Pretty Reckless, an all-new standalone high school, bully romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen, is available now!
We were supposed to be best friends
But turned out to be worst enemies…
Penn
They say revenge is a dish best served cold.
I’d had four years to stew on what Daria Followhill did to me, and now my heart is completely iced.
I took her first kiss.
She took the only thing I loved.
I was poor.
She was rich.
The good thing about circumstances? They can change. Fast.
Now, I’m her parents’ latest shiny project.
Her housemate. Her tormentor. The captain of the rival football team she hates so much.
Yeah, baby girl, say it—I’m your foster brother.
There’s a price to pay for ruining the only good thing in my life, and she’s about to shell out some serious tears.
Daria Followhill thinks she is THE queen. I’m about to prove to her that she’s nothing but a spoiled princess.
Daria
Everyone loves a good-old, unapologetic punk.
But being a bitch? Oh, you get slammed for every snarky comment, cynical eye roll, and foot you put in your adversaries’ way.
The thing about stiletto heels is that they make a hell of a dent when you walk all over the people who try to hurt you.
In Penn Scully’s case, I pierced his heart until he bled out, then left it in a trash can on a bright summer day.
Four years ago, he asked me to save all of my firsts for him.
Now he lives across the hall, and there’s nothing I want more than to be his last everything.
His parting words when he gave me his heart were that nothing in this world is free.
Now? Now he is making me pay.
Pretty Reckless by L. J. Shen is the first book in the Sinners of Saint spin-off series, All Saints High. It's our long awaited introduction into the angsty world of the spawn of the hotholes of Todos Santos, and it is fucking spectacular! I don't know if I have ever anticipated a series as much as I did this one in all my reading life! It was worth all of the build up, and it did not disappoint in the slightest!
It's no secret that I regard Vicious as the best asshole hero ever written and every other book from his creator pure magic. Leigh is my unicorn, and I knew she had it in her to make another series as phenomenal as the Sinner's of Saint. This first book showcases that fact perfectly. It's intriguing, emotional, heart warming, angsty, hot, nostalgic, and absolutely beautiful. Daria and Penn together made me feel all of the emotions! Their banter, their intensity, their understanding of one another on the deepest level, and the sexual chemistry between them is everything!
Daria is a heroine unlike any the author has written before. Her name is well-known around her school, but not for good reason. Petty, stuck up, mean girl, brat, spoiled, and entitled are all things that her peers would categorize her as. Not many people take the time to dig any deeper than her seemingly shallow surface. Penn does though, and that's why he deserves the treasure underneath the bullshit.
With every book I read, I always ask myself if the hero or heroine deserves their partner. Do they put their partner before themselves? Do they appreciate them? Do they love them for who they are no matter their imperfections? Do they make them better people? Does their love for them show through everything? The answer to those questions here is yes and not just for Penn.
Though I absolutely loved him, Daria blew my expectations of her out of the water. She was willing to give up everything and upend her whole life to do right by the boy she loves. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is. She's not just some stereotypical self-centered cheerleader with the depth of a kiddie pool. When she truly cares for someone, she is compassionate, caring, and shockingly selfless. Daria may not be easy to love, but she's 100 percent worth the trouble.
I couldn't conclude this review without talking about Vaughn and Knight! They may have been side characters in this installment, but when they were on the page, they damn near stole the show. In fact, Knight made me laugh out loud more than once. He is fucking hilarious, charming, a good friend to Daria and Vaughn, and super sweet when it comes to Luna. Vaughn intrigued the shit out of me from the first mention of his name. I can't wait to peel back all of his layers and find out who he really is. All I know for sure is he's hot af! A tortured, mysterious artist that loves to beat the shit out of people in the ring? Hell yes! I need his book now!!
Speaking of other characters grabbing the spotlight, reading this book made me feel so much Sinners of Saint nostalgia it was ridiculous. It made me want to break out my books and do a total series reread! I lived for all of the glimpses we got of the OG series' characters, and I'm happy that they played a role in this story. I hope that continues in the books to come.
Overall, this is a phenomenal first book in this highly anticipated series! It made me happy, sad, angry, and every emotion in between. Leigh's writing is fantastic! She makes me live her stories. Instead of watching the characters go through motions, I become them. It's just one of the reasons, she is one of my favorite authors. I could go on and on about her brilliance, but I'll spare you the love letter. Lol
If you're a fan of L. J. Shen, pick this one up now! There is no doubt in my mind that you'll love it! For a Sinners reader, this is not to be missed! Even if you haven't read her yet, (aside from OMG, what are you waiting for?!?! LOL) if angsty new adult romance is your thing, this one's for you!
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Excerpt:
“I don’t want you transferring into my school,” I hiss out. Melody would gladly file a transfer request, and Principal Prichard would salivate over the chance to snatch him up for our football team.
“That won’t be a problem. You guys suck so much ass, you have shit-breath.”
“Still smells better than poverty. You’re poor, right? Your sister was just bullshitting about being rich.”
When someone hits me with a stick, I run over them with a tank. I’m so mean to him I want to throw up. I hate this part of being me. The striking harder at all costs part.
“Just to make things clear.” I put the brush down, batting my lashes. “You’re not my step-sibling, foster brother, or a part of the family. You’re a stray dog. Last of the litter, most unlikely to be adopted, and a charity case.”
Penn takes a step toward me, and my heart is fighting its way out of my ribcage. The closer he gets, the more I realize that my heart might succeed. Penn’s eyes remind me of a snake’s. Mesmerizing, but inhuman altogether. They weren’t like that before.
His scent messes with my head. I want to reach out and caress his face. Kiss his wounds better. Beg for forgiveness. Curse him. Push him away. Cry on his shoulder for what we’ve done. For how it ended. For what we became afterwards, because I’m full of crap and he is totally empty.
We ruined ourselves the day of our first kiss.
Penn looks down at me. Time stops. It feels like the world is losing gravity, falling into a bottomless depth in space when he clasps my chin with his thumb and finger, lifting my head up. I can’t breathe. I’m not sure I want to, either. My towel drops to the floor with a thud, even though I secured it over my chest. I realize that he tugged at it intentionally. I’m naked. My body, my soul, my heart. All my walls are down. Somewhere in my head, a red alarm blasts and my inhibitions are getting armed, ready to fight back. I’m trying to decode his expression. He is amused, irritated, and…playful? The mixture of emotions doesn’t make any sense.
“Mess with me, Followhill, and I will ruin you.”
“Not if I ruin you first.”
About LJ Shen:
L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.
Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people's’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.
She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.
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