I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Reckless Times by Michelle Hercules Narrator: Troy Duran, Marnye Young
Series: Paragon Society #1
Published by Tantor Audio on May 11, 2021
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Length: 7 hours 50 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
A GIFTED ACADEMY DUET
Weak.Useless.Freak.
Those are the words used to describe me. I’m an Idol who can’t see, and in this savage world where power is everything, being born with a disability makes me an aberration. Idols are the direct descendants of the gods. We’re supposed to be perfect.
My parents kept me protected behind walls most of my life. They fear I won’t survive in the real world. They have no idea what kind of power runs through my veins.
Stephan Silverstone—the most perfect Idol I’ve ever met—does. He’s cocky, annoying, and pushes my buttons like no other. But he sees me, the real person behind all the preconceived notions. Without effort, he’s breaking all my barriers; he’s claiming my heart.
When I’m with him, sparks fly. I want to be reckless and forget everything. If only things were that simple. We’re both keeping dangerous secrets that could tear us apart. War is coming, and I’m not sure if what we have will survive.
*This is a spin-off of Gifted Academy Series. This is not an RH romance.
My top thoughts:
I found this world fascinating and would love to read more of it; however I felt like I was missing a prequel or something and small pieces didn’t make sense all the way. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, but in a good way. The heroine really got on my nerves though and she seriously needs to grow up. Hopefully that comes in future books.
What I liked/didn’t like:
Andy (Andromeda) is dripping with potential as a character. She’s blind but thanks to her Idol abilities that is no hinderance to her. Instead, it’s like an advantage because people misjudge her and she’s actually stronger than most of them. She has this false arrogance about her – it’s like a defense mechanism from being seen as worthless all the time – and had she not let that overtake her, I would have adored this quality. Instead, she just ends up seeming really immature and it gets frustrating. To be fair, she’s 18 and acting very much like you’d expect a pampered 18 year old to act, especially when they have kick ass abilities.
Stephan is another character that I ALMOST loved. I just needed more of him. Like I don’t fully understand him as a character, but what I do get, I like a lot. He’s torn in his loyalties to his family/cause and Andy. I think where I struggled was what does he DO exactly? For example, he’s supposed to be Andy’s mentor at Paragon Academy, but at one point he is doing homework. Is he an adult or a student? And his abilities are equally fuzzy… he can fly? bend air?
Those missing/confusing pieces of Stephan are part of what I’m talking about with feeling like I was missing a prequel or something. I don’t understand Paragon Academy precisely – Andy is grown but she’s just starting there? It felt like something between a high school/college/trade school? And I while I understand that there are Norms, Fringes and Idols and clearly some tension there, I don’t fully understand why and how someone ends up an Idol, for example. Why did Andromeda develop these powers? But, despite my questions, the book flowed really well, and the action was great. I enjoyed the story a lot and maybe I’ll get answers as I read on. I do plan to continue, especially with that cliff hanger!
Narrator thoughts:
I listened to Reckless Times, narrated by Troy Duran (Stephan’s POV) and Marnye Young (Andy’s POV). I KNOW I’ve listened to Troy Duran before, I’m just not sure where. But he has a memorable, strong, deep voice that worked really well for Stephan. I don’t think I’ve listened to Marnye Young before, but I enjoyed her narration for Andy a lot. They complimented each other well and brought out their characters perfectly. I look forward to listening to more!
Despite the issues highlighted, it sounds like you had a good time with this one.
I really did. I think I just need to read the other series so I would get a better grasp on things!