RELEASE BLITZ AND REVIEW: PRETTY RECKLESS by L.J. Shen

Pretty Reckless, an all-new standalone high school, bully romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen, is available now!

We were supposed to be best friends

But turned out to be worst enemies…

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 is 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 of my firsts for him.

Now he lives across the hall, and there’s nothing I want 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.

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My Review

Welcome back to Todos Santos and to the second generation of HotHoles, the TotHoles, All Saints High elite crew who are just as privileged and menacing as their parents, which comes as no surprise given the fact that they’ve learned from the best when it comes to running and owning their environment and those who are in it.

There’s a lot to unpack in Pretty Reckless, but as I share my thoughts and observations, I’m going to talk in general ideas, so as not to spoil anything for those of you who haven’t had the privilege of reading this complex and angsty read.

I posted my first two insights on Facebook, but here they are again, as well as the rest of my analysis of Daria Followhill and Penn Scully’s story and all those involved with lifting up and destroying Queen B and her BAE.

1. Every Single Character is FLAWED & ACTS WITHOUT truly thinking things through, but life’s a process and the only way people can learn is to make mistakes and then prevent them from happening again, and while it definitely takes some people more time than others to realize this idea, it’s a process and it’s not a straightforward one, so there will always be mishaps and bumps in the road, but the true measure of a character…of a person is if they can keep getting back up…keep moving forward, even if it takes a shitton of time and fortitude to weather anything and everything that comes their way.

2. It’s okay to have STRONG, NEGATIVE feelings about characters who we’ve loved from other books. I feel like that’s part of the process of truly understanding multifaceted characters…they’re not perfect, they make mistakes, and readers will want to rage at them and maybe even knock some sense into them, but hold onto your final assessment of them…trust in the process of character development…don’t be too quick to make a final judgment because all the facts won’t be presented until the very end of the story.

3. Daria’s superior princess persona is not who she truly is, even if it’s difficult to see beyond her ruthless and destructive words and actions. At Daria’s core, though, is a girl who wants to be loved…who wants to be seen…who wants to matter to those who mean everything to her, even if she has a difficult time showing them how she truly feels because of the fears that consume her, the sins the define her, and her adversaries who want nothing more than to watch her fall from her self-created pedestal.

Daria is one of the most insecure characters that I’ve read in quite some time, but given the circumstances that surround her – the same ones that bring her ‘Hulk’ out and make her lash out at those closest to her – I can’t really begrudge her, her feelings and it’s more than obvious that the reason she’s her own worst enemy is because she doesn’t have anyone at her back, making her a priority and that would cause even the best of us to do anything and everything for some attention.

4. Penn may be the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, but that shouldn’t be the only thing that defines him. He’s had quite the shitty upbringing, but he’s done what he can to forge his own path, even when he lost all hope and was abandoned by his other half in a way that made him vow revenge at all costs, even when his feelings, which are not part of the plan, become a huge part of the equation, forcing him to choose a side and realizing that, in the end, sacrificing what he truly wants and deserves has nothing to do with seeking vengeance, which makes everything completely jacked up for him and for his Skull Eyes.

5. Pretty Reckless is YA Romance on steroids, and that’s what makes it uniquely captivating. LJ Shen not only tackles a slew of relatable teenage issues, but she also explores people’s abuse of power, the damaging effects of secrets and lies, and how necessary it is for a family to fight for each other, to forgive one another, and to provide unconditional love no matter a member’s misdeeds or harsh recriminations.

LJ Shen brings ALL the angst, ALL the deception, ALL the twists and turns that readers have come to expect from the worlds she creates, and on top of all the dramatic goodness that Shen sends readers’ way, we also get to see our beloved HotHoles in a new phase of their lives as they watch their mini-mes find their own way in an environment that values perfection and outward appearance more so than honesty and righteousness, but through it all, Shen makes it abundantly clear that if something’s meant to be, regardless of the obstacles, people will find a way to set things right and prove that what truly matters has nothing to do with physical beauty or the facades that people wear in order to prove they’re better than everyone else.

I can’t wait to get to know the other TotHoles and see what angsty path Shen will set them on because if I know one thing, regardless of their money and status, nothing’s easy when it comes to matters of the heart, especially with how Shen crafts her stories!

5 Poison Apples

About LJ Shen

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people’s’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.