REVIEW: Pretty Reckless by L.J Shen

Title: Pretty Reckless
Series: All Saints High book 1
Author: L.J Shen
Publication Date: April 21, 2019
Rating: ★★★★☆
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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. 


My Thoughts... 

First of all can we all just appreciate this gorgeous cover, I mean its absolutely amazing and I may or may not have just ordered a physical copy to stare at all day long. I mean who can blame me... 

Anyways, aside from the amazing cover, the story inside is perfection. I loved following Daria and Penn through their journey of love and hate and finding themselves. I love Daria and to be honest I loved how bitchy and mean she was. I loved it because I really haven't read many books with a heroine like her, most books either focus on innocent, doe eyed, nice heroines or strong heroines who are caring and loving. and that's great and all but having a character like Daria, who is strong, yet weak, who loves but also hates with a passion and also her bitchiness to others and some of the things she's done I mean wow it was crazy. Having a heroine like her, who is just so complex - I loved it and I want more of it so thank you L.J Shen for giving us an amazing heroine! But there's a reason as to why she does some of the things she does and why she acts like that and we get to find out throughout the book so I don't wanna spoil anything. 

(wow lets all take shots every time I use the word 'love' by the end of it we'll all be so drunk we won't know which way is up) 

I also want to touch on her relationship with her parents because that's another important element in the book. without spoiling anything I want to say the dynamic between Daria and her parents felt so real. oh and the fact we even have parents to begin with was something since most books with teens don't seem to have them, but to have them embedded in the story the way it is in this book was just beautiful to read, even though it was heartbreaking at times. I cried reading some of the scenes between Daria and her parents but also with Daria's inner monologue, as well as another very sad and tragic scene that happened - it was just so sad and real and I felt so much empathy towards her. I think she is one of my favourite heroines ever created! I think in this review Daria might have come across as bitchy but I just want to say there is so much more to her than that, she's strong, empathetic, cares for others plus many more attributes - she is a complex character. 

Overall, I pretty much devoured this book. I am so excited to continue on this series with the second book 'Broken Knight' set to release on the 25th of August. And this will be Knight's book - which I am super excited for. 

Literally me right now ↑ even though I just finished Pretty Reckless!