Reckless by Lauren Roberts

I wanted to like book one, but the near blatant plagiarism held me back.  I heavily debated on giving book two a chance.

Well, after some encouragement from a friend, here we are... and I am still not a fan.  

The story held a lot more of it's own merit this time around and I couldn't tell if there were any more directly copied scenes.  However, not much happened and it still feels a tad too cheesy.  The inner monologuing and flowery descriptions are just far too frequent and seriously detract from the story.  That doesn't even take into account the repetitiveness of those monologues.  It felt like we were rehashing the same thoughts constantly. 

In my honest opinion the writing style of both books aims for "quotable" moments and lines.  So instead of filling the plot with... plot, we are filling the pages with things that can be used on Instagram for engagement. 

I listened to the audiobook instead of physically reading like I did with book one, so I will give credit where credit is due, the narrators who worked on this did an amazing job.  Their efforts and voices were the best part of the book. 

Although I am hating on this book, I will admit that I would have loved this as a teenager or young adult.  I am simply no longer the target audience and as an adult it feels gimmicky.  That being said, I should have stuck to my guns and left this one un-read.  I knew going into it that I am not a fan of the author's writing style and that fact stayed true.  The characters carried book one, but there wasn't enough actual story for them to carry book two.

Remember, this review is a reflection of my personal taste, not a reflection of the author, their work, or readers.  I am simply explaining why this book was not for me.