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
I had a lot of expectations with Pretty Reckless and the book met about 70% of them. I didn’t find this book as interesting as some of the others; nor found their romance as all-powerful as I wanted. Saying that though, it is a pretty good damn book.
I disliked Daria quite a lot. I didn’t like her attitude, how she carried herself, or how she thought. I highly disliked being in her head. The author did a great job at building the character that seems like she has it all but is broken inside – I will give Daria that at least. But in the end, I hated her chapters. Penn on the other hand, I did like. His thoughts are powerful, as are his actions.
I wanted more from their romance. I thought it would be a bully romance, like Vicious was. This could be considered one, but didn’t have the same feeling. Their dislike for one another didn’t last long. It mainly came from him being in the same house as her, but beyond a couple of chapters, this really didn’t become a problem.
It’s a good book, I just wanted more from it.
This book just sucks you in and doesnt let you go, even when finished. Once you get sucked in you just cant put it down.
I had my moments with Pen and Daria but overall enjoyed them.
Wow, I have yet to be disappointed by Shen. This book is EVERYTHING. We get to read the book through the lens of 2 teenagers and it was exactly how I envisioned it- full of teenage angst, jealousy, childishness, but it was also so wholesome as we get to see both Penn and Daria grow into their own. This might be my favorite teenage love story EVER. I loved seeing the ups and downs of their relationship and how they walk the fine line between love and hate. It took me on such a journey from just finding the characters unlikable to so endearing. Shen always does a good job redeeming her characters. I also loved the plot, the cameo POV from Daria’s parents (their book was too short!), the other side characters, basically everything. Buy it and read it!
Channel your past teenage self, remember when you felt like no one understood you, and get ready to a soap opera of a romance.
Let’s start by saying I was nervous going in to this book. Foster brother romance? I know there is a sub genre of step sibling romance novels out there, but I find that concept cring inducing. Fear not, this is not that book! It is made very clear from the begging both characters are 18 when the foster situation happens, so I think of this is more of a roommate romance.
Now to the plot: I flew through this book because the plot was just so fast passed. Every time I thought that was the big plot twist reveal I was wrong. There is so much going that as some answers are revealed you still feel the need to stay awake to keep reading until you find out more.
Our setting is a town divided into kids from extremely wealthy families who attend one school and kids from the other side of town who are not as well off that attend a different school. So of course there is a high school rivalry and drama. The high school set up was very Veronica Mars/One Tree Hill and the millennial that I am was all in for it. From the blurb you would think our lead Daria is a nice girl and Penn is the bad boy she falls for. Not really, Daria is pure teenage angst and Penn is all feelings.
Trigger warnings: there are mentions of abuse and statutory rape. There are no graphic scenes of either, but they are mentioned.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Gods damned. This book was a fucking star. Burning bright until it’s end. Daria is honestly my favorite Leigh Shen heroine. So complex. So everything and PENN is the icing I wish for on my favorite treat. I’d lick him clean.
I was riveted to the page. Utterly struck in so many ways. I was enraged. I was in love. I was in mourning. I was tortured.
Such shocking twists. So many fucking turns. This book toppled the other players to the ground.
4.30 stars
Trigger Warning: Sexual/physical abuse
A solid start to the ASH series (which follows the children of the characters from the Sinner of Saints series) and in this book we follow the love story of Daria (Jaime’s daughter) and Penn. This book is very messy in every way and I felt like a mess from start to finish and I was here for every moment of it!!!
Going into this book, I didn’t know what to expect and feel about Daria because when I read Scandalous, she was unlikable, but let me tell you that when I started reading the prologue, she was more than that. I felt for her and wanted to give her a big, tight, hug. She is broken and needs attention and love from her parents (her mother especially) and I just wanted her to have the world because she deserves it!!! What I also love about her is her standing firm as the QUEEN BEE of All Saint’s High and I admire that from her.
Since I mention about her mother, my emotions were a mess whenever I read the toxic relationship between mother and daughter and it just made me sad that they don’t get along because I love both Daria and her mother, Melody. Melody is as bold and unapologetic as I remembered her (from reading Defy which is her love story with Jaime) and I knew where Daria gets that from. But I was glad on how it worked out in the end and I hope their relationship can improve from here on out!!!
The relationship between Daria and her father Jaime was the opposite though. It was the most precious and although we don’t get a lot of scenes of them, each scene of them makes me smile and have all the feels. Jaime would do anything to make his baby girl happy and would unleash vengeance on whoever hurts her (I’m looking at you principal Pritchard)!!!
I wished we could have seen more of her and Bailey (her sister), but I hope that can be the case with the next books.
And now let’s go to Penn, her love interest. Firstly, WOW, I adore him so very much!!!! He is the definition of LOYAL and I love that in a partner. Not only that, but he is both loyal and protective (not in a toxic way) to his Daria. He had her back when she was at her worst from beginning to end (not including the parts where they both hated each other at first though). He is fierce and fearless and can be an asshole whenever someone picks at his nerves in addition to not letting them get away with it (I’m looking at you Gus)!!!!!
The romance between Daria and Penn is a hate/enemies to lovers book and while I was reading it, I wanted them to smash together even though they hate each other which is such a messy thought to think about but as I said before, this book is messy in every way. What surprised me was that this book was the least smutty that I’ve read from this author and I think it really worked that way at was pleased. Like, sex scenes are great, but love stories are more than that and this book is living proof of that.
His sister Sylvia (Via in short) is very unlikable but I loved the close brother/sister relationship of them both (not the present because she was selfish and self-serving) ya the start of the book. I liked how she turned out in the end though and I’m hoping (but it’s unlikely) to get her book and her romance with that person!!!
My only complaint was that I wished we could have seen MORE of the hotholes but the scenes we got had me wanting more (especially Vicious)!!!!!
We got introduced to Daria’s childhood friends though. Knight (Dean and Rosie’s son), Luna (Trent and Edie’s daughter), and Vaughn (Vicious and Emilia’s son) and I am so excited to be reading their stories next (Knight x Luna’s love story and Vaughn x Mystery Girl love story)!!!!! Knight was the most present in this book so I’m really looking forward to reading the next book which follows him and Luna’s love story!!!!
The ending was everything and more and I hope we get to see more cute scenes of Daria x Penn in the next books (them getting married and having babies)!!!!
Overall, this was a great start to the series and I’m looking forward to more!!!!!
Pretty Reckless by LJ Shen is the First book in the All Saints High Series. This is the story of Daria Followhill and Penn Scully. This was a bully to romance young romance that kept me turning pages. I love how Penn is out to get Daria who is already does some self destruction but they both end up finding something they need in each other. I am such a fan of this author that it was a must read for me.
ARC was given by Author through Booksprout.
My review is giving completely voluntarily.
I gave this book 3 stars because of the intense emotions throughout the second half of the book.
Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen
This is a teenager High school novel.
I don’t normally read teenager romance, but I decided to give this Author a try for the first try.
I unfortunately can’t say I loved this book, but I did finish it. The first half of this book I just pushed through it couldn’t connect with, wasn’t flowing for me. I found myself just skimming through it, even though I was trying to give it my fullest attention…. it used too many words to describe a simple situation.
( maybe not sure if this is just the style that this Author writes in).
Once I finally get into the story it was half way through, but it was worth persisting, because I
got my heart cracked opened, it packed an intense emotionally punch to the guts WOW!!!.
Penn and Daria 18 are the focus teenager couple, but there’s multiple characters in this story that have a major part in the storyline. We have with 2 football teams that are rivals they fight against each other, then we have jealousy galore in-between the girls, vindictive actions that will crush hearts and spirits, cruel behavior, broken hearts, misunderstandings, family pain dramas, violence, rape, substance abuse, forgiveness, some steam, personal growth, understanding, love …..It does has a strong storyline don’t take me wrong, but over all to me this book was just dragged a little to long.
No cliffhanger and standalone.
This one is really going to send your emotions into a tailspin. Daria and Penn’s story is chock full of angst, tension, intense emotions, drama and romance. The characters a complex and inspire strong feelings in the reader. While I felt both characters had a hard, cutting edge, I found Penn much more likable. While I could sympathize with where so much of Daria’s pain came from and even relate to her having it, she was just too much of a raving witch for me to ever really like. In spite of that though I enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC via Booksprout and am leaving my review voluntarily. I loved this authors Sinners of Saint series, with Bane and Vicious being my favorites. This book is the start of the next generation.
Triggers: unprotected sex, underage drinking/drug use, fighting, domestic abuse, flashback/talk of rape, blackmail, bullying, humiliation, spanking, inappropriate relationship with a teacher figure
**spoilers**
I read this book fairly quickly and then needed to wait to actually write a review. If you read the authors series, Sinners of Saint and loved it, this first book in the spin off featuring the children, might be a disappointment for you. There were a few times where I actually wondered if the same person who wrote Vicious even wrote this?
Daria, daughter of Jamie and his hs teacher/lover/wife Melody (book Defy, Sinners of Saint) , is a very unlikeable, unpleasant young teenager. She supposedly is full of self doubt, feels unloved or whatever so she is mean and nasty to all. Poor little rich girl.
Penn, from the poor side of town is actually poor. Trying to earn a scholarship playing football so he can go to college. Abandoned by his father, lives with his drug addict mom and her p.o.s. husband and Penn has a twin sister who is a nasty piece of work like Daria. Penn is more likeable than Daria.
No need to give a lot of details. Typical teen/young adult bully story involving the super rich. Shocked the mom Melody seemed to be so uncaring of her daughter.
I’m going to continue the series as they are in ku and I have the monthly subscription.
this was a really great book! he wants his revenge on the rich girl who did something. she is the popular girl with family problems.these two together are explosive.
One of my favorite authors and one of my favorite book series. I’ve read many books by LJ Shen and I could not love a book more then this one. This is the story of Penn and Daria and if you’ve read any of the books in her SOS series you know these are the stories about their children. This follows their hate to love as they navigate to their happily ever after. My heart broke for Daria and all she went though but the pain was worth it. Read this book you won’t regret it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
teen reading
L.J. Shen has done it again! This is a beautifully written book. She’s taken these characters and broken them down and put them back together again in the very best of ways. There’s Daria Followhill, poor little rich girl and major bit*h, and Penn Scully, poor guy, who lived on the wrong side of the tracks. Daria’s mother teaches ballet and Penn’s sister Via is one of the students. She’s a nasty piece of work and Melody’s star student. She’s also Penn’s sister but, Daria doesn’t know that when she and Penn meet. Via has run away and after Penn and Vias mother passes away Penn is brought to live with Daria and her family. Both of them are set on a path of destruction and they need each other more than either of them realize. Pretty Reckless covers every emotion possible and you’ll feel every single one.
Daria is the daughter of a woman who got involved with her student. Wow what a story. Loved Penn; this book has a lot of WTF moments. Good read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Daria and Penn’s story gave me all the feels. 1st – I absolutely love when authors continue stories with the next generation. I think it’s great to see how everything works out. 2nd- this book touched on so many different topics and issues which made it more realistic
Daria struggles with her homelife. She feels like her mother doesn’t love her as much as her younger sibling since she didn’t inherit her mother’s dancing talent. There is also another girl that she feels her mother loves more so she does something horrible to get back at her. What she doesn’t know is that it changes everything for her and for the life of Penn who blames everything on her for her actions.
I thought this story was so good – I even told my hubby about different parts of the book. I highly recommend reading this book especially if you loved the Sinners of Saint series.
I give this !!!
this was my only favorite of the series.
Pretty Reckless is an incredibly angsty and swoon worthy story between Daria and her foster brother Penn. They are just so perfect for each other, even if it took them a hot minute to figure it out. I love everything about this story! It was awesome to jump back into the world of Saints and see the next generation in all their glory.
Pretty Reckless was my first book I read by LJ Shen and I have been hooked ever since. Penn’s sister is in Daria’s mom’s dance class which Daria is also in. Daria is upset about how her mom’s like’s his sister better. Penn kisses her and Daria has feelings for him. Then Penn’s sister disappears.
Penn is fostered by Daria’s family and wants her to suffer, what he’s suffering. He makes her life hell. Not realizing her Principal is taking advantage of her. Penn’s sister comes back and makes Daria suffer as well. Daria’s life is falling apart, but Penn starts to have feelings for her.
I like how her parents come to her defense and that Penn and Daria have a chance to grow.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love this story and all the ones before it!! LJ Shen is one of the best writers, I would recommend any and every one of her books.