Title: Reckless Hearts by Heather Van Fleet
Reckless Hearts Series Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: C+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Three alpha men and a baby.
What could possibly go wrong?
From boot camp to the Iraqi desert, best friends Collin, Max, and Gavin have been through hell and back. But these rugged Marines might need help facing their biggest challenge: raising Collin’s nine-month-old daughter, Chloe.
After the death of his girlfriend in an accident, Collin Montgomery has sworn off serious relationships. His buddies have his back-and convince him it’s okay to cut loose sometimes. Enter the hottest, smartest girl he’s ever met. But what he really needs is a nanny.
Addison Booker needs a job desperately-and fast. She shows up to interview for the nanny position only to find the sexy, cocky man she can’t get out of her head. Collin knows hiring her is a bad idea-they disagree about almost everything-but Addison is so good with little Chloe. And there’s no substitute for chemistry, right?
Review:
The first release in the Reckless Hearts series, Reckless Hearts by Heather Van Fleet is an enemies to lovers romance that is a little angst-ridden and full of conflict.
Single dad Collin Montgomery is raising his infant daughter Chloe with the help of his sister Lia and his two best Marine buddies Max Martinez and Gavin St. James. After Lia gets a new job, he finds himself needing a nanny and Lia is convinced she has found THE perfect woman to take over Chloe’s care. The only problem? His prospective employee is the hot woman who unceremoniously shot him down recently when he was celebrating with his rugby team at a local bar.
Preschool teacher Addison Booker might be a bit worried about finding a new a job but there is NO way she is going to accept a position working as a nanny for the sexy man she recently crossed paths with. Feeling a twinge of regret for refusing his job offer, she instead ends up working as a waitress in a local diner. When her witch of a boss fires her after an altercation between Collin and another rugby player one evening, Addison accepts the job as cute little Chloe’s nanny but she is certain she can ignore her attraction to Collin. Getting to know Collin just makes him that much more desirable but Addison tries to keep their relationship strictly professional.
Although there is never any doubt that Collin and Addison are attracted to each other, Collin’s baggage turns him into a complete jerk when he is around Addison. Addison brings her own unresolved issues to the relationship and Collin’s insecurities and over protectiveness certainly do not help the situation between them. Their relationship is antagonistic and volatile right from their first meeting and halfway into the story, they are still at each other’s throats. If there had been a little less animosity between them, their abrupt change from barely tolerating each other to lovers would have been much more believable.
While some conflict in a romance can be positive and help move the storyline forward, in Reckless Hearts, Collin and Addison clash so often it makes for a very irritating read. Throw in misunderstandings, jealousy and drama, and it makes it difficult to become invested in Collin and Addison making a go of their relationship.
The banter between Collin, Max and Gavin is initially fun but it eventually becomes a little too over the top and disrespectful towards women. Collin does try to dial it down once Addison is in the picture and Gavin is always sweet and respectful. Of the three men, Gavin appears to be the most troubled but he is genuinely a nice guy and readers will be eager to read his story. Max, on the other hand, is a player and his comments are extremely crude and derogatory. He is always upbeat and positive but it is going to take a lot to redeem him into a likable character. It will be interesting to see what Heather Van Fleet has planned for both men in the next installments of the Reckless Hearts series.
Reckless Hearts is a somewhat drama-filled beginning to the Reckless Hearts series. A well-written novel with vibrantly developed characters, this entertaining story is sure to be hit with readers who like emotionally damaged Alpha men and the women who love them.
