"Hate motivates much more than love. Love is content and peaceful. Happy people aren’t driven. They simply… exist. Now, us, hateful people, we’re something else. Hungry and desperate."

Pretty Reckless is a page-turning contemporary romance that will have you in all the feels with high tension, angst and drama. LJ Shen has a way of writing that's easy to devour so you'll have a hard time putting it down! I enjoyed the fast paced storyline and the complicated relationship that developed between Penn and Daria. It started as enemies to lovers then evolved as the two became unlikely friends, finding common ground feeling unlovable and unseen. I will say I had to remind myself that this book takes place in high school as Daria exhibits some typical teenage behavior. Feeling invisible and ignored, Daria refuses to communicate with her family and I found it a bit frustrating at times. (However, her behavior was understandable, especially as it's described in her POV). I enjoyed the ending even though I wished it was longer! Lol. Overall I'd give this 4 stars and recommend it if you love contemporary, angsty romance with these tropes:

Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Foster brother
Dual POV
Spice 3.5
HEA 🥰

Thanks so much to LJ Shen, Bloom Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

I didn’t think I was going to like this book in the beginning, but I did end up enjoying it by the end. Except for that one scene the reminded me of the Mean Girls gym scene.
I felt for bad for Daria I felt like she got the short end of the stick even though at times she may have brought it upon herself. I did love that she had that close relationship with her dad. I loved how when everything crashed down around her she made a tough decision and took her life back. There was one scene that left me shocked and angry, but the way her loved ones came together to serve justice was pretty great.
Penn Scully is a bad boy who really struggled with his feelings for Daria. I feel like he felt he wasn’t good enough to be loved by her. Daria and Penn brought out the worst in each other, but they also brought out the best. My favorite relationship was the one between Penn and Jamie. The way they called each other out on their b.s., but by the end the mutual respect they had for each other.
By the end of the end of book I loved the characters, I was laughing at the conversations between Penn and Jamie, and I was happy with the ending. It was a great book.
Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Angst. So. Much. Angst. And I love me some good angst. It’s like my cat nip!

This is my first book by L.J. Shen, and I really enjoyed it. It has all the things that I love to gobble up in a romance…enemies to lovers, sexual tension, plenty of plot, and well developed characters.

I was pulled into this story from page one. I thought I knew where the plot was going, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was more complex than I initially thought it was going to be.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little feral for Penn, so I guess that makes me a cougar. But damn…he was amaze balls.

I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Wow.

I absolutely devoured this book. I could not put it down. I neglected my motherly duties and I’m not ashamed to say it.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed.. or wanted.

Queen B Daria is a mean girl on the outside- breaking, empty, alone on the inside. She does one hell of a job keeping up her charade but throughout the book she’s not afraid to admit to herself how broken she actually is.

Penn is the bad boy in every high school girls dreams. He’s a poor, broken boy with a heart of gold.

This angsty, enemies to lovers, drama filled story is so painfully beautiful, it’s hard to put into words everything it brings to the table.

One might think this high-school love story is a little over the top, but it’s devastatingly terrifying how common some parts of this story are. I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

But please, check the trigger warnings!

I have read a couple of L.J. Shen’s books and I have to say that so far this one is my favorite. This is a book that you will see on booktok for being popular and would actually turn out to be good. It’s a very angst type of story if that’s your type of book. Shen did an amazing job bringing the plot she promised to her readers. I love the conflicts in the story and how I was never bored throughout the book. Penn and Daria are very well-written characters and I enjoyed learning about their stories. They developed a lot in the book and their bantering was cute. This book has angst enemies to lovers and some parts I would hate the angst vibes I was receiving. There are a fair amount of side characters to pick up for the next books. The ending was well done and this is one of the series of L.J. Shen that I will keep on reading.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

L J Shen packs a punch with Pretty Reckless, the second generation of the Sinners of Saint spin off. It can be read without first reading any of the Sinners of Saints - Vicious, Defy, Ruckus, Scandalous or Bane. But ooooh - to miss out on all of the deliciousness of it all! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it come to the next generation of "Hotholes".

"I'm Daria Followhill. Cheer captain. Rich bitch. Little Miss Popular."

I was cringing and shocked as the story began! Angst, angst, angst! love it when an author can provoke such a reaction from me! My poor kindle was in danger at times!
Layers and layers of drama and situations.

"When someone hits me with a stick, I run them over with a tank."

Daria Followhill is as complex as they come. A spoiled princess with anger issues, jealousy, and drive. And I'm sure I left a few traits out! She is the black sheep of the family. You can't get any deeper than that. For all of the fans out there who have read Vicious I present to you - the female "Vicious." Her defenses are as high as the walls she builds up around herself.

"Behind every untrusting girl is a boy that made her that way."

And then there is Penn Scully. Another form of complicated. He was not born with a silver spoon. He is manipulative and creative. A hustler and a survivor. He has his mind set on revenge. Penn and Daria share a past and now a present full of forbidden encounters.

"Everything about us is a power game, and no one wants to be the side that got rejected."

L J Shen has created a complicated world of have's and have not's. Her characters are literally so rich/complex and so deep. Overflowing with emotion and excess. On a side note -Iloved the pet names and banter as well! This is a fantastic beginning to a new series!

My only struggle was trying to keep names and siblings straight in the beginning.
"Penn Scully actually thinks he owns me. Me. Daria Followhill. The most popular girl at All Saints High."

Thank you to NETGalley and the Publisher for a ARC of this book for a honest review. Pretty Reckless, the first book in the All Saints High series by L.J. Shen didn't grab me instantly like the other books by the author has in the past. I found this book to take a little longer to get into. I'm not sure if it is because I was listening to a book I had to get through quickly and became hooked on or if it was this book itself. After about 30% in, I was finally hooked and couldn't put it down and get anything accomplished.

The Followhills are a wealthy family but they all have secrets and are dysfunctional. Penn Scully is an orphan who comes from a tragic childhood and is now living with the Followhills. Penn and Daria Followhill have a history and he has his heart set on tormenting her future. Yet, they both lust after the other. While this is definitely a book about YAs I don't think it is necessarily meant for YAs.

a cute novel, i really enjoyed it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Thank you to Bloom Books, LJ Shen, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a messy, wild ride of a book. I equally liked and hated every character. I also am pretty sure I have read the first gen series by LJ on KU but it has been so long and now I feel the need to go back and reread it before I continue on with this series. This was a super quick and easy read. Solid and crazy!

i went in this completely blind so I had no idea it was about high school, but WOW this was stressful 😅 I didn’t move from the couch for three hours to start and finish this in one sitting - this is enemies to lovers x100000. “this was so much more than first love. it was first hate, too.” i felt like we could do without the principle storyline but everything else was soooo good. i despised via from the beginning, and really anything that got in the way off penn and daria 🫀❤️‍🔥

Enemies to lovers is my absolute favorite trope and this one did not disappoint! These characters will rip your heart out and make you crave for more!

L.J. Shen has once again delivered a powerful and emotional story that has left me obsessed and begging for more!! Her All-Saints High series opens with a bang in Pretty Reckless where we see Queen B, Daria meet her match in Penn Scully, her opposite in every way. But this Queen did not expect her gamechanger to ultimately become the landmine at her feet systematically blowing up her entire world. Penn and Daria have a shared past and secret from years earlier. In an act of kindness, Penn irrevocably changes Daria showing her that there is still goodness in people. She repays him in an act of betrayal and selfishness that has lasting effects into the present. Now that misfit boy is back and has grown into a vengeful man who is out for the prissy princess' blood. OMG!!!! I loved this story so much. Shen gloriously paints a picture of Daria as the young woman who has the world at her shiny, polished fingertips but hides her broken, bleeding and dark parts under a facade. But Penn sees past her cutting barbs and superficial and perfect exterior to the wounded and defensive woman beneath. I loved how we are given a picture of two people who are so different but who see each other for what they really are inside, flaws and all. SO good, everything was so good, id re read this in a heartbeat.

Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen
Rating: 4⭐️

This was a re-read for me since I originally read this in 2019 when it was first published. I was incredibly excited to dive back into this a second time.

Synopsis:
Daria has spent her entire life trying to live up to her mothers prima ballerina expectations. When Vi, Daria’s fellow classmate and arch nemesis, gets an opportunity to join the royal ballet company Daira’s green eyed monster will do anything to take Vi down. Even if that means changing the corse of her life and the people around her.
Penn’s life was irrevocably altered by Daria after his sisters disappearance. She ripped out his heart and now four years later he is forced to face her again, daily. Penn wants nothing more than to put the spoiled princess in her place. Will these two be able to put their hurt and hatred aside to see what truly matters?

Thoughts:
This one definitely took me on a ride from start to finish! I had a hard time connecting to Daria only because the attitude is next level! However I really appreciated the thought that went into her inner monologue and understanding her thoughts and feelings. I eventually found myself pulling for her towards the end! The author did a fantastic job with each characters growth throughout the story. The chemistry between Daria and Penn was next level and the angst was so angsty!!! (even if it was a tad bit toxic in the beginning.) I absolutely love L.J. Shen and will definitely be reading the next one! Highly recommend for anyone who loves and enemies to lovers trope with a heartbreakingly beautiful love story!

Thank you to Netgally and Source Books bloom books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I loved L.J. Shen's writing style, I think I'm much older than the intended audience for this book and I therefore found it challenging to connect with the characters. When I struggle to connect, I struggle to stay invested in the story. That's a me thing and no reflection on L.J. Shen and I fully intend to try more of her books in the future.

Incredibly complicated characters that were entertaining and fascinating to read about. YA characters are not my go to as much anymore but this story delivered.

This was a darker romance than what I thought. However, that’s not the reason I’m giving it 3 stars. I just felt like something was missing in the story line. There were a lot of characters in this book and sometimes it was hard to catch on while reading. I did like the multiple point of views. The ending was good. Penn and Daria had chemistry but were bad together and she realized they needed to do some growing before they could be together, so I liked that part. Overall, the beginning and ending were good but the middle was flat.

Thank you for NetGalley for my ARC copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

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.

Thank you Net Galley, Sourcebooks and L J SHEIN for letting me read this book.

Oh my Marx! Loved the characters, great storyline with just the right amount or drama and angst. First love and first hate. Loved the pace. Highly recommend.

If you're an enemy to lovers fan, this is a great book to have on your TBR! I loved it and look forward to reading more in this series!

🏈 PRETTY RECKLESS by Lj Shen 🏈

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Ok hear me out. This book was giving Mean Girls movie vibes in the ✨BEST✨ way.

Daria & Penn have an unexpected encounter at age 14 and don’t see each other again for several years. Oh and Penn’s twin sister is Daria’s enemy 😈

Penn and his twin sister Via have an extremely rough childhood, while Daria has the complete opposite. From the outside Daria has the picture perfect spoiled rich girl life. But things aren’t always as they seem behind closed doors.

There was so much character development in this story. There was a very well written message within the story to not judge a book by its cover, and that things are truly not always as they seem to be on the outside. Everyone is going through something all the time that you likely never know about.

Be kind 💕
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!