This is a young adult romance of star-crossed lovers. Frankie is from the Heights, the rich part of town, but is kicked out of her expensive private school after getting busted for a DUI after watching her boyfriend killed in front of her. Marco is the school bad boy trying to do right for his sister--which unfortunately means doing wrong by the law.

The plot is fairly predictable from the get-go. Frankie's dad is an undercover cop investigating car thieves. Of course Marco would be a car thief. Also, as soon as Deacon was introduced, I suspected he's be the one who killed Noah. So the suspense of this book was fairly low for me. The insta-love between Frankie and Marco did make me roll my eyes a bit, as did the melodramatic moments between the two of them; far more melodrama than I normally like in my books. However, I still really enjoyed the book because I liked the characters. Frankie, Marco, and the others existed in the shades of gray and undertook moral ambiguities in order to try and do the right thing. I really wish we had seen more of Lex and Abel, because they seemed like they had some really interesting stories of their own to tell. Ditto Cruz, though she got more page space than the other two.

I would definitely be interested in a follow-up story exploring the other characters other than Frankie and Marco.

Also, this book takes place in Maryland! That makes me happy, even if I didn't recognize the Maryland Garcia depicted. I tried to figure out where in the state this is based off of, and have some guesses (Columbia area, maybe?) but nothing concrete.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

It was ok. ( )

Frankie can't remember what happened the night her boyfriend, Noah, was murdered, even though she saw it all. She falls apart over the summer, finally getting arrested for drunk driving. Since it's her first offence, she gets community service and Mom and Dad decide it's time for her to move in to his apartment with him. A new school might be just what she needs to make a fresh start and remember what happened to Noah.

If you like [a:Katie McGarry|4575371|Katie McGarry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1305138891p2/4575371.jpg] romances, this book is for you. It has shades of Romeo and Juliet, forbidden romance, and could possibly be a series. I loved Cruz and would like to see her get her own HEA. ( )

Frankie Devereux wants to start over. Dealing with PTSD from watching her boyfriend’s murder, she makes more and more irresponsible choices until she is forced to move in with her undercover-cop father for her senior year. For Frankie, nothing matters. Until she meets Marco, a street racer and all-around bad boy. He’s irresistible and ignites a new passion in Frankie. But when she discovers Marco’s secrets, it threatens to tear them apart. The Lovely Reckless is a short, straightforward read that meets the stereotypes of YA romance. The novel deals with teen issues but touches on heavier topics like drinking, drug use, crime, and sex. Recommended for grades 10 and up. ( )