Dirty Headlines by L.J. Shen ~ Review (@lj_shen)

This is the first book I've tried by  L.J. Shen, and it wasn't the kind of read I hoped it would be. Some aspects annoyed me, but it really did have the potential to be a good read! 

Title: Dirty Headlines

Author: L.J. Shen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: September 4th 2018

Buy Now - Amazon US | Amazon Aus | B&N

Célian Laurent.
Manhattan royalty.
Notorious playboy.
Heir to a media empire.
...And my new boss.

I could have impressed him, if not for last month's unforgettable one-night stand.
I left it with more than orgasms and a pleasant memory--namely, his wallet.
Now he's staring me down like I'm the dirt under his Italian loafers, and I'm supposed to take it.
But the thing about being Judith "Jude" Humphry is I have nothing to lose.
Brooklyn girl.
Infamously quirky.
Heir to a stack of medical bills and a tattered couch.
When he looks at me from across the room, I see the glint in his eyes, and that makes us rivals.
He knows it.
So do I.
Every day in the newsroom is a battle.
Every night in his bed, war.
But it's my heart at stake, and I fear I'll be raising the white flag.

I was really hoping to enjoy this one, but it fell a bit flat for me. It seemed to be filled with too much drama, and Célian Laurent, the male lead, was a bit of an arrogant jerk. He didn't treat Jude very nice, but because she was attracted to him she took it. I was like, what the? If a guy was that rude and mean to me, I would not put up with it!

I liked that Jude was a sweet girl, and wanted to do well in her new job. She made friends quickly and stood up for herself when needed. However, when Célian treated her poorly, she would decide that she would be stronger, then cave quite quickly and would fall back into his arms. I did get a little frustrated with her.

This book had the potential to be a great read, however the drama, and the cheating aspect really irked me. No matter the reason for a relationship, if you have committed to one, you are in one. It is not fair to string people along for your own gain.

This is the first book I've read by L.J. Shen, and I can see that she can be a good writer, but I think that this book had a lot going on that didn't need to happen. A reader would be hooked by a good story line and characters, but it doesn't need to be filled with unnecessary drama. I really do want to try her work again in the future, and lets hope I pick up a winner!

This little tease shows that these two have a good bond, but are unsure of how to handle it... especially for Jude.

“Does that mean we’re in some sort of a relationship in your weird mind?”
“Not a relationship, but an arrangement. Yes. Do you think you can handle that?”
I laughed bitterly. “I can’t fall in love, Célian. I’m broken.”
“Good. Let’s be broken together, then.”

Kindle Loc 2714

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

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