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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This book was absolutely amazing! I really couldn’t put it down. Daria wasn’t easy to love, but I could totally understand her. The green eyed monster inside all of us was beautiful described. Her envy was understandable and I loved her characterization so much. Her relationship with Penn was interesting to follow. These two really shattered my heart. Their relationship was fascinating and thrilling. I loved the hate that slowly turned into something more. If you love the enemies-to-lovers trope then this book is absolutely perfect for it! All the characters offer such an interesting characterization and I want to know everything about them. Also Luna, Knight and Vaughn caught my eye. I seriously recommend you to read this book because it offers such an unique relationship and relatable characters.
The writing of LJ Shen always suprises me because it is nearly impossible to put the book down. Once you start, you have to keep reading. I actually did within one day and was heartbroken afterwards. Chapeau to Mrs. Shen for such an awesome writing style.
Pretty Reckless
By: L.J. Shen
Narrated by: Angela Goethals, Maxine Mitchell, Michael Crouch
Not for me
Overall 2 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 1 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 04-13-20
I did not finish this book, but it doesn’t mean it’s badly written or narrated. It just isn’t for me. The characters are so selfish and immature, I just can’t muster up the energy to listen over 10 hours to how the story goes.
So this was my first book from L.J. Shen and let me assure you that I wasn’t disappointed at all. I loved everything from the first sentence to last sentence with happily ever after. Daria and Penn, OMG were perfect for each other. Their love showed us that true love is worth all the sacrifices, heartaches, and being hopeful. I can’t wait to read more from her. Definitely worth reading and listening.
Pretty Reckless is an enemies-to-lover, high school romance that will give you the best book hangover. When I was done with this book, I felt like I was a part of the world L.J. created and didn’t want to leave! It gave me all the feels: heartbreak, anguish, happiness and falling in love with the alpha. Definitely a must read!
Every time
Every. Single. Time. I swear I’m not going to be surprised, that I can see how it’s all about to happen, Shen takes me on a journey. And then she hits me with subjects straight in my feelings.
Penn & Daria are something so amazingly special, something that needs to be appreciated time and time again.
What did I love? Everything. Getting to know the TotHoles. Revisiting those HotHoles. A unique take on a mother daughter dynamic, and a father daughter bond. Everything here was written with the intention of captivating the reader, and ensuring an eye opening experience.
Success on my part. I’ll be feeling this one for awhile.
I already read all of LJ Shens books and was super excited that there will be a spin-off series of vicious and Co.
Especially Darias upcoming story made my heart beat faster!
I always thought that her character was more than she led on and Leigh didn’t disappoint!
This story about teenage love and angst was everything! The characters really got to me!
Thank you for this amazing book Leigh!
Penn came from the poor side while Daria came from the rich side. They both have demons and circumstances make them like than hate each other. Go 4 years ahead and bam their worlds collide again but there is so much hate in the way. When does that change and can they go forward? Great characters and storyline. Highly recommended.
Love mah girl Daria! And of course Penn. Their story is my favorite of ASH.
I don’t normally read books set in High School but damn did I love getting to know this crowd! Pretty Reckless was a great combination of Mean Girls and Cruel Intentions with a fabulous dark flair. Penn and Daria were a perfect enemies to lovers couple with so many twists I was blown away with every word!
Pretty Reckless by LJ Shen
This is one of those books that you have a hard time putting down. I felt like I had been transported to another world while listening to this audiobook. I’ve found myself making excuses to get in the car so I could escape to Todos Santos and finally reach the end of Daria and Penn’s story.
Daria is the rich princess and captain of the cheer squad who is living in her seemingly perfect castle. In reality though she is the school’s mean girl with her list of sins growing longer and longer. Yet despite this, you can’t help but like her and want for her to get her happy ever after.
Then you have Penn, the poor kid, the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s captain of the rival football team working towards a college scholarship so he can turn it all around.
Daria and Penn have all of the chemistry and so much emotion between them – although it’s not always the good emotions.
This story gave me so many feels, I can’t think of another book which had me swinging so hard from one extreme to the other. A must read!
After reading Broken Knight, and seeing the connection between Daria and Penn there, I had to come back and read their story and I truly loved the complicated and epic journey from love to hate to love again that these two traveled. If you love complex and angsty storylines leading to a well-deserved HEA than you won’t want to miss this story.
What a ride this book was!!! MAN, OH MAN!!!!!! This book was everything. It had all the things you need for a great story. I can’t even form coherent sentences, so please excuse the mess that is this review.
Daria Followhill is the daughter of my hothole favorite, Jamie Followhill. This girl is FEISTY. Jamie and Daria like to comment that Daria has a little hulk inside of her. You know, the big green monster who destroys things? Honestly, she did have a hulk inside her that came bursting out at times. The things Daria said at times made my jaw fall to the floor. I would have to close my Kindle cover and just sit there. I’d ask myself, “wow!!!! did she really just say that??”. Daria was the ice princess but deep down she was just a girl looking to be loved by those she cared about. She was a great character who I know will stay with me for a very long time.
Penn Scully was another remarkable character. He also had a heart of gold but was dealt a pretty crappy hand by life. Penn was this protector for those he cared for. He loved deeply and fiercely. That made me love him that much more.
Penn and Daria together was the wildest but most awesome thing ever. They were oil and water but at the same time, cut from the same cloth. These two were perfect for one another however, it was anything but an easy road for these two. Their journey was like none other. The friendships they had really got to my emotions. Daria with Knight, Luna, and Vaughn gave me these warm, gooey feelings. It’s so great to see the offspring of the original crew continuing their legacy but yet forming their own paths.
I’m telling you, this book was off the charts amazing. I stand by my statement at the beginning of the review that it is a roller coaster ride. You will have so many ups and downs but when you reach the end…….it was so worth it.
This is a steamy enemies to lovers. Daria and Penn cannot stand each other but they are also insanely attracted to each other and can’t keep their hands. Daria is a tough character to like. She is selfish and self absorbed but at the same time you feel for her. She doesn’t feel like her mom loves her for her and feels like a disappoint not to mention the guilt she feels for her part in Penn’s sisters disappearance. So much guilt she put herself in a dangerous situation with an adult. There is a lot of dark in this book but Penn and Daria have a beautiful love
Ok, so I’m really late the LJ Shen party but nevertheless I started 2020 with a fabulous series. All Saints High is a place where so much drama and angst takes place, with the children of the original sin, you know the teacher who took advantage of her student. Daria Followhill is the oldest child of this love affair, she is so loved and spoiled by both her parents. Penn Scully and his twin sister Slyvia are the banes of her existence. There are so many twists and turns in this book that you really need to be alert to keep track of the players.
This new series by LJ. Shen is the second generation of the Sinners of Saint charecters, the story of their children and in essence, a novel sized epilogue.
I really loved reading more about Melody and Jaime. The book is about their daughter but could pretty much be their extended epilogue. The plot consists of the issues of modern day teenagers. Be prepared to get hit by a lot of different emotions.
The characters were complicated, multi faceted and opposite in every way. Two people from opposite social positions who despite their differences understand each other wholly, and are accepting of their flaws. In my eyes, a perfect fit. Their chemistry was off the charts! I loved that Penn saw past her defensive act, outwardly portraying her superficial I-dont-care behaviour when on the inside she is insecure and hurting. Even though Daria isnt your typical heroine I felt I could relate to her constantly being misunderstood. I was heartbroken by her struggles. Definitely a feeling teenagers and young adults face. I enjoyed watching her develop from being unable to recognise love, and handling being in a relationship to both characters emotionally growing individually in order to be together. It was interesting to read and try to relate to a character such as Daria; a queen be who can be superficial and misunderstood at times. I absolutely adored Penn. He was angry at the world, a misfit full of hurt.
LJ. Shens talent is phenomenal. Her writing resonates with me, her brilliant imagination, and the way she ropes the reader in with her poetic prose is everything. I’m left broken and destroyed. Shes outstanding in writing character dialogues. Shes spot on with creating banter between people that hook us in. The talent this author possess has once again left me without words.
This book was so much more than I was expecting, and that’s something considering it was one of my most anticipated books to read. I was left speechless and wanting to read about the next characters. I’m obsessed by this epic reading experience. I can see this series getting better and better, and cant wait for the next one. Unforgetable, I’ll still remember this book months down the line.
Warning: Cheating
Books in All Saints High series are stand-alones:
Book 1: Pretty Reckless (Daria’s story)
Book 2: Broken Knight (Luna and Knight’s story)
Book 3: Angry God (Vaughn’s story)
Pretty Reckless (All Saints High Book 1)
Daria Followhill & Penn Scully were the top of my Sunday’s cherry.
This story it’s so damn good that it broke my heart on multiple occasions. Let me tell you, I loved Penn; he was enchanting, amusing, confusing and PERFECTION altogether! I loved that even though he was after Daria for no good, he was so conscious of how her heart was breaking at ever turn, how deeply her scars ran. By the time the book ended he had me wrapped around his pinky and let’s say I’ll be there for a while (that means until Vaughn comes along and tears me apart but that a story for another day )
And Daria….my beautiful and troubled girl, how can I even start to describe the way you made me feel. I think we all go through so many crap at high school that even when were drowning in pain and sorrow we pretend everything is just peachy but it’s not and that exactly what happened here. Our Daria was consumed by a toxic environment that just was too hard for her pride and human survival to ignore. She demonstrated how beautifully we can break, she was vulnerable and she knew that every action she took had its retribution and more than that she own it!
L.J. Shen this book was heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time, as someone who read her first book from you this January, I can definitely say you have me just like Penn did, wrapped around your breathtaking words! Thank you for sharing this with us, looking forward to read ANYTHING from you! #congratulations
*Side note: I went to bed until 3 am reading PR, worth every damn second!
I’ll start out by saying I LOVE the Hotholes. They’re all so uniquely charming, sinful and sexy, but all so passionate about their women. They each hold a special place in my heart, so when I found out LJ Shen was doing a series of the second generation of our favorite families from Todos Santos, I wondered if we needed it.
The answer is yes, yes we do.
Because Penn Scully and Daria Followhill are needed, not only to us as readers, but to each other. Daria is a princess, spoiled and privileged, but she isn’t perfect. She has many insecurities, relatable ones that had me connecting to her in so many ways. It was easy to root for her, to achieve the greatness she had inside of her. And Penn, this loyal boy who had the world on his shoulders. Nothing came easy for him, but he did the best that he could. He doesn’t always make the right choice the first time around, but he eventually gets there. These two both grow and mature in the best ways and when they come together as a couple, it’s magic.
But what I also loved about Pretty Reckless were the topics aside from Penn and Daria and their story; we get to see more of the family dynamics. We see the struggles of a mother and a daughter, the bond between a father and his first born, and a brother and a sister. We see how high school can be cold and cruel and how everyone has secrets. We see unshakeable loyalty between the Totholes. There are so many layers to this complex story and Shen handled them all with raw, gritty, emotional grace. I love Daria and Penn and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this generation’s stories unfold.
This book was amazing. I don’t know how she does it, but L.J. writes characters that I become obsessed with and make me wish I was a part of the story. Honestly, at the beginning, I really didn’t connect with Daria. She was a brat. But as usual, there’s more than meets the eye in L.J.’s books. The friction and chemistry between Daria and Penn was nuclear. The fall out was gut wrenching and delicious. I loved this story so much. I want more of these characters. Bravo.
***5 “Skull Eyes & Tin Man!!!” stars***
“It started with a lemonade
And ended with my heart
This, my pretty reckless rival,
is how our screwed-up story starts”
Marx, I don’t know from where to start pouring out my thoughts about this amazing book!!!
I will start by saying… L.J. I LOVE YOU!!!!
Whatever you will throw in my way, I will still love you…
I won’t care for anything, as long as it is written by you!!! I don’t like that i have only one unreaded book of yours, because when i will finish that too, then i will have nothing to console me!!!!
And damn, after i’m finishing a book of yours, then it’s taking me some time to start another book that will satisfy me in the same level as yours!!!!
Well, I’m stopping talk now, because i have to focus on the book!!!
“There is nothing more poetically inspiring
Than loving the right person
At the wrong place
At the wrong time”
OH. MY. MARX. This book was awesome!!!! Even though it had his rough and bitter moments, i still loved it!!! I loved Daria and Penn… I loved that i saw the Hotholes for ones again, especially Jaimie and Melody!!!! And i loved that i met a little better their spawns, the Totholes!!!
It was sooooo good to be back in Todos Santos!!!
Even though the situation in “All Saint High” hadn’t changed that much!!! Privileged children with bad attitude and God’s complex!!! Ewwwww… But still, i loved their queen bee, Daria Followhill!!! Daughter of Jaimie and Melody Followhill, from “Defy” if you remember them!!!!
“This was so much more than first love. It was first hate, too.”
“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.”
Well, Daria was a priviledged girl… A girl with a Hulk inside of her… A girl that she was keeping her facade in its place all the damn time… She had a lot of issues, most of them, mummy issues and there were some times that Hulk was coming outside to play and she was involving in messy situations…
One of that times, she met Penn and together they did something bad… Really bad… Something that is still hunting her after four years…
“Nobody wants to be a bad person. But some people -like me_ just can’t help themselves.”
“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.”
Penn Scully is a boy from the wrong side… He is poor and his life is a constant struggle… The only good thing in his life was his twin sister, but before four years, she run away and he stayed behind alone… His only hope for his future is to earn the scholarship that he desperately needs and to keep his focus on football…
Unfortunately, fate has other plans for him… and he is landing himself in the Followhill household as their newly charity case!!! And now, it is the time to get even with the bitch queen, the one responsible for what he lost before four years…
“You poured misery into me. Let it simmer for a while and now it is time for you to taste what you’ve created.”
“Part of me wants to chase her. To watch in slow motion as she collapses underneath me and I rip her to shreds. The other wants her to stand toe to toe with me so we can battle it out until we’re both bloody and exhausted.”
Daria and Penn are forced to live under the same roof, but the things between them are really strained…. She has a reputation to uphold, even though the regrets are eating her inside and he is determined to make her pay…
Unfortunately for both of them, there is something between them, something that they are trying very hard to ignore, but it is impossible to not have some hot encounters from time to time…
Their problems are too many, their enemies arevalso too many and their feelings are all over the place…
So what will happen with them after all??? There is a chance for them to forget and move on??? Or their feelings will have to stay hidden inside of them for the rest of their lives???
“He gave me the rarest thing in the world, and I gave him heartache.”
“There is nothing i want more than every single thing you have to give.”
“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.”
God, i want to tell you so much more about this story, but i think that i already said too much!!!
I loved both Daria and Penn, and for Daria it was a surprise for me!!! The truth is that i was a little bit prejudiced of her, because of an extra scene that i had read in the past… I thought the worst of her and i didn’t want her to end up with her much older principle, as the rumors were saying about her in ASH…
But once, i was inside her head, i understood her a little better and i loved her, even though she was appearing on the outside as a coldhearted bitch!!! She was much more than that and i liked her how she were when she was around Penn… I also my heart was breaking for her “parental” pain!!! Yep, those two times that Hulk made her do something bad, i didn’t like it a bit, but still… she was kind and pure at heart…
“You were never a drizzle, Penn Scully. When I fell for you, you came beating down, and I felt you everywhere. You were hail.”
“I smile at his bravery. Penn never much cared about getting hurt. Even when he was the tin man, even when his heart was just a faint beat, merely surviving and not doing much else, he always gave me a run for my money. It is stupid, if not completely awful, that I’m too scared to love him.
Too terrified to get hurt.
More than anything—I’m too unsure of myself to know I wouldn’t screw it up.”
From the other hand, Penn was a wonderful guy!!!! Beautiful, kind, generous, charismatic…. It seems that only Daria was pulling out his worst self outside to play and there was a good reason for that… Penn was in love with her before talking to her for the first time and he tried to console her as better as he could… Unfortunately, this kind of help made him an accomplish in a crime far too close to him and he can not forgive Daria for that reason… Now, that he is closer to her, he wants her to pay…. But damn, even though that he was acting tough, his weakness for her could not stay hidden…
“After all these years, I still want to ruin her. Then put her back together. Then do it again and again and a-fucking-gain.”
“You are the fucking equation, I want to yell in her face. The riddle and the answer and the numbers within it. You’re math. You make sense.”
Those two together were like ice and fire… They were the perfect match, even though there were many obstacles standing in their way!!!
I loved how Penn approached Daria the very first time and gave her something valuable with the promise that she should keep all her firsts for him and i loved how he was cutting holes in his shirts for a certain reason…
I loved Daria’s black book, even though i didn’t like how she and someone else was using it!!!
I loved all the entries in every chapter…
I love this couple, even when they were hurting each other, because at those times, we could see how much they meant to each other…
“Mess with me, Followhill, and I will ruin you.”
“Not if I ruin you first.”
“Victories are sweeter when you celebrate them together…”
Of course, i loved Jaimie for once again very much!!! He was an awesome and very cool father… And with much sadness, i have to say that i didn’t like Melody that much!!! I was expecting more of her, and she disappointed me in the most part of this book!!!
Of course, i loved the rest of the Hotholes and I’m waiting more of them and their spawns…
I’m in love already with Vaughn, Vicious’s son, and i can not wait for his turn!!!! I preffered him with Luna, but I’m afraid that Knight will have already taken the spot by her side….
I love how bounded is this bunch!!!
Marx, i need the next book very, very soon!!!!
(Oh!!! In case that you are wondering why I’m bubbling all the time about a Marx, if you will read the book, you will understand… I’m sure that you, the ones that have already read the book, knows very well why I’m using this word!!!!)
“She’s trapped in her own little universe. She is the sun, and he is earth. Always circling around her, getting an inch closer every lifetime, even though the burn could ruin him.” {Daria for Luna & Knight}
“That’s what good friends and family do.
They pick you up and pull you out of the mud of your own mistakes.
And when you’re not the best version of yourself?
Well, they’re still there, waiting, because we’re all fucking human.”
L.J. Shen knows how to bring all the angst and to create a story that you can’t not finish. I sort of feel conflicted about this book, however, because I feel like the some of behaviors displayed are kind of horrifying in characters who are so young. I mean, they’d be kind of terrible regardless of the age, but when it’s framed in the context of high school, it kind of sits funny with me. Perhaps I’m clutching my pearls too tightly, and I realize that this is not YA. I just want more of Shen’s narrative prowess with less of the teenage misbehavior and parental neglect.