“Listen to me carefully, Hunter Fitzpatrick. I may seem like an insecure, average-looking geek to you. And you know what? That’s who I am. I own it. But make no mistake, this insecure geek comes from a long line of people you do not want to screw with, and their savagery rubbed off on me as well. I will not hesitate to pierce your pretty, spoiled-prince heart with one of my pointy arrows.”
Happy release day to L.J. Shen! Congratulations! L.J. just released The Hunter today and I am so excited to read it! I’m currently reading Sparrow by L.J. Shen and am super excited to read her new one when I’m finished. Been looking forward to this one for some time now! Blurb: Hunter I didn’t mean to star in a sex tape, okay? It was just one of those unexplainable things. Like Stonehenge, Police Academy 2, and morning glory clouds. It just happened. Now my ball-busting father is sentencing me to six months of celibacy, sobriety, and morbid boredom under the roof of Boston’s nerdiest girl alive, Sailor Brennan. The virginal archer is supposed to babysit my ass while I learn to take my place in Royal Pipelines, my family’s oil company. Little does she know, that’s not the only pipe I’ll be laying… Sailor I didn’t want this gig, okay? But the deal was too sweet to walk away from. I needed the public endorsement; Hunter needed a nanny. Besides, what’s six months in the grand scheme of things? It’s not like I’m in danger of falling in love with the appallingly gorgeous, charismatic gazillionaire who happens to be one of Boston’s most eligible bachelors. No. I will remain immune to Hunter Fitzpatrick’s charm. Even at the cost of losing everything I have. Even at the cost of burning down his kingdom. Buy it on Amazon here and check it out on Goodreads here
Welcome to adulthood. Leave your joy and creativity at the door.
The Hunter by L.J. Shen
It definitely says something about me that I’m super interested to see Kill’s future book (because there’s obviously going to be one) because his humor is so dry and Hunter sees him a certain way but there were hints throughout the book that there was more to him than Hunter realized.
Once upon a time there was a magic castle in which everything wilted but the soul of one boy.
Disclaimer: I didn’t realize when I added this book to my TBR that it was Hunter from the All Saints High series partly because Hunter was such a background character in the other books and partly because this is the first in a new series.
I was a bit apprehensive about this book because even though I loved the All Saints High series I wasn’t completely sold on the premise of the sex tape leading to family insituted house arrest/babysitting and the way the story starts didn’t ease my apprehension about Hunter’s likability. But I quickly got invested because as gross as Hunter was at the beginning (and he was honestly pretty skeevy) it was clear that he acted the way he did because of his family which was all sorts of fucked up (which was to be expected with Shen).
I honestly got a little teary at the end because his character growth was so amazing and honestly unprecedented in the scope of the All Saints High series because Penn and Knight were already good guys going through family drama/trauma and I’m still not convinced that Vaughn isn’t just a psychopath who fell in love (can you tell I’m still shook by Angry God??) but Hunter went from a guy who I sincerely had trouble seeing settling down to a guy who was willing to give up everything for the girl he loves.
The “Song of the Day” moments were a little weird, but worth it for the perfectly chosen references that made me laugh.
I am already sold on the novels to come in this series because I want to know who will get Kill to fall in love and the thought of Sailor’s mobster brother Sam with Hunter’s wholesome little sister Aisling just sounds like a good time.
Keep reading for some of my favorite quotes (forewarning I made over 100 highlights on my kindle for this book and had a hard time cutting it down)!
"A white, male billionaire in the middle of a whale-sized sex scandal is not, in fact, the most empathetic creature known to mankind.”
I had this game I played with myself, since I was my only steady companion in life. I changed places and crews so often, I had to find something to anchor me. The game consisted of choosing a daily song that defined my mood. Today, it was clearly “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones. Because shit, I could use a hideaway right about now.
Hunter Fitzpatrick was unfairly, undeniably, irrefutably stunning. Shockingly so. In a way that made me resent him simply because men that handsome aren’t trustworthy. Let me amend—men in general aren’t trustworthy. The pretty ones were extra mean, though. That was a lesson I’d learned in high school that wasn’t in the syllabus.
“Listen to me carefully, Hunter Fitzpatrick. I may seem like an insecure, average-looking geek to you. And you know what? That’s who I am. I own it. But make no mistake, this insecure geek comes from a long line of people you do not want to screw with, and their savagery rubbed off on me as well. I will not hesitate to pierce your pretty, spoiled-prince heart with one of my pointy arrows.”
“Bet? Yo?” Kill looked at me like I was a horrific car accident. “Who talks like that? What do you have against the English language? You seem to butcher it whenever the opportunity presents itself. Did English hurt you when you were young? Show me where on the doll.”
The little she-devil knew how to work a deadly weapon with Olympic skill. If anyone needed protection in that goddamn apartment, it was me.
“Any other people you want to talk to about our conversation, or can you just grow a pair and be a decent fucking human?” When they put it like that, I guess I really didn’t have much choice. Also, was I being judged by a couple of murderers? I really should take a long, hard look at my life.
“The only person Hunter Fitzpatrick is capable of loving is himself. Even then, he does a shitty job. Look at all the mess he got himself into.”
It was funny how Hunter believed he was dumb, and I believed I was unattractive—and that these opposite sources of insecurity made us enemies. I despised him for his looks, and he thought I was an unattractive bore.
Sailor confirmed that finding good food spots was her talent. Which, side note, made her marriage material, if I was into monogamy.
If I were a king going to war, I’d want her to lead my army. Bitch would destroy anything in her path to get what she wanted.
Hunter blinked, making a show of treating Junsu like a world-class idiot. He was good at it—a hurricane you wanted to chase, jam-crammed with charisma, humor, and self-assurance.
The implausible tininess of her person in contrast to the impact she had on my life made me want to tear this place to its bones and watch it collapse, brick by brick.
He was a lonely prince—untouchable, yet in need of a hug. Brilliant, yet deeply misunderstood. Sitting on a throne of broken expectations and disappointment. I wondered if he’d ever know he was smart and brave and goodhearted. I wondered if I’d be the foolish girl to let him in on that secret. I realized he was right. I was the archer, but he was the true hunter.
Watching him watch me felt like being buried alive. Before his eyes landed on me, I’d felt like I was wearing the wrong skin, the wrong face. Because of his gaze, I felt beautiful, and that was seriously addictive.
Number of hearts that perished in the Hunter-storm wake. Number of times he’d heard the word no and effortlessly turned it into a yes. Number of tears shed because of this gorgeous creature, who couldn’t help being who he was.
“Cross my heart and hope to die, when I first saw you in that parking lot, I knew your blood type was gold. I think we’ll be a good lesson for each other, Sailor. You don’t know how to live, and I don’t know how to do anything but live hedonistically.” As he said that, I realized I’d never felt more mortal. But being mortal was being alive. I had so much to lose. So much to gain. So much to feel.
He was fearless, and a rebel, and a sinner, and a saint. A prince who’d never wanted his title. A pure-hearted rake. He was everything a woman should run away from, personified. And yet here I was, falling deeper.
"Do you give a damn about anything?” I jested. My parents had fucked both of us up thoroughly, but in different ways. I cared too much and acted up. He didn’t care about anything at all. “I’m sure I do, but I’ve yet to find it,” he said. “Liar.” “The truth is overrated—an uncreative, uninspired way of seeing things.”
The truth was, for the past few months, there was nowhere I’d rather be than with Hunter Fitzpatrick. He was my home, the little corner in the universe that understood me.
“I called you Sailor because I wanted you to see the world, to visit continents, to cross oceans and seas. In ancient times, sailors used to tattoo sparrows on their skin before leaving the docks. It brought them luck, you see. And since my name is Sparrow, I want to bring you luck. I want you to carry me everywhere in spirit. I’ll be there for you always. Only I think I failed, my brave girl. I think I failed you miserably. I hope he succeeds. I hope he knows you are so much more than beautiful. You are real.”
