It also feels really COLD! It’s not a coincidence I think … it’s the main theme running through this book!( I think)
I loved how painfully beautiful the author draws their journey from COLD to WARM!! You fall in love with them as you watch their souls thaw… slowly, as they muster the courage to claim what they want, as they finally believe they deserve what they want and strive to claim it! To change it! To own it!

I loved the transformation of characters in this book, especially the main character Lenora: the path she takes, the truths she learns and how her worldview changes throughout the book!Sometimes, you lose something- without realizing that you have lost! And maybe it’s a body’s protective mechanism - but this journey the author drew so beautifully, it’s so touching, poignant and grows so close to heart!

I loved VIC in this story! He comes to the rescues through all the stories with his dark power and relentless love for his people!

I think the fountain scene will always be my favorite scene in this story - it broke my heart a little and also healed the soul…all at once …if that makes any sense

I’ve been slowly working my way through LJ Shen’s backlist and was excited to receive this ARC. However, this book was just not for me. The bully romance is not usually my fave, but the author has made it work for me before! Unfortunately I just couldn’t enjoy it.

Angry God is a dark bully, enemies to lovers romance with lots of angst, hate, and trauma. I personally enjoy dark romances especially from L.J. Shen so this story did not disappoint. With Angry God, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t help wanting to follow the dark journey of both main characters.
Here’s some things you can expect from this story:

- High school bullies
- FMC finding her voice and inner strength
- MMC struggling to deal with past
- Blurred lines of hate and love
- Sworn enemies
- Sexual tension
- Artists with dark sides
- Don’t touch what’s mine
- So many confusing emotions
- Heartbreak
- Struggle to find happy ending


Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for sending this book for review consideration.

Where do I start with this book! I definitely liked this book more than I thought I would - dark/bully romances can be a little hit or miss for me, but when I like them I really enjoy them. I definitely enjoyed this read. I think this book has some really important messages about past trauma and how it can shape you into the person you are, even if that’s not exactly who you want to be. Lenny and Vaughn have something really special and I loved watching them change and grow together. Vaughn had some really endearing moments and I love the spiciness that Lenny has to her personality. This story came together really incredibly, having all the pieces for together in the end.

Overall, a good solid read (3 stars), spice was definitely there but it wasn’t too detailed so it was easy to read if that’s not something you like (2 star spice rating). Definitely check your trigger warnings before jumping in (bully romance, SA, etc).

“A million times over, forever mine”

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this ARC.

This is the last of the All Saints' High series but it can read as a stand alone. This book concentrates on the High's series' Ultimate bad boy Vaughn's story. He is a "tortured soul" who knows he's obsessed but he makes it his mission to be the ultimate d*ck.

This time, we meet a girl named Lenora (Lenny) who is not only immune to his cruelty, and he is down right hostile towards her, but she holds her ground and has a very sharp retort to his extra harsh treatment. Why is he like that? Because he's trying to ensure she doesn't tell his secret to anyone.

At times, I felt this book was a bit too dark for me. The sex scenes were uncomfortable for my taste, as it was twisted and done harshly with intent. It can be triggering to some.

I love a good Bad boy’s arc and coming to understand why they are that way and what makes them utterly d*cks but this one was dark.

I couldn’t stop reading it but I did, however, have to put it down several times. I have come to love this author's writing but this one was a hard one. Yet I was hooked. 3 1/2 stars but rounding up.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Angry God makes you look at people differently!

The average romance usually has boy meet girl, they fall in love and get married the end but when you read a L.J. Shen book you will read a dark romance because you want to read it again.

Lenora Astalis hated Vaughn Spencer since she first met him during the summer session at Carlisle Castle where her father was the headmaster at Carlisle Preparatory School for the Gifted when she was twelve. But now she is in Todos Santos attending All Saint High with Vaughan and his friends and they still hated each other.

Angry God is a book that makes you really think about motivations and how people can fall in love even though it might take them a long time to acknowledge it

Angry God is the third book in the All Saints High series about the characters of Sinners of Saint series children and the apples don’t fall far from the tree.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

💙 Angry God Review 💙
By LJ Shen
All Saints High, Book 3
Interconnected standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
NA • Romance
368 pages

🖼️ b*lly romance
🍫 enemies to lovers
🖼️ academic setting
🍫 cheating(ish)
🖼️ dual POV
🍫 other girl drama

📍”I am hell bound, and you are heaven sent.”

This is one of those books I don’t know how to rate. I love it. I’m uncomfortable. The writing is absolutely flawless. Some tropes are not for me. The main plot is absolutely superb 🤌🏼 and the MMC is one of the best morally onyx characters in NA contemporary romance.

Vaughn’s story broke my heart. Vaughn’s story felt real. Vaughn’s story made me ache for a little boy that no one saw and only one person understood… even if she was too young to comprehend. Vaughn’s story was a sad work of heart with a very HEA. Vaughn’s story is unforgettable, like most mythology is 😉

📍 “You’re real. Maybe that’s why, sometimes, even when you’re not around, it feels like you are.”

I guess what I’m trying to say is that… If you don’t mind the tropes - and after checking the tr❗️ggers on this one -, you’re in it for one truly spectacular ride 💙

📍”She was perfect, and I was nothing but a collection of flaws.”

Where do I even begin! I love this book - I wanted to hate this book because I had correctly guessed right away what happened to Vaughn, and I just didn't want to know the details. But in the end, I read, and read, and read until the sun came up. I just couldn't put it down! I'm giving this book 4.5 Stars, because for me, 5 Stars is reserved for books I will read again. Even though the writing by L.J. Shen is spectacular, the story is disturbing enough for me that I will likely not read it again. This is my first time reading L.J. Shen and I'm ready for another!

If you can handle extremely dark subjects, things that happen to people that should require therapy to be whole again, I definitely recommend this book! The story was gripping, the characters were intriguing, and the writing was phenomenal.

Both Vaughn and Lenora are broken. Both experienced something in their past that made them what they are now. They see in each other an island of reprieve, where they can say things they've never shared with anyone else. They want to hate each other. But they are drawn together like moths to a flame.

In addition to the main story arc surrounding Vaughn, I was also slightly disturbed by how much these 17 and 18 year olds were sexually active. And if I hadn't known that Lenny and Vaughn were 17 and 18, I would have thought them to be in their 30s based on how mature they were sometimes portrayed. These kids have been through a lot in their very short lives.

Thank you L.J. Shen and NetGalley for this ARC. The above is my own and personal opinion.

Thank you @read_blooms for a copy of this book. I read Vicious a few years back so it was fun to read about their son, Vaughn's story. Vaughn has very similar asshole tendencies like his father and I really didn't get why he treated Lenore so badly. I am not a huge fan of bully romance so this wasn't my total cup of tea. I did really enjoy the last half of the book as you learn more about Vaughn and his motives.

Viscious has always had my heart but somehow I think Vaughn replaced him. Vaughn is a misunderstood, grade A jerk, and for a very good reason we learn. I loved that we got to see what leads to the grudge Lenny has against Vaughn and then how their relationship evolves and becomes what it is as they’re older and run into each other again. Now don’t get me wrong, L.J. always has some nice spicy scenes in her book but this one? I honestly think this one is next level as the two are always trying to up each other and drive each other crazy. I loved this book

Wow! That’s all I’ve got!
What started as a story full of moody, pretentious teenagers became so much more! Do not miss the chance to read this!

Oh man. I don’t really know what to say or where to begin with this one. I know I’m definitely in the minority when I say that I think this is the same story as ‘Vicious’ but she threw in some child molestation and pretty disturbing scenes and called it a “Dark Romance”. I work with children and found a lot of this content just very uncomfortable to get through and to see this as any kind of romance.
A little bummed considering I really enjoyed Vicious and Pretty Reckless!
2.25⭐️

Angry God is the third book in LJ Shen's All Saints High Series. This is a second chance romance who MCs get together after high school as they are each doing an art internship in London. They have a love/hate relationship and this book could be triggering to some people. I have enjoyed many of Shen's books but this wasn't my favorite. It was good to have closure for these characters from this series.

I've had this book on my TBR for so long that I forgot why I wanted to read it so badly. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to finally get to it. While this is the third book in the All Saints High series, it most definitely can be read as a stand alone. I didn't feel like I was missing backstory or getting any big revelations from other stories. Lenore and Vaughn can't stand each other. That much is made clear...at first. The story takes place over a few years with flashbacks into the past as the mystery and secrets unfold. I enjoyed the storyline and plan to go back to read the others in this series at some point.

Really great book! LJ is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint! 4.5 stars I loved the characters and the storyline

2.75 stars - I was excited about this book since it was about Vicious and Emila's son, Vaughan. I really could not connect with the characters. This book fell flat for me and I was so bored throughout reading the book that I was surprised I was able to finish reading in 1 day.

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

LJ Shen's writing is as good as ever and this one doesn't disappoint. But I will say please note there are SEVERAL SA triggers so please please protect yourself if needed.

I don't think I've red a LJ Shen book I haven't liked, but they are dark, and this one is particularly so. Bloody, vicious, all that. But she hits the nail on the head for dark romance, as always.

What can I say about this book? The story of Vaughn Spencer and Lenora is complex and layered. There are so many emotions from the moment Lenora walks in on Vicious when they were young to the moment they reconnect in their senior year of high school.

My heart broke for Lenora and everything she goes through. The bullying from the other girls, desperately seeking her father’s approval, and figuring out her feelings for the emotionally elusive Vaughn Spencer. It’s a true rollercoaster.

I was both angered by Vaughn and his treatment of Lenora and then saddened for him and how he dealt with the complicated past that haunted him. He was cruel and aloof at times, but he was also a deeply wounded hero.

Thoroughly enjoyed being put through the emotional wringer!

***I received this book as an ARC on NetGalley in return for an honest review.***

Rating: 3.8 stars
WRITING STYLE: 0.8/1
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 0.8/1
ENTERTAINMENT: 0.8/1
PLOT: 0.8/1
ROMANCE: 0.6/1

Vaughn Spencer rules Todos Santos, and Lenora “Lenny” Astalis is his sworn enemy. They are two high schoolers vying for the same prestigious art internship. Vaughn and Lenny have been enemies since they were kids. So much can change in five years, maybe their rivalry will, too.

First off, I did not know what I was getting myself into when I started “Angry God.” I was familiar with LJ Shen’s name, but not her style. As someone who typically reads lighter romances or romances that have morally gray men that I like to imagine loving, this was most certainly a change of pace for me to read. The higher rating surprised me, but at the same time, I find it justifiable. The plot itself was interesting to explore because the world of fine art is not one that I have had the chance to readily explore. More than anything, I wanted to know how it ended. I wanted to know if the relationship between Lenny and Vaughn changed or stayed the same.

“Angry God” was a darker, bully “romance” with characters that I did not find relatable or even likable. However, I was astounded at the depth that the characters were written in. When reading books about things or people that I have no ability to relate to, typically the characters turn out to be poorly written or not dynamic. Lenny and Vaughn were equally mean, vindictive, and quite frankly, awful human beings. So you might be asking, why did I give such a high score for character development (usually character likability)? The thing about LJ Shen’s writing is that she was able to write characters that change and grow.

I think the bigger thing to be taken from the characters in “Angry Gods” was how it made me wonder if this was the high school experience for some people. There were numerous points where I found myself thinking, “No way is this realistic.” In some stories an unrealistic plot is what makes a book endearing. In “Angry Gods”, I found myself questioning the experiences of my life and the experiences of others’ lives. While I can’t be sure if that was the point of LJ Shen’s writing, it was definitely achieved.

“Angry God” is not exactly what I would call a romance read in the traditional sense, but it does have intense emotion and a morally slate gray version of love.

Vaughn and Lenny ride that fine line between love and hate here. Vaughn has always bullied Lenny and crossing so many lines in some of the times he has with no hesitation. But with that pull to each other, they’re not sure how to even navigate that.

I loved that Lenny had a backbone here, and accepting the position so Vaught and her are on her turf unlike back at the university. The angst, the banter? Phenomenal. This pair truly deserves each other and I loved watching them heal over time throughout this book.

Shen does not disappoint, and I devoured this book like a snack. This can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the others in the series, too!


Thank you to LJ Shen and Bloom Books for the eARC!