SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, May 9, 2019

PRETTY RECKLESS BY L.J. SHEN REVIEW

Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen
Release Date: April 21st 2019
Source: Purchased
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 360
Buy it: Amazon|B&N|Book Depository

From USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an intense, high school enemies-to-lovers romance with a twist. 


Penn 
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. I’d had four years to stew on what Daria Followhill did to me, and now my heart was completely iced. I took her first kiss. She took the only thing I loved. I was poor. She was rich. The good thing about circumstances? They can change. Fast. Now, I’m her parents’ latest shiny project. Her housemate. Her tormentor. The captain of the rival football team she hates so much. Yeah, baby girl, say it—I’m your foster brother. There’s a price to pay for ruining the only good thing in my life, and she’s about to shell out some serious tears. Daria Followhill thinks she is THE queen. I’m about to prove to her that she’s nothing but a spoiled princess. 
Daria 
Everyone loves a good old unapologetic punk. But being a bitch? Oh, you get slammed for every snarky comment, cynical eye roll, and foot you put in your adversaries’ way. The thing about stiletto heels is that they make a hell of a dent when you walk all over the people who try to hurt you. In Penn Scully’s case, I pierced his heart until he bled out, then left it in a trash can on a bright summer day. Four years ago, he asked me to save all my firsts for him. Now he lives across the hall, and I want nothing more than to be his last everything. His parting words when he gave me his heart were that nothing in this world is free. Now? Now he is making me pay. 


•• PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 ••

        Angst, angst and did I mention angst? I devoured this book in one night and was left desperate for more. Pretty Reckless seemed to be every story imaginable wrapped into one. From enemies to lovers, to high school rivals, to not having a mother's love, this book covered it all. New Adult romance novels have become my new cup of tea and boy does L.J. Shen deliver.

        Daria Followhill easily became one of my favorite female characters. She is not your typical innocent do-gooder. She's a raging rich bitch and owns up to it. She can be down right vicious to anyone to those that cross her path. Though when we catch glimpses inside her head, we see that she can be vulnerable at times which causes her to lash out the way she does. She was willing to upend her entire life to do the right thing for the boy she loves. When she truly cares for someone, she is compassionate, caring and shockingly selfless. Daria may not be easy to love, but she is 100% worth the trouble. As for Penn Scully...DAMN. He amazed me. How he was determined not to be the product of his environment, how her enraged Daria, but when someone else was bothering her he always was on her side.
        The only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars was that there were some plot holes that did not seem to make sense. How they pieced together everything in the end just did not seem to flow all that gracefully. I would still give this book 4 out of 5 stars! 

What are some of your favorite romance novels? Let me know in the comments down below!

Thanks Hons,
Lee Chand


BONUS! Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite scenes:


“I don’t want you transferring into my school,” I hiss out. Melody would gladly file a transfer request, and Principal Prichard would salivate over the chance to snatch him up for our football team.
“That won’t be a problem. You guys suck so much ass, you have shit-breath.”
“Still smells better than poverty. You’re poor, right? Your sister was just bullshitting about being rich.”
When someone hits me with a stick, I run over them with a tank. I’m so mean to him I want to throw up. I hate this part of being me. The striking harder at all costs part.
“Just to make things clear.” I put the brush down, batting my lashes. “You’re not my step-sibling, foster brother, or a part of the family. You’re a stray dog. Last of the litter, most unlikely to be adopted, and a charity case.”
Penn takes a step toward me, and my heart is fighting its way out of my ribcage. The closer he gets, the more I realize that my heart might succeed. Penn’s eyes remind me of a snake’s. Mesmerizing, but inhuman altogether. They weren’t like that before.
His scent messes with my head. I want to reach out and caress his face. Kiss his wounds better. Beg for forgiveness. Curse him. Push him away. Cry on his shoulder for what we’ve done. For how it ended. For what we became afterwards, because I’m full of crap and he is totally empty.
We ruined ourselves the day of our first kiss.
Penn looks down at me. Time stops. It feels like the world is losing gravity, falling into a bottomless depth in space when he clasps my chin with his thumb and finger, lifting my head up. I can’t breathe. I’m not sure I want to, either. My towel drops to the floor with a thud, even though I secured it over my chest. I realize that he tugged at it intentionally. I’m naked. My body, my soul, my heart. All my walls are down. Somewhere in my head, a red alarm blasts
and my inhibitions are getting armed, ready to fight back. I’m trying to decode his expression. He is amused, irritated, and…playful? The mixture of emotions doesn’t make any sense.
“Mess with me, Followhill, and I will ruin you.”
“Not if I ruin you first.”

6 comments :

  1. The wonderful world of ASH! L.J. Shen’s books are like crack! I can’t get enough. I need to get the audiobook for this one cause I bet it’s so hot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is! I would get the audiobook for all her books!

      Delete
  2. These books are amazing! Penn was a nice break from the rich hotholes. Nice to see it from the girl this time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read this book before I read all of Sinners of Saints. But I agree that seeing that attitude from a female this time is a nice change. Brings dynamic.

      Delete
  3. I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS ANOTHER ASH BOOK OUT! omg instant download to my kindle

    ReplyDelete