pregnancy and persuades her to come work for Ethan.
Ethan is getting out of a marriage that he did everything to try to save but maybe it was never right in the first place.
After sparks fly at the interview… and not necessarily the good kind… most of the story watches this unlikely pair cement a working relationship.
There is drama for days, so if you’re like me and you thrive on that and angst, then you will enjoy this story. So many tender moments to pull on your heartstrings as well.
Let me first say that when this outstanding author announces a new book is coming…I GET EXCITED!!!
Next, that cover is amazing! If I hadn’t read the Synopsis and been dying to read it, that cover would have drawn me in immediately!
I love Lex Martins writing…sigh 🙂 I’ve been a big fan through the entire Shameless series!
We saw Tori a tiny bit in Shameless…I kinda overlooked her then. She’s all grown up now and I just adored her in Reckless!
Oh Ethan, how I loved him! He’s one hot Dad, amazing w his adorable kids, so funny, huge heart….I kinda LOVE him!
Tori & Ethan together…perfection!
I loved seeing so many of my other favorite Lex Martin characters too! I’m going back for a reread of her other books now!
This is definitely a book you should plan on reading from start to finish in one sitting! Unputtadownable! Is that a word? Lol
Fantastic writing, loved every page!
+ Highly recommend!
The best laid plans of mice and men…
Ethan has his hands more than full running his business and raising his kids. He knows he shouldn’t be checking out his hot nanny, Tori. He knows he shouldn’t be attracted by her sassy mouth. But the way she loves his kids and anticipates his needs before he can even give voice to them? He’s a goner.
Tori has a huge insecurity complex and is determined to be the best nanny ever to atone for past mistakes. She knows she shouldn’t crave his blue-eyed attention. She knows she’s only his nanny temporarily and means nothing more to him than an extra pair of hands. But when he asks for her friendship over late night baseball games? She’s a goner.
Sweet, tidy romance? Not so fast. For there’s a vindictive, manipulative ex to deal with. A very pregnant sister to coddle. Parents to reconcile with, and a brother to smack.
What a great book! Loved the heat, humor, and emotion!
Ethan and Tori’s story is pure magic! If you love sexy single dad romances, you want this book!!
**This guy’s rude. My skin prickles with irritation. And Kat could’ve mentioned he looks like a Hemsworth.
I set my palm on my stomach to calm my nerves. It’s bad enough living with a stranger, but a sexy one? Rugged and tatted up, someone who looks like he wrestles bears in his spare time? He’s definitely not on my diet plan.
Tori hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to men. She has sworn off men for awhile, to try to get her life back on track. That is, until her sister talks her into being a nanny for a single father who owns the ranch down from them. She’s immediately put off by his gruff exterior and her smart wit puts him in his place right up front. She doesn’t want to take the job, i mean the temptation would just be too great.
Underneath that jaded exterior, Ethan is a great guy. He’s sweet, sexy and loves his children more than anything. And he owns a ranch so imagining him in those jeans, shirtless, all tatted up, and all those muscles from working hard…YUM! Every woman’s fantasy.
Put these two together and the chemistry is off the charts!!
I loved everything about this book! All the sweet parts, all the hard parts, and all the completely steamy parts. Someone say barn sex? Oh yeah, that’s in there too! Along with a couple of cute kids, a few crazy ex’s and a whole out of swoon!!
I really missed Kat and Brady and was so excited to see them again. If you haven’t read Shameless yet, you should! You don’t need to in order to read this book but you would be missing out. Lex is amazing at writing a great story and would definitely be worth it to pick this up! You won’t be sorry
I fell in love with Tori and Ethan from moment one. Ethan is a recently divorced father of two small children, Mila and Cody. He is the definition of a true southern gentleman. Ethan is kind, caring, loving, funny, and a doting father. He finds himself in need of a nanny as his mother is going to visit her sister for the summer and that’s how we meet Tori. She is the sister of a friend of Ethan’s brother Logan. Tori was recently burned, badly, by a man and has sworn them off, with good reason. She is hesitant to take the job and when Tori and Ethan meet they appear to be like oil and water but their chemistry immediate leaps off the page. Tori is lighthearted, spunky, sassy, sweet and a child lover (despite her objections).
Ethan and Tori work well as boss and employee but soon there after they become friends and eventually lovers. Their story is one of my favorites of 2018 so far and I don’t imagine any taking it’s place any time soon. I loved every Lex Martin book I have read and this one did not disappoint in any way.
I would recommend this book to anyone.
Loved this story of never giving up on who you are and fighting for love. Ethan and Tori both have a path to follow for giving each other a chance on love and fighting for a happily ever after! Bravo Lex. I can’t wait to read more from you.
Absolutely LOVED this story!!! 2am and my eyes are burning but I have a big dopey smile on my face
Ethan is the very best kind of BBF – HAF single dad, kind & honourable with just the right dash of alpha. I loved Tori and all her supposed faults. She was genuine, loving and just what Ethan needed. Her sass and humour made me LOL many times and her vulnerability made me want to hug her. So many funny one liners in this story, coupled with plenty of real emotions and just the right amount of toe curling barn shaking sexy times.
You just want to devour Tori and Ethan’s chemistry. From witty banter to steamy times this story has it all. All the characters in the story made the whole book come together. I loved the humor and sass throughout the story. At every turn of the page you go deeper and deeper and you just can’t wait to see whats going to happen next. I highly recommend it!
Ethan is a man who has two small children, a family ranch to run and is going through a divorce. He is desperate need of some help around the house and everyone seems to think Tori is just the person to help.
After a rough go meeting Ethan for the first time, this full of sass woman is ready to help Ethan and his children. Tori is in desperate need of a fresh start after a real misunderstanding with her ex. She’s sworn off men but Ethan is going to be really hard to resist.
I fell in love with Ethan and Tori. I loved how vocal they both were at the beginning and how you get to watch their relationship go from dislike to friends to lovers. This story was full of emotion and many times my heart was broken just to be put right back together.
Reckless is an excellent story full of heart & soul.
Did someone say single dad romance? Yeah… Who can’t resist that? Not me, that’s for sure. Especially when it’s as well written as this one was. I’ve not read anything from Lex Martin as a single author, but I know how awesome she is as part of a duo. Reckless just cemented in my head, how fabulous an author Lex truly is.
This is Ethan and Tori’s story, and although it is a standalone, it’s still part of a series. The first book Shameless is about a different couple, Katherine who’s Tori’s older sister and Brady, a friend of Ethan’s younger brother, Logan. I loved this story from the first page to the last. It made me smile, laugh, cry and rage. I fell for Ethan hard and fast, probably faster than Tori, lol.
Tori has had a hard few years and is wary of getting close to another man after her last relationship went south. She’s struggling and when her sister tells her of a job she could do over the summer, she is less than enthused. She’s even less enthused when she meets the brooding, sexy Ethan. She likes him until he opens his mouth and promptly rams his foot in it.
Ethan has problems of his own, not the least of which is his impending divorce from his wife. He needs a babysitter for his two kids, not someone who makes him think of other thinks.
I was lost in this story and hated reaching the end, even though it was a swoony-worthy one.
And yes, a million times, YES!!!! To getting Logan’s story next.
Sit down, get comfy, grab a fan, a few tissues, and prepare to swoon because Reckless is an unputdownable must read. I love me some single parent romance, but top it off with a sexy rancher and I’m putty in your hands. This book pulls up all the stops and hits you with an abundance of sweet romance, loving family, emotional punches, delicious heat, and the perfect level of drama to keep you on your toes.
Ethan is the man we all dream about. Kind, hardworking, a great father, and sexy as hell. I spent the vast majority of this book just melting over his awesomeness. He spends every waking moment working to keep his ranch afloat and doing all he can for his family. Tori is just the brightness he needs in his life. Even struggling with her own self worth, the ray of sunshine that is Tori shines brightly to everyone around her. My heart hurt for her more than once, I could easily relate to how she felt about herself. Ethan and Tori brought out the absolute best in each other making them one of my favorite couples.
4.5 Stars
After falling in love with the lavender fields in Shameless, when I heard that Lex Martin was writing a standalone companion, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it!
Tori has been on a sabbatical from men. Her past record with heart breaks has done her in. This last relationship was the one that hurt so bad.
So, when her sister comes to her with an offer to get out of town and live by her, while being the nanny to a good friend of her and her husband, Tori packs up and heads to the country.
Ethan is going through a divorce. Working long hours on the ranch with his built-in babysitter aka grandma heading to Chicago to take care of her sister, Ethan is in a bind. He needs someone to watch after his kids while he is at work.
Tori and Ethan butt heads on their first meeting/interview. Once they’ve had time to mull over what they both need though, Tori and Ethan become a team. Finally, Tori feels like she is doing something right in her life taking care of the kids. Finally, Ethan feels like his life is going to be alright.
When these two take the leap from Employer/Employee to Boyfriend/Girlfriend, sparks fly!!! Who knew two people could feel this way. Ethan never feeling these feelings while married. Tori never feeling these feelings while in any of her previous relationships.
When a 2-year old’s Birthday party turns out to be more than anything, Ethan and Tori start second guessing their relationship. With a soon to be ex-wife trying to work her way back into the scene and spewing nonstop words…can Ethan see his ex-wife for who she is or is Tori going to be the ‘screwup’ once again.
I absolutely loved reading about what Brady and Katherine have been up to!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
*5 Stars*
This was my first book by Lex Martin and it won’t be my last. I adored this book, sped through it in about 24hours.
I adored the characters, give a take a couple of the ones were meant to dislike, and loved watching this story unfold. Ethan and Tori are awesome together and they’re their own powerhouses as individuals as well. Both are really strong main characters.
With some great secondary characters in Kat, Brady, Logan, Mila and Cody, there was so much to love in this one! Not to mention I can’t resist a good old country boy, and hot damn, does Ethan meet that criteria.
I pretty much went into this book blind, and it was such a joy to read. Lots of intense moments but lots of laughs too. Real situations, particularly involving families and divorce, and just an all round great story that was easy to get involved in. And the kids in this story? So darn sweet!
Watching these guys work through their trials and tribulations, and the real life scenarios that they faced was great. It showed the characters strength and determination and it was written so well. A lot of depth to this story.
I want to go back and read Kat and Brady’s book when I get the chance.
Definitely recommend that you read Reckless! Also, can we please get a book for Logan?