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Brooke's Pick: The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood


The New York Times best-selling author of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things offers a provocative love story between a tough Kansas woman on a crooked path to redemption and the unlikeliest of champions.


Bryn Greenwood's new novel, The Reckless Oath We Made, was a book I wasn't expecting, and it turned out to be a book that I didn't know I needed. This unconventional love story is wholly unique, and caught me quite off guard as I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it. I ended up savoring it, and highly recommend it to readers who are looking for something a bit different.


I came to The Reckless Oath We Made by way of Greenwood's controversial debut All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. While The Reckless Oath We Made doesn't take on quite as disturbing a topic as All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, it still explores the darker and grittier areas of life, and that is to be expected considering Greenwood's childhood as the daughter of a drug dealer.


Her new novel follows Zee, a hard scrabble redhead barely scraping by, who finds herself in a complicated situation when her sister LaReigne is taken hostage in a prison break. Zee, née Zhorzha, is left to pick up the pieces of their lives as she tries to juggle caring for both her nephew and shut-in hoarder mother, while also searching for LaReigne.


Luckily for Zee, she literally has a knight in shining armor by her side. It is Gentry's mission in life to be Zee's champion. A painfully shy man with autism, Gentry truly considers himself a knight, and he not only adheres to the chivalric code, but speaks in Old English, as well. As strange as Gentry's ways may seem to Zee, she is grateful for his devotion to her life and honor because she soon finds herself in quite the predicament as she tries to track down the murderers who stole her sister.


Zee and Gentry find themselves walking a dangerous path on their quest to save LaReigne, coming across all sorts of unsavory characters, many of who are filled with ill-intent. While Zee certainly doesn't need saving from the treacherous men she milks for information about LaReigne, she feels a bit safer with Gentry by her side. Before long, he has grown on her despite his awkward mannerisms, and the two find themselves straddling the line of love and honor.


The Reckless Oath We Made is an engaging story that manages to be both endearing and shocking at the same time. Greenwood's writing is raw and heartfelt, and she tells a compelling story with memorable, vibrant characters. I fell in love with the character of Gentry, and admired his unyielding devotion to his Lady Zhorzha, enjoying every second his character colored the pages of this novel. I so appreciate this inventive story for providing me with a reading experience unlike any other!


- Brooke, Public Relations Librarian


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