Awesome book

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down I have it on kindle and audio. The audio changed the principal’s name from Gabe what is written as in the books to Ryan ???

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Unexpected

I honestly did not expect to be so enthralled by this book. But I couldn’t stop listening. Totally consuming and hot and heartbreaking.

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A must read!

Pretty Reckless by LJ Shen is one of those books that you have a hard time putting down. I felt like I had been transported to another world while listening to this audiobook. I've found myself making excuses to get in the car so I could escape to Todos Santos and finally reach the end of Daria and Penn's story.

Daria is the rich princess and captain of the cheer squad who is living in her seemingly perfect castle. In reality though she is the school's mean girl with her list of sins growing longer and longer. Yet despite this, you can't help but like her and want for her to get her happy ever after.

Then you have Penn, the poor kid, the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He's captain of the rival football team working towards a college scholarship so he can turn it all around.

Daria and Penn have all of the chemistry and so much emotion between them - although it's not always the good emotions.
This story gave me so many feels, I can't think of another book which had me swinging so hard from one extreme to the other. A must read!

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SHEN DOES IT FOR HER READERS AGAIN - 2019 🔱

I just want to quickly say before i start my review that i got the audio version of this book, but haven't had great experiences with previous audios so was a little hesitant. I can't get into them, the voices are just all wrong from what's in my head BUT... I am happy to say this might have been the one to convert me? Pretty Reckless was the first audio book I have ever listened to from start to finish in one sitting and I loved it! It took me the first chapter or so to get use to it... it's like my brain struggles to read the story if I'm not actually reading it, but come a few chapters in and I had this sheeit down like Charlie Brown 😉 OR, It might have been the story was just so damn good a didn't give a hoot what it sounded like?

WOW, WOW, WOW....PR (Pretty Reckless) is going straight into my 2019 BEST OF BOOKS, and let me tell you they are far and few between. I am truly awed at how LJ SHEN continues to outdo herself and just when you think her last book is best of, she blows her readers minds with her next!!! Makes it next to impossible to single any of her reads out as your favorite, let me tell you!

PR is the next generation of the "Hothole's" literally... and this book featured Jamie and Mel's daughter, Daria and what it means to be the "popular" girl and sometimes it just ain't all its cracked up to be? This book blew any expectations I had right out of the universe and I'm so glad I temporarily dropped everything to hear this one out, couldn't have put it down if I tried... the story revolves around high school life but was anything and everything high school. If you are one to shy away from these reads, PLEASE DON'T! This is so beyond what you would expect from this sub-genre... and there is no "norm" when it comes to this author, it's not even in her vocabulary, so I'm not surprised.

Firstly, I was totally shocked by the family dynamics. Who would have thought it would be an anything but perfect? What a tragic yet DEFYing outcome.
Secondly, Penn and Daria... perfect! From the first time they met the bond was real and I was hooked. A boy from the wrong side of the tracks to a girl with everything, yet both lived in worlds with equally fkd up situations, this book dealt with some pretty serious real-life stuff that can make or break you, but Daria, Penn and everyone (Well maybe not everyone) handled it wonderfully, all contributing to making this story just a little bit special 😍
Thirdly, there is no thirdly....I cannot say anymore!

The only thing left to say is GO. GET. THIS. BOOK!

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Pretty Reckless

Wow I don’t even know where to start with this!!

I have been waiting what feels like forever to get my hands on this book and it was everything and more. The hot holes still being their badass selves and the totholes (love this name for them) growing older and wiser is what I live for.

L. J. Shen is truly a master with the words and knows how to weave a story that will have you hooked from start to finish.
Seeing the relationship between Daria and Penn grow and adapt to each new hurdle that life through at them as well as the everyday struggles that teenagers (as well as the parents of said teenagers) face and conquer was so very real and relatable that it felt like I was experiencing those things right along with the characters.
Not going to lie, I went through most of this book hating Mel and Via and basically just wanting to scream and throw my ereader across the room at some points with some of the actions and decisions that had been made, Jaime had always been my least favourite of the hot holes, with Daria being my least favourite of the offspring but by the end of the book I had a new found understanding and love for the hurt and pasts that shaped them all as people.
The way L. J. Shen wove this tale, you can’t help but to fall in love with even the most broken and screwed up characters and gave a life and light to issues and flaws that I think everyone has faced and experienced at some point.

If you haven’t read the Sinners of Saint series yet I can recommend enough that you get on that so that you may experience all that is Pretty Reckless. It is truly 100/10!!!

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Deserves 10 stars

L. J. Shen is a genius.
I always think she can’t out do her previous books but she definitely can.
Each time I’m amazed at how clever her writing is and how your interest never fades.
Loved the narration. Michael Crouch was brilliant.

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Wanting More!

loved it!

well written and made me want more to the series

I'm off to explore more of the author and voice overs

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Wow

So many strong emotions in this story. The girl you wanted to hate, but at times so understood. Was a great read. Emotional roller coaster. Narration was awesome.

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Don't waste your time

This is one of the worst books I have ever read/listened to. I don't mind teenage angst but this book is just ridiculous, not even the sex scenes could keep me interested hahaha it's so negative, and what the hell is with her depraved relationship with the school principal?! It's not sexy to be abusing a student in any way.
The audiobook itself is well read, the narrators have done a good job. Just a crap storyline

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2 people found this helpful

The ending is overboard

Didn't read the last 3 chapters. I know this is written for YA and teenagers but the ending is so overdone. Good banter in the first half. I read a lot of books and my bar is not that high, so when I say I didn't finish a book it means it went south fast. The scene with all the teenagers together towards the end is so unbelievable, especially the banter between characters during that moment. I think it's an amazing feet to write a book and perhaps that overcooked style is popular with an audience under 18. However, I still think a portion of the audience that age would also be too smart.

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1 person found this helpful