No, just nope.

I'm so sick and tired of reading the same story. Shen, you need to step up your creativity game because after I loved Dirty Headlines, I read a lot other books by you and this feels like the same story.

Wow wow and wow! I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down, brought my kindle with me everywhere to finish it!

Fallen Foe by LJ Shen
(Cruel Castaways #2)
Pub Date: 5/9/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and Montlake for the advanced reader copy of this ebook! I read Ruthless Rivals earlier this month and it gave me major Suits vibes so I was intrigued to see what book two had in store for us!

Fallen Foe …was kind of a mess. It follows Arsène Corbin who is a ruthless billionaire who is obsessed with and has a highly dysfunctional (and romantic) relationship with his stepsister Grace. I know some people are very into the step sibling trope but I personally don’t enjoy it, so this was a bit rough for me. Familial connections aside though, there are red flags galore in their relationship which is fine bc she’s not our real love interest (not a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis!)

Our real love interest, Winnifred Ashcroft, is a southern belle and struggling actress who is married to another side character. She is an absolute treat and I really loved her! I was a bit bummed because she is the saving grace of this book but we don’t really interact much with her until 45% into the book!! We follow Arséne’s awful relationship with Grace until then.

This book was just not for me at all and I thought it had a lot of pacing issues and cringey writing. I wish the author would have given us more of Winnie & Arséne’s story and given us a prologue or a couple of flashbacks to explain their pasts.

However, I really liked the overall idea of it and loved Winnifred’s journey and growth throughout the novel, which is why I’m giving it three stars! However, I don’t think I’d continue with this series unfortunately.

#montlake #netgalley #bookreview

I was excited for the next book in this series but this was kind of a letdown. The chemistry wasn't really there between the FMC and MMC, and the MMC didn't really have many redeeming qualities. I'm still going to read the next book and hopefully it will be better!

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Arséne and Winnie have to re-gain faith in humanity. Arséne has never had it, really. Together they try to recollect the events of the tragedy they have experienced, but there is one problem. They hate each other … or do they?

This book was a real surprise for me. At the beginning I didn’t really understand what was going to happen, but when I did? I couldn’t stop reading.
It was a surprise because I couldn’t imagine I would like a guy like Arséne, but, as in real life, you just have to scratch the surface. That’s what Winnie did, and that’s why they’re perfect for each other. 4,75⭐️

- 2 stars

the main characters behaved very dumb sometimes, and the writing was a bit chunky here and there. nonetheless, i managed to enjoy (a very small bit of) it and it was a ride, to say the least. arsene's attachment to this very rude woman is bewildering and disorienting, to say the least. and i was so disappointed to see the same "alpha" dominance from arsene that the fmc was subjected to.

“No one is yours, and you belong to no one. We’re all just fallen foes trying to survive this universe.”

Fallen Foes was a twisted tale with two broken characters who are just trying to find the truth and learn how to survive the fallout. Arsene and Winne are opposites in personality and don’t seem like a match on paper, but they somehow understand one another and it was fun to watch their relationship unfold.

“He is the only person who makes me feel emboldened.”

Winnie was kind and had a sunshine personality with a huge, giving heart, but Arsene brought out a different side to her. With him, she’s fiery and sarcastic and fights for what she wants. She’s struggling to rebuild her life and come to terms with the secrets she’s discovered. Instead of shattering her, she emerges even stronger than before.

“You’re the only woman who’s ever made me feel worthy without the armor of estates, money, and pedigree.”

Arsene was completely unlikeable yet I found myself rooting for him. He was so obsessed with the most dreadful creature and I couldn’t understand his fascination with her until later in the story. Once I realized the circumstances that had been fueling his obsession, it made more sense to me. I began to like him much more once he began to spend time with Winnie. She brought out a more human and a gentler side to him. I loved how she softened him and he realized what love truly was.

“She has been everything from that very first moment, right there, in that restaurant, when she challenged me.”

Full of secrets, betrayals, and simmering heat, Fallen Foe was definitely a slow burn, enemies to lovers story. These two characters had to fight through so much turmoil before they could even begin to think about acting on their hidden attraction for one another. I loved that slow build and how they gradually started to lean on each other and to support one another. Arsene and Winne had to overcome a lot of obstacles including themselves for their HEA, but it was worth it in the end.

DNF - As a huge fan of L.J Shen I was expecting to love this book but I just couldn't get into it. I am sure this is just a one off for me, as I have loved so many of their other books.

(Thanks NetGalley for the ARC Copy in exchange for a review)

If you're looking for the morally grey step-siblings love story, just turn around, this is all the opposite.

let's be honest, I didn't like it, found the story boring and super frustrating, I didn't find any kind of connection or chemistry between the characters, the spicy scenes are cringy. And sorry but the amount of comments degrading women and covert sexism scenes made me roll my eyes way too many times.

The ending was rushed, and in my opinion, the love feelings of the main characters came out of nowhere.

I guess I'm disappointed, I've read other books by this writer that I really like and expected more.

This book might live rent free in my head for awhile. Arsène and Winnie’s relationship reminded me of Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin’s friendship in He’s Just Not That Into You but meaner? Arsène and Winnie are trying to figure out what happened between the people they thought they loved and while being constantly thrown together he is constantly pushing her to stand up for herself and be selfish. Any time she was selfish, or a bit mean, or finally putting him in his place Arsène was cheering her on and applauding her for finding the backbone he knew she had kept hidden. He wanted her to be the best version of herself and to take up the space she deserved, granted he was an ass while helping her but the bickering and snippy comments between them had me laughing. On the other hand Winnie wanted Arsène to accept the love she knew he deserved and had been denied his whole live and was determined not to give up.

Did I think this was going to be a stepbrother/stepsister romance because Arsène was obsessed with his stepsister throughout the first book and most of this one? Yes. Do I love what actually happened? 100% yes.

Thank you Netgalley, L.J. Shen and Montlake for the ARC!

LJ Shen's books are always hit or miss for me but I always give them a chance in hopes that it will be a good story. Fallen Foe was ok but it was not what I was expecting. I guess the damaged, arrogant, mean male characters she can not get out of writing. It really gets old reading all the angst that they put the female character through. How Arsene treated Winnifred was ridiculous, making fun of her accent and of her relationship. He had no right considering he was dating and going to marry his stepsister. Just that whole situation alone had me cringing. He was not redeemable, I never did come to like him and honestly felt Winnie was weak for even allowing him in her space. It's like she forgot how he treated her. This was not my cup of tea and I believe I will take a break on this author's "tortured" heroes.

I love books by L.J. Shen but this one was a little disappointing. I liked the characters in the story. I didn't expect a stepsibling relationship story. In the beginning I was hesitant about finishing this book but after I finished it I realized why the book was written this way The beginning tells a story of why Arsene is the way he is and why he acts a certain way out in public, especially with Winnie. I definitely didn't like Arsene at first but when he started to connect with Winnie I was hooked and felt the pain they both felt when they found out what their significant others did. Winnie sees that deep down Arsene is a good person and I love that, she was willing to give him a chance. I am rating these 4 stars because I wish there was less story about Grace and more about the relationship of Winnie and Arsene, it seemed a little rushed.
Thank you to Montlake Publishing, author LJ Shen and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first ever L.J. Shen book and now I have a new author. I am in love with her writing, broken people finding love within each other AND enemies to lovers - you can't go wrong.
The characters: funny, witty, super sweet at times (also Arsene is a lover of astronomy) and amazing character arcs.
The plot: Chef's kiss, honestly perfect. I don't have a bad word to say about this I loved reading every bit I never wanted to put it down I just want to read all of L.J. Shen's work because she's an amazing writer.

Dark. Angsty. Sensual.
L.J.Shen writes bold, hot, raw and heartwarming stories. Arsene doesn't know love.. He believes in passion but just that. He has a toxic, twisted and complex relationship with Grace. But the universe works in mysterious ways and he'll be questioning all he has known his entire life. All his world will come upside down.. letting secrets and betrayals surface ..and wonder once again .. what's love? ..

I loved it. I didn't like Arsène at first, and throughout, he's pretty emotionally stunted. But there's good reason for it. As far as he and Winnifred, they kept revealing worse and worse ways their significant others did them wrong. I love how he sees she's something different than he's ever dealt with, right from the beginning. And I love seeing them both grow and heal. There's a super swoony moment in here. Like it totally caught me offguard. I hope there's gonna be another book in the series, I loved the first one, too. But you can read them as stand alones easy peasy.

Fallen Foe by LJ Shen is a captivating contemporary romance that will take readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The story revolves around Arsène Corbin, a billionaire who plans to marry for convenience rather than love, until tragedy strikes and his fiancée dies suddenly in an accident. The aftermath of the tragedy leads Arsène to meet Winnifred Ashcroft, a struggling actress who has landed a coveted role in a play at his theater, and knows things about his late fiancée that no one else does. The two of them have an instant dislike for each other, but as they spend more time together, they begin to see past their initial impressions and develop a deeper understanding of one another.

The chemistry between Arsène and Winnie is undeniable, and their love story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. LJ Shen does a great job of building up the tension between the two characters, making the reader invested in their journey to find love again after experiencing such painful losses. The story is well-paced, with just the right amount of drama and angst to keep readers hooked until the very end.

Overall, Fallen Foe is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance. It’s a beautifully written story about love, loss, and the power of human connection to heal even the deepest wounds. Highly recommended.

Firstly, thank you Netgalley for proving me this ARC!

I think the author writes very well, but personally, this book wasn’t for me. The characters were very unlikable. I love morally grey characters as much as the next person but there needs to be at least one redeeming quality in a character. Arsene, the MMC, had none.

His love/obsession with Grace, his stepsister, was just bizarre. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he’d still want to be in a relationship with her after everything she’d done.

However, I think the book would’ve been better if it centered around them, rather than adding Winnie (FMC) to the mix. It would’ve given villain/villain romance which is a more interesting angle.

Adding Winnie made me question just how much Arsene could truly love her when he was so completely obsessed with his late fiancé.

Also, the first like 30% of the book was about Grace and Arsene’s relationship which made it hard to connect to Winnie, especially given how Arsene viewed her—a gold digging country bumpkin. His words, not mine.

Overall, this wasn’t the read that I was expecting…

This was a bit twisty and a little unique and I really enjoyed it! This was not exactly what I expected as a fan of LJ Shen but in a good way. The hero is NOT such a formulaic caricature of a billionaire romance hero, he acts a bit surprising at times and does have a growth arc. Winnie is also not all as she first appears which I loved getting to know her.

Some things I’m glad I knew going in: there’s not much romance or interaction between what’s eventually the two main love interests for 30%. This is also very much slow burn and low-ish spice. I felt like too much time was spent with Arsene and the “wrong” love interest. Flashbacks were used so why not just keep them more evenly dispersed while getting moments with Winnie in real time. It took me a little to warm up to her because of how she appeared when she did briefly in arsene’s timeline initially. I also thought it was a bit weird the characters would randomly pretend this was somehow a workplace romance when arsene said himself he had a very removed role, it made some of the third act tension not make as much sense to me with Winnie’s assumptions.

Overall, I loved the questions this had the characters ask of themselves. Along with the mystery they were both uncovering and the feelings that brought up for both of them. I surprisingly didn’t mind most of the other woman/other man influence because as a reader I felt through the real connection underneath.

I had a tough time rating this one. I wanted to give 5 stars but I think because of the disjointed and delayed connection it just didn’t make it there for me but I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, LJ Shen, and Montlake for this ARC!

A solid 3.5 ⭐️

Arsene & Winnie were ultimately great to read, I loved both of them individually and together. The banter was enjoyable and the chemistry between them was definitely there.

What prevented this from being a 5 star read for me was that Arsene’s relationship with Grace was way over developed, while his relationship with Winnie was under developed. The main characters don’t have a meaningful interaction until 1/3 of the way through the book, and that entire 1/3 is spent on Arsene & Grace- and Grace is a severely unlikeable character. By the time we get to Winnie and Arsene, the time they actually spend in each others presence is not enough to really build a believable love story. There needed to be more between them. The chemistry was believable, I liked them together, but the relationship was not built nearly enough outside of discussions about their relationships with their dead ex’ s to make it believable that they would fall in love. There are *weeks* and even months between every single one of their interactions, and they spend about ~80% of the book not in each other’s presence. For me, this prevented me from being totally satisfied with the story.

Miss Shen you did it again!!! I mean what it is whith all your books this year which are touching me deeply this year?
With out a dought this author is a master of her own kind cause she created a stepseblings romance or what I thought it was in beginning that caught from the first page and didn’t disappointed me in plot.
This second book 📕 of this series is so different from the first one in so many ways but it gets me also on the right food. The ways that touched me were also different. Cause of the difference in Heroes ways to act. But also their themes where different. So it was great to see that I felt good in Arsens and Winnie’s minds.
Also there where all the this classic ways of describing scenes and characteristics of persons and places which was special fir the this characters showed me an other perspective of live or the way to take live.
I was sucked in to both main characters heads and felt with really hard fir them. Even if there where times I was like I just want to hold you shake you ect out just ask you how come to some ideas.
The arc of this story was build very well the right things came to the light on the right moment.
Winniefred Ashcroft is a women who is strong in her own way even if she might not see it. She shows her great heart to a lot persons. But she’ll be able to trust in herself and seeing her worth.
Our Hero the great Mister Corbin. Arsène is a man who lost a lot in the past and has his own of how things in life formed him. He does things he wants and also he knows how he gets what he wants.
All in all this author created a second book to series wich I love that caught me and was worth the wait. I’ve never ever been able to guess what comes next while reading and it was intense again.
This read is only recommend if you’re ok with strong emotions and an emotional rollercoaster 🎢 on a new high.