A Reckless Heart

Scarred Hearts #1

by Jennifer Wilck

Meg Thurgood, former society girl, took the blame for her friend and paid a steep price. Now all she wants is solitude and a chance to rebuild her life. She thinks she's found that in an isolated house she rents from a mysterious stranger.

Simon McAlter has hidden in his house on the coast of Maine since a fire left him scarred. A successful landscape architect who conducts his business and teaches his classes remotely, he's lost his inspiration and is trying to pretend he's not lonely.

Simon's new neighbor is more than he bargained for. When he learns Meg's secret, will he retreat into the shadows or will he learn to see past the surface and trust in Meg's love?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

296 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2021

About the author

Jennifer Wilck is an award-winning contemporary romance author for readers who are passionate about love, laughter, and happily ever after. Known for writing both Jewish and non-Jewish romances, her books feature damaged heroes, sassy and independent heroines, witty banter and hot chemistry. Jennifer’s ability to transport the reader into the scene, create characters the reader will fall in love with, and evoke a roller coaster of emotions, will hook you from the first page. You can find her books at all major online retailers in a variety of formats.

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

Reviews

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Meg Thurgood’s lavish Hollywood life, she’s accustomed to people using her. But after taking the fall for a friend, she craves solitude and a new beginning. She rents a home right near the water from a reclusive man named Simon McAlter. Thinking he must be elderly, she’s in for a shock when she meets him for the first time. She’s not sure why he keeps to the shadows and is gruff with her. When she learns the tragic story from a new friend, her heart goes out to him. The more she interacts with him, the more she sees he’s just as lonely as her. Before she can stop herself, she’s falling for him. When her dark secret is revealed, will he push her away? Or will the joining of two reckless hearts heal deep scars?

A Reckless Heart is a brilliant Beauty and the Beast modern retelling with a twist. There’s no magical curse, no talking candles, but there’s plenty of heartache and romance. Jennifer Wilck is one of my favorite romance authors and A Reckless Heart is her best book to date. Her gift for creating relatable characters is on display in this story. On some level, don’t we all have a little beauty and a little beast inside ourselves? A Reckless Heart also has a strong friendship theme. Would you give up your freedom for a friend? This and other thoughts stuck with me long after I finished reading. The romance in A Reckless Heart is realistic and beautifully portrayed. Physical beauty is in the eye of the beholder yet inner beauty shines like a beacon for all to see. If you love Beauty and the Beast, you’ll want to read A Reckless Heart. If you’re a contemporary romance reader, you’ll thoroughly enjoy A Reckless Heart. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 5++ stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5.0

"A Reckless Heart" is a love story about two lonely people needing one another to reevaluate their place in the world.

Read full review in the 2021 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Susan Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damaged hearts

We romance readers really love the damaged hero finding his way to a healing love. In Wilck’s A Reckless Heart, the hero isn’t the only one damaged. Simon’s scars from a fire are deeper than his skin. Meg’s scars are more well hidden, but there nonetheless. She also has a secret which may put an end to their relationship before it really begins. This emotional ride will have you in tears at times. Well written with wonderful characters, this is a must read. Wilck is now one of my one-click authors. I won’t even need to read the blurb.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally just finished this book and the first thing I want to say is, if all the other books in this series are as great as this one then I will continue to read this series. A Reckless Heart was fulfilling. I don’t recall ever using that word in any of my previous reviews and I’m approaching my two hundredth review. Why that word has popped into my head is unknown to me other than to say that is how I feel at the moment. Sometimes I’ll use the term “book glow” but in this case that term is shallow.

I can see how many readers might compare this story to the classic “Beauty and the Beast” tale. However, A Reckless Heart resonated with me. I guess there’s my answer as to why I found this book to be fulfilling. Not only did I relate to the plot but I also related to the characters. I am someone that lives with pain and deformity thanks to arthritis. I consider my hands to be hideous and yet my husband doesn’t think or see that when he holds my hands.

Meg Thurgood, the heroine, paid a price for misplaced loyalty. Something many people can relate to at one time or another. I at least have had many friends that I learned later were indeed not a real friend. Unfortunately, Meg paid a steep price for that life lesson. I had an instant connection with Meg’s personal conflict. She just wanted solitude and a chance to rebuild her life.

Simon McAlter, the hero, really hit home with me. Sometimes I want to stay hidden in my house. Society’s judgements can often be cruel to people who are different from the norm–whatever that norm is that day. Simon has been in solitude for quite some time.

A Reckless Heart is beautifully written. The descriptions of the landscapes, flowers and my favorite…the inner turmoil thoughts and feelings inside Meg and Simon’s heads. Meg’s cruel life lesson has made her a better person – one who can see past Simon’s physical appearance. Simon has a heart of gold but unfortunately a fire left him scarred physically and emotionally. The story is heartwarming as the two work through building their trust and love between each other while working on their own demons.

My interest was captured immediately and never wavered. The storyline flowed and even had a few plot twists that left me agape, but that is what made the book so much better.

There are other characters in the plot line who are relevant to the success of this book such as Simon’s business partners. I hope they are considered as future heroes in this series. A Reckless Heart’s setting is on the coast of Maine, which means it is a small town where everyone knows everyone. That can be a good thing, or a bad thing especially when there’s rumors going around. I used to live in a small town in Massachusetts so I’m all too familiar with how the gossip mill works.

The one thing that hiccupped me was how Meg’s secret was portrayed as “complex” throughout the story. I carried that weight with her. I couldn’t see a solution. Reviews are subjective; I feel bad mentioning anything negative but the collaboration it took involving Meg’s secret left me feeling as if the conclusion was rushed. However, I assure you that I still enjoyed the conclusion very much. I’m not a writer, I don’t pretend to be one. I just read and review how a book impacts me.

With that said, A Reckless Heart definitely left its mark on me. I will be adding it to my “keepers’ shelf”. I look forward to the next story in the series and highly recommend this book to be read. I’d love to discuss this novel in a book club to see how other readers were inspired by Meg and Simon’s endeavor. They displayed courage, bravery, love, humor, forgiveness and of course, chemistry. I felt their romance was an effective mixture of sweet and sensual. Overall, I absolutely loved this romance book.

[Eclectic Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m on a roll with extremely emotional romances lately and this one is no exception. I was interested in this book because of the mysterious scarred hero and the isolated heroine who wants to start her life over. It didn’t disappoint.

Meg has a secret identity. One she cannot talk about because of the promise she made before she went to prison. All she wants is to be out of the hellish limelight and notoriety of her crime. She finds that solace in a small town in Maine along an isolated stretch of beach. Then she meets Simon, her reclusive landlord, and a broken man. After a big coastal storm, she is relegated to share Simon’s house as they slowly get to know each other. They give in to their attraction and find comfort in each others’ arms while battling with their lonely lives. But when Meg’s identity and past are revealed, the trust disappears. Can their relationship be repaired?

Simon is a landscape architect who has chosen to work from home to hide from frightened eyes. His scars are not only on the outside but on the inside as well and over the years he has managed to push all his friends away except his business partners and his persistent friend, Claire, who simply won’t take no for an answer. Then the beautiful and kind renter appears and builds his confidence while taking his heart. As he opens up about his past, she keeps hers close to her vest until he learns the truth and loses all hope for a future with the woman he thought he knew.

My heart shattered for Meg after learning her full story. She is truly a saint for taking loyalty to new levels. Too bad Simon and Claire couldn’t do the same. I understand that Meg felt she needed to protect others by keeping silent about her tragic past and some of the blame fell on her, but I was so angry at Simon for how he treated her after all she had done for him. Claire is another one that I couldn’t forgive immediately. I think they both needed to grovel some more. As Meg said, “I don’t abandon my friends”. I did feel sorry for Simon and his lack of confidence, but come on man, step up. He eventually does in a big way, but not until Meg is bombarded with cruelty and humiliation first.

As for supporting characters, I say kudos to Bill, Meg’s boss, who stands by her, and Steph who gives her a place to stay when Meg finds herself homeless. As for Claire, I really liked her at first while she worked on both Meg and Simon to get them together, but I resented her for abandoning Meg the way she did. I’m not sure I really liked her at the end.

Overall, I love this kind of story filled with emotional turmoil. Books that evoke an emotion in me as this one did are always the best kind to me. I guarantee you will laugh, cry, and spit nails while reading this memorable book.

Thank you to Ms. Wilck for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

[Alice Stellar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book would get 3 stars from me.

To paraphrase one of my favorite podcasts, Strange Bedfellows (back when it was the Babysitters Club Club), the first half or so of this book is “Good, clean, Beauty and the Beast retelling fun.” Well, not “clean” exactly, since there are sex scenes and sexual tension galore, but in the sense of it just being a modern Beauty and the Beast retelling that hits the expected notes, it works. It’s not the most beautiful or perfect retelling I’ve ever read, but it was fine for me, a diehard Beauty and the Beast fan.

But then we get to the second half of the book and it becomes weirdly improbable - like why does this entire small town hate Meg because of an incident she was involved in years ago where she allegedly accidentally ran her car into a crowd and injured people? We never find out how badly the people were injured, but even so, it’s not like this was a chronic thing she did or she deliberately did it, or that it in any way affected anyone in this new small town she’s moved to, or that it has some impact on her performing her job (say if she was a bus driver or an ambulance driver or something, rather than a librarian - which, don’t get me started on that - how do you get hired as a librarian without a degree in Library Science? Not sure it’s possible?). But everyone is SO JUDGY. It feels very weird.

The rest of the second half of the book has little to redeem it. There’s back and forth deliberating and longing from Simon and Meg, who find every reason to be apart, for one thing. I feel like author Jennifer Wilck timed things badly here. It’s like she got through the 50% mark of the book and realized her characters were together and in love and then was like…oh shit, this needs to be longer. She could have gone back and created more tension or delayed their meeting or something or added a subplot - so, so many things. But instead she just opted to write what is essentially another, blander book about a scandal that’s untrue and a small town’s overreaction to it, alongside lots more talk than is needed about development plans for plots of land, followed by a business plot that sort of feels pulled together -

- In fact, I think a lot of it is that none of this feels real. The town has no identity (not even a name, as far as I can remember), the sea, which was so important at the beginning, takes a back seat pretty quickly, a lot of the business stuff seems pulled by the seat of its pants and is at any rate utterly uninteresting in a romance novel (I mean, there are some business-related romances, but they make it snappy and fun and relatable).

People’s reactions feel unreasonable, like Claire suddenly being best friends with Meg even though they really don’t have a lot in common (and then completely shunning her when she finds out about the incident that happened years ago…and had no effect on her or or her town….), or the library head guy, Bill, suddenly randomly being nice to Meg and his daughter being super kind to her and letting her stay at their place even though we have no idea who the hell these people are.

And there is a lot of lust between Meg and Simon, which is great and unusual in many typical Beauty and the Beast retellings, but at times it’s just laughable - like at one point towards the end, Simon has some sort of flu that seems way harsher than any normal flu could possibly be, and Meg is taking care of him as he floats in and out of consciousness (which, fine, this is a common romance trope - but also, at several points in this book Meg seems to have first aid/nursing skills that are not explained but maybe could have been?) and he gets an erection by looking at her butt.

Although Wilck is good at building up sexual tension (well, maybe except for that I-might-be-dying-but-still-have-an-erection moment), her sex scenes also often left me with an eyebrow raised. Vocabulary choices were somewhat odd (I get the feeling she hates the word “nipple”, but sucking on someone’s breast sounds like something from a Victorian (or vampire?) novel) and it was sometimes hard to understand exactly what was going on.

There were a few things I did like about this book. Although I could see some people maybe finding Simon’s scarred appearance fetishized in some ways, I thought it was cool that Wilck acknowledged issues like reduced hand mobility from severe burns. But on the other hand, people’s reactions to Simon’s appearance (which we are never 100% clear on) also seemed so out of bounds and unrealistic - like why would a teenager at the library call him a “monster”? Not to say people can’t be shitty, but I think it made more sense when she’d write that people’s looks made him uneasy or something like that.

I also thought it was nice to see that while in some ways, Simon could be thought of as an “alpha” character, he always treated Meg with respect and equality (both cook for each other, equal attention-giving in bed, etc.).

It was also fun to see the ways Wilck incorporated some common parts of Beauty and the Beast stories into this modern setting. The “Beast’s’” garden is the ruined grounds of his former home, which burnt down in the fire that scarred him, and he is the one trying to get things to grow back. The library is actually the town library, and the “Beast’s” size is often alluded to by showing how muscular and big Simon is. I often don’t like this and in all honesty, based on Simon’s lifestyle, you’d expect him to be fit but not a huge, hulking, muscly being. But in this case, it worked.

But that’s about all I could overlook. So, so many things here rang false or just didn’t make sense. It would be exhausting to list them.

If you’re a Beauty and the Beast fan and don’t mind a real-world setting (more or less) with a “scarred hero” as this subgenre is sometimes called, you might enjoy the first half of A Reckless Heart. If you’re a general fan of romance and melodrama who isn’t picky about things like realism, well-written sex scenes, and reasonable characterization and world-building, the rest of it will probably be an okay read, too. But for me, the first 50% was okay, and the last 50% actually made me groan out loud a number of times - not with lust like Simon and Meg frequently do, but with exasperation. It’s rare that I skim a book, but by the 75% mark that’s what I did.

[Peggy Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review
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.

[J.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Wilck’s writing has that intangible something that makes the romances feel so real, the characters feel truly wounded, and the read so worthwhile. In “A Reckless Heart,” Meg and Simon are anything but reckless. Both have some serious obstacles to overcome in their personal lives before they can come together, but you’ll be rooting for their growth and their blossoming love from page 1!

*I read this in early late 2022 and somehow missed reviewing then!

[Debosmita]

Dnf at 32%.
Not into insta-lust. Wish I had known this before.

[Mommy’s Book Escape · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reckless Heart is a beautiful story of acceptance. Not only the acceptance of others but of ones self. We all have a past. A past that contains reckless mistakes. The question is do we learn and move on, or do we withdraw and let society be our judge and jury?
Meg wants a fresh start and will do whatever she has to so she can rebuild her life. She’s loyal to a fault and will standby her friends when they are in need. Past secrets continue to haunt her while people continue to judge her.
Simon, has his own demons. Demons that changed his life forever. He fears the stares and judgements of those in the community. Fears that become reality whenever he does go into town. What friends he does have, see past his scars of the past.
The attraction between Meg and Simon gets put to the test on multiple occasions. They feel the need for each other but their pasts continue to haunt them and shape how they interact with each other. As their story progresses, Meg and Simon continue to maintain their emotional walls but they start to crumble under the pressure of the chemistry between them. Supporting characters also play an important role by adding additional layers of intense emotions.
I loved Meg and Simon’s story. It’s beautifully written with very likable characters and a storyline that contains raw emotions. Jennifer Wilck takes raw human emotions and builds a story around them that will pull at your heartstrings. A Reckless Heart is an AMAZING 5 STAR MUST READ that will prove that we can overcome our past demons if we have the right person by our side. I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and we’re not influenced by the author or her promotional team.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

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”

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I kept thinking of while reading this book was Beauty and the Beast. Meg is the beauty, of course, formerly a notorious socialite who was constantly in the spotlight. She has literally spent time in prison for a crime she may not have actually committed. We get bits and pieces of the truth sprinkled throughout the book because now she's in a sort of psychological prison, not being permitted to actually tell anyone what really happened. She is deeply ashamed of her past, so there's a bit of self-incarceration going on as well. And then she finds herself drawn to the beast.

Simon isn't really a beast. He actually has a heart of gold, but a fire that destroyed his family home, killing his parents and others and leaving him physically scarred as well as emotionally scarred, has made him very wary of people. He has closed himself off from others because he feels he is too repulsive to look at. And he doesn't like the whispers that he hears around town.

So the two of them are basically misfits. And when fate brings them together on a stormy night, they are forced to get to know each other and end up falling for each other. It seems like a totally unlikely romance, and yet, it makes perfect sense all at the same time.

And then of course, when the truth rears its ugly head, everything comes crashing down and they have to find their way back to each other without destroying themselves in the process.

This book had a lot of whispers of another book I read some time ago. Of course, I can't remember what that particular book was. There were a few similarities more in the beginning, and then this one went on its own path. So double familiarity between that romance and then the fairy tale, plus the unique spin, kept me up a lot later than I had intended to stay up because I just wanted to keep going with it.

This is the first book in a new series. I'm looking forward to seeing what other scarred characters come to life in future installments.

Thank you to the author and Goddess Fish for a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reckless Heart is a beautiful story of acceptance. Not only the acceptance of others but of ones self. We all have a past. A past that contains reckless mistakes. The question is do we learn and move on, or do we withdraw and let society be our judge and jury?
Meg wants a fresh start and will do whatever she has to so she can rebuild her life. She’s loyal to a fault and will standby her friends when they are in need. Past secrets continue to haunt her while people continue to judge her.
Simon, has his own demons. Demons that changed his life forever. He fears the stares and judgements of those in the community. Fears that become reality whenever he does go into town. What friends he does have, see past his scars of the past.
The attraction between Meg and Simon gets put to the test on multiple occasions. They feel the need for each other but their pasts continue to haunt them and shape how they interact with each other. As their story progresses, Meg and Simon continue to maintain their emotional walls but they start to crumble under the pressure of the chemistry between them. Supporting characters also play an important role by adding additional layers of intense emotions.
I loved Meg and Simon’s story. It’s beautifully written with very likable characters and a storyline that contains raw emotions. Jennifer Wilck takes raw human emotions and builds a story around them that will pull at your heartstrings. A Reckless Heart is an AMAZING 5 STAR MUST READ that will prove that we can overcome our past demons if we have the right person by our side. I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and we’re not influenced by the author or her promotional team.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one in The Scarred Hearts series and it is Meg and Simon's story. Meg was in Gull's Point in Maine after being released from prison for a crime that she didn't commit and now she needs to prove her innocence and start a new life. Simon has many scars over his body and face where he had been badly burned in a fire at the house and his parents also died in that fire so now he keeps himself in isolation as people have not been kind to him and it has knocked his confidence to an all time low. When Meg and Simon meet things are a little difficult as Simon didn't want her to see his face but as they start to spend more time together and become friend's in a strange sort of way the connection and between them can't be denied as it just gets stronger the more time they spend together but things don't always go as planned especially as Meg has secrets that she didn't want anyone to know and she can't reveal them. As the saying goes "Never judge a book by its cover" and this story proves that things are not what they seem. This book has many twists and turns that you don't see coming but you have to keep reading to see what would happen next and it was so addictive and emotional. This book was so well written by Jennifer Wilck and I look forward to reading more of her books in the as as I really enjoyed reading it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charlotte O'Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A selfless heroine, a brooding hero and a windswept shoreline reminds me of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast

Simon shuns outsiders, living isolated in a beautiful home on Maine’s rocky coast. He avoids all contact with people after a fire killed his parents and left him with painful scars. Simon’s career as a landscape architect holds little meaning, his emotional scars worse than the ones criss-crossing his body.
Eager to finally get her life back after serving time for a crime she didn’t commit, Meg rents a cottage on Simon’s property. Living worlds away literally and figuratively from her former ‘it-girl’ life in Los Angeles, Meg is hiding too, but hopeful about her future, while Simon lives with only the ocean for company.
When Meg and Simon meet on the rocky shore edging his property, she’s stunned by the scars marring his powerful body and he is enraptured by her beauty. Little by little the pair open up to each other and with Meg’s caring encouragement, Simon chooses to come out of his self-imposed exile to live again. When Meg’s fresh start is threatened by her selfish family and friends, she believes Simon will drop her when he learns the truth about her.
Will Simon and Meg trust each other enough to take the chance at love and happiness together they both so richly deserve?

[Kat Doran · Rating 5 out of 5]

…when her secret is revealed, will her love survive?...
A Reckless Heart, Book 1, the Scarred Hearts series, written by Jennifer Wilck, released by the Wild Rose Press.
Former “It Girl” and media darling, Meg Thurgood flees to Gulls Point, Maine after release from prison. The peace and solitude she finds in the charming cottage on the coast are temptations she must resist. This is just one more stop on her journey toward recovery after all. And her reclusive landlord, Simon McAlter, is another form of temptation Meg must avoid. She cannot look toward a lasting life until she reconciles the one she had in the past.

Our Review: As always, it is always a treat to read something by Jennifer Wilck. With her gift for showing—as opposed to telling—we were drawn in immediately by the snappy dialogue, well-drawn and layered characters, and mysteries behind the what led Meg to this spot on the Maine coast as well what kept Simon here, hiding from the outside world. This is a tale of love and loss, loyalty and betrayal—the resolution is not to be missed.

On a scale of 1-5, A Reckless Heart earns a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, Two Wild Women Reviews

[Barbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg and Simon are victims of their past recklessness. Scarred, Simon has hidden away in his home by the ocean for years when Meg becomes a tenant on his land. Gull's Point, Maine becomes Meg's hideout as well. While Simon learns to trust in himself again through Meg's friendship, Meg continues to hide her own scars. I like how the friendship develops and becomes a positive antithesis to their painful experiences. I also like how Simon's experience in the botanical gardens highlights the benefits of participating in therapy programs. When Meg's new friends discover details about her past, they expect her to explain. They do not understand when she stays silent. I feel disappointed when Simon and Claire automatically distrust Meg. What causes Meg to risk losing her relationship with Simon and her friendship with Claire, and being ostracized by the small town? The reason Meg risks it all to stay hidden is unexpected. Will the residents of Gull's Point trust and accept Meg once they hear the truth? As Simon learns to accept his own scars, will he accept Meg's as well? Read to find out. I received a complimentary copy of this title from the author through Voracious Readers Only, and I submit this review voluntarily.

[Mc Chanster · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

When Meg finally left California, all she wanted was privacy, and for all intents and purposes, Gull’s Point, Maine, provided just that. The Guesthouse is her temporary home, and while she expected the solitude of a place off the beaten track, she didn’t expect Simon McAlter. The two are instantly attracted, but both harbor deep secrets that force them to stay at arm’s length. After they finally give into their passions, they must figure out if they’re able to through the events of their past.

I quite enjoyed this novel. I think the author did a great job building characters – the personalities of the small town felt genuine and honest, and I liked how Simon and Meg’s relationship slowly developed over time. They had great chemistry and I’m glad the drama wasn’t over the top, but I wish there was more to the two mains. So much of the plot hinges on their ‘reckless mistakes’, but they seemed glossed over to focus on their trust issues instead. Still, it was a good book and I enjoyed it, but I would’ve appreciated some more background to their characters.

Thank you Voracious Readers and Jennifer Wilck for my copy!

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg and Simon have scars from their experiences. Some are emotional from how others perceive them. I was surprised at the lack of sensitive and understanding from the people in Gull's Point with their reaction to Simon's burns, which made him think he was a monster and hide away as a hermit. His new tenant Meg was determined to break through to him from the beginning and after her past experiences are revealed she had no reason to want to reach out and trust others. I was surprised that she would do what she did and she's much more noble than I would ever be. Simon is boorish at times and jumps to conclusions without explanations. But I enjoyed reading about flowers and the gardens he designs. I loved his friends with their philanthropic investment group.

[Penny Leidecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read by Jennifer Wilck and I absolutely loved this beautifully written book. Meg comes to Gull’s Point, Maine for a new start, after taking the blame for a friend and serving her time. Simon lives alone and prefers to be left alone, since he was scarred in the fire that took his family. Meg and Simon meet when she rents The Guesthouse on his property. This story about acceptance, forgiveness, but most of all love of yourself and others doesn’t disappoint. I’m looking forward to reading more books from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern beauty and the beast take with Meg a former it girl that took the blame for a friend and Simon who's scared after the fire that killed his parents.
She's looking for a new start and solitude, he's scorn human interactions after people have treated him as a monster for his scarring.
The story is compelling, engaging, and beautifully written as it realistically portrays Meg and Simon and you can feel their struggles, their attraction, the build-up of their friendship, the romance and the secondary characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from voracious readers and I loved it. The plot, the characters, basically about everything was amazing. Both Meg and Simon's stories and journeys separately were beautiful but together they were even better. The way that they got through all the problems and issues were realistic and admirable. Also, their chemistry was sooo good, both sexy and just gorgeous. Moreover, all of the other characters in the book were all unique and soo interesting, which helped me stay hooked to the book. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes romances with a beauty and a beast complex.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast in the sense that we have a male recluse with physical scars who is thrown into contact with a beautiful woman who is dealing with emotional scars and society's wrath. It was a very easy read while still delving enough into the backgrounds of the characters. Only reason I don't give it a 5 stars is that I felt the story needed to be opened a bit wider. More interactions with the town, the families and friends would have rounded things out a bit instead of focusing so much on the lead characters. All in all, a great read. Copy provided by the author via Voracious Readers.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg wanted to take control of her life again, claim her innocence, and start over. She was hoping some time in a remote cottage would do the trick. Her landlord, Simon, was a bitter, billionaire recluse with burn scars he never wanted anyone to see.

The two are stand-offish and fearful of getting too close. But slowly their barriers begin to crumble and start to see beyond those exteriors.

Story captivates the reader overall. The writing was good, although slow at times. The landscapes are described in wonderful detail.

A nice story about second chances and finding the inner beauty.

[Heather Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming romance of two people trying to rebuild their shattered pasts, A Reckless Heart will appeal to contemporary romance readers everywhere. I particularly enjoyed the small town beach setting and the gradual transformation of both characters into trusting each other and themselves. Although Meg was the clear main character, and we got small glimpses into her life before Simon, I would have liked there to be more depth to both her and Simon. It felt like key parts of their past lives were missing and only briefly touched on. I would have liked to see them have a final heart-to-heart, just to get all of those emotions out. However, that did not take away from my enjoyment of the novel. I would certainly read more by this author in the future.

I was provided with a free copy of this book for honest review in conjunction with a blog tour for Goddess Fish Promotions.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just ok. The romance progressed so quickly that it wasn't believable. I hated how Claire was always around telling them what to do. The pace of the book started to drag, especially while we were waiting for Meg's secret to be revealed. Then once it was revealed, everyone (including Simon) shuns her without hearing her side of the story. I thought that was weird. He claims to love her but he basically kicks her out once he finds out her secret. I wanted to know more about her experience in jail and I wish there was more dialogue between Meg and her father. Anyways, Meg's problem was easily fixed in the end. Kind of lackluster.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to read on the beach, in the car, or on a dreary day! Read it because! Jennifer did an excellent job in weaving two emotional and physically destroyed people into my life. The depth of each main character was made with smooth tendrils of information woven within the fabric of the story, building into a fun yet emotion pack story.

This is a great read you will enjoy!

Thanks for choosing this book to be presented by www.voraciousreaders.com so it would come across my email. I may never had seen it otherwise.

[mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Heart Stopping Story Filled with Hope

Jennifer Wilck has given us a story of true love developed through trust, refusal of prejudice, and need. The characters are deep and desperate to be loved. The story unearths past secrets that are revealed skillfully. This book is well worth reading. The heat level is a step above the cozy mysteries I usually read, but the story is too good to miss.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in the Scarred Hearts series and what a story! It grabbed my attention from the first page and did not let go until I had finished reading it. Meg Thurgood and Simon McAlter are two very damaged people from things in their pasts. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.