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Bastards of Grove Hill #1
Reckless
Finnick O'Reilly became my dark prince the day he rescued me from my bullies. I hoped and prayed that my savior would return after the day he saved me, but he never did. I was heartbroken, but it was for the best.
He saved me just to torment everyone else in Grove Hill.
People shiver at his name. He is one of the Bastards of Grove Hill. He's a thug, a criminal, and I'm so glad I've managed to not attract his attention since the day he saved me.
That is until the day he sees me.
Now, he wants me and he'll stop at nothing to make me his. I'm the only person who doesn't cower at his name. He doesn't scare me and that's something he admires.
Finnick is possessive, controlling, manipulative, and he's one man you don't want to fight with yet I do.
Still, I fall into his trap. Now, I'm stuck in a bet with him I shouldn't have ever made. The bet is simple. He wants my virginity. I refuse to be bedded by a man I'm not in love with. He has six weeks to get me to fall in love with him or he has to leave me alone forever.
I'm not sure anymore which one of those options is worse.
~~~~~
Reckless follows Francine and Finn on this dark, taboo, suspense-filled romance. This book is full of triggers for PTSD, attempted sexual assault of a child (nothing graphic), murder, red wings, cheating, depression, suicide, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health recovery. This book is sexually explicit in nature intended for those over the age of eighteen. Read with caution.
He saved me just to torment everyone else in Grove Hill.
People shiver at his name. He is one of the Bastards of Grove Hill. He's a thug, a criminal, and I'm so glad I've managed to not attract his attention since the day he saved me.
That is until the day he sees me.
Now, he wants me and he'll stop at nothing to make me his. I'm the only person who doesn't cower at his name. He doesn't scare me and that's something he admires.
Finnick is possessive, controlling, manipulative, and he's one man you don't want to fight with yet I do.
Still, I fall into his trap. Now, I'm stuck in a bet with him I shouldn't have ever made. The bet is simple. He wants my virginity. I refuse to be bedded by a man I'm not in love with. He has six weeks to get me to fall in love with him or he has to leave me alone forever.
I'm not sure anymore which one of those options is worse.
~~~~~
Reckless follows Francine and Finn on this dark, taboo, suspense-filled romance. This book is full of triggers for PTSD, attempted sexual assault of a child (nothing graphic), murder, red wings, cheating, depression, suicide, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health recovery. This book is sexually explicit in nature intended for those over the age of eighteen. Read with caution.
783 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2021
376 people are currently reading
2225 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
December 2, 2021
I had to take a moment before rating this book because there were things I liked and some I didn’t care much for (but others might) in this book. I was torn between a rating of 3.5 and 4, but alas, I’ve decided to go with 4 stars because even with my issues with this book, I still couldn’t stop reading it. 🤷🏻♀️
Before anything else, let me first say this is considered one dark read. There are a lot of triggers here, which I’ll be including at the bottom, but let me just warn you off bat that this probably will not be safe for some, if not a lot of readers. Also, this was pretty good read for this author’s debut book. It’s like a play on Harley Quinn and Joker. And just a really random side note: this author’s name always makes me think of Sephora lolol
Francine is the the typical good girl heroine you’ve met countless times before… in the beginning. But that’s just the front she puts on because it’s what is expected of her — to be the perfect little princess. She’s a virgin even though she’s been with the same guy since middle school (6 years), doesn’t cuss, avoids confrontation, vying for Valedictorian, never gets in trouble, you know typical stuff for a good girl. But underneath it all lies darkness, trauma, and a ton of insecurities she refuses to let anyone see. Over the duration of the book though, you’ll get to see her transform into a strong, badass, couldn’t give a fuck kween and she shows more and more of her true self. And this will be mostly because of our man, Finnick, who brings out a very, very different side of her. Finn is one of the Bastards of Grove Hill, which are the five founding families of their town Grove Hill, all whom have certain rules when it comes to their town. I don’t wanna get too into it so as to not spoil much. He and his group of boys are feared by all (aside from Francine of course mostly because of their “past”), and would never dare cross any of them. Finn and Francine both have a ton of hang ups, imperfections, issues because of their pasts and upbringing, but you would see early on how much they fit. They complement one another and make each other happy and feel things they’ve never felt before. But these two lovely MC’s of ours? Yeah, they’re both psychos LOL and I’m not exaggerating. But amidst that, you’ll clearly see the love and devotion they’d have for each other. Even though it started with a bet, we all know how those usually end in stories like these. They fall head over heels in love with each other, which neither of them expected. And both will fight it for reasons of their own (especially Finn), but then again, the heart wants what it wants, especially if you’re an OTT possessive, overprotective, jealous, psycho like Finn (but not in the hide yo kids hide yo wife kinda way). Besides, like I said, Francine is as much of a psycho as he is. She doesn’t earn the nickname Harley Quinn for nothing, is all I’m saying. Like they said, she’s a whole lot of pretty, and a whole lot of crazy. See? These two are a match made in heaven.
Trust me when I say there’s a ton of drama and gore involved here and there’s a decent amount of angst. But one thing I actually commend this author for is that she wasn’t scared to allow her h to cope the way some realistic women cope when it comes to heartbreak. Meaning, she actually allowed her h to sleep with another guy when the H broke her heart. Most (if not all, since I haven’t come across a h who got to sleep around after being heartbroken) of the authors’ heroines I’ve read just mopes around, cries, alienates herself, or maybe drinks her sorrows off whenever the H fucks up, but this one allowed her h to use sex as a coping mechanism. I’ve read so many books where it’s always the H who gets to rebound and sleep around during separation when broken up, but it’s such a breath of fresh air and so refreshing to see the h being able to do so, especially if it was the H’s fault for rejecting her breaking her heart in the first place, like in this case, while the H stays celibate. And to top that off, the h actually enjoys the sex even though she’s clearly still grieving. Don’t get me wrong, I do not particularly enjoy reading about sex scenes with OP who aren’t the main couple especially if they are detailed like the ones in this book, but I just commend the newness of it being that it’s the other way around. Some readers might disagree with me on this (meaning they’d hate the sex scenes with OM here) and that’s okay, totally understandable since I would’ve hated it if the H did it. Also, I don’t condone double standards, but since most books usually has the H as the one not celibate instead of the h during separation, it just made me feel somewhat better reading about the role reversal in this one. I hope that makes sense. Haha. That’s all. Okay moving on lol
All in all it wasn’t a bad read at all and would even say I’m interested to read about the rest of the bastards and the women who’ll bring them to their knees. I think all of the other couple pairings are already hinted at in this book, but those could always change. If I had to pinpoint certain factors that bothered me though in this book, it would be the inconsistency in timelines at times. And some typos and grammatical errors. And also at times Francine. Yeah, she sometimes annoyed me with her thoughts, decisions, and reasoning. Also, I wouldn’t exactly call her a great friend. Like seriously, what happened to her and Willow?? That’s a loose end I was never tied up. But I’m assuming it will be if Willow ever gets her own book with Tiernan? Ah well, I digress. I just hope Francine will now learn how to grow up and be a better friend. Although I try to be more understandable when it comes to high school girls since I know how it is to be 18 lol. And last but not the least, please do head the trigger warnings before cracking this baby up. This book won’t be for everyone. I listed as much as could for my safety gang below. You have been warned.
Safety Gang:
CW: violence, graphic torture and murder scenes, attempted rape (past and present), drug use, depression, attempted suicide (h’s mom), abandonment, cheating (not between MC’s, not technically), mild BDSM, Daddy kink, surprise pregnancy
-H 20, h 18
-Use of condoms the first couple times, but they stop using when h gets on birth control (IUD), no STD talk though
-Virgin h, manwhore H
-Very slight OW drama (just some flirting the H did and a girl on his lap but only for show)
-OM drama (h had a boyfriend of 6 years before starting anything with H, but she hasn’t slept with him. The h makes the bet with H while still with her bf and it wasn’t considered cheating according to her, but it was borderline cheating to me. Also, she allowed H to go down on her the same day she sort of broke up with her bf. And after she sort of gets back together with her bf, she strips naked in front of H, although nothing happens. They don’t have sex until way after she breaks up with her then bf, but still. Those scenes with the H were still kinda sus to me, and might bother some readers. Also, her then bf cheated on her with her nemesis, she caught him having sex with her when she came over his house to break up with him because of the H. So I guess that made things easier for her but still she was torn up about it)
-Graphic sex scenes with OM (the h sleeps with one of the H’s close friends after the H broke up with her but it was just a rebound type of sex they were also friends and were both heartbroken — condoms used. Then she also has a sex fest for an entire day with her ex bf when she bared her heart to the H only to have him callously reject her again thinking it was for her own good of course — no condoms used but her ex bf had only been with two other girls before her and he always wore one)
-No sex scenes with OW (H celibate even after he breaks things off with h, although he allows girls on his lap for show to make the h move on) — Such a breath of fresh air! Lol
-Separation/broken up for about a month; H was celibate, h sleeps with two other guys
-HEA, with epilogue
Before anything else, let me first say this is considered one dark read. There are a lot of triggers here, which I’ll be including at the bottom, but let me just warn you off bat that this probably will not be safe for some, if not a lot of readers. Also, this was pretty good read for this author’s debut book. It’s like a play on Harley Quinn and Joker. And just a really random side note: this author’s name always makes me think of Sephora lolol
Francine is the the typical good girl heroine you’ve met countless times before… in the beginning. But that’s just the front she puts on because it’s what is expected of her — to be the perfect little princess. She’s a virgin even though she’s been with the same guy since middle school (6 years), doesn’t cuss, avoids confrontation, vying for Valedictorian, never gets in trouble, you know typical stuff for a good girl. But underneath it all lies darkness, trauma, and a ton of insecurities she refuses to let anyone see. Over the duration of the book though, you’ll get to see her transform into a strong, badass, couldn’t give a fuck kween and she shows more and more of her true self. And this will be mostly because of our man, Finnick, who brings out a very, very different side of her. Finn is one of the Bastards of Grove Hill, which are the five founding families of their town Grove Hill, all whom have certain rules when it comes to their town. I don’t wanna get too into it so as to not spoil much. He and his group of boys are feared by all (aside from Francine of course mostly because of their “past”), and would never dare cross any of them. Finn and Francine both have a ton of hang ups, imperfections, issues because of their pasts and upbringing, but you would see early on how much they fit. They complement one another and make each other happy and feel things they’ve never felt before. But these two lovely MC’s of ours? Yeah, they’re both psychos LOL and I’m not exaggerating. But amidst that, you’ll clearly see the love and devotion they’d have for each other. Even though it started with a bet, we all know how those usually end in stories like these. They fall head over heels in love with each other, which neither of them expected. And both will fight it for reasons of their own (especially Finn), but then again, the heart wants what it wants, especially if you’re an OTT possessive, overprotective, jealous, psycho like Finn (but not in the hide yo kids hide yo wife kinda way). Besides, like I said, Francine is as much of a psycho as he is. She doesn’t earn the nickname Harley Quinn for nothing, is all I’m saying. Like they said, she’s a whole lot of pretty, and a whole lot of crazy. See? These two are a match made in heaven.
Trust me when I say there’s a ton of drama and gore involved here and there’s a decent amount of angst. But one thing I actually commend this author for is that she wasn’t scared to allow her h to cope the way some realistic women cope when it comes to heartbreak. Meaning, she actually allowed her h to sleep with another guy when the H broke her heart. Most (if not all, since I haven’t come across a h who got to sleep around after being heartbroken) of the authors’ heroines I’ve read just mopes around, cries, alienates herself, or maybe drinks her sorrows off whenever the H fucks up, but this one allowed her h to use sex as a coping mechanism. I’ve read so many books where it’s always the H who gets to rebound and sleep around during separation when broken up, but it’s such a breath of fresh air and so refreshing to see the h being able to do so, especially if it was the H’s fault for rejecting her breaking her heart in the first place, like in this case, while the H stays celibate. And to top that off, the h actually enjoys the sex even though she’s clearly still grieving. Don’t get me wrong, I do not particularly enjoy reading about sex scenes with OP who aren’t the main couple especially if they are detailed like the ones in this book, but I just commend the newness of it being that it’s the other way around. Some readers might disagree with me on this (meaning they’d hate the sex scenes with OM here) and that’s okay, totally understandable since I would’ve hated it if the H did it. Also, I don’t condone double standards, but since most books usually has the H as the one not celibate instead of the h during separation, it just made me feel somewhat better reading about the role reversal in this one. I hope that makes sense. Haha. That’s all. Okay moving on lol
All in all it wasn’t a bad read at all and would even say I’m interested to read about the rest of the bastards and the women who’ll bring them to their knees. I think all of the other couple pairings are already hinted at in this book, but those could always change. If I had to pinpoint certain factors that bothered me though in this book, it would be the inconsistency in timelines at times. And some typos and grammatical errors. And also at times Francine. Yeah, she sometimes annoyed me with her thoughts, decisions, and reasoning. Also, I wouldn’t exactly call her a great friend. Like seriously, what happened to her and Willow?? That’s a loose end I was never tied up. But I’m assuming it will be if Willow ever gets her own book with Tiernan? Ah well, I digress. I just hope Francine will now learn how to grow up and be a better friend. Although I try to be more understandable when it comes to high school girls since I know how it is to be 18 lol. And last but not the least, please do head the trigger warnings before cracking this baby up. This book won’t be for everyone. I listed as much as could for my safety gang below. You have been warned.
Safety Gang:
CW: violence, graphic torture and murder scenes, attempted rape (past and present), drug use, depression, attempted suicide (h’s mom), abandonment, cheating (not between MC’s, not technically), mild BDSM, Daddy kink, surprise pregnancy
-H 20, h 18
-Use of condoms the first couple times, but they stop using when h gets on birth control (IUD), no STD talk though
-Virgin h, manwhore H
-Very slight OW drama (just some flirting the H did and a girl on his lap but only for show)
-OM drama (h had a boyfriend of 6 years before starting anything with H, but she hasn’t slept with him. The h makes the bet with H while still with her bf and it wasn’t considered cheating according to her, but it was borderline cheating to me. Also, she allowed H to go down on her the same day she sort of broke up with her bf. And after she sort of gets back together with her bf, she strips naked in front of H, although nothing happens. They don’t have sex until way after she breaks up with her then bf, but still. Those scenes with the H were still kinda sus to me, and might bother some readers. Also, her then bf cheated on her with her nemesis, she caught him having sex with her when she came over his house to break up with him because of the H. So I guess that made things easier for her but still she was torn up about it)
-Graphic sex scenes with OM (the h sleeps with one of the H’s close friends after the H broke up with her but it was just a rebound type of sex they were also friends and were both heartbroken — condoms used. Then she also has a sex fest for an entire day with her ex bf when she bared her heart to the H only to have him callously reject her again thinking it was for her own good of course — no condoms used but her ex bf had only been with two other girls before her and he always wore one)
-No sex scenes with OW (H celibate even after he breaks things off with h, although he allows girls on his lap for show to make the h move on) — Such a breath of fresh air! Lol
-Separation/broken up for about a month; H was celibate, h sleeps with two other guys
-HEA, with epilogue
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2025
3.5/5
* this was fun to listen to, especially since my love Teddy Hamilton was narrating 😘
* this was fun to listen to, especially since my love Teddy Hamilton was narrating 😘
November 20, 2024
Dnf…
The plot is too ridiculous and the h is too stupid for words. I can’t believe this book has so many high reviews. Worst book I’ve read so far this year.
The plot is too ridiculous and the h is too stupid for words. I can’t believe this book has so many high reviews. Worst book I’ve read so far this year.
May 29, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
I’ve had Zepphora’s books on my TBR for a bit now and after receiving the audiobook ALC, I’m so glad I could experience it for the first time this way. This review of Reckless is for both the audiobook and the story.
The story is written in first person dual POV with a duet style performance and I loved it. Reckless was a great introduction to Katie Thompson. Katie’s tone portrayed Francine’s “good girl” innocence, but developed as her thoughts and actions did throughout the story. Teddy has that “bad boy” tone that I’m familiar with through other dark romances which made him perfect for Finn and his filthy mouth.
*Slight Spoilers Ahead*
This is a spicy, high school story where a bad boy makes a bet with the good girl so he could take her virginity. The story does involve a heavy daddy kink which readers/listeners may or may not like. After finding out he is 20 and was just held back in school, I didn’t mind it as much. Their sexual tension is great and banter grows with the book. I thought that it was a better (realistic) experience when Finn coached Francine during their spicier scenes while being attentive rather than just jumping right in and expecting her to know.
The story itself had its highs and lows which will vary from person to person. I enjoyed that there were more story events than just focusing on the bet between Finn and Francine. It provided more action and meat to the storyline with some surprises sprinkled throughout. I didn’t much enjoy the back and forth in her mind in the beginning about her boyfriend of 6 years, Duncan, and basically strung him along. She had a stipulation that she wasn’t going to cheat on her boyfriend during this bet, which made the story move along to getting her ready to leave him but still had me pulling my hair because of certain lines that could already be classified as such. As a reader/listener, I’d prefer my frustrations with her thought process and actions than if everything went smoothly for her age. Plus Francine’s character development was so much better than I thought it would have been.
Overall I loved the performances of this book and enjoyed the story. I am looking forward to the next books. Though it’s obvious their story isn’t finished, it didn’t necessarily leave off with a cliffhanger. This is book 1 of 6 in the Bastards of Grove Hill, and I believe their story unfolds through the other characters’ books. There are dark themes, so please read the trigger warnings before deciding to read/listen.
I’ve had Zepphora’s books on my TBR for a bit now and after receiving the audiobook ALC, I’m so glad I could experience it for the first time this way. This review of Reckless is for both the audiobook and the story.
The story is written in first person dual POV with a duet style performance and I loved it. Reckless was a great introduction to Katie Thompson. Katie’s tone portrayed Francine’s “good girl” innocence, but developed as her thoughts and actions did throughout the story. Teddy has that “bad boy” tone that I’m familiar with through other dark romances which made him perfect for Finn and his filthy mouth.
*Slight Spoilers Ahead*
This is a spicy, high school story where a bad boy makes a bet with the good girl so he could take her virginity. The story does involve a heavy daddy kink which readers/listeners may or may not like. After finding out he is 20 and was just held back in school, I didn’t mind it as much. Their sexual tension is great and banter grows with the book. I thought that it was a better (realistic) experience when Finn coached Francine during their spicier scenes while being attentive rather than just jumping right in and expecting her to know.
The story itself had its highs and lows which will vary from person to person. I enjoyed that there were more story events than just focusing on the bet between Finn and Francine. It provided more action and meat to the storyline with some surprises sprinkled throughout. I didn’t much enjoy the back and forth in her mind in the beginning about her boyfriend of 6 years, Duncan, and basically strung him along. She had a stipulation that she wasn’t going to cheat on her boyfriend during this bet, which made the story move along to getting her ready to leave him but still had me pulling my hair because of certain lines that could already be classified as such. As a reader/listener, I’d prefer my frustrations with her thought process and actions than if everything went smoothly for her age. Plus Francine’s character development was so much better than I thought it would have been.
Overall I loved the performances of this book and enjoyed the story. I am looking forward to the next books. Though it’s obvious their story isn’t finished, it didn’t necessarily leave off with a cliffhanger. This is book 1 of 6 in the Bastards of Grove Hill, and I believe their story unfolds through the other characters’ books. There are dark themes, so please read the trigger warnings before deciding to read/listen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2024
Amazing
This book is a must read. I loved Finn and Francine . I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
This book is a must read. I loved Finn and Francine . I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
November 21, 2021
Holeee sheet this book is everything you could want from a new author. It’s dark and twisty. Full of angst and heartache.
I love Francine, Franny, Babe, Harley, Babygirl, Princess! She starts out as the perfect high school, girl next door. While Finn is her polar opposite. She goes from good girl to bad girl, while she finds herself.
Finn is everything you want in a high school bad boy! So hot! Love everything about him. There’s a whole slew of side characters you have to meet, and I’m hoping ever single one of them gets their own book!
Full of Daddy kink, and lots of steam. Perfect combination of smuxy buildup and wow that was hot! Definitely recommend and can’t wait to see what’s next for these characters and what else the author brings!
I love Francine, Franny, Babe, Harley, Babygirl, Princess! She starts out as the perfect high school, girl next door. While Finn is her polar opposite. She goes from good girl to bad girl, while she finds herself.
Finn is everything you want in a high school bad boy! So hot! Love everything about him. There’s a whole slew of side characters you have to meet, and I’m hoping ever single one of them gets their own book!
Full of Daddy kink, and lots of steam. Perfect combination of smuxy buildup and wow that was hot! Definitely recommend and can’t wait to see what’s next for these characters and what else the author brings!
December 8, 2021
Francine is your typical good girl, until she meets Finn. Despite his attempts to walk away from her because of who he is and what he a part of, they can't seem to keep away from each other.
From princess to F**king queen! Francine is one of my favorite characters and proves good girls can be bad when the right guy comes along. Finn is everything you want in a bad boy and everything you want in a man period. And the steam is crazy good. The author has made a life long reader from me with this book!
The author provided a copy. This is my honest review.
From princess to F**king queen! Francine is one of my favorite characters and proves good girls can be bad when the right guy comes along. Finn is everything you want in a bad boy and everything you want in a man period. And the steam is crazy good. The author has made a life long reader from me with this book!
The author provided a copy. This is my honest review.
July 30, 2025
✨ 4.5 stars — A beautifully chaotic love story ✨
Francine and Finn were meant to be together from the very beginning. The chemistry between them was undeniable — I absolutely loved how Zepphora brought them back into each other’s orbit. The classic push and pull, the good girl falling for the bad boy — it was everything I wanted.
Zepphora did an amazing job showing their dynamic, filled with tension, passion, and heart. I was fully invested in their journey.
The only thing that knocked this down a bit for me was the ending. It felt a little rushed — like there was more to be said, more emotion to explore. I genuinely thought there would be another chapter or a sequel… but that was it. I was left wanting more (in both a good and slightly sad way).
Still, this book gave me all the feels, and if you love second-chance romances with edge and heart, Reckless is definitely worth the read.
Francine and Finn were meant to be together from the very beginning. The chemistry between them was undeniable — I absolutely loved how Zepphora brought them back into each other’s orbit. The classic push and pull, the good girl falling for the bad boy — it was everything I wanted.
Zepphora did an amazing job showing their dynamic, filled with tension, passion, and heart. I was fully invested in their journey.
The only thing that knocked this down a bit for me was the ending. It felt a little rushed — like there was more to be said, more emotion to explore. I genuinely thought there would be another chapter or a sequel… but that was it. I was left wanting more (in both a good and slightly sad way).
Still, this book gave me all the feels, and if you love second-chance romances with edge and heart, Reckless is definitely worth the read.
December 1, 2021
Recklessly in love
Francine is the quit, shy, good little southern girl, or so we thought. 10 years ago an 8 year old Francine is being bullied and is rescued by her dark prince Finn, never to be seen agian. No as a senior in high school their paths cross and this good little girl may not be the good girl everyone thinks she is. When a bet between the 2 starts something between them exes and enemies come out againts them and some secrets get thrown in the mix can these 2 fight the odds and stay together or will the fall recklessly into hell. And when not 1 but 2 guys breaks her heart who will eventually put it back together again. This is a fast paced burn with lots of steam and angst. Does end with an HEA
Francine is the quit, shy, good little southern girl, or so we thought. 10 years ago an 8 year old Francine is being bullied and is rescued by her dark prince Finn, never to be seen agian. No as a senior in high school their paths cross and this good little girl may not be the good girl everyone thinks she is. When a bet between the 2 starts something between them exes and enemies come out againts them and some secrets get thrown in the mix can these 2 fight the odds and stay together or will the fall recklessly into hell. And when not 1 but 2 guys breaks her heart who will eventually put it back together again. This is a fast paced burn with lots of steam and angst. Does end with an HEA
November 29, 2021
Bad queen !!
Can you say wow !! Omg this will have you creaming like a mad woman. You get to see Francine go from a princess to a mother*€cling queen. She has always been a good girl. Until Finn comes crashing her world upside down. Finn is a bastard of grove hills and they have rules they have to follow. He ties to walk away from her. He don’t want to taint her with his darkness. What he don’t realizing is that’s she’s as crazy and toxic as he is. This story is so raw and dark you can’t help but cheer her on. Girls do it better then boys.
Can you say wow !! Omg this will have you creaming like a mad woman. You get to see Francine go from a princess to a mother*€cling queen. She has always been a good girl. Until Finn comes crashing her world upside down. Finn is a bastard of grove hills and they have rules they have to follow. He ties to walk away from her. He don’t want to taint her with his darkness. What he don’t realizing is that’s she’s as crazy and toxic as he is. This story is so raw and dark you can’t help but cheer her on. Girls do it better then boys.
December 1, 2021
This book was an amazing read, that grabbed me from the first page. It moves along at a really great pace making for an easy and enjoyable read. The characters are amazing and you cannot help but fall in love with them. This book is a must read and it really needs to be on your TBR list, you will not be sorry that you did.
December 1, 2021
I'm a newbie to this author and picked Reckless up because it sounded good, good is such a lame word for this book, it's fabulous, I was hooked from the first page, Fin is so alpha bad boy and Francine a good girl but the dynamic between the two is out of the ball park. Some scenes are dark so beware however it all adds to a fantastic page turning read I couldn't put down.
November 28, 2021
Zepphora is a new to me author and now I'm OBSESSED!!!!
I was hooked from the very 1st page!!! I adore Francine!!! At the beginning she is the all around perfect good girl. Then she gets involved with Finn, who is the school bad boy. And what a HOT bad boy he is!! He is now and forever one of my top book boyfriends, the mouth on this guy is drool worthy!!
I even loved all the side characters. I couldn't stop reading this one. There is kink, all kinds of smexy times, and a storyline that keeps you pulled in. I loved this whole book and can't wait for more of this world!!!!
I was hooked from the very 1st page!!! I adore Francine!!! At the beginning she is the all around perfect good girl. Then she gets involved with Finn, who is the school bad boy. And what a HOT bad boy he is!! He is now and forever one of my top book boyfriends, the mouth on this guy is drool worthy!!
I even loved all the side characters. I couldn't stop reading this one. There is kink, all kinds of smexy times, and a storyline that keeps you pulled in. I loved this whole book and can't wait for more of this world!!!!
November 30, 2021
Outstanding!
There is so much going on in this story yet the characters are all still well developed and the main plot line is intense. This book combines a little of everything - good girl, bad boy, past crush, elite families, trauma, angst, bdsm, sexual awakening, possessive alpha, secrets, pacts, blood and it is oh so good.
This is a new to me author and I am eager to see what comes next.
If you like Callie Hart's Crooked Sinners Series or Amo Jones's Elite Kings Club Series pick this up!
There is so much going on in this story yet the characters are all still well developed and the main plot line is intense. This book combines a little of everything - good girl, bad boy, past crush, elite families, trauma, angst, bdsm, sexual awakening, possessive alpha, secrets, pacts, blood and it is oh so good.
This is a new to me author and I am eager to see what comes next.
If you like Callie Hart's Crooked Sinners Series or Amo Jones's Elite Kings Club Series pick this up!
November 26, 2021
Let me tell you this book is hot from chapter one. I want my very own Finn! This book makes you want to cry, throw things and snuggle all in one book! I started out feeling like I reading a dirty version on Grease then it is so much better. I will for sure be reading the following books on this series!
November 20, 2021
I have just finished reading an ARC version of this book. Good girl turned bad for a hot bad boy.
What more could you want.
Looking forward to more Bastards of Grove Hill!
What more could you want.
Looking forward to more Bastards of Grove Hill!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2021
Too much.
Reckless follows Francine and Finn on this dark, taboo, suspense-filled romance. This book is full of triggers for PTSD, attempted sexual assault of a child (nothing graphic), murder, red wings, cheating, depression, suicide, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health recovery. This book is sexually explicit in nature intended for those over the age of eighteen. Read with caution.
The warning is not exaggerated. All that happens and in spades. I would not qualify as romance, it is a sick and codependent relationship. Beyond the murders without remorse and the search for a twisted justice that is only revenge in the endthere is not much else and at the same time there is everything. Too much. The book is too long and failed to capture my interest, after a while it becomes repetitive in an unjustified round trip.
I received an ARC directly from the author to give an honest review.
Reckless follows Francine and Finn on this dark, taboo, suspense-filled romance. This book is full of triggers for PTSD, attempted sexual assault of a child (nothing graphic), murder, red wings, cheating, depression, suicide, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health recovery. This book is sexually explicit in nature intended for those over the age of eighteen. Read with caution.
The warning is not exaggerated. All that happens and in spades. I would not qualify as romance, it is a sick and codependent relationship. Beyond the murders without remorse and the search for a twisted justice that is only revenge in the endthere is not much else and at the same time there is everything. Too much. The book is too long and failed to capture my interest, after a while it becomes repetitive in an unjustified round trip.
I received an ARC directly from the author to give an honest review.
January 29, 2024
Oh my God I need more of this series. This book was so good. I didn’t want to finish it because the next ones not coming out for a while. I need more fit in my life. This world is heart wrenching, but so incredible just makes you think about the way people go through things, and what trauma does to you highly recommend this book 5 stars
January 11, 2025
My first book from this author and it did not disappoint.It was hot, sexy and very entertaining. Duncan, Finn, “Princess”, well written, great storyline and characters.
I received this Free Advanced Reader Copy from the Author and my review is voluntary.
I received this Free Advanced Reader Copy from the Author and my review is voluntary.
Read
October 29, 2023DNF- writing was terrible giving first book printed from wattpad the dialogue unrealistic and you are telling me this girl has not had her parent in her life for about 6 years and as a minor no one noticed? Hmm
September 27, 2023
Wow
This is a very intense dark gritty twisted read that takes you on many levels of darkness and through feelings of the wittybratt female and the alpha male.
This is a very intense dark gritty twisted read that takes you on many levels of darkness and through feelings of the wittybratt female and the alpha male.
September 4, 2023
Reread 09/23
May 5, 2024
DNF🤷🏻♀️ I didn’t like the writing style. Didn’t like the heroine. I felt that the story was a plot at 20% and then a different one at 60%. And I didn’t connect with the characters. 😔
July 30, 2024
You’d think I’d learn my lesson but no. Grammatical error and mention of social media again. The whole book was just a no but the ages really hammered that in
December 5, 2021
O.M.G. This. Book. Gave. Me. LIFE.
I don’t even know how to begin my review!
FINN IS MINE! Will about sum up my feelings for him and Francine is a total badass!
I had the pleasure of reading this book, and absolutely falling in love with every single damned thing about it!
Finn is the bad boy we all want in our lives. Francine is the good girl gone bad that only a special few have had the pleasure of experiencing. She endured some things that pushed her to the limit and I’m not mad at her not for one single damn thing she did.
I loved ALL the characters in the books. My goodness how I loved them ALL! I just love it when the first book starts the whole series off. What I mean by that is, from reading this book you KNOW.m each character that’s gonna have their own story and in sooooooo here for it.
This book is filled with angst, sass, a proposition that is soooo diabolical I’m like, why didn’t I think of this when I was in school. This book really takes me away from the real world and I feel like I’m an actual character in the story.
I won’t go into detail about the goodness of this book but I will say you most definitely NEED TO GET THIS BOOK IN YA LIFE! I’m patiently waiting for the paperback cuz I need to have Finn in my arms, hands, life, darn it I meant on my bookshelf.
That is all…for now
I don’t even know how to begin my review!
FINN IS MINE! Will about sum up my feelings for him and Francine is a total badass!
I had the pleasure of reading this book, and absolutely falling in love with every single damned thing about it!
Finn is the bad boy we all want in our lives. Francine is the good girl gone bad that only a special few have had the pleasure of experiencing. She endured some things that pushed her to the limit and I’m not mad at her not for one single damn thing she did.
I loved ALL the characters in the books. My goodness how I loved them ALL! I just love it when the first book starts the whole series off. What I mean by that is, from reading this book you KNOW.m each character that’s gonna have their own story and in sooooooo here for it.
This book is filled with angst, sass, a proposition that is soooo diabolical I’m like, why didn’t I think of this when I was in school. This book really takes me away from the real world and I feel like I’m an actual character in the story.
I won’t go into detail about the goodness of this book but I will say you most definitely NEED TO GET THIS BOOK IN YA LIFE! I’m patiently waiting for the paperback cuz I need to have Finn in my arms, hands, life, darn it I meant on my bookshelf.
That is all…for now
October 12, 2023
Reckless is my first book by Zepphora & I have to say I really love Reckless. This book just has it all for me.. It has a gripping story that will leave you wanting more. Bad boys (B*stards of Grove Hill) and their bad selves. Some great friendships are talked about in this series. Plus, the spice is beyond hot!!! The main characters, Fin and Francine, are just so hot together. Trigger warning with this book talks about SA that Fran had to deal with growing up. She has grown through a lot in her life on top or feeling abandoned by her parents. She was in a relationship so long with her boyfriend at the time to not feel alone. She met Fin when she was younger, and he defensed her against her bullies. Then, yrs later, he gets blown away with an obsession for her and makes a bet with her (he wants her). But he knows with his lifestyle his isn't relationship material & she's relationship material. Read and find out what happens between Fin & Fran and the twist and turns they go through. This book won't disappoint, I bought the others in the series too! Can't wait to start.
November 17, 2023
Where was Daddy Finn when I was in High School? Wow, this book has a little bit of everything you'd expect from a HS Senior Year 18 & 19 year old good girl vs bad boy dynamic.
Francine was saved by a dark prince at the age of 8 and for 10 years she's subconsciously has been waiting to reunite. But for 6 years she's done what she thought she was expected to do. She's the good girl who doesn't cuss, been dating the same guy (the football player/boy next door) who still kisses her on the cheek, and is silently miserable and alone.
Finn is part of the founding five families and is part of the Bastards of Grove Hill "gang" for lack of better words. The bad boy who at the age of 10 rescued a princess from bullies and walked away to save her light from his darkness.
And the rest you'll need to read for yourself and let me tell you it's worth the read. Theirs romance, betrayal, lots of secrets, growth, and an awakening that surprises everyone.
Francine was saved by a dark prince at the age of 8 and for 10 years she's subconsciously has been waiting to reunite. But for 6 years she's done what she thought she was expected to do. She's the good girl who doesn't cuss, been dating the same guy (the football player/boy next door) who still kisses her on the cheek, and is silently miserable and alone.
Finn is part of the founding five families and is part of the Bastards of Grove Hill "gang" for lack of better words. The bad boy who at the age of 10 rescued a princess from bullies and walked away to save her light from his darkness.
And the rest you'll need to read for yourself and let me tell you it's worth the read. Theirs romance, betrayal, lots of secrets, growth, and an awakening that surprises everyone.
December 2, 2021
Broken to Healed to Harley to Broken to Queen
So this book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a light hearted book or maybe even an MC book. Well I kinda got the light hearted part in the beginning but then it kinda went a little RECKLESS if you may. But man it went Reckless in the best possible way. Francine really was a broken girl who really needed her knight and shining armor and even she got it, everything was right in the world or so she thought. You don't always get what you want when you want it. Sometimes you have to suffer to come out on top or become who you are truly meant to be. Finn and Francine truly had a lot of up and downs and thst in itself was an emotion Rollercoaster for me. I'm glad everything worked out in the end expect for how things ended with Duncan. That actually made me cry.
There were things that did bother me
1. Things didn't get resolved with Willow (if it ever will cause this is only book 1 so it's still possible!)
2. We never really found out why the dad did what he did which I'm really curious about to be honest.
3. GLORIA you know that person?
4. And why Tiernan of all people, that's kinda weird. I would have preferred Eoghan lol
I'd really like to maybe see a novella from before this book. I'd really love to see that story. ^.^
So this book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a light hearted book or maybe even an MC book. Well I kinda got the light hearted part in the beginning but then it kinda went a little RECKLESS if you may. But man it went Reckless in the best possible way. Francine really was a broken girl who really needed her knight and shining armor and even she got it, everything was right in the world or so she thought. You don't always get what you want when you want it. Sometimes you have to suffer to come out on top or become who you are truly meant to be. Finn and Francine truly had a lot of up and downs and thst in itself was an emotion Rollercoaster for me. I'm glad everything worked out in the end expect for how things ended with Duncan. That actually made me cry.
There were things that did bother me
1. Things didn't get resolved with Willow (if it ever will cause this is only book 1 so it's still possible!)
2. We never really found out why the dad did what he did which I'm really curious about to be honest.
3. GLORIA you know that person?
4. And why Tiernan of all people, that's kinda weird. I would have preferred Eoghan lol
I'd really like to maybe see a novella from before this book. I'd really love to see that story. ^.^
March 27, 2023
SO MUCH TO UNPACK. This story literally had some much going on the whole way through. It was quick paced, and Finn and his Daddy kink honestly made the whole book for me. Zepphora has a way of writing smut that just makes your panties melt.🔥🥵
However I couldn’t get into Francine, she just annoyed me a little too much. Although I do need to remember that this was based in high school, so I feel like the characters and how their portrayed really match that vibe.
Overall it’s a fantastic read that sucks you in and with all the twists of it the story it keeps you enthralled. I would thoroughly recommend everyone check it. Looking forward to reading the next instalment of the Bastards of Grove Hill series.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🪵Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
🥵Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
⚠️Triggers: PTSD, attempted sexual assault of a child (nothing graphic), murder, depression, suicide, cheating, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health recovery.
However I couldn’t get into Francine, she just annoyed me a little too much. Although I do need to remember that this was based in high school, so I feel like the characters and how their portrayed really match that vibe.
Overall it’s a fantastic read that sucks you in and with all the twists of it the story it keeps you enthralled. I would thoroughly recommend everyone check it. Looking forward to reading the next instalment of the Bastards of Grove Hill series.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🪵Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
🥵Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
⚠️Triggers: PTSD, attempted sexual assault of a child (nothing graphic), murder, depression, suicide, cheating, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health recovery.
December 5, 2021
Finn & Franny are spicy AF!
This was my first time reading one of Zepphora’s books and I was not disappointed. I loved how you could feel the chemistry from the book, it’s not something you can say happens with every one you read.
There are a few trigger warnings within the book so make sure you check those out before reading if you have any.
But overall, the relationship between Finn & Francine was so beautifully toxic that it was magical. At some stages toward the start, her character irritated me a bit with being immature but she also didn’t really know how to act any different.
Loved Finn’s character growth toward the end, and all of the boys actually. Would love to see books based on them all.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book.
This was my first time reading one of Zepphora’s books and I was not disappointed. I loved how you could feel the chemistry from the book, it’s not something you can say happens with every one you read.
There are a few trigger warnings within the book so make sure you check those out before reading if you have any.
But overall, the relationship between Finn & Francine was so beautifully toxic that it was magical. At some stages toward the start, her character irritated me a bit with being immature but she also didn’t really know how to act any different.
Loved Finn’s character growth toward the end, and all of the boys actually. Would love to see books based on them all.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book.
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