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Melanie's Reviews > Vicious

Vicious by L.J. Shen
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really liked it
bookshelves: romance, read-in-2019, contemporary, steamy-scenes, buddy-reads, dark, adult

“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.

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� I also read this for !
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Reading Progress

February 14, 2019 – Started Reading
February 14, 2019 – Shelved
February 14, 2019 – Shelved as: read-in-2019
February 14, 2019 – Shelved as: romance
February 14, 2019 – Shelved as: contemporary
February 14, 2019 – Shelved as: steamy-scenes
February 14, 2019 – Shelved as: buddy-reads
February 14, 2019 – Shelved as: dark
February 14, 2019 –
51.0% "You all were right; the Cardan vibes are REAL. And I'm swooning, even though I know I shouldn't be! 💖"
February 15, 2019 – Finished Reading
February 18, 2019 – Shelved as: adult

Comments Showing 1-37 of 37 (37 new)

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Meggie I love this one!


daria ❀ i literally just started the last book in this series wow great minds think alike 😌


Beatrice Oohhh.. I hope you'll like this one more than I did, Mel. I have mixed feelings for this one. haha I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.


Cece ❀Rants, Raves &Reviews❀ Oooo i remember this one


Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ Glad you enjoyed it, Melanie :)


DarkDamsel Same! I just read and listened to audible! Will take it for another spin again!


Melanie Meggie wrote: "I love this one!"

Right? I'm tempted to five star it off enjoyment alone! 💖xx


Melanie Daria wrote: "i literally just started the last book in this series wow great minds think alike 😌"

My loooooove! 💖xx


Melanie Beatrice wrote: "Oohhh.. I hope you'll like this one more than I did, Mel. I have mixed feelings for this one. haha I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it."

Your review is honestly PERFECT, Beatrice! 💖xx


Melanie Cece wrote: "Oooo i remember this one"

Have you read the rest in the series? I'm lowkey dying to now! Hahaha! 💖xx


Melanie Val Shameless ⚓️ Steamy Reads ⚓️ wrote: "Glad you enjoyed it, Melanie :)"

Awh, thank you, Val! I miss you and I hope 2019 is treating you kindly! 💖xx


Melanie Darkdamsel wrote: "Same! I just read and listened to audible! Will take it for another spin again!"

Yessss! I am really wanting to read on in the series now, too! 💖xx


Beatrice Melanie wrote: "Beatrice wrote: "Oohhh.. I hope you'll like this one more than I did, Mel. I have mixed feelings for this one. haha I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it."

Your review is honestly PERFECT, Beat..."


Thank you, Mel! I hope you'll continue the series. My favorites are Ruckus and Bane. ;)


Meggie I loved scandalous. They’re all great though, I loved Rosie from ruckus the most of the girls. I just have a thing for Trent yum


message 15: by KAS (new)

KAS Fantastic review, Melanie!! Glad you really enjoyed ;) 😘❤️


Abbey I read this after you mentioned it in your contemporary-a-thon tbr, I’ve now read it twice in a week, I love it soo much 😍😍 (especially for all the Cardan vibes Vicious gives me) so thank you for bringing it to my attention!!

P.S. love your YouTube videos, you’re now one of my fav booktubers!! Hope you’re having a great day 😘😘


Melanie Meggie wrote: "I loved scandalous. They’re all great though, I loved Rosie from ruckus the most of the girls. I just have a thing for Trent yum"

Ahhhh! I'm so damn excited! 💖xx


Melanie KAS wrote: "Fantastic review, Melanie!! Glad you really enjoyed ;) 😘❤️"

Thank you so much, love! I hope you're having happy reading! 💖xx


Meggie PS I ordered cruel prince :-)


Melanie Abbey wrote: "I read this after you mentioned it in your contemporary-a-thon tbr, I’ve now read it twice in a week, I love it soo much 😍😍 (especially for all the Cardan vibes Vicious gives me) so thank you for b..."

This is my favorite comment of 2019, Abbey loveeeeee! Ahhhhh! My damn heart! Yes to ALL of this, beautiful! 💖xx


message 21: by é (new)

é Boucher I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW OMG


message 22: by do duc hung (new)

do duc hung wow.


Melanie é wrote: "I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW OMG"

You are going to LOVE it, seriously! Ahhhh 💖xx


Melanie do duc hung wrote: "wow."

The biggest mood! 💖xx


message 25: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly A HUMAN VERSION OF CARDAN! HOLD MY TAIL! I NEED THIS!


Gelisvb I loved this too! But I hated Ruckus because I had high expectations, but was way too problematic for me,


Brenda Cody Glad you enjoyed this. Your review makes me want to read it again. Vicious was hands down my fav of the series. Even the cover... holy HotHoles! Also - I love your Vlog! Your tears over the book you recently read got to me sister! I want to read that book, but need to be in the right head space. Peace!


Melanie Brenda wrote: "Glad you enjoyed this. Your review makes me want to read it again. Vicious was hands down my fav of the series. Even the cover... holy HotHoles! Also - I love your Vlog! Your tears over the book yo..."

Awh, Brenda love! I love you so dang much! And I honestly can't see how the other 3 books are going to come close to this one... but I'm willing to try! Hahahah! Happy reading, love. And thank you SO much for these words! 💖xx


Melanie Gelisvb wrote: "I loved this too! But I hated Ruckus because I had high expectations, but was way too problematic for me,"

This is actually really good feedback, because I feel like most people are telling me it is their fave! You are a gift, love! 💖xx


Melanie Kimberly wrote: "A HUMAN VERSION OF CARDAN! HOLD MY TAIL! I NEED THIS!"

LMAOOO! Yes, yes, yes! Happy reading, love! 💖xx


Fallon Excellent review Melanie! I loved this one and am currently reading Ruckus which is AMAZING!!!


Melanie Fallon wrote: "Excellent review Melanie! I loved this one and am currently reading Ruckus which is AMAZING!!!"

This makes me want to pick up that second book immediately!! Thank you for your kind words and happy reading, love! 💖xx


ash | you sold me at a human Cardan. 100% sold


message 34: by chi (new) - rated it 3 stars

chi This is probably my favorite book in the series. You should definitely read Bane (the last book).
I honestly don't recommend any of LJ Shen's other books just because they're... very messy. But you should read Bane and skip the next two, just sayin'.


Lacey You had me at Vicious being another Cardan


Abani Omg i thought of cardan greenbriar as well when i thought if vicious


Heather Daniel Not to jump on the bandwagon- but I got the same Cardan vibes. As he is my number one book boyfriend- I found Vicious very delicious.


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