Review: Pretty Reckless (All Saints High #1) by L.J. Shen

Title: Pretty Reckless
Series: All Saints High #1

Author: L.J. Shen
Publisher: L.J. Shen
Published: April 21, 2019
Pages: 360
Genres: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
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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. 

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review DOES contain SPOILERS. 

Marx, help me. I have such a soft spot for books that teeter on the cusp of young adult and new adult. Stories full of drama and raw, real life. Stories that are about high school kids coming into their own, but the stories are anything but innocent. Stories that read more like New Adult books. Not the fluffy YA stories that dominate the market. This is one of those stories. 

Something that I loved about this book was that Daria and Penn weren't at all likable at the beginning of the book. They are both closed off, nasty to others, and hard around the edges. Through the course of the story, we learn what has made them both this way and that deep down they are not soulless monsters. They are just taking life's punches as they come the best that they can and it has made them hard and unflinching survivors. 

The cast of characters in this book really makes up the heart and soul of this story. Sure, there are shocking things happening in the plot of the story, but it is the characters' reactions and journeys that really make the story special. I liked Daria's family and I was glad to see them present in most of the story. They weren't exactly the best at keeping tabs on Daria's life, but it was obvious that they loved her. Her sister was a darling. I liked Daria's childhood friends, though I honestly expected more of them in the book since they WERE childhood friends. They seemed a little too scarce in the story for my liking. I would have loved more tender moments between them, though I was thrilled that they always had her back. I also liked the antagonists in this book. They were very effective and their stories and motivations were believable. 

The plot of this story worked so well. So much drama, guys, seriously. And the best part was that it was so addicting. Unputdownable. The plot flowed beautifully with excellent foreshadowing. The plot was cleverly crafted with dips and turns and OMG moments. 

The romance in this story is so intense that you feel like you are suffocating. The chemistry between Daria and Penn was simmering and crackling like an electric current from the moment they met at age 14. And when they finally come together four years later it is like a bolt of lightning descends. No joke. They both have reasons to hate each other and their feelings are anything but simple. There is serious attraction. The journey from fascination to hate to love in this romance is such a delight to experience. 

Overall, I couldn't have been more happy with this book! I will always enjoy a more serious YA story. The fluffy ones are good too, but life isn't always fluffy so I need books like this in my life. I am excited to read the next book in this series about one of Daria's childhood friends. And since this is my first book by this author, I am also excited to go back and read some backlist titles since the parents' stories are in other series written by this author. I contemplated reading them first, but this story spoke to me so I couldn't wait. This author has definitely gained a new fan. I definitely recommend this book, but I do have to warn that this book contains mature themes and adult situations so tread carefully if that isn't your jam.

These characters were so addicting! What is the last book that you read that had addicting characters? What have you added to your TBR lately?