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Reckless Abandon
Alternate cover edition 9780988566811
- GenresMystery
162 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2012
1 person is currently reading
823 people want to read
About the author
Jenn Flynn-Shon
10 books61 followersJenn Shon (alt. Jenn Flynn-Shon) is an 11-times published author and sand enthusiast. To get through the perils of being uncool in sixth grade, she picked up a notebook and pen and hasn't looked back since. For decades, Jenn wrote fiction stories featuring meet-cutes. Later, romantic suspense. Now, after close to two decades of blogging her innermost thoughts, she released her first essay collection of sassy, witty, beach-inspired debauchery. You Classy Beach, Or, are mermaids always this snarky? is written by one b^d^ss GenX woman (Jenn, duh) and dropped on July 26, 2024 in paperback format (no eBook at this time.) Read it at the beach or wherever, just try to keep the sand out of your pants.
Writing for over 40 years, Jenn founded her micro-press, Writesy Press, LLC, in 2012 to publish her first novel. Published works include the Shaw McLeary Mystery Series (Reckless Abandon, Reckless Hearts, Reckless Mind), California Dreamin' Series (Carol + Chad 4-eva!, Alternate Plans, Makeup Your Mind), Creative Writing Kickstart (vol 1 & 2), 30 Chapters in 30 Days, and Ripple the Twine (retired). Her work is also seen in the anthologies: Midlife on Fire (vol 1) and Journeys to Authorship: How Wannabe Writers Can Realize their Publishing Dreams. Titles include: "Midlife Made Me Do It" and "Time, Patience, and Too Many Oxford Commas."
On a personal note, she struggles with cliché because Jenn loves long walks on the beach with her husband at sunset.
This biography is written in third person but, let's be clear, an Indie Author writes her own bio.
Writing for over 40 years, Jenn founded her micro-press, Writesy Press, LLC, in 2012 to publish her first novel. Published works include the Shaw McLeary Mystery Series (Reckless Abandon, Reckless Hearts, Reckless Mind), California Dreamin' Series (Carol + Chad 4-eva!, Alternate Plans, Makeup Your Mind), Creative Writing Kickstart (vol 1 & 2), 30 Chapters in 30 Days, and Ripple the Twine (retired). Her work is also seen in the anthologies: Midlife on Fire (vol 1) and Journeys to Authorship: How Wannabe Writers Can Realize their Publishing Dreams. Titles include: "Midlife Made Me Do It" and "Time, Patience, and Too Many Oxford Commas."
On a personal note, she struggles with cliché because Jenn loves long walks on the beach with her husband at sunset.
This biography is written in third person but, let's be clear, an Indie Author writes her own bio.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 10, 2012
If you like mystery, intrigue, romance, and a strong female main character, you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down. Read the entire book in 4 hours!!!! Can't wait for the next in this series.
November 24, 2012
One of those cannot put down books..
April 22, 2013
A woman's life changes drastically and forever when she must enlist the help of her ex to find her missing husband in Jenn Flynn-Shon's novella, Reckless Abandon.
Shaw McLeary returns from a trip to the grocery store to find her house in tatters, her valuables stolen and her husband missing. When she overhears the responding officer being shot, she goes on the run. In her desperation, she turns to the one person she could always trust, and the first person she loved, JJ Anderson. A private investigator, JJ is still hurting from Shaw's abandonment years earlier.
Though reluctant to get involved, JJ can't resist helping Shaw -- especially with her life in danger. Their search for answers takes them from Arizona to New York. Along the way, they must sift through clues about Shaw's husband while also addressing the old feelings from their past that neither seems capable of forgetting.
Shaw makes a solid narrator for this story. Even though she comes with plenty of flaws -- namely her desire to stick by her husband, who has been a bit of a dick in recent history, even before fleeing -- she also approaches the story with the mind of a writer. That means, she's able to question developments, look for details and make plenty of conjectures.
Her ex, JJ, was a great character, and I instantly felt an attachment to him. He was apparently responsible and steady enough to put in his 20 years of police service and invest his experience and pay in a future career as a PI. Though a bit frosty at first, he's really quite sweet. I had a swoonable moment every time he showed how much he worried about Shaw's well-being and was able to put aside his hurt feelings to help her.
Because I liked them so much, I wanted to know why these two kids weren't able to figure it out earlier. I was thrilled to see them uncover some of their issues from the past even as they solved their current problems.
Throwing Shaw and JJ together and then sending them on the run made for plenty of tense moments. Adding in their history provided even more.
Fast-paced and intriguing, this book kept me turning page after page. As we're headed into vacation season, this would be a great book to take along if you're looking for a sexy mystery to keep you busy on a plane ride or drive.
Rating: 4.5 of 5
Originally published at www.change-the-word.blogspot.com. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and balanced review.
Shaw McLeary returns from a trip to the grocery store to find her house in tatters, her valuables stolen and her husband missing. When she overhears the responding officer being shot, she goes on the run. In her desperation, she turns to the one person she could always trust, and the first person she loved, JJ Anderson. A private investigator, JJ is still hurting from Shaw's abandonment years earlier.
Though reluctant to get involved, JJ can't resist helping Shaw -- especially with her life in danger. Their search for answers takes them from Arizona to New York. Along the way, they must sift through clues about Shaw's husband while also addressing the old feelings from their past that neither seems capable of forgetting.
Shaw makes a solid narrator for this story. Even though she comes with plenty of flaws -- namely her desire to stick by her husband, who has been a bit of a dick in recent history, even before fleeing -- she also approaches the story with the mind of a writer. That means, she's able to question developments, look for details and make plenty of conjectures.
Her ex, JJ, was a great character, and I instantly felt an attachment to him. He was apparently responsible and steady enough to put in his 20 years of police service and invest his experience and pay in a future career as a PI. Though a bit frosty at first, he's really quite sweet. I had a swoonable moment every time he showed how much he worried about Shaw's well-being and was able to put aside his hurt feelings to help her.
Because I liked them so much, I wanted to know why these two kids weren't able to figure it out earlier. I was thrilled to see them uncover some of their issues from the past even as they solved their current problems.
Throwing Shaw and JJ together and then sending them on the run made for plenty of tense moments. Adding in their history provided even more.
Fast-paced and intriguing, this book kept me turning page after page. As we're headed into vacation season, this would be a great book to take along if you're looking for a sexy mystery to keep you busy on a plane ride or drive.
Rating: 4.5 of 5
Originally published at www.change-the-word.blogspot.com. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and balanced review.
November 10, 2012
I really loved this book and I'm glad I purchased it on Amazon so I can read it over and over when I need something quick and exciting to break the monotony of something boring I made the mistake of trying to read.
The author grabs your attention from page one with the suspense and danger of a break-in at the heroine's home and the suspense really never stops; even when she gets a little romantic on us toward the end...with a really hot make out scene.
There is a danger of falling into complete romance novel mode at this point, but she doesn't. She hangs in there and holds your interest with the characters' depth and doesn't go all mushy on us. Don't get me wrong; I like mush as much as the next person, but this isn't the story for that.
Her descriptions of the lead male and female's emotions and intensity keep your imagination working and gets you really invested in the characters as they dodge the people chasing them and try to stay under the radar as they search for clues to track down a missing person and figure out why they're missing to begin with. Old romantic feelings spice the intensity with excitement and there's an added ingredient at the end that made me wish that the book went on for another 400 pages...that's why the 4 stars: it's too short. It felt unfinished because it was too fast. You know, kind of like when your bowl of ice cream is gone and you're all like "Hey! I wasn't done!"
However, the author left this book wide open for a sequel...perhaps even a series. So I'm very excited about that.
This is honestly....no joke...one of the best and highest quality Indie books I've ever read. If you're a publisher and you don't pick this girl up you're just an idiot because she's going places.
The author grabs your attention from page one with the suspense and danger of a break-in at the heroine's home and the suspense really never stops; even when she gets a little romantic on us toward the end...with a really hot make out scene.
There is a danger of falling into complete romance novel mode at this point, but she doesn't. She hangs in there and holds your interest with the characters' depth and doesn't go all mushy on us. Don't get me wrong; I like mush as much as the next person, but this isn't the story for that.
Her descriptions of the lead male and female's emotions and intensity keep your imagination working and gets you really invested in the characters as they dodge the people chasing them and try to stay under the radar as they search for clues to track down a missing person and figure out why they're missing to begin with. Old romantic feelings spice the intensity with excitement and there's an added ingredient at the end that made me wish that the book went on for another 400 pages...that's why the 4 stars: it's too short. It felt unfinished because it was too fast. You know, kind of like when your bowl of ice cream is gone and you're all like "Hey! I wasn't done!"
However, the author left this book wide open for a sequel...perhaps even a series. So I'm very excited about that.
This is honestly....no joke...one of the best and highest quality Indie books I've ever read. If you're a publisher and you don't pick this girl up you're just an idiot because she's going places.
April 24, 2013
What's a girl to do when she comes home from the store to find her house ransacked, her husband gone, and a cop gets killed on her doorstep by two bad guys? Why she flees to the safety of her ex-fiancee for help in solving the case of her missing husband!
Reckless Abandon is a quick little romantic suspense novella that is quite the page turner. Author Jenn Flynn-Shon weaves an action packed thriller that is full of intrigue, drama, suspense, deceit, murder and romance. Written in the first person narrative and set in Phoenix, the reader follows the adventures of Shaw McLeary and ex-fiancee, Private Investigator JJ Anderson, as they track down leads in pursuit of Shaw's missing husband Danny. As Shaw and JJ stay ahead of danger and dodge the people chasing them, they follow clues that send them from Phoenix to NYC to Upper New York State, all the while dealing with their intense romantic past that has old romantic feelings simmering below the surface.
With an engaging cast of characters who are realistic and flawed; witty dialogue and dramatic interactions; richly detailed descriptions of a variety of settings; and a storyline that has a great mixture of intrigue, suspense, drama and humor with a touch of romance that doesn't overshadow the action and intensity of the story, Reckless Abandon is a riveting romantic suspense novella that you won't be able to put down!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Reckless Abandon is a quick little romantic suspense novella that is quite the page turner. Author Jenn Flynn-Shon weaves an action packed thriller that is full of intrigue, drama, suspense, deceit, murder and romance. Written in the first person narrative and set in Phoenix, the reader follows the adventures of Shaw McLeary and ex-fiancee, Private Investigator JJ Anderson, as they track down leads in pursuit of Shaw's missing husband Danny. As Shaw and JJ stay ahead of danger and dodge the people chasing them, they follow clues that send them from Phoenix to NYC to Upper New York State, all the while dealing with their intense romantic past that has old romantic feelings simmering below the surface.
With an engaging cast of characters who are realistic and flawed; witty dialogue and dramatic interactions; richly detailed descriptions of a variety of settings; and a storyline that has a great mixture of intrigue, suspense, drama and humor with a touch of romance that doesn't overshadow the action and intensity of the story, Reckless Abandon is a riveting romantic suspense novella that you won't be able to put down!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
April 26, 2013
Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. It was a quick read that had me guessing throughout. I read Reckless Abandon every free chance I had.
Shaw McLeary lives out a crime drama in this fast-paced, suspense novella. Shaw was an interesting character - sometimes she didn't seem very aware of what was going on around her, while at other times, she was quick on the uptake. I liked Shaw. I wanted it all to work out for her in the best possible way. I didn't want to believe the possible worst-case scenarios.
JJ was amazingly helpful to his ex. I was surprised at the lengths he went to help Shaw find her missing husband. He seems like a loyal person. I enjoyed his bluntness with his theories. He is also hiding something. It was fun to watch these two slide easily back into their old habits and comfortableness with each other.
There were plenty of moments where I thought I had this story figured out. And most of the time I was wrong. It was fun to come up with the different theories. I won't share my theories with you but I was right on one of them.
I could say so much more about this book but I won't because I don't want to spoil it for any of you. Get the book. Read it.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend this book, especially if you enjoy fast-paced, suspense reads.
Will I read it again: I will not, but I am so hoping there will be a sequel!
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2013/04/bl...
Shaw McLeary lives out a crime drama in this fast-paced, suspense novella. Shaw was an interesting character - sometimes she didn't seem very aware of what was going on around her, while at other times, she was quick on the uptake. I liked Shaw. I wanted it all to work out for her in the best possible way. I didn't want to believe the possible worst-case scenarios.
JJ was amazingly helpful to his ex. I was surprised at the lengths he went to help Shaw find her missing husband. He seems like a loyal person. I enjoyed his bluntness with his theories. He is also hiding something. It was fun to watch these two slide easily back into their old habits and comfortableness with each other.
There were plenty of moments where I thought I had this story figured out. And most of the time I was wrong. It was fun to come up with the different theories. I won't share my theories with you but I was right on one of them.
I could say so much more about this book but I won't because I don't want to spoil it for any of you. Get the book. Read it.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend this book, especially if you enjoy fast-paced, suspense reads.
Will I read it again: I will not, but I am so hoping there will be a sequel!
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2013/04/bl...
April 28, 2013
Jenn Flynn-Shon is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Reckless Abandon. While I’m not normally a huge fan on novellas, I have to say I really enjoyed this one! I didn’t even feel like it was a shortened story, and it zipped right along for me and was full of suspense and intrigue. Shaw McLeary, a YA fiction writer, finds herself thrust into something that could be her own plot line when her husband suddenly disappears. From the looks of their ransacked home, she’s afraid he might have been kidnapped. Shaw goes to the one person she can trust in her situation – ex-boyfriend and PI JJ Anderson. Their search leads them from Phoenix to New York – and also brings the two closer together. Will Shaw find her husband and keep her marriage intact? Or is something more sinister lurking…
Reckless Abandon has a lot of action and is fast-paced and really an enjoyable to read. I had to keep reminding myself it was a novella, because even though we don’t have all the details about Shaw’s life and her marriage with Danny, they just didn’t seem necessary, which I think says a lot about the author’s writing. I was on my toes trying to figure out along with Shaw and JJ just what happened to Danny, and the outcome and constant twists to get there makes this story one not to miss!
Reckless Abandon has a lot of action and is fast-paced and really an enjoyable to read. I had to keep reminding myself it was a novella, because even though we don’t have all the details about Shaw’s life and her marriage with Danny, they just didn’t seem necessary, which I think says a lot about the author’s writing. I was on my toes trying to figure out along with Shaw and JJ just what happened to Danny, and the outcome and constant twists to get there makes this story one not to miss!
January 30, 2013
If you are looking for a quick and enjoyable read, this novella will give it to you regardless of your age. I really found the first half to be a suspense-filled page turner.
I find myself in complete agreement with another reviewer "what wouldgingerdo".The romance was well placed and did not interfere with the action and drama.My only criticism is that the underlying criminal conspiracy could have been explained in more detail. Nonetheless, I think the author is very talented, and I too look forward to her next effort.It was a pleasure to read this story
I find myself in complete agreement with another reviewer "what wouldgingerdo".The romance was well placed and did not interfere with the action and drama.My only criticism is that the underlying criminal conspiracy could have been explained in more detail. Nonetheless, I think the author is very talented, and I too look forward to her next effort.It was a pleasure to read this story
December 16, 2014
Awesome suspense and romantic tension! Another great success by Jenn Flynn-Shon.
March 18, 2018
Reckless
I really enjoyed this short suspenseful story. I can't wait to see what is next for Shaw and JJ. A novelist and a divorce PI.
I really enjoyed this short suspenseful story. I can't wait to see what is next for Shaw and JJ. A novelist and a divorce PI.
February 2, 2018
I just received this book at supper and had it read in a couple hours. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot. It was very suspenseful. The Character Shaw and her old flame where thrown together by circumstances and through a series of events they worked to solve a crime. I would recommend you all to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews