Two Stars
I am so, so sad this book didn’t work for me! I am one of the biggest Christine Feehan fans, and I think Torpedo Ink is one of her best series. Sadly, RECKLESS ROAD did not live up to the standards I have come to expect from an installment in the Torpedo Ink series.
The book follows Gedeon “Player” Lazaroff, a motorcycle club member able to create illusions. Unfortunately, his illusions are slowly creeping into his brain and becoming real inside his head and the outside world. His heroine, Zyah, is a classic Feehan heroine. A successful businesswoman who quit her job to come home and take care of her grandmother. Zyah and Player have one night together in the first chapter, and Player thinks it’s all a dream/illusion and casts Zyah away.
After the first chapter, I was like YES, grade A, Feehan alpha hero groveling – my favorite! But sadly, Player’s dismissal of Zyah was quickly and unsatisfactorily (in my opinion) resolved. The connection between Player and Zyah was almost hazy. Player doesn’t remember much, and while Zyah remembers, I didn’t think their instalove relationship was well-established. I also thought Zyah’s powers we inconsistent. I didn’t understand what she did to help Player, and by the end of the book, couldn’t discern what was going on with either main character.
The whole plot was convoluted and confusing. There are several overlapping subplots in addition to the overarching goal of the Torpedo Ink club and many, many characters. The Alice in Wonderland themes were odd and out of place. Part of the book, Player is out of commission, and not much happens except for everyone waiting or trying to make him better. It was all odd and disjointed. I kept rereading chapters because I was sure I was missing important parts, but no, the book and action jumped around at will. Plus, there was way too much repetitive information, which I would normally be able to ignore if I was enjoying the relationship between our main characters. But, sadly, none of it worked for me.
I enjoyed Zyah as a character, and her grandmother was a hoot, but I wish she had a better hero than Player. I was not a fan. The little Sea Haven/Drake sister scenes were a delight, especially for fans of Feehan’s previous series!
Overall, this book was almost a total miss for me besides a few moments of fun. I won’t let one less than stellar book stop me from enjoying the rest of the Torpedo Ink series. I need all those characters to have happily ever afters immediately! I can’t wait to find out who gets a book next.
**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 