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Sinners of Saint #1
Vicious
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2017)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.
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.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 2016
About the author
L.J. Shen
64 books51.8k followersL.J. Shen is a New Yor Times, USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.
She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).
Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).
Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,072 reviews
February 7, 2017
2 EVERYBODY LOVED IT BUT ME STARS
NO IT DID NOT WORK FOR ME!
Basically, this was me the entire book..
Well, I will freely admit that I am NOT the intended audience for this one. This is very clear to me now.
PLEASE EXCUSE THE SPOILER RANT BELOW!
To say I mostly hated this book would be putting it mildly.
It was very Young adult with physical abuse, verbal abuse, bullying, humiliation, random sexual hookup, and revenge f*cks on ex-boyfriend bed and blackmailing mom and pop and not to mention threatening the very existence of her sick sister.
Honestly, this book had all the crazy coming out to play. With these characters having grown up together, and now this story which is taking place 10 years later but don't worry we do get flashbacks. (Which I personally hate).
The storyline might have really worked for me here if the hero had not been such a giant DICK!
And this was all in the name of messed up love/hate or whatever the f*ck you call what that was!
Click the spoiler below to find out more.
Now these are just my views and they are of the very unpopular variety, so take it or leave it.
This is just how the book made me feel.
The writing was well done and the story captivating but not enough to win a 5 star review in my very modest opinion.
Safety: not safe. She has sex with his friend and he has sex with everything else, lol. Also, the hero kisses her sister and he makes out with another woman after they are together.
Also, forgot to give a shout out to everyone (you know who you are) who sent me messages encouraging me to continue reading and Dilek for the book recommendation. It didn't work for me this time but it might the next.
And a special Thanks to Carvanz for my second buddy read of 2017. It's nice to find someone who sees things the way you do....oh and who can read at my speed.
Thanks all and Happy reading! <3 xoxo
NO IT DID NOT WORK FOR ME!
Basically, this was me the entire book..
Well, I will freely admit that I am NOT the intended audience for this one. This is very clear to me now.
PLEASE EXCUSE THE SPOILER RANT BELOW!
To say I mostly hated this book would be putting it mildly.
It was very Young adult with physical abuse, verbal abuse, bullying, humiliation, random sexual hookup, and revenge f*cks on ex-boyfriend bed and blackmailing mom and pop and not to mention threatening the very existence of her sick sister.
Honestly, this book had all the crazy coming out to play. With these characters having grown up together, and now this story which is taking place 10 years later but don't worry we do get flashbacks. (Which I personally hate).
The storyline might have really worked for me here if the hero had not been such a giant DICK!
And this was all in the name of messed up love/hate or whatever the f*ck you call what that was!
Click the spoiler below to find out more.
Now these are just my views and they are of the very unpopular variety, so take it or leave it.
This is just how the book made me feel.
The writing was well done and the story captivating but not enough to win a 5 star review in my very modest opinion.
Safety: not safe. She has sex with his friend and he has sex with everything else, lol. Also, the hero kisses her sister and he makes out with another woman after they are together.
Also, forgot to give a shout out to everyone (you know who you are) who sent me messages encouraging me to continue reading and Dilek for the book recommendation. It didn't work for me this time but it might the next.
And a special Thanks to Carvanz for my second buddy read of 2017. It's nice to find someone who sees things the way you do....oh and who can read at my speed.
Thanks all and Happy reading! <3 xoxo
December 18, 2018
I've been warned.
But I wanted to know what's all this fuss about.
Reading this book is among top 10 things I regret doing in my life.
Worst book ever.
Worst male character ever.
Worst female character ever.
I have my pet peeves, and every one of us has. Tastes are different. They can say it's fine or not, but in this case everything about this story was wrong on many levels.
This book is against many rules of humanity.
If I gave it more than 1 star, I would have a feeling I support bullies, immoral people and human degradation.
Human Dignity is The Basis of Fundamental Human Rights. Human dignity is inviolable and it must be respected and protected.
Nothing, nothing that happened to him in the past, can justify his disturbing, disgusting, abhorrent behavior.
Nothing, nothing - not even big money and good-working c*ck, can justify her acceptance.
This male protagonist doesn't deserve to be called human.
I regret spending 3 hours of my life to read about this worthless scumbag.
What is a message of the story?
If a person has money, good looks and was hurt in the past, he/she has a right to bully and degrade the others? To ruin their lives?
I'm deeply sorry for the human generation which likes and justifies such people.
It's definitely my most hateful review.
It's a shame coz I'm not a hateful person, but this story woke up my worst feelings.
Hate it with all my being!
But I wanted to know what's all this fuss about.
Reading this book is among top 10 things I regret doing in my life.
Worst book ever.
Worst male character ever.
Worst female character ever.
I have my pet peeves, and every one of us has. Tastes are different. They can say it's fine or not, but in this case everything about this story was wrong on many levels.
This book is against many rules of humanity.
If I gave it more than 1 star, I would have a feeling I support bullies, immoral people and human degradation.
Human Dignity is The Basis of Fundamental Human Rights. Human dignity is inviolable and it must be respected and protected.
Nothing, nothing that happened to him in the past, can justify his disturbing, disgusting, abhorrent behavior.
Nothing, nothing - not even big money and good-working c*ck, can justify her acceptance.
This male protagonist doesn't deserve to be called human.
I regret spending 3 hours of my life to read about this worthless scumbag.
What is a message of the story?
If a person has money, good looks and was hurt in the past, he/she has a right to bully and degrade the others? To ruin their lives?
I'm deeply sorry for the human generation which likes and justifies such people.
It's definitely my most hateful review.
It's a shame coz I'm not a hateful person, but this story woke up my worst feelings.
Hate it with all my being!
February 7, 2017
5 Stars!!
I’m a big fan of this author and since I’ve read all of her books, let me tell you something – 'Vicious' is her best book to date. Leigh outdid herself with this story of hate, love and obsession. She managed to create such an intriguing, addictive read, blending the sweetness and sexiness perfectly. I was engrossed with this story from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down for one minute. It was that good! Needless to say, 'Vicious' met all my expectations.
"I got to him. He was in my veins. But I’d managed to crawl under his skin."
Everyone in All Saints High knows who are 'The Four HotHoles' and everyone knows who Vicious is, the most brutal, cold and ruthless of the four. He’s heartless and hateful, a real a$$hole who doesn’t give a sh*t about anything or anyone, treating everyone like crap. The one who is the most bullied by him is Emilia, the daughter of the hired help living at his father's mansion, who’s also one of his classmates.
Vicious makes Emilia’s life a living hell with every opportunity. Every single one of his words and every single one of his actions makes Emilia believe that he hates her like no other. He’s brutal towards her, his hateful behavior making her feel small and insignificant. However, Emilia can’t help but be attracted to her tormentor. She doesn’t want to crave her bully, she doesn’t want to fall in lust with the one who makes her life miserable, but as much as she wants, she can’t deny the strong feelings she feels towards him.
“I wanted to dissolve into smoke, to crawl into him and never leave. It was crazy, but that was how much I craved this man.”
Emilia’s life changes completely, her feelings for Vicious becoming so very complicated when he runs her out of town.
Ten years later, Vicious and Emilia meet again. Both of them have changed, but in so many ways they remained the same. What happens when certain circumstances make them work together, spending lots of time together?
“I was her black. And she was my pink.”
This story was so very well written, so intriguing and so very gripping. 'Vicious' was without a doubt my favorite book Leigh has written so far. Everything was perfection and I honestly loved every aspect of the story. The enthralling story-line kept me at the edge of my seat from start to finish and with every chapter I wanted to know more how the crazy dynamic between the two main characters will progress. The writing was simply brilliant and the plot was perfectly paced and so well done.
“I wanted to take a bite of the forbidden fruit I’d convinced myself was poisonous. He gave me pain, but ironically, this pain gave me life.”
If you are like me and you love a$$hole heroes, then look no further, because L.J. Shen’s hero here is exactly that and so much more. Vicious’s character was fantastically written, so damn well developed, so infuriating, but so fascinating at the same time. He was broken, complicated, cruel, angry and tortured, but underneath all his layers of a$$holeness, he’s really a good, sweet...interesting guy. From the very beginning, he made me feel so much and like Emilia, I had so many mixed feelings towards him. So, I have to admit - there were times when I wanted to punch him in the face, to somehow make him pay for his cruelty. He infuriated me so much at times. Needless to say, he wasn’t a very easy character to like. But don’t worry he’s a redeemable character that eventually will win you over and maybe, just maybe, warm your heart a little. Leigh did a wonderful job with his redemption. I loved the process and “new” Vicious.
Emilia was a heroine I liked from the beginning. I really sympathize with her and my heart broke every time Vicious made her life a living hell with his words and actions. She was kind, selfless, loyal, strong and the way she put her dreams on hold to care for her sister was simply heartwarming. And the way she endured Vicious’s treatment was simply admirable.
“Ask me what I want,”
“What do you want?”
“I want you,” he said simply. “Just you. Nothing else. Only ever you,”
The relationship between these two characters was complicated to say the least. The push and pull between them was so well done and the sexual tension between them was at times combustible. I loved the lust/hate relationship between them and how entertaining it was. These two together were absolutely fantastic, their chemistry being off the charts. I loved them together, the playful interactions, the amazingly written sex scenes. Everything worked for me and I wouldn’t change one aspect of this story.
If you are looking for an ansgty, love to hate story with an engaging story-line and two fantastically portrayed characters, then you must try this one.
”Apologize for not being mine when you should’ve been. Because Emilia, baby...” I tilted my head sideways. “It was always fucking us and you know it.”
Find me on:
April 29, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Vicious, (stand-alone) book 1 of X. A dysfunctional hate to love saga between the prodigal son & the hired help’s daughter!
“He was toxic, poison, and he was going to kill everything beautiful in my life if I let him. He was the storm to my cherry blossoms.”
Books in Sinner of Saint series are stand-alones:
Book 0.5: Defy
Book 1: Vicious
Book 2: Ruckus
Book 3: Scandalous
Book 4: Bane
I will write a better review with art after our Shh… reading challenge is over.
Vicious (stand-alone) is a slow churning hate to love saga between arch nemesis attorney and venture capitalist Vicious Spencer, Vic and waitress turned assistant Emilia LeBlanc. From opposite worlds, the daughter of the hired help stirs something in the son on the estate. While her heart secretly beats for him he bullies and ridicules her. When their paths cross again a decade later he is intent on picking up where they left off.
Told in alternating POVs, their story will unfold in current and past events shedding light on their rocky relationship and seeking to explain a dysfunctional and impossible love. Conflicted emotions confused by sexual tension will set them on a path of no return as Vic is determined to inflict maximum pain in his quest for vengeance.
***
Hero: ★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Humor: | LOW FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Thank you to everyone reading & chatting on Shh… Shhurrender your TBR! https://goo.gl/AR35Vj
December 15, 2024
I wish time travel existed so I could go back in time and slap myself for reading this shit.
December 29, 2016
5 STARS
It's official. L.J. Shen is a witch. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me?
Uber angst? Check!
Hot alphahole hero? Holy hell, CHECK!
A heroine that's the perfect blend of innocent but with a steel backbone? Check!
An enemies to lovers story that left me practically salivating? CHECK!
A sexual chemistry and a burn so good it makes you want to slap yo mama? CHECK!
An addicting, obsessive read from cover to cover? ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CHECK!!!
The Four HotHoles rule All Saints High. All the guys want to hang out with them and all the girls want to sleep with them. It doesn't matter that women are more disposable to them than a pair of socks, they'll gladly give up their dignity for a night...or a few hours in their bed. Vicious is the most brutal of the four. He's a coldblooded asshole that practice bubbles over with barely surprised rage. And the target for the brunt of his anger is Emilia, his classmate and daughter of the hired help living at his father's mansion.
Emilia was a heroine you can't help but like. They say the line is thin between love and hate and that's definitely the case here. She wants to hate Vicious and he surely gives her plenty of reason to...and yet, he's like a magnet drawing her in.
Shen did a phenomenal job with character development, that you don't just read what they're feeling, you feel it. That couldn't be more true with Emilia. I clicked with her from the very first page. Here's a heroine that's down on her luck, down to her last penny, barely making ends meet working two jobs to support herself and her sick sister, but she still has this undercurrent of strength that you can't help but respect.
Intersected with flashbacks to their high school years, the story develops in the present. Years after Emilia left All Saints High and Vicious behind. But circumstances soon bring her face to face once more with a man that made her teenage years a living hell.
Now if you're an angst lover like me, you will gobble up everything about this book and be left begging for more. The sexual tension between Vicious and Emilia crackles with electricity. I loved that added burn of hate lust between them. The woman definitely gave him a run for his money and for all his thinly veiled insults that he throws her way, you can see just how much he craves her underneath it all.
The writing was absolutely brilliant. Shen simply gets better and better with each book she writes and she truly outdid herself with this one. She gave us four heroes that you not only click with but obsess over. Sure, this book is focused on Vicious and I loved every page of it. But I also loved the three other HotHoles and if the set up for two of them is anything to go by, I already know I need their books.
As for this book? This is what obsession is made of. This book. These characters. This romance. It was too delicious for words. Simply. Addicting.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
My obsession. My muse. My enemy.
It's official. L.J. Shen is a witch. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me?
Uber angst? Check!
Hot alphahole hero? Holy hell, CHECK!
A heroine that's the perfect blend of innocent but with a steel backbone? Check!
An enemies to lovers story that left me practically salivating? CHECK!
A sexual chemistry and a burn so good it makes you want to slap yo mama? CHECK!
An addicting, obsessive read from cover to cover? ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CHECK!!!
The Four HotHoles rule All Saints High. All the guys want to hang out with them and all the girls want to sleep with them. It doesn't matter that women are more disposable to them than a pair of socks, they'll gladly give up their dignity for a night...or a few hours in their bed. Vicious is the most brutal of the four. He's a coldblooded asshole that practice bubbles over with barely surprised rage. And the target for the brunt of his anger is Emilia, his classmate and daughter of the hired help living at his father's mansion.
Emilia was a heroine you can't help but like. They say the line is thin between love and hate and that's definitely the case here. She wants to hate Vicious and he surely gives her plenty of reason to...and yet, he's like a magnet drawing her in.
Shen did a phenomenal job with character development, that you don't just read what they're feeling, you feel it. That couldn't be more true with Emilia. I clicked with her from the very first page. Here's a heroine that's down on her luck, down to her last penny, barely making ends meet working two jobs to support herself and her sick sister, but she still has this undercurrent of strength that you can't help but respect.
Intersected with flashbacks to their high school years, the story develops in the present. Years after Emilia left All Saints High and Vicious behind. But circumstances soon bring her face to face once more with a man that made her teenage years a living hell.
Now if you're an angst lover like me, you will gobble up everything about this book and be left begging for more. The sexual tension between Vicious and Emilia crackles with electricity. I loved that added burn of hate lust between them. The woman definitely gave him a run for his money and for all his thinly veiled insults that he throws her way, you can see just how much he craves her underneath it all.
“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat. “So you might wanna tone down the hate glares if you don’t wanna find yourself being fucked on this desk with the blinds still open.”
The writing was absolutely brilliant. Shen simply gets better and better with each book she writes and she truly outdid herself with this one. She gave us four heroes that you not only click with but obsess over. Sure, this book is focused on Vicious and I loved every page of it. But I also loved the three other HotHoles and if the set up for two of them is anything to go by, I already know I need their books.
As for this book? This is what obsession is made of. This book. These characters. This romance. It was too delicious for words. Simply. Addicting.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
November 12, 2019
edit 11/11/19: still fucking fantastic
Ya know, I thought I knew redeemable douchebags but then I met Vicious. And uh... he can get it.
This book is the very reason for my damaged goods shelf.
This started out with a typical NA type flashback to younger high school days where the cold and aloof douchebag is secretly harboring feelings for the sweet girl next door (or in this case out back, in the servant's quarters). And then flashes forward to present day where unique circumstances bring our lovely heroine Emilia to work for our delicious dickhead Vicious.
The flashbacks were great but I was especially impressed by the situations leading up to Emilia's employment. Didn't feel stupid and forced (like 50 shades and other books) and like "why the fuck would she leave her perfectly good job to work for this schmuck."
And the characterization of both characters was so excellent. Dual point of view was KILLER here, it worked so well. I felt myself wanting to hug AND punch Vicious, frequently. Both characters start off communicating poorly, stuck in old ways and somehow by the end of the book you're looking at two very mature and sweet lil jelly beans who are PERFECT for each other.
Other random things: lots of like sexy possessiveness that really worked for me (as in not a deranged psycho, always a plus). Still such a sucker for a damaged dude and wow does Vicious have a story to tell.
AND HEY GUESS WHAT. Vicious has sexy friends who get their own books, and they're not all milky boys!!!! (By that I mean there's fucking diversity in this, a fucking contemporary NA book. Hallelujah, praise the lord, meet you at the chapel L.J. Shen).
Anyway, if there's one book you NEED to read this year for your fix of sexy (and you have any interest in the damaged reformed alpha douchebag subgenre) it's this one. Run, don't walk.
Ya know, I thought I knew redeemable douchebags but then I met Vicious. And uh... he can get it.
This book is the very reason for my damaged goods shelf.
This started out with a typical NA type flashback to younger high school days where the cold and aloof douchebag is secretly harboring feelings for the sweet girl next door (or in this case out back, in the servant's quarters). And then flashes forward to present day where unique circumstances bring our lovely heroine Emilia to work for our delicious dickhead Vicious.
The flashbacks were great but I was especially impressed by the situations leading up to Emilia's employment. Didn't feel stupid and forced (like 50 shades and other books) and like "why the fuck would she leave her perfectly good job to work for this schmuck."
And the characterization of both characters was so excellent. Dual point of view was KILLER here, it worked so well. I felt myself wanting to hug AND punch Vicious, frequently. Both characters start off communicating poorly, stuck in old ways and somehow by the end of the book you're looking at two very mature and sweet lil jelly beans who are PERFECT for each other.
Other random things: lots of like sexy possessiveness that really worked for me (as in not a deranged psycho, always a plus). Still such a sucker for a damaged dude and wow does Vicious have a story to tell.
AND HEY GUESS WHAT. Vicious has sexy friends who get their own books, and they're not all milky boys!!!! (By that I mean there's fucking diversity in this, a fucking contemporary NA book. Hallelujah, praise the lord, meet you at the chapel L.J. Shen).
Anyway, if there's one book you NEED to read this year for your fix of sexy (and you have any interest in the damaged reformed alpha douchebag subgenre) it's this one. Run, don't walk.
January 8, 2017
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
When I first started seeing the fantastic reviews for this book from all of my friends, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. After all, I was one of the oddballs that didn't love 'Blood to Dust' like most of my friends did. I wasn't sure if maybe this just wasn't the author for me. Luckily for me, my curiosity won out.
While I may not have fallen in love with 'Blood to Dust', 'Vicious' was a fantastic read for me. This book had one of the biggest a**holes ever to grace the pages of a romance novel...and I couldn't get enough! I could not believe the stuff that this guy did!
On the other hand, Emilia, was one of the kindest and strongest heroines that I've ever encountered. I absolutely loved her inner-strength and her self-awareness when it came to her weakness for Vicious. She didn't deserve his cruel treatment, but she endured it incredibly well.
Emilia's parents take a job working for Vicious' parents when she is in high school. He is the spoiled, but neglected, rich kid. As he frequently points out, she is the "Help".
From their very first meeting, Vicious makes it a point to make Emilia's life a living hell. He bullies her relentlessly, even as he is somewhat protective and possessive. She is his to torment and he makes it known.
When Emilia begins dating one of his closest friends, Vicious steps it up a notch. He is outraged at the defiance of Emilia and Dean, used to being in control of everyone and everything around him. Emilia is essentially ran out of town by Vicious and doesn't see him again until their paths cross again a decade later.
From the start, I was intrigued by the relationship between Emilia and Vicious. There was a constant push and pull between the two of them, and a playfulness underlying their adversarial actions. Vicious, in particular, left me feeling confounded.
This story is a slow-burn and the history between the main characters is well-developed. I appreciated the thoroughly thought out back-story and the slow build-up of anticipation. I loved the pace that this story moved at.
As Vicious' past comes to light, I grew to understand his actions a little better. Don't get me wrong, he did some inexcusable things. However, it was hard to view him as a monster after everything he'd endured.
When Vicious screws things up - and he does, of course - Emilia makes him really work for forgiveness. You know how I feel about the necessity of groveling, and grovel he does! Emilia is no pushover and she's been at the losing end of his games one too many times.
The only thing that I could've lived without was the whole pen-pal connection. It felt a little too similar to 'Punk 57' for me, especially when combined with the high school bullying theme, and I didn't think it added much to the story. Both of these books were released so close together, that they were probably being written during the same period of time. However, the similarities were noticeable. They probably stand out to me more than usual since I read 'Punk 57' fairly recently.
All things considered, this was a "win" for me. This book was so much better than I expected and I'm so glad that I picked it up. I loved the angsty, back and forth relationship between Vicious and Emilia. I'm looking forward to seeing where the rest of this series will go.
When I first started seeing the fantastic reviews for this book from all of my friends, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. After all, I was one of the oddballs that didn't love 'Blood to Dust' like most of my friends did. I wasn't sure if maybe this just wasn't the author for me. Luckily for me, my curiosity won out.
While I may not have fallen in love with 'Blood to Dust', 'Vicious' was a fantastic read for me. This book had one of the biggest a**holes ever to grace the pages of a romance novel...and I couldn't get enough! I could not believe the stuff that this guy did!
On the other hand, Emilia, was one of the kindest and strongest heroines that I've ever encountered. I absolutely loved her inner-strength and her self-awareness when it came to her weakness for Vicious. She didn't deserve his cruel treatment, but she endured it incredibly well.
Emilia's parents take a job working for Vicious' parents when she is in high school. He is the spoiled, but neglected, rich kid. As he frequently points out, she is the "Help".
From their very first meeting, Vicious makes it a point to make Emilia's life a living hell. He bullies her relentlessly, even as he is somewhat protective and possessive. She is his to torment and he makes it known.
When Emilia begins dating one of his closest friends, Vicious steps it up a notch. He is outraged at the defiance of Emilia and Dean, used to being in control of everyone and everything around him. Emilia is essentially ran out of town by Vicious and doesn't see him again until their paths cross again a decade later.
From the start, I was intrigued by the relationship between Emilia and Vicious. There was a constant push and pull between the two of them, and a playfulness underlying their adversarial actions. Vicious, in particular, left me feeling confounded.
This story is a slow-burn and the history between the main characters is well-developed. I appreciated the thoroughly thought out back-story and the slow build-up of anticipation. I loved the pace that this story moved at.
As Vicious' past comes to light, I grew to understand his actions a little better. Don't get me wrong, he did some inexcusable things. However, it was hard to view him as a monster after everything he'd endured.
When Vicious screws things up - and he does, of course - Emilia makes him really work for forgiveness. You know how I feel about the necessity of groveling, and grovel he does! Emilia is no pushover and she's been at the losing end of his games one too many times.
The only thing that I could've lived without was the whole pen-pal connection. It felt a little too similar to 'Punk 57' for me, especially when combined with the high school bullying theme, and I didn't think it added much to the story. Both of these books were released so close together, that they were probably being written during the same period of time. However, the similarities were noticeable. They probably stand out to me more than usual since I read 'Punk 57' fairly recently.
All things considered, this was a "win" for me. This book was so much better than I expected and I'm so glad that I picked it up. I loved the angsty, back and forth relationship between Vicious and Emilia. I'm looking forward to seeing where the rest of this series will go.
February 22, 2019
“I met Baron Spencer and he became my nightmare.”
Okay, you were all 100% correct. Vicious is totally the human equivalent of Cardan Greenbriar and I immediately want to reread this book this very second. Like, the first scene in his room, where he is sitting on the bed? I was waiting for my good dude to sprout a tail, honest to God. But yeah, this was an amazingly sexy read, and I enjoyed every single second of it. I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of this series.
Basically, this is very much an enemies to lovers story. And Vicious is a bigger bully than Cardan in every way, so if that is not your thing, I might skip this read. But if that is your thing? Oh Lord, please pick this up immediately. Seriously, I think L.J. Shen made a fan for life from this book alone.
This is a book told in flashbacks from present day to events that happened ten years ago that lead both main characters to where they are now. Vicious believes that Emilia overheard a conversation about a secret that he has been keeping forever. Emilia continues to be sweet, caring, and curious, and Vicious believes he has to remind her who has the power in every aspect of their lives.
That is, until Emilia is forced to leave LA forever, and goes to NY to pursue her dreams while trying to forget her tormentor. Yet, ten years later, things aren’t going great for Emilia; she just lost her job, she was just mugged, money is now extra tight, and she is also taking care of her chronically ill sister. Then one night, while she is working a night shift at a bar, the boy who has haunted her dreams walks in and gives her an offer that she is unable to refuse.
“I see you successfully graduated from a bully to a tyrant in the span of a decade.”
She then is forced to work under her bully, doing any and everything to keep him pleased. And we get to see them both struggle with their feelings for one another and decide if it is worth it to just get the other one out of their system. Emilia isn’t willing to fall for her tormentor, and Vicious won’t allow himself to have feelings for the one girl who is off limits for him. And the chemistry is honestly off the charts.
Friends, I’m just going to say it; the sex in this book is 11/10. Seriously, I immediately had to take a cold shower after, because the angst almost killed me during this reading experience. Like, the sexual tension in this is so damn extreme and some of the best I’ve read in a very long while. It feels like the slowest burn of all time, even though I don’t think I’d necessarily classify it as a slow burn. I don’t know, it’s a really weird reading experience, but so damn gratifying. The dirty talk was expertly done, too, and totally leg crossing inducing if you get what I’m saying.
“Vicious was vicious. It was too bad that my hate for him was dipped in a thin shell of something that felt like love.”
Overall, I just loved this completely. I will say that if you don’t like possessive partners then you probably wont like Vicious, but if you do enjoy that kind of thing then I completely implore you to pick this one up immediately, because I thought the trope was really well done. Like, I recommend this with every fiber of my being if you like hate to love romances. And all my friends promise me that Ruckus is even better, so I cannot wait to continue on with this series!
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Content and trigger warnings for extreme bullying, talk of past child abuse, talk of chronic illness, talk of cancer, loss of a loved one, drug use, underage drinking, physical abuse, and extreme invasion of privacy.
Buddy Read with Riley! ❤
❤ I also read this for Contemporary-a-thon!
May 19, 2024
5 stars
I'm so in love with this book and its characters. I can never get over Spencers! This is LJ's best work to date. It's one of my favorite hate-to-love books. Vicious Spencer is seriously the character you'll definitely hate to love and love to hate. He's fucked up and has done fucked up things, but it's okay because I'm in love with him.Right?
⊹₊ PLOT ₊ ⊹
Vicious and Emilia met each other when they were 17, and it was a 'wrong place, wrong time' situation when she heard something she shouldn't! because of that, she constantly got bullied the whole year until Vicious made her leave the town. Now, they meet again after 10 years, and sparks fly again.
he approached her for his own benefit, but of course, he had to fall in love with her and accept that he not only wants but needs her 🤭
What will you do if you find out that your best friend is dating the girl you're obsessed with?
a) confess your love to the girl (you know she likes you back)
b) tell your friend about your feelings (and not beat him up or ignore him)
c) threaten the girl and make her leave the town (yes, that's what he chose)
⤷ Vicious & Emilia .𖥔 ݁ ˖
➳ He's such an asshole and hates literally everyone, doesn't even talk nicely or properly to anyone. Hell, it took 10 years for him to even talk to Emilia nicely 😭 he referred to her as help even in his pov!!! he just literally doesn't give a fuck about ANYONE. Now, he's not a psychopath because he's fully capable of loving, but he's antisocial and so broken and lonely because of the way he was treated in childhood by the person who was supposed to love him. (and some other things 😔)
➳ The reason I love him so much is that he wasn't always like this, constant abuse made him who he is today. None of this justifies his actions towards Emilia, but he did redeem himself and became the best husband to her and a great father to Vaughn! 🥺💕
➳ Emilia LeBlanc is my favorite. I remember kind of thinking that she was too agreeable with Vicious, but that was definitely not the case. I get the reasons behind her actions now, she's so selfless and cares deeply for people she loves that she can't bear to see them hurt. She's so freaking awesome and never once complained or blamed anyone for her problems, not even Vicious, in her povs, even though he was somewhat to blame.
➳ She's not a doormat. She loved him, and it was dangerous, and she wasn't delusional, but she couldn't help herself at all. It's hard to forget about someone even if their memories cause you pain. The constant push and pull was hot, exciting, and so freaking good. I loved the scenes where she legit made him desperate enough to say please 🤭 and the groveling was good. She didn't give in easily and kept on giving him the cold shoulder, and ngl he had it coming 😭
❝I. Was. Going. To. Savor. This. Woman.❞
➳ Their banter is legit my favorite, he's so nonchalant, mean, and crude, and she's the exact opposite, but she gave as good as she got. He was literally frustrated enough to scream more times than I can count because of her 😭 Even though he hated (of course, never 🤭) her, he was head over heels for her. Her unusual style, quirks, and attitude were always his downfall! I love his POV so much because it was so freaking funny, aagh he roasted everyone so badly!
➳ Throughout this book and the other ones, his nature never once changed. He's still the silent, rude, and vicious person he was, but he just has a soft spot for the people he loves: his son, wife, and friends 🥺 (nvm friends and son because he was ready to throw all of them out and just stay with Emilia!). It was actually so not funny that I just noticed he called her HELP half the book and just randomly decided not to call her when she confronted him. He was like, 'I won't call you if you don't like it,' as if he hadn't known that before? 💀
⤷ Favorite Quotes + Banter .𖥔 ݁˖
❝Sick, huh?❞
❝Yes. I’m fucking sick of not being inside you, where I should’ve been a long time ago.❞
❝What do you want?❞
❝I want you. Just you. Nothing else. Only ever you,❞ he breathed out in pain, closing his eyes. ❝Fuck, Emilia. You.❞
❝I’m done wanting things. I have everything I need now. Ask me how I feel.❞
❝How do you feel?❞
❝In love. I feel in love, and it’s you that I love. So fucking much.❞
❝I loved you since you told me your friends called you Millie. Even then, when I caught you eavesdropping, I knew I wasn’t gonna call you that because you weren’t going to be my fucking friend. You were destined to be my wife.❞
❝Ms. LeBlanc, who am I?❞
❝A sadistic jerk?❞ She examined her nails.
And my blood fucking boiled. I felt it bubbling in my veins as I grinned away my anger. Anger that quickly turned into delight. I liked her sassy.
I'm so in love with this book and its characters. I can never get over Spencers! This is LJ's best work to date. It's one of my favorite hate-to-love books. Vicious Spencer is seriously the character you'll definitely hate to love and love to hate. He's fucked up and has done fucked up things, but it's okay because I'm in love with him.
⊹₊ PLOT ₊ ⊹
Vicious and Emilia met each other when they were 17, and it was a 'wrong place, wrong time' situation when she heard something she shouldn't! because of that, she constantly got bullied the whole year until Vicious made her leave the town. Now, they meet again after 10 years, and sparks fly again.
he approached her for his own benefit, but of course, he had to fall in love with her and accept that he not only wants but needs her 🤭
What will you do if you find out that your best friend is dating the girl you're obsessed with?
a) confess your love to the girl (you know she likes you back)
b) tell your friend about your feelings (and not beat him up or ignore him)
c) threaten the girl and make her leave the town (yes, that's what he chose)
⤷ Vicious & Emilia .𖥔 ݁ ˖
➳ He's such an asshole and hates literally everyone, doesn't even talk nicely or properly to anyone. Hell, it took 10 years for him to even talk to Emilia nicely 😭 he referred to her as help even in his pov!!! he just literally doesn't give a fuck about ANYONE. Now, he's not a psychopath because he's fully capable of loving, but he's antisocial and so broken and lonely because of the way he was treated in childhood by the person who was supposed to love him. (and some other things 😔)
➳ The reason I love him so much is that he wasn't always like this, constant abuse made him who he is today. None of this justifies his actions towards Emilia, but he did redeem himself and became the best husband to her and a great father to Vaughn! 🥺💕
➳ Emilia LeBlanc is my favorite. I remember kind of thinking that she was too agreeable with Vicious, but that was definitely not the case. I get the reasons behind her actions now, she's so selfless and cares deeply for people she loves that she can't bear to see them hurt. She's so freaking awesome and never once complained or blamed anyone for her problems, not even Vicious, in her povs, even though he was somewhat to blame.
➳ She's not a doormat. She loved him, and it was dangerous, and she wasn't delusional, but she couldn't help herself at all. It's hard to forget about someone even if their memories cause you pain. The constant push and pull was hot, exciting, and so freaking good. I loved the scenes where she legit made him desperate enough to say please 🤭 and the groveling was good. She didn't give in easily and kept on giving him the cold shoulder, and ngl he had it coming 😭
❝I. Was. Going. To. Savor. This. Woman.❞
➳ Their banter is legit my favorite, he's so nonchalant, mean, and crude, and she's the exact opposite, but she gave as good as she got. He was literally frustrated enough to scream more times than I can count because of her 😭 Even though he hated (of course, never 🤭) her, he was head over heels for her. Her unusual style, quirks, and attitude were always his downfall! I love his POV so much because it was so freaking funny, aagh he roasted everyone so badly!
➳ Throughout this book and the other ones, his nature never once changed. He's still the silent, rude, and vicious person he was, but he just has a soft spot for the people he loves: his son, wife, and friends 🥺 (nvm friends and son because he was ready to throw all of them out and just stay with Emilia!). It was actually so not funny that I just noticed he called her HELP half the book and just randomly decided not to call her when she confronted him. He was like, 'I won't call you if you don't like it,' as if he hadn't known that before? 💀
⤷ Favorite Quotes + Banter .𖥔 ݁˖
❝Sick, huh?❞
❝Yes. I’m fucking sick of not being inside you, where I should’ve been a long time ago.❞
❝What do you want?❞
❝I want you. Just you. Nothing else. Only ever you,❞ he breathed out in pain, closing his eyes. ❝Fuck, Emilia. You.❞
❝I’m done wanting things. I have everything I need now. Ask me how I feel.❞
❝How do you feel?❞
❝In love. I feel in love, and it’s you that I love. So fucking much.❞
❝I loved you since you told me your friends called you Millie. Even then, when I caught you eavesdropping, I knew I wasn’t gonna call you that because you weren’t going to be my fucking friend. You were destined to be my wife.❞
❝Ms. LeBlanc, who am I?❞
❝A sadistic jerk?❞ She examined her nails.
And my blood fucking boiled. I felt it bubbling in my veins as I grinned away my anger. Anger that quickly turned into delight. I liked her sassy.
February 14, 2019
3 - 3.5 Stars
This was my second L.J. Shen book and, while I think I rated this one higher than the first book I read, it still didn't quite hit 4 stars for me. Which is annoying, because I really want to like her books more.
I really like Shen's writing and, in both books I have read, she has displayed the ability to write characters with a lot of chemistry and believable push/pull.
She was even able to pull off flashbacks here that didn't make me want to cut a bitch; and those who have followed my reviews for a while know I am not a huge fan of flashbacks.
However.
I just felt like something was missing here for me and I can't quite put my finger on what exactly that missing thing is. Something in the execution of the events in the present portions of the book...not quite sure. But whatevs.
I will probably attempt the next book in the series (not the novella prequel, but Dean's book) as, like I said, I really do want to love a Shen book. I feel like I'm soclose.
This was my second L.J. Shen book and, while I think I rated this one higher than the first book I read, it still didn't quite hit 4 stars for me. Which is annoying, because I really want to like her books more.
I really like Shen's writing and, in both books I have read, she has displayed the ability to write characters with a lot of chemistry and believable push/pull.
She was even able to pull off flashbacks here that didn't make me want to cut a bitch; and those who have followed my reviews for a while know I am not a huge fan of flashbacks.
However.
I just felt like something was missing here for me and I can't quite put my finger on what exactly that missing thing is. Something in the execution of the events in the present portions of the book...not quite sure. But whatevs.
I will probably attempt the next book in the series (not the novella prequel, but Dean's book) as, like I said, I really do want to love a Shen book. I feel like I'm soclose.
May 15, 2023
Bye bye 19th amendment. You will be missed.
I am truly not enough of a masochist for this shit.
What the f was this? No seriously. I am mad as hell right now. I dnf-ed this book but someone convinced me to finish this. Obviously i am not impressed.
To say that i "hated" this is an understatement. This book has everything you could dream of!!!!!!!
Mental abuse. Verbal abuse. Bullying. Blackmailing. Humiliation. Random sexual hook ups. F*cking on best friend's bed because dammit the boy wants revenge. We gotta give him that, right?!
The heroine has ZERO spine. The hero is a total jerk. Nothing makes sense. NOTHING. It's like everyone is an idiot!!! AND THIS WAS IN THE NAME OF ENEMIES TO LOVER TROPE.
Vicious Spoilers Ahead (see what i did there?)
Here comes my rant
● Worst book ever.
Worst male character ever.
Worst female character ever.
● Want a summary cookie? Here you go:
● Nothing, nothing that happened to him in the past, can justify his disturbing, disgusting, abhorrent behavior.
● wtf?
● I don't have a problem with the bully trope. I like it as much as the next person but SHOULDN'T HE HAVE AT LEAST ONE REDEEMING QUALITY?
●
● yeah i am crying from my effing emotions right now.
● and she forgives him!!!!!!!!
● just like that?!
● SHE HAS A SHORT TERM REMEMBORY LOSS SOMEONE TELL HER HOW HE ABUSED HER!!!!!
● HOW THE HELL CAN SHE NOT REMEMBER?
● The hero is such an amazing guy..............such a freakin' amazing guy..............that he........THAT HE............... threatens the very existence of Mary Sue's sick sister.
● His "pet" name for her is HELP
● Fuck you too :)
● And that spineless excuse for a heroine.
● Dude pull yourself together. Find a good boy.
● Not Even At The Heat Death Of The Universe Would I Believe These Two Could Build A Life Together After All That Baggage And Abuse.
● Pretty much the definition of why the Black Plague was probably the greatest thing for the regular folk since sliced bread back in the Middle Ages.
● AND WE FORGIVE HIM CAUSE THE BITCH IS BROKEN?
● Oh things FINALLY start looking up in the end, the bix is standing up for herself but noooooooooooooo why end there? WHY MAKE KERMIT HAPPY? NUTJOBS!
● She drops everything to go across the country and be with a boy who abused her.
● I think there was a competition of Who can give the worst names? because L.J. Shen sure won it O_o
● Vicious's revenge plan was a total disappointment. The way the whole thing played out had the distinct feel of floppy dead fish. WTF THOUGH ?! THE WHOLE BOOK IS A DISAPPOINTMENT.
● Why did Vicious shit his pants with the big "reveal" of finding out what his father's will said? Disinheritance No Contest clauses are generally very hard to enforce and such provisions are mainly used as to "scare off" lay people. But Vicious is hardly a lay person. He's a brilliant attorney (right? isn't that like, his thing?) so umm, shouldn’t he know this??
● I kinda hate myself for having to write the name "Vicious" so many times just now as a person's name. Such a stupid fucking name. . . .
● Emilia be like: He is an asshole but hottie. Let's have babies.
●
● How about the part where Emilia's parents choose a fancy restaurant to eat with her and try to pay at the end. WTF I thought the whole reason Emilia HAD to take Vicious's job offer was that she was basically on the verge of starvation having to choose between paying for Rosie's meds and a crust of bread and she couldn't ask her parents for any help even some money for fucking food because they were so poor. What was that about?
●
Dude shut up already.
● And Mill mill just because a PERSON TRIES TO PULL A DAVID TENNANT (AND FAILS!!) YOU DO NOT FORGIVE HIM.
● I fucking hate this
● fucking
● book
● for
● fucking
● eternity
● because of
● the fucking
● idiots
● in this
● fucking book.
●
● How about what i want?
● I want you to shut up and burn in Hell 100000000000ever.
● f you.
I am truly not enough of a masochist for this shit.
What the f was this? No seriously. I am mad as hell right now. I dnf-ed this book but someone convinced me to finish this. Obviously i am not impressed.
To say that i "hated" this is an understatement. This book has everything you could dream of!!!!!!!
Mental abuse. Verbal abuse. Bullying. Blackmailing. Humiliation. Random sexual hook ups. F*cking on best friend's bed because dammit the boy wants revenge. We gotta give him that, right?!
The heroine has ZERO spine. The hero is a total jerk. Nothing makes sense. NOTHING. It's like everyone is an idiot!!! AND THIS WAS IN THE NAME OF ENEMIES TO LOVER TROPE.
Vicious Spoilers Ahead (see what i did there?)
Here comes my rant
● Worst book ever.
Worst male character ever.
Worst female character ever.
● Want a summary cookie? Here you go:
Bully meets Mary Sue.
Bully abuses Mary Sue.
Mary Sue falls in love.
They marry.
The end.
● Nothing, nothing that happened to him in the past, can justify his disturbing, disgusting, abhorrent behavior.
● wtf?
● I don't have a problem with the bully trope. I like it as much as the next person but SHOULDN'T HE HAVE AT LEAST ONE REDEEMING QUALITY?
●
"This was so on. I was going to fuck Dean’s ex-girlfriend, use her for my personal needs, and toss her away when I was done."
● yeah i am crying from my effing emotions right now.
● and she forgives him!!!!!!!!
● just like that?!
● SHE HAS A SHORT TERM REMEMBORY LOSS SOMEONE TELL HER HOW HE ABUSED HER!!!!!
● HOW THE HELL CAN SHE NOT REMEMBER?
● The hero is such an amazing guy..............such a freakin' amazing guy..............that he........THAT HE............... threatens the very existence of Mary Sue's sick sister.
● His "pet" name for her is HELP
● Fuck you too :)
● And that spineless excuse for a heroine.
● Dude pull yourself together. Find a good boy.
● Not Even At The Heat Death Of The Universe Would I Believe These Two Could Build A Life Together After All That Baggage And Abuse.
● Pretty much the definition of why the Black Plague was probably the greatest thing for the regular folk since sliced bread back in the Middle Ages.
● AND WE FORGIVE HIM CAUSE THE BITCH IS BROKEN?
● Oh things FINALLY start looking up in the end, the bix is standing up for herself but noooooooooooooo why end there? WHY MAKE KERMIT HAPPY? NUTJOBS!
● She drops everything to go across the country and be with a boy who abused her.
● I think there was a competition of Who can give the worst names? because L.J. Shen sure won it O_o
● Vicious's revenge plan was a total disappointment. The way the whole thing played out had the distinct feel of floppy dead fish. WTF THOUGH ?! THE WHOLE BOOK IS A DISAPPOINTMENT.
● Why did Vicious shit his pants with the big "reveal" of finding out what his father's will said? Disinheritance No Contest clauses are generally very hard to enforce and such provisions are mainly used as to "scare off" lay people. But Vicious is hardly a lay person. He's a brilliant attorney (right? isn't that like, his thing?) so umm, shouldn’t he know this??
● I kinda hate myself for having to write the name "Vicious" so many times just now as a person's name. Such a stupid fucking name. . . .
● Emilia be like: He is an asshole but hottie. Let's have babies.
●
“You think I slept with Georgia? I didn’t touch her. I tried. Trust me, I did. But she wasn’t you. And I know you don’t expect me to give you answers, but I’m going to do it anyway because there’s a small part of me that thinks that maybe, just maybe, you’ll give me a chance afterward.”
● How about the part where Emilia's parents choose a fancy restaurant to eat with her and try to pay at the end. WTF I thought the whole reason Emilia HAD to take Vicious's job offer was that she was basically on the verge of starvation having to choose between paying for Rosie's meds and a crust of bread and she couldn't ask her parents for any help even some money for fucking food because they were so poor. What was that about?
●
“Apologize for not being mine when you should’ve been. Because Emilia, baby...” I tilted my head sideways. “It was always fucking us and you know it.”
Dude shut up already.
● And Mill mill just because a PERSON TRIES TO PULL A DAVID TENNANT (AND FAILS!!) YOU DO NOT FORGIVE HIM.
● I fucking hate this
● fucking
● book
● for
● fucking
● eternity
● because of
● the fucking
● idiots
● in this
● fucking book.
●
“Ask me..what do I want?”
● How about what i want?
● I want you to shut up and burn in Hell 100000000000ever.
● f you.
February 10, 2019
4 Stars
Here’s the thing: anybody who knows me well, knows that cold and rude jerks are my thing. In fiction, of course. In real life, though...
And L.J. Shen creates awesome jerk heroes. Because Vicious was....visicoulicious.
Cold-hearted, arrogant, mean, rude, with a 'fuck off' vibe and a zero tolerance for anything and anybody. Not one redeeming quality, except for being hot.
In another word:
Contrary to some opinions that he did not redeem himself completely, I think he redeemed himself just fine. You see, a jerk is a jerk. He is who he is. Period. You know that saying...
Because frankly, books where a cold and ruthless hero suddenly becomes smitten with the heroine turning the good book into the complete mushy-mushy, rainbow-and-unicorns cheese fest annoy me as hell.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen here. For me, there was just enough grovel without going over the top. Therefore, five stars for The Asshole.
Now the heroine...
I don’t have much to say about her. I wasn’t too impressed to tell you the truth. She was likable, I guess. She had some great traits (artistic nature, quirky sense of fashion, sassy mouth) but her thoughts and actions sometimes drove me nuts. In my opinion, her character lacks some complexity and depth.
The book kept me interested, though one thing put me off giving this novel a five-star rating: the plot. It was a bit 'shaky'. The whole four friends own and rule the high school and the whole damn town with “Yoko Ono” thrown into the middle seemed kind of ridiculous.
Let just say that I’m not too crazy about the books where teenagers think, talk and behave like grown-ups and where adults practically do not exist.
(Besides, the story reminded me of two other YA books with the similar elements.)
And then, there's this whole revenge thing and the heroine's role in it that had me scratching my head...
Anyway, all issues with the plot aside, I really enjoyed both Vicious and Vicious and I can’t wait for other books in the series.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 3/5
Depth of the book: 3.5/5
POV: dual, 1st person
Triggers:
Similar books: Corrupt by Penelope Douglas; The Royals series by Erin Watt
Here’s the thing: anybody who knows me well, knows that cold and rude jerks are my thing. In fiction, of course. In real life, though...
And L.J. Shen creates awesome jerk heroes. Because Vicious was....visicoulicious.
Cold-hearted, arrogant, mean, rude, with a 'fuck off' vibe and a zero tolerance for anything and anybody. Not one redeeming quality, except for being hot.
In another word:
Contrary to some opinions that he did not redeem himself completely, I think he redeemed himself just fine. You see, a jerk is a jerk. He is who he is. Period. You know that saying...
Because frankly, books where a cold and ruthless hero suddenly becomes smitten with the heroine turning the good book into the complete mushy-mushy, rainbow-and-unicorns cheese fest annoy me as hell.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen here. For me, there was just enough grovel without going over the top. Therefore, five stars for The Asshole.
Now the heroine...
I don’t have much to say about her. I wasn’t too impressed to tell you the truth. She was likable, I guess. She had some great traits (artistic nature, quirky sense of fashion, sassy mouth) but her thoughts and actions sometimes drove me nuts. In my opinion, her character lacks some complexity and depth.
The book kept me interested, though one thing put me off giving this novel a five-star rating: the plot. It was a bit 'shaky'. The whole four friends own and rule the high school and the whole damn town with “Yoko Ono” thrown into the middle seemed kind of ridiculous.
Let just say that I’m not too crazy about the books where teenagers think, talk and behave like grown-ups and where adults practically do not exist.
(Besides, the story reminded me of two other YA books with the similar elements.)
And then, there's this whole revenge thing and the heroine's role in it that had me scratching my head...
Anyway, all issues with the plot aside, I really enjoyed both Vicious and Vicious and I can’t wait for other books in the series.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 3/5
Depth of the book: 3.5/5
POV: dual, 1st person
Triggers:
Similar books: Corrupt by Penelope Douglas; The Royals series by Erin Watt
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April 7, 2018
Remember to follow all things messy. . .
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November 14, 2021
5 “Ask me what I want” STARS
Coming in just under the wire by just finishing this book on December 30th, this story is a last-minute add to my favorite of the year’s list: VICIOUS!!! This book was fantastically written, intriguing, and sexy. This author NAILED the hate aspect and catapults this book with the likes of Bully and Corrupt yet she went the step further getting the full 5 stars from me. The perfection was all in the manner in which she wrote the hero Baron ‘Vicious’ Spencer.
Vicious is broken, angry, hateful, and perhaps even redeemable?
The story starts ten years prior when Emilia LeBlanc and her family move into the servant’s quarters of Spencer’s mansion. Emilia quickly realizes that the hot son Vicious can’t stand her and does everything in his power to make her life miserable here in Todos Santos. The attraction between Vicious and Emilia is powerful as is the hate that he constantly throws at her. He’s completely brutal towards her and even goes as far as to blackmail her into leaving town!
The flashbacks were terrific as was the interaction between Vicious and Emilia then and now ten years later. The chemistry, the dialogue, Vicious’ backstory, Dean, everything was spot on and had me inhaling every word.
”He was light in a dark fog. But I knew better than everyone how bad the gorgeous flames in him could burn.”
I adored how this story played out nothing came easy and it was a well-done journey. Vicious went from wanting to destroy Emilia, to lusting after her, to learning how to love her. The scene with the credit card at the tattoo shop…OMG!
”Apologize for not being mine when you should’ve been. Because Emilia, baby...” I tilted my head sideways. “It was always fucking us and you know it.”
Emilia and Vicious’ story is so good and doesn’t end with a cliffhanger as this will be a series with Vicious’ best friends all getting their own books! The lessons learned, the love that was always there and the writing…
”We were going to do things her way. I got it. Her way sucked, but I needed to start learning how to play other people’s games if I ever wanted something meaningful.”
If you are a fan of angst, love to hate stories, hot chemistry, and fantastic writing you shouldn’t pass this book up. I’m eagerly looking forward to more in this series.
”Ask me what I want…”
Coming in just under the wire by just finishing this book on December 30th, this story is a last-minute add to my favorite of the year’s list: VICIOUS!!! This book was fantastically written, intriguing, and sexy. This author NAILED the hate aspect and catapults this book with the likes of Bully and Corrupt yet she went the step further getting the full 5 stars from me. The perfection was all in the manner in which she wrote the hero Baron ‘Vicious’ Spencer.
Vicious is broken, angry, hateful, and perhaps even redeemable?
The story starts ten years prior when Emilia LeBlanc and her family move into the servant’s quarters of Spencer’s mansion. Emilia quickly realizes that the hot son Vicious can’t stand her and does everything in his power to make her life miserable here in Todos Santos. The attraction between Vicious and Emilia is powerful as is the hate that he constantly throws at her. He’s completely brutal towards her and even goes as far as to blackmail her into leaving town!
The flashbacks were terrific as was the interaction between Vicious and Emilia then and now ten years later. The chemistry, the dialogue, Vicious’ backstory, Dean, everything was spot on and had me inhaling every word.
”He was light in a dark fog. But I knew better than everyone how bad the gorgeous flames in him could burn.”
I adored how this story played out nothing came easy and it was a well-done journey. Vicious went from wanting to destroy Emilia, to lusting after her, to learning how to love her. The scene with the credit card at the tattoo shop…OMG!
”Apologize for not being mine when you should’ve been. Because Emilia, baby...” I tilted my head sideways. “It was always fucking us and you know it.”
Emilia and Vicious’ story is so good and doesn’t end with a cliffhanger as this will be a series with Vicious’ best friends all getting their own books! The lessons learned, the love that was always there and the writing…
”We were going to do things her way. I got it. Her way sucked, but I needed to start learning how to play other people’s games if I ever wanted something meaningful.”
If you are a fan of angst, love to hate stories, hot chemistry, and fantastic writing you shouldn’t pass this book up. I’m eagerly looking forward to more in this series.
”Ask me what I want…”
January 2, 2018
When her parents took a job working for the Spencer family, Emilia LeBlanc was forced to live on the same premises as one of the rudest, over-privileged hot assholes at her new high school, Baron Spencer a.k.a. Vicious. In fact, he along with 3 of his best friends were known as the HotHoles of All Saints High. They were attractive, arrogant jerks that every girl wanted and every guy wanted to be. That made it all the more difficult for Emilia to find friends her senior year. Vicious didn’t like her so that meant almost no one else gave her a chance either. He went out of his way to make her life miserable and to make sure she knew how much he disliked her. Never understanding what she did to inspire such hatred, Emilia did her best to stay out of his way until it was time for her to leave for college. That became impossible when she began dating one of his friends which not only inserted her more into his life, but also exponentially increased the cruelty he directed her way.
Years later, Vicious and Emilia meet again. They both need something from each other. To acquire it, they will have to spend lots of time together. What happens when they are forced to face each other and the root of their feelings after all of these years?
I read Sparrow in October of last year and fell in love with it. Consequently, going into this book my expectations were extremely high, and I could have easily been setting myself up for disappointment because of that. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Vicious far exceeded my expectations in every way!
They say there is a thin line between love and hate, and Vicious and Emilia walked that line like a tightrope. Vicious’ touch made Emilia shiver with both repulsion and delight. When she challenged him, it pissed him off and turned him on with equal measure. Their heated glances contained both longing and disgust, and their verbal exchanges were laced with frustration, anger, and lust. All of these conflicting emotions made for some amazing sexual tension. Not only that, it kept me interested to see why Vicious felt the way he did, what was going to happen now that they had to confront what was going on between them then and now, and how it all would end.
L. J. Shen firmly planted herself on my list of favorite authors with this book. The woman can write a complicated hero like no other. Vicious Spencer is broken, tortured, and cruel, and somehow she was able to endear him to me. Maybe it was the way he behaved as if nothing mattered to him, but deep down everything did. Maybe it was that he never allowed himself to be truly vulnerable except when he was with Emilia. I don’t know. All I know is that she did it with absolute perfection. His redemption was flawless. He changed and groveled just enough for you to fully love him without changing who he was completely and unrealistically.
Emilia was a heroine that was easy to love. She was kind, caring, selfless, quirky, creative, hardworking, playful, and beautiful. Watching her put her dreams on hold to care for her sister was truly touching. The way she endured so much hardship, but never let that keep her down was inspiring. Her complete acceptance and enduring love for Vicious despite his many flaws was moving.
Vicious frustrated me, thrilled me, captivated me, and entertained me from beginning to end. It was a little bit of a slow burn, but I didn’t mind in the least. When Emilia and Vicious were together, it was hot no matter what they were doing. The plot was perfectly paced and brilliantly executed, the writing was impeccable, and the characters were expertly crafted. If asshole heroes are your thing, take my word for it, this is not be missed!
An ARC was generously provided for an honest review
All teaser pics were taken from the author''s Facebook page.
February 8, 2017
➦This is me logging in on GR to write up a review:
I got HOW many books to review??? I know, so dramatic.
➦But seriously, my "currently reading" folder should be renamed to "review me already, slowpoke"
➦I digress. All I'm gonna say about this book is that it's awesome and the hero is portrayed really well. He wears the douchebag badge with honor and almost until the very end.
➦Perhaps, in many ways he still remains a douche bag and that, in itself, is amazing to me because I still lurve him hard. And I don't think I've ever given out so many of these before:
➦Be sure to check out this fantabulous review written by Arianna in which she moans in oh so many different ways about the deliciousness of Vicious.
➦This book made it into top 6 of our January reads and is highly recommended!
September 27, 2017
5, 10 or more stars!
This is such an amazing book but it is not for everyone.
And Vicious... this heartless and hateful bastard... he is not a hero for everyone...
How can I warn you... how can I explain?
Well, think of an as*hole character you have read in romance books.
Now multiply it with 10...
That’s him! That’s Baron Spenser, aka Vicious (a very well earned nickname). He can easily win this year's biggest as*hole award...
He will drive you crazy with what he does and thanks to dual point of view, you will see how vicious his inner thoughts are as well as his actions. I’d never seen such a character in any book. The author has done an amazing job of portraying a unique as*hole character.
Vicious... He really is something else!
Does he have reasons to be so cruel?
Yes, you gradually learn why he is the way he is ...
You learn why he acts in that ruthless and indifferent manner, hating everyone and even his own life.
Does he redeem himself later on?
Oh, yessssssss.....
Very much so?
Yessssss, definitely...
But not in a cheesy way. No cheese fest here, thank God.
Also, not by suddenly turning into a “flowers & hearts” guy!
He redeems himself in his own unique way... in a way that suits him... in a way that melted me :)
Is he still an as*hole at the end of the book?
Ha ha, yes, but just a funnier and sexier one later, not in the hateful and heartless way he was at the beginning! But even when he was heartless, the way he reasoned, I mean his rationale, oh you must read it, it was unbelievable! Still funny when he was cruel. I was so often screaming at home by myself! Yelling at him, cursing, swearing, but all the while also pitying...
Later in the second half, I was sighing, swooning, sweating, melting and all the while still swearing at his crude behavior and vicious ways that he cannot help :)! He is not named Vicious for no reason. He earns it! He can't be a saint all all of a sudden, right? :)
Am I a fan of as*hole heroes?
Oh, no... Normally, I hate as*hole heroes and always give a big rant about them in my reviews.
The weird thing is I loved Vicious and I loved him even at his worst, not after he redeemed himself. I loved the book both “in spite of him” and “because of him”...
Vicious has his own way of telling events and explaining his actions in his chapters and immediately, I got hooked... spellbound... dumbfounded.. Not believing my eyes about what I was reading... How he thinks and acts would drive even a saint crazy!
But you know, there is a thin line between love and hate, between the good and the bad, or justice and injustice and the book makes us question them all.
This book was an unforgettable journey, and I enjoyed every bit of it. You go back from past (10 years ago) to present and a glimpse of past with a glimpse of present go hand in hand.
My book is full of highlights, the sad ones, funny ones, frustrating ones, emotional ones and the hot ones... Every page... every sentence in the book is precious, worth reading and saving somewhere in your heart or brain...
With its high angst, unbelievable chemistry and very well-built sexual tension as well as a never-ending roller coaster of events and emotions, the book leaves you breathless and puts your heart in a series of palpitations while your body suffers from the vicious heat wave (pun intended)...
The tension never drops, it gets more and more exciting... It is such an unforgettable reading experience...
When the book ended, all I wanted was to rewind it and re-read it... I didn’t want to part my way from these people. Thank God, it is a series and we will see these characters in other books, at least as side characters :)
The plot in short:
Baron Spenser, aka Vicious or Vic, is one of the HotHoles of All Saints High School. These four hot and rich guys kind of rule the school and dominate the whole town. They give crazy parties, fuck around with every girl, smoke weed, get drunk and behave cruelly to nearly everyone else. What is good about them? Umm, hard to say at the beginning! They are being jerks all the time!
Vicious lives with his father and step-mother. His mother died when he was a child.
Emilia, Millie, or Help as our hero calls her (yes, seriously, for like 60% of the book, he calls her “Help”) is the daughter of the new servants in the Spensers’ Mansion. She is poor and low class when compared to these spoiled brats. However, she is beautiful, sexy, innocent and she has a pure good heart. She is also a skillful artist who paints pictures. She has an obsession with the cherry blossom tree and she has the same color hair.
Emilia is bullied and humiliated by Vicious... for many reasons! She is hurt, threatened and ruined by him ...many times! It is difficult to bear, really.
But do not think that Emilia is a doormat. She is not. She doesn’t take his shit most of the time. But this drives him even more insane. And when she is helpless and relents, it is only when she has to protect her parents and sick sister, with whose safety he threatens her.
Of course, she makes mistakes, both when she was a teenager and an adult. The constant cruelty of Vicious despite the insane attraction between them sometimes leads Emilia to wrong decisions that she will later regret.
Love triangle alert
The hate/love story of Emilia and Vicious also involves one other member of the HotHoles of Saint High School: Dean. So, their already complicated relationship turns into an even more complex, dangerous and hurtful triangle.
Although they were incredibly compatible in most ways, Emilia and Vicious were also direct opposites of one another in many other ways. He was her BLACK whereas she was his PINK…
“We were never close.”
“Pink and Black were.”
How could all this mess make a good book?
This is where the talent of the writer speaks for itself. The amazing story telling of both characters make it a mind-blowing book. The way it is told is so impressive that you are hooked on even from the very first page.
The characters are developed and they have many layers. All through the book, you discover a new thing on each page. The book keeps your constant attention. It is a breathless reading experience.
Do I recommend it?
Yes… but with some hesitation!
If you can handle a really cruel hero for a while, you will be rewarded with an awesome reading experience, that is for sure.
It somehow worked for me. I saw him... really really saw him. I saw how his so-called hatred was his obsession about her that he couldn’t accept even to himself. Stealing and keeping the pencils she chewed but giving her a hell of a time! Oh boy, he was pathetic.
He was so hateful and monstrous that this pure beautiful creature seemed to be something he could never deserve to have so he wanted to taint her, torture her, all the while torturing himself along with her.
I know these things are so personal and everyone’s triggers and hard limits are different. So please feel free to ask me about any of your worries that you think may ruin this experience for you and I will try to answer gladly :)
And if you wanna see how vicious he is, here you are... But besidethe bad and the evil, I will also give you a glimpse of the beauty in it so that you can see it is not a simple dirty story of a bad boy. It is deep. It is intense. It is beautiful. And it is a quality work!
In Japanese culture, the significance of the cherry blossom tree dates back hundreds of years. The cherry blossom represents the fragility and magnificence of life. It’s a reminder of how beautiful life is, almost overwhelmingly so, but that it is also heartbreakingly short.
As are relationships. Be wise. Let your heart lead the way. And when you find someone who’s worth it—never let them go.
For a fraction of a second, we were together, and it had felt divine. Not nice. Not safe. Not taken for granted. It was short and beautiful and painfully memorable. Like the tree I was obsessed with.
***
My grandma once told me that love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances. The passion is the same. The pain is the same. That weird thing that bubbles in your chest? Same.
I didn’t believe her until I met Baron Spencer and he became my nightmare. Then my nightmare became my reality. I thought I’d escaped him. I was even stupid enough to think he’d forgotten I ever existed.
But when he came back, he hit harder than I ever thought possible.
And just like a domino—I fell.
***
“Why are you doing this to me?” I hissed out, searching his blank, stony face.
“Because I can,” he offered with a smirk to hide all the pain in his eyes. “Because it’s fun?” he added, chuckling.
***
Her sense of style was juvenile and horrid, and the back of her hand was still inked with a cherry blossom tree she’d drawn in English Lit, so why the fuck was she still hot as shit?
Didn’t matter. I hated her anyway.
But her apparent devotion to trying not to be sexy, paired with the fact that she actually was sexy, always made me hard as stone.
***
We weren’t good guys. We weren’t boyfriend material, we didn’t do monogamy.
***
Dean and Help were just a fling. They’d be broken up by the end of the month. He was going to dump her—hopefully with her virginity still intact—hurt and angry and looking for a rebound. She’d be fragile, insecure, and vindictive.
And that’s when I was going to strike. That’s when I was going to show her she was nothing more than my property.
***
He knew I wanted her. Wanted her body. Wanted her virginity. Wanted it all. He took it from me, and it was a dick move.
***
She was starting to get comfortable around me. I pitied her.
***
This was so on. I was going to fuck Dean’s ex-girlfriend, use her for my personal needs, and toss her away when I was done.
***
Truth was, he was a dick for going out with her then, and I was a dick for doing her now.
But she wasn’t his obsession.
His vice.
His fucking Achilles heel.
She used to leave chewed pencils on her desk every single day in calculus class.
I may have picked them up.
I may have saved them.
They may still be in a drawer somewhere in my old room.
***
“Listen to yourself, Vicious. You’re obsessed with this girl. You’re in love with this girl, always have been, ever since you realized she’s not afraid or impressed by your bullshit. You’re in deep denial.”
***
Her indifference to my power somewhat disarmed me. Most people felt helpless around me. Emilia Leblanc never had.
***
She squinted at me, not budging. I’d forgotten how hard to tame she was. And I’d definitely forgotten how much it turned me on.
“You’re pissing me off,” she said quietly, her eyes still searching my face.
“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat.
***
This wasn’t an argument. This was foreplay. She just didn’t know it yet.
***
You’re my employee. Hence, I make the rules. You will serve me. You will obey me. You. Will . Help . Me. Understood?”
***
Spending time with my staff reminded me why humans were my least favorite creatures.
***
I’d noticed the way he looked at me. It was the same way I’d looked at him.
We liked what we saw.
I hated him so much it made me sick to my stomach that I loved the way he looked.
***
I reminded myself that this man didn’t do relationships.
He did destructions. And one of his past projects was my life.
***
“You were always good together, the four of you.”
A dark smirk found his lips, and he shrugged tiredly. “Until you came along.”
He spun me around, and before I could say something— anything —his mouth attacked mine. Every doubt I’d had evaporated.
Now there was no barrier. There was no Dean. No HotHoles. Just the two hungry, savage adults who wanted to rip each other to shreds.
I wanted to dissolve into smoke, to crawl into him and never leave. It was crazy, but that was how much I craved this man.
His mouth was hot, his kiss ravenous and rough. Like he was trying to erase every trace of every other man who’d ever tasted me.
***
I knew him well enough to know romance was simply not on the menu for him. He was as emotionally available as a jackhammer.
This was pure lust, exploding after a decade of simmering quietly, brewed by frustration, jealousy, and hate.
***
Though I knew she was right. I was missing a few pieces. A few chips I needed in order to be able to love like a normal person does. That’s why I liked breaking things, and why I especially enjoyed breaking Emilia. She was the purest thing I’d ever met.
***
“I used to think of you as a villain, but you’re not my villain. You’re your own villain.
To me, you were a lesson. An important brutal lesson, nothing more and nothing less.”
***
“How far are you willing to go for this girl, Vic?”
I ran a hand through my hair, tugging hard at the roots. “Well, I think I’m about to find the fuck out.”
This is such an amazing book but it is not for everyone.
And Vicious... this heartless and hateful bastard... he is not a hero for everyone...
How can I warn you... how can I explain?
Well, think of an as*hole character you have read in romance books.
Now multiply it with 10...
That’s him! That’s Baron Spenser, aka Vicious (a very well earned nickname). He can easily win this year's biggest as*hole award...
He will drive you crazy with what he does and thanks to dual point of view, you will see how vicious his inner thoughts are as well as his actions. I’d never seen such a character in any book. The author has done an amazing job of portraying a unique as*hole character.
Vicious... He really is something else!
Does he have reasons to be so cruel?
Yes, you gradually learn why he is the way he is ...
You learn why he acts in that ruthless and indifferent manner, hating everyone and even his own life.
Does he redeem himself later on?
Oh, yessssssss.....
Very much so?
Yessssss, definitely...
But not in a cheesy way. No cheese fest here, thank God.
Also, not by suddenly turning into a “flowers & hearts” guy!
He redeems himself in his own unique way... in a way that suits him... in a way that melted me :)
Is he still an as*hole at the end of the book?
Ha ha, yes, but just a funnier and sexier one later, not in the hateful and heartless way he was at the beginning! But even when he was heartless, the way he reasoned, I mean his rationale, oh you must read it, it was unbelievable! Still funny when he was cruel. I was so often screaming at home by myself! Yelling at him, cursing, swearing, but all the while also pitying...
Later in the second half, I was sighing, swooning, sweating, melting and all the while still swearing at his crude behavior and vicious ways that he cannot help :)! He is not named Vicious for no reason. He earns it! He can't be a saint all all of a sudden, right? :)
Am I a fan of as*hole heroes?
Oh, no... Normally, I hate as*hole heroes and always give a big rant about them in my reviews.
The weird thing is I loved Vicious and I loved him even at his worst, not after he redeemed himself. I loved the book both “in spite of him” and “because of him”...
Vicious has his own way of telling events and explaining his actions in his chapters and immediately, I got hooked... spellbound... dumbfounded.. Not believing my eyes about what I was reading... How he thinks and acts would drive even a saint crazy!
But you know, there is a thin line between love and hate, between the good and the bad, or justice and injustice and the book makes us question them all.
This book was an unforgettable journey, and I enjoyed every bit of it. You go back from past (10 years ago) to present and a glimpse of past with a glimpse of present go hand in hand.
My book is full of highlights, the sad ones, funny ones, frustrating ones, emotional ones and the hot ones... Every page... every sentence in the book is precious, worth reading and saving somewhere in your heart or brain...
With its high angst, unbelievable chemistry and very well-built sexual tension as well as a never-ending roller coaster of events and emotions, the book leaves you breathless and puts your heart in a series of palpitations while your body suffers from the vicious heat wave (pun intended)...
The tension never drops, it gets more and more exciting... It is such an unforgettable reading experience...
When the book ended, all I wanted was to rewind it and re-read it... I didn’t want to part my way from these people. Thank God, it is a series and we will see these characters in other books, at least as side characters :)
The plot in short:
Baron Spenser, aka Vicious or Vic, is one of the HotHoles of All Saints High School. These four hot and rich guys kind of rule the school and dominate the whole town. They give crazy parties, fuck around with every girl, smoke weed, get drunk and behave cruelly to nearly everyone else. What is good about them? Umm, hard to say at the beginning! They are being jerks all the time!
Vicious lives with his father and step-mother. His mother died when he was a child.
Emilia, Millie, or Help as our hero calls her (yes, seriously, for like 60% of the book, he calls her “Help”) is the daughter of the new servants in the Spensers’ Mansion. She is poor and low class when compared to these spoiled brats. However, she is beautiful, sexy, innocent and she has a pure good heart. She is also a skillful artist who paints pictures. She has an obsession with the cherry blossom tree and she has the same color hair.
Emilia is bullied and humiliated by Vicious... for many reasons! She is hurt, threatened and ruined by him ...many times! It is difficult to bear, really.
But do not think that Emilia is a doormat. She is not. She doesn’t take his shit most of the time. But this drives him even more insane. And when she is helpless and relents, it is only when she has to protect her parents and sick sister, with whose safety he threatens her.
Of course, she makes mistakes, both when she was a teenager and an adult. The constant cruelty of Vicious despite the insane attraction between them sometimes leads Emilia to wrong decisions that she will later regret.
Love triangle alert
The hate/love story of Emilia and Vicious also involves one other member of the HotHoles of Saint High School: Dean. So, their already complicated relationship turns into an even more complex, dangerous and hurtful triangle.
Although they were incredibly compatible in most ways, Emilia and Vicious were also direct opposites of one another in many other ways. He was her BLACK whereas she was his PINK…
“We were never close.”
“Pink and Black were.”
How could all this mess make a good book?
This is where the talent of the writer speaks for itself. The amazing story telling of both characters make it a mind-blowing book. The way it is told is so impressive that you are hooked on even from the very first page.
The characters are developed and they have many layers. All through the book, you discover a new thing on each page. The book keeps your constant attention. It is a breathless reading experience.
Do I recommend it?
Yes… but with some hesitation!
If you can handle a really cruel hero for a while, you will be rewarded with an awesome reading experience, that is for sure.
It somehow worked for me. I saw him... really really saw him. I saw how his so-called hatred was his obsession about her that he couldn’t accept even to himself. Stealing and keeping the pencils she chewed but giving her a hell of a time! Oh boy, he was pathetic.
He was so hateful and monstrous that this pure beautiful creature seemed to be something he could never deserve to have so he wanted to taint her, torture her, all the while torturing himself along with her.
I know these things are so personal and everyone’s triggers and hard limits are different. So please feel free to ask me about any of your worries that you think may ruin this experience for you and I will try to answer gladly :)
And if you wanna see how vicious he is, here you are... But besidethe bad and the evil, I will also give you a glimpse of the beauty in it so that you can see it is not a simple dirty story of a bad boy. It is deep. It is intense. It is beautiful. And it is a quality work!
In Japanese culture, the significance of the cherry blossom tree dates back hundreds of years. The cherry blossom represents the fragility and magnificence of life. It’s a reminder of how beautiful life is, almost overwhelmingly so, but that it is also heartbreakingly short.
As are relationships. Be wise. Let your heart lead the way. And when you find someone who’s worth it—never let them go.
For a fraction of a second, we were together, and it had felt divine. Not nice. Not safe. Not taken for granted. It was short and beautiful and painfully memorable. Like the tree I was obsessed with.
***
My grandma once told me that love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances. The passion is the same. The pain is the same. That weird thing that bubbles in your chest? Same.
I didn’t believe her until I met Baron Spencer and he became my nightmare. Then my nightmare became my reality. I thought I’d escaped him. I was even stupid enough to think he’d forgotten I ever existed.
But when he came back, he hit harder than I ever thought possible.
And just like a domino—I fell.
***
“Why are you doing this to me?” I hissed out, searching his blank, stony face.
“Because I can,” he offered with a smirk to hide all the pain in his eyes. “Because it’s fun?” he added, chuckling.
***
Her sense of style was juvenile and horrid, and the back of her hand was still inked with a cherry blossom tree she’d drawn in English Lit, so why the fuck was she still hot as shit?
Didn’t matter. I hated her anyway.
But her apparent devotion to trying not to be sexy, paired with the fact that she actually was sexy, always made me hard as stone.
***
We weren’t good guys. We weren’t boyfriend material, we didn’t do monogamy.
***
Dean and Help were just a fling. They’d be broken up by the end of the month. He was going to dump her—hopefully with her virginity still intact—hurt and angry and looking for a rebound. She’d be fragile, insecure, and vindictive.
And that’s when I was going to strike. That’s when I was going to show her she was nothing more than my property.
***
He knew I wanted her. Wanted her body. Wanted her virginity. Wanted it all. He took it from me, and it was a dick move.
***
She was starting to get comfortable around me. I pitied her.
***
This was so on. I was going to fuck Dean’s ex-girlfriend, use her for my personal needs, and toss her away when I was done.
***
Truth was, he was a dick for going out with her then, and I was a dick for doing her now.
But she wasn’t his obsession.
His vice.
His fucking Achilles heel.
She used to leave chewed pencils on her desk every single day in calculus class.
I may have picked them up.
I may have saved them.
They may still be in a drawer somewhere in my old room.
***
“Listen to yourself, Vicious. You’re obsessed with this girl. You’re in love with this girl, always have been, ever since you realized she’s not afraid or impressed by your bullshit. You’re in deep denial.”
***
Her indifference to my power somewhat disarmed me. Most people felt helpless around me. Emilia Leblanc never had.
***
She squinted at me, not budging. I’d forgotten how hard to tame she was. And I’d definitely forgotten how much it turned me on.
“You’re pissing me off,” she said quietly, her eyes still searching my face.
“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat.
***
This wasn’t an argument. This was foreplay. She just didn’t know it yet.
***
You’re my employee. Hence, I make the rules. You will serve me. You will obey me. You. Will . Help . Me. Understood?”
***
Spending time with my staff reminded me why humans were my least favorite creatures.
***
I’d noticed the way he looked at me. It was the same way I’d looked at him.
We liked what we saw.
I hated him so much it made me sick to my stomach that I loved the way he looked.
***
I reminded myself that this man didn’t do relationships.
He did destructions. And one of his past projects was my life.
***
“You were always good together, the four of you.”
A dark smirk found his lips, and he shrugged tiredly. “Until you came along.”
He spun me around, and before I could say something— anything —his mouth attacked mine. Every doubt I’d had evaporated.
Now there was no barrier. There was no Dean. No HotHoles. Just the two hungry, savage adults who wanted to rip each other to shreds.
I wanted to dissolve into smoke, to crawl into him and never leave. It was crazy, but that was how much I craved this man.
His mouth was hot, his kiss ravenous and rough. Like he was trying to erase every trace of every other man who’d ever tasted me.
***
I knew him well enough to know romance was simply not on the menu for him. He was as emotionally available as a jackhammer.
This was pure lust, exploding after a decade of simmering quietly, brewed by frustration, jealousy, and hate.
***
Though I knew she was right. I was missing a few pieces. A few chips I needed in order to be able to love like a normal person does. That’s why I liked breaking things, and why I especially enjoyed breaking Emilia. She was the purest thing I’d ever met.
***
“I used to think of you as a villain, but you’re not my villain. You’re your own villain.
To me, you were a lesson. An important brutal lesson, nothing more and nothing less.”
***
“How far are you willing to go for this girl, Vic?”
I ran a hand through my hair, tugging hard at the roots. “Well, I think I’m about to find the fuck out.”
June 15, 2020
Call me shallow, but I could not say no to this book cover.
Vicious. They are some people who are so dark inside, that sometimes you feel that they absorb all the light when they enter the room. Like black holes. They transform everything warm and sunny into something that resembles their misery.
Our main male character is like that. He has been torturing the love of his life, his favorite woman, his obsession and his savior since they were in high school.
Until the very end, I was not sure whether Vicious is truly in love with Emilia or if he is simply a sociopath unable of feeling love. He is definitely obsessed with Emilia, so obsessed that he has made the purpose of his life to torture and to fuck her if he wishes. Because she is his. Since they day they met outside of the library of his home.
Everything on him screams that he is a mental case. If someone is capable of killing, burning down, lie to his “best” friend and blackmail the woman he loves for selfish reasons, torturing the woman he loves because he is so fucked up, not being able to sleep, hate the guts of his father and waits patiently (not showing anything) until before he dies to tell him, then he is definitely a mental case.
Well, enough is enough! Emilia may be too good to be true, but she is stronger than she looks. The groveling in the end satisfied me somehow, but I still think Vicious is dangerous and he can flip out any time.
Anyway, this is not your normal love story. It is not exactly also a story of enemies becoming lovers. The enemies were not enemies in the first place. Neither of them hated each other. They just did not know how to act around each other.
The end of the book is satisfying for both of the main characters.
For the reader, it is a strong ending.
The story will stay with you and you will think about it for days after you finish the book.
Vicious. They are some people who are so dark inside, that sometimes you feel that they absorb all the light when they enter the room. Like black holes. They transform everything warm and sunny into something that resembles their misery.
Our main male character is like that. He has been torturing the love of his life, his favorite woman, his obsession and his savior since they were in high school.
Until the very end, I was not sure whether Vicious is truly in love with Emilia or if he is simply a sociopath unable of feeling love. He is definitely obsessed with Emilia, so obsessed that he has made the purpose of his life to torture and to fuck her if he wishes. Because she is his. Since they day they met outside of the library of his home.
Everything on him screams that he is a mental case. If someone is capable of killing, burning down, lie to his “best” friend and blackmail the woman he loves for selfish reasons, torturing the woman he loves because he is so fucked up, not being able to sleep, hate the guts of his father and waits patiently (not showing anything) until before he dies to tell him, then he is definitely a mental case.
Well, enough is enough! Emilia may be too good to be true, but she is stronger than she looks. The groveling in the end satisfied me somehow, but I still think Vicious is dangerous and he can flip out any time.
Anyway, this is not your normal love story. It is not exactly also a story of enemies becoming lovers. The enemies were not enemies in the first place. Neither of them hated each other. They just did not know how to act around each other.
The end of the book is satisfying for both of the main characters.
For the reader, it is a strong ending.
The story will stay with you and you will think about it for days after you finish the book.
August 1, 2017
4.5 stars!!!
For those of you that love a good enemies to lovers story, this book is pure gold. Vicious is the best kind of asshole. He and Emilia meet when they’re teenagers and they have a… complicated relationship.
Barron ‘Vicious’ Spencer runs All Saints High, along with his three best friends known as the HotHoles. He’s the most ruthless of them all. When Emilia LeBlanc moves into his family home (her parents are the hired help) he has a new target to take his rage out on. Vicious is a bit ruthless at times. He has his reasons, but there are parts in this story (especially the past) that made me a little cringey.
Emilia is a fantastic heroine. She is pushed so hard by Vicious but always stands her ground and pulls through. After high school, she moves to NYC. Her little sister joins her and they’re just getting by, but they’re together. Then Vicious comes back into her life. The guy she’s always loved and hated equally. The one who had made her life a living hell.
Gah! I loved Vicious and his asshole ways. Seriously, Shen did an amazing job with him. She toed the line making him a huge jerk, but still lovable and redeemable. I loved the two of them together. Even though he gave Emilia so much hell, you could tell these two belonged together. And Vicious could be super swoony when he wanted to be.
I listened to Vicious on audio book and I really enjoyed the narration. I loved the story and I can’t wait for more in this series!
“This is not a relationship. It’s two people fucking the obsession out of each other.”
For those of you that love a good enemies to lovers story, this book is pure gold. Vicious is the best kind of asshole. He and Emilia meet when they’re teenagers and they have a… complicated relationship.
Barron ‘Vicious’ Spencer runs All Saints High, along with his three best friends known as the HotHoles. He’s the most ruthless of them all. When Emilia LeBlanc moves into his family home (her parents are the hired help) he has a new target to take his rage out on. Vicious is a bit ruthless at times. He has his reasons, but there are parts in this story (especially the past) that made me a little cringey.
Emilia is a fantastic heroine. She is pushed so hard by Vicious but always stands her ground and pulls through. After high school, she moves to NYC. Her little sister joins her and they’re just getting by, but they’re together. Then Vicious comes back into her life. The guy she’s always loved and hated equally. The one who had made her life a living hell.
Gah! I loved Vicious and his asshole ways. Seriously, Shen did an amazing job with him. She toed the line making him a huge jerk, but still lovable and redeemable. I loved the two of them together. Even though he gave Emilia so much hell, you could tell these two belonged together. And Vicious could be super swoony when he wanted to be.
“Apologize for not being mine when you should’ve been. Because Emilia, baby...” I tilted my head sideways. “It was always fucking us and you know it.”
I listened to Vicious on audio book and I really enjoyed the narration. I loved the story and I can’t wait for more in this series!
Shelved as 'cheating'
January 13, 2017OW AND OM SPOILERS AND WARNINGS
For anyone who doesn't mind OW and OM this one is very hot right now on Kindle Unlimited go for it! I'll pass but a lot of my friends have LOVED this book!:
More on OW (other women) and OM (other man)
Isabella's review
Chantal's review
Note: For the purpose of my reviews whatever activity with OW meaning kissing, trying to f@ck her, taking her to a hotel (even if later hero regrets it and "can't stop thinkinga bout the heroine", watching her naked counts as disloyalty and cheating IF( and only IF) THIS HAPPENS AFTER H and h get together,. I consider they're together once they have exchanged a kiss even if there's no promise of exclusivity. If it is before they kiss I have no problem, but if it's after they have kissed I hate it. It makes the Hero weak and childish. Specially when the "separation" happens for such stupid reasons. Grow up man! This guy isn't a man, he's a boy pretending to be a man.
Again, a lot of my friends like this bad-boy-type of heroes, so you might as well give this book a try. I'm searching for UNREALISTIC MEN that's why I'll pass.
For anyone who doesn't mind OW and OM this one is very hot right now on Kindle Unlimited go for it! I'll pass but a lot of my friends have LOVED this book!:
More on OW (other women) and OM (other man)
Isabella's review
Chantal's review
Note: For the purpose of my reviews whatever activity with OW meaning kissing, trying to f@ck her, taking her to a hotel (even if later hero regrets it and "can't stop thinkinga bout the heroine", watching her naked counts as disloyalty and cheating IF( and only IF) THIS HAPPENS AFTER H and h get together,. I consider they're together once they have exchanged a kiss even if there's no promise of exclusivity. If it is before they kiss I have no problem, but if it's after they have kissed I hate it. It makes the Hero weak and childish. Specially when the "separation" happens for such stupid reasons. Grow up man! This guy isn't a man, he's a boy pretending to be a man.
Again, a lot of my friends like this bad-boy-type of heroes, so you might as well give this book a try. I'm searching for UNREALISTIC MEN that's why I'll pass.
February 7, 2017
VICIOUS: This is the first book I've read by this author, but by God the feels that come at you full throttle once you open that first page and inhale that first chapter are indescribable. This is Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives' and flashes from 'Past to Present' effectively.
Rich boy, Poor girl (The help)
My obsession...My muse...My enemy
(Aged Seventeen - PAST) A coming of age novel which kicks starts off in the past, ten years prior when Emilia LeBlanc’s family move in to the servant’s quarters of the Spencer’s luxurious mansion acting as their cook/housekeeper and gardener/handyman.
Right from the get go Baron Spencer a.k.a Vicious was a prick, a term invented just for him, he may be hot but he goes out of his way to make life unbearable for Emilia, he thought she knew his secret. A conversation he thinks she overheard which ultimately cost her, her whole senior year and ripped away from her family because of it when she was eighteen. Him and his four best friends had succeeded in driving her out of Todos Santos.
#The Four HotHoles ( Trent, Jamie, Dean and Vicious) who ruled the school, they were invincible, nobody touched them, everyone bowed down to them.
I hated vicious. He was hard, heartless, and hateful, it was too bad 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.
As different from each other as light and day.
We were so different it was borderline comical. Me with my custom suit, expensive coat, and rich asshole air about me and her with her burgundy-wine sweater, beanie, Christmas leggings, and army boots.
PRESENT (Aged Twenty-Seven): Having to support her sick sister who suffers from cystic fibrosis and a day that goes from bad to worse from losing one her jobs, to being mugged to the reappearance of Vicious has Emilia accepting a job offer from him weeks later. Like a wrecking ball he came back in her life with a vengeance and like a domino effect she fell.
I’d always been the servant. Me, my parents. Vicious was right in calling me HELP. Not that it wasn’t rude, but it was the truth nonetheless.
A fully furnished apartment
An around the clock nurse for her sister Rosie
And a good pay check to boot was an offer Emilia could not resist since they were one eviction notice away from rock bottom.
His proposition was almost to good to be true.
When he walked into the room, no matter how dingy and small, you could feel the wealth, the status, the power.
OMG The angst!! The feels!! The emotional pull on all my senses, The love/hate relationship I had with this book was indescribable, The frustration, The unseen twists and turns this took me on, like a roller coaster out of control. I can't even describe how much I loved this book, I was hooked as soon as I read the first chapter until I inhaled, breathed the last words and can not wait for the next in this series.
I enjoyed the past glimpses we got of these two, the evil Vicious dished out, the lengths he went to, the hatred, the uncontrollable lust.
He was perfectly imperfect. Flawlessly flawed. Most importantly-he was Vicious.
May 2, 2020
This was INCREDIBLE. Why have I waited so long to read L.J. Shen? Excuse my while I binge her entire back list.
September 12, 2019
2 Nope, not for me stars
Sorry, I just didn't like this book. I loved Sparrow, and I was hoping I would like this book that much or more, but I couldn't stand Vicious. I love a sexy Asshole as much as the next girl, but said Asshole is suppose to have some kind of redeeming qualities. Something that makes you soften to him and fall in love with him. Not Vicious. He was just a straight up asshole. At no point in the read did I think "wow I can totally see why Millie loves him.". At no point did I find him sexy or desirable. I did however find myself annoyed with him and bored with the whole book. I found myself wondering wtf was wrong with Millie that she would want a jerk like Vicious. How could she love him when he was never, ever nice to her. I didn't care about their relationship. I didn't really want to finish the book but I heard it got better. I felt the good part came way too late and was so different from the Vicious we knew the whole book that it felt forced. Overall I'm just disappointed and over it.
https://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessi...
Sorry, I just didn't like this book. I loved Sparrow, and I was hoping I would like this book that much or more, but I couldn't stand Vicious. I love a sexy Asshole as much as the next girl, but said Asshole is suppose to have some kind of redeeming qualities. Something that makes you soften to him and fall in love with him. Not Vicious. He was just a straight up asshole. At no point in the read did I think "wow I can totally see why Millie loves him.". At no point did I find him sexy or desirable. I did however find myself annoyed with him and bored with the whole book. I found myself wondering wtf was wrong with Millie that she would want a jerk like Vicious. How could she love him when he was never, ever nice to her. I didn't care about their relationship. I didn't really want to finish the book but I heard it got better. I felt the good part came way too late and was so different from the Vicious we knew the whole book that it felt forced. Overall I'm just disappointed and over it.
https://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessi...
June 2, 2024
I'm not sure why I didn't like this book more. For one thing, almost all my GR friends rated this 5 stars. It had everything. It had a confident, cocky, vicious asshole MC (which I usually love). It was just a little cheesy and boring for me. I DID like it. I just didn't LOVE it.
Vicious is a total dick. His real name is Baron but everyone calls him vicious because, well, he's a dick. Honestly, he's not a good person. He is very troubled and has a dark past. We see why he is troubled later on in the book. Emilia is the daughter of his parent's hired help. Her mother is the housekeeper, and her father is the general maintence man for his parent's property. We don't understand why Vicious hates her so much until the very end. It's definitely an enemies to lover's trope. He uses her for his own benefit, and she uses him for her own benefit. There is minimal spice. A few spicy scenes but I was hoping for more.
I would recommend this book. I'm sure it's a me problem as this was highly rated. I think I wanted more pizazz. Some more spice. It was just whatever for me.
Vicious is a total dick. His real name is Baron but everyone calls him vicious because, well, he's a dick. Honestly, he's not a good person. He is very troubled and has a dark past. We see why he is troubled later on in the book. Emilia is the daughter of his parent's hired help. Her mother is the housekeeper, and her father is the general maintence man for his parent's property. We don't understand why Vicious hates her so much until the very end. It's definitely an enemies to lover's trope. He uses her for his own benefit, and she uses him for her own benefit. There is minimal spice. A few spicy scenes but I was hoping for more.
I would recommend this book. I'm sure it's a me problem as this was highly rated. I think I wanted more pizazz. Some more spice. It was just whatever for me.
September 6, 2018
NOW LIVE!
http://amzn.to/2jUCLYW
What is it about L.J Shen's writing that makes me fall for these asshole Heroes? I honestly don't have an answer for it but whatever it is, I love it! I'm a sucker for an asshole Hero but Ms. Shen takes her jerks to a whole new level and somehow still makes me adore them. And the best part is that she doesn't change them throughout the story.
They start out as jerks and they stay jerks, and I know that may sound really strange but I love it. Vicious definitely had a character development and he grew from and unfeeling person to one that actually accepted what he felt, but he never lost that unpredictable personality. He was always doing things that I would kick a real-life man in the balls for, but when it came to his character I didn't mind it at all, it actually made him more interesting.
Emilia was nothing like Vicious, and I will admit that there were times that I wanted to see her fight back and show some kind of backbone, but I never hated her. Her connection with Vicious was just so strong that I understood why she stayed. Even when I didn't fully get how she could let him treat her like he did, I could also see that she and Vicious were just meant to be together.
This isn't your typical love story but it's one that if you read and connect with, you will see the love between these characters. It's just a little gritty and Vicious is more than a little twisted, but I think it's great that it isn't the usual type of romance story. If you're looking for something to change up what you're used to, then this needs to be your next read. Vicious and Emilia and definitely characters worth meeting and this story is highly recommended by me.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
http://amzn.to/2jUCLYW
What is it about L.J Shen's writing that makes me fall for these asshole Heroes? I honestly don't have an answer for it but whatever it is, I love it! I'm a sucker for an asshole Hero but Ms. Shen takes her jerks to a whole new level and somehow still makes me adore them. And the best part is that she doesn't change them throughout the story.
They start out as jerks and they stay jerks, and I know that may sound really strange but I love it. Vicious definitely had a character development and he grew from and unfeeling person to one that actually accepted what he felt, but he never lost that unpredictable personality. He was always doing things that I would kick a real-life man in the balls for, but when it came to his character I didn't mind it at all, it actually made him more interesting.
Emilia was nothing like Vicious, and I will admit that there were times that I wanted to see her fight back and show some kind of backbone, but I never hated her. Her connection with Vicious was just so strong that I understood why she stayed. Even when I didn't fully get how she could let him treat her like he did, I could also see that she and Vicious were just meant to be together.
This isn't your typical love story but it's one that if you read and connect with, you will see the love between these characters. It's just a little gritty and Vicious is more than a little twisted, but I think it's great that it isn't the usual type of romance story. If you're looking for something to change up what you're used to, then this needs to be your next read. Vicious and Emilia and definitely characters worth meeting and this story is highly recommended by me.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2017
★★★★★ 5 Stars ★★★★★
It's no secret that I love to read about the super mean boys, and so when I realised that this book was about a hero with the nickname 'Vicious', I had high hopes that LJ Shen would deliver a fantastic enemies-to-lovers read that would tick all the boxes in what has to be one of my top themes.
For me, this one had it all, it starts off at High School, and finishes years later when they are both adults. Emilia is the daughter of the hired help, and Baron ‘Vicious’ Spencer is the boy who, whilst his uninterested parents are not often around, rules both the large mansion they live in, and the local school where he and his friends 'The Four Hotholes' roam free.
He hates Emilia on sight, and isn't shy about showing it. However, they are both hugely attracted to each other, and there lies the story.
Vicious is entitled, and angry, and troubled, but is he redeemable? Well, whilst his character stayed very true throughout the book, I'd definitely say that he was. In addition, Emilia was a great heroine, she had a backbone (mostly), and a personality that made her stand out from other leading ladies that feature in many love/hate themed books.
In summary, the chemistry was off the charts, the character development was perfect, and pacing was fast enough to keep me turning the pages, and the hero was just the right amount of bastard that I love.
Whilst I technically read this in the last week of December, I am putting this straight on my Top 10 of 2017 shelf.
Huge Winner!
ARC gratefully received
Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.
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It's no secret that I love to read about the super mean boys, and so when I realised that this book was about a hero with the nickname 'Vicious', I had high hopes that LJ Shen would deliver a fantastic enemies-to-lovers read that would tick all the boxes in what has to be one of my top themes.
For me, this one had it all, it starts off at High School, and finishes years later when they are both adults. Emilia is the daughter of the hired help, and Baron ‘Vicious’ Spencer is the boy who, whilst his uninterested parents are not often around, rules both the large mansion they live in, and the local school where he and his friends 'The Four Hotholes' roam free.
He hates Emilia on sight, and isn't shy about showing it. However, they are both hugely attracted to each other, and there lies the story.
"I got to him. He was in my veins.
But I’d managed to crawl under his skin."
Vicious is entitled, and angry, and troubled, but is he redeemable? Well, whilst his character stayed very true throughout the book, I'd definitely say that he was. In addition, Emilia was a great heroine, she had a backbone (mostly), and a personality that made her stand out from other leading ladies that feature in many love/hate themed books.
In summary, the chemistry was off the charts, the character development was perfect, and pacing was fast enough to keep me turning the pages, and the hero was just the right amount of bastard that I love.
"You were always mine."
Whilst I technically read this in the last week of December, I am putting this straight on my Top 10 of 2017 shelf.
Huge Winner!
ARC gratefully received
Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.
May 28, 2020
5-stars to the angstiest romance I think I’ve ever read!
One word sums up the majority of the relationships in this book—dysfunctional. The two main characters in this book went to high school together and have a strong history of conflict. Both are fairly complex too. Vicious, the main male character, is a huge bully; he’s flat-out crude, not caring for a single second who he hurts or what people think about him. Although he’s nearly impossible to tolerate through much of the book, he has a past, and there were hints throughout that he was capable of change. There’s just something about him though; it’s intoxicating.
Then there’s Emelia, who’s sweet, always does what’s right, and takes care of her sick sister who suffers from lung disease. Emelia’s an aspiring artist and just wants to have a normal, happy life in New York City.
Ten years out of high school and Vicious devises to seek out Emelia in NYC. He needs a PA and has this big plan to hire her (with ulterior motives of course). He offers her the job of a lifetime—one that Emelia simply can’t turn down. She needs this, but Vicious appears to be the same brute he was in high school.
There were some issues for me, particularly with Vicious, because he’s so aggressive, possessive, and manipulating. It was impossible to put this down though. There was this continuous hope that Vicious could change, and it’s what kept me going. Also, this book is incredibly angsty. Not to spoil anything, but it took over half the book for anything big to happen, and it tested my patience for sure.
I don’t care how common it is: enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Aside from that, there’s a lot more going on here with these characters. Also, romance isn’t one of my big genres, but I like to switch things up a bit every now and then. I’m so glad it was this book! Besides the issues I had to overlook, this was a fantastic story, my first by L.J Shen, and it won’t be my last. This was easy to devour and I’m excited to finish the series.
If you plan to read this be aware that there’s abuse (both mental and physical), heavy sex scenes, bullying, drug use, murder, and possibly other triggers for sensitive readers.
5-stars
You can see this review and others @www.readrantrockandroll.com
One word sums up the majority of the relationships in this book—dysfunctional. The two main characters in this book went to high school together and have a strong history of conflict. Both are fairly complex too. Vicious, the main male character, is a huge bully; he’s flat-out crude, not caring for a single second who he hurts or what people think about him. Although he’s nearly impossible to tolerate through much of the book, he has a past, and there were hints throughout that he was capable of change. There’s just something about him though; it’s intoxicating.
Then there’s Emelia, who’s sweet, always does what’s right, and takes care of her sick sister who suffers from lung disease. Emelia’s an aspiring artist and just wants to have a normal, happy life in New York City.
Ten years out of high school and Vicious devises to seek out Emelia in NYC. He needs a PA and has this big plan to hire her (with ulterior motives of course). He offers her the job of a lifetime—one that Emelia simply can’t turn down. She needs this, but Vicious appears to be the same brute he was in high school.
There were some issues for me, particularly with Vicious, because he’s so aggressive, possessive, and manipulating. It was impossible to put this down though. There was this continuous hope that Vicious could change, and it’s what kept me going. Also, this book is incredibly angsty. Not to spoil anything, but it took over half the book for anything big to happen, and it tested my patience for sure.
I don’t care how common it is: enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Aside from that, there’s a lot more going on here with these characters. Also, romance isn’t one of my big genres, but I like to switch things up a bit every now and then. I’m so glad it was this book! Besides the issues I had to overlook, this was a fantastic story, my first by L.J Shen, and it won’t be my last. This was easy to devour and I’m excited to finish the series.
If you plan to read this be aware that there’s abuse (both mental and physical), heavy sex scenes, bullying, drug use, murder, and possibly other triggers for sensitive readers.
5-stars
You can see this review and others @www.readrantrockandroll.com
March 15, 2023
☆⋅⋆ ── 1st read 2018: 5 stars
☆⋅⋆ ─── 4th read 2023: 5+ stars 💖
L.J. Shen was on crack when she wrote viciousemilia. Her best book. Her best couple. The book that paved her way to fame. A masterpiece <3
Reread: 02/20:
So after reading Angry God I couldn't read anything else that wasn't related to the Spencers. So I went back to where it all started and now I'm feeling equally happy and depressed. Depressed because no matter what happened, there was one constant in my life and that was Vicious appearing in every Sinners of Saint and All Saints High book, now that the last book is out, I really have to say goodbye to these characters that mean so much to me and I'm just sad. But rereading 'Vicious' made me realised how far Vicious (the character) has come from his book to Vaughn's book. He went from being lonely and hating the world alone to being the best father and husband, protecting his family at all cost and having so many people around that love him. Yup, I'm an emotional mess these days and I can't stop it. Going back to read the happy Viciousemilia breadcrumbs in Angry God ✌️
Still L.J. Shen best book to-date.
This is enemies-to-lovers excellence. I love Baron "Vicious" Spencer and Emilia LeBlanc with all my heart.
Reread 08/19:
Usually I'm so afraid to reread books cause 3 out 5 of times I don't like the book as much the second time. But not Vicious. I love this book every time a little bit more! Thanks to last night this book has a special place in my heart that will always remind me of my travels in Croatia.
☆⋅⋆ ─── 4th read 2023: 5+ stars 💖
“I want you,” he said simply. “Just you. Nothing else. Only ever you,” he breathed out in pain, closing his eyes. “Fuck, Emilia. You.”
L.J. Shen was on crack when she wrote viciousemilia. Her best book. Her best couple. The book that paved her way to fame. A masterpiece <3
Reread: 02/20:
So after reading Angry God I couldn't read anything else that wasn't related to the Spencers. So I went back to where it all started and now I'm feeling equally happy and depressed. Depressed because no matter what happened, there was one constant in my life and that was Vicious appearing in every Sinners of Saint and All Saints High book, now that the last book is out, I really have to say goodbye to these characters that mean so much to me and I'm just sad. But rereading 'Vicious' made me realised how far Vicious (the character) has come from his book to Vaughn's book. He went from being lonely and hating the world alone to being the best father and husband, protecting his family at all cost and having so many people around that love him. Yup, I'm an emotional mess these days and I can't stop it. Going back to read the happy Viciousemilia breadcrumbs in Angry God ✌️
Still L.J. Shen best book to-date.
This is enemies-to-lovers excellence. I love Baron "Vicious" Spencer and Emilia LeBlanc with all my heart.
Reread 08/19:
Usually I'm so afraid to reread books cause 3 out 5 of times I don't like the book as much the second time. But not Vicious. I love this book every time a little bit more! Thanks to last night this book has a special place in my heart that will always remind me of my travels in Croatia.
"I was her black. And she was my pink."
April 8, 2023
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So I was at my therapy session the other day and was like, "You know the problem with being a content creator with a larger platform is that everyone expects you to have an extremely radical opinion on whatever the latest hot take is, and it gets to the point where you start to second-guess your own opinions because you begin to ask yourself, 'is this really what I think or am I just doing this for the clicks?'" And then my therapist was like, "Ma'am, this is just a drive-thru Starbucks, please take your coffee so we can help the next person in line," and I was like, "Well, SOMEONE'S getting a one-star review on Zocdoc."*
*Just kidding, although if you don't think of coffee as therapy, you've obviously never had a double shot blonde espresso oat milk latte.**
**Seriously, just kidding. Coffee is not a substitute for therapy.
I was leery about picking up VICIOUS because literally everyone and their horny granny was hyping it up, and contrary to popular belief, I don't actually sit around here looking for popular books to hate on. I also really didn't like the last L.J. Shen book I read. It was one of her mafia ones and reading it made me angry, and I was like "NEVER AGAIN." So it kind of seemed like me and Ms. Shen just weren't destined to be. And I was fine with that. Really. Things were fine.
But then one of my friends wrote a review saying that this was basically THE CRUEL PRINCE but with a human cast. And it was like one of those children's TV show buzzers went off, where they're like, "Uh oh! You said today's WORD OF THE DAY!!!!!" Because if there was one thing she could have said that would have made me pick up the book, it was that. I fucking love THE CRUEL PRINCE. Enemies to lovers served up hot on a plate. There's seriously no better rush.
Here's the thing about VICIOUS. It's very much like Hana Yori Dango/Meteor Garden in terms of vibes. Except they call themselves the HotHoles, which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Also the hero's name is Vicious, which I guess he calls himself because he hates being named Baron. But as stupid as the name Baron is, I think his nickname might actually be worse. Also he calls the heroine "Help." Because she's part of the help. It takes a LOT of mental gymnastics to get over the nicknames, but after reading five books of Zodiac Academy and enduring things like "Faebook," my literary suspension of disbelief has stretched like taffy and I find myself willing to tolerate all kinds of ridic as long as it's for the sake of a good story. Maybe you can't get over the name thing. Maybe it's like sandpaper on your brain. But if you can get over the name thing, the story is so worth it.
Look, I get that it's toxic. I don't care. If you come at me with a story that serves up old skool Asian drama vibes, the feminism is going on the shelf for a while. I'm a sucker for the "I hate everyone but you" trope, especially when it's liberally salted with the "touch her and die" trope and the "I've loved you for years" trope. Yes, I know this buys into toxic masculinity and the idea that men only treat women like shit because they like them, and in real life, I would definitely give that a hard no, but in a story, where the characters are obviously meant for each other and you know that everything is guaranteed to turn out all right in the end because this is a redemptive romance and love is the invisible fairy godmother who makes everything all right with a kiss and a magic wand, I SHIP THE FUCK OUT OF IT. The end.
And this was a really great story. I actually really liked Emilia a lot. I liked that she had the agency and witty rejoinders of an old skool Charlotte Lamb heroine. I liked Vicious (ugh) and how he had such a sardonic and cynical outlook on life that was a result of not wanting to be hurt. I thought his backstory was super sad and I thought the revenge story was compelling and added a nice touch of darkness to what could have otherwise been a really saccharine storyline. I liked both timelines, the side characters, and the pacing of the story. When Emilia and Vicious go on their Christmas-in-New-York date I swooned. Actually, this might be the only Christmas romance I've read that didn't feel like it was trying to convert me to the Hallmark channel. It was just so good.
VICIOUS is a really great story. I'm not giving it a full five stars because the pacing was a little bumpy and I didn't particularly like the epilogue (and also the names, omg). But this was so, so close to being a perfect read. I might actually like L.J. Shen after all, oh my God. I can't wait to talk to my "therapist" about this tomorrow when I pick up my latte. (Starbucks staff: NOOOOOOOO***)
***Just kidding
4 to 4.5 stars
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