Angry God

All Saints Hight, Book #3

By L.J. Shen

ISBN# 9788417972820

Author’s Website:  authorljshen.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of spoilers and trigger warnings*

Review

They were just kids when they met. 

“Ugly or not, I could still kiss you if I wanted to, and you’d let me.”

I choked on the rich cocoa in my mouth, my book dropping to the ground and closing without a bookmark. Shoot.

“Why would you ever think that?” I’d turned to him, scandalized.

He’d leaned close, one flat chest to another. He’d smelled of something foreign and dangerous and wild. Of golden California beaches, maybe.

“Because my dad told me good girls like bad boys, and I’m bad. Really bad.”

Lenora walked in on something she shouldn’t have the summer Vaughn was attending classes at Carlisle Prep and made an enemy for life. 

Lenora grew up at Carlisle Prep, with both her father and uncle being artists who ran the school.  She raced through the halls with her best friend, Rafferty Pope, chasing the ghosts of the castle.

Everything was great until her mother died.  Her father didn’t know how to raise two daughters on his own.  He and her sister, Poppy, moved to Todos Santos while she asked to stay behind at Carlisle Prep.  Then, her father insisted she come join them for her senior year.  He’d be there.  Vaughn.  His family runs that town and he could get away with murder there.  He settled for torturing her instead.  He claimed Lenora as his so no other boys would come near, but he didn’t want her either.  The girls that wanted him, made life hell for her too.  They were staking their own claims even though Lenora had no interest in Vaughn.  And, to add insult to injury he stole the internship she’d been working her whole life to get.

So, after graduation she headed back to her beloved Carlisle Prep, but was going to be forced to work with Vaughn as his assistant for the next six months.  At least Pope would be there to commiserate with.

Lenny quickly learned that Vaughn didn’t want her help.  His sculpture was top secret and he didn’t want her to see it.  It left her days open to work on her own project.  However, Vaughn quickly started claiming her nights.  He could never understand how she could light his body on fire like no other could.  She made him feel.

But will anybody be left standing when Vaughn’s darkest secret comes to light?  He came here for one reason: vengeance.  And, he may just wreck everything in his path to get it.

Wow.  I’ve been a long-time reader of L.J. Shen and I didn’t expect this book to broach such a dark topic; child molestation.  Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good dark romance, I just wasn’t expecting it this time.  She didn’t go too in-depth on the actual acts, but we got such good emotion out of this book, as usual for this author.

Vaughn was so much of an asshole.  The apple definitely didn’t fall far from the tree there.  However, he had good reason to be the way he was.  What he went through and the constant reminders staring him right in the face in his own home.

And, the chapter from Vicious’s point-of-view was everything I wanted that I didn’t think I was going to get.  Seeing his pain and fury and meting out his own kind of justice was golden.  It definitely made me want to stand up and cheer for one of my favorite assholes. 

“Baron,” he whimpered, his face red, swollen, and blotchy with hysteria. “Thank God you’re here. Vaughn clearly needed a voice of reason.”

Nice try, motherfucker.

I crouched down, digging my heel into the fingers of his healthy hand and meeting his gaze. I heard them crack under my shiny loafers. As soon as he saw what was behind my eyes, his face turned from panicked to ashen. I wasn’t here to strike a deal or to relieve him of his destiny.

I was here to collect a debt.

Vengeance.

My son’s pride. My son’s life.

And it’s been long overdue.”

Although I think how he figured out what happened, (and then Emilia figuring it out the same way), was a bit of a stretch.  I’ll ignore that for my overall enjoyment though.

This novel took me a little longer to get into than the others in the series, but once it took hold of me, it didn’t let go.  And, even when I wasn’t as into it, I couldn’t quit reading it.  This book isn’t as good as some of the others I’ve read from the series (Broken Knight *ugh*), but it was still a good emotional read all-in-all.  It had moments of sarcastic humor, heart-wrenching tragedy, and even joy.  The emotional roller coaster that keeps me coming back to Shen’s books again and again.

It’s starting to feel like the end of the series is near though.  And that makes me saddest of all.  Damaged Goods is the only one I have left to read at the time I’m writing this.  That one is Bailey and Lev’s story, two of the hotholes’ (still cringe) kids we have never learned much about.  I really really hope that’s not the last one, but it kind of feels that way.  I guess I’ll find out when I read it.  I’m hopeful we’ll at least get a Hunter book though, he’s such close friends with the guys he deserves to have his story told. Please, Shen, Please!

Until next time …