This was SO good! Emotional, angsty, bad boy, enemies to lovers, opposites attract. And ooooh was it hot. I loved the characters and really enjoyed the plot. Daria was such a complex character but I loved seeing behind her exterior of the pretty rich girl. She had so much more going for her and seeing it unfold was perfect. The chemistry, the banter, all of it was so fun. I really enjoyed and will recommend to others!

This book wasn't quite what I expected and I can't decide if I truly liked it. On one hand, Shen dives into some heavy issues and does it pretty well, but other than that it felt a bit formulaic. A Queen Bee meets her match in a boy who she wronged and then they go round and round and have lots of high school angst and miscommunication. I know there are people out there who will love this book, but I guess that audience doesn't include me.

lJ Shen’s writing is absolute magic. I felt all the angst, heartbreak, and was so excited for the redemption.
Daria knows heartbreak so well with her ritzy life she lives in. Penn is the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He wants for his life though but one mistake destroys every chance at love. But what happens when the bad boy for falls for someone who shouldn’t ever be his? There is so much character growth between both characters in this and the plot is truly amazing. One of my favorite reads from this author!

i really really liked this book! i felt like the writing in this book was very enjoyable and the story flowed very well. i loveeddd the banter between the characters and the friends because it made the story that much better! this book was filled with tension and angst and the chemistry between the characters was sooo good. however, my biggest complaint about this book was the subplot with the principal because i just believe it was unnecessary. thank you to netgalley and the publishers for sending me this arc. all opinions are my own.

Fun read! Here are some or the facts/tropes;
❤️straight romance
🔥wild teenage behavior
🌶spicy
🖤bad boy
🤭forbidden love
💰rich vs poor
🧐fake friends, lies, deception, manipulation
👨‍👩‍👦family issues
🗡enemies to lovers

I enjoyed this book! I must admit that at the beginning there were some parts that made me cringe a little, but the book grew on me over time. As the characters started to develop more and more, and started becoming adults, i started liking the book more. There were still some parts that i did not really enjoy, think were very realistic, or made me say wtf, but thats alright! It actually brought me back to my wattpad days, and those stories can still be very enjoyable!

Recommend!

Thanks to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I loved the romance and banter in this book. It's more YA than I thought it would be but still really enjoyed it. I would recommend to my friends!

This was a new author for me & I can’t wait to read more from them! This romance was so good and complex! The characters were wonderfully written! Penn and Daria were a great match. I enjoyed watching them overcome faults to get to their HEA. I don’t want to give away too much so I highly recommend reading this one yourself!:)

“Save me all your firsts.”

-forced proximity, enemies to lovers, high school setting
-Penn and Daria have secrets about their past which is full of unresolved issues with each other
-this read is filled with drama and angst
-some parts were a bit much and felt that the characters often progressed with 2 steps forward and 3 steps back
-I did enjoy the character development and how the story ended
-thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this ARC

3.0⭐️

This is one of my favorite LJ Shen books. Daria is very classic high school popular girl with a dark secret, but she does it so well. I loved the semi bully aspect with Penn. This is just a great high school romance book.

AMAZING!! Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS, Bloom Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

INCREDIBLE!! ADDICTIVE!! OBSESSIVE!! I absolutely loved this book so much🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷!!! Pretty Reckless is my second read by L.J. Shen and I am such a HUGE fan!! The author has officially become one of my favorite authors and an auto buy for me! What an INTENSE, IMMERSIVE AND DEEPLY EMOTIONAL love story with beautifully flawed characters, brilliant plot and the ultimate enemies to lovers romance. It is filled with angst, banter, passion, tension, mistakes, revenge, jealously, betrayal, love, hatred, heartbreak, forgiveness, chemistry, dual POV, wonderful secondary characters and ALL the emotions!! Literally, everything I could possible want in a romance book!!

Daria met Penn when she was fourteen and they shared a moment. However, she did something horrible and Penn has hated her for it. Now four years later, Daria's parents take Penn in and he swears revenge on Daria. What a train wreck but I enjoyed every minute of it!! The angst between them was perfection and the chemistry was sizzling hot🔥🔥!!

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! If you enjoy enemies to lovers with a roller coaster ride of emotions and an eruptive ending then this is the book for you!! I highly recommend and it deserves ALL the stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!!!

Angst, complicated characters, and plus twists oh my. The book has it all. I did not love. How the book was tied into another series that I wasn't familiar with

3.5 starts

This book brought everything you would expect from a high school, enemies to lovers, bully romance and then raised the stakes even more. Some twists, unexpected roadblocks, crazy connection, elevated this book to the next level. High school romances aren’t typically my thing, but this one was done well. Two very flawed, broken characters but relatable and will have you cheering for them in the end.

My heart broke for Daria, the female lead.

This just shows how great LJ Shen's writing is. Daria is not the main character of her life, and is constantly sidelined by her mother and feeling alone despite seemingly having it all. Penn Scully, the Tramp to her Lady, enters her life one fateful day. Despite the intensity of their feelings for each other, their secrets threaten their relationship and those around them.

Constant backstabbing and riveting drama, Pretty Reckless tore my poor heart into shreds. But like a lot of bully romances I secretly enjoy, the ending made it all worth it.

Thank you for NetGallery, Bloom and LJ Shen for the ARC!

hank you so much Netgalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I was surprised when I saw this on Netgalley since it’s been out a while but I was ecstatic when I got approved.
I truly loved this book.
I felt my self connecting to Daria so much. And I still don’t forgive her mother or Penns sister. The pain of a parent choosing someone over you your entire life is heartbreaking.
I teared up several times. Daria was so strong yet so broken. It tore me up. Hits home for me.

“Why can’t you be a little more like your sister?”

That line destroyed me. Absolutely took me out. Brought up old feelings. And I’m so glad this book went into this. I see it all the time. Parents try to make a joke of having a favorite.

It’s not okay. Or some parents will say the kid will never know. They know.


I loved her dad. He was so supportive. At one point he told Daria that she was his favorite and I burst into tears because she needed that.

Penn was amazing. I adored their relationship and chemistry. And the freaking nickname??? I squealed.

I love how dedicated and LOYAL that boy was to her. Months and months of pining despite not seeing her.
Ugh I just adored them.

I recommend the hell out of this. Thank you for this book. The childhood Tori feels validated and seen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Penn Scully was immediately smitten by Daria Followhill, a girl from the other side of town who seemed to have the perfect life. When he walked into her life, she felt the same way. But that was four years ago, and what they did that day is something they can’t forgive themselves for.
Now, Daria’s mother has moved the handsome, brooding Penn into their home to help him finish high school and land a scholarship. His one goal: make sure to ruin Daria’s life. While both hold their own devastating secrets, they seek to destroy the other while trying to ignore the passion that shimmers between them. As they spend more time together and begin to see past each other’s defenses, they soon realize the secrets they’re harboring may not be anything like they expected.

Loved this book. The romance and banter was to die for. Such a good book to get me out of my reading slump. The plot had me hooked from the start. Definitely recommend!

I was hooked on this book, a dark and angsty love-enemies high school romance. The story follows Daria and Penn, who have a complicated and bitter history dating back to their childhood. Daria is the queen of All Saints High, daughter of a famous rock star and a successful writer. Penn is the captain of a rival football team who comes from a poor and broken family. They hate each other with a passion, but also cannot deny the attraction and chemistry between them.

The author does a great job of creating complex and flawed characters who make mistakes and hurt each other, but also grow and learn from their experiences. The writing is witty and sharp, with plenty of humor and sarcasm. The dialogue is realistic and engaging, with funny and memorable lines. The plot is fast-paced and unpredictable, with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The romance is intense and passionate, and some scenes will make you blush and swoon.

The reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I felt some parts of the story were too exaggerated or unrealistic. For example, the level of cruelty and manipulation of some characters seemed too extreme for teenagers. I also thought that some of the situations that Daria and Penn encountered were too convenient or random, and that some of the conflicts were resolved too easily or quickly. I also wanted to see more secondary characters, especially Daria's friends and Penn's brother, who added depth and variety to the story.

Overall, it was an exciting and addictive read with a strong heroine, an amazing hero and an emotional roller coaster. I recommend it to contemporary romance fans looking for a dark and edgy story.

Some how I had read the last three books in the All Saints High series but somehow missed this one. So, when LJ was picked up by Bloom and offered some free copies on here I thought it was the perfect opportunity to go back and read this book! I loved the other books in the series and this one was just as good as the rest of them. Now reading this book I realise it sets the next books up nicely and they make a lot more sense! I can't wait for them to republished officially so I can have a reread. I am also very excited and looking forward to Daria's sisters book next year.

Although at times Daria's actions were not nice I could feel the pain through the pages of what she was going through. The poor girl was treated terribly at times and it was heartbreaking. Multiple moments her mother and Via were incredibly mean and cold. Thank god for Jamie for being an amazing dad to Daria otherwise I feel her story would have been a lot darker. I loved Daria and Penn so much, so glad he realised about his twin and stuck up for Daria, I am glad she had another person in her corner. From the beginning you could not deny the chemistry between them. I loved how they both excepted each others flaws and see past them and chose to love each other because of them.

This book takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions that is so worth it for a wonderful story. It's a wonderful start to a great series. LJ is one and forever will be one of my favourite authors her books are amazing, I can't wait to see whats next!

"Pretty Reckless" by L.J. Shen is a gripping contemporary romance novel that takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with passion, angst, and redemption. This book is the first installment in the All Saints High series and introduces readers to a captivating cast of characters and a complex love story that will leave you utterly spellbound.

The story follows the tumultuous relationship between Daria Followhill and Penn Scully, two high school students from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Daria is the privileged princess of All Saints High, while Penn is the brooding, mysterious boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Their initial encounters are fraught with hostility and secrets, creating a magnetic tension that practically leaps off the pages.

L.J. Shen masterfully weaves a tale of forbidden love, betrayal, and personal growth. Both Daria and Penn are flawed characters, making their journey towards love and self-discovery all the more compelling. Shen delves deep into their psyches, allowing readers to connect with their vulnerabilities and root for their happiness.

Gossip girl but make it... angsty-er?? Is that a word?

My oh my. Where do I begin 😅 Daria and Scully's journey was such a whirlwind to read, and the plot twists had my head spinning. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, family drama, And... SO MUCH TEEN ANGST. Reading this made me feel old, but it's fine everything's fine.

All in all, this was a great read, and I look forward to reading the rest of this series!