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Reckless
You think you’ll stay the same - you won’t. Infidelity will change you forever. There can be no going back.
Kirsten Calloway knows she should be grateful. She has a stable marriage, a decent job, and a wonderful teenage daughter. But she also had a raging libido that won’t shut up, and a husband who’d rather go on a bike ride.
She bumps into an old friend at a school reunion who faces a similar problem. Dianne, though, has found the answer: a discreet agency which arranges casual sex for people just like them, people who want to keep their marriages but also scratch that itch.
Enter Zac: younger, handsome and everything Kirsten could hope for in bed. They seem to have it all. Kirsten even finds herself becoming a better wife and mother. But Zac wants more - a lot more, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.
Kirsten Calloway knows she should be grateful. She has a stable marriage, a decent job, and a wonderful teenage daughter. But she also had a raging libido that won’t shut up, and a husband who’d rather go on a bike ride.
She bumps into an old friend at a school reunion who faces a similar problem. Dianne, though, has found the answer: a discreet agency which arranges casual sex for people just like them, people who want to keep their marriages but also scratch that itch.
Enter Zac: younger, handsome and everything Kirsten could hope for in bed. They seem to have it all. Kirsten even finds herself becoming a better wife and mother. But Zac wants more - a lot more, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.
435 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2021
1 person is currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 17, 2021
Just WOW
August 8, 2021
I picked this book on a whim for a long train journey, intrigued by the cover and synopsis. I am SO glad I did!
The plot follows Kirsten Calloway, a woman who seemingly has it all - a nice home, married for twenty years, a teenaged daughter and thriving career. Except that her husband is a sanctimonious prig who won't touch her, her daughter Jess is slipping further away, her sister is a mess and her job is never enough to please her critical, Dementia-addled mother. Kirsten knows she should be grateful for what she has, yet she knows there's something missing.
That's when she meets Dianne, an old school friend who introduces Kirsten to an exclusive dating app for people looking for a thrill while keeping their marriage intact. She then meets Zac, a younger lover who is everything Kirsten wants - but he wants more than she is prepared to give and isn't willing to let it go...
R.J McBrien does something clever here, because for the first two-hundred pages of the book, we don't even meet Zac. Instead we're taken through Kirsten's life, from her vivid first sexual encounter that still haunts her, her sister's marriage breaking down and leading to her drinking problems, how she somehow ended up with her boring, self-righteous and sexually frigid husband Mark and her relationship with her infuriatingly perfect daughter, we're brought right into Kirsten's world and given a keen understanding of the insecurities that still plague her as a forty-something woman and the temptation of the dark, forbidden world of infidelity. Kirsten really comes to life in a way that not a look of book protagonist's I've read recently could ever hope to - she's a bit judgemental and has something of a temper and lets her husband, sister and parents boss her around, yet her frustrations, bitingly sarcastic inner commentary and her emotions are all excellently crafted and despite her mistakes and lies I was cheering her on the entire way. When we first get to meet Zac, it's just as thrilling for us as it is for Kirsten because we're finally getting to The Good Stuff.
Kirsten's change from a bored middle-aged woman with a thankless job and family that take her for granted was entertaining to read about, with the lies piling on top of each other in a dangerous Jenga pile, the sexually charged moments together with Zac that contrast greatly with the banality and irritations of everyday life, with a sprinkling of social commentary and examination on the way women over a certain age are overlooked by others and treated more like a utility than people with their own desires and flaws. Whenever Kirsten broke the rules and defied the constant demands other people had on her, I was rooting for her a hundred percent. We know it's all going to go badly wrong, of course, nothing ever stays a secret in a book, but watching the entire thing from beginning to end makes for an engaging domestic thriller. It's hard to believe that this is R.J McBrien's first novel, there were even a few twists in the book that I genuinely didn't see coming, and I tend to guess the outcome in thrillers before they happen, so that's always a pleasant surprise.
The one criticism I have for this book is that Zac's descent from her fun, attractive lover to desperate stalker happens quite abruptly and I feel like if it had happened earlier in the book and the suspense been drawn out longer, it would have made it a much more tense read, but this wasn't such a glaring flaw that it ruined my enjoyment of the book.
I was also pleased with the ending, it wrapped up all the loose ends nicely and had a satisfying conclusion for Kirsten that I felt was a perfect end to both her book and the character, and I can't wait to see what R.J McBrien comes out with next.
The plot follows Kirsten Calloway, a woman who seemingly has it all - a nice home, married for twenty years, a teenaged daughter and thriving career. Except that her husband is a sanctimonious prig who won't touch her, her daughter Jess is slipping further away, her sister is a mess and her job is never enough to please her critical, Dementia-addled mother. Kirsten knows she should be grateful for what she has, yet she knows there's something missing.
That's when she meets Dianne, an old school friend who introduces Kirsten to an exclusive dating app for people looking for a thrill while keeping their marriage intact. She then meets Zac, a younger lover who is everything Kirsten wants - but he wants more than she is prepared to give and isn't willing to let it go...
R.J McBrien does something clever here, because for the first two-hundred pages of the book, we don't even meet Zac. Instead we're taken through Kirsten's life, from her vivid first sexual encounter that still haunts her, her sister's marriage breaking down and leading to her drinking problems, how she somehow ended up with her boring, self-righteous and sexually frigid husband Mark and her relationship with her infuriatingly perfect daughter, we're brought right into Kirsten's world and given a keen understanding of the insecurities that still plague her as a forty-something woman and the temptation of the dark, forbidden world of infidelity. Kirsten really comes to life in a way that not a look of book protagonist's I've read recently could ever hope to - she's a bit judgemental and has something of a temper and lets her husband, sister and parents boss her around, yet her frustrations, bitingly sarcastic inner commentary and her emotions are all excellently crafted and despite her mistakes and lies I was cheering her on the entire way. When we first get to meet Zac, it's just as thrilling for us as it is for Kirsten because we're finally getting to The Good Stuff.
Kirsten's change from a bored middle-aged woman with a thankless job and family that take her for granted was entertaining to read about, with the lies piling on top of each other in a dangerous Jenga pile, the sexually charged moments together with Zac that contrast greatly with the banality and irritations of everyday life, with a sprinkling of social commentary and examination on the way women over a certain age are overlooked by others and treated more like a utility than people with their own desires and flaws. Whenever Kirsten broke the rules and defied the constant demands other people had on her, I was rooting for her a hundred percent. We know it's all going to go badly wrong, of course, nothing ever stays a secret in a book, but watching the entire thing from beginning to end makes for an engaging domestic thriller. It's hard to believe that this is R.J McBrien's first novel, there were even a few twists in the book that I genuinely didn't see coming, and I tend to guess the outcome in thrillers before they happen, so that's always a pleasant surprise.
The one criticism I have for this book is that Zac's descent from her fun, attractive lover to desperate stalker happens quite abruptly and I feel like if it had happened earlier in the book and the suspense been drawn out longer, it would have made it a much more tense read, but this wasn't such a glaring flaw that it ruined my enjoyment of the book.
I was also pleased with the ending, it wrapped up all the loose ends nicely and had a satisfying conclusion for Kirsten that I felt was a perfect end to both her book and the character, and I can't wait to see what R.J McBrien comes out with next.
July 23, 2021
I enjoy a fast paced read, the start of this was at times a little slow for me initially, but as I read on things started to pick up. I found myself about half way through the book late evening but by then I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what had happened. So found myself finishing it at around 2 am.
Kirsten Calloway has been married for over twenty years, she has a nice home, a decent job, a teenage daughter who is at times quite stroppy and rude to her, but she is a teenager, most parents of teenagers know what that can be like! But the spice has gone out of the marriage, it’s been over a year since her and husband Mark have been intimate, not from lack of trying on Kirsten’s part.
The story opens with a report from the British Transport Police, these reports start some of the chapters throughout, different reports from different departments, the first one is that a body had been found at the side of a railway track, initial thoughts a suicide. But who is the mystery man? No ID, no phone, no wallet, nothing, who goes out nowadays with no form of ID? It’s only after the post-mortem is done that it’s confirmed the person has been murdered. An investigation begins.
Despite not being happy Kirsten loves Mark, or does she? She doesn’t want to leave him or end the marriage. But Mark is so wrapped up in so many other things, including porn which Kirsten finds. So why isn’t he interested in her? Kirsten had wanted to be a dr but hadn’t got the grades she needed, her sister was a lawyer who had two young children and a failed marriage. Kirsten and Mark’s daughter, Jess, wants to train to be a Dr and is on course for getting the right results. Mark always seems to be sticking up for Jess and making Kirsten look bad. But Kirsten is the narrator how much of this is just how she perceives it, it’s not just Mark and Jess it seems as if it’s everyone, even people she works with at times seem unpleasant. How reliable is Kirsten’s point of view?
When Kirsten gets a call from her sister Helen reminding her she had agreed to go to their school reunion she is reluctant to go until a certain name is mentioned Khanda, she had had a thing for him once. The reunion doesn’t go quite as planned. It’s only as she is leaving she spots an old school friend, Dianne, with a man that isn’t her husband in a compromising position. At a later meeting with Dianne they discuss marriage and the lack of intimacy, Kirsten learns that Dianne has found a solution, an agency where meetings can be arranged, no strings attached. But can Kirsten go through with it? Can she cheat on Mark? Then comes Zac, which is exciting to start, but what about when he wants more? What about when he won’t take no for an answer? What happens then? Kirsten is interviewed by the police over some cctv footage, she is seen talking to a man that matches the body of the dead man. They never gave real names so she has no idea who he is really. More footage shows him entering the hospital where Kirsten works but nothing showing him leaving. I’m not really sure how I felt about most of the characters in the story, Mark came across as a very selfish, he had lots of interests, but didn’t seem to have a lot of interest in his wife. Jess is getting ready to leave home, to go to university, at times she is selfish. Then Kirsten who seemed lonely, she knows Jess will be leaving the nest soon, she certainly didn’t seem happy. She wants Mark to see her and felt he had stopped doing that.
The second half of the book the tension started to build, you wanted to know whose body was on the railway. Was it Zac? If it was who had killed him? Kirsten had secrets, she had met Zac but would she have killed him? Did the person at the dating agency kill him when he didn’t stop stalking Kirsten?
The problem with lies and deception they will catch up with you at one stage. I admit I really didn’t see that end coming. Overall this is a well written tightly plotted story. Definitely one to be watching out for. A book I would definitely recommend.
Kirsten Calloway has been married for over twenty years, she has a nice home, a decent job, a teenage daughter who is at times quite stroppy and rude to her, but she is a teenager, most parents of teenagers know what that can be like! But the spice has gone out of the marriage, it’s been over a year since her and husband Mark have been intimate, not from lack of trying on Kirsten’s part.
The story opens with a report from the British Transport Police, these reports start some of the chapters throughout, different reports from different departments, the first one is that a body had been found at the side of a railway track, initial thoughts a suicide. But who is the mystery man? No ID, no phone, no wallet, nothing, who goes out nowadays with no form of ID? It’s only after the post-mortem is done that it’s confirmed the person has been murdered. An investigation begins.
Despite not being happy Kirsten loves Mark, or does she? She doesn’t want to leave him or end the marriage. But Mark is so wrapped up in so many other things, including porn which Kirsten finds. So why isn’t he interested in her? Kirsten had wanted to be a dr but hadn’t got the grades she needed, her sister was a lawyer who had two young children and a failed marriage. Kirsten and Mark’s daughter, Jess, wants to train to be a Dr and is on course for getting the right results. Mark always seems to be sticking up for Jess and making Kirsten look bad. But Kirsten is the narrator how much of this is just how she perceives it, it’s not just Mark and Jess it seems as if it’s everyone, even people she works with at times seem unpleasant. How reliable is Kirsten’s point of view?
When Kirsten gets a call from her sister Helen reminding her she had agreed to go to their school reunion she is reluctant to go until a certain name is mentioned Khanda, she had had a thing for him once. The reunion doesn’t go quite as planned. It’s only as she is leaving she spots an old school friend, Dianne, with a man that isn’t her husband in a compromising position. At a later meeting with Dianne they discuss marriage and the lack of intimacy, Kirsten learns that Dianne has found a solution, an agency where meetings can be arranged, no strings attached. But can Kirsten go through with it? Can she cheat on Mark? Then comes Zac, which is exciting to start, but what about when he wants more? What about when he won’t take no for an answer? What happens then? Kirsten is interviewed by the police over some cctv footage, she is seen talking to a man that matches the body of the dead man. They never gave real names so she has no idea who he is really. More footage shows him entering the hospital where Kirsten works but nothing showing him leaving. I’m not really sure how I felt about most of the characters in the story, Mark came across as a very selfish, he had lots of interests, but didn’t seem to have a lot of interest in his wife. Jess is getting ready to leave home, to go to university, at times she is selfish. Then Kirsten who seemed lonely, she knows Jess will be leaving the nest soon, she certainly didn’t seem happy. She wants Mark to see her and felt he had stopped doing that.
The second half of the book the tension started to build, you wanted to know whose body was on the railway. Was it Zac? If it was who had killed him? Kirsten had secrets, she had met Zac but would she have killed him? Did the person at the dating agency kill him when he didn’t stop stalking Kirsten?
The problem with lies and deception they will catch up with you at one stage. I admit I really didn’t see that end coming. Overall this is a well written tightly plotted story. Definitely one to be watching out for. A book I would definitely recommend.
July 30, 2021
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ 𝘗𝘙-𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘋𝘜𝘊𝘛 ~
When a book ends in a way you ordinarily would expect the author to avoid, you know its been a fantastic read. Reckless is 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 '𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬'
Oh how I loved this. It was charged with power with every word, charged with adoration, one minute for sex the next for love. It was gripping, enthralling, passionate and raw. It gave you excitement, wonder for what it might be like on the other side of an affair, the exciting side, the side where you have the best of both worlds. And then it brought you back down to earth in a murderous way. It was relatable, understandable, being a wife and a mother is hard, but being accused of murder is harder.
A beautifully easy to follow storyline, perfect pace in chapter length and a gripping, seductive character set. Highly recommend!
"Kristen Carloway knows she should be grateful for her life, a husband who gives love and stability and a daughter blossoming into a character to be proud of. But its not enough. Its not sex, passion, power. When Kristen finds the answer through a discreet agency for casual sex, she really has the best of both worlds. That is until rules are broken, lives are lost, changed, nothing is ever the same again"
Thank you so much for having me on the blog tour @welbeckpublish
& @midaspublicrelations ☁️
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #photosofbooks #bookworm #bookaddict #bookreview #reckless #welbeckpublishing #rjmcbrien #booktour #bookrecommendations #bookrecos #bookclub #bookgroup #bookcommunity #bookstagramlove #seduction #loveaffair #murder #blogtour #girlswhoread #womenwhoread #girlsinglasses #whatimreading
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ 𝘗𝘙-𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘋𝘜𝘊𝘛 ~
When a book ends in a way you ordinarily would expect the author to avoid, you know its been a fantastic read. Reckless is 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 '𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬'
Oh how I loved this. It was charged with power with every word, charged with adoration, one minute for sex the next for love. It was gripping, enthralling, passionate and raw. It gave you excitement, wonder for what it might be like on the other side of an affair, the exciting side, the side where you have the best of both worlds. And then it brought you back down to earth in a murderous way. It was relatable, understandable, being a wife and a mother is hard, but being accused of murder is harder.
A beautifully easy to follow storyline, perfect pace in chapter length and a gripping, seductive character set. Highly recommend!
"Kristen Carloway knows she should be grateful for her life, a husband who gives love and stability and a daughter blossoming into a character to be proud of. But its not enough. Its not sex, passion, power. When Kristen finds the answer through a discreet agency for casual sex, she really has the best of both worlds. That is until rules are broken, lives are lost, changed, nothing is ever the same again"
Thank you so much for having me on the blog tour @welbeckpublish
& @midaspublicrelations ☁️
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #photosofbooks #bookworm #bookaddict #bookreview #reckless #welbeckpublishing #rjmcbrien #booktour #bookrecommendations #bookrecos #bookclub #bookgroup #bookcommunity #bookstagramlove #seduction #loveaffair #murder #blogtour #girlswhoread #womenwhoread #girlsinglasses #whatimreading
January 17, 2022
This book was given to me by my friend and it probably would not be one I would personally pick up but I’m glad I did.
Kirsten Calloway is an average married middle aged woman. To the outside world Kirsten has it all, a lovely home, fulfilling career and happy marriage. In reality Kirsten feels trapped, her daughter is growing up, her sister needs support after her divorce and her mother is developing dementia. Kirstens husband seems to put his interests before spending time with her,his desire for her seems to have disappeared, he no longer seems to notice her never mind desire her. Kirsten feels she needs some excitement in her life.
When Kirsten goes to a school reunion and bumps into Dianne an old school friend her life changes overnight. Dianne introduces her to a discreet agency which allows married people no strings casual affairs.Although reluctant at first Kirsten is drawn into trying the agency out and soon meets Zac a young handsome attentive lover. Kirsten at last feels happy but soon it’s hard to juggle all the spinning plates. Telling lies and feeling guilty soon play heavily on her mind. What has she done? Can she stop before it’s too late?
The repercussions of infidelity are wonderfully explored in this book. First the excitement followed swiftly by the deep hurt which not only affects those involved but also their family’s.
I feel the author described many peoples long term marriages, the shared familiarity can be a comfort to some while being a lock and chain to others. Anyone feeling like the grass is greener should definitely read this book, it explores marriage, infidelity,motherhood and desire in a very relatable way.
Kirsten Calloway is an average married middle aged woman. To the outside world Kirsten has it all, a lovely home, fulfilling career and happy marriage. In reality Kirsten feels trapped, her daughter is growing up, her sister needs support after her divorce and her mother is developing dementia. Kirstens husband seems to put his interests before spending time with her,his desire for her seems to have disappeared, he no longer seems to notice her never mind desire her. Kirsten feels she needs some excitement in her life.
When Kirsten goes to a school reunion and bumps into Dianne an old school friend her life changes overnight. Dianne introduces her to a discreet agency which allows married people no strings casual affairs.Although reluctant at first Kirsten is drawn into trying the agency out and soon meets Zac a young handsome attentive lover. Kirsten at last feels happy but soon it’s hard to juggle all the spinning plates. Telling lies and feeling guilty soon play heavily on her mind. What has she done? Can she stop before it’s too late?
The repercussions of infidelity are wonderfully explored in this book. First the excitement followed swiftly by the deep hurt which not only affects those involved but also their family’s.
I feel the author described many peoples long term marriages, the shared familiarity can be a comfort to some while being a lock and chain to others. Anyone feeling like the grass is greener should definitely read this book, it explores marriage, infidelity,motherhood and desire in a very relatable way.
August 7, 2021
This was an impulse buy in the supermarket and thought the description sounded intriguing and worth a read.
Kirsten Calloway has a stable marriage, a good job and a wonderful teenage daughter. But when she bumps into an old friend at a school reunion she realises that something might be missing from her marriage after all. When her friend suggests a discreet agency allowing people to in essence have their cake and eat it, she is tempted but believes it will only remain an idea. Until one day it isn’t…
This book is a little slow, it starts with the consequences at the end and works it’s way back through a series of flashback chapters, coinciding with the police reports. I am not sure that much actually happens to be spread over almost 450 pages which was a little disappointing. It didn’t always keep my interest and I probably won’t ever read it again, not a memorable read I’m afraid!
Kirsten Calloway has a stable marriage, a good job and a wonderful teenage daughter. But when she bumps into an old friend at a school reunion she realises that something might be missing from her marriage after all. When her friend suggests a discreet agency allowing people to in essence have their cake and eat it, she is tempted but believes it will only remain an idea. Until one day it isn’t…
This book is a little slow, it starts with the consequences at the end and works it’s way back through a series of flashback chapters, coinciding with the police reports. I am not sure that much actually happens to be spread over almost 450 pages which was a little disappointing. It didn’t always keep my interest and I probably won’t ever read it again, not a memorable read I’m afraid!
July 27, 2021
Brilliant read. Complete page turner with a great twist at the end. Couldn't put it down. One of those books that stays with you long after you've read it.
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