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.
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So incredible. L.J. Shen continues to wow me with everything she turns out! Her characters are always complex, I love the love/hate relationships, and the stories she creates are just so well done I never want them to end. This book is full of everything…pain, regret, loss, forgiveness, and love. You won’t want to put it down!
Sometimes it’s so nostalgic to read a high school love story. It reminds me of my crush on Jordan Catallano and the first time he kissed me in his car when he gave me a ride home from school. Oops, that wasn’t me, that was Angela Chase… But I was still crushing on Jordan right along with her.
This book gave me that kind of feeling. The main character Daria has a major crush on Penn ever since he kissed her outside of her dance class when she was 14. However, she had done something terrible and he hated her for it, so despite going to different schools, she was a cheerleader and he, a football star so she avoided him whenever they were near each other.
Until his mother passes away on his birthday and his stepfather throws him out. Daria’s parents take him in and Penn swears revenge on Daria. Daria is sort of misunderstood, in that she is often a victim, but when cornered, instead of trying to explain herself or tell people what is going on with her, she lashes out viscously. She ends up hurting people and then feels tremendous guilt for her actions.
Daria has strange ways of dealing with the guilt and nobody really understands her, even her family. They don’t even try, except maybe her Dad. Until Penn begins to try. He then starts to see her in ways nobody else does, and he sees how other people treat her when nobody else seems to care.
I couldn’t put the book down and I really liked some of her friends, Vaughn, who is the son of Vicious will probably have a good story. He is quite the man-whore but also is a fighter and an artist who is very selective about his friends. Knight is another friend of Daria’s who looked out for her as much as possible, though she didn’t let him see the real her. He is the son of Dean and is a cool guy so I hope he gets a book as well.
First off I’d like to say this is the first book I’ve read by LJ Shen and it won’t be the last.
Pretty Reckless pulled me in from the very beginning. Daria, is a lost and lonely, teenage girl seeking her mother’s approval but at the same time desperately trying to act like she didn’t need it (after all she is a teenager).
Penn. Oh poor Penn. I fell for you the instant we met you. The sad, ‘poor’ boy with the hole in shirt. You saw Daria, really saw her, right from the beginning and you went out of your way to reach her. (swoon).
I love how LJ wrote these characters. Both Daria and Penn lost things, or should I say people in their lives and they both felt guilty inside because of those losses. Finding comfort in each other was only natural given their current living situation, regardless if they hated each other.
I loved seeing Daria and Penn mature and take responsibility for their ‘sins’. They really did grow through out it all and with that growth they were finally able to not only love each other but also themselves.
Side Note: The entire time I was reading Pretty Reckless, I grew to hate Melody for treating Daria the way she did, and I couldn’t understand how the father could let it happen. I hated her so much that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to go back and start with her story…but Melody redeemed herself in the end. I can’t wait to binge the previous titles.
Every book by LJ Shen will draw you in from the beginning to the end and Pretty Reckless is no different. I stayed up past 4 in the morning reading this book because I could not put it down! So good!
One of the best books I have read in 2019!
Pretty Reckless is angsty, unique, and gripping. LJ Shen returns with the new generation of Hotholes in this stunning standalone! Don’t miss out, because this is a book everyone is devouring!
Who doesn’t love a good new adult high school romance? I know I do! And this one has a sexy alpha bad boy hero, which you know I’m a sucker for. Check this one out!
Leigh Shen knocks one out of the park and possibly the world to start this new All Saints High series! It is highly recommended that you read the Sinners of Saints series first before beginning this amazing series – I promise you will not be disappointed in the slightest if you haven’t read them!
Pretty Reckless is a phenomenal and emotional book that literally had me in tears because the emotions bled from the page and into my soul. This book hits you on all emotional levels! There’s angst, envy, deviousness, pain, hatred, frustration, loneliness, love, and so many more! This book may be set in high school, but this privileged and entitled crew is definitely not your standard Young Adult characters. Shen digs deep into these characters and the emotions flow onto the page and into your hearts and you can’t help but pick sides and chose who to root for just like you’re one of the gang in high school.
Daria Followhill leads her life as the spoiled princess who is Cheer Captain and Queen Bee in high school – everyone wants to be her or be in her inner circle. But her character is truly complex and layered that we get to see stripped down throughout the book. I could totally relate to some of the issues she was having at home with her parents as well as her friends. Sometimes people are not who they seem and they have a shell and persona to hide what they truly feel and desire. Daria has insecurities in her life that she tries to navigate through and Shen did an amazing job making them believable and relatable.
Penn Scully is the kid from the wrong side of town who is not the typical Football Captain of the rival team. He’s flawed and broken with quirks and attitude because his life has never been easy. His world is totally opposite of the one Daria grew up in but their worlds are intertwined more than they could have ever dreamed. Penn went through loss at an early age in life and it’s helped him to develop a thick skin. Penn has learned how to be resourceful and resilient from his past and it’s forced him to develop street smarts. But in typical teenage fashion, he makes mistakes and reacts emotionally sometimes which can be both good and bad. Throughout the book, his loyalties are tested between family and obligations versus love. Sometimes he makes the right choice in his head only to later question if it was the right choice. Shen makes his character flawed but lovable, rough around the edges but full of heart, and he becomes a quintessential person for Daria as she navigates her life.
This book also focuses on family – specifically the Followhills – and how sometimes family life may not be what it seems on the outside. Sometimes families can look good at being a unit in public but behind closed doors family can be broken and alone, but families find a way to forgive and survive hardships and when needed, rally around one another to help mend those broken bonds. Love within a family is unconditional, even if you do not all seem to be on the same page. Shen does an amazing job giving you glimpses into all the characters thoughts about the Followhill family and doesn’t shy away from exploring hard issues within the family unit.
As you read, you may think you have an idea where the story is going, but here’s the catch: this is not your typical teenage high school story. Every path you think this book may take will take a turn in a direction you never thought of or it will dive and dip down into something you weren’t expecting at that moment. You’ll see these characters experience typical teenage scenarios but you will also watch them grow with every turn of the page and have to make some decisions that you would never dreamed of having to make at their age.
I cannot describe how much this book touched my soul! I could relate to Daria as a teenager dealing with her insecurities from my own past as well as Melody, her mother, being a mother myself. It taught me things from Melody’s perspective that I hope I can convey to my daughter as she gets older. This story is a rollercoaster of emotions wrapped up in loving arms and possesses your soul. Leigh Shen demonstrates once again why she is an amazing writer and continues to show us her skills in another genre!
This book deserves way more than just 5 stars!! L.J. Shen has done it again. I was IN TEARS!!! Even hours later after I finished the book I would cry just thinking about it. Gosh, this book was EVERYTHING!!! Pretty Reckless was about life, revenge, love, and so much hurt.
Daria and Penn were amazing, I loved Daria so much. If you’ve read Shen’s previews books then you know who she is, but in this book we get to know her and see just how much she is holding back and suffering. Daria isn’t always doing the correct thing, she lets things get to her and she acts out of anger. She is tho, not a bad person. She is holding so much and all she wanted was attention and love that her mom hasn’t been giving her for years.
Penn is a guy who is used to getting away with everything, he wasn’t easy to love but also wasn’t impossible. He was holding so much in, anger, disappointment, and revenge. He isn’t used to letting people get away with things. So when he finds his sister gone, he sets out to get revenge on the person who drew her to leave town…. Daria.
Penn and Daria are so different yet so alike, they both have suffered so much, all the are looking for is to find someone to be there for them. This book was amazing, I loved Daria so freaking much. Shen once again proves that she is the queen of delivering amazing and unforgettable book.
This book was everything I expected, everything I had hoped for and so much more!
‘Pretty Reckless’ is a new series following the children from the Sinner of Saint series. Daria Followhill is the main female character in this story, and daughter of Melody & Jamie from Defy. However this is an absolute standalone story!
From the very first page I was hooked to this story. The characters… the feels… oh and the angst… so much angst bled from the pages of this story. Once I started I could not put it down!
Daria is an absolute a-grade bit*h!!! She was so full of her own self-importance, spoilt, rich… but as a reader I still really liked her. She is fully aware of the flaws; she knows she isn’t nice & she embraces it. SHE OWNS IT!
However I also had this overwhelming sense of sadness running through me throughout the book. I really felt for her, I actually cried for her. She’s lost, she feels unloved, and she’s simply not understood by anyone around her apart from her Dad and of course Penn…
Oh Penn! What can I say about this character. He’s is absolutely fantastic and from the moment we meet him I knew he was going to steal my heart. Daria and Penn have a past and from their first encounter 4 years ago, she’s never forgotten him. And he’s not forgotten her either…
When Penn unexpectedly ends up spending much more time with Daria and her family, he has revenge on his mind. However, the tension, the chemistry and the connection between these two is strong. And before long we see so much more from both of the characters – their vulnerability, their fears, their hopes and their passion. We feel all of their hurts!
With loads of drama, excitement and explosive scenes throughout; this is one rollercoaster of a story!
This story is absolutely everything and quite possibly my favourite LJ Shen book to date. The secondary characters were fantastic; with some wonderful loyalties. I’m looking forward to more in this series!
LOVE this cover! I started this book and could not put it down! The angst almost killed me, and I loved every second! I cannot wait for more!!
“Everyone’s got a story, and we all have chapters we’d rather not read aloud.”
I, like many people, have been eagerly awaiting this book. Some times when that happens, I get let down because of all the hype. That wasn’t the case with this book. The thing about this book is everything that you think is going on; isn’t what you think because it isn’t the entire picture. It’s small snippets of a much larger image that’s beautiful and perfect. This book ripped me open because it was so beautifully written and so raw. It takes the ugliest parts of what happens inside of women and flays open stereotypes and cliche’s. Somehow, Shen managed to perfectly round out every character in this story, including the parents. Which is where my soul was shattered and then healed completely. Daria hurts and I hurt with her but when we get a look into her mother’s thoughts; I completely shattered. We even get a look into her dad’s at some point and that chapter is the MOST perfect thing I have ever read in any story, probably because of my death like loyalty to the HotHoles. But I’m getting off topic here, this book is worth its weight in gold, silver, copper and every other kind of precious metal. It’s firm and perfect and the ending is my very favorite ending of any story that I have ever read.
This. Book. Just wow. It was nothing like I was expecting, and completely blew me away!
Pretty Reckless is book 1 in the new All Saints High series, centering on the children from the Sinners of Saint series. I actually just read (and loved!) that series in preparation for this book, but they are completely separate and you don’t have to read one before the other.
Daria is Queen B*tch of All Saints High. Gorgeous, rich, cheer captain, she’s loved & hated by all. But things aren’t always what they seem, and little miss perfect is actually a huge mess.
Penn is from the other side of the tracks, basically just surviving and working his butt off to get a football scholarship & leave town. And just when he thought things couldn’t get worse he receives the worst birthday gift of all, leaving him homeless and completely alone.
This book is an all-out angst fest, from the beginning to the very end. Nothing is what it seems, everyone has secrets, and crushing others to get ahead seems to be a sport. Love and hate go hand in hand, and the lines between enemy, lover, friend, and family are so blurred they’re practically non-existent.
Penn & Daria’s story is one I highly recommend going into blind, so I’m trying to keep this as spoiler-free as possible! This book is addicting, the writing impeccable, and I devoured every word. The characters are well developed, the storyline sucks you in and doesn’t let go. I couldn’t put it down, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series! l
I highly recommend going into this book with no expectations, it definitely won’t disappoint!
And the Totholes have won me over!
After the first chapter, the characters had ingrained themselves into my mind. I was hooked, and I knew from that moment the book was going to be amazing.
Each page had me holding my breath and hoping for the best. These two needed each other. They just didn’t realize it.
Daria was perfectly broken. Her self-esteem was low, but you would never know it based on her actions. She exuded confidence and an air about her that made people fear her.
Penn had been through so much in his lifetime. He was determined and fearless. He had lost too much not to lay everything on the line.
These two together were like perfect puzzle pieces. They completed each other and brought our each other’s positive characteristics.
Even though my heart broke for both characters, I don’t think their story could have been written any other way. They had to hurt in order to heal, and Leigh knocked this book out of the park.
I loved getting to see glimpses of our favorite Hotholes. Even though they are adults, they still succumb to their high school antics, and the storyline for the remaining kids has me pondering countless scenarios.
– An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
Daria and Penn two broken people but one you couldn’t tell by looking at them. The other didn’t care, they were who they were with absolutely no remorse.
This book was awesome. I couldn’t believe the twists and turns. The emotional heartbreak that just poured off the pages. A girl that was broken and just couldn’t get it together like she needed to. The things that she did were selfish and I was like NOOOOO!
Penn was on a mission when it came to Daria but he got more than he bargained for. He didn’t think he could feel anything for her besides hate.
UGH this book doesn’t disappoint and I absolutely love the books that this author writes!!!
5 Stars!
Binge Read Alert!!
The Review:
Oh my “Marx”! This book… WOW. Just wow!
You want feels? It’s here. You want angsts? It’s here!
You want a book you can sink into and only be pried out by the threat of a zombie apocalypse… and even then it’s questionable? (Let them get eaten!) IT’S HERE! This book. This is the one to read to get your binge read on.
Story/Characters…
Remember the original HotHoles from the “Sinners of Saint” series? Yeah? I mean, who could forget them, right? That’s where I fell in love with this author and her fabulous alpha-holes. This series features their offspring. And this book? Is about Daria Followhill, daughter of Jaime and Melody from “Defy”.
You think Daria Followhill has everything. Beauty. Security. Popularity. And dance. She has a fabulous life. An envious life. She’s spoiled. She’s bratty. And she’s jealous. Under that perfect exterior, there are depths to her secrets and looks are the most deceiving thing of all.
Penn Scully is tough. His life is a mess. He doesn’t have the family. The money. The privilege. His life is beyond complicated.
Daria and Penn meet for the first time when she’s fourteen. She thinks her life is spiraling out of control, so he does her a favor. She repays him with a kiss. That one act irrevocable act changed everything for both of them.
Four years later, Penn is back and he has vengeance in mind. Daria has redemption.
There’s angsts. Oh, the angsts!
There are complications. Que the rollercoaster ride of emotions.
There is hate. There is lust. There is a fine line to be crossed.
There is fiery chemistry! Shew…
This story is intense. It’s stressful. It’s painful.
It’s phenomenal!
I loved it. From beginning to end, it was one thing after another and the author does a beautiful job of immersing the reader into their chaotic world, but also guiding us through so that each twist and turn is breath-stealing and breath-taking.
I wanted to hate Daria. But I couldn’t. Not really. Once all her layers were peeled back, once her mask was removed … there was a lot going on and the author did an amazing job showing this reader her depth.
I loved Penn from the start. L.J. Shen knows how to write an alpha-hole you can’t help but love and adore. Penn was that kind of characters. Tough. Conflicted. Layered. And hot!
The Wrap Up…
This is definitely an enemies-to-lovers read you’ll binge. I couldn’t put it down and I’m so freaking excited for the next tale in this series!
LJ Shen is a force to be reckoned with. Her writing is smart and sharp and emotionally intense, but sexy and provocative. Never more than with PRETTY RECKLESS, this enemies-to-lovers mature YA/NA she uses to launch the ALL SAINTS HIGH series. Add claws, teeth and nails to whatever you expect of a ‘high school’ romance and you’ve got All Saints High. With the first installment, Shen has crafted a story so fresh, it feels like its own new genre.
Pretty Reckless has wrecked me in the most wonderful way.
“Us. Licking each other’s ice creams. She is tasting my sourness. As I devour her sweetness” – Penn
LJ Shen writes vivid teenagers that bring back all of the angst and insecurities of high school. Finding out who you are and where you fit. Rivalries, first loves and first heartbreaks Not to mention secrets and lies run amock.
We get a second chance at reliving the angst, tears, secrets, lies and pain of our younger years. But, this author adds her unique take with Hothole fathers, hot and brooding first crushes, and a fated love that is tattered and torn before it even begins, but is still worth fighting for.
She also explores the challenges of parenthood. There is no book, no magical wand to make sure we do not err. We do our best and we make mistakes and we eventually learn. She highlights the parental challenges perfectly and with so much emotion and angst.
From the very beginning, the rivalry and jealousy between Daria and Via is nothing short of EPIC. Fighting for her mom’s affection and time, Daria feels left out and inconsequential in her mother’s life.
Misunderstandings as well as feelings of hurt and betrayal guide the mother-daughter relationship astray.
Daria is complicated and has so many more layers than you would believe. Each layer is peeled back and explored. She is the most human of characters I have seen to date. She finds solace with Penn, a safe place in what should be her enemie’s arms.
Penn is such a wonderful character. From his sweetness to his gruffness to his outright defiance and fight. He stands up for who and what he believes in.
Is it possible for Daria and her mother to start over? Or, is there just too much hurt and betrayal? Will Daria and Penn be able to build a solid and trustworthy relationship with all the secrets and difference between them?
LJ Shen is a superhero capable of crushing my heart with her words and then magically piecing it back together,.
Here are a couple of words that had such a profound effect on me. I believe anyone who reads this book will be affected as well
“Talk”. This book is as simple and as complicated as that one word
“Skull Eyes” These two words have so much meaning, so much power.
Best damn book I’ve read in a long time! It is such a powerful read and is nothing short of EVERYTHING.
Cheerleader & football player bully romance? From the amazing LJ Shen? YES PLS. Pretty Reckless is a high school romance out now. You KNOW I love my teenage angst!
Enemies to Lovers is my JAM! And LJ is the queen of the hotholes when it comes to writing them! It’s a best-seller for a reason! GO READ IT!