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
This is the first book in a new series from this exceptional author, and what a brilliant masterpiece she has penned! Daria and Penn are complete opposites who met at a particularly low point in Daria’s life, and the actions she chose at that time have repercussions well into the future. This is a beautifully written flawless story which this author has spun in a truly magical way, and I was totally captivated throughout this addictive page turner. This story is filled with angst, twists, and drama, and the moral of this story is redemption and survival. I cannot wait to read more of this talented authors’ work, and I cannot recommend her work highly enough. Brilliant work as always!!
Daria is the spoiled rich girl, or is she? She’s the daughter that is never good enough, who just wants her mothers attention and to be loved. So she perfects her acting up, and the jealousies and anger inside her.
Penn is the poor badboy, who does everything for the benefit of his twin sister Violet. Daria is in his sights, he was revenge and blames Daria for his sisters disappearance.
OH MY GOD, this book, what a ride!! My emotions were most definitely pushed to their limit. I both loved and hated it, i both loved and hated both characters!! Yet i was drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
So much happens in this book, from beginning to end, its emotional relevations along the way and you barely get time to breathe
This book covers so many issues, lies, jealousy, manipulation, trust, Love, Hate, bullying. It’s not the easiest of reads but its one that will have to hooked so deep that like the characters you will have no escape. Both main characters, were in their own way Bully’s, and at times i felt this a little difficult, even if i could understand that all their thoughts and feelings were leading to their behaviour. At the same time I loved them, their intensity, their connection. This whole group of people were pretty messed up and dysfunctional yet they were striving to make things right. Each and every step this couple took wasn’t easy but i loved every moment of it. This book, just like the characters, challenged me all the way. It hit me deep and it hit me hard. So much happens in this book, from beginning to end, its emotional revelations along the way and you barely get time to breathe, never mind eat, drink or sleep!!! Definitely a book you have to dive into and be prepared for a hell of a ride !!!!
J’avais adoré la saga Sinners of Saint donc vous imaginez bien ma joie et mon impatience de découvrir les histoires de nos chers Hotholes et le moins que l’on puisse dire c’est que les Totholes sont les dignes héritiers de leurs chers parents. Ce tome est consacré à Daria Followhill , la fille de Melody et Jamie . Mais nous découvrons aussi Knight , le fils de Dean et Rose mais aussi Vaughn , le fils de Vicious et Emilia. Quant à Luna, la fille de Trent, même si elle est peu présente, elle donne incontestablement envie de la découvrir .
Daria est un personnage que j’ai adoré découvrir. Dès le prologue , le ton est donné et nous voyons qu’elle ne mâche jamais ses mots et qu’elle semble être une sacrée peste qui règne en maître sur le lycée . Mais tout cela n’est qu’une façade et l’arbre qui cache la forêt car elle cache énormément de choses derrière cette armure . Je peux vous dire que mon cœur s’est serré a de nombreuses reprises en découvrant son histoire, son évolution, sa personnalité et ses ressentis. Elle va sacrément morfler dès son plus jeune âge et je trouve qu’elle s’est défendue admirablement avec les armes dont elle disposait. C’est une adolescente de 18 ans qui va faire de nombreuses erreurs mais qui va payer le prix fort je trouve. J’ai adoré la relation qu’elle entretient avec son père Jamie car elle m’a souvent émue , notamment dans une certaine scène qui m’a fait verser quelque larmes . J’ai été surprise et abasourdie par l’attitude d’un autre personnage clé car je ne m’attendais absolument pas à cela de sa part et je me suis pris une sacrée claque. Cette situation a suscité en moi de vives émotions , oscillant entre la colère et la haine mais une fois de plus la compréhension est arrivée après.
Elle se donne donc une certaine image au lycée et nous apprendrons quelques uns de ses secrets . Quand Penn Scully va entrer dans sa vie, il s’agira d’une épreuve supplémentaire car il est devenu son pire ennemi alors qu’elle n’avait que 14 ans quand elle l’a rencontré . Si quatre années se sont écoulées , la haine n’a cessé d’augmenter et l’heure de la vengeance pourrait bien avoir sonné. Au sein de sa famille , nous découvrons aussi sa sœur Bailey qui est un rayon de soleil et un vrai moulin à paroles. Avec elle pas de doute , on ne s’ennuie jamais . Les deux sœurs ne pouvaient pas être plus à l’opposé l’une de l’autre mais les tensions ne seront pas aussi vives qu’entre elle et Penn. Le passé semble lui revenir en pleine face pour lui faire payer le fruit de ses pêchés. La rédemption ne semble pas encore au rendez vous et il faudra faire bien attention de ne pas se brûler les ailes . En tant que capitaine de l’équipe des pom pom girls, elle assistera aux affrontement entre l’équipe des All Saints et celle de Las Juntas. Quand deux mondes entrent en collision, les dommages pourraient laisser des traces indélébiles.
Penn Scully est un sacré personnage dont j’ai adoré à la fois le passé et la psychologie. Ce qui est génial est le fait que nous ayons aussi son point de vue et cela nous permet de connaître ses pensées les plus sombres. Tout aurait pu bien commencer entre lui et Daria s’il n’y avait pas eu Via , sa sœur, et sa relation très tendue entre cette dernière et Daria. Le contentieux est très profond et ni le temps et ni les épreuves ne pourront apaiser les différents. La partie d’échecs ne fait que commencer et il faudra choisir avec précision son camps. Penn veut tout mettre en œuvre pour se sortir de son contexte familial très particulier . Que ce soit Rhett ou sa propre sœur, les choix seront cruciaux et certains secrets devront absolument être gardés. Son talent de joueur de football américain sera sans doute ce qui pourrait le sauver mais encore faudrait-il que cette tête brûlée prenne le temps de réfléchir au lieu de foncer tête baissée .
Lui aussi m’a fait vivre de sacrées émotions et je n’avais qu’une seule envie : tenter de le déchiffrer car son attitude est souvent ambivalente et on ne sait pas vraiment si on peut lui faire entièrement confiance. Son contexte familial est très tendu et très particulier. Il ne vient pas du même monde que Daria et quand il va vivre chez elle, les tensions seront encore plus vives. Je ne vous parlerai ni de sa mère ni de son père pour ne rien vous spoiler mais sachez que c’est du lourd. Il joue au football américain et ce sera sans aucun doute son ticket de sortie de ce contexte très dur et une perspective d’avenir un peu plus rayonnante pourrait lui tendre les bras. Il a forcément un amour fusionnel avec sa soeur Via étant donné qu’ils sont jumeaux mais qu’il prend très à coeur son côté protecteur. Ils sait donner des poings pour se défendre mais on sent aussi q’il veut s’en sortir. Sa vengeance sera sans doute un poison qui va couler dans ses veines et l’empêcher d’y voir plus clairement. Il va faire certains choix qui guideront sa vie d’homme et il devra les assumer jusqu’au bout pour ne rien révéler.
Bref, si vous lisez en VO, je ne peux vous donner qu’un seul conseil : foncez lire Pretty Reckless car je me suis régalée d’un bout à l’autre. La tension a été présente tout au long de ma lecture et j’ai pris mon temps pour m’imprégner de cette ambiance si particulière. Ces totholes n’ont pas fini de nous surprendre et j’ai vraiment hâte de découvrir les histoires de chacun d’entre eux. Daria et Penn sont géniaux, torturés, en souffrance, dans l’erreur mais vous allez les adorer. L.J. Shen
I needed this book like I need air to breathe. Since the final pages of the Sinners of Saint series, LJ Shen has been teasing us with tales of the Totholes. Pretty Reckless is Daria’s story. Daria’s the seemingly entitled daughter of Jaime Followhill from Defy, but as Ms Shen proves over and over, no one is quite who they seem in the angst-ridden world of Todos Santos and All Saints High. There’s no need to read the Sinners series first, but if you have, it’s fun to see how the Hotholes and their spouses handle parenthood.
Daria, her foster brother Penn, her rival Via…they are some of my favorite Shen characters, ever. I could not put this book down as their lives collided, crumbled, and rebuilt from emotional ashes. This story had me crying from about page 3, and then came the veritable tidal wave of feeling….every feeling imaginable lives within the pages of this book: anger and hurt, laughter and joy, heat and passion. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year!
Reckless in life, love, and happiness
I don’t know whether I’m pissed at L.J. Shen or in love with her mind. I know I’m angry. I’m irrationally pissed that my Hotholes and their magic spouses aren’t the perfect people I’ve made them out to be. Their “human-ness” causes me to lash out at the author.
Daria is a hot f@cking mess. No way to hide that big bombshell. She is. She doesn’t even know how to deal with it. I blame some one else and yet I want to shake the ever loving shit out of Daria. Anyone who has ever felt over looked by family can 100% empathize with the “spoiled princess” even if you are dirt poor. The intensity and emotional upheaval of this book still has me reeling.
I want to simultaneously slap and hug everyone in this mess. But most of all, I want my perfect little happy. I wasn’t sure I was going to get what I wanted. I don’t know if you will because this book is a book divided. There are a whole lot of sides and more problems than one person should have to face.
Pretty Reckless is an epic start to what promises to be a no holds barred series. If we thought the Hotholes were the stuff of dreams (and nightmares), think again. The Totholes are going to make us beg, plead, and bend to their will for their affection. One book at a time!
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
I’m not sure how to feel right now. I’m in complete shock.. and awe, Ms. Shen has outdone herself with this book. Just when I thought this author couldn’t get any better, she goes and delivers an incredible heart-wrenchingly, mind-effingly amazing start to a series. She has literally gone and blown my mind. I had no doubt in my mind that this would be the case, just like all her other books it was addictive, all-consuming, intense and the characters, you just couldn’t help but fall in love with them, but there is something different about Pretty Reckless, something bigger and something that makes it stand out more, and honestly? I cannot explain it properly. I could feel the passion of her writing on each page I read and that she put her heart and soul into this book and that is one of the many reasons why I have fallen so in love with this plot and these characters.
Penn? Well he was something else. I knew we were in for a treat with this character but I did not expect to fall so hard for this one. He lives with torment, he’s lost and broken in a way, but the love he has for others, and the things he is willing to do for the ones he loves. Its amazing, and I was hooked on him from the very beginning and honestly? I need more!
Daria was unique in so many ways, yet I felt a strong connection to the girl. she’s far from perfect, but after the things she has been through, after the things that have happened, you can actually understand why she is the way she is and why she does the things she does and that is both heartbreaking and beautiful.
And these two together? It was a crazy ride, it was all-consuming and it was tragic yet perfect all in one
and that angst??? HOLY CRAP… THE ANGST. I’m going to warn you now, prepare for the biggest angst feel read of your life and make sure you have a box of tissues close by because you will need them. I cried multiple times throughout this and even thinking about some parts of the plot, has me almost tearing up again. My heart hurt. My soul hurt. My mind was on overdrive… My mind was completely and utterly consumed with this book… and completely mind-f***ed. Honestly, I think there should be a sub-genre dedicated to Ms. Shen called “Mind-f***ed angsty reads” because that basically sums it up.
This is the most anticipated read of the year and it certainly lives up to that and in my opinion, it is L.J’s best work to date!
I highly recommend this book,… It’s a must read and an amazing start to what is promised to be an amazing series.
BRING ON BOOK 2!
6 stars, because 5 is not enough!
This is going to be short, sweet and vague. If I could leave my review at Buy the book! I would because that’s really all you need to know.
I went into this expecting to not like Daria. I’d already formed my opinion of her months prior so you can imagine my complete shock when I start liking her within a few pages. She’s nothing like I was expecting and the last thing I expected was to relate to her as quickly and as much as I did. There’s definitely a little (a lot) of Daria inside me and two days after finishing this book I still dont know how that makes me feel.
Penn is as complicated as you’d expect from one of Leigh Shen’s men. I loved him, I hated him, he frustrated me, he made me fall so damn hard for him. He’s the only one that ‘sees’ Daria but he’s got his own baggage.
Everything about this book is perfect. I never expected to love these characters as much as I did. The story had me feeling so many different emotions. LJ Shen has knocked it out the park with Pretty Reckless, no one writes an alphahole like she does and this book is the perfect example of why she’s one of my must read authors. I’m now even more desperate for the other books in the All Saints High series than I was before.
“We’re just two teenagers who never stood a chance to be friends in this world, so we became what was expected of us. Enemies.”
L.J. Shen pulled out all the stops and gave me exactly what I wanted, broken characters. Characters who are full of pain and rage and passion. There were many reasons why they felt drawn to each other and just as many why being together wasn’t a good idea. But, that never stopped me from wanting it, or them from wanting each other. It’s a journey that gave me gnawed nails and a sleepless night. I wouldn’t change a thing….sigh.
Being inside Daria’s head was a painful place to be. I felt her suffering and wanted to do some damage to the people in her life that caused it. I admired her ability to fight instead of fleeing. To embrace her badassery and face down her enemies with attitude. To hide her pain and stand up for herself, refusing to back down to the assholes. Sometimes I wanted to talk her down, keep her from making a bad decision. I worried about her, afraid her choices would come back to bite her later. Other times, I mentally encouraged her to do some damage, promising to have her back and bring a shovel. Yeah, we bonded.
Penn can be an alpha asshole when he wants to. He turns it off and on as needed. Just when he’d almost won me over he’d make another douche move and I’d tell him he had to work for it again. But, that’s really a lie. I loved him from the start, but don’t tell him that. He’s already got cheerleaders falling all over themselves for him. Did I mention that Daria is a cheerleader? “He’s muscled, sinewy, and imperial, he has zero percent body fat and bulging arms. A prominent V points down to his holy grail, and by the way my fellow cheerleaders sigh beside me, they’ve noticed it, too.”
I can’t give you more than that, you just need to be ‘pretty reckless’ and dive in, you won’t regret it. I loved this story so hard I’m having trouble moving on. I think I have PPSD. Post-Penn Scully Disorder.
PRETTY RECKLESS had a hold on me last night and I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it. If there was any doubt before that I was going to love the All Saints High series as much as the Sinners Of Saint that quickly was snuffed out when I cracked open the first book. I LOVED IT! Right off the bat I loved the sarcastic banter between all the totholes, they were so snarky with each other but you could tell they were 1000% a family just like their dads. This time around though it’s not just four alpha males because we have Daria and Luna in the mix so that added another layer that I was excited to read about. Speaking of alpha personalities, enter DARIA. I’m not even going to tell you all the reasons why my heart ended up totally melting and rooting so hard for this girl because I don’t want to give anything away but just know that by the end it did. And OMG Jaime I was so salty that his book Defy was a novella and we didn’t get more of him, but in this series we get his family first and he shined. Him interacting with his daughter and their whole relationship were some of my very favorite parts. Here’s the thing about these books… don’t be deceived by the smokin hot fellas on the covers and think “oh this is just some steamy romance”… because while they are steamy AF these books are also so much more than that so I’m just going to throw this out there (again) for anyone in the back who didn’t hear me before, READ THESE BOOKS.
Without a doubt the best one I read this year, every single thing about this book was perfect. It is original, raw, emotional and one of her best works so far. This book will break your heart,make you become obsessed with the characters, and leave you with a huge book heangover. No one can bring characters to life like L. J. Shen, she is one of the best and the most talented writers out there
Gah!! don’t you just love teenage angst? It’s just none stop drama that makes you want to rip your bloody hair out and scream in frustration but it makes for some addictive reading.
Pretty Reckless is the start of a new spin-off series from L.J Shen. As a huge fan of her Sinners of Saint series I was excited for this next generation.
I wasn’t disappointed at all, I was completely captivated from start to finish.
All Saints High is a crazy, scandalous and chaotic Jungle full of flawed characters. A place with so many secrets, lies and misdemenanors, there’s never a dull moment. It’s definitely survival of the fittest.
Daria Followhill the IT girl the spoilt rich brat. I really didn’t like her much at first but as the story unfolded I saw her flaws and insecurities. They made her more real for me and I felt her struggles.There’s something in her that we can all relate to if we look hard enough.
Penn Scully the loveable rouge he wasn’t born with a silverspoon in his mouth life has been tough for him. You can’t help but be drawn to him because of this.
He’s a badboy and we all love them, but as with all L.Js men there’s much more below the surface once you peel away the layers.
Penn and Daria will take you on an emotional rollercoaster but it’s worth every heart stopping moment, I loved them.
I can’t wait for the rest of the series especially Vaughn his book is my most anticipated.
There’s just an air of mystery surrounding him that I’m desperate to unravel.
A fantastic start to a series that’ll leave you desperate for more.
This is one of my favorite books and one of the books that got me hooked on romance novels. Daria Followhill is smart, beautiful, rich and loved but she’s insecure and flawed, just like everyone else. Penn Scully sees he real her and he’s equally enthralled and disgusted by this beautiful creature. They’re natural enemies from the first time they meet, but they don’t even know it.
There are so many complications in their lives besides the usual teen issues and they both have some very adult problems. They’re oil and water but they love to hate one another and form an unlikely but complicated alliance. The banter between these two is the absolute best. This is a story that will give you all the feels and have you waiting until the last pages to find out how things really end.
Audio review from May 2019
This is another non typical book. I am becoming to realize that is the norm from this fabulous author though.
We start off with Daria stating she was going to take the Queen B status and Penn Captain of his school’s football team.
He’s obviously broken and she’s not showing her broken to the world.
We watch these two grow together, grow apart and find their footing in their world.
Now the end of this book— the last couple of chapters and the epilogue has me smiling soo big and crying at the same time.
I absolutely loved how their story was wrapped up.
The narrators totally nailed this book! They totally sounded the appropriate age range for the characters they were portraying.
We get one chapter from Melanie’s (mother of main female in this book) point of view which is where Maxine came into play.
The emotional roller coaster of this book is actually fun as you get to see how they come out it.
Looking forward to Knight and Vaughn’s books!!
Narrated by: Angela Goethals and Michael Crouch with a chapter by Maxine Mitchell
I have to start off by saying L.J. Shen is one of my favorite authors. And Pretty Reckless did not disappoint. The character development was great. At first I didn’t wasn’t sure how I felt about Daria, but the more her story came out I understood where she was coming from. I loved Penn. You can’t help but root for them. This story is full of angst and drama, heartbreak. I could not put it down.
Pretty Reckless:
L.J. Shen (All Saints High #2)
This book has a very special place in my heart. the characters are raw and flawed—what I love most about it. I cannot recommend that you read this enough.
Daria Followhill is real. and honestly, that is why I connected with this book so much. she is not the girl who is ALWAYS insufferably kind and good. she is human, she has faults, she has genuine feelings. she acknowledges she isn’t perfect, even if the world she lives in thinks she is. she is such a carefully constructed character and so very strong, especially with everything she has gone through. she’s inspiring & genuine.
Penn, on the other hand, is honestly wise beyond his years from a lifetime of having to grow up a lot faster than the other kids his age. He is one of my favorite L.J. heroes of all time. A tortured boy who is trying to escape his shitty reality by playing the sport he loves. He’s a hard worker and he genuinely cares about Daria–even when it sometimes feels like he’s the only one in the house that does.
Pretty Reckless is an incredible story, so true and as the tension between the two of them is palpable. Penn Scully has my whole heart. Daria & Penn are everything & more. So grateful for this book. I adore them.
#pennscully #dariafollowhill #prettyreckless #sinnersofsaints #allsaintshigh
*4 Stars*
Ok, I don’t really know where to start with this one. To be honest, I wasn’t really a fan of the characters. There is so much bullying and meanness going on in this book, that I was just there like, who even can be like that? Penn and Daria did have me captivated though, and I had no trouble finishing the book as I really wanted to see how things would play out.
This world of the rich, with some of the poorer people thrown in, really is a shark tank of infested people. The things they do to each other are horrible. I could understand why Daria was rebelling in terms of her mother, but she really approached it the wrong way, and the whole social circle and ladder at school was horrendous.
I know I’m not really making it sound like this is a good book, but it was, and I was suckered in by it, its just that the characters are so horrible to each other. I guess it’s one of those love to hate kind of books. Penn and Daria really turned around by the end, and had some character growth, so that was really nice, and I think it would be interesting to read about some of their peers, even if I did despise most of them lol.
An interesting world, and one I will probably come back to at some point.
A romance story of the “popular” cheerleader girl, falling for the poor boy, but with a twist.
I highly enjoyed this story. Daria is very misunderstood and I loved how Penn could see right through her.
4.5 Stars.
I’m starting to think I’m not into high school bully romances. I guess that’s my fault for continuing to read them..
I read Vicious by the same author and didn’t like that one much either. Not sure why I thought this would be any different.
Penn and Daria were so immature. Daria was pretending, hiding her feelings by being a horrible person. Penn blamed Daria for something he took part in but didn’t realize at the time, something HE initiated, and something that was also his sister’s fault as well. He placed blame on the wrong person but couldn’t admit his feelings weren’t misplaced.
Honestly the only thing that made me rate this 3 stars instead of 2 was that the Adriana situation wasn’t all that it was made to be. And I enjoyed the ending. But other than that…
So hate is love? That’s how you treat and act toward people you love? Apparently in these books it is….
Oh my Marx!!!! I am so obsessed with penn and daria!! Every time I read a book about the hotholes or totholes a piece of my heart and soul stays with them. I read this multiple times. I cried, laughed and was angry! Daria is a queen and penn is pure alpha!! I loved everything about this book! I wish I could give more than 5 stars! Daria is real! You can totally relate to her and what she’s going through. I felt so connected to this story.
5 stars
Marx this book was so good! It was intense, but definitely in a good way. I loved all the characters and can’t wait to read the whole series!