Reckless Hacker, Marked for DeathI was just a hacker with no pack, no bond marks, and no heat. Now I’m the beta who shouldn’t be alive— hiding in a cabin with four dangerous men who'd rather shoot me than save me.
Ryker, the alpha soldier barely holding it together. Jinx, all fractured rage and unstable loyalty. Finn, the beta who sees through every lie I tell. Theo, the quiet omega whose silence cuts deeper than any blade.
They don’t want me here. And I sure as hell don’t want to stay.
But the target on my back isn’t going away. And the longer I’m stuck with them, the harder it is to keep running—from them, from the bond, from who I really am.
They think I’m just a reckless hacker with a death wish. They don’t know I might be the one thing that could break them… or save them all.
This is the 1st book in Cayenne's Sugar & Spice SeriesWhy Choose, Fast burn. Found family. One broken beta. Four lethal men. And zero chance we make it out clean.Love Fast Paced Action and Adventure with some spice? Then you will love Reckless.
Honestly, I really wanted to—and honestly thought I would’ve—liked this book way more than I did. I loved the characters and their emotional and sexual tension, but the overarching plot and author’s writing style lost me quite a bit.
In all fairness to the author and this book, I chose to read this before the Puritan City Alphas series, so that may have contributed to me not fully gelling with it, but I really don’t think that’s it. First, some elements of the plot had me scratching my head a bit. I can’t fully grasp why FMC Cayenne is just sitting on this supposedly ground-breaking information she has. Could she not have made a better case for needing her technology back to go through it or give it to someone she trusts? And, yes, I get that this may be answered in subsequent books because we still don’t know the full story yet, but COME ON. For now, it was distracting and irritating to me.
Plus, the author’s writing style also didn’t really sit well with me. There weren’t outright errors or anything like that, and there were definitely some impactful quotes, but the author repeated some phrases, like, religiously. Seriously, if I had to hear about Cayenne’s ozone (?) and lemon scent or MMC Jinx’s “beautiful madness” or “cherry and tobacco” scent one more time, I was gonna lose it. The repetitiveness just straight up irked me (on the plus side, though, it would make for a hell of a drinking-slash-reading game). And I get that Cayenne’s whole thing is that she’s a hacker without her technology and some serious defensiveness, but all of the “I view the world through hacking and tech terms” narration in her POVs seemed more annoying than insightful to me.
What I liked most about this book were the characters and the pack dynamics arising between them all. The sarcastic banter and power struggles had me absolutely eating up the dialogue—and when the sexual tension and yearning got added in? Fantastic. Cayenne did give me pick-me vibes a bit—we get it, she’s not like other girls, she wears rainbow unicorn pajamas and has a bedazzled gun—but it wasn’t overwhelming or atypical for this genre. I liked that she really held her own and had strength and confidence; her chaos-seeking, impulsive, “act before thinking” personality made her compelling and relatable. Under all the bravado and defense mechanisms, though, it’s clear that she’s very caring and loyal, and dealing with a lot of pain, so I would be intrigued to see more of her emotional side. She also has some major secrets, and I liked the process of slowly unraveling them. As for the MMCs, I found them to be charming and they did what they needed to do, but they did kind of stay at the surface level in some ways. You know, MMC Ryker = alpha-in-charge, Jinx = crazy chaotic, MMC Finn = nerdy peacekeeper, MMC Theo = sweet artist—the men falling strictly into their assigned MMC personality category and not getting more out of it. Though, this could change in later books—I mean, I won’t be continuing reading to find out, but it could change.
So, while I had fun with this read, I really just think it was mid. Not really for me. It had all of the elements to be something I’d love—a strong FMC, spicy tension, and a bit of plot mystery—but the execution just didn’t hit the way I hoped. I can see why other readers got a lot more out of it, but personally, I was left wanting more.
Cayenne, a beta and skilled hacker, finds herself on the run after hacking into a medical facility. She ends up being protected by Pack Locke—Ryker, Jinx, Finn, and Theo.
This series is an absolutely amazing, and captured my heart from the start of Arias story, but this book? This one's the best book yet! I'm completely blown away by how good it is – the writing's top-notch, the details are spot on, the pace is lightning fast, and the banter? It's gold. Plus, there's a seriously sarcastic, chaos-causing beta hiding in plain sight, with a vulnerability no one else sees, and you just can't get enough of her.
Cayenne was a standout character in the previous books, with her sharp wit, fierce loyalty, and devotion to her friends. I've been hanging out to read her story, expecting fireworks, and let me tell you, it definitely lived up to all the hype I built up in my head. She's a complex character, dealing with the fallout of her hacking escapades while trying to navigate the dynamics of Pack Locke, and keep her heart and secrets safe.
It's a real toss-up trying to pick a favourite character in the pack. Each member brings something unique to the table, but I reckon Jinx and his craziness worked so well with Cayenne. Her own brand of chaos and his crazy just added another dimension to the whole story. They're like two peas in a pod, causing mayhem wherever they go.
On a side note, my absolute favourite scene is definitely the pack torture scene. I won't give away any spoilers, but trust me, it's a good one. The author really knows how to ramp up the tension and keep you on the edge of your seat.
This book is filled with high stakes adrenaline, spice, crazy possibly broken Alphas, chemistry, secrets and past traumas.
Now I'm absolutely busting for the next installment. I need to know what happens next!
Let me start off by saying this was the first book I read by this author and I was blown away. Reckless: Collision - book 1 in the Sugar and Spice series by Poppy Carter started off with a bang and kept up the high energy. There is one female beta (Cay or Cayenne), one male omega (Theo), one male beta (Finn) and two male alpha (Jinx and Ryker); there is MM.
Cay is a hacker with a bedazzled gun and unicorn sleep pants looking into Sterling Pharmaceuticals. There is a trail of sick betas that are dying and there seems to be a correlation with Sterling. She just needs to find the proof and the truth of what is going on. She has a tendency to run into situations before thinking everything through. That is how she runs from one building to another from the roof praying she can make it. Sterling has put a hit out on her and her friends send her to Pack Locke for protection. Saying she is unwilling and ready to run is an understatement.
Ryker is the prime alpha trying to control everything and protect the pack. Jinx is a damaged alpha that is breaking apart. His actions on the last mission caused his pack to be sidelined. They need to prove themselves protecting Cay. Finn is a little lost with all the other strong characters in his pack. Theo is trying to hold the pack together.
Will Pack Locke be able to protect her? How will Cay survive without the distraction of electronics? Will Cay be the missing piece for this pack or the thing that blows them apart? What is Sterling up to? Could Cay somehow be connected to Sterling?
I did not want this book to come to an end. We are left with many questions while we wait a week for Part two to come out. I am counting the minutes until I can join Cay and Pack Locke again. I need to go read Hunter Omega while I wait. Go read this book now.
I'm really not sure what to rate this book. And that is entirely my own fault since in one day I binge read books one and two and am sitting at anout 75% of book three as read while contemplating DNFing it.
I am having difficulty separating the first two books from the desire to dnf book three as my biggest issues with book three was present in the other two books just to a lesser degree or in such a way where it was somehow less bothersome.
There are continuity issues and some writing issues that could be fixed with a little more polishing. Nothing that is a deal breaker by itself, but getting thrown out of the story to second guess what I just read does unfortunately add up by the third book.
My other biggest issue is the characters and their hypocrisy as well as their motivations directing some of their actions. The I'm going to be mad at you now because you just did to me what i did to you BS got old real fast. Also that whole scene with them all turning her on but not allowing her to finish because they are pissed she's using intimacy in an unhealthy coping mechanism that screams mental health/trauma issues or you know trust issues that just left a bad taste in my mind.
Also why didn't she tell her supposed BFFs or bosses or whatever about the drive?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
★…“spice and fire and pure beta defiance. Of course she smells like trouble.”★
When Alpha Pack Locke was tasked to take on guarding a Beta after she was targeted after her mission went down every-way wrong, they were more than ready to take it on, especially if it meant an end to their 6-month benching from their own assignment gone bad: “Takes crazy to guard crazy. And we’ve got that in spades.”
What they did not expect was that Cayenne was meant to belong to their pack. The only thing between them, however, was her driving need to escape and the secrets she needed to work on without anyone knowing. Impossible when she was not given access to her computers or ANY tech for that matter.
This first installment finds Cayenne navigating between the pack’s tightly knit males who have made her feel as if she was just a job to them, an outsider, even though she was beginning to connect with most of them.
An exciting first installment to this riveting series!
I loved the subtle weaving of choice and belonging that Poppy weaved through this story. The story really centred on a rejection of societal expectations that the group went against in their chosen family and pack. Each character had such depth and I really loved the themes of personal weaknesses like mental health troubles and the ability to get sick as a beta. The sensuality built up slowly in the book, with the characters edging Cay and asking her for emotional closeness. This slow exploration of a relationship with Cay, gave a rising passion that built through the story in comparison to the quick anonymous coupling at the beginning. I thought the way Cayenne thought in the language of a hacker was so well done. It really fleshed out her character and made her unique. I also liked that most of the book was her hiding while the team protecting her and her seeing what could be if she joins the pack. The story was bookended with action at the beginning and action and a big cliffhanger at the end.
Cayenne was my favourite character from the Puritan City Alphas series and I was so happy that she got her own series. She didn’t disappoint as she is what I thought she would be and so much more. She’s a daredevil, proud, loyal and of course reckless! Pack Locke are great characters from serious Ryker, chaotic Jinx, analytical Finn and loveable Theo. They are the perfect foil to Cayenne’s hyperactive nature. This is a great start to the series and contains so many questions that need answering. I feel that this is the best book that Poppy has written so far and I cannot wait to read book two.
If you read Aria's story in Hunted Omegas, you will remember her best friend and spitfire, Cayenne. Due to her lack of fear and incessant curiosity, trouble follows Cayenne wherever she goes. Pack Locke definitely has their hands full trying to protect her. Their interaction with her had me rolling at times. But, she is exactly who they need to balance their pack, and they are determined to show her what a future with them could be like. This book was a fun read for me. I think my favorite part has to be sledding and the snowball fight. Lots of action-packed adventure for Cayenne with this pack.
I was already familiar with Cayenne after reading Aria's books. So I already knew how amazing she was. But I found myself getting frustrated with all her secrets in this book. If I meet by the pack that cares about her and watch her but you can't tear down her walls and that's to let them in completely. I honestly can't decide which one of the guys that I love the most. Is it jinx and all his chaos. Theo with his deadly Grace. Finn and his anxiety and his analytic mind. Or Ryker which is forced control. I can't wait to dive into the next book. And hopefully Cayenne will share the USB drive.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved Beta/Hacker - Cayenne when she popped up in her friend's series - Puritan City Alphas. When she hacks into somewhere dangerous she becomes a target to them. She ends up being protected by Pack Locke - Ryker, Theo, Finn & Jinx. A pack of adrenaline junkies that make her open up to them. I really liked Jinx from the beginning of this book. He's completely unashamedly nutty but he's really fun too and his dynamic with Cayenne was great to read. Took me a little while to warm up to the others but they made for an interesting relationship. This was a cracking start to this series and I'm looking forward to reading the others books in it.
This was iconic. The female main character is definetly a red headed Tom Croise, pulling a mission imposible but in a sassier way. Her name in Cayenne. Yes, like the pepper and my girl is - you guess it, on fire!!! Some one pass me the fire extinguisher. She's kicking so much ass, jumping between buildings, hacking corrupt companies all in freaking unicorn pijama and a bedazzled PINK gun... bahaha she's iconic. The woman is my spirit animal. ✨️ I don't know who cuts deeper her killer moves or her freaking words because the sass and sarcasm was ON POINT.
Anyways. I loved the begging and the ending the middle was kinda meh. So 3 🌟.
Action packed! I love how strong and feisty Cayenne the FMC is! The banter between her and Ryker, Jinx, Finn and Theo had me rolling. Cayenne is a hacker using her powers for good, she just sometimes gets so lost in the ‘doing good’ part that she loses track of the can of worms she inadvertently opens. This lands her under the protection of Ryker and his pack, much to her dismay. Seeing Cayenne’s analytical mind work through everything added another layer to this character and how she viewed the world. I did end on a slight cliffhanger, but I’m excited to see what happens next.
OMG I ATE. THIS. UP! We actually first meet Cayenne in another series and I knew this was going to be amazing right from the start and I was CORRECT!!
Cayenne is a beta who is a force to be reckoned with. A top-notch hacker with zero f*cks to give, loyal to her friends and almost no fear for her own safety. However she's keeping secrets from her friends because she wants to keep them safe. Unfortunately things happen that put everyone in danger. In the process, she ends up meeting Jinx, Ryker, Finn and Theo who are a crazy mess of a pack, but who are perfect for her.
I'm writing this after reading the first 3 books (still need to read book 4). I won't give spoilers. Just know it's fast-paced, and Poppy does an amazing job of giving each character their own identities, I love that Cayenne is strong yet vulnerable. Definitely a great series so far!!
I love a good fmc h@cker!! A lot of these stories have a mmc that’s one, but I truly love a nerdy fmc. There’s a lot more to Cay and I can’t wait to see her open up to her newly found pack. There’s a seedy side to the city and Cay is working on exposing it. I am so excited for book two and so glad she chose the way she did. The cliffy isn’t huge, so it didn’t leave me screaming, but left me excited for what she’s going to reveal to her pack and the world.
Cayenne finds herself in a bit of a jam and forced to live with a pack of crazy Alpha's. As a Beta Cayenne doesn't have to join a pack to survive. But when she steals data from a major company and finds out that not only is she possibly related to the head of said company but that the company is killing off Beta's like herself and playing it off as a virus they are trying to cure. When her best friends find out the possible danger she is in they send her to be protected by pack Locke. There are only a couple problems, she is NOT allowed to use any tech and the Alpha's and Omega of Pack Locke has scent matched with her the moment they meet. What happens with this dynamic? Can Cayenne go without any tech for who knows how long? Will she try to run? Will the pack find a way to keep her with them?
This book started out with a high pace break in and kept that pace going throughout the whole book. I loved the characters and the plot were well created. I read Aria's series at the beginning of the year and found it slow and just not the best. This book was the opposite and I can't wait to continue on with this duet.
This was interesting and had a few great action sequences, without being terribly action packed overall. There was plot, but the character development was in the driver's seat. MFC is the best kind of chaos- a little crazy with a lot of depth. The MMCs aren't quite as well developed, but on their way.
Que si, que me sigue encantado como se va desarrollando la historia y la relación con los personajes. Por un momento pensé que ella iba a dejar pasar esas palabras tan hirientes pero aplaudo para que esa traición no sé haya dejado de lado. 🫣
I love all the action in the beginning so fun being worried and excited about the characters. These characters are awesome and they oddly mesh well. I don't know coding but I know anxiety and how it can be debilitating in its intensity.
When the fmc said “shoes are just a social construct” and then walked barefoot into a public bathroom you lost me. The 15th time the unicorn pajamas were mentioned I had to DNF.
Amazing beginning to an awesome new series! Complex and interesting characters make a must-read book! Can't wait to find out what happens in the next instalment
This book has a sassy confident Beta that you have to love and pack that is full of character, totally need the next book because the story needs to continue!