Pretty Reckless

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 Pretty Reckless , 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.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.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 Pretty Reckless.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.Pretty Reckless 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 PopularDaris Followhill is the girl that every girl wants to beDaria Followhill is the girl that every guy wants to be seen withDaria 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.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.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,Penn’s eyes remind me of a snake. Mesmerizing but inhuman altogether. They weren’t like that before.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 otherThey respected each other“You’re Saturn,” she whispers. “Made of iron-nickel and surrounded by protective rings of ice and rock.”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.

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 Followhill 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.Gah!! This story was just outstanding. 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.My obsession with this story knows no bounds!! It is everything: the delicious cover, the fiery sexual tension and the spirited enemies to lovers banter - this is where Shen shines! Pretty Reckless is nothing short of phenomenal with the kind of fantastic writing this author is known for. It is an exciting rollercoaster ride from the beginning culminating in a deeply emotional and explosive ending. Every word is a shining example of Shen's profound writing ability. After every new creative masterpiece she delivers, it really feels like L.J. Shen was born to write. I am left more and more in awe of her God-given talent and fall deeply in love with her characters each time!! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula

Wow, just wow...Penn & Daria...this isn’t your typical HS romance or YA...this is so much more...had me reminiscing about My So Called Life and ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL the emotions in my youth. This will suck you in, have you on your knees begging for Mercy ..then the tears....sobs, really..and also have you cheering/rooting for LOVE. This author is SO talented at hitting you, eviscerating you, having you so down low you think you’ll never be high again then bringing you higher than the Sun...read this, absorb it, and all it’s feels. This is gold my friends, this is real, this is EVERYTHING ❤️

“Behind every untrusting girl is a boy who made her that way.”One of my anticipated books ever dropped on my kindle yesterday and I will admit, I squealed like a little kid at Christmas.L.J Shen has just broken my heart over and over again and then fixed the shattered pieces back together. There is nothing pretty about the emotions you will experience in this book.“There’s nothing I want more than every single thing you have to give.”Pretty reckless brings all of the angst and emotions and I didn’t know what to think or feel. I still don’t.What I do know is every single person is going to relate to this book, their teenage years. Everyone has insecurities, that inner demon inside of them, it’s what you do with it that counts.LJ Shen takes you on a journey of self discovery, angsty moments, she will break your heart and leave you gasping for more.I don’t want to be done with this book, this story.Daria may be queen bee but we all have moments like Daria, it’s what causes that behaviour and what we chose to do with them that define us.Now I will admit when I found out that Daria wasn’t going to end up with Vaughn or Knight, I was dubious that no guy would ever be able to live up to being Daria‘s hero. I knew I should’ve trusted Leigh to do the right thing by Daria and I’ll let you into a secret, she didn’t just do the right thing... I couldn’t imagine anyone else as Daria’s enemy, confidant and soul mate more than Penn.I loved this book and I’ll will be reading it a lot in the future... when my emotions have recovered.I am also loving on Jaime so hard in this book- he was everything I wanted him to be and more.Amazing.Now for the hellish wait for Vaughn and Knight’s books

Daria is the spoiled rich girl, or is she? She's the daughter that is never good enough, who just wants her mothers attention and to be loved. So she perfects her acting up, and the jealousies and anger inside her.Penn is the poor badboy, who does everything for the benefit of his twin sister Violet. Daria is in his sights, he was revenge and blames Daria for his sisters disappearance.OH MY GOD, this book, what a ride!! My emotions were most definitely pushed to their limit. I both loved and hated it, i both loved and hated both characters!! Yet i was drawn to them like a moth to a flame.So much happens in this book, from beginning to end, its emotional relevations along the way and you barely get time to breatheThis book covers so many issues, lies, jealousy, manipulation, trust, Love, Hate, bullying. It's not the easiest of reads but its one that will have to hooked so deep that like the characters you will have no escape. Both main characters, were in their own way Bully's, and at times i felt this a little difficult, even if i could understand that all their thoughts and feelings were leading to their behaviour. At the same time I loved them, their intensity, their connection. This whole group of people were pretty messed up and dysfunctional yet they were striving to make things right. Each and every step this couple took wasn't easy but i loved every moment of it. This book, just like the characters, challenged me all the way. It hit me deep and it hit me hard. So much happens in this book, from beginning to end, its emotional revelations along the way and you barely get time to breathe, never mind eat, drink or sleep!!! Definitely a book you have to dive into and be prepared for a hell of a ride !!!!

I found this author in the last year and have not stopped reading her books since!! My favourite being Vicious but this one comes a close second. I loved the Sinners of Saint books which were individual books about friends from all different backgrounds and I couldn't put them down as they had so much drama and angst and passion which I love in my books. So now we have the next generation and this book is about Daria, who is the daughter of Melody and Jaime and their story was told in the book Defy. Daria is a tortured soul and finds it hard to cope with her inner jealous demons and she has a troubled relationship with her mum Melody but she's very close to her dad. Penn comes into her life when she's 14 years old and they both come from totally different backgrounds. Penn has a twin sister called Sylvia (Via for short) and she is definitely not a nice person. Penn and Daria set off a chain of events together which neither of them knew would cause so much heartache but this is what makes the book so good. I couldn't put it down but because I'm a fast reader I am now left hanging waiting for the next one!

I don't know how she does it, but Leigh’s books just get better and better!I have been eagerly awaiting this release for months and 'Oh Marx!' … It did not disappoint.Without giving anything away (because you need to go in blind for the best experience), Daria is a misunderstood character who hides her true self and feelings from her family and friends, creating a whole load of drama!Enter Penn who understands her, sees through her walls and barriers and manages to turn her world upside down - whilst making it far from an easy ride for her. Their relationship was so great and I loved how their story unfolded.Where this book REALLY got me was the relationship between Daria and Mel. I have read so many comments of dislike towards Mel, but I actually didn’t get that. Sure, she made some mistakes, but Daria was doing the same. When it came to a certain chapter between the two of them, I was, quite literally, tearing up.Jamie was a fantastic father and he had me smiling and laughing in so many scenes. It was good to see some interaction between the Hot Holes! I was more excited for Vaughn’s story before this read, but Knight was so loyal, charming and hilarious that I think I’m now anticipating his more!!Whoever comes next, I can’t wait to see where the story goes and eagerly await both of them.Thank you, Leigh! You are a truly fantastic writer who has left me with one heck of a book hangover!

Pretty Reckless is a book that will constantly be on my mind! It truly is unforgettable! Having been one of the more recent reads of my New Adult addiction, I didn't know what I was getting into. Not only this but it was my first LJ Shen read!OMG did she deliver with this book, the complexity behind Daria and just her life was phenomenal. I hated her, loved her, cried with her, was angry with her, felt injustice for her and everything. She was beautiful and is easily one of my favourite characters to date. "You're made of gold Daria, and so much soul."Penn was angry and yet soft, he was caring and hard all in one and his and Daria's relationship was beautifully heartbreaking! I adored them and adored this journey the book took me on, it was dark and yet relieving all in one! I can't wait to continuously reread it!