Zlomená princezna

by L.J. Shen

Můj bodyguard. Můj ochránce. Můj největší hřích. S bulvárním tiskem už jsem koketovala mnohokrát. Co k tomu mám říct? Moje bradavka se prostě chtěla ukázat a pozdravit se s paparazzim. Poté mě otec postavil před ultimátum – buď mi přestane financovat můj marnotratný životní styl, nebo se musím smířit s tím, že budu mít bodyguarda.

A bodyguardem myslím rajcovního a zároveň děsivého chlapa, který mi dělá chůvu a čistě náhodou vyniká i v lámání kostí.

Ransom Lockwood, dámy a pánové.

Teď mě nutí zkoušet všechny možné podivné věci. Přestat pařit, nepít a chovat se zodpovědně, sehnat si práci…

Jedna moje část má chuť mu říct, ať vypadne, protože mě už zachránit nejde.

Jenže ta další chce zachránit jeho.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook

456 pages, Hardcover

First published January 12, 2023

About the author

L.J. Shen is a New York 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
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Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com

Reviews

[jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

i usually have no issue separating fiction from reality but, in this case, i just cant condone the kind of unhealthy relationship this story is promoting.

thats really all i have to say about this and i feel like thats enough.

[Natasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

“You like to watch me fuck a stranger, don’t you, Brat?” he purred.
His gaze was on me as he drove into her. She spun her head the opposite way, so I couldn’t see her face. She was participating in being his prop! A part of his twisted, elaborate game between two, very unwell people.

DNF at 50%.

You know reading about how the hero is fucking some random woman once is maybe tolerable but reading it for the fifth time is disgusting.

They were both awful.

Zero chemistry or build up, boring story and being half way through and the H is still acting like a hateful pig fucking random women in front of the h is not something i like reading in romance books.
and she is a virgin btw.

But this is L.J Shen and i'm not even a little surprised.🙄

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

ღ 🆃🅷🅾🆁🅽🅴 🅿🆁🅸🅽🅲🅴🆂🆂 ღ Is a full length romance book by L.J. Shen. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives. In this you'll meet Halli and her bodyguard Ransom.

First ARC of the year.. And it was INHALED!!

Everyone can find a little bit of themselves in Brat aka Hallie our twenty-one year old heroine, I didn't think I would connect with her like I did, but I loved her character, she was funny, misunderstood and always in the limelight for all the wrong reasons, being the daughter of an ex-president she's a high profiler, so the paparazzi are always hot on her tail . After one too many misdemeanors her father hires a private bodyguard aka close protection officer to not so much protect her persee but to babysit her.

ENTER; Insanely hot Twenty nine year old Ransom Lockwood. They called him the robot, no heart, no sentiments, and no strings.

"𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆'𝘀 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲."



These two did not hit it off, the games she played, the rules he laid down, there was never a dull moment. Two strangers living together. He's a man of many kinks and she's a girl with a secret to hide, one she doesn't want to ever get out. But when living in such close quarters their attraction skipped happily from despising to lusting.



Throw in L.J. Shen's very own sense of humour and I lapped it up, giggling and swooning left, right and center. This had my undivided attention throughout, throw in an unsuspecting plot twist had me sitting there eating up every word. This was such a strong book to start the new year off with!!

* Teasers used are off the authors facebook page *

                  

[Sonia]

SMDH…
I’m not interested in reading the H f’ing all these OW, especially in front of the h (while she watches 🥴) or when there are MORE OW sex scenes than with the h. One of the times, the h O’s while watching 🥴. Meanwhile, she’s a virgin and this is slooooow burn. Once she loses it to the H, he f’s OW.

Oh… and there’s a separation, 7 months, and he doesn’t even grovel 😒. Where’s the romance???

Yeah. Not for me.

[m ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i saw one random quote from this book the other day and decided to drop everything to read it-



turns out i shouldn't have

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge fan of Leigh's style of writing ever since I read Sparrow.she redefined Alphas by giving their Personalities the X Factor that sets them apart from the rest Faux-Alphas roaming booklandia.
Not afraid to gnash their fangs, or bite when they kiss, Troy and Vicious and Wolfe have all conquered my soul with their stories at different times.
But here comes Ransom Lockwood, The Robot

"Formidable, forbidding, frightening, and…excuse me, but fuckable to a fault. My new bodyguard. Sorry, close protection officer. "



Assigned and hired for The Brat Hallie Thorne, d/o former president. They're explosive mix of duty & disdain, fire and gasoline. They clash,they reject, they push and they repel. He's a master of his profession and she's his biggest challenge - His Brat
Self confessed An exiled Eve. A weird, mixed-breed creature. Social media influencing is just about all her qualifications. Pouting, posing, posting her daily schedule. All in all an entitled online party girl whose Nip-Slip sends her world in a tizzy on her bad day.

“We’re just beautiful spawns-of. Born into high society and low expectations. We’re going nowhere.”



I'm going to stop telling you about the story here.
I rarely venture into a book with any expectations. I don't read blurbs or go by cover and want the authors to surprise me. The fact that this book is penned by an author who always manages to stun me with her deeply moving stories buried under lots of chutzpah and attitude, made its a safe bet from the very beginning.



What I didn’t know was that this story would end up being my undoing from the moment I realised what it was about.
A breathless account of a mute girl screaming in a room full of deaf people, who neither cared or bothered. Leigh has crafted Hallie with compassionate hands, filled her with trembling sensitivity. her self flaggelation replaces her heartbeat per minute. I was awed by her strength in face of forceful opposition, flying on a wing and a prayer.

Vulnerability
Disability
Liability
Acute pain
Abandonment issues
Great Expectations



A forbidden tale of illicit love and juicy cravings. Even though morally despicable in real life, in book world it makes up for the constant electrifying passion, simmering on the back burner, which we KNOW will soon erupt in flames, engulfing our souls.
Even though all the tabboo talk & kinks running rampant highly titillating, the shattering of the hearts is loud and center.
And that's WHAT sets Shen APART
She's NOT afraid to flip the characters, the story, the personalities halfway through the story to show us the soft underbelly

"Brat got hurt.
Brat got very hurt.
Brat was more than just a brat.
She was a broken-winged swan.
One who thought of herself as an ugly duckling. "

I can sit and go bonkers over its gazillion layers that I hope to discover more as I re-read and re-listen, but I beg you to go read the book. Despite sharp edged dialogues and scathing banter for entertainment, it's a love story first and foremost. So all the hapless romantics out there, replace your dream men with Ransom right NOW!!
5 gigantic stars for Charred Fingertips
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[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I... don't think I liked even one single thing about this book. However, I did feel compelled to finish it which is why I didn't give it 1 star.

Ransom is an asshole of epic proportions to Hallie, and for absolutely no reason at all. I've said it once and I'll say it again, if an author is gonna write an enemies-to-lovers book, please at least put some effort into making the hate believable.

I was disgusted with Ransom during the first time they met: he breaks into Hallie's house, storms in on her while she's naked, doesn't explain who he is at all, and just starts hauling her around. Like... is this a joke? In what world would a professional bodyguard do this? Obviously, she freaks out and thinks he's a rapist. It just made absolutely no sense.

And on that note, Ransom was the least professional bodyguard ever. He shouldn't have even had a job tbh. Just so unbelievable.

I'm not even gonna start ranting about all the OW scenes. I'll just say that there were more sex scenes of Ransom with OW than there were with Hallie. And lastly, can authors stop having their heroines get turned on by the H fucking other women? It's NOT HOT.

[mors]

Dnf @10%
It was so confusing and cringe 😭 so I couldn't keep reading it.

thanks NetGalley and author for the arc







꒰ °⤿*ੈ pre-read 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ ꒱
Omggg I got the german arc 🤸🏻‍♀️

[Anna Valsa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is this romance? Really????? NOT!!!
It has a kink alright... and it's not the rape fantasy. The H having sex two different times with two different women IN FRONT of the h... and the heroine enjoying it!! 🤮🤮🤮 She comes the second time without touching her... Because he was touching the ow, how romantic...
Does it ring any bell? COCKQUEAN
I googled it for you...
A cuckquean is a wife with an adulterous husband. In modern English it generally refers to a woman whose fetish is watching, and deriving sexual pleasure from watching a man having sex with one or several women besides his girlfriend, fiancée, wife or other long-term female sex partner.

That was the last book I read from this author .

[emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS IS WHAT WE’RE CALLING ROMANCE IN 2023? I THINK NOT

[Amber Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first glance, this book looks like a sultry tale featuring a spoiled, playful vixen, and her bodyguard -turned- lover. While Hallie and Ransom's relationship,and their off the charts *amazing* chemistry make an entertaining and sexy backdrop for the reader,
it quickly became so much more than that.

LJ Shen bravely addresses topics such as childhood trauma, abandonment/attachment issues, and lends representation to learning disabilities, and of finding self worth after sexual assault.
If you've ever felt invisible,or as if you don't measure up, this story will give you hope for a future,of possibility.

I absolutely adored Hallie,and the courage she digs so deeply to find after a lifetime of being silenced,in every way possible.
Ransom is not your typical damaged MMC. He was very self aware,and unapologetically himself. I liked him immensely,flaws and all.

I believe this story will prove meaningful to many people who are used to feeling like an outcast, misunderstood,and rejected .
Sometimes, it only takes one person in life to find value in you,and what you have to offer.

[winotka.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typowy humor L. J. Shen, albo się to lubi, albo cię skręci i da się jedną gwiazdkę.
Wpadłam w tak okropny zastój a tę książkę przeczytałam w kilka godzin. Jest tak absurdalna w pewnych momentach, że idzie oczami przewrócić tylko, ale ja wiedziałam na co się pisze bo jestem zaprawiona w boju z książkami od tej autorki.
Nie umiem do końca oceniać tych książek bo to jest odklejone i ja to czytam dla czystej rozrywki, jak chce coś w rodzaju komedii z romansem. I dokładnie to dostałam!
Ochroniarz i rozwydrzona bogata córeczka prezydenta, ale jednak zawsze jest w tym coś ciekawego bo za ich zachowaniami kryją się jakieś historie.
Podobały mi się bardzo rozdziały z jego perspektywy i to jak jego obsesja rosła z dnia na dzień.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hace un montón que no leía a ésta mujer.

Sus últimos libros no me habían gustado, pero decidí darle otra chace.

No es un libro malo, estuvo entretenido, tenía drama, el protagonista era un imbécil pero al final rogó y eso me gustó.

Es grumpy/Sunshine
Age Gap
Bodyguard

[claudia (purged my account) · Rating 3 out of 5]

pre-review
Tbf I thought after my last LJ Shen book I wouldn’t like any more of her books but now I’m conflicted think I’ve been reading the wrong books by her. Need someone to tell me which books if hers are the amazing ones…

[Wobilba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ughhhhhhhh….. what a disappointment. All this book did was waste my time and give me a brain bleed.
It was just one cliché after the other, an asshole hero and an insufferable airhead for a heroine.
And I’m the masochist who peddled through to the very end.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOW LIVE!!

I devoured this book in hours! The blurb hit the nail on the head with that it is an addictive read!!

I loved the sass of Hallie paired with the alpha, brooding tendencies of Ransom (what an amazing name of the MC!!)

The storyline kept me enthralled and I wished the story never ended, I just wanted to keep on reading.

Also, now I want a new tattoo!!!

Thank you, LJ, for another fabulous book to your collection!

[. (rip)]

ransomsanuglyname

[Danielle Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confused and disappointed as I normally LOVE LJ Shen.
Ransom is HORRIBLE to Hallie. I mean, next level degrading and I don’t really see him make up for it except when he stands up to her family a bit and helps her identify that she’s dyslexic. It wasn’t a successful bully trope in my opinion, he honestly said such mean things to her I’m not sure how feelings happened. They end up separated for SEVEN months, and he does ZERO groveling. Legit. I don’t understand how authors ever think it’s practical to have a h go almost a year without seeing the H and then just welcome him back with open arms when he’s made no other attempts otherwise at making things better. A LOT happens in 7 months! To just go into a relationship after a 2 minute talk? Like what????? How!? Why!? The girl gets kidnapped because of the H’s selfishness and forgives him after almost a year of radio silence and a very very unappealing im sorry speech (if you even want to call it that considering those words don’t even leave his mouth and she still ends up saying I love you first????????)

Also, what was the POINT of the kink in this book if it was the
absolute least smutty between the H and h. We literally got more sex scenes with him with other people than Hallie. Not only was it slow burn but their chemistry and sex was severely lackluster all things considered. Finally, their age gap was seriously not age gappy and it was annoying that they kept making that such a big issue. They are both in their twenties. Sigh.

The only good part to this book was Hallie finding her independence and standing up for herself. Considering she was shit on the whole. Entire. Book. If she hadn’t of made some serious changes and improvements to her life this book wouldn’t have had a single positive about it. I mean, personally it would’ve been better if Ransom also went to therapy but hey clearly this book was all about highlighting what was wrong with the woman and not the man in the situation even though he was the one who was a straight up wanker to her the whole book. Very let down by this read.

[Kai · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t believe I started this year with a horrible book.I mean I know it’s not going to be safe at all but all of the horrible things the that male character done in this book was just pure disgusting.This book has more sex scenes with OW than the heroine.

-1st : heroine saw the male character(I’m not going to say hero) f*cking an OW behind the alley.He got this twisted r*pe fantasy with women🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮.
-2nd: heroine saw him f*cking another OW in the hotel room and she even turned on by that shit and she freaking orgasm from watching them.🤮🤮🤮🤮
-3rd- not really a scene but he got drunk in a bar and OW approached him and offer to had sex with him…mind u this happened after he got together/had sex with heroine..what a PIG..there’s no sex scenes but it indicated he f*ck this OW and what worse he come back to the heroine room and he try to had sex with her but seems like the heroine knows he had sex with OW….long story short it turned out that he only slept with the woman from the bar during his college’s year and this revelation only come a few chapters when heroine got kidnapped.

I still don’t know why I keep continuing this book even i skimming most of the part…maybe I want to find if this horrible male character can be redeemed or maybe I just want to torture myself.

So to continue,they broke up and both of them try to moved on with their lives..they separated for about 7 months and seems like they didn’t sleep with other people.

No real epilogue because seems like he about to propose to her.THE.FUCKING.END.

I should’ve rated this book with 0 star but re-rated to 1 star because of the angst and the story makes me want to know what happened next.

[My Dark Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ This gets a star for the banter between the MCs. It was great and I enjoyed it so much.

⭐️ A star for Ransom’s dry sense of humor and lovable grumpiness. Loved him

The rest was just not doing it for me.
Spoiled 21 year old virgin traumatized rich daughter of an ex president being baby sat by one of the most notorious (ex CIA) protection officers (also knows as a bodyguard) with a rape kink but has never kissed a woman or gone down on one 🧐

So many things didn’t make sense

So much was filler trying to make it a dramatic story line but it just fell flat.

Story line was outdated and not exciting at all.

The slow burn was so boring and no exciting build up.

This book could have been half it length and it probably would have been so much better.

Sadly… This was no Vicious

Ps. As a photographer… Don’t get me started on the film Ransom ribbed out of a paparazzi’s camera and tore up. Who uses film anymore? 🤯

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well hot damn! WHAT. A. BOOK!

LJ Shen has started this year off with a knockout book! In true LJ style she’s brought us a jaw dropping, addictive book with an amazing storyline and twists to accompany it. It’s beautiful, it’s heartbreaking and it’s everything I simply needed!

Hallie and Ransom are absolutely refreshing! I was completely immersed in everything and everything that was these two.

Ransom is a true LJ Shen AlphaHole. He’s mean, he’s ruthless and spares no feelings for anyone. He knows what he wants and sets out to get it and won’t stop until he has it. He has a past, a past that moulded him into the person he is.

Hallie, oh my heart ached for this woman. She’s beautiful, she’s strong and perfectly imperfect. I admired her, everything about her. She has a past, a not so perfect past but still stands tall, she was an absolutely amazing character and it’s been so beautiful seeing the character growth throughout the story.

Their story has me hooked from the get go and I found myself not being able to put the book down. It was captivating and enthralling, it’s been an absolute pleasure being able to read and follow their story.

I won’t go into much detail because I believe a book should be read with no spoilers, go in blind and experience the amazing ness that is Hallie and Ransom.

Just like to point out I LOVE the fact that there’s a character with the same name as me lol

Bravo to LJ for bringing us their story, for bringing her characters to life and making us feel like we’re part of their story.

Thorne Princess is a forbidden romance. A bodyguard and a mark. Get ready for a fun and amazing ride with a dark side!

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review 4.5 Stars!! 🔥

Don’t let the cute cover fool you, this is a steamy DARK romance that will make you weak in the knees! 🥵 Fans of the hate-to-love trope will see it at its finest on this newest standalone by LJ Shein.

This is a kinky bodyguard romance with a small age gap (21 and 29🔥). Addictive is the right word to describe this spicy romance! It’s truly unputdownable. Hallie is the spoiled daughter of a former American President who finds herself always in the headlights of gossip magazines. Her parents finally decide enough is enough and hire the most notorious bodyguard to make sure Hallie stays in line. Ransom Lockwood is not only undeniably sexy, but also extremely stubborn and grumpy. Hallie can’t stand him and his insufferable rules and demands, she will do anything to get her freedom back.

These two go at each others throats! The banter is incredible. I also loved that Hallie was not an empty headed brat, she has her principles and things she truly believes in. There is also disability rep in the story which I found very refreshing. When these two start to bring each others broken pieces together I was rooting for them so hard!!

Thank you to the author for gifting me an ARC for review!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I think I missed you even before I knew you ever existed.”

Thorne Princess was an absolutely addictive read. Hallie and Ransom are two broken and scarred characters that are just surviving their lives and find a safe haven in each other. Parts of their journey were difficult to read, but it made their story that much more powerful.

“Sometimes I feel like my heart is as hard as a diamond. Or should be, to survive my life.”

Hallie was full of sass although she felt empty inside. She felt disconnected from her life and family, but she pushed forward even if it was by rebelling. She cared about people and the planet immensely, but she didn’t show that side of herself to anyone. Ransom was the first person who ever stood up for her and he understood the person behind the façade. He pushed her and helped her to begin believing in herself and to figure out her life.

“He had a heart, somewhere under all those layers. Dusty and scarred, but still beating.”

Ransom was damaged by his past and he was dark, cold and unfeeling. He was broody and bossy and wanted control in all circumstances. Hallie reached a part of him that he thought didn’t exist. She softened him and made him long for things that he never though he wanted.

“You’re allowed to break. Breaking can be good. It gives you the opportunity to reassemble yourself from scratch.”

The chemistry and banter between Hallie and Ransom was electric. Their push and pull dynamic was full of sparks and I loved watching both of them grow and change throughout the story. They both had to break in order to make changes in their lives for the better.

“He was beginning to feel more and more like home.”

I was transfixed by this book from the first pages. Hallie and Ransom are two very imperfect people, but somehow together they make sense. Full of spicy situations, a little bit of danger, and whole lot of angst and emotion, Thorne Princess will hold you captive until the very end.

[Inés Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

!

"He had a heart, somewhere under all those layers. Dusty and scarred, but still beating."

I really liked how he helped her in a way her family didn't, despite the tension and fighting he came to care for her slowly. They call him the robot but after meeting her, he becomes more human.

[Sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan of bodyguard romance but the story moved rather nicely here.

Didn't expect to like it this much actually. Though it doesn't have that usual spice as seen in L.J. Shen's Novels.

[Deni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Празна зала. Столове, наредени в кръг, на които са седнали всякакви някакви хора и чакат някой да започне срещата.

- Здравейте! Казвам се Дени и съм сапиосексуална. Изминаха 8 дни, откакто не съм точила лиги по интелектуалния капацитет на измислен персонаж. И по-точно от 18.01, когато приключих последната книга на Шен - Thorne Princess. 

С две думи казано: имам проблем. И този проблем се казва Рансъм. И по-конкретно проблемът ми е с това, че не съществува. 🥲 Отивам да рева в ъгъла! 

Когато Шен започна да промотира Thorne Princess бях малко анти: първо, че последните ѝ няколко книги за нищо не стават (като изключим Ruthless Rival), второ, че подозрително много намирисваше като идея на Twisted Games, което, съжалявам, но не е пичовско. 🌊 Яхваш чужда вълна, вместо да намериш своя. 🙅‍♀️ Big no-no!

Но след като излязоха тропите и синопсиса стана ясно, че 👸 Торн принцесата не е истинска принцеса, само го докарва такава на поведение и претенции. И има нужда от ✋😏 твърда ръка (pun intended), която да я вкара в правия път. Enter Рансъм 🤤 *звучно примляскване*. 

Няма да ти преразказвам сюжета. 🤷‍♀️ За мен това има нула добавена стойност. Можеш да прочетеш синопсиса и сама, а детайлите само ще ти ограбят кефа от четенето на книгата. Но ще обърна внимание на темите в книгата, на градежа на персонажите и TW, които Шен е изнесла. 

✅ Темите бяха доста интересни.

👉 Като започнем от семейната динамика и как наличието или липсата на любов от родителите оформят мирогледа на човек като цяло. 🔔 Подсказка: неглижирането на децата прави от тях емоционално недъгави и счупени възрастни. 

👉 Преминем към това как хората изразяват любовта си: с думи или действия и кое от двете има повече тежест. 🔔 Подсказка: действията говорят по-силно от думите, без значение кой какво ти казва. Не дръж толкова на второто, но следи и изисквай за първото. 

👉 Стигнем до социалната приемственост на дислексията: има ли стигма върху хора с подобно затруднение и ако да - каква. 🔔 Подсказка: когато природата ти взема от едно място винаги ти дава на друго. Хората с дислексия често пъти са с много по-силно развити памет и слухови способности. Това, че мозъкът им прави думичките на супа не означава, че са глупави. Think about that! 

👉 Насочим се към темата за съгласието при сексуален акт. 🔔 Подсказка: мълчанието не е съгласие. И дори и да си получил такова това не означава, че партньора ти няма право да си промени мнението във всеки един момент. Комуникация му е майката! И взаимно уважение. 

👉 И за финал кацнем на заветният въпрос: може ли да се купи щастие с пари. 🔔 Подсказка: не. Да, можеш да си купим кипища книги (,което до някъде е равнозначно на щастие), но не и искрени, интимни отношения с хора. Не и удовлетвореност от съществуването ни. 

✅ Колкото до персонажите:

Хареса ми това, че Хейли израсна изключително много от началото на книгата до финалът ѝ. В началото беше типичната разглезена богаташка, която мисли само за глупости и си няма друга работа, освен да хойка по купони и да харчи парите на баща си. На края на книгата тя беше човек, намерил своето призвание, който отстоява самостоятелността си и изисква отношението, което знае, че заслужава от семейството си. 

И Рансъм... О, Рансъм! Ти откачено, коравосърдечно, прагматично, прекалено логично, студенокръвно копеле! Как да не обича човек острия ти интелект и бързи отговори?!

Сигурно усещаш, но имам бая голяма слабост към него. Направо е конфузно за гледане! 

Бих ли търпяла някой постоянно да минава през главата и да върши всякакви някакви неща без да ме пита под претекст, че е за мое добро? Не, в никакъв случай! Бих ли търпяла някой да контролира всеки аспект от ежедневието ми и да ме командори за щяло и нещяло? Забрави! Бих ли търпяла топло-студено отношение и пренебрежение? Абсурд! Или да ме навират в трета глуха всеки път като реша да съм язвителна? Апф! НО в контекста на книгата всичко това беше тоооолкова благоооо! С най-голям кеф гледах как Рансъм малко по малко ѝ подрязват крилцата на Хейли, за да я побутнат в правилната посока. Момичето имаше нужда!

✅ И накрая малко повече за TW:

Rape, non-con, dub-con, CNC. От тях единствения, който трябва да се приеме на сериозно според мен е този за изнасилването. Всичко останало е там повече за привличане на внимание и определена аудитория. Dub-con и CNC бяха толкова замазани, че няма повече накъде! Споменават се мимолетно и могат да се намерят между главните ни герои off page. Всичко като секс сцени между тях е доста стандартно. Не знам Шен колко предварително проучване е направила по въпроса, но останах малко разочарована, признавам. Но това пък е добра новина за теб ако си падаш по по-конвенционални неща. Всяко зло за добро!
 
✨ И за финал: ✨ 

Дали ми хареса книгата? Да. Дали бих ти я препоръчала? Да, защо не. Дали си затварям очите за недостатъците ѝ? Напъъълно възможно. Ниските ми очаквания от Шен в последно време + слабостта ми към наистина добър banter (, какъвто тук има в изобилие) и супер интелигентни мъже определено изкривяват цялостната ми представа за романи. Но в края на деня всичко за мен се свежда до нещо много простичко: колко точно ѝ се насладих. И отговорът е: доста. 

Ако все пак се навиеш да я прочетеш не забравяй да драснеш после някой ред. Ще ми е интересно да чуя какво мислиш за нея. 🥰  

[Secrets of a Book Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 FABULOUS Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book. Thissss….book. Holy Hannah! I’m in love with it. I am a slow reader. And I read Thorne Princess particularly slow, because I really wanted to savor it. Leading to a couple sleepless nights and absolutely zero regrets about it.

Thorne Princess is a true enemies to lovers, forbidden Romance. Mixed in with some opposites attract, forced proximity and touch her & die. Between a reckless & self destructive Hollywood Socialite, “Hallion” (as known to the paparazzi & tabloids), and her very surly, very closed-off & very sexy Bodyguard, dubbed “The Robot”. But it is also so much more. This book & each character are deeply layered & complex.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙?

Their ongoing witty banter and sense of humor is perfectly timed & hilariously entertaining. Between her sass & his grumpy, deadpan. Their building sexual chemistry is deliciously hot & very intriguing! But the plot and how flawlessly it is written, is what hooks you. Lj is an extremely gifted writer. And the beautifully laid out and perfectly paced storyline and character development, that she sets for us, is what truly did me in.

Both Hallie & Ransom have experienced very traumatic events and tragic pasts. And have endured a lot. One feels inadequate and unlovable. And the other feels irredeemable & unworthy. It’s what shapes each character into who they are & how they behave. And more so, how they view themselves and the world. They see themselves as broken, and in many ways they are. But not all broken things are unfixable. They are so much more than meets the eye. And we are privy to see them both heal & grow, individually and together. The emotional connection they developed was so new to them, yet came so naturally. And they quickly became one of my favorite book Couples. One learns to show & express love. And one learns to be loved.

𝘼𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮.

Lj Shen continues to be one of my absolute favorite, go-to & one-click authors. Like I have said after reading MANY of her books - This is one of the best books I have ever read. Ever. Brace yourselves. For this book is Everything. And then so much more…

* This does cover sensitive topics that may be triggering. Please read the trigger warnings. *

[amy♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ [rounded to 5 for Goodreads]

please check trigger warnings before reading🤍

the hate between hallie and ransom was off the charts, i absolutely loved the verbal sparring between them, and them challenging each other! i literally laughed out loud at hallie’s quit wit and ransom’s dry sarcastic humour. it worked so well!! the way they sassed each other was my fave.

ransom definitely has some dark kinks, so this book is not for the faint hearted! it includes the best kind of angst, i honestly inhaled this book & fell so in love with ransom—the grumpiest swooniest protective alpha.

i love how much hallie genuinely cares about the environment, and her character development from a spoiled brat into a functioning human was just so good! she’s tougher than she gives herself credit for. the ending just melted me, i just love a happily ever after!

tropes:
* enemies to lovers
* (tabloid) princess / bodyguard
* consensual non-consensual (CNC)
* grumpy mmc
* slow burn
* forced proximity
* age gap (~8 years)
* traumatic past / present
* she fell first he fell harder

[shereads.pang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an arc for an honest review.

Where do I even begin? I'll totally give this book 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟓 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬. It was 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 I want in a Bodyguard romance book!! A true enemies to lovers!! It was 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍!! ⁣
⁣
Ransom and Hallie had just become one of my 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝟑 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 from LJ Shen. And that's saying a lot because I 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 all of her books. The chemistry, the banter, the push and pull, the growth, the plot. I just can't get enough of them!!⁣ Ransom Lockwood is an *sshole!!! Lol but I 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 him. And our Thorne Princess, Hallie, I want 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳!!
⁣
I 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐓 couldn't put this book down. Stayed up until 4 in the morning just reading because I was so consumed. Gave me 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐒!!! Shed a few tears! Ugh. I didn't want the book to end!! 𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄!!! Lol ⁣
⁣
I'm all over the place. Lol⁣
⁣
𝘋𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. ⁣

[Nina Donata Delfs · Rating 5 out of 5]

An other review for an other book by this author wich touched me freaking again in so many points. As you know if you follow my reviews longer you know that Miss Shen always writes books that get me to love them and being my absolute favorite. So no wonder this book caught me again from the first sentence.
The first thing that i really enjoyed about reading the book was the way in wich the Author shows us what seems like a typical spoiled rich Kid but from page to page we saw her struggle with certain Themes in live. But in the end she mastere it.
I also really liked the chosen narrated pace because it really made me feel like the things that happened a long my read of this story understandable even if there points where much happens at the same time i never felt like to much is happing for me to get.
The way in wich their relationship develop was interesting to find out about from the different point of views of Ransom and the Hailee.
Again i really enjoyed the especially for the Characters chosen word to show me as a reader how they work. In my Oponion both of the main characters showed their own minds in there Chapters and i was able to get why they acted like they did.
Hailee Throne is a young women or a girl on the stage of being a Women who is is really strong but shows a completely different picture of her self to the outside world. Also she knows how to keep thinks to herself and has a lot of strength in her self.
Ransom is a Man who seems to have close to no feelings and takes his Job really series. He is somebody who doesn't trust much people and. Also he has his Demons he fights but also is special kind of man.
I'm more than glad to be able to come to the conclusion that this book is something special to me cause sure it's a ride on a roller coaster but also it's an Enemies to lovers story with to strong characters who bring out the best in each other sometimes.