Thoughtless Series
This scandalous love story will tear your heart right out!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1. THOUGHTLESS by S.C. Stephens
SYNOPSIS
For almost two years now, Kiera’s boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she’s ever wanted: loving, tender, and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together—Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university—everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart. Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source—a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he’s purely a friend she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes… and none of them will ever be the same.
BOOK REVIEW
I want to start this review by saying that S.C. Stephens is the one responsible for my extremely unrealistic expectations of what my love life is supposed to be. The author is also responsible for my hubby’s misery over the absence of a fractured piece of my heart, which forever belongs to Kellan Kyle.
His eyes were still closed and his body rocked gently to the music, but his face was almost... desolate. His words matched his face, as he sang about how each day was a struggle, and never seeing my face caused him physical pain. He sang that ‘my face was his light, and he felt drenched in darkness without it.’ Tears fell freely after I heard that line.
Kellan Kyle… The name alone haunted me for weeks after I finished reading the Thoughtless series. Kellan fucking Kyle... As broken and as troubled as he was, the man was everything and even more. Considering all the pain he undeservingly experienced in the past, it wasn’t surprising at all that he sought attention wherever and whenever he managed to get his hands on it, as well as that he had no idea what real love and feelings looked and felt like. Until Kiera and Denny. Kellan’s gravitation towards Kiera was instantaneous and apparently irresistible but reckless and selfish, nonetheless. And while I do hate Kiera with all I’ve got because of her overpowering cruelty in playing the hearts of both men, I admit that the partial blame fell on Kellan as well.
“No, please, I’ll do better, I’ll be stronger. Please don’t end this. Please don’t leave me…”
Kellan was not only a willing participant, but he made a conscious decision to continue their secret relationship full of delicious emotions but also pain and regret even when Kiera seemed to want to stop (but not really). His deep feelings towards Kiera were confusing since he had no previous experience with such. All that mattered was the warmth he felt and the emptiness that was filled whenever the forbidden girl was in his truly miserable and lonely life.
Now, I have to explicitly state that I do not condone cheating in any form or shape, and that was one of the main reasons why I was hesitant to read the entire story since you could tell from early on how the plot was going to unfold. However, Kellan Kyle lured me in, goddamn the gorgeous him. I felt like his character suffered the most in Thoughtless, unlike Denny’s unexpected sudden pain, Kellan’s was long-drawn and acute. Because his beautiful feelings were never a mistake. Because his longing was welcomed. Because Kiera... was a fucking bitch (God do I despise her).
“How do we do that? This is what we do… back and forth, back and forth. You want me, you want him. You love me, you love him. You like me, you hate me, you want me, you don’t want me, you love me… you leave me. There’s so much that went wrong before…”
Kiera was incredibly self-centered and frustrating, trying to shift the blame on whoever but not herself. I absolutely hated how she was selfishly hurting my precious Kellan Kyle alongside with Denny. I wanted to pull out my hair whenever guilt overtook her after she did exactly what she wanted to do yet again and started her endless pathetic crying all over again. Kiera was a coward who was not able to make a grown-up decision and end the misery of so many people who were both willingly and unwillingly dragged into an ugly mess that was Kiera.
Now, the only thing that I’m going to say about Denny is that he wasn’t a perfect boyfriend (because no human being is perfect) but definitely a good one in so many ways, and this only made Kiera’s infidelity even uglier to witness.
Our reconnection was intense and deeply emotional, like much of our relationship had been. He muttered things to me while we made love—how beautiful he thought I was, how much he’d missed me, how much he needed me, how empty he’d been, how much he loved me. I couldn’t even speak to tell him I felt the exact same way. I was too overcome by the emotion in his voice. Then he said something that tore me. “Don’t leave… I don’t want to be alone.” He had actual tears in his eyes as he looked down on me. “I don’t want to be alone, anymore.”
Despite the fact that I want Kiera to disappear from the surface of fictional existence, Thoughtless was a deliciously painful read. The book was written brilliantly. The love story was intense and complicated on so many levels. All the characters felt raw and real. I felt for them, lived with them, as well as experienced every single up and down alongside them… You just must read the book because it’s a classic. Because the angst. Because the feels.
NOTE: Thoughtless was a love story of hurt, and while it did have a happy ending, the future of Kellan and Kiera still held so many uncertainties and obstacles, which were only natural, considering what the two went through. “…knowing that the person you’re with has cheated on a loved one before lends itself to additional insecurities, even if you were the person that they’d cheated with.” I suppose you can already tell what kind of issues I’m talking about right now. As I’ve mentioned before, I did finish the entire series, and while it was good to see how life treated Kellan and Kiera up until the very end, Thoughtless will forever stay undefeated in my eyes in terms of the concept and originality and execution. Highly recommend!
2. EFFORTLESS by S.C. Stephens
SYNOPSIS
After being caught in the middle of a love triangle that led to a devastating betrayal, Kiera pledged to learn from the mistakes she’d made. She was determined to never again inflict that kind of pain on anyone, especially the soulful, talented man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it survive? Love is easy… trust is hard.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. RECKLESS by S.C. Stephens
SYNOPSIS
Can love survive when life gets Reckless?
When the band hits it big, Kiera and Kellan must ask themselves: Can their love for each other withstand the constant pressures of superstardom? The friendships they’ve formed, the new family they’ve found, and the history they’ve forged will all play a part in helping them navigate the turbulent waters of the band’s exploding popularity. A greedy executive hell-bent on success, a declining pop star looking for an edge, and a media circus that twists lies into truths are just some of the obstacles the lovers will have to overcome if they are going to remain together. Fame comes with a price—but will it cost Kiera and Kellan everything?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S.C. Stephens is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author who enjoys spending every free moment she has creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance.
In addition to writing, Stephens enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading fabulous novels, loading up her iPod with writer’s block reducing music, heading out to the movies, and spending quality time with her friends and family.
She currently resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her two equally beautiful children.
more from the author
