This is my first L.J. Shen book. I have seen this author literally everywhere and have been dying to finally read something from her. I was so excited to get a copy of this one. But, I have to be honest, it was really a struggle for me. I don’t really know how to feel about it. I was expecting morally grey, dark, taboo… but not necessarily vile. Daria is actually a terrible, awful human, even for a teenager. She is the epitome of a spoiled, ruthless brat. And while sometimes this type of character can be written in a way that still keeps them redeemable… I’m not sure that was accomplished here. I had very few moments where I could empathize with her. Otherwise, she was just the worst of the worst, stereotypical, high school bully. And I wasn’t really buying into their hate-passion. I didn’t understand their attraction or connection on a deeper level. Maybe it’s supposed to be superficial? I’m not sure. Are her characters usually like this? There were some very emotional moments and my heart did ache for Penn. I had such high hopes and truly expected this to be a five star for me. I may try something else from this author in the future. I enjoyed the plot and the setting, but my hate toward the MFC really detracted from my experience with this book.

Wow! What a roller coaster of a story this book is! This isn't
your typical YA romance that's for sure, there's some dark,
twisty and spice along with a great story line.
Daria Followhill, the queen bee of All Saints High, is
privileged, rich, petty and vindictive. When she doesn't get
what she wants, she will go to whatever means necessary
and write it all in her little black book. When she rivals with
Via Scully over her mother's attention, she does what it takes
to get her out of the picture. Via has a twin brother Penn,
who will do anything to protect his sister. When she
disappears, he has a chip on his shoulder reserved for Daria.
Penn's life starts to slowly unravel after his sister's
disappearance 4 years ago, and now he is left homeless after
his mother's death. Daria's mother, in hopes of rectifying
what she should have done years ago, takes him in. Daria
and Penn face off with each other now not across town, but
right in the same house. It's hard to tell which one is more
vengeful, but their hatred for each other turns into something
unexpected
This enemies to lovers novel is full of twists and turns,
characters to love and hate, and growing pains you wouldn't
wish any teenager. I devoured this book in 2 days!!
Thank you @netgalley @read_bloom and @authorljshen for
allowing me a copy of this book!

“It started with a lemonade And ended with mv heart.
This, my pretty reckless rival, is how our screwed-up story starts.”

"What would you have asked of me if I took the sea glass?"
"To save me all your firsts,"

"Confide in me, my hideous little monster."

This book was … I don’t think I have words to describe how good it was in my heart !!! The kinda reverse grumpy sunshine with enemies to lovers romance was one to rival the first books I read from this author, the Sinners of Saints series. When I figured out that Daria was the daughter of the main characters of the prequel book I was already obsessed. But when I saw what was happening to that girl, when I saw what was happening in her family. When I saw Melody not being the mother I knew she could be and a young Daria trying so hard to be her mother’s favourite only to be constantly denied … my heart broke a little bit. And then the chasm got worse and worse the more I saw Daria spiralling down a path that was impossible to reach for Melody. And then there is Penn and his complicated relationship with Daria and his crazy sister. I didn’t appreciate Sylvia’s character … like at all. But there was something so good about the way Daria and Penn found each other. Their messed up love story is one to rival the best dark romances I have ever read. I loved every second of him trying to break down the mean girl walls she had built up to protect herself from her mother’s disappointment and her own fear of not being enough. It has some trigger warnings things happening. But this story, this romance was as dark as it was sweet and it’s incredibly addicting !! I’m so glad I got to read it!!!!

"Showing you that I might be a punk, but you're the hideous little monster who is falling for him."

"Tell me you don't want to fuck me as much as I want to fuck you, you screwed-up, messed-in-the-head, gorgeous girl with skulls in her eyes,"

“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.”

One of the most anticipated books of the month for sure it's finally here.
L.J.Shen has become an auto-buy author for me since I started reading Vicious and that book is definitely one of my all-time favourites books. So it's an understatement that when I found out she is going to continue with the toteholes series I was beyond happy.
Pretty Reckless is about Daria, the daughter of Jamie and Mel from Defy, and Penn, their foster care project at the moment.
I can only say that she did it again, she brought us to the edge of every feeling, a rollercoaster of emotions with this angsty book and everyone has to read it.
There are so many things happening, family issues, a mother-daughter relationship that says a lot about how a teenager feels in our days when she needs her closest female friend near but it's lacking of it. There is the slow burn between Penn and Daria and omg all their moments from the first kiss to the shower one and everything else are just 🔥☄️🔥💥hot and some of the best scenes. There’s a lot of drama as well as we can find in a high school and college nowadays, all the fake smiles and slowly dying inside unable to talk about it with anyone as you can risk your feelings to be used against.
I only have one complaint: Why does my husband look like a vampire???? Or why is he described like one?????
Another amazing book that I’ll reread for sure.

Teenage angst at its best. I’d be exhausted if I was a teen with this much drama. Geez. Seriously Daria and Penn just deserved a HEA for all the stuff they had to go through. Most people don’t go through that in a lifetime.

I genuinely loved this book so much, however, THIS WAS SO LONG. I was indifferent but the multiple POVs, this book need multiple trigger warnings that I don't remember reading, please be advised while reading this. Penn is such a cute name and character. Daria is the bad B*** queen bee you wish you could be.

This is the kind of book that has delicious hate, passionate drama, and characters that you love to loathe.

I should have despised this book because of how much I detest the characters and story, but this author is magical. I devoured this book. From the dirty opulence of the rich lifestyle, to the heartbreaking pain within each character's soul, this book was much more than a dramatized Gossip Girl episode. This story is raw and unapologetic, while the characters are chaotic and messy.There were times I loathed this book. Each character had an ugly side that made me rage with anger, but at the same time there were moments of vulnerability that made me feel a connection with each character.

Towards the end, surprisingly, it felt more theatrical than I had hoped for and it started to lose me. It felt too clean of an ending for the amount of chaos that led up to it and everything tied up too nicely for what I had hoped for. Overall I enjoyed this book and definitely want to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC

Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen is a high school enemies-to-lovers romance with a twist. It follows the story of Daria Followhill and Penn Scully, who have a complicated history of betrayal, revenge and attraction. Daria is the queen bee of All Saints High, while Penn is the foster brother she hates and wants at the same time. Their relationship is full of angst, drama and passion, as they try to overcome their past and their present obstacles.

I enjoyed this book because it was fast-paced, emotional and unpredictable. The characters were well-developed, flawed and realistic. The writing was captivating, witty and steamy. The plot had some surprising twists and turns that kept me hooked until the end.

I would recommend this book to fans of L.J. Shen's previous books, especially the Sinners of Saint series, as well as to readers who love intense, dark and edgy romances. Pretty Reckless is the first book in the All Saints High series, and I can't wait to read the next ones.

Angst… enemies to lovers…. Daria lives an entitled life, money, fancy car, big house.
Penn is homeless, mom is a drug addicti, stepfather an abuser.
They should never meet yet alone live together.
This is my first book by this author, and it will not be my last!

This story was so real and raw. I absolutely loved that Penn and Darla never gave up on each other. The chemistry between the main characters was perfection! Love this book so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for this ARC. I fell in love with the new cover! And boy did I also fall in love with Penn and Daria. My heart broke a couple of times reading this. I was rooting for these two to get their happy ending even though everything's complicated. I'm always rooting for both of their happiness. Did I even mention that I love Jaime? Daria's father. He's just supportive and that cool dad who's gonna be there for you. It's also heartbreaking to see how Daria wants to be seen by her Mom. And Melody doing her best for her daughter. It was just a miscommunication and misunderstanding on their part. I love love love reading this. Glad that I just picked this up at NetGalley. Can't wait to read the others in this series!!!!! I recommend!!

We already know I’m a sucker for love stories. But even more so when they don’t come as easy as books make it seem. Penn and Daria have never had it easy, but they also don’t give up easy. I girl that everyone thinks has it all and a boy that fights to have it all. The crazy family relationships, the big emotions, and the fact that people are plain evil will have remembering why high school is a tiling time bomb.

This new cover is amazing!💛 “It started with a lemonade and ended with my heart. This, my pretty reckless rival, is how our screwed-up story starts.” 🔥🔥🔥

I loved this book so much! It pulled on all my heartstrings. I’m so sad it’s over and I want more already.

Daria and Pern are complete opposites but little do they know they have some things in common. The characters have many secrets and twists that can change each other's lives forever.

In the end, secrets can be a powerful thing and even though they can be the downfall, destroy lives, and hurt people. The secrets can also come to light and demand change. You will have to grab the book to see how it all plays out.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you fall in love, break your heart and then put it back together. This is the one! Great enemies to lovers.

Thank you, NetGalley for the EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared on my Instagram (@Alexandriavwilliams_) shortly.

5 stars - I devoured this book in one sitting. This book was so raw and I could not help feeling hurt for the characters that I even shed some tears while reading this.

Penn met Daria and took her first kiss. He vowed to take her first everything. This was before she force the one person he loved to leave. From this, he vowed to get his revenge but he did not expect to fall in love with her in the process.

Not only did I love the couple, but I also loved the family and friends around both of them. It is not only a love story but a story about how your friends and family will always stand beside you and support you not matter what mistakes you have made.

I cannot wait to continue to the series and backtrack to the original series.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

<b> OH MY MARX </B>
THE BONUS EPILOGUE WAS EPIC

For the first time, I found myself staring at my computer screen in silence, struggling to write a review. Yes, I was super excited to read <b> Pretty Reckless </b>, Yes I freaking love the covers, Yes I am a big fan of LJ Shen’s words BUT this time it was different. Don’t get me wrong it was not different bad… it was a different that left me speechless and in awe.
<b> 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.</b>

This is the reason why my words will fail me for this review, because there are no words that could really describe what this book meant to me. I have been thoroughly touched on so many emotional levels by the story of <b>Pretty Reckless</b>.

If you believe that LJ Shen writing YA means that her words and her story are going to be an easy and sexy read about two young characters, you could not be more wrong.
The author knocked me off my feet and made me fall madly in love with this angst, emotional and heart wrenching story….. and as I kept reading I was stunned by the depth of this epic tale.

<b>Pretty Reckless </b> drew me in like a drug. LJ Shen is a seriously addictive writer. I don't know what it is she has, but it's the kind of magic that compels you to read on after every chapter.
The author throws you into two different worlds that are so unique : On one side you have All Saints High on the other side you have Las Juntas. On one side you have the Totholes and on the other side you have the parents...

Daria Followhill is Miss Popular
Daris Followhill is the girl that every girl wants to be
Daria Followhill is the girl that every guy wants to be seen with
Daria Followhill …. Everyone always talks behind her back about how much they hate her, even though everyone secretly wishes they were her friend.
Daria Followhill has the power until she met Penn Scully.

<b> 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.</b>

That moment, their encounter was simultaneously gut wrenching and beautiful.

Penn Scully is perfectly imperfect, he is extremely handsome but he has walls, barriers…
His love for his twin sister Via is unconditional, his loyalty for his friends/teammates inspirational but everything changes the moment he met SKULL EYES….

They meet again four years later and they couldn’t be more different on the outside,
<b> Penn’s eyes remind me of a snake. Mesmerizing but inhuman altogether. They weren’t like that before.</B>

but when you really take a good look at them- they’re more alike than you would think. They bring out the best in each other and the worse. It was more than just desire and lust between them. It went deeper than that. They had an exceptional connection.

They understood each other
They respected each other <b>

“You’re Saturn,” she whispers. “Made of iron-nickel and surrounded by protective rings of ice and rock.”</b>

But do they deserve an HEA? Can they get it without any sacrifices or collateral damages?

Mental and emotional connections are always so much more powerful and this is why when you read Pretty Reckless .........
You shut off the world and embraced theirs. Penn and Daria are in a class of their own. The words just grabbed me and pulled me in so deep that even the thought of ever resurfacing never entered my mind. There was just so much emotion in the pages of this book that it was so hard not to feel them.
I rooted for them from page one but I knew that it was going to be a hell of a ride. Being in the world of the Hotholes again, was sinfully good. Vaughn, Knight, Luna and Daria love each other hard and this transpires in Pretty Reckless.
Some books will leave a mark on you not only because they made you cried or made you laugh until it hurts, but because you felt something as you were reading it and that feeling would never leave you forever.
Pretty Reckless left that kind of mark in me.

It made me cry and made my heart ache. As a teacher , I come across Darias and Penns on a daily basis but most importantly, I come across parents that struggle to get it right for their child despite their best efforts. I come across parents that do not know their child when we talk about them and very often say to me “ We do not talk, she comes homes and goes to her room, we know nothing” It will be the easy option to blame them for their parental skills and the author has portrayed this PERFECTLY- essentially through MEL. LJ Shen is one of the most eloquent authors I've ever had the pleasure to read.

Pretty Reckless is so much more than a love story. It’s packed with important life lessons. It’s real, raw and moving … because it reminds us all that even when the world seems to be throwing one bad thing after another at us, there’s always someone out there going through a rough patch too and looking for the light.

Daria Followhill is magic and is hail, she is without a shadow of a doubt my favourite heroine.

This story is raw. Real. Emotion filled. The real world. It was heartbreaking to see where those Scully kids came from. It was heartbreaking when Daria felt she wasn’t enough. It’s was beautiful because of the journey all the characters took over the pages of this book. Beautiful because Penn and Daria didn’t give up on each other. It’s was beautiful to see how the other Totholes supported Daria.

Thank you to @authorljshen and @netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Penn and Daria meet and sparks instantly fly, but that meeting causes a devastating chain of events. Four years later, they are forced into the same orbit once again, but they have changed dramatically. Their hatred for one another is palpable, but their chemistry is undeniable…and neither one knows how to handle it. When an unexpected reminder of their past shows up, they are forced to decide whether love or hate will win.

This is the first book I've read by this author and now I'm adding her whole repertoire to my TBR. This book is an enemies to lovers story, but on steroids. Penn and Daria are both deliciously angsty, and I kept wanting to simultaneously strangle them and hug them both. The way the author writes the chemistry between these characters is *chef's kiss*.

The exploration of self-loathing is just so riveting. I thought I wouldn't like that Daria was a mean girl because who likes a mean girl? But her inner struggle was so well written that I could see why she was so miserable. There are always two sides to a person…the one you see and the one they are trying to hide. It's refreshing to see characters that are relatable to the ugliest parts of myself, and how they learn to navigate that without completely ruining themselves. It's raw and real and I'm here for it.

And Penn…I love a good morally gray bad boy. I didn't want to root for him sometimes but I always did. He's the kind of broken boy you want to wrap up in your arms and protect.

This book will have you feeling all the emotions. It's raw and real with characters you love to hate, ones you hate to love, and ones you absolutely despise. There are no unflawed people in this book and that's what makes it so amazing.

I absolutely love how LJ Shen has written Pretty Reckless. You hear from different points of view during the whole book which makes the story even better to read! You are taken through a young girl's mind, diary and life as she matures, goes through school, tries to manage her big feelings and overcome societal pressure.

Daria is a misunderstood teen that everyone thinks is a spoiled brat. She misbehaves to get attention because she so desperately wants to matter and be seen by someone. Her world gets turned upside down when the one person she should be able to count on to love her, ends up despising her or so she thinks. I feel like we can all relate to Daria at some point in the book; whether it's through popularity, being outcast, having angry feelings or even wanting to run away. LJ Shen does a wonderful job at ensuring there is at least one character in the book that we can imagine ourselves being. I would rate this book 6/5 stars! I want more of this story! Please write part 2!

Favorite line in the book "…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."

I’m not usually one for a high school story (main characters are 18) but this was great. Suspend your disbelief and getting ready for a sexy, fun time with an enemies to lovers storyline. The writing and world building was great and their chemistry was so sweet.

I had a love hate relationship with this book. I loved the characters, but the plot was a bit muddy at times. There was just so much going on that I found myself getting overwhelmed with trying to keep up. It had many aspects that I liked. Daria is a complex character and I could relate to some of her internal battles. Penn was strong and made me laugh which made me overlook the things that I didn’t enjoy about this book. Overall, I liked it!