Reckless by Jessi Gage--Review

So as many of you know, I'm a big fan of Jessi Gage, author of Wishing for A Highlander. Jessi has dropped by All Things Writing several times and shared her fabulous wisdom and knowledge. I recently got to read one of her latest works, Reckless. This is not part of her Highlander series, but belongs with another series she is writing called the Blue Collar Boyfriends. I couldn't wait to start reading it, and as I predicted, it was a fast paced, fun read with a paranormal twist.

Here is the publisher's blurb:

Sometimes it takes a miracle to find forgiveness. 

Divorced construction worker Derek has anger management issues. Acting rashly on the freeway, he causes an accident. His truck escapes unscathed, but he can’t say the same for his conscience. Visions of the wreck haunt his dreams, but they’re always followed by the sweet caresses and soothing words of a beautiful woman who calls to everything male in him. 

Cami assumes she is dead. With no memory of her past, all she knows is endless fog and the occasional visit to a darkened bedroom where she comforts a man battling nightmares. When she wakes in a hospital bed and regains her memory, she assumes the ruggedly-handsome Derek was no more than a figment of her concussed mind. 

As Cami recovers, she learns that Derek is not only real but also the driver charged with causing her accident. She should be furious with him, but their inexplicable nights together showed her a tender side beneath his rough exterior. Will she let one reckless mistake drive them apart, or will forgiveness have the right of way?

Intriguing concept, right? Derek is one of those great male characters you want to shake and cuddle with all at the same time. He's clearly insecure, but hides it under a gruff exterior. Whenever he interacts with his daughter, that's when we can see that tender person underneath who has never really known what true love feels like. When he meets Cami, he starts to change.

Cami is sort of like a ghost at first--which is fitting. Before the accident and the coma that allows her to mysteriously appear in Derek's bed (convenient for him), she was a nice person, but really timid. She comes across as being somewhat afraid of her own shadow and feels bad about herself. A long time ago, she and her father were involved in a car accident. Cami was driving and her dad was killed. She's never stopped blaming herself.

When she and Derek connect, the sparks fly and they have great chemistry, bringing out the best in each other. You can't help but root for them to finally get together even though it's obvious that Derek is responsible for Cami's accident. It would be easy to dislike Derek because of this, but the author does a great job of creating believable, flawed characters who just want to make things right. I found myself not wanting the book to end because I wanted to go on the next leg of the journey with Derek and Cami.

This was a quick read and held my interest. The sex scenes were nice and steamy, putting you in the moment and furthering the relationship between characters. I look forward to reading more in this series! Here's the purchase link at Amazon: Reckless