I never thought to ask what a celebrity who could have anyone in the fucking world fantasizes about. And I wonder how long it’s been me.
Maximoff Hale, the eldest son of the infamous Lily and Loren Hale, heir to a billion-dollar empire, and head of his own philanthropic organization, has been followed by paparazzi since birth. Everybody wants a piece of him, and he’s never known a life where he’s not flanked by bodyguards 24/7.
Moffy’s used to it. He’s had the same bodyguard for years, and he barely even registers his presence. Only now, his bodyguard is retiring. Moffy will be stuck with a new bodyguard. Someone he’ll have to get used to. Someone who will follow him around, handing out non-disclosure agreements before hookups and making sure that nobody slips anything into his drinks. Moffy was prepared for just about anything. He wasn’t prepared for Farrow Keene.
Farrow is a Yale graduate, MMA fighter, and until now, served as Lily Hale’s bodyguard. As the son of the Hales’ concierge doctor, Farrow was around through most of Moffy’s childhood, and Moffy has harbored a huge, secret crush on Farrow since he was a teenager. Now, Moffy and Farrow will be together all day, every day. It’s only a matter of time before things heat up.
Be still, my heart. Krista and Becca Ritchie have done it again. I’m not sure how these women can possibly make me fall in love with every single one of their characters, but they do. Every time. Moffy and Farrow are both bossy, stubborn alpha males who constantly clash and try to get the upper hand. In the wrong hands, these characters might not work together. But here, with these authors, it was perfect.
Also perfect were the side characters, both the other bodyguards and the other children from the Addicted series. Moffy lives with his cousin and best friend Jane Cobalt, and can I just say that I hope Jane gets everything she wants in life and that nobody hurts her ever? The other Hale, Cobalt, and Meadows children all make cameos in this book, and I loved seeing them all grown up.
Damaged Like Us is a little different from what I usually read. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there is nothing that these authors could write that I wouldn’t read. There’s nothing that they could write that I won’t love. While I’ve certainly read some cute, fluffy YA with M/M pairings (Carry On, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda), this was my first explicit, adult M/M book. Who better to introduce me to the genre than Krista and Becca?
I am in love with these characters and so excited that Krista and Becca have started a new series. I’m not sure how I’ll possibly survive until Lovers Like Us comes out – October 2017 can’t get here fast enough. This book is highly recommended for just about anybody, but particularly anybody who enjoyed the Addicted and Calloway Sisters series.
Final rating: ★★★★★
#mmdreading: a book in a genre you usually avoid
The Bibliophagist 