Thank you again so much to TBR & Beyond Tours for having me on this tour. I’m excited to share my review and my top 5 reasons to read The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison. Click on the banner to see the rest of the tour schedule… and here we go!

This also happens to be my second Whitney D Grandison novel and… wow, can I just say I have another insta-read author added to my list?

He’s never met a rule he didn’t break… She’s followed the rules her whole life… When they meet, one golden rule is established: stay away. Sparks fly in this edgy own voices novel, perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon, S. K. Ali, and Kristina Forest.

They were supposed to ignore each other and respect that fine line between them…

Guillermo Lozano is getting a fresh start. New town, new school, and no more reckless behavior. He’s done his time, and now he needs to right his wrongs. But when his work at the local community center throws him into the path of the one girl who is off-limits, friendship sparks…and maybe more.

Regan London needs a fresh perspective. The pressure to stay in her “perfect” relationship and be the good girl all the time has worn her down. But when the walls start to cave in and she finds unexpected understanding from the boy her parents warned about, she can’t ignore her feelings anymore.

The disapproval is instant. Being together might just get Guillermo sent away. But when it comes to the heart, sometimes you have to break the rules and be a little bit reckless…

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Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, Netgalley, and Inkyard Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Grandison has done it again! Yet another novel that I couldn’t get enough of, and to think this is just her sophomore novel! So, so happy to be able to support her and her work again by reading and reviewing this book.

First, while I personally have not been in Guillermo’s situation with being in juvie in the past and having a probation officer, I have had some experience learning about these programs in my criminal justice classes. I was fortunate enough to even visit the prisons in Guam, talk to probation officers, and just in general learn more about the criminal justice system on Guam. One of the things that I appreciated about this novel is that Grandison didn’t romanticize Guillermo’s past history. Yes, he’s considered a bad boy because – well he got arrested right? – but it’s not something that is considered just a personality. He really has to move away from what made him a “monster” in his and his family’s eyes, and understand that he still has a chance to change his path. We can see that his family truly does love him, and while they are still hurt by his actions, there’s a part of them that really does want to see him succeed. They just need to see that he’s putting in the effort and truly wanting to become a better person.

Can I just say that I appreciate that Grandison made both main characters likeable? Sometimes it doesn’t work that way and I’m left wondering why I would want the two main characters to get together romantically, or even just get involved with one another… but this isn’t the case with this novel. I wanted to see Guillermo change for the better; I wanted to see Regan stand up for herself without fear of not being perfect. I just wanted them to become better versions of themselves in whatever way they wanted to improve. I also appreciated the fact that we get to see the development of a friendship rather than just a straight romance. As we all know, I am one that considers friendship relationships to be so much more powerful when telling a story. That doesn’t mean I don’t like romances at all, but I like being able to see the two romantic characters learn about one another and learn how to even like each other as friends rather than just figure out how to be in a romantic relationship from the get go. If that makes sense?

The more I was reading this novel, the more I was just completely infatuated with Guillermo. Seriously, for someone who used to not give a F about anything, and with him truly trying to change his life for the better, he was just so wise and respectful and wow. He literally was a dream guy, and I couldn’t believe he was just in high school! I truly think that he would make a great mentor for other troubled teens that are trying to get their lives back on track. Ugh I could keep going on and on but that would be WAY too long of a review. This was just amazing, and one of my favorite stories of 2021. I highly recommend!

1. Guillermo’s chance at redemption and his dedication to want to get better.
2. Regan and Malika’s real, complicated, and beautiful friendship. #BlackGirlMagic
3. Attraction at first sight – (damn he fine, damn she fine)
4. The development of polar opposites somehow coming together as both friends and more
5. Regan’s revelation on why she shouldn’t settle for being a Trophy

What a swoonworthy novel! I hope you get to read it and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did! Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this tour and the posts on Instagram! There’s also a giveaway being hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours so check that out as well! Trust me, you should definitely take a chance with this one.

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