“Sweet, funny, romantic and oh so very sexy! Prepare to swoon mightily.”—SAWYER BENNETT, New York Times bestselling author, for Reckless HeartsGavin St. JamesAfter the hell I’ve been through in the Marines—in life—there’s nothing I crave more than routine, stability, peace. Until McKenna Brewer walks into my life. She’s impulsive, fiery, tempting as hell, and everything I don’t need. But when she … impulsive, fiery, tempting as hell, and everything I don’t need. But when she offers me a night of no-strings-attached passion, I can’t resist.
When our night together has unexpected consequences, I can’t help but think this might be the perfect opportunity to show McKenna just how much I want her.
The only problem? She doesn’t do forevers. But forever is exactly what I need with her.
Reckless Hearts Series:
Reckless Hearts (Book 1)
The Right Kind of Reckless (Book 2)
Recklessly Ever After (Book 3)
What People Are Saying About Reckless Hearts:
“An emotional, heartfelt, and absolutely beautiful story. I wanted each character to be my best friend. Reckless Hearts was so real, with gorgeous writing that kept me hooked from first page to the last.” —JENNIFER BLACKWOOD, USA Today bestselling author of The Rule Book
“Van Fleet has mastered the alpha hero. With perfectly flawed characters and miles of scorching heat, Reckless Hearts is a must read!” —KELLY SISKIND, author of A Fine Mess
“Swoon-worthy…can’t wait for the next addition to the series!”—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
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I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
Gavin stole my heart from the first book and I could not wait for his story. I was not disappointed although I was worried with McKenna though. She was wishy washy and a runner and I found myself bored with her.
Gavin has a past that no one should have to live through but with friends like Collin and Max, Gavin has been able to get through most things. But he has fallen for McKenna from the moment he met her. But he knows she doesn’t do relationships because he sees her with different guys all the time.
McKenna din’t have an easy childhood, her mother didn’t want her and her father was always working. So she basically raised herself. After meeting Abbie and Abbie falling in love with Collin, McKenna meets Gavin and she would like more with him but she knows it would never work. A relationship is not in the works for her, so she can be friends with him. Until the one thing happens that will connect them together.
Can Gavin show McKenna that they can make a relationship work? Will she realize that she really does love him? Will Gavin’s past came back to haunt him?
To me this was the best of the series, I loved everything about Gavin and the way his friends were always there to help him. And the ending was a perfect way to end the series. So sit back and enjoy and you can read them as a standalone but why would you, they are great as a series.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
Love the Marines of the Reckless Hearts series.
I have to say that I loved this book. I love a book I can be surprised by and this book did surprise me in many ways. First the main character Gavin is a broken man. He is an ex-marine and he has his demons he fights daily. He is living day by day and his friends help him out. They are so supportive I loved them right off the bat.
McKenna has had a hard life and she is no joke. She is rough and tough and does not take crap from anyone. Even though she is tough she is a nurse. That surprised me because she has this tough exterior. I love how she is in total control of her life. Choosing to have one night stands and no relationships was awesome in my eyes because she knew she was not commitment material so she chose to chew and screw and be done.
When these two meet there is chemistry between them and McKenna decides to give Gavin one night no strings attached. But after Gavin has her once he knows he has to have her everyday in his bed and by his side. He knows it is going to be a fight but he is determined to not give up and fight for McKenna.
Can Gavin win over the tough as nails McKenna or will he be another notch on her belt?
Gavin St. James is an EMT but also suffers from panic attacks after his time overseas and due to his experiences growing up. When he is stuck in an elevator with McKenna Brewer he is shocked by his attraction to her but the two are butting heads more than anything.
McKenna Brewer is not a relationship type of girl. Yet one night with Gavin has her questioning things and her future. But there are certain things that she knows for sure and settling down is one thing she is avoiding at all costs.
When Gavin discovers what Kenna is hiding will he convince her to change her mind and give it a chance?
This was a great book that I enjoyed from start to finish. It had some great moments of laughter but also enough sad moments to really attach you to the characters and want them to get the happiness that they truly deserve.
I really liked Gavin right from the beginning but as I got to learn more about his past my heart just went out to him and I really wanted him to get the happiness that he deserved. I was totally shocked at what happened to him with his uncle and then my heart broke with the accident.
I though Kenna was also a great character but I felt bad that she really didn’t think to highly of her possibilities when it came to “family” with the way she grew up. I felt bad for everything that her sister Hanna went through and I was glad that Kenna was there for her.
I liked how Gavin was slowly able to earn the trust and heart of Kenna and prove so much to her through his actions and words. It was so great!
The end was great although I would have liked a tiny bit more in the epilogue on Kenna and Gavin themselves instead of it being from Collin’s view.
Gavin was on my radar from the very beginning. I tend to be interested in the most baggage carrying character, the man who needs the most care and love.
Gavin and Kenna certainly had a lot of issues between the two of them but in this case, Kenna’s certainly seemed to be much more difficult to work through. Gavin was so loving and made it clear what he wanted from Kenna.
Kenna had made some very bad decisions where men were concerned and in many ways, compromised her own ability to consent on many things. She chose men who were more about themselves and what they wanted and she ended up high and dry and very unhappy.
The biggest thing I took away from this was Gavin and his ability to give Kenna herself back. He constantly made sure that she knew she was in charge and had the ability to make her own decisions. Gavin was certainly a patient man and Kenna was a very spirited and determined woman, which Gavin loved about her.
I’ve really enjoyed this series and I’m sad that it is ending.
*Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
This book started too slow for me but I was quickly pulled in to the anxiety, drama, and self-doubt that seemed to fuel Gavin and McKenna’s relationship. Of all the characters in this story, I loved Gavin the most, but who wouldn’t? He is a strong guy that shows his fears but also knows when to ask for help when he needs it. McKenna is a confusing character that seemed confident when she first met Gavin but was truly scared to go for a real relationship. Gavin’s crazy guy friends broke up the sad moments in this book and made this a really sweet love story that I really enjoyed reading.
4.5* Oh Gavin how you break my heart! I absolutely loved Gavin – he definitely fits the saying strong and silent. He doesn’t say much but when he does everyone listens. He has scars from his past that follow him to this day. When he met McKenna through mutual friends he started falling for her but she’s not what he needs. He needs someone that’s going to be around for the long haul, not just for a night.
McKenna has her own scars that make her the way she is. When Gavin and her get stuck in an elevator she helps him through the experience. It makes Gavin feel even more for her.
I loved how Gavin was with McKenna, he may be scared but he talks to her about everything. He gives her pieces of himself that others don’t get. When McKenna needs him the most, he’s there for her. When she’s confused and lost, he tries to show her the way.
Will Gavin be able to make her see that they’re perfect for each other or will she be too scared to reach for what she wants?
Why am I just now finding this series!? Wow! Heather Van Fleet wrote an amazing story! Gavin and McKenna were so perfectly imperfect! I love a heroine that is not cookie cutter (for lack of a better word). Kenna was so messy and it was wonderful! Gavin – WHEW! Loved this book and can’t wait for more from this author!!
5 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Recklessly Ever After is installment three in the Reckless Hearts series, but can be read as a standalone. And let me tell you, Heather Van Fleet really knows how to grab your attention. I was instantly hooked to this book from page one.
McKenna and Gavin are both so much alike yet so different. McKenna has so many issues and does not do relationships. Gavin too, has his issues yet he wants a future, a future with McKenna.
Is it possible when you have two characters that need to overcome their past? Let go of their issues?
I was drawn in by both McKenna and Gavin. McKenna did grate my nerves a bit, but you learn to love her. Gavin is hard not to love from the beginning. The roles really reversed when their one night of no string passion turns into an unexpected pregnancy. Usually it is the woman who feels and reacts in certain ways, yet in Recklessly Ever After it is not. I was so enthralled by the emotions from both McKenna and Gavin.
If you want to read a great book with a plethora of emotions, read this one. I will definitely be one clicking and re-reading after release day.
I have been waiting for Gavin’s story and it was totally worth it. He and Kenna each had broken pieces. Watching as they completed each other (& themselves) was an emotional and satisfying journey. Sad to say goodbye to Collin, Max, Gavin and their ladies.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
Gavin and McKenna are perfectly, imperfect. He sets carefully placed boundaries to keep him on course. She lives in the moment. Apart they are two halves of a whole. Together they become a combustible force that is destined to have lasting consequences. Recklessly Ever After is a walk on the wild side. In our minds, we think we have life all figured out until fate surprises us by changing all of our plans. Fleet turns temptation into forever and shakes up the heart along the way.
Gavin St. James carries a lot of wounds under his shield of armor, most of them from a unstable childhood, and then a few that he picked while serving in the military overseas; and you can’t see the things he has witnessed without being a little closed off. He leads a fairly private life, most of the time he’d prefer to be alone, but occasionally he socializes with a close knit group of trusted friends; and has never really given much thought to settling down and opening his life to another person, to do so would expose a past he’d like to keep hidden.
But then a breath of fresh air blows into his life, and turns it upside down with her chaotic approach, and for the first time in his life he considers letting someone in… all the way in, and it’s downright unsettling. The moment he met McKenna he knew she was it for him, but she doesn’t do strings or forever’s, she is more of a one and done kind of girl, she has no choice but to be that way, with the past she has endured. But he sees the potential they have, and is a very determined man, one who plans to be the first to convince her to stay.
Recklessly Ever After is an emotionally rich tale that that will tug on your heartstrings, and make you really feel the words, hurt and all! These characters were perfectly suited for one another, even if it took them some time to figure it out, but once they did it was nothing but fireworks… and of course some serious angst! These characters come bearing many flaws and old wounds, ones that often pushed them to their breaking points, but you could also see personal growth as the story progressed, which not only gave them a realistic quality, but also made them easy to connect to. This was a such pleasurable read, the story line emoted many feelings and swoons, and it kept me invested from start to finish. Highly recommend!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
4.5 Stars
Family isn’t always created by blood, sometimes family is found in friendship. Gavin and McKenna have both experienced a harsher side of life. They are emotionally scarred in their own ways. Gavin has this soft heart, hoping to someday find a woman who will be his other half, while McKenna has been sticking to a “one and done” method when dealing with men. When life throws these two together in a situation as more than just “friends through friends” what follows is a sweet, endearing, heartbreaking, and sexy story of two broken individuals finding a HEA that isn’t perfect, but is perfect for them!
Cara – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
This was my first time reading this author, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in. Unfortunately, I was rather bored with the story, despite the potential I could see within it and the rest of the series.
I loved the “Three guys and a baby” premise! That had me wavering between a 3 and a 2 star rating right there! However, there really wasn’t enough done with it for my tastes, and, due to the fact that I hadn’t read the rest of the series like I had intended to, often left me confused. It definitely felt like I had to read the previous books first before getting full enjoyment out of this one!
I had a hard time connecting to the characters. Gavin and McKenna each have their own issues, but they felt forced together for the sake of seeing how much “crazy” they could be together. I liked Gavin much better than McKenna, as she was just too intensely crazy for me to be able to connect with.
I wasn’t impressed with the book enough to go back and read the previous books in the series, nor do I think I will read the author again.