The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

The Lovely Reckless 

by Kami Garica

384 pages

Published by Imprint

Plot: After witnessing the brutal death of her boyfriend, seventeen year old Frankie Devereux's whole life changes.  She is no longer the girl she used to be and her new reckless attitude sends her from a privileged lifestyle in the Heights to a school on the bad side of town called the Downs. There she meets Marco Leone.  At first she's absolutely sure she wants nothing to do with Marco or his bad boy persona.  But, charismatic and sexy Marco isn't hard to ignore, especially when he doesn't ignore you.  But Frankie's growing feelings for Marco comes with dangerous, and possibly deadly price.

Review:  I've been waiting to read The Lovely Reckless for months! So glad I was able to pick up a copy from my local library!  This one is going to be a keeper and I'm going to buy my own copy.  I love way Garcia develops the relationships between all the characters in the story, not just Frankie and Marco. I especially liked Cruz, who is the epitome of a tough Latina teenager with heart. What I also loved about this story is that isn't just about two teens from different backgrounds falling in love.  There are some serious issues that come between Frankie and Marco, especially since Frankie's father is an undercover cop and Marco participates in illegal street racing.  To make matters worse, Marco has a secret that not only puts him in danger, but Frankie as well. On top of all this drama, Frankie suffers from PTSD after witnessing her former boyfriend's murder and has horrible flashbacks.  The result is a fast-paced, hard to put down, read in one night, star-crossed romance that shows what family, friendship, and forgiveness are all about.  Recommended for ages 17 and up due to language and sexual references.

Rating: 4.5 hearts!