3.5/5 stars

ⓣⓡⓞⓟⓔⓢ
❤️‍🔥Bully Romance
❤️‍🔥Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥Forced Proximity
❤️‍🔥Toxic and Taboo

🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦
I’ll be the first to say I’m not a bully romance reader, but I wanted to check out the genre and I’d read some of LJ Shen before and liked them so thought I’d give this a try when I saw it on NetGalley.

As one of my first and few forays into bully romance, I have to say I was highly entertained by this book. I’d describe it as watching a car crash or trashy reality TV. A lot of drama, a lot of toxicity, but you just can’t look away. I flew through the book in two days! While there were some things that weren’t my cup of tea, I figure they are pretty standard for bully romances so I can’t hold that against the book when its more of a my preference vs the genre thing! I can’t say that the writing was amazing, but it was highly entertaining and sucks you in and won’t let you go until you finish. There was a scene at the end that was very reminiscent of Mean Girls and had me rolling my eyes at how corny it was (felt like the book went from NA to YA REAL QUICK), but otherwise spent the book simultaneously saying “I hate this, these people are so awful” and “OMG what happens next”.

The FMC, Daria, was AWFUL for most of the book. She is the Queen Bee at All Saints High and got there by making sure everyone else knew their place. She had horrible, fake friends, and well meaning parents who just didn’t understand her and didn’t help the situation. She would say and do the most awful things, and while we know she’s doing it from a place of hurt and trauma, it was still no excuse for her behavior. Girl needs some therapy stat. However, she does have a lot of growth in the book and it was enjoyable to see her becoming a better person in the end. The MMC, Penn, was a protector at heart, who hates Daria because of what she did to his sister. They had some insane chemistry and I really liked his character a lot and his journey through the book as well!

Fair warning to those who want to read it: the All Saints High series (this series) is a spin off of the Sinners of Saint series about their kids. While they can be read as standalones, if you want to read them as a series I’d suggest reading the Sinners of Saint first.

I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

They all love to hate her...

I'm ambivalent as this is a covert bully book about highschoolers. Penn wanted specific things from Daria. They met at fourteen, but things did not go well. Now, Penn is living with Daria because he's houseless, but brimming full of anger, rage and jealousy. He wants revenge.

Daria is misunderstood, but she seriously has her own issues (does not play well with others). Both Penn and Daria are not particularly empathetic characters. In fact, at times they are quite the opposite. But it is packed with angst and rolling emotions.
Purchased.

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, but the characters were so unlikeable that I wasn't invested in the story at all. Also the adults in this book are HORRIBLE!

Was this a terrible book? No.
Was it for me? No... and that is okay!

This would be good for:
·Anyone that really loved watching Gossip Girl
·Fans of happily ever after endings

"Pretty Reckless" marks the commencement of the All Saints High series, featuring the captivating journey of enemies-to-lovers between the main characters, Penn and Daria. Their initial encounter traces back to their early teenage years, when they were both fourteen. As the story unfolds, both Daria and Penn find themselves navigating the ups and downs of high school life. It's worth noting that certain scenes within the book contain triggering or challenging content, warranting a Trigger Warning (TW) or Content Warning (CW) - despite such notices not being explicitly present within the book itself. The narrative carries a distinct vibe of a bully romance, making it an engaging choice for readers who enjoy this genre. If this premise aligns with your reading preferences, "Pretty Reckless" is definitely a book you should consider delving into.

Pretty Reckless is the first book of the All Saints High series of standalones. Wow, this book took me on an emotional roller coaster full of angst, drama, heartache, humor, and anger. This is a story about finding one’s self and accepting yourself for who you are. It is also about making mistakes and being forgiven.

Daria and Penn meet when they are 14 and make a connection but then Daria does something to make Penn hate her. When they are in high school Penn ends up coming to live with Daria’s family and he wants to make her pay for what she did. Daria did get on my nerves at times but she was also misunderstood by many until Penn starts to see her for who she really is. I felt sad for her and the way others perceived her even though she brought some of it on herself by her actions.

This book hit me in all of my feels. I couldn’t stop reading and didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to start the next book in the series and get Knight’s story.

This is definitely a bully romance if I've ever read one. The majority of the characters are just so over the top cruel to each other and their choices hurt more than just the intended target. I was drawn in by the enemies to lovers vibe, but a lot of the actions seemed very CW. Considering they are 18yrs old/senior year of high school during most of the novel I felt some of content did not fit well with their ages. If the story was pushed to college age it would feel more appropriate.

Daria feels as though she’s drowning in pressure from everyone and holding secrets that are destroying her. What she does not need is Penn, her new foster brother that ignites a new fire in her.

This was a good angsty, spicy, HS enemies to lovers.

Daria: I really felt for her. All of the scenes with her mother and sister ripped a whole in my heart. You can feel her anxiety at times and I was waiting for the bottom to drop out. I liked her relationship with Penn. They are at each other’s throats in the best possible way. I also adore her dad.

The angst: it’s high in this one. And comes from all different directions.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to continuing with the series!

-enemies to lovers
-HS spicy
-angsty
-sport

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

Another Shen slam dunk :) Love a bully romance, especially coupled with angst and mutual longing. Excited to see what comes next in the All Saints world.

Well I did not love this one. It was very hard to care for the characters or be sympathetic towards them. Their decisions were often poor and left me feeling icky. And so much happened that seemed unrealistic. And the dialogue itself, there were times I was outwardly cringing.

I did enjoy the story twists and the angst. It's a true enemies to lovers/bully romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for sending me an advance copy of this book for an honest review.
Ok so I did not like this book too much. Not because I found it to be bad but because I don’t think this style of book or writing is something that I don’t enjoy. I had a hard time getting through this book because I found myself getting bored. But there definitely were a few things I liked, like seeing Daria rebuild her relationship with her family, especially her mother, and the super hot spice! Unfortunately I don’t think I will be continuing this series.

Angsty, steamy, and heart wrenching, this did not disappointed. This was exactly what I’d expect from LJ Shen in the best way but also wasn’t as predictable as I thought. One thing I did not expect was that this was set in high school which is not my norm and totally my bad for not digging deeper prior to reading. I still loved it though. It doesn’t feel high school in that a lot of the main plot occurs outside of the day to day. The only thing that brought it back were the sometimes dumb decisions made but also impossibly high feeling stakes of how the actions now can affect the rest of your life (or at least feel that way). So in the end their new adult age range made a lot of sense to ramp up the angst factor.

This made me feel so strongly for Daria. Certain things would happen that were so crushing but then the bully-ish romance between her and Penn would bring her back to life. I also loved (and hated but not in a bad way) the conflict stuck between them. It really twisted the concepts around of love vs friends vs family. If you are into bully, forbidden romance this one is for you. Thank you to Bloom for this ARC!

The angst in this novel was well written, the high school setting and the drama kept me interested. The characters were developed in way that showed the reader that some people are forced into situations that may not normally encounter. This book I enjoyed very much

Thank you to Sourcebook Bloom Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daria is your typical pretty rich girl, growing up though she seems to be full of problems. We start the book with her at ballet class, her mother is the teacher and this girl, Via, is the bane of her existence. She encounters a boy outside who takes her first kiss, then demands all of her firsts. Via disappears. Forward 4 years and that mysterious boy is Via's brother, and Daria's new foster brother.

This book was rough to get through. This was the bully trope, hate love, and high school, borderline too young for this type of content. Supposedly for a good majority of the book Daria is under 18, which kind of gives the ick when this is all put down onto paper. Up the ages by a few years and this wouldn't have been so questionable.

This was my second read, and it was just as good as I remember the first time. All Saints High is a high school, next gen series that follows the kids of the original alpha-holes.

Daria feels invisible to her mother, a dance studio owner who dotes on her star student, Via. When Daria meets and has an instant draw to a mysterious boy outside of dance class one night, she doesn’t realize it is Via’s twin brother, Penn. When Daria’s actions directly contribute to Via running away, Penn and Daria’s relationship becomes one of love to hate one another. But 4 years later, when Penn becomes her foster brother, they realize the spark between them has not faded at all.

This entire series has SO MUCH angst! Pretty Reckless is enemies to lovers, rival’s brother, second chance, opposites attract, forbidden romance at its best. I love the growth in both characters. Penn realizes Daria doesn’t fully deserve his grudge, and Daria develops from straight up mean girl to someone who can be introspective and takes a step back to allow for her maturation.

This new Bloom edition has a special epilogue which has a Daria narrated chapter now told from Penn’s POV. Definitely a fun add!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this new edition!

Penn and Daria meet as younger kids and are immediately pulled apart by the repercussions of their actions. But no matter the hatred they've grown for each other, their hearts will always pull them together. As truths and secrets are revealed throughout this story, you never really know if it will be enough to keep them together. Great story, wonderful writing!

Oh boy this was NOT for me. Bully romance laiden with CW style teen angst and drama so over the top it's ridiculous and unbelievable most of the time.

Rich mean girl Daria gets jealous of the other ballerina her mom is paying extra attention to and tears up her letter of acceptance into the London ballet academy with the help of moody boy on the street. Via (annoyingly short for Sylvia) then runs away and Daria starts a weird vindictive streak and keeps a journal about all the "Hulk" moments and bad things she does.

We time skip 4 years to Daria's senior year of highschool and moody boy turning 18 and getting thrown out of his house. Moody boy is Via's twin brother Penn who is a huge asshole that everyone finds so alluring in that stupid teenage way. Daria's mom feels bad on some weird way and takes him in and they basically adopt him. So naturally Daria has the hots for "her foster brother" and he's been warned off by her dad, which only makes it more tempting. The 2 dance around each other and he's a huge dick to her but she likes it. The surrounding issues and conflicts in the book are SO over the top and far-fetched I kept rolling my eyes at everything. It's a book, so you have to suspend your disbelief, but this was just TOO MUCH. Rich kids having a secret fighting pit that no one has called the cops on? Yeah ok, not when it involves the whole football team.

As I stated at the start of my review this was REALLY not for me.

I love LJ Shen books!!

A truly sublime five-star read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Revenge may be the theme, but this story is far from cold. After reading two amazing books back-to-back, I’m left both happy and heartbroken in the best possible way. It’s a gripping and unforgettable tale that you absolutely need in your life.

This book had me completely hooked; I couldn’t put it down. The high school events were so insane that I would have lost my sanity if I had experienced them. Daria’s resilience and Penn’s awakening to reality were commendable, and Daria’s dad provided comic relief.

Each character carries their own dark burden, and you’re left wondering who will break first and how intense it will be. It’s an absolutely insane rollercoaster ride that I didn’t want to end, despite my fear of heights.

This book has been out for awhile, but since it was picked up by Bloom it is getting a re-launch with this cool new cover and will re-release in late August.

This story involves a high school romance with tropes similar to vibes of Riverdale. I think that there will be tons of people who will enjoy this story. I believe it was well-written, but I was sad to see the mother/daughter relationship, but in some cases I can see that the situation does happen to people. The drama is pretty wild. This was not my favorite by this author, but I know it will be loved and enjoyed by many!

This was not for me. The heroine was ridiculous and needed slapped. The bully/enemies to lovers was even too much for me. The rich, incredibly mean kids lying, deceiving and outrageous drama was out full force. People will love it

I received Pretty Reckless for free in exchange for an honest review. I have read many of LJ Shen’s books and am a big fan. I enjoyed this one however it was not my favorite. The characters were not as relatable as some of her others. Still it was one of the better books I have read this summer.