BET Books (Paperback), ISBN 1-58314-381-5

Maggie Rose Sanders returns to her hometown of Jamison, S.C., to go into business with an old friend. But a new business needs a ready source of cash. So when Chris Shealy, a guy with a special place in her heart, offers her a temporary job, she jumps at the chance. But she hides a secret that might cause her to lose the job she quickly comes to love -- office manager of a stable and riding academy. Maggie Rose is deathly afraid of horses. Her fear goes back to her early teens when she witnessed a friend break her neck and die after a spooked horse threw her into a tree.

Maggie Rose's hard work at organizing the summer opening of the riding academy pleases Chris immensely, and the personal relationship that always lurked near the surface between them flares to life. But Chris finds himself concerned about Maggie Rose's health after seeing a few of her panic attacks (which he believes caused by illness or pregnancy). A trip to the doctor reassures Chris and gives Maggie Rose some ammunition against her panic attacks. But the truth of Maggie Rose's "illnesses" eventually comes out, making Chris feel betrayed by her lack of trust.

Maggie Rose quits the job, but only for a day. She realizes that she loves Chris and sets her mind to try and work things out. Besides, her nephew Covey, who loves working at the farm with Chris, can only hang around if Maggie Rose keeps her job. But someone seems to want to hurt Chris and his business. Mysterious accidents occur, such as a horse being let out right before the grand opening and a fire set in the barn. The suspect comes to light, but not before Covey gets hurt in the process.

Reckless reads mostly as a romance with a bit of mystery tossed in. The suspect seems obvious fairly early on, but a small twist comes as a surprise. However, some of the suspense-building scenes seem clichéd -- two unnamed people on the phone to each other, making ominous threats. The romance itself comes across as pretty chaste, with little more than kisses and hugs exchanged between Chris and Maggie Rose. Still, it makes for a decent read.

Jen Foote

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