Top #4 in the entire store.#14 Most Sold Book on Amazon“Best Romance Novels of 2019” – Oprah MagazineGoodreads Best Romance of 2019 Nominee“A runaway train of revenge, rivalry and angst. This complex and venomous tale takes on a modern-day Cruel Intentions/Mean Girls vibe. Pretty Reckless is unputdownable and absolute Kindle Crack.” – Kindle Crack Book ReviewsFrom USA Today and Washington Post … Crack Book Reviews
From USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an intense, high school enemies-to-lovers romance with a twist.
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 was 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 my firsts for him.
Now he lives across the hall, and I want nothing 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.
more
There are a lot of words floating in my head about how I felt reading this love story but I honestly don’t think anything can be enough to describe how monumentally brilliant it was.
Leigh Shen has undone me. She has made me fall so hard in the depths of these characters and how broken they are. Their broken hearts, their broken promises, their broken spirits are all colliding in my head with me being the mother hen and wanting to wrap them up in cotton wool and protect them from life.
I just am soooooo in love with Daria and Penn’s story. They were imperfectly perfect for one another, all their secrets and lies were painfully my drug of choice. I fed on their heartache and their insecurities and grew like the greedy monster I became as a reader and reaped every damn adrenaline high reward I could gather.
I think this is the best damn book I have read this year. It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting as a high school roller coaster saga, it absolutely exceeded my expectations and made me just look inside myself as a mother that spoke volumes to my insecurities. We all have them, we all have a hulk buried within ourselves but I hope to Marx, you would get that reference when you read this book that we all have the love and support from people that matter the most.
Leigh I’m sending you my standing ovation. You woman are truly talented.
Rated 4.5 Stars
Pretty Reckless was an emotional rollercoaster. It was angsty, had me chuckling, it made me angry, it made me sad, it made me happy, had me sighing and grinning. I loved it and highly recommend it. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
Copy provided by author
“It started with a lemonade And ended with my heart
This, my pretty reckless rival, is how our screwed-up story starts”
When life gives you lemons, your heart turns acidic. Simple.
“Totholes–children of Hotholes”
And so the new generation replaces the older ones. Judging by the first book, the parents are going to have their hands full. Daria Fallowhill is a spoiled little princess, baby daughter of Dean & Melody and it’s her misfortune she goes to the same school her parents hooked up in, so it’s a chip on her shoulder. Add to the fact that she feels invisible, her chips keep piling on till the burden becomes unbearable.
Penn Scully is the brother of Via, the Prima Ballerina in the making and bane of Daria’s existence
The story is very sharp and cutting edge.
In viciousness and venom, it seems to upstage Hotholes.
Let’s see how it progresses when other Totholes join the lot.
4 stars if you guess who’s the Hideous Monster
A book that is so well written, full of so much angst, so much emotion and just raw and intense. I literally could not put this one down and I think I am more in love with the Totholes than the Hotholes if that is even possible. My heart broke so many times and tears filled my eyes at so many points in this beautifully tragic circumstance story. I felt attached to all the characters (except Via who I really did not like given everything) and torn apart yet put back together.
I want to say so much about this story yet nothing at the same time as I feel readers really should take a leap of faith and not know much about what they are getting into. The author did a magnificent job feeding the parts of the puzzle to the reader at just the right pace to leave you included and longing.
I love L.J. Shen’s books but with this one, I’m so in love with her writing !
It’s past only two months after I started reading the series “Sinners of Saint” and now I’ve got the first book from spin-off series “All Saints High”. Perfect timing !
Some books make us smile, some books make us cry. With this story, I felt so many feelings inside me that I don’t even know I have them .
I love so much Daria’s character .
Yes, she did some seriously bad things, but when you read the whole story you find out that her mistakes are not only her responsibility.
She’s a broken person who just wanted her mum to be a mum to her, not a friend.
And to get her attention, she did what every teenager would do to get attention from parents…
Get in trouble…
“The girl who created the Hulk inside me.”
We all have our personal Hulk who lives inside us.
We’re not perfect.
We make mistakes as Daria did.
But till the end, we learned from them and like Daria, we correct them.
We’re all just human beings.
Because of all that Daria is one of my favorite female characters (I think that Daria is my lost sister ).
I love Penn too . He’s one of my favorite male characters (the bad boy who is a gentleman for his girlfriend).
He was the guy from the wrong side, but he was also a guy who wanted to become someone better than his parents.
To have a good life.
What I love the most in the book is Daria’s relationship with her dad, Jaime. He was her hero like every dad in this world should be to their daughters.
Daria and Penn together make a perfectly imperfect couple .
The one you want from the beginning of this story to be together for the rest of their life .
I received an ARC in return for an honest review. Talk about addicted! I honestly thought i was going to hate this book. I’m not big into young adult stories. This story actually took hold of me and I just couldn’t put the book down. Daria and Penn had a crazy connection. Such a good enemy to lovers story!
This book was very emotional for me.
It had me thinking back to what I went through at that vulnerable impressionable age.
Also it reminded me of the struggles my youngest daughter went through.
People react differently to the same situation.
Some may self harm.
Some may hold it in.
Some may take drugs.
Some may seek revenge.
All the characters in Pretty Reckless are complex YA.
Nothing is black and white.
Some are privileged.
Some are poor.
But all have issues.
I loved Penn and Daria.
My heart broke for both of them.
Penn for the circumstances of his life.
Daria for her feelings about herself.
She may be rich. But money does not fix how she views herself and those around her.
He may be poor. But lack of money doesn’t equate to lack of morals.
I thought Daria and Penn were a great fit.
They might bring out the bad in each other.
But they also bring out the good as well.
Their story is complex.
Their hate/love dynamics are breathtaking.
And everything else going on in and around their lives is jaw dropping.
I loved reading this book.
It had me holding my breath in parts,crying in parts,gripping my kindle to the point I was worried I’d break it in two.
It also put a smile on my face and breathing a sigh of relief.
Great read.
I enjoyed every minute of it!
Wow! This new series of second generation sinners started off with a bang! It’s a story that just screams for a five star rating. It’s full of angst, drama and twists galore! This book right here is pure perfection! Prepare to be blown away!
L.J. Shen is my drop everything and run to author. Her books are pure kindle crack, my absolute favorite addiction! And Pretty Reckless is without a doubt, the best novel that she has written to date!
Daria is a spoiled princess, the Queen B and the epitome of a mean girl. On the outside looking in, it seems as if she has the picture perfect life, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She is very good at keeping her lost, dark and broken soul hidden behind a facade.
Penn is a misfit from the wrong side of the tracks. A star on his high school football team with big dreams for the future. He comes off as the perfect bad boy, but deep down has a caring heart that only a few are privy to see.
Daria and Penn have a shared past full of secrets and lies. One act of kindness followed by betrayal leads to the two of them quickly becoming enemies. Both being very vindictive, this is where things get interesting. Even more so when you throw in Penn’s sister Via, Daria’s little black book and the high school principal. What a crazy ride!
Pretty Reckless was everything I was expecting, and so much more. THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING! Definitely my top read for 2019! When this goes live, please be sure to one-click immediately. I can promise you that it’s worth every penny. A high school romance between two opposites that’s full of drama, angst and heat… What more could you ask for???
OH MY MARX
For the first time, I found myself staring at my computer screen in silence, struggling to write a review. Yes, I was super excited to read Pretty Reckless , Yes I freaking love the covers, Yes I am a big fan of LJ Shen’s words BUT this time it was different. Don’t get me wrong it was not different bad… it was a different that left me speechless and in awe.
Love is so contaminated. It tarnishes all that is beautiful and corrupts the soul. Love is so much uglier than hate because when you hate, you’re not confused. When you’re in love, you’re dumb.
This is the reason why my words will fail me for this review, because there are no words that could really describe what this book meant to me. I have been thoroughly touched on so many emotional levels by the story of Pretty Reckless.
If you believe that LJ Shen writing YA means that her words and her story are going to be an easy and sexy read about two young characters, you could not be more wrong.
The author knocked me off my feet and made me fall madly in love with this angst, emotional and heart wrenching story….. and as I kept reading I was stunned by the depth of this epic tale.
Pretty Reckless drew me in like a drug. LJ Shen is a seriously addictive writer. I don’t know what it is she has, but it’s the kind of magic that compels you to read on after every chapter.
The author throws you into two different worlds that are so unique : On one side you have All Saints High on the other side you have Las Juntas. On one side you have the Totholes and on the other side you have the parents…
Daria Followhill is Miss Popular
Daris Followhill is the girl that every girl wants to be
Daria Followhill is the girl that every guy wants to be seen with
Daria Followhill …. Everyone always talks behind her back about how much they hate her, even though everyone secretly wishes they were her friend.
Daria Followhill has the power until she met Penn Scully.
There’s some relief in this pain I’m feeling. It reminds me that despite my bitchy ways, I’m still capable of hurting for someone else.
That moment, their encounter was simultaneously gut wrenching and beautiful.
Penn Scully is perfectly imperfect, he is extremely handsome but he has walls, barriers…
His love for his twin sister Via is unconditional, his loyalty for his friends/teammates inspirational but everything changes the moment he met SKULL EYES….
They meet again four years later and they couldn’t be more different on the outside,
Penn’s eyes remind me of a snake. Mesmerizing but inhuman altogether. They weren’t like that before.
but when you really take a good look at them- they’re more alike than you would think. They bring out the best in each other and the worse. It was more than just desire and lust between them. It went deeper than that. They had an exceptional connection.
They understood each other
They respected each other
“You’re Saturn,” she whispers. “Made of iron-nickel and surrounded by protective rings of ice and rock.”
But do they deserve an HEA? Can they get it without any sacrifices or collateral damages?
Mental and emotional connections are always so much more powerful and this is why when you read Pretty Reckless ………
You shut off the world and embraced theirs. Penn and Daria are in a class of their own. The words just grabbed me and pulled me in so deep that even the thought of ever resurfacing never entered my mind. There was just so much emotion in the pages of this book that it was so hard not to feel them.
I rooted for them from page one but I knew that it was going to be a hell of a ride. Being in the world of the Hotholes again, was sinfully good. Vaughn, Knight, Luna and Daria love each other hard and this transpires in Pretty Reckless.
Some books will leave a mark on you not only because they made you cried or made you laugh until it hurts, but because you felt something as you were reading it and that feeling would never leave you forever.
Pretty Reckless left that kind of mark in me.
It made me cry and made my heart ache. As a teacher , I come across Darias and Penns on a daily basis but most importantly, I come across parents that struggle to get it right for their child despite their best efforts. I come across parents that do not know their child when we talk about them and very often say to me “ We do not talk, she comes homes and goes to her room, we know nothing” It will be the easy option to blame them for their parental skills and the author has portrayed this PERFECTLY- essentially through MEL. LJ Shen is one of the most eloquent authors I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.
Pretty Reckless is so much more than a love story. It’s packed with important life lessons. It’s real, raw and moving … because it reminds us all that even when the world seems to be throwing one bad thing after another at us, there’s always someone out there going through a rough patch too and looking for the light.
Daria Followhill is magic and is hail, she is without a shadow of a doubt my favourite heroine.
“What in the name of the Holy Spirit and Kylie Jenner’s Botox fairy is happening?”
Basically a great response at every turn in this story. If you were a fan of the Hotholes, this story is a bit different. It definitely has the same vibe, but it’s a completely different feel. I want to have all the eloquent words to really define this for you, but unfortunately I do not. If you truly enjoyed the bully-esque vibe in the All Saints series, their kids are going to be reminiscent of that, but they are totally their own world.
I felt for Daria at every turn. Did she always make good choices? No. Did I sometimes want to knock some sense into her? Oh, heck yes. But I know how much it hurts to feel the way that she does. When she meets Penn, it’s at a pretty low moment of her life, when she chooses to do something that will have repercussions way into the future. Penn has enough of his own to deal with, so when these two paths intersect, the only thing that can happen is an explosion of feelings.”The tin man didn’t ask for a heart–but he got one anyway.”
This is a perfect representation of teenage angst. Not cheesy, unwarranted angst, but the true feelings that result from a life that provides major obstacles. Looking in, you may not see the struggles they face, but the struggles are definitely there and the feelings were excellently portrayed. It’s not the Hotholes, but it has definitely peaked my interest and I wasn’t disappointed.
“And that’s what good friends and families do. They pick you up and pull you out of the mud of your own mistakes. And when you’re not feeling the best version of yourself? Well, they’re still there, waiting, because we’re all fucking human.”
Pretty Reckless was amazing. It was an angsty and gritty enemies to lovers romance. I can not get enough. I loved loved it. Daria Followhill and Penn Scully had an intense and captivating connection. Their chemistry was sizzling! I loved them together. I love Daddy Jaime! I can’t wait for the rest of the totholes!
See my review in French here
O.M.G. THE.ANGST…
Fans of the Sinners of Saints Series, be prepared…
This is not your typical NA/High School romance!
After all, those kids are the Sinners spawns!!!!
They are rich and privileged.
They come from powerful parents
Todos Santos is their playground, where appearance and power are all that matter.
But if you scrape a little, all this shiny façade is mostly fake. And rotten…
High school, even if you attend it on the “right side” of the city, can be such a real jungle.
You’ll love Daria, (yes, you know: the typical Queen Bee we usually hate in High School romances).
You’ll fall for Penn too, the bad boy from the wrong side of this wealthy town.
You’ll get some insights of the Sinners lives, which is always nice.
But you’ll also see that even their life is not entirely perfect either. Parenthood is no joke, rich or not.
This book is a great introduction to this whole new generation, with Daria, Vaughn, Knight and Luna, and to what being the Sinners offspring involves.
PRETTY RECKLESS is raw, and sometimes not at all “pretty”.
I loved how L.J. Shen portrays all the main issues teenagers have to deal with, regardless of the place they were born.
Because attending ASH may be an even worse hell than attending a humbler one…
A few years ago, something happened between Daria and Penn, something that set them apart and started all this hatred.
The blurb was enigmatic enough, and I suggest you keep it that way before diving into this book.
Forget about theories
You just won’t see it coming.
And make sure you make room for this read. Send your family and/or boss away.
You won’t be able to put it down.
I couldn’t.
Brace yourselves for a major book hangover, angst galore, call it like you want.
This book, ladies, is worth all the pain, the angst, the dirty punches, the vengefulness and betrayals and tears.
And yes, you’re totally going to be TeamDaria, you know, this character you usually despise…
Because what L.J. Shen has in store for Daria and Penn (and I’m sure, for the rest of the series) is so much more than your typical high school romance.
You will hurt, bleed, cry, laugh, stop breathing, feel lost, abandoned, betrayed and so lonely sometimes, and above all, you’ll see behind this whole privilege mansions and lifestyle of those wealthy kids.
Scratch a little more…
Nobody is perfect.
Everyone has secrets, insecurities, vulnerabilities, or some broken dream…
Those “Totholes” stole my heart (OMG, Knight, I’m already in deep with him, the mini-Dean, I can’t wait for his book), and frankly, I didn’t expect to worship Daria’s character so much.
So yes, L.J. Shen nailed it. Again.
The wait until Vaughn and Knight’s books will be hell, but in the meantime, I’ll re-read Pretty Reckless. It’s amazing like that.
One of my favorite reads this year.
A Must Read!!!!
***ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***
Visit my French blog: https://isalacroqueusedelivres.wordpress.com
I have yet to read a single book by LJ Shen that I haven’t loved! She always writes books that speak to your heart and emotions. This one is no different.
I was wondering what to expect from the children of the Hotholes. I should’ve known she wouldn’t disappoint us! Daria is a straight up mean girl, spoiled and self involved, kind of difficult to like. I was getting worried for a minute there, because she did a few things that really made me cringe! And Penn was just a totally swoon worthy bad boy that you couldn’t help but love! As the story progresses, you really start to understand why Daria is the way she is… and she may even redeem herself! I loved getting to see Jaime and Melody again too! Theirs was a story that was too short, so it was really fun to see them all “grown up”. It was really sweet seeing Jaime being a doting father with his little princess… he still makes me swoon a little!! All in all, this was an amazing book, and I can’t wait to read the rest of them!
Be still my beating heart!!! LJ Shen packs a punch with Pretty Reckless, the second generation, Sinners of Saint spin off. It can be read without first reading any of the Sinners of Saints – Vicious, Defy, Ruckus, Scandalous or Bane. But ooooh – to miss out on all of the deliciousness of it all! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it come to the next generation of “Hotholes”.
“I’m Daria Followhill. Cheer captain. Rich bitch. Little Miss Popular.”
I was cringing and shocked as the story began! Angst, angst, angst! I love it when an author can provoke such a reaction from me! My poor kindle was in danger at times! Layers and layers of drama and situations.
“When someone hits me with a stick, I run them over with a tank.”
Daria Followhill is as complex as they come. A spoiled princess with anger issues, jealousy, and drive. And I’m sure I left a few traits out! She is the black sheep of the family. You can’t get any deeper than that. For all of the fans out there who have read Vicious I present to you – the female “Vicious.” Her defenses are as high as the walls she builds up around herself.
“Behind every untrusting girl is a boy that made her that way.”
And then there is Penn Scully. Another form of complicated. He was not born with a silver spoon. He is manipulative and creative. A hustler and a survivor. He has his mind set on revenge. Penn and Daria share a past and now a present full of forbidden encounters.
“Everything about us is a power game, and no one wants to be the side that got rejected.”
LJ Shen has created a complicated world of have’s and have not’s. Her characters are literally so rich/complex and so deep. Overflowing with emotion and excess. On a side note –I loved the pet names and banter as well! This is a fantastic beginning to a new series!
My only struggle was trying to keep names and siblings straight in the beginning.
“Penn Scully actually thinks he owns me. Me. Daria Followhill. The most popular girl at All Saints High.”
4.5 “reckless”stars
#AuthorL.J.Shen #PrettyReckless #MustRead #Sexy PennAndDaria #Nextgeneration #AllSaintsHigh #AlphaMale #StrongFemale #TheHulkInside #ForbiddenEncounters #SkullEyes #Enemies-to-lovers #Romance #A-holeMale
5 perfect stars!! This books is amazing. I mean kids of the Hotholes?!?! Yes please!!!!
This is book one of the series “All Saints High” and I do believe it can be read as a stand alone.
This book is about Jamie and Mel’s daughter!! Omg we have come so far. I absolutely love this book!! Ok the characters were like assholes a lot of the time but it grew on me. I had saw some people say they just couldn’t feel the two together but I did! I fucking love them together. This is exactly how I like my romances… crazy, hot, obsessed, angry and perfect!!
I hate to even give you a summary because it’s that damn good. I will say this is a story and about Hotholes daughter (who is rich and hiding so many insecurities it’s not funny) and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. And I do want to give props to her dad, Jamie. I think I fell for him even harder.
If you can’t tell already I am in love with all the characters in this book. I really enjoy seeing more of the people from past books. Leigh is a phenomenal author. I will read anything she writes because I have never read anything but greatness from her!
This book is full of surprises, secrets, teenage hormones, greatness, Hotholes, baby Hotholes, charm, steam and so much more. GRAB IT NOW!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review **
“Everyone’s got a story, and we all have chapters we’d rather not read aloud.”
Holy Marx!! Jealousy, revenge, betrayal, heartache, disappointment and love. Since getting glimpses of younger Daria, from previous books, I have always thought of her as a brat. I have been anxiously curious on how LJ would pull off her character and one word comes to mind…flawless.
“Love is so contaminated. It tarnishes all that is beautiful and corrupts the soul. Love is so much uglier than hate because when you hate, you’re not confused. When you’re in love, you’re dumb.”
I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t think I would like Daria that much. But little did I know that I would end up loving her and relating to her on such a deep deep level. My heart hurt for her throughout the entire book. She is nothing like I expected her to be. Did she do some crazy stuff that left me shaking my head? Yes, yes she did but honestly she is human and life happens.
“He gave me the rarest thing in the world, and I gave him heartache.”
Penn is talented, smart, gorgeous, irresistible, a little manipulative and from the wrong side of the tracks. From the beginning he drew me in. When he meets Daria for the first time neither are aware of the consequences that will follow them for years to come.
“Whatever we have, it doesn’t have a pulse, and a life, and a body. There isn’t a beat or a rhythm to our forbidden encounters. They come and go. Like a flash in the dark.”
I loved this book and the story within it. I will say that a certain character had me on edge and ready to throw down but eventually won me over. My emotions run high with this book and it brought many tears to my eyes. I’m really pumped for the remaining books in the series. If you have enjoyed LJ’s previous books or if you are a fan of high school enemies to lovers, you will, without a doubt, love Pretty Reckless!!!
“This was so much more than first love. It was first hate, too.”
~ Read on behalf of Two Darlin Dolls and a Book Review Blog
~Books & Magic Shop Reviews~
This is my favorite release of LJ Shen’s yet! You’re getting the best of both worlds, a brand-spanking new story about Daria (the love of my life) and Penn (the love of Daria’s life lol) whole ALSO getting those moments with the beloved HotHoles we’ve all sorely missed.
Both Penn and Daria have been some of my favorite characters to read about in romance. They’re young and complex, their problems are relatable and real for teens. But they’re also so different from any teen I know. The two of them are sugary sweet and bitingly sour, the perfect combination of bitch and tragic.
There were instances I wanted to be Daria, wanted to have my own Penn, and sure as hell wanted to have Jaime as my dad (he really was my man in this book ). There were also moments where I hurt and was confused WITH Daria and Penn. The skill LJ Shen has in writing a story encapsulates you entirely and sucks you into the All Saints High universe.
Penn and Daria are SO MEAN and SO GOOD. I fell in love with them falling in love. Absolutely could not recommend this enemies-to-lovers read more!!
Love and hate…
I loved this story of teenage angst, petty jealousies and desperate dreams; there are few authors with the skill to write about the turmoils of youth and turn them into a heartbreaking, funny and compelling story. But that is exactly what this author has achieved.
Daria and Penn are two disparate strangers whose worlds collide, irrevocably changing the trajectory of their futures.Taking turns to tell their version of events, their inner battles are laid bare, and a clearer understanding of what drives their actions and inactions is revealed. I love the complex dynamic between these two.
This is an addictive classic tale of revenge and self destruction; there is love and hate and the full gamut of emotions in between, but in the final analysis it is the love between friends, family and lovers that shines through this skilfully written 5 star read…I received an advanced copy of this book from the author.
This story was every single thing that I hoped it would be, yet so much more than I expected. Hands down…my favorite LJ Shen book! We fell in love with their fathers, so the love for their offspring was inevitable!
The problems Penn and Daria faced were relatable. Their pain and heartache will break you. Their attraction was completely unstoppable and unbelievably HOT! Their love was fated.
This book delivered! The writing was flawless. The characters made you either love them or love to hate them! The story was deep and emotional. I never wanted it to end.
I was totally consumed and I loved every word! You NEED this story! The second I finished I wanted to read it all over again…this has never happened to me before. You are going to fall in love all over again with The All Saints High Series.