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A review by mommasaystoread
The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison
4.0
If you're looking for a bad boy romance with a true bad boy, alpha type guy, this one isn't gonna do it. Guillermo has made some mistakes, but he's really not the bad kid people think he is. This boy genuinely wants to do better and he's making a real effort. As a mother, I absolutely loved this kid as he worked through his issues and tried to prove himself.
Then we have Regan, and ordinarily, I wouldn't care for a character with so much indecision about who and what she wants, but this case is a bit different. Regan is a teenager, so indecision is kind of part and parcel of that. The romance is a bit of a love triangle as Guillermo and Regan figure things out about each other, and Regan decides what she wants to do about her boyfriend, Troy. I worried at first about where this love triangle would go - as in whether or not there would be cheating, but the author steered clear of that.
I'll admit that I don't read a lot of young adult/teen romance. Mostly because some are so riddled with all the teenage angst, and as a mom, I see enough of that at home. That's not to say there's no angst here - we have a presumed bad boy and good girl, so a rule-breaker and a rule follower. These two are complete opposites and they're attracted to each other. There pretty much had to be some angst, but Grandison does an excellent job of keeping it to a minimum. And I greatly appreciated the lack of drama just for drama's sake.
The story started out a little bit slow, but there was just something about these characters that drew me in. The story is one of growth and healing as well as romance, and I tip my hat to the author for the accuracy of these characters. They act like teenagers - full of doubt while trying to get a foothold on becoming an adult, learning to face their mistakes and stand up for what they want. Even Regan's indecision about Troy felt real to me. I'm not usually a fan of indecision taking such a big part of a romance, but when her age is factored in, it's not a surprise.
To sum it up, The Right Side of Reckless is a well written, engaging teen/young adult romance. It's not over the top with angst, and it makes for an easy weekend read.
Then we have Regan, and ordinarily, I wouldn't care for a character with so much indecision about who and what she wants, but this case is a bit different. Regan is a teenager, so indecision is kind of part and parcel of that. The romance is a bit of a love triangle as Guillermo and Regan figure things out about each other, and Regan decides what she wants to do about her boyfriend, Troy. I worried at first about where this love triangle would go - as in whether or not there would be cheating, but the author steered clear of that.
I'll admit that I don't read a lot of young adult/teen romance. Mostly because some are so riddled with all the teenage angst, and as a mom, I see enough of that at home. That's not to say there's no angst here - we have a presumed bad boy and good girl, so a rule-breaker and a rule follower. These two are complete opposites and they're attracted to each other. There pretty much had to be some angst, but Grandison does an excellent job of keeping it to a minimum. And I greatly appreciated the lack of drama just for drama's sake.
The story started out a little bit slow, but there was just something about these characters that drew me in. The story is one of growth and healing as well as romance, and I tip my hat to the author for the accuracy of these characters. They act like teenagers - full of doubt while trying to get a foothold on becoming an adult, learning to face their mistakes and stand up for what they want. Even Regan's indecision about Troy felt real to me. I'm not usually a fan of indecision taking such a big part of a romance, but when her age is factored in, it's not a surprise.
To sum it up, The Right Side of Reckless is a well written, engaging teen/young adult romance. It's not over the top with angst, and it makes for an easy weekend read.