“Mother. Of. All. Angst. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is rip-your-hair-out frustrating and full of depth and emotion.” – Lana, DG Romance.From #1 Amazon Bestseller L.J. Shen comes a new, emotional standalone about first love, second chances, and overcoming breathtaking losses at a young age.Vaughn Spencer. They call him an angry god. To me, he is nothing but a heartless prince. His …
To me, he is nothing but a heartless prince.
His parents rule this town, its police, every citizen and boutique on Main Street.
All I own is a nice, juicy grudge against him for that time he almost killed me.
Between hooking up with a different girl every weekend, breaking hearts, noses and rules, Vaughn also finds the time to bully little ole’ me.
I fight back, tooth and nail, never expecting him to chase me across the ocean after we graduate high school.
But here he is, living with me in a dark, looming castle on the outskirts of London.
A fellow intern. A prodigal sculptor. A bloody genius.
They say this place is haunted, and it is.
Carlisle Castle hides two of our most awful secrets.
Vaughn thinks he can kill the ghosts of his past, but what he doesn’t know? It’s my heart he’s slaying.
Angry God is a stand-alone, DARK High School Romance. It deals with sensitive subjects some may find triggering.
★★★★★
“Buckle up and enjoy the ride, because you’re not coming out the same way you went in. A top 2020 read hands down.” Helena Hunting, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
★★★★★
“Heartbreakingly beautiful, awe-inspiring, and gut-wrenching, Angry God is a unique masterpiece that will leave you gasping for air and crying for more. LJ Shen is in a league of her own and this book and series will forever leave a mark on your soul.” Rachel Brookes, Bestselling author
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I have no idea where to start. I went into this thinking I knew what was to come, thinking I could take it, thinking I had Vaughn’s story all figured out… Well, shit… I was so wrong and what I got was not what I was expecting.
Vaughn isn’t like any other character Ms. Shen has written before. He holds the same elements to some of them but there has always been something else about him and this book told us that story and Lenora to and it’s gutwrenching, heartbreaking, tragic, beautiful, messy and all kinds of FUCKED UP. Like I said above, I did not expect what I got going into this…
Lenny was everything and more for Vaughn and if soulmates and fate exist then these two are it! She was sweet, kind and everything nice but had a darker side to her that kind met Vaughns and they bounced off each other but also balanced each other out in the most perfect way. The chemistry between these two and the build-up was insanely intense and all-consuming. It was addictive.
If you have read any of LJ Shen’s books then you will know that they are laced with angst, heartache, and emotion. She doesn’t go easy on you, and this book proved to be the same, if not it was even more intense than her others and I have to admit this is probably my most favorite of them all, as are Lenny and Vaughn. I was completely fixated on these two and the angsty push and pull between them.
This is a MUST READ. I honestly cannot scream that enough. It will grab hold of your heart, rip it out of your chest, stomp on it and once you feel you can’t take anymore, the author will pick it up and piece it back together slowly… Oh so slowly! And as much as that kind of angst has me screaming, it’s also the kind of angst that has me coming back for more and you bet your ass I will be going back for more. I cannot wait for the audiobook!
6 Stars because 5 is just not enough!
We knew that the most highly anticipated book of 2020 was going to stop us in our track and pray for willpower so we can savor this read. The title alone has this powerful feel to it, the author’s words no matter they type of story, feels like a long time friend that is sharing a story just for you.
Vaugn Spencer lives by his own rules and if you don’t like it, kindly see yourself out. He’s a rule breaker, leader in his own right, and he genuinely doesn’t give a f*ck what you think about him or how he’s supposed to be perceived. But underneath it all, he has his own scars and some of them have never really healed right making him a flawed God.
Lenora has been through her own tragedy that has completely reshaped her life. Going through the motions and trying her best to go under the radar in her final year of high school in California, Lenora knows that one way or another, it is not going to be smooth sailing. After all, her number one enemy has made it his life’s mission to destroy her piece by piece.
What happens when your rival becomes the one person you can’t live without?
With the angst level and sexual tension so high in this book, it was a miracle my tablet didn’t blow up!! This author gave us the hate, the love, the scorching need that these characters had for each other and most importantly, she gave us a perfect but oh so flawed lovable character.
I have a genuine love for this series and even though a part of me was expecting more from this book, I still enjoyed it and I loved how the characters embraced each other, fought for what was right, and loved with every part of their body. This is another one of L.J Shen books that you don’t want to miss.
*Arc received for an honest review
OMG! Vaughn and Lenora are definitely meant for each other! Glimpses of Vicious and Emilia as parents to Vaughn are everything! This book is full of feels. Lenora “Good Girl” gets dirty revenge on Vaughn and trust me payback is all that and then some! Daddy Vicious is awesome! Thank you Leigh Shen for writing Vaughn’s story—it needed to be told! Trust me and go in blind—you won’t regret it! 5 amazing stars
LJ Shen never ceases to amaze, provoke, challenge! Angry God can be read as a standalone, but is part of the incredible All Saints High series. Shen closed this series out with the BANG heard round Romnacelandia! Do NOT miss this dark, delicious edition to the universe Shen not only created, but RULES!
Enemies-to-lovers
High school bully
Slow-burn
DARK!
D.a.y.m.n.!!!!! WOW!!!!! Angry God was addictive and utterly P.H.E.N.O.M.E.N.A.L!!!!
QUOTE: We were told we were a cut above the rest, the future of artists all over the world. We had the talent, the status, the money, and the opportunity. But if we were silver, Vaughn Spencer was gold.
Every time I pick up a L.J. Shen book, I know without a doubt that the adulting is going out the window. That my phone is going to be ignored—in addition to my husband and kids, and that my bubble won’t be breached. Oh, and let’s not forget the proper steps I should take before I start reading—i.e. a restroom trip, lots of water and a bottle of wine, tissues and —all of it goes completely out the window. Instead, I just lose myself in the story.
QUOTE: …the thought of destroying her pierced me with euphoric desire. She made ugly things beautiful. I was going to show her my soul was marred beyond repair.
I’m so absolutely consistent about reading Leigh’s books in such a fashion that it’s become the norm. Just like with her previous titles, the moment Angry God hit my kindle, I immediately checked out on life and devoted hours of my time to reading it. In fact, it’s a standard I set for LJ Shen’s work. Does it hold me spellbound from start to finish? Does all of the aforementioned apply? It’s a high bar to set for an author, but LJ Shen unfailingly delivers these types of stories. And while being so consumed by a book may sound like punishment to some—a book that draws you in so entirely that you hardly come up for air—that is exactly why I read. I love it on every level. It’s what drove me to start my blog, and why I actively search for authors with incredible talent like LJ Shen. Blogging has taught me more than I can ever tell you about true love for the written word. And it’s how I found LJ Shen. However, Shen’s exceptional storytelling abilities are what keeps me coming back again and again. I swear each book gets better than its predecessor… They are not just consuming but beautifully written.
QUOTE: There is so much beauty in the darkness. It’s just harder to find.
Angry God was everything. Literally. EVERYTHING!!! This book kept me up until nearly 4 am. I was consumed by Lenora and Vaughn. This enemies-to-lovers story with an alphahole hero and the good girl who was secretly a bad girl? WOW!!! I couldn’t get enough!!! The sparks flew between Lenora and Vaughn, and this slow-burn romance nearly burned my house down… seriously, my panties didn’t make it out of the fire, that’s for sure. Anyone who has read Leigh Shen’s previous works, know that the woman is quite crafty with romance. That her words often come across lyrical in nature and she’s exceptionally skilled as a storyteller. She takes chances with her stories and her characters have been through the wringer…and I was reminded again that she’s one of my very favorite authors after reading Angry God. I’ve loved the other books in the All Saints High series—which can be enjoyed independently and out of order—as my reviews will attest…but Vaughn’s story destroyed me and then stitched me back together, much the way that Lenora’s art is made. I cried and cried reading this one. And I don’t cry easily. His broody nature and the man underneath was always a draw, but the plot was something that I never anticipated. I thought it was extremely well written and deserves far more than the measly five stars I’ve given. I can’t recommend this book with enough zest. It’s truly exceptional and while it touches on some dark matter, so does life! No one walks through life completely scotfree… and to find love in the midst of our journey is what we all aspire too. The realness of the story might be hard for some—there are topics that are definitely triggers for some people: abuse and bullying—but that’s what made this book LJ Shen’s best work.
QUOTE: Lenora didn’t strike me as a party girl. She had the strange gene, the one that made her stick out like a sore thumb wherever she went, even without the Maleficent wardrobe. I could tell because I had it, too. We were weeds, rising from the concrete, ruining the generic landscape of this yacht club town.
Angry God made my Heart Bleed!!!!
I can honestly say that the start of this book was a slow one for me… I kept waiting for the build up. Every story has one. I was starting to get worried… and Bam!
L.J grabbed me right in my heart! And Squeezed!
I loved Len and Vaughn! How she played hard and tough on the exterior and he was afraid to be vulnerable! It made this story extraordinary! Of course it didn’t hurt that we got to have some of our man Vicious too! It makes me sad we might not see more of these characters…
Definitely a Must read if you love a tortured bully Romance!
– Given an arc for my honest review.
If you thought the other books destroyed you, this one will take the cake! My heart was in my throat while reading this one. In my head I knew that Vaughn’s book would be a tough read but nothing prepared me for the story he had to tell.
In a rollercoaster ride that will leave you breathless, jar you around like no tomorrow, hot and flustered from the steamy scenes, yet exhaling from the ending, that’s what this book will take you through.
Thank you to L.J. Shen for bringing us the Sinners of Saint series and then this All Saints High series. Sad to see it go but ready to see what Shen brings to us next!
Stunning Masterpiece!!!
Dark, raw, gritty, heartbreaking, beautiful! This is BY FAR the best book Leigh has ever written!!! No one weaves a masterpiece like she can. Vaughn is one of the most interesting and tortured characters I’ve read. He is definitely a chip off the ole Daddy Vicious block. This is a beautifully perfect ending to the whole Sinners of Saints series.
Okay, so… here’s the thing. I love LJ Shen. Leigh is a phenomenal writer, one of the very best in the indie book community. My rating is not a reflection of her writing, just of this book. That being said…
This book wasn’t what I was expecting. At all. Vicious will always and forever be my main man, so when I heard we were getting a spin off series that included his son? I was ALL IN. Knowing that Vaughn was going to wrap up the new series, I thought, ‘what a fantastic way to bookend the Todos Santos crew.’ We start with the father and end with the son.
I just feel like the Vaughn we met in Pretty Reckless and Broken Knight was not the Vaughn we got in Angry God. I expected him to be crueler, bolder, darker. He was not. Likewise, Lenora Astalis, who I have been championing for since BK, was so very different in this book. I loved both characters previous to reading AG, but I ended up only liking them afterwards, not loving them more.
This book has also been said to be dark; it’s not. While it may have a couple dark themes, and could arguably be the darkest out of the entire series, it is very much not dark. A bold gray, at best. The first half just seemed so repetitive, like each chapter was just a retelling of the previous one. It was wildly predictable. The back half was better, but not much.
I will also say that one of my biggest disappointments of the book was that there was hardly any mention at all of anybody else from this entire series. Obviously Vic and Emilia, cameos from a couple others, but nothing from the rest of these characters. Complete radio silence for some. No proper goodbye from one of the most beloved set of characters in the community in your final book? Really?
However, I will say that I didn’t hate this book, but not did I love it. Merely indifferent. There’s some great snark sprinkled in, lots of feelings from Vicious and Emilia, and a letter from Vaughn that really pulled at my heart. The book isn’t a total wash, but it’s just disappointing.
“Vaughn was incapable of falling in love, but I wanted to steal pieces of him. His time. His talent. His words. His smiles…I was a thief of everything Vaughn Spencer.”
What a rollercoaster this one was! Vicious was one of my favorites, so when I heard that Vaughn was getting a book, I was interested to see how the two would compare. I loved how, yes, he is very much his father in quite a few ways, but this boy was a big ol’ giant onion wrapped in barbed wire that needed a top secret code to get anywhere close to peeling those layers back. I was so pleasantly surprised to have a deeper, almost darker reason for that, because it explored a whole lot of vivid emotions, real life issues, and really explored the damage and the flaws of both characters in such a way that I really felt I knew them both by the time I finished. Can we talk banter here for a minute? These two were insane in how they went at each other, and never knew what either would do next, but that’s what made it so fun. There are moments where you want to curse them both, but that lent to the honesty of the story, because these two are who they are, we find out why, and it all makes sense. It’s not perfect, it was one of the messiest relationships from start to finish, but that’s what made the entirety of this story feel so incredibly satisfying after I was finished. Don’t expect easy, or white knights, but he won me completely over just like his father before him. It really sank deep in my pores and resonated. I love when that happens!!
“Vaughn Spencer had the uncanny ability to make me feel twisty, like if he didn’t touch me with his icy fingers, I’d burn.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
LJ Shen continues to dominate the new adult romance genre. Each book she releases continues to elevate her skill and artistic qualities leaving readers more enraptured with her work.
Angry God was everything. This book will go down as one of the best stories I’ve ever read. It’ll imprint on you forever. The writing was flawless. It’s hard to put into words just how amazing this story was. How detailed. How complex. How emotional.
Vaughn was truly a tortured artist and Lenora was the light he needed through the darkness.
Sizzling chemistry and angst
Angry God
“She made ugly things beautiful. I was going to show her my soul was marred beyond repair.”
Angry God was not what I was expecting at all. This story was so intense, gritty, raw, heartbreakingly sad and beautiful. I honestly don’t know what to say. Lenora is my new girl crush. So strong, kind, fierce, protective with a big heart. There’s not enough words for Vaughn. We think we know who he is but we have no idea! He suprised me so much! Gah that boy. I want to give him a big hug, but he wouldn’t want me to. I love him. He and Knight officially broke my heart now. I basically highlighted the whole freaking book. Vaughn definitely have a way with words.
Lenora and Vaughn’s love is strange. But it make sense. They make sense and I totally understand why Leigh choose her for him. They are not meant to be with anyone else but each other. And the epilogue was everything. I have re-read it so many times! I tell you guys, you are not ready! And you are not ready to find out why he is angry.
When words just aren’t enough.
Vaughn Spencer has met his match.
Twisted together. Torn apart.
In your face. Behind your back.
Guard your heart with this fantastic read.
Only five stars! Angry God is a ten out of ten for me!
It is impossible to give this profoundly affecting novel the justice it deserves in just a few words. As I was hooked from the get-go, I did something I haven’t done in a long time. I warned everyone I wouldn’t be around, went into book hibernation and read it in one sitting. This is Shen at her very best! This story of two young adults at loggerheads with each other for reasons to be divulged is skillfully written, the plot meticulously thought-out. And what blew me away was all the characters involved are not only equally important in driving the story forward, but in one way or another, show their weaknesses and strengths.
“There are no bargains between gods and mortals…”
Vaughn is shameless in his pursuit to make Lenora’s life difficult. Aah, but getting to know why she’s his nemesis and what the fundamental cause for his hatred towards her was kept me guessing and in its revelation, literally threw me off balance. Ooh boy, the proverb like father, like son couldn’t be more fitting. The rapport between Baron Spencer aka Vicious and his son is overwhelmingly indulgent. He’d do anything for Vaughn’s wellbeing and consequently, I fell even harder for the first protagonist in the Sinner of Saint series.
‘He wore his skin with arrogance, like a crown.’
The good girl. Wow, I love feisty heroines and Shen went all out and gave her readers Lenora. She’s not the same shy child Vaughan once knew. War is declared, she’ll fight him and his hangers-on and make you root for her. I can’t say I was all that impressed with some of his actions but as the story unravelled, he won me over big time. This guy honestly has eyes in the back of his head! Controlling, intense and oh-so-very sure of himself, he’ll shock and surprise you and in the same breath, melt your heart in an instance.
‘If you want to look at your fiercest protector, at the one person you can always count on, take a good look in the mirror.’
Vaughn and Lenny are talented sculptors. Neither here nor there, all that revolves around the art world enthrals me. So when Shen took me through a step by step process of their art, I was sold lock, stock and barrel. Their contrasting personality traits often made me wonder how on earth the story would pan out. And although Lenny has her own issues, her strong will, sense of virtue and abounding courageousness is without a doubt, a driving force her arch-enemy had no option but to reckon with. He marvelled at her good nature from afar, his inner thoughts bringing me to my knees. The banter which flows with no let-up is Shen’s stamp through and through. Perfection in its entirety, she makes storytelling so lifelike that I am in awe.
“Friendly reminder: I may be your assistant one day, Vaughn, but I will never be your bloody servant.”
Truths untold, unlimited revenge, jealousy, scenes so angst-ridden and an unexpected twist leads up to a magnificent ending I never thought possible. Shen’s penmanship evokes all the feels. Gritty, exciting and so devastatingly devasting, a little suggestion from me…go into this read with an open mind. It’s dark but not too dark. It’s heartbreaking but not too ugly. It’s brilliant and so damn quotable that I had to be careful adding them without letting on.
“There are no bargains between gods and mortals.”
A side note: the Brit lingo and surroundings, the laugh out loud mention of a popular English fashion house I wouldn’t dare to enter were perfectly unperfect. In a nutshell, BRAVISSIMO!
“Tell me you don’t shop in …,”
Leigh’s first book of 2020 is going to become known for alot of things – best book of the series, Leigh’s best work to date, best book of 2020 and the most profound all consuming hero EVER. I know I wasn’t prepared for the impact Angry God had on me but with daddy Vicious I should have expected no less. Vaughan is a complex young man and Leigh delivers a story for him that doesn’t just pull you in it drags you kicking and screaming into his world. This story had everything, drama angst passion enemies to lovers all delivered in one soul destroying epic tale. This has been one of my most anticipated books for a long time and Vaughan has imprinted himself on me and I know he won’t ever leave.
Dark, delicious, and completely mesmerizing, L.J. Shen blew my mind with this book.
Enemies-to-lovers
High school bully
Slow-burn
DARK!
Awwww… Vaughn Spencer is everything. I had so many complicated feelings while reading this All Saints High book. He had all the reasons in the world to be the way he was because Vaughn was basically broken. And I felt broken right along with him. Lenora was much stronger than I thought she would be. Stronger than I would be. As much as she went through before Vaughn. As much as she went through BECAUSE of Vaughn, she kept bouncing back. She wouldn’t let anyone keep her down. Vaughn showed his heart in many little ways but I fell head over heels for that boy. He’s like that little boy that pulls the piggy tails of the girl he likes. As much as he felt not deserving of love, I loved the growth and healing Vaughn went through. Lenora and he both made me cry so much in the telling of their story but I loved every single page. Every single feeling pulled out of me until the very end.
Wow. This book had me feeling all kinds of ways.
By 25% in, I could not stand Vaughn Spencer. I wanted to punch him in his pretty little face.
But man, did I LOVE Lenora. What a tough chick. She could dish things right back. I was waiting for her to blow up the entire world! 🙂
And then… around 50%… I started to soften ever so slightly on Vaughn.
This is a pretty dark story and some of the content is uncomfortable, but these types of stories are my jam. With that being said, there were several scenes that I just LOVED. The love/hate chemistry between Vaughn and Lenny was fascinating. And the suspense within the story was very well teased the whole way through.
It’s more than fitting that a Spencer began the original series and a Spencer ends the spin-off series, and just like his father, Vaughn Spencer is a complicated, damaged, and standoffish character – one who hides so many emotions and scars behind his arrogant and dickish ways. But so much like Vicious, there are reasons for Vaughn’s actions, more so than the fact that he feels it’s his right to say and do what he wants, damn the consequences. And while getting to that point is quite the maddening and aggravating experience, by the time readers understand everything there is about this angry god, it’s quite clear why he chose to live his life that way and what adjusting who he is means to both himself and those around him, especially those most important to him.
I’m always so intrigued by the leading ladies Shen matches up with her complex heroes; at first glance, the heroines don’t seem to fit their leading men in personality nor do they act like they have the confidence or perhaps the backbone to deal with these mercurial alpha holes, but, in most ways, these female leads are exactly who these heroes want and need, and while it’s frustrating for awhile, because anyone not in these guys’ inner circle is considered unworthy, especially when they’re seen as their rival or enemy, slowly but surely, the unwarranted anger and the words and looks of nothing but hatred become less meaningful and unmask the real reason behind the mistreatment and bad behavior.
And let me tell you, Lenny’s backstory is one in which she has had to deal with her own darkness and the way that some of it ties to the ‘pale face. black heart.’ boy sheds light on just how they were connected for a lifetime, even if one or both didn’t want to be. I admire Lenny’s love of making things out of garbage…of taking something ugly and making it beautiful…of turning the flawed into the flawless, and while that task is both arduous and beyond difficult, the hope she finds in those things is what helps her to carry on…to move forward from a past that has dug its hooks into her heart and soul, and while Vaughn doesn’t make things easy on her, sabotaging so much between them, she is still the only one who truly understands him…truly knows his secrets, all of them, and remains by his side, if only he would let her.
The good girl and her angry god.
I’ve been looking forward to Vaughn’s story since being introduced to him, and while I worried that he wouldn’t have his own light shined on him because of how larger-than-life his father is, I didn’t need to worry, because as much as Vaughn is like Vicious in his temperament and his disdain for many things and people, Vaughn’s story, his personality, his choices and actions are his own…based off of his past experiences and where life has led him.
I will say that it took me a bit to get a feel for both of the main characters and I found myself wondering why Lenny felt so tied to a boy who did nothing but hurt her in so many ways, but as their story continued and everything started to unravel, in both emotional and completely revealing ways, I began to understand who they were at their core and what they wanted and deserved to have in their life.
Angry God was unexpected in so many ways and the feels were INSANE, and in true L.J. Shen fashion, the angst is OUT. OF. CONTROL. and sometimes, I got lost in the upheaval and it became a bit too much to handle, but I weathered it all to find out exactly how Lenny and Vaughn would find their way, both together and on their own.
4 Poison Apples