The Lovely Reckless (2016) by Kami Garcia is a contemporary YA romance-thriller that follows Frankie Devereux, a privileged 17-year-old whose life unravels after her boyfriend, Jesse, is killed in a hit-and-run. Blaming herself and desperate for answers, Frankie moves in with her estranged father—a cop—in the gritty neighborhood of Downside, where she crosses paths with Marco Leone, a street racer with a criminal past and secrets of his own.
As Frankie infiltrates the underground racing scene to uncover the truth about Jesse’s death, she’s drawn to Marco’s loyalty and vulnerability, despite their clashing worlds. Garcia’s fast-paced prose blends steamy romance, street racing adrenaline, and a murder mystery, all set against a backdrop of class divides and police corruption.
