Defy is a smutty, insta-love, insta-lust short novella. It is a prequel to Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1) and can be read as a complete standalone with a HEA.Now an international bestseller. My name is Melody Greene, and I have a confession to make.I slept with my student, a senior in high school.Multiple times.I had multiple orgasms.In multiple positions.I slept with my student and I enjoyed it.I … slept with my student and I enjoyed it.
I slept with my student and I’d do it all over again if I could turn back time.
My name is Melody Greene, and I got kicked out of my position as a teacher and did my walk of shame a la Cersei Lannister from the principal’s office, minutes after said principal threatened to call the cops on me.
My name is Melody Greene, and I did something bad because it made me feel good.
Here is why it was totally worth it.
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So I read this entire series completely out of order, so I think that out was only fitting that I read this story last.
I knew a little about Jamie and Melody, but I didn’t know a whole lot. I always wondered how shew didn’t get in trouble, or if I just didn’t know if she did. The whole relationship made me curious.
These two were so unconventional in so many ways. Neither of them had “normal” or truly happy lives, which really lead to this being so perfect. Perfectly imperfect is how these two are. They took this non-traditional, albeit taboo relationship and have it their all. They could care less about anyone else and it was fantastic. I’m so happy that I finally got to their story and I loved ever minute of it
She did it again! Just read my first novel by the amazing and uber talented LJ Shen yesterday, and devoured Defy today. I love that we get to see the story of two characters introduced in Vicious. Very taboo- the teacher and the hot young student;) Another fantastic-well-written-fast-paced-hotter-than-hell novel! Melody and Jaime have such amazing chemistry-I swear the room got hotter as I read this! I really love Ms. Shen’s knack for writing broken people without coming off too cliche. Her characters are emotionally damaged, but acknowledge this & work past it. Amazing read!
4.5 stars
This was a quick insta-lust, then quick-falling-in-love book that I absolutely devoured in a matter of a few hours. I loved Jaime and Melody’s story, the fact that it was forbidden made their relationship even hotter… it was super sexy, like their chemistry was out of this world… but they also dived deeper into their feelings, allowing them to find solace and some kind of long awaited peace in each other’s arms.
“This was intimate and secretive, two lines we promised we wouldn’t cross outside the bedroom.
Are we breaking the rules?”
I usually like, not love these short, insta-something stories. But the fact that this story was in the world of Todos Santos, and that Jaime was one of the few famous Hot-Holes made it a bit… darker. And I love my dark reads.
“He was driving me crazy… but I was driving him wild.”
I loved seeing Vicious and Millie here, as well as Trent and Dean, and meeting them again through Mel’s and Jaime’s eyes. And even though this is a short story, L.J. Shen managed to give a full story, not leaving anything untold or unfinished. She told this story in her own dark but beautiful writing!
This was the perfect introduction novella into this series. It was packed with insta-love and sexy times with a storyline (albeit it was shorter, due to it being a novella), but it did not lack in anything. It set the foundations for the rest of the series. I was glued to the page from start to finish and adored this forbidden couple. I definitely plan to read the next books in this series.
5 stars!
I read this initially in the Hot For Teacher Anthology where I fell in love with the Hotholes. Of course, I had to read it again, because well….Shen does hot, forbidden, and jerky boys turned all lovable and book boyfriend gods. It was my first peek at the boys, and I’m head over heels!! Don’t miss out!!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
Damn this was all kinds of hot and sexy. Jamie and his dirty talk, yum. I love a man who knows what he wants and not afraid to go/slightly stalkerish after it. And boy does he ever want Melody. Those two were smokin’ hot together.
I’d say if you haven’t read Vicious first (you should totally read it, btw), read this book first. It made me want to reread Vicious all over again. Some parts made a little bit more sense since they coincide with Vicious. But either way… I’m all Team HotHoles! Both fantastic books. Super giddy about the next one!
DEFY : A secret club of sorts, where Alphas rule- aka the HotHoles , Four Horses of THE Apocalypse.
Barrrrron Vicious Spencer is the Leader of them all, Jamie Followhill is the quietest and , for me , the sweetest.
Out of the four of them, he was the quietest. The one with the working moral compass. If Vicious was the evil one, and Dean was the stoner one, and Trent was the lost, beautiful soul searching for its mate, Jaime was the cement that glued them together. He was the guy you could always count on.
He obsesses over his English Lit, inept teacher , Melody Greene. Melody is a a 26 year old trying to escape her shattered dreams and is stuck in a Rut.
They’re attracted to each other because they’re completely opposite.
She’s older, he’s younger
She’s the teacher, he’s the student.
She’s scrapping by, he’s a rich, privileged asshole
Yet they aren’t opposites, that’s just their different environments.
Inside their souls are the same
We both had suffered destiny’s wounds.We were both defective, chipped, and programmed to fight back. Sculpted by our fate. Scarred by who we were. I was a dancer trapped in a teacher’s life. He was a free man imprisoned in his parents’ ridiculous demands and great expectations.
It’s a hot sexy, Forbidden, Tabboo read. But the writing is S.U.P.E.R.B. !!
It’s funny, witty, sarcastic, steamy, sizzling hot.
The teacher /student aspect gives a lot of space for Humour and Leigh , very very adroitly fills them with her clever one liners and humorous descriptions
Holy shit, it was beautiful. Not nine inches like the cheerleaders were whispering about in class (they sucked at geometry , that should’ve been my first clue) but almost— it was just picture-perfect. Postcards-and-stamps worthy. He had the sleekest, smoothest shaft, a prominent head, and a thick velvety vein. And a tilt. To the right.
I had my student’s one-eyed snake staring right back at me in the middle of my tiny empty apartment.
Read this book to truly see how a student/teacher romance is supposed to be written.
Fantastic!
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of novellas because they seemed to be rushed. And while the beginning of Jaime and Melody’s relationship did seem a little hurried, L.J. Shen made up for it in the remaining 75% of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet side that you see come out in Jaime as the book progresses, a side that he only has for Melody. You also get to see a realistic view into a person who is in a career because it is convenient and not because it is his or her passion. I appreciate this aspect of the book because you don’t see it very often.
Overall, Defy was well written and used every word to its advantage. I didn’t instantly fall in love with the book in the beginning, but once again L.J. Shen won me over the more the story developed.
Sigh, Jaime….
Probably the sweetest Hothole there is…
A taboo affair with a student is probably not the normal for high school teachers…No. Somehow it became her norm though.
Melody went from hopeless, to hopeful, and back again. Stress, no sex, and a depressing existence lead her to make a choice she can never undo.
It’s hot, sweet, and painful…but what about love isn’t. Defy is the answers to the secret questions that were lurking in your mind after Vicious. A behind the scenes if you will on the student teacher affair. Also a look into the Hotholes from another angle…
Ahhh! I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to read this book because I have known of LJ Shen for years, but I just haven’t had time to read it until now! I am so freaking glad that I already had it on my kindle ready to FINALLY be read.
LJ Shen is one of those authors that you know right from the beginning that her stories will capture your heart and hold on tight until you reach the very end. This novella was so captivating that I found myself devouring it in a little over an hour because once I started I could not put it down. It seems over the past few months that forbidden romance is the genre my mind keeps gravitating towards…so let me just say that this story is one of the BEST forbidden romance stories I have read!
Defy is Melody and Jamie’s story and it is addictively HOT! My only complaint is that it was WAY TOO SHORT! I wanted more of their story, but at least I have the other HOTHOLES to keep me company now! I cannot wait to fall in love with all of them as I make my way through the series! Amazing novella that I strongly recommend that all LJ Shen friends should read!
Love in unexpected places
I’m “fabulously and fashionably” late to the party when it comes to L.J. Shen’s Hotholes from her Sinners of Saints series but I couldn’t resist after falling in love with L.J.’s writing early this year and knowing that the fourth and final book is out next month (May 2018) and there is going to be a spin-off series too!!!!! Even though Defy was published after the next book Vicious, I decided to go read the series in the chronological order in terms of the books’ timeline and I’m very glad I did.
I never thought I’d say this but I’m such a fan of the taboo “teacher/student” relationship, especially when the female lead is the teacher. Melody Greene is a substitute English/Literature teacher st All Saints High and she is barely scraping through. The principal makes her life hell on a daily basis and the students are more hard work then she ever bargained for. However, when the principal’s son – Jaime Followhill – makes it so Melody “owes him one”, well this is where the story heats up… Jaime has had a crush on Melody from her first day at the school and despite the fact he is 8 years her junior, and her student, he manages to manipulate Melody into a relationship that they both need, they both want, they both desire…
The blurb pretty much sums up and warns you about the insta-lust, insta-love of Defy and so I was more than happy to go along for the ride. Getting to meet the other Hotholes was a pleasure and I cannot wait to start their books!!!! If they are as good as this I know I’m going to be in for a story that will hook me with an incredible story line and throw in some steamy scenes that are hot to trot!!
Making L.J. Shen another of my one click, must buy authors was a great decision and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series and the remainder of her back catalogue!!
nicandbooks
Amazon/Goodreads
Usually when I read a novella, it’s typically an ending to a story – something to give the readers a glimpse into the lives of characters after the main story is over. Yeah….this is not your normal novella. It had so much drama, sex, angst…..everything that you see in a full length novella. And Jaime and Melody – so hot!! They definitely had some sparks flying, more so than I think we saw with Vicious & Emilia in the first book. I really enjoyed that it wasn’t just your average teacher/student relationship. Knowing that Jaime had put so much effort into getting to know Melody, it wasn’t just a fling for him. They are absolutely perfect together!
After having her dreams shattered Melody takes a job teaching a bunch of privileged spoiled kids. This isn’t what she wants to do but she has no choice and is going with the flow. I really liked Melody because she was sassy and didn’t play by high society’s rules and expectations.
Jaime is one of the HotHoles but he’s more reserved. People think they have him all figured out but he’s not what everyone thinks he is. There’s a lot more when it comes to Jaime and he has a huge caring heart. I loved the stand up guy Jaime became as the story unfolds.
“And you feel like a woman worthy of a fight, Ms. Greene.”
“Because I think about you before I think about myself. Always remember that, Little Ballerina. Always.”
I loved the how you could feel the sexual tension oozing off the pages between Melody and Jaime. Their connection and banter eventually developed as the story progressed and it was everything!! This isn’t just an insta love story. You get invested and fall in love with the characters and despite the fact that their relationship is forbidden, you can’t help but want them to defy all odds and be together.
At first I wasn’t sure if I would like the book because it was billed as an insta lust/love type book but it was so well done!! Shen has such a way with words.This is the second book that I’ve read by her and I was completely sucked in and couldn’t stop until I was finished with the book. This series has become one of my favorites and I can’t wait for Ruckus.
Jaime may be young, cocky and confident but he’s determined to get what he wants when he wants it. When he decides he wants his gorgeous English lit teacher Melody, he doesn’t give her much choice, not backing down until he finally wins her over.
Melodys emotions are in turmoil. Torn between who she wants and her career, she knows she’s playing with fire and I don’t blame her one little bit for it. I really liked Mel. She knows what’s expected from her but for once she puts what she wants first.
Although a short romance, it’s not lacking in anything. It’s got likeable characters and a good, and extremely hot at times, story that I really enjoyed and of course it’s the prequel to Vicious so not only do you get Jamie but you get an introduction to three other Hotholes.
A dirty, forbidden read!
She was his teacher…
He was her weakness…
A very dirty and sexy novella fully of steamy moments and insta-love. A novella that pushes the boundaries of love and forbiddenness, of love and defiance and of right and wrong (in society’s eyes).
The chemistry between these two characters were off the charts! So hot. So fiery. So good. So steamy.
Full of forbiddenness, lust, romance, defiance, money and power.
Perfect for readers of forbidden romances/smut romances.
I read this book after Vicious because i thought was the second book of the series but then i realize it was before Vicious and read the whole series again in order AND it blew me away.. definitely it is better to read it this way so you will definitely love more the series and Defy…
Defy is the story of Jamie and Mel .. Jaime is the cocky best friend of Vicious and one of the Hotholes. He can do whatever he wants and he knows it until he meets Mel, his teacher.
Mel works in a job that is not fulfilling her dreams and life, she feels like she has lost a lot.. specially her dreams, to be a ballerina but her dreams are ruined, she’s stuck in a job she is about to lose. .. with a principal who is making her life like Hell and a student who is making her feel alive but at the same time complicating her job more and more…
Jamie is the more reasonable out of the hot holes but not until he decides to persuite his teacher… not only he is in love with her, he wants her and needs her in his life.. so he trick her and do anything to be able to be alone with her and spend some time together.. but Jamie is the principal son and it won’t be easy for him to finally found the way to love Mel, to be able to be with her, the love of his life.. not only because his mom is a big time B**ch and she will do anything to keep them separated including blackmailing them.. but she won’t succed because Jamie has bigger plans to be able to finally be with Mel… he won’t let anybody get between them not even Mel.. he won’t even let Vicious get involved in this situation…
what i also love about Defy is, you can see how the whole Hotholes started, what they do and how they were before Vicious book.. you can see how the love and the tension is there also between the other characters.. so definitely is a WORTH, super WORTH, reading Defy..
if you want to fall in love more with the Hotholes? don’t forget to read Defy .. you will not only see Jamie story but also the beginning of the Hotholes..
Oh my goodness! And to think this series has been sitting in my kindle for MONTHS! Ali I have heard from my reader and author friends alike has been, “You must meet the HotHoles! YOU MUST!” And I figured… meh, I’ll get to them eventually.
What in the actual HELL was I thinking? I have let this amazingly taboo, seriously messed up and incredibly sexy series languish away in my kindle. Leigh, my dear, I must plead for your forgiveness. I bowed to your breathtaking talent. What a discovery for me! Jaime Followhill is EVERYTHING!
Now, do I feel like a perv because I’m well old enough to be Jaime’s mom? Is it just plain wrong to lust after an eighteen year old with the body of a god, a mouth so filthy and a tongue that can make any woman, well, speak in tongues? Honestly, I’m so jealous of Melody Greene I can’t see straight. So yeah, I’m a perv. Sue me.
In all seriousness, this story was stunning. A relationship between a student and his teacher is certainly forbidden in every way. These two were so flawed and united in their shared pain. Jaime felt so much older than his eighteen years while Melody felt so much younger than her twenty-six. Their chemistry was white hot and bubbled over so quickly. I was as caught up in the taboo as they were but it felt as right as rain. Who says that what they felt was wrong? Jaime and Melody certainly had their own insecurities and misunderstandings to combat on their way to having their happy ending. I was just glad to be along for the ride.
Sexy, sinful decadence. Jaime, Baron, Trent and Dean. The HotHoles have already turned my whole world upside down. The Sinners of Saint is going to be one delightful indulgence and I cannot wait for my bite of Vicious.
FANTASTIC, Leigh. Absolutely fantastic!
Oh these HotHoles Sinners of Saint, I love this series and Jaime’s and Mel story was a great fast short forbidden read (wish it was longer) and I loved it. Defy 5 star read!!
Beyond the Filling of “The Void”
Of course this the second of the “Sinners of Saint” book is a deliciously dirty sexy portrait of the “Hothole”, Jamie. The author goes so far as to give up the bones of the story… of Jamie’s romantic adventure from the perspective of his lover, Melody at the very start of the book. It’s what the author makes the reader search for in the details of the game Jamie plays, or for that matter; the game they both are playing, “Defy” that delights the reader both body and soul.
I enjoy each and every epigraph that precedes these stories. The quote from “Jane Eyre” suggests that like the protagonist Jane quoted in the epigraph, Melody chooses her inner compass of right and wrong defying conventional wisdom and societal norms.
Jamie confides to Melody the reasons for and details of the brutal game of “fight club” that the “Hotholes” stage and play every weekend “Defy”. It’s a game to fill “the void”. Melody realizes that Jamie, the man, fills her void.
Their love story turns a brutal game of defiance into a dance of true love. It’s the beautiful transformation of these two players and the game itself that is worth every word read. The intimate and honest confessions to each other in the end acknowledge that there is more to life, more worthy goals to defiance than filling a void. There is defiance for love.
Oooohwiiii this was a sexy steamy taboo read and I loved every second of it. Mel is 9 years older then her student Jamie let’s start off with that bit of knowledge. Couldn’t believe what happened but absolutely happy things turned out the way they did. Jamie is so much more then what he wants everyone to see him for. I cannot wait to jump into Vicious and hear his story, we get a taste of him in this story and the way the boys are together. This is a great read & my unbiased and voluntary review.