Bryn Greenwood's new novel, The Reckless Oath We Made, was a book I wasn't expecting, and it turned out to be a book that I didn't know I needed. This unconventional love story is wholly unique, and caught me quite off guard as I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it. I ended up savoring it, and highly recommend it to readers who are looking for something a bit different.

I came to The Reckless Oath We Made by way of Greenwood's controversial debut All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. While The Reckless Oath We Made doesn't take on quite as disturbing a topic as All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, it still explores the darker and grittier areas of life, and that is to be expected considering Greenwood's childhood as the daughter of a drug dealer. Her new novel follows Zee, a hard scrabble red head barely scraping by, who finds herself in a complicated situation when her sister LaReigne is taken hostage in a prison break. Zee, née Zhorzha, is left to pick up the pieces of their lives as she tries to juggle caring for both her nephew and shut-in hoarder mother, while also searching for LaReigne.

Luckily for Zee, she literally has a knight in shining armor by her side. It is Gentry's mission in life to be Zee's champion. A painfully shy man with autism, Gentry truly considers himself a knight, and he not only adheres to the chivalric code, but speaks in Old English, as well. As strange as Gentry's ways may seem to Zee, she is grateful for his devotion to her life and honor because she soon finds herself in quite the predicament as she tries to track down the murderers who stole her sister.

Zee and Gentry find themselves walking a dangerous path on their quest to save LaReigne, coming across all sorts of unsavory characters, many of who are filled with ill-intent. While Zee certainly doesn't need saving from the treacherous men she milks for information about LaReigne, she feels a bit safer with Gentry by her side. Before long, he has grown on her despite his awkward mannerisms, and the two find themselves straddling the line of love and honor.

The Reckless Oath We Made is an engaging story that manages to be both endearing and shocking at the same time. Greenwood's writing is raw and heartfelt, and she tells a compelling story with memorable, vibrant characters. I fell in love with the character of Gentry, and admired his unyielding devotion to his Lady Zhorzha, enjoying every second his character colored the pages of this novel. I so appreciate this inventive story for providing me with a reading experience unlike any other!

Greenwood does it again with complex human relationships and a novel I couldn’t put down. Always a master of keeping my attention and emotion.

2.5 stars Thank you to NetGalley for the download and Penguin Random House's Marketing Assistant for offering me a copy of this ARC - which published on August 25, 2020.

Basically this is the story of a Zhorzha, who is trying to find her missing sister LaReigne. Along for the ride is Gentry - described as "Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor." Therein is where the problem exists...

I must admit that I scanned portions of this story. I felt duped by the synopsis, after I started reading the book. No where did I find the word 'fantasy' related to this book. Any indication of fantasy is subjective in the wording of the synopsis. Sentences like "Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess" and "Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor." I took as subjective author lingo meaning Zee was no weakling or goody two shoes type, and that Gentry was her rescuer, a person she looked up to. But once I got into the book I realized that Gentry was a knight - a 17th century Knight - and he spoke in all the 'thee" and "thou" and "weren" and "aren" language spoken back then.

Definitely not my favored period in history, nor my favored type reading material. So I forced my way thru the book to get the jest of it, scanning when I could. Had the synopsis been a little bit clearer, or at least contained a sentence letting you know that it was a fantasy of a contemporary woman with the side kick of a 17th century Knight, I would probably have refused the gift from the publishing house as not my type of reading material.

Having not read the authors other book - All the Ugly and Wonderful Things - I cannot comment on her writing or authoring abilities. To do so would be incorrect due to my dislike of this book.

I LOVED THIS. Had to google so many terms. Totally worth it. Zee and Gentry were the power couple I didn’t know I needed in my life.