YA book with diverse characters. A little slow at the beginning but we got to know the characters, Guillermo and Regan. Guillermo needs to stay out of trouble, and Regan needs to separate herself from her family. Synopsis: He’s never met a rule he didn’t break… She’s followed the rules her whole life… When they meet, one golden rule is established: stay away. The disapproval is instant.

Having read Whitney D. Grandison's previous book and enjoying it, I was excited to pick up this one. I did really enjoy it and found it to be a complex read that tackled a lot of very present and modern issues. I really enjoyed Guillermo's character and felt that out of everyone he was the most three dimensional character. While this book had a little bit of a slow start, once you get invested in the story it really moves along. Not only do the characters pull you in, but the fact that things such as consent, hard past events and more. There were certainly some moments that perhaps were a little frustrating, but they didn't impact the story in a negative way. All in all I really enjoyed this one and found it to be a great read!

When I signed up on NetGalley to review this book, I was excited to read a fun, opposites attract young adult romance, and while The Right Side of Reckless does deliver on that promise, it is also so much more. It is a thoughtful story of redemption, freedom, and discovering yourself.
Guillermo has had a troubled past, hanging with the wrong crowd and acting out whenever he can. After the third strike against him and a trip to juvie, he’s out on parole and has to make amends for his wrongs. The rules: be on time for his community service at the local community center, make new and responsible friends, and no girls. The first two he can handle with no problem. It’s the third one that gives him trouble, especially when he meets Regan, the daughter of the community center owner.
Regan has a lot on her plate. To make her parents happy, she’s studying a subject she hates, dating a football star she knows isn’t right for her, and volunteering at the community center. But when she meets Guillermo, someone who understands her and treats her with the respect she deserves, she starts to rethink what she really wants from her life.
Overall, I liked the book. It was filled with diverse characters, which I felt helped me understand different perspectives I’m not used to. It handled Guillermo’s redemption arc well and had a good message that people can atone for their mistakes and have them not define their lives forever. The side characters, for the most part, were well developed and fun. I really liked how easily Guillermo made friends that were good for him, and I loved his relationship with his little sister. There was also great chemistry between Guillermo and Regan, and I especially liked how consent was handled between them. I’m a huge sucker for constant consent. Consent is sexy.
However, a few things bothered me about the story that I couldn’t ignore. While I liked that Regan stood up for herself and found what she wanted from life in the end, I felt like it took a little too long for there to get there. I would have liked to see a little more build-up to the resolution of that for her, especially when it came to her relationship with Troy.
From the beginning, it’s pretty clear that the reader isn’t supposed to like Troy—he doesn’t support or listen to Regan, and he often keeps pressuring her about sex—but the storyline really bothered me. I won’t say much to avoid spoilers, but I think the resolution of that storyline also took too long, and I found myself getting increasingly annoyed and frustrated with it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Inkyard Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Regan is a really sweet and caring girl, but she is a people pleaser. Early on, I found her inability to stand up for herself and what she wants annoying but that is all part of growing up and maturing. By the end of the story, I was really proud of her. Guillermo likes Regan but her mother is supervising his community service and has told him to stay away from Regan. Trying to turn over a new leaf, Guillermo goes out of his way to try to not get into trouble, but he and Regan keep crossing paths. But he makes friends with different types of people than those he associated with before he went to juvie, including Regan’s geeky younger brother.

I really enjoyed the growing friendship between Regan and Guillermo. Their interactions felt natural and age appropriate and I think the time taken to develop their friendship is part of the reason for this. And it was good to have a potential romantic relationship based on friendship, and where holding hands and kissing are all that is expected.

There are several important issues dealt with in THE RIGHT SIDE OF RECKLESS . One is consent. The contrast between the way Troy, Regan’s boyfriend, treats her and the way Guillermo treats her shows the difference between what would have been acceptable when I was a teen versus what we expect now. Another issue is the issue of forgiveness. Guillermo really wants to do the right thing to regain the respect and forgiveness of his parents, but it isn’t always clear what “the right thing” is. Guillermo also needs to forgive himself for his past mistakes so he can move on.

It was so good to get caught up in a young adult novel. It has been a long time since I read one and THE RIGHT SIDE OF RECKLESS reminded me why I enjoy them so much. Strong character development and growth, a good story, and a lovely romance. I loved THE RIGHT SIDE OF RECKLESS . A solid four stars from me.

A perfect story for the older YA crowd. This is a new version of the bad boy, good girl trope now with consent and #ownvoices. I liked it but there aren't a lot of teens in my round tables that are old enough for this book.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, Netgalley, and Inkyard Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Grandison has done it again! Yet another novel that I couldn’t get enough of, and to think this is just her sophomore novel! So, so happy to be able to support her and her work again by reading and reviewing this book.

First, while I personally have not been in Guillermo’s situation with being in juvie in the past and having a probation officer, I have had some experience learning about these programs in my criminal justice classes. I was fortunate enough to even visit the prisons in Guam, talk to probation officers, and just in general learn more about the criminal justice system on Guam. One of the things that I appreciated about this novel is that Grandison didn’t romanticize Guillermo’s past history. Yes, he’s considered a bad boy because – well he got arrested right? – but it’s not something that is considered just a personality. He really has to move away from what made him a “monster” in his and his family’s eyes, and understand that he still has a chance to change his path. We can see that his family truly does love him, and while they are still hurt by his actions, there’s a part of them that really does want to see him succeed. They just need to see that he’s putting in the effort and truly wanting to become a better person.

Can I just say that I appreciate that Grandison made both main characters likeable? Sometimes it doesn’t work that way and I’m left wondering why I would want the two main characters to get together romantically, or even just get involved with one another… but this isn’t the case with this novel. I wanted to see Guillermo change for the better; I wanted to see Regan stand up for herself without fear of not being perfect. I just wanted them to become better versions of themselves in whatever way they wanted to improve. I also appreciated the fact that we get to see the development of a friendship rather than just a straight romance. As we all know, I am one that considers friendship relationships to be so much more powerful when telling a story. That doesn’t mean I don’t like romances at all, but I like being able to see the two romantic characters learn about one another and learn how to even like each other as friends rather than just figure out how to be in a romantic relationship from the get go. If that makes sense?

The more I was reading this novel, the more I was just completely infatuated with Guillermo. Seriously, for someone who used to not give a F about anything, and with him truly trying to change his life for the better, he was just so wise and respectful and wow. He literally was a dream guy, and I couldn’t believe he was just in high school! I truly think that he would make a great mentor for other troubled teens that are trying to get their lives back on track. Ugh I could keep going on and on but that would be WAY too long of a review. This was just amazing, and one of my favorite stories of 2021. I highly recommend!

Told in dual point-of-views The Right Side of Reckless follows the stories of Guillermo and Regan. Guillermo is struggling to adapt to the new town that his family moved to. He wants to show that he’ll make things right after his time in juvie but everyone including his family doesn’t believe in him. Reagan is a teenager who hates that people are trying to make decisions for her in her life. Though she seems happy on the outside she is tired of feeling like she has to please others.

Not only is this novel an opposites attract tale, but it also touches on prejudice, racism, sexism, classism, and a lot more topics. I really appreciated how Grandison discusses a wide variety of issues through the open conversations the characters have. People label the main characters as a stereotype and try to force them into a mold or perceive them as a threat. It just reminds us the readers how assumptions can be so damaging.

Whereas I thought Grandison’s debut novel was okay I really enjoyed The Right Side of Reckless a lot more. For me, I thought that the overall narrative and character development was even stronger in her sophomore novel. I felt like rears can really connect to Guillermo and Regan’s stories. From an outside perspective, both of them seem very different people but in reality, they’re sort of the same. Both are trying to hold up this image of perfection and it’s eating them inside. Guillermo because he wants to be better for his family and not cause any trouble and Regan wants to try not to make waves even though she doesn’t want to follow the careers and path that her family has bestowed upon them. And because both of their families had such overbearing parental figures they really work hard to change or to speak up for themselves and show that they are trying to make changes

The story has a lot of relatable coming-of-age themes and talks about how to find your way again when you aren’t sure what direction to take next. I also found the romance to be very cute. there’s obviously flirtation and initial interest and both parties with her trying to deny. I loved the quick banter and their conversation was really endearing to read.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Right Side of Reckless

Author: Whitney D. Grandison

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Diversity: Black MC and Mexican American MC

Recommended For...: contemporary, young adult readers

Publication Date: July 13, 2021

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 15+ (sexual content, romance, slight violence, crime mentioned, misogyny, some language)

Explanation of CWs: The main male character (Guillermo) is on probation for some crimes he committed. He has anger issues and there is some violence mentioned in according to him. Regan (main female character) has a boyfriend who is misogynistic and pressures her for sex.

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 416

Synopsis: They were supposed to ignore each other and respect that fine line between them…

Guillermo Lozano is getting a fresh start. New town, new school, and no more reckless behavior. He’s done his time, and now he needs to right his wrongs. But when his work at the local community center throws him into the path of the one girl who is off-limits, friendship sparks…and maybe more.

Regan London needs a fresh perspective. The pressure to stay in her “perfect” relationship and be the good girl all the time has worn her down. But when the walls start to cave in and she finds unexpected understanding from the boy her parents warned about, she can’t ignore her feelings anymore.

The disapproval is instant. Being together might just get Guillermo sent away. But when it comes to the heart, sometimes you have to break the rules and be a little bit reckless…

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. It was intriguing to me and immediately drew me into the story. The world building was well done and the writing was well done as well.

However, this book kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like the inconsistencies with how the author talked about the juvie kids and with what I’ve seen in real life. The book fell into the good girl/bad boy/good girl fixes bad boy trope and that just doesn’t vibe with me as many kids are in the juvenile system because of trauma and other outside influences. Rarely did I see a kid in the program who was there because they liked to commit crime, at least 90% of the time it was because of home issues, relationship issues, or some other extreme issues that were outside of the kids hands. I also thought that the characters weren’t well developed and the side characters weren’t easily distinguishable from others. The book also dragged pacing wise and the book doesn’t have a good ratio of cute moments to angst/will they won’t they. Finally, I didn’t like the romance in this book and I thought it was weird. Regan is in a committed relationship with someone else until about 80% of the book through and then after she finds out her boyfriend cheated on her she kisses Guillermo. That doesn’t send the right message to kids and it makes the main love interest feel more like a rebound than anything else.

Verdict: It’s ok, could be wrote a bit better.

The Right Side of Reckless is tagged as a romance on Goodreads, but as you can see above, I definitely think this is more of a contemporary with romantic elements. While there is a slow-burn romance involved, the point of the story (to me at least) was about watching these two teenagers grow into themselves despite constant pressure to do otherwise.

On one hand of the spectrum, we have Guillermo, a confident young man who made a lot of mistakes in the past and is now attempting to atone and learn from them. On the other hand of the spectrum, we have Regan, a young woman who has for far too long let everyone else dictate her life for her, forever refusing to stand up for herself. The two of them may seem like complete opposites, but they share a common ground when it comes to dealing with societal pressure.

I’ll admit that there were a few times where I found myself extremely frustrated with almost everyone in the book, but as an adult, it’s probably just be because this is a YA novel. I personally have a really hard time with reading toxic parental relationships but they’re almost impossible to avoid (especially in YA contemporary). This book falls into the category of “parents who are so overbearing that they are ultimately hurting their children in an effort to protect them”. Every time I read a YA novel like this with unsupportive parents, I feel like I need to cleanse my soul by reading 5 books with extremely supportive parents. I really hope to see less of these parent-child relationships in future YA novels.

As a whole, I thought this book was pretty cute. The plot was predictable, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. I do think that the pacing could have been done a bit better. The majority of the book happens in 2 months, which was way too short of a time period for me to feel comfortable with the pacing the romance as well as some of the other side plots. I also think the character growth/change that occurred within both Regan and Avery happened all at one time rather than gradually. I’m honestly still super confused about Avery’s personality, but who knows? Maybe we’ll get a spin-off?

If you’re on the hunt for a slow-burn, diverse novel that tackles peer and parental pressure, I’d definitely recommend checking The Right Side of Reckless out.

Guillermo and Regan are such a wholesome relationship. For such a "bad boy" he is such a sweetheart. He is so supportive of Regan and he has truly recognized the error of his ways and attempts to reform.

He's not perfect, and neither is Regan! I love that Guillermo shows such respect for Regan and her limits. And Regan and Guillermo both have the courage, to be honest with their parents, which is wonderful and a bit overdue in Regan's case!!!

This was not the bad-boy meets good-girl romance that I thought it was going to be ... and yet I really enjoyed it. What I loved most about this book was the healthy way the two characters, Reagan and Guillermo, grew before coming together.
Guillermo himself was a fresh take on the "bad-boy with a heart of gold" trope that I love so much, for one thing he actually did something in the past to acquire the title besides from just wearing a leather jacket of being a bit rebellious. I thought his story in particular was really important as it showed him learning from his past mistakes, earning the forgiveness and making a better life for himself.
I think it's fair to say I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

3.5 stars

These are two really likable characters. Guillermo is doing everything he can to prove to everyone that his is on the straight and narrow, and Regan is trying to be the perfect daughter and girlfriend, even if that means compromising who she really is. They learn from each other to discover who they really are.

While I did really like these characters, they frustrated me a lot. The fact that the book is over 400 pages didn't help things. This dragged on much longer than it should have and could have been condensed to be a much more concise story. Regan's problems with her boyfriend could have easily been solved if she had just told her parents what he was doing. Even though they worshipped him, no one would push their teen daughter to be with someone pressuring her to have sex. I think Guillermo was never really a bad boy, he just cares very deeply for the people in his life and it came out in destructive ways. I felt bad for him most of the time.

After really not enjoying Grandison's first book, I'm happy to say this was lightyears better. Sometimes you just want to indulge in the dramatics, s even if it doesn't end up being an A+ book.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In her sophomore novel, The Right Side of Reckless, Whitney D. Grandison offers a cute opposites-attract romance that still tackles real world issues. While this book uses the classic “bad boy good girl” trope and doesn’t have much plot, the characters are real and kept me invested in the story.

Reagan London has always been the perfect daughter. When her father pressured her to take accounting, she gave in, knowing that’s not the career she wants to pursue. When football star Troy Jordan chased after her, she agreed to date him, despite not returning his feelings. Over time, she’s learned to love him, but now he’s pushing her to have sex with him when she doesn’t want to, making her rethink her entire relationship. She wants to break free of others’ expectations to become her own person, but the task feels daunting.

Guillermo Lozano is finally trying to be the good song his parents deserve. After three arrests and time in juvie, he wants to turn his life around. His parents have moved neighborhoods and schools to help him leave his old habits behind. His worst habit—falling for girls who are no good. He’s determined that at this new school, he will just make friends.

But part of his probation is volunteering at the local community center, where he and Reagan cross paths. She’s beautiful, but also sweet and kind, which is new for him. Reagan feels instant attraction to him as well. He’s not only incredibly hot, but respectful and considerate too.

Opposition rises up instantly. Reagan has a boyfriend, and Guillermo never wants to mess with another guy’s girl again. His parents want him to stay away, worrying she will threaten his rehabilitation. Her parents warn her away, preferring their daughter’s star athlete boyfriend to an ex-con. And yet, these two find themselves drawn together again and again.

Overall, the concept of this novel is nothing… novel (haha). A good girl and a bad boy learning they aren’t all that different and falling for each other is a trope that’s done frequently, and Grandison doesn’t twist or reinvent it. The plot also dragged for me. There isn’t much plot to begin with, and that’s fine—I prefer character driven novels. However, I was frustrated by how long it took the two main characters to get together. We could lose some angst and gain tighter pacing and more kissing scenes!

The characters are where this book really shines. For me, reading Reagan’s perspective was the most enjoyable part of the experience. As someone who has always struggled with parental approval, her problems and emotional journey felt very real to me. I also appreciated how the author chose to focus on Reagan’s choice not to have sex and the impact it has on her relationships with other guys. This is an issue that many teens struggle with, but is rarely dealt with in fiction.

Guillermo’s perspective was harder. I occasionally felt his chapters dragging, mainly because I struggled to relate to him. That is entirely subjective, based on my own experience. His character was well written and felt authentically like a teenage boy. I appreciated hearing his perspective, even if I didn’t always agree with it. In general, all the teenager characters were well written and fleshed out in this novel.

If you’re looking for a sweet, real, diverse YA that will tug on your heartstrings, add this to your TBR!

I really wanted to love The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney Grandison, but it just missed the mark for me. As a YA book, it’s pretty solid (bonus points for my name, even if I think they were pronouncing it Raygan based on her nickname) but there were a few red flags that I had trouble looking past.

Synopsis: Guillermo has to stay on the straight and narrow. Currently on a two-year probation, he needs to learn to forgive himself, move forward and make better friends. Enter Regan — a positive force who is somehow also deeply troubled by her family, boyfriend and school. When the two finally meet during his community service, what fallout might occur and can they both deal with the consequences?

Here’s what I liked: The overall plot was such a good idea! Regan’s journey from merely going with the flow to being a self-actualized woman with a plan was fun to read and watch. Guillermo’s tenderness, vulnerability and willingness to accept his past actions were incredible (if slightly unbelievable given his age). The side characters were also great and felt well-incorporated into the plot.

Here’s what I didn’t like: The writing felt childish to me, and although the style was clearly meant to convey the character's thoughts, the slang often felt out of place when it wasn't sandwiched between quotation marks. A variety of characters blamed women, or insinuated a woman’s “fault,” in almost every instance of a boy gone wrong — multiple people told Guillermo to quit girls until he got his act together. But then also, women were presented as “saviors” or people that Guillermo could open up to and rely on. I couldn’t tell if this was meant to be like an invitation to a social discussion about the gender inequalities or just show how shitty high schoolers are to each other, but something about it just didn’t sit right to me.

I don’t think this was a bad read, and the negatives are probably things I wouldn’t have noticed at 15. But I wanted to throw out my misgivings, just in case!

Being a big fan of Sandhya Menon, I was excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. I love a good forbidden romance novel and this story provided that. I enjoyed seeing the development of Guillermo’s and Regan’s relationship and how it impacted other parts of their life. I enjoyed both of their journeys as they attempt to figure out who they are and who they want to be in the future.

When a bad lad finds a decent girl who never does anything wrong, it's a match made in heaven! The concept of polar opposites, the subject of foes to friends and friends to lovers, and the sizzling, enticing chemistry! Sign me up! This promising composition always makes me grin and warms my icy cold blood, which is becoming harder by the day after binge-reading mind-bending thrillers! I really want a romantic remedy to lift my gloomy mood! I knew it would be a bad boy x nice girl romance as I started reading it. That's OK; I enjoy that genre. What I hadn't anticipated was how different this would read from other romance novels. The majority of "bad lads" consume alcoholic beverages, smoke cigarettes, or even commit murder. Guillermo, on the other hand, had made a few errors. I adored Guillermo, and I adored the unique perspective. This narrative had me completely engrossed! I became linked to the characters and became enraged when I was meant to. I loved how this book discussed "bad" students, those who go to juvie or get into trouble, and how many of them genuinely want to improve. We witness how the "bad kid" is continuously condemned for his past, despite the fact that he is a far better person than certain others (no spoilers!). I really like seeing a teen who was hesitant and extremely adolescent-like! It's difficult to stand up for yourself and put your foot down when you're being treated unfairly, therefore I sympathized with Regan, our protagonist.

This was an enjoyable read with lots of great themes/tropes like second chances, more than meets the eye, and opposites attract.

While this book did have a slow start, I still felt interested in the plot. Sometimes when books are slow, they're also boring, but that wasn't the case for this one. I was interested in getting to know Guillermo and Regan and seeing how their relationship would play out.

I think I was most interested in Guillermo. While he had had a rough go of things in the past, he was ready to start anew and make things right for his future. I loved learning about him because there were so many layers to him. He wasn't just some juvie kid who needed a fresh start. There were layers to why things played out the way that they did in his life and why he was wanting to move on with his fresh start. He was just a fascinating character in general. Plus, he was so easy to love.

There were also a lot of great topics discussed in this book such as consent, boundaries, past hardships, and similar topics. I love the way Grandison went out discussing these topics and blending them seamlessly into the plot.

Overall, I was a big fan of this book. I was getting major Nicola Yoon and Tashie Bhuiyan vibes from this book which is always a plus. While I wouldn't put this book at the top of my recommend list, I would recommend reading this book if you get the chance.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Right Side of Reckless is a true bad boy/good girl romance, and not in the just “he’s a bit of a punk or a rebel” kind of way a lot of books with this trope are, but one who really faced consequences for his behavior.

Guillermo has recently come out of juvie, and he’s reckoning with his past and the way people treat him because of it. And ultimately, I really liked his character, and the subtle statement the book was making, especially in relation to him as a POC “bad boy” who made a few mistakes that resulted in his current situation and the way the typical white “bad boy” heroes seem to get away with a lot more in the grand scheme of things. Guillermo really works on changing himself and putting himself on a better path, showing it can be possible for others like him, even if the odds can be stacked against them.

Regan, as the “good girl” half of the equation, is also intriguing in her own right. She’s very much a people pleaser out of insecurity, willing to bend to her father’s and other expectations. I could relate to her so much, and I also could understand what she saw in Guillermo, as well as what he saw in her.

Grandison walks a fine line with this one in having the two of them bond over the course of the book while Regan is still in an emotionally unsatisfying relationship with another boy, Troy, which she cannot bring herself to end. I appreciated that in the end there was no cheating, while also navigating the complex situation of Regan’s emotions and her working up the courage to finally end her and Troy’s relationship. It may have taken a bit longer than I’d have liked, but it felt realistic for her character.

This book was enjoyable, and I like the way it subverted some common tropes by adding diversity and unpacking them in the process. If you’re looking for a YA contemporary that is mostly lighthearted but also tackles serious topics, you’ll enjoy this one.

Three stars - I think this was a fairly average YA read. It felt a little too long. I usually enjoyed Guillermo's chapters more than Regan's. They also had good chemistry together. I liked that we saw both main characters family's frequently (and they were a major part of the plot line). I've read many YA books that left me thinking "Where are the parents?" and this wasn't that at all. I may have rated this higher if I hadn't read A Love Hate Thing, also by Whitney D. Grandison. The plot lines were just too similar in my opinion.

After I finished reading The Right Side of Reckless, I went back and reread the synopsis because I was under the impression that this was a YA contemporary romance. That's exactly what the synopsis' leads one to believe, however that's not what I just read.

RANT TIME:
Regan has no backbone, she lets her parents dictate her future, and her boyfriend was the worst. They had only been together a year, but he was constantly pressuring her for sex. Regan is in a committed relationship with her boyfriend until the 75% mark of the book when she finds out he cheated on him and then kisses Guillermo right after that ugh. HOW IS THAT A ROMANCE STORY?!? Regan and Guillermo aren't even friends have the book. The characters all just felt flat, and I'll be honest I almost DNFd more than once, but I'm trying to not do that with arcs anymore. Then we have Guillermo is our "bad guy" who for his first two strikes was really just a kid with crap luck. Yes he had anger issues, but he obviously learned from his mistake and had a good head on his shoulder. However, his ability to dish out lengthy Dr.Phil type advice would have been more believable if he was at college age, not high school. I felt the author was trying too hard with his preachy speeches of wisdom.
RANT OVER

There are some silver linings to this not as advertised YA novel. It has a fantastically diverse cast and some really great side characters. Most of the time, I enjoy Guillermo , especially when he was with his new group of friends. The novel also focused on some really important subjects. Such as not letting yourself be pressured into sex, standing up for yourself, respect, consent, and learning from your mistakes.

In the end, I was just really disappointed in this book. The plot had such potential, but I just don't think this author executed it well. I don't think I'll be reading any more by her and note for future me to not be fooled by a cute cover and perfect synopsis.