This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a romantic and emotional journey, as it masterfully weaves together themes of trust, redemption, and the power of love to heal emotional scars, set against a backdrop of mystery and isolation.

Complementary copy given for my honest review and opinion. Great romance that was raw and pure with good character building.

I have never read anything by this author, but will look for others by her now. This story is about Meg and Simon who are living in Maine. Meg was recently released from jail for taking the fall for her friends actions. She moves to a small town where she rents a place from Simon. Simon is a bit of a recluse since the fire that killed his parents and left his back disfigured. They are not what either expected and they develop a friendship.

A Reckless Heart is an entertaining and well written romance. Great plot and character dynamics.. I highly recommend this book.

This is a take on the “Beauty and the Beast” story with Simon being the beast and Meg as Belle. Simon has been horribly scarred from a fire that killed his family and destroyed his home. Because of this, he has become a recluse. He lives in what would have been the former guest house of his family’s mansion and rents out the “keepers house” to single elderly people. Except Meg is definitely not elderly. But she is single. And she has a few scars of her own, though hers are on the inside. Having spent two years in jail for something she didn’t do, she’s trying to find peace somewhere and hoped that this small town was it. What she didn’t count on was falling for her landlord. Unfortunately, when the townspeople find out about her past, they’re not very forgiving.

And that’s where I started having problems. I can understand a few people having a problem with her when they find out about her past, but the entire town? And being so rude to her? And Simon thinks she’s reacting his scars since she yelps every time she sees him in the beginning. Hey, after the first one, I knew she was just reacting to him startling her. It’s what happens when someone sneaks up on you. She wasn’t afraid of him, she was just reacting to being startled.

I also didn’t like the way the townspeople treated Simon. He grew up in this town and his family was killed. You’d think they’d have a little more compassion than what was shown. But there was almost none beyond his best, and oldest friend, Claire. I get that he had emotional issues after the fire, but shouldn’t more than one person have cared?

Final thing… I understood the “gag order” placed on Meg—kind of. But it just really bothered me that everything could have been cleared up if she’d just trusted Simon and told him the truth from the beginning. Okay, so maybe she couldn’t have told him every little detail, but enough to let him know there were other things at work besides what he might hear. The whole setup just didn’t ring true for me. But I will say the bedroom scenes are well done and fit the story.

I won’t say I loved this book. But I did like it. I enjoyed the connection between Meg and Simon and especially the botanical rehab references and especially Simon’s friend, the “garden gnome” Jed.

Recommendation: This is a good book for a lazy-day read. There is a HEA ending that satisfies and it will tug at your emotions on every page. Did I love it? No. But I did enjoy it. And you will too.
Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

I wouldn't say I love this book. Let's go with the word 'like'. However, I cried. A lot. Because despite the characters, the circumstances the author made were too heartbreaking to not cry over it. Her writing style was beautiful even though I didn't like the characters.

A Reckless Heart by Jennifer Wilck is love story between a women, Meg, who was just released from prison and a man, Simon, who was scarred in a fire. Both Meg and Simon want to keep to themselves, both hiding from different things. This is a sweet love story that I really enjoyed, think of beauty and the beast. If you enjoy romances, give this book a try, I recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received A Reckless Heart as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

A former socialite with a shadowy past, Meg Thurgood finds herself in the small coastal town of Gull's Point, Maine., determined to start anew. Almost immediately, she finds herself captivated by her mysterious, reclusive landlord and neighbor, Simon McAlter. Scarred and socially outcast after a fire that killed his family, Simon battles his own demons despite a successful career as a landscape designer, However, Meg is able to breach the walls Simon has built around himself--until her own past is revealed.

This was a decent romance. I appreciated the very real barriers the characters--particularly Simon--had to scale in order to create a life together, I enjoyed the intimacy of how their romance developed. The town was also crafted beautifully, though I thought the ending--its wholesale rejection and then embrace of Meg--was a little too pat and adoring for my taste. It could have used a bit more nuance. On the whole, though, it was a lovely read for a rainy afternoon.

Very sweet and cute book. It had a very gothic feel. I really liked both of the characters and enjoyed their story.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Meg who was released from jail for her friends actions moves to a small town where she rents a place from Simon. Simon is a bit of a recluse since the fire that killed his parents and left his back disfigured. I enjoyed the different characters and the chemistry that developed between Meg and Simon.

A severely scarred hero finds healing in “A Reckless Heart”, by Jennifer Wilck (Wild Rose Press), a sweet story about two broken people being better together than alone.
The author’s option for slowly revealing the destroyed body – the extension of the ravage, the dysfunction it generates - creates a poignant hero, a large, muscled, gentle and very lonely man. In the beginning I was feeling like a voyeur spying Simon and his scars (no sugarcoating there).
Despite all the suffering and loneliness, there’s a sweetness about him that is endearing; his and his friends’ projects and his job are interesting dimensions of the character, too.
I felt some dimensions of Meg’s secrets were a bit thin, as were aspects about the judgmental townsfolk.
I hope Ted will get his own story, but not with only the unrealistic lip reading.

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Jennifer Wilck’s writing and in the first in her new series (Scarred Hearts) A RECKLESS HEART, she has solidified her one-click status with me for life.

This book has so many facets and themes, from the bonds of friendship, to acts of forgiveness, to the detriments of a solitary existence. It even skirts the old Beauty and the Beast trope – very effectively and with a modern take on the timeless tale.

What would you do for a friend? That’s a question for two of the women in this story, heroine Meg and secondary character Claire. Both, it appears, would do whatever they had to in order to keep their friends safe. Both go about it different ways, though.

Meg Clancy ( nee Thurgood) took the rap for something that happened several years ago, thus protecting her friend and causing her own life to change drastically. Now, she’s at the precipice of getting her old life back.

Simon McAlter, hermit, and forced to be one due to a tragic accident, agrees to rent his cottage to Meg, believing her to be a middle aged spinster.
She’s not. Not even close.

Blessed with kindness and compassion, Meg sees passed Simon’s physical and emotional scars and together they form a friendship that leads to one with…benefits. Hey, this is a romance, after all!

But it’s so much more, believe me. I cried, I laughed, I winced at every turn of the story. Meg has a secret she can’t reveal to anyone but like all secrets, when it is revealed, there’s hell to pay for her. Can she be forgiven for what happened? Can she forgive those that didn’t trust in her?

This is an emotional rollercoaster, kids, and worth every bit of lost sleep I got reading it in one sitting because I simply couldn’t put the story down.

The ending is just about as perfect as a reader could wish for.
I want to thank Netgalley and the Wild Rose press for allowing me to read an arc of the book for an honest opinion of the work.
My opinion? This book needs to be read by the masses. Can you give a book more than 5 stars? If you can, A RECKLESS HEART deserves an infinitesimal amount.

Brava!