Kensington Worth had a vision for her senior year. It involved her best friends, her posh private school in downtown Chicago and time alone with her piano until her audition was perfected, a guaranteed ticket into the best music programs in the world.
Instead, a nightmare took over.
It didn’t happen all at once, but her life unraveled quickly—a tiny thread that evil somehow kept pulling until everything precious was taken from her. She was suddenly living miles away from her old life, trapped in an existence she didn’t choose—one determined to destroy her from the inside, leaving only hate and anger behind. It didn’t help that her neighbor, the one whose eyes held danger, was enjoying every second of her fall.
Owen Harper was trouble, his heart wild and his past the kind that’s spoken about in whispers. And somehow, his path was always intertwined with Kensington’s, every interaction crushing her, ruining her hope for any future better than her now.
Sometimes, though, what everyone warns is trouble, is exactly what the heart needs. Owen Harper was consumed with darkness, and it held onto his soul for years. When Kensington looked at him, she saw a boy who’d gotten good at taking others down when they threatened his carefully balanced life. But the more she looked, the more she saw other things too—good things…things to admire.
Things…to love.
Things that made her want to be reckless.
And those things…they were the scariest of all.
Thank you to the author and Wordsworth Publicity for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I'm so afraid of everything, of what people say, of what Cal said, but I don't care because standing here in front of me, looking at me like he is, I know in my heart that Owen is good. Owen is good.
Wild Reckless definitely takes you on an emotional rollercoaster right there alongside its main characters Kensington and Owen. In this case it's not just their relationship which is complicated from the start, but there's a whole heap of family issues going on in the background for both of them as well. This is a story of how first impressions can be misleading, there's sometimes more to people than you think, and of course, following your heart. I really enjoyed Ginger Scott's latest release, and if you're looking for a stand-alone romance which really tugs at the heartstrings, then I'd definitely recommend trying this one.
From a distance, he's a shadow. I don't know about the wild theory. But Owen Harper is definitely dark.
These conflicting emotions between Owen and Kensi are there from the start. Told from Kensington's point of view, a girl moving to a new town with her family (for reasons which are later revealed), she didn't expect to be living across the road from a person who seems like such a jerk. At first Owen Harper seems like the sort of guy who's quintessentially the bad boy - he flirts a lot, is cocky and yet still really smart. However, as you could guess, there's more to him and this story than that. I've yet to come across a Ginger Scott novel where what could turn into a cliche doesn't. That's what I loved about this book - it takes character 'tropes' in some ways, but looks into them in so much more depth and morphs them into a story that is so much deeper and more complex. Did I ship the pair at first? No - I thought Kensi had a lot more going for her with her intelligence and piano skills. BUT things have a way of working themselves out.
Love can definitely be transformative, and it certainly is in this book. Among all the background sub-plots which are also of great importance to the story, the dynamic between Kensi and Owen was achieved realistically. Though there were times when I questioned the strength and basis of their bond, overall I liked how they could both still be true to themselves. Neither of them are perfect or have perfect lives - as their families impact on them too. With Kensi it's her dad's expectations (and other big issues) and with Owen it's his youngest brother who's gone off the rails. There's something so realistic about a story like this - Ginger Scott has such insight into the lives of her characters and how each little piece of the puzzle has its place.
Losing you, the thought that I could love you and lose you too - that scared me - so I figured what was the point if it was all going to just end up hurting me in the end. And then I realized how much it hurt to give you up.
This book has some WOW THAT WAS A TWIST, and 'awwww' moments - sometimes with both happening at the same time. There were some really shocking and emotionally charged events which unfolded which had such an impact on the characters. While we don't get to read about Owen's perspective directly (since this is in one POV), you can tell how through Kensi's narration how both of their lives converge and the teamwork they use to work through things together.
I wanted him to know how much he loved working with his father, and how much he respected them all. He needed to know that there were people out there that saw past the wild - people who saw the good.
Another aspect of the story which I liked was how this relationship wasn't a destructive one - it was one where neither character was necessarily impacted on in a negative way even though there were definitely some challenges. Kensi didn't stop playing the piano just because Owen came into the picture, and they both still tried to put the effort into their school work. Their friends, especially Kensi's, all gave good advice, and it just shows how being in a relationship with someone doesn't have to mean sacrificing who you are. Sure, compromises have to be made for the good, but when you find someone who loves you for who you are - that's what I think love is. And this is what Ginger Scott managed to deliver.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Wild Reckless is far from your typical 'bad boy' meets 'good girl' love story - Ginger Scott has taken the best elements of a love story with these themes and made it something altogether unique. As always, I can't wait to read what she writes next!
I noticed that in Wild Reckless
there's a focus on first person POV from Kensington as opposed from alternating
between the leads like you have done in your past works. What made you
focus on her telling this story?
I am never
completely sure going in how it's going to work. Usually, the story tells me. I
have the idea and the character development and the basic plot points, but once
I get that first section done - usually a prologue - it all falls into place
organizationally. I've had a few books that were just one POV (Waiting on the Sidelines is another example),
and it just felt like this one worked that way, too. I wanted to build that tension
and to have readers experience the mystery along with Kensi of not really
knowing Owen's story until he wanted you to. By giving you a glimpse into his
life and then letting Kensi take you through the rest, I got that. I hope
readers enjoy the journey as much as I did writing it.
Owen is first introduced as a bit of a 'bad boy' (but his
story definitely goes deeper than that). How important do you think it is to present
a love interest who readers want to see a romance with the other character,
without falling into the 'cliches'?
It's a very tough balance. The bad
boy is a character for a reason - because they do exist - and we girls? We are
attracted to them. Not always, but quite often. But I don't think they fit into
nice little boxes - they need to be complex to really leap off of a page. Bad
boy is just one ingredient, and when you sift through the character's layers,
you usually find a lot of other things that make that bad boy exterior what it is.
Owen...he has MANY layers. And as much as I think readers like to make selections
based on those cliches, I think they also like to be surprised, and to fall in
love with a character that maybe normally, in real life, they would stay away
from. You have to go beyond the cliche for that to happen.
I really
loved reading about Kensington's passion for music, and the fact that she
plays the piano. This book seems to focus less on the sporty side to some
extent, and more into the arts. What inspired Kensington's character quirks and
talents?
I love music - all kinds. I was a band
geek, and I wear that badge with pride. Like Kensi, I played the piano and the
xylophone, though had nowhere near her talent. I think the music world and the
sports world are very similar in some ways. There is a level of competitiveness
to them, a drive to be better, to challenge yourself. But at the heart, you do
it because of the way it makes you feel - the rush of making a great play is a
lot like playing something great. When I was plotting Wild Reckless, I liked
the idea that these characters crossed into each other's worlds a little - Kensi with her music and Owen with his basketball.
So far you've written a pretty impressive seven novels -
how do you keep coming up with new ideas and such authentic characters to tell
their stories, while also weaving in some very real issues?
Thank you so much! And yeah, seven is an
amazing number. I can't wait until it's 14, or 20! I am constantly coming up
with ideas, and I have notebooks filled with starts and bits and pieces. So
far, I haven't run out of things to grab me and make me want to write into the
wee hours. And as for weaving in reality, I think that's really the only way I
know how to write. It's probably my journalism background, but I tend to write
the beautiful and ugly things we really see and deal with in life. I've thought
of writing something paranormal, and I think I may eventually. But eve then...it
would have to feel so real that a reader won't be quite sure that it isn't.
There's
always talk about where to draw the line between 'young adult', 'mature young
adult' and 'new adult'. What helps you decide how to categorise your own works
into these labels when you're explaining them?
I'm not sure if I really get those lines
right. I go with my gut instinct. I've always been a fairly liberal reader - I
don't think my parents would have ever not wanted me to read anything.
But...that's me. So I try to be respectful of those lines others have, and I
want to give them guidance. I think of my friends and nieces and even my own
son and I think of how old I would want them to be to understand the themes of
my stories. There may be better ways to decide, but this works for me.
Now what I
really want to know - and I'm sure a lot of other Ginger Scott fans as well, is
what sort of amazing novel we be expecting from you next?
I am in the middle of finishing book 3 in the Falling Series - Paige's story, THE GIRL I WAS BEFORE. I think Paige is going to surprise a lot of people. She's harsh and maybe a little bit of a "b" - with good reason. Confidence comes off that way sometimes. There's more to Paige than people give her credit for, and she is the strongest female character I think I've ever written. It has been amazing being in her head. After that...I can say that there is a notebook for Andrew - Owen's brother in Wild Reckless. I'd really love to dive into him, if readers want it of course ;-)
