VICIOUS
(Sinners of Saint, #1)

by L.J. Shen

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Blurb

Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.
The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares.
He is a brilliant lawyer.
A skilled criminal.
A beautiful liar.
A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious

She is a starving artist.
Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom.
Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down.
She paid the price.
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate.
That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t.
So she hates me. Big fucking deal.
She better get used to me.

Find Vicious on GOODREADS

 

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Review

4.5 “Vicious” stars!

Love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances. The passion is the same. The pain is the same…

After reading Defy, I knew when I got my hands on Vicious, LJ Shen would not disappoint. It’s twisted, intense, steamy, addictive, and oh, so vicious.

Vicious is cold, ruthless, and feared by all. With one look he can make you quake in your shoes. But there is something about this mysterious, sexy as sin man that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go.

Vicious, along with the other “Hotholes,” rules All Saints High and can make anyone’s life a living hell. Unfortunately, Emilia is put right in his path of destruction with their very first encounter. She lives with her family on Vicious’ property where her parents are employed and accidentally interrupting a heated conversation ends up ripping her world apart.

“You’re fucking done, Emilia…Wrong fucking place and wrong fucking time.”

Now, there isn’t a day that goes by that seventeen year old Emilia isn’t reminded that she is outcast of All Saints High. Vicious makes it a point to make her miserable, belittling her and embarrassing her whenever he likes.

Emilia hates Vicious but there is something deep inside of her that is irrationally and irritatingly attracted to him.

Vicious was vicious. It was too bad that my hate for him was dipped in a thin shell of something that felt like love. But I promised myself I’d crack it, break it, and unleash pure hatred in its place before he got to me. He, I promised myself, will never break me.

Fast forward ten years and Emilia is living in NYC, trying to make ends meet. Her responsibilities are weighing her down and things seem to only get worse. Vicious is in New York for business and it seems there is something he needs from her.

She wasn’t part of the plan, which made the surprise so much sweeter. She was the missing piece.
…
A ghost from my past who was going to help me haunt the demons of my present.

With an offer from Vicious she can’t refuse, Emilia’s life is about to get flipped upside down once again. With Vicious back in her life, things become dangerous especially when hearts get involved.

Wow! What a book! Vicious is full of lies, secrets, twists, and so many messed up things, all of which kept me glued to my kindle. The story is unique and nothing like I have read before. The mystery of what happened in the past was riveting. The anticipation of what’s to come was enthralling.

Vicious and Emilia are completely different is every way. She is pure and good, he is dirty and bad. She is light, he is dark. She is a giver, he is a taker. But even though they couldn’t be more opposite, they fit together perfectly.

In the beginning, I despised Vicious. I knew there was a reason for his actions but it still didn’t give him the excuse to be a complete asshole to Emilia. And even years later he was still an asshole. But for some reason he grew on me with every turn of the page. The more I got to know what made him tick, the more I understood him. The more I learned of his past, the more I forgave him. He changed and grew as a character and that tipped the scale. I have no idea how he crawled so deep under my skin, but I couldn’t stop from loving him!

Emilia was fantastic the entire story. She is a great person with a huge heart and was an endearing character. She was loyal and supportive of the people in her life. Her family meant the world to her and she would do anything for them. She was sassy, strong, and brave. I loved that when Vicious pushed, she pushed right back. When Vicious started opening up to her about his past, she started to understand him. She was simply amazing; she wanted him the way he was, flaws and everything. She accepted the scars he carried, inside and out.

“We’ve waited a long time for this. I want the real thing. Not the watered-down version. And the real thing is not only beautiful. It is also ugly. I want your truth.”

The sexual tension is as thick in the present as it was in past. Even though they hate each other there is a connection they can’t sever that started ten years earlier. Vicious makes Emilia feel things that no other has before and even though she knows they have no future, she still wants a taste. All of the pent up sexual frustration of wanting someone you can’t have continued to grow until finally it exploded and Emilia and Vicious could no longer deny what they wanted, what they needed, what they craved. And whoa! Get the fan out because it was HOT!

This story is more than just a romance. From the mystery and twists, to the secrets and lies, this book captivated me. There are things I didn’t see coming and I loved how everything played out. The painful, ugly truth crushed me but Emilia and Vicious fought through it and found a path to each other. Though it wasn’t easy, there really was no choice. Emilia and Vicious were always meant to be together.

“I still want you. I don’t even want to fix you. I just want you are you are. Broken. Misunderstood. Jerk. I want the real version, the dark version, the one who made me the saddest I’ve even been in my life, but also the happiest.”

I loved Vicious and can not wait for more of the Sinners of Saint series! Bring on the rest of the Hotholes!

They were such assholes, but deep down, they had great hearts.

 

*ARC generously provided by the author and Enticing Journey Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review*

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Sinners of Saint series

 

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About the Author

L.J. Shen resides in sunny California with her husband, son, chubby cat and wild, wild dreams.

Her passion is to write badass stories, sushi, UFC and her awesome family and friends (not in this order, though. Obviously, sushi comes before writing. Oh, and also the family part.)

She spend the first half of her twenties traveling the world and is now paying all the fun with extra shifts in front of her MacBook. Feel free to contact her on her Facebook page. She loves to hear from her readers.

Email L.J. Shen ➜ msleighshen@gmail.com

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