Reckless Roses

By: Sarah A. Bailey

Narrated by: JD Tomlinson, Vanessa Vasquez

For Augustus Hayes, first love was instantaneous. From the moment he found her scaling a tree in his yard, plucking purple flowers from its branches, August knew his heart belonged to Elena Ramos. Elena had the exact same experience; about August's older brother, Zach, that is. Deciding he'd rather have her as a friend than nothing at all, August ferments himself in Elena's friend zone, unable to let go of the hope that someday, she'll choose him.

Elena Ramos has always romanticized the world around her. Chalk it up to her writer's soul or her passion for romance novels, but she believes wholeheartedly in young love. At least, that's what she tells herself each time her on-again off-again relationship with Zach Hayes begins to feel more like a nightmare than a daydream. After nearly a decade, they call it quits for good, and her best friend steps in to fix her broken pieces.

Just as Elena and August decide to transform their friendship into something more, an unimaginable tragedy strikes them both. Will a lifetime of falling in love be enough to hold them together when their entire world falls apart?

Contains mature themes.

©2025 Sarah A. Bailey

I love this series

Pacific Shores is one of the most underrated small-town romance series I’ve come across. It has incredible emotional depth, a tight-knit found family that feels like home, and relationships so raw and complicated they’ll stay with you. From the first two books we already know bits and pieces of Zach, Augustus, and Elena’s story. But Reckless Roses gives you the full heartbreaking context. It dives deep into their tangled dynamic. Zach is… a lot. He’s manipulative, frustrating, and at times downright unlikable, yet Bailey writes him with such nuance that you can’t help but see the lost soul underneath. He’s just a guy trying (and often failing) to figure out his place in the world. My heart ached for him even as I wanted to shake him. JD Tomlinson and Vanessa Vasquez are outstanding. They bring the angst, tenderness, and emotional intensity to life so vividly, especially in the quieter, heavier moments. I can’t wait for the next book!