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 was a very twisted story about two girls that hated one another and the boy between them… They made so many mistakes and cruel things that I can only say, I didn’t like the main characters that much…
YA or high school books are always a little hard for me to read and this one was a rough start, but once I got going I could not stop. Daria was a mean girl. She was terribly mean, but she was also terribly broken. Growing up thinking that your mother loves someone else, that isn’t even her daughter, more than you can do crazy things to your brain. She has this outer shell that she has put up around herself that no one can get through. Penn is a broken boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The legit.. bad side. He had a slight encounter with Daria when they were 14, before his whole life went to crap. Now he is back and wanting to make her pay for having a hand in the destruction. Once he sees inside her little castle though, he realizes that maybe the rich princess doesn’t have it all. This story wasn’t completely relatable to me, but it was still very relatable to what i see going on in high schools now. Not everyone is what you think they are. Things get bad and everyone has problems.
This story of Daria and Penn was beautifully written – so full of angst, wonderfully flawed characters and the pull of soulmates. I loved seeing the Sinners of Saint characters as parents.
This was my first book from L.J. Shen. Although I heard about her other books, The Kiss Thief, Vicious, Ruckus, etc., Pretty Reckless has gotten the most attention to tear me away from other books vying for my time. I should say, I don’t typically read high school romance. High school in Orange County, CA wasn’t a great experience for me, so I am never anxious to go back there. Pretty Reckless takes place in San Diego, so I made some assumptions based on the location just south of my formative years.
BUT…I found Pretty Reckless to be a terrific read. Here are a few reasons:
LJ Shen is a master of character development. My first reaction to Daria Followhill was, “Oh, I know this gal. I went to school with her – not a fan.” Although my first assumptions were sour, Shen was so thorough in explaining Daria’s inner thoughts and motivations for her actions, I started to empathize and feel compassion for her early on. Creating characters in a series and then continuing to write in that series keeps readers engaged. Shen does this well. Pretty Reckless introduces the children or “Tot -holes” for the Sinners of Saint characters. They are compelling and deeply flawed. I can’t wait to read the Sinners of Saint series. The characters evolve over time. Much like Breaking Bad, where you like Walter White and dislike Jesse Pinkman in the beginning, only to completely change your opinion at the end, Shen’s characters start out one way in the beginning and change by the end. There are six storylines between 6 main characters. This includes the romance between Penn and Daria and an additional nine supporting characters. With all this interaction, the story is deep, layered and holds your attention.
In our culture today we are rarely confronted with stories or news that doesn’t validate our bias. That’s a shame because, without new, different ideas, we can’t develop as human beings. We can’t work through the difficult events in our lives. No new information means we stay in our own, stunted little loop. Pretty Reckless gave me a completely different view on our human nature and how we cope when confronted with our sins in a public way; how loyalty is shown to those we care about, and the value of putting time and space between people to provide healing and solidify strong love. Pretty Reckless is a fascinating, compelling read – 5 stars.
I recommend it – You can find it on Amazon.com and Kindle Unlimited today.
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Pretty Reckless is the first book in the All Saints High Series by L.J. Shen.
“Because I’m full of crap, and he is totally empty. We ruined ourselves the day of our first kiss.”
This is the second generation of the Hotholes from Sinners of Saint. I did not think that I was going to be ever ready to move on from the OG’s, but Leigh has yet again proven me wrong. To say the least, I now have PPSD; Post Penn Scully Disorder.
“He looks like a venomous kiss. Dark and single and irresistible.”
Pretty Reckless pretty much wrecked my whole being. This was love at first turned into enemies to lovers with a lot of high school rivalry and even more heart breaking angst. This was addicting and so loving and just everything. This was flawlessly written and executed to perfection.
“I wonder if she makes the same connection I’m making. Us. Licking each other’s ice creams. She is tasting my sourness. As I devour her sweetness.”
Daria Followhill is the daughter of Jamie and Melody Followhill from Defy of the Sinners of Saint Series. She is a queen Bee. She has a huge chip on her shoulder. She is no wimp and can hold her own and can even be malicious towards others. She is unapologetic but she is still vulnerable and all she wants is for her mother to finally notice her.
“The tormentor tormented by its prey.”
Penn Scully is a top favorite and will stay there. He was unapologetic, strong, smart, courages, and pure sexy as sin. He is complex and nothing comes easy for him. He is real and raw.
“So I drifted like a balloon in the sky, waiting for someone to anchor me back down, but no one every did.”
These two were amazing together. There was so many twist and turns that I was blind sided by all the developments of this book. It was a revolution and these two slay. These two was perfection. These was glorious.
“You’re Saturn. Made of iron-nickel and surrounded by protective rings of ice and rock.”
This book cover was a favorite and I sound like a broken record because this whole book is a favorite. This was such an exciting off the rails roller coaster ride from the beginning to the very end. My heart rate fluctuating the entire time. This was pure perfection. Flawless to the T. Leigh, I can’t expect nothing less now. I am utterly spoiled.
“Game over. You win. You conquered me even though it was me who marched into your territory unannounced”
L.J. Shen shines again! Penn and Daria share a lifetime of angst and heartache and my it’s enjoyable and moorish.
Lady and the tramp style
I started reading lj shens books with broken knight being first (so a bit backwards ) and realized quickly that there is this whole world of characters to get to know , and since then I’ve now read sinners of saint and come full circle to this one .. and this one is now my new favorite !!!
(Though I’ve now rated several of them 5 stars haha )
I loved the layers of the characters in this book! Both Daria and Penn are tough exterior and layers of emotion underneath who ultimately fit perfectly together .
Daria is the high school queen, and in complete meangirl style is nasty and vindictive on the outside . She’s rich and beautiful and uses that to her advantage . While Penn is poor , broken and desperate to leave his past behind, also a super talented football player with a chance to go pro if he plays his cards right.
Their enemy to lover, forbidden love story is addictive, enthralling and a great read !!!
Additionally I love that we get glimpses of the hotholes as well as zoomed into the next generation of ‘tot-holes ‘ (the hotholes ‘ kids )
I admire every author for all their hard work. I enjoyed the story, and will read more books written by this author. The characters are adorable and the story telling is consuming. I escaped in a well-written romantic fictional world until I finished reading.
5 STARS
OH MY MARX!!! Pretty Reckless was one of my highly anticipated reads and it surpassed my expectations!!! I couldn’t put it down!
This is the first book in the All Saints High Series. I can’t wait to read the next instalment. Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen is an EPIC read and will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
Page Turner! Even do is not my favorite from this author definitely in my Top 3!
Hellz Yes!!!!…. TODDLER HOLES!!!!
Loved it so much I probably slept 2hrs last night, unable to put it down.
Yes, this read was more important than sleep!!!
Still love my Hot Holes and their spawn are not falling short in any way.
SKULL EYES…. * sigh * to the meaning.
On to devour Knights story… omg, will he finally get Luna????
I’ve read all books written by LJ Shen, and to say that I’m overly excited waiting for this book to come out is really an understatement! And surely, it has not disappointed me! Even though it’s not necessary to read the original Sinners of Saint series, I would highly recommend it so that you could appreciate the relationship of the original Hotholes and how their kids (the Totholes) interact in this series.
Pretty Reckless is the first book featuring the eldest Tothole, Daria Followhill, the daughter of Jamie Followhill and his former high school English lit teacher Melody Green, from the novella Defy. From the outside, you would think Daria owned the world, she’s beautiful, from an extremely wealthy background, with loving parents who would do anything for her. But underneath her shiny facade, she’s just another teenager with a sensitive heart and insecurities, yet her loyalty and strength were admirable for someone going though so much at such a vulnerable stage in life.
Then we have Penn Scully, a teenager from a broken family, with tough childhood growing up and feeling betrayed by pretty everyone around him, except Daria. He had been crushing on her for a long time before taking up courage to talk to her when they were only 14. Misunderstandings and tragic life events pushed them apart until they reunited under the same roof 4 years later. He was supposed to hate her, but he just could not resist his attraction to her, just like 4 years before. Their feelings for each other have developed over time despite all the surprised twists and obstacles throwing in their way. Their HEA is truly deserving and I could not be happier for them.
As in all her previous books, LJ crafted yet again another masterpiece! All the characters are well-developed, she’d make you hate them, yet love them at the same time. There are lots of events, high school dramas, and so much angst in this book! The fast pace makes it unputdownable! I’m still thinking about the story days after I finished the book, as it’s happened with all LJ Shen’s books before. It makes me want to go back and read the original series all over again. It’ll be an excruciating pain to wait for the next book to come out, but whenever it does, we know it’ll be wonderful and totally worth the wait!
I have been seeing a lot of bully-romance and hate-to-love reads for the past couple of months but no read, no author will ever trump LJ Shen’s brand of angst. Ever. Her writing, her stories, her characters…jesusfchrist her characters…every material she dishes out tastes so much fucking better than the last one.
Getting through the first couple of chapters in this read hurts so bad it was practically worse than dysmenorrhea. But again the writing is so impeccable and so on point. Her characters are so beautiful and so complex my heart hurts. They feel like real people to me. They feel so true to life that I want to hit them up in social media or something.
I love Daria and Jaime so fucking much I think it’s unhealthy. I confess Defy is probably the only book by this author that I haven’t read yet. But let me tell you one thing, he definitely has the best father award, hands down.
Daria, my homegirl (if she lets me, that is) is the most human (human-est?) heroine there is. From her flaws, her strengths, her very unapologetic attitude, her heart…I was totally blown away. Again, I stand by immensely misunderstood girls. I love how she grew to be better, for herself, for her family and friends, for her loved one.
And speaking of her loved one, Penn was such an amazing match to Daria. And he single-handedly won over all four hotholes. And I love how he’s team daria through and through.
Anyway, this is such a wonderful intro to the series.
Penn has much to blame on Daria. After he helped her to shoo his sister away, he spends the next four years on ice. Literally not feeling anything, until he sees her again.
Daria has been trying to be seen. She is not seen or heard at home. She gravitates toward the loners, even though she is part of the popular kids at school. Her attraction to Penn is the only thing she really feels.
This dark romance was quite the surprise. I felt all the feels. I laughed, cried, and basically begged for mercy as I got closer to the end of the book. This is a story full of very deep and rich characters. I found myself spellbound by them and wondering what they would do next. I think this was a great read.
Overall rating – +
One of my most anticipated reads this year landed on my kindle and when this happens, everything stops, kids, work, school be dammed!
I’m a massive fan of LJ Shen and absolutely loved the Sinners of Saint series and couldn’t wait to see what was in store for the kids of the Hot Holes and holy hell, it could not have been better, we’ll it could have, if it never ended, but hey
From the first page I was sucked into Daria and Penn’s story. Shen’s writing is real, funny, quirky, emotional and her words are like a sonet that ties up all your emotions weaving it’s way into your heart.
There are a few surprises in this book. Mel – bitch mum! I’m glad Shen didn’t write the MC’s of her previous books as saints, and kept it real with a strained mother/teenage daughter relationship. Daddy Jamie, still love him and loved his one liners and relationship with Daria.
Penn, he was a hero to me. From meeting Daria at a young age, then hating her when his world fell down, to him loving her, being unable to fight what was between them. He cared, took what he wanted and also struggled with his own demons.
Daria – I actually love her. A super bitch, both with a heart who wrestles with right and wrong and hulking out. I could just picture her exploding. Yes, she was popular, had it all, but she was so lonely in her struggles which made her so real for me. When her world was crumbling down my heart ached for her, I just wanted to dive in an give her a cuddle.
This book has it all. My face was near constantly smiling, the team banter, the Hot Holes appearances and let’s not forget Knight, Luna and Vaughn teasing us with what might become of them.
I could read this book forever and never be bored, and a absolute EPIC must read.
*ARC received for an honest review*
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene @ 44%
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Angst –
Steam –
Chemistry –
I recently discovered this author and enjoy her books. Pretty Reckless and Broken Knight are both worth the read, mainly for the emotional impact and the author’s ability to capture teenage angst.
Pretty Reckless is Pretty Amazing.
If you have been following the Sinners of Saint series you will discover that the characters in this book are the children of the Hotholes, this really excites me, I loved that series, if you haven’t read it, its a must-read and this being book one in a new series it also feels like round two or something, another addition of excitement, angst, drama, and hotness, I can’t wait to read it all.
Daria is the daughter of Melody and Jaime. Jaime was one of the boys from the sinners of Saint series who slept with his teacher from All Saint’s High, that teacher is Daria’s mother.
The Angst-meter is off the charts with this one, I loved Pretty Reckless it was compelling and I was gripped onto it throughout not wanting to put it down. I have read some angsty college or young adult romances before but this was, whoa, fabulously angsty.
L.J Shen doesn’t follow the norm, I never expect her to go with the flow, I have read all of her books and I still don’t know what I am going to get this time and I love that about her writing. L.J Shen is an author that stands out from the rest, not only in her flawless writing but with her plots, the characters and the whole feel of everything she has written as though she knows exactly what the reader wants and that it to have their interest piqued throughout.
I have read many romance books were there are teenagers in a college environment and without fail there is always that bitchy girl, the spoiled princess, the head cheerleader who you just love to hate but what a refreshing turnaround by L.J Shen when the lead character, a character you are normally on the same side as and are supposed to like is actually the ice princess herself, the bitchy cheerleader, the girl with more stinging comebacks on her tongue than a viper and oh how I loved being in the front row seat on her journey, especially when she meets Penn at a young age for her first kiss then later on as an even more bratty teen and do you know what? despite the fact I would normally despise these sort of characters, I bloody loved them.
A young love to teenage love story, High school rivals, friends to lovers. enemies to lovers, secrets and truths, confessions and forgiveness, hate and love, parenting issues, family issues in a nutshell Pretty Reckless pretty much had it all going on.
This is one of those books where you just have to read it, I can’t go into spoilers, in fact, I wouldn’t know were to start I have so many favorite moments in this book.
There’s no cheating though, god forbid if there was cheating as well that would make it fall off the radar for angst, but I will say this, if you love teenage drama’s, complex and interesting characters and a good plot then pick it up it’s so worth it.
“It was love at first sight hate at second lust at third but four is my lucky number so mine your ass shall be”
Okay I admit I am obsessed with the All Saints High. After reading Broken Knight all I could think of was getting more of these characters and sure enough I devoured Pretty Reckless just as fast! This book was a dark, haunted gift, wrapped in a even more sinfully delicious package. Everything about this story took ANGST to a heart shattering level. I have never read such a emotionally charged book in my entire life. This book lived and breathed sin. Every word only pulling you deeper and deeper into its darkness. Pretty Reckless is a epically spun web of heartache, power, and revenge. I am still struggling to form any coherents thoughts enough to even remotely write this review. This is enemies to lovers at its finest, and the book I will forever compare all others too. Penn and Daria are one of my most favorite couples. They are messy, complicated and beautiful. I have never pulled for a couple so much in my life. I wanted these two to work. Their chemistry sizzles and cracked through my Kindle. Ignighting every page that stood in their way. Their love story was ruthless, mind blowing, and explosive.
“She opens her eyes and stares at me. It’s cool to see her like that. Vulnerable. Scared. She’s not the head cheerleader right now, and I’m not the football captain of the rival team. 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.”
Daria was a hurricane of a heroine I never saw coming. She was intense, vulnerable, and a total spite fire. I hated her character as much as I loved her. She constantly kept me on my toes. I never knew what side of her I was going to get next. She is so beautiful yet so damanged. My heart broke for Daria so many times this book. I could not stop myself from pulling for the sad, broken girl who just desperately wanted to feel. The amount her character developed and grew this story was nothing short of admirable.
“No guy has ever affected me like him. Ever. Even if I take all my encounters with hot boys and combine them, it still doesn’t match the feel of just one measly look from Penn. He grew up from a dirty duckling to a dark swan.”
Penn scored my heart as if it was just another game to win. Everything about his character called to me, entranced me, captured me. I could not devour everything about him fast enough. I wanted to know a his secrets. Know exactly what made the Tin Man’s heart tick. My heart broke for the sad broken little boy, while admiring the loving strong man he was becoming. Penn was the perfect contadiction of hard and soft. I either wanted to slap his face, or melt in swoons. There really was no un between. Penn will destroy your heart, piece it together, only to start all over again.
“Penn’s taste in my mouth is heaven. Sweet and dangerous, like a man. I taste cut grass and the California sunshine and a bit of sweat and toothpaste and Heat. Our tongues are dancing together. I’m no longer sure if I’m sad or happy, but whatever I am I’m feeling it. I’m living it. I’m alive.”
*5 RECKLLESS STARS*
Well earned for one of the most mind blowing love stories to date. I can NOT and I mean can NOT recommend reading this story enough. Sin may be sweet, but revenge tastes alot sweeter.
“Ever notice how the heart is literally caged by the ribs? That’s insane. As if our body knows it can break so easily, it needs to be protected.”
Jealousy, revenge, insecurity, abandonment, forgiveness, healing, lust, misunderstood, loyalty, second chances, passion, twist and hope are just a few emotions you will go through while reading this book.
“I drifted like a balloon in the sky, waiting for someone to anchor me back down, but no one ever did.”
Sometimes you don’t know what you are looking for until you lose it. Sometimes we fight what we truly want the most…afraid that if we lose it and never get it back we will never recover. Sometimes we just need to believe in ourselves as much as others do. With heartache comes growth.
“The thing about nightmares is that you never know which one your worst is until you live through it.”
Oh my Marx!! I love love loved this story. I wanna start by saying I was so happy to read someone was named Melody in the book even though it was the mom and I had a love/hate relationship with her character.
The story of Daria and Penn is full of angst, pretty crazy secrets, lies,deception, lots of drama, and love of course. This book had me so emotional and loving some characters and then hating them the next moment.
Daria Followhill wanted to be like her mom and be an amazing ballerina but Via Scully was a natural talent and seemed to have Daria’s moms attention. After setting her sights high Via has been accepted to Royal Ballet Academy but no one knows but Daria that is until that letter gets ripped to shreds with the help of Penn Scully. Penn meets Daria (Skull Eyes) and helps her feel better little does he know with his help his sisters future has now changed. Penn is no longer a friend to Daria. He blames her for his missing sister and feels so stupid and full of hate towards her. There is a blurry line between love and hate and the line between Daria and Penn becomes pretty indistinguishable especially when the Followhill’s decide to let Penn stay with them for senior year. Daria has many secrets she keeps in her book, all the sins she commits while being someone she’s not for the world to see. Penn has his secrets too and as much as he’d love to hate Daria he keeps finding himself wanting to know more and trying to get her to face reality and tear down her walls but he’s not giving much in return. With so much going on it’s even crazier when Via decides to show back up.
This story was just full of surprises. A definite must read.