Title: Damaged Like us (Like Us #1)
Author: Krista and Becca Ritchie
Release Date and Publisher: June 27, 2017, self-published(ebook)
Date Finished: June 29, 2017
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis:
Don’t date your bodyguard.
It was the one rule he had to break.
Maximoff Hale is a force of nature. A ship unwilling to be steered. Headstrong, resilient, and wholly responsible — the twenty-two-year-old alpha billionaire can handle his unconventional life. By noon, lunch can turn into a mob of screaming fans. By two, his face is all over the internet.
Born into one of the most famous families in the country, his celebrity status began at birth.
He is certified American royalty.
When he’s assigned a new 24/7 bodyguard, he comes face-to-face with the worst case scenario: being attached to the tattooed, MMA-trained, Yale graduate who’s known for “going rogue” in the security team — and who fills 1/3 of Maximoff’s sexual fantasies.
Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene has one job: protect Maximoff Hale. Flirting, dating, and hot sex falls far, far out of the boundary of his bodyguard duties and into “termination” territory. But when feelings surface, protecting the sexy-as-sin, stubborn celebrity becomes increasingly complicated.
Together, boundaries blur, and being exposed could mean catastrophic consequences for both.
My Review:
“We’re like lightning and thunder, inherently different but alike enough to share the same sky.”
This book has been one of my anticipated reads of 2017, and I quickly devoured it as soon as I got a copy. And boy oh boy are my eyes super tired from all those sleepless nights.
I was pretty emotional during this entire book, because we’ve all watched how Maximoff and his siblings and cousins all be born and grow up until Some Kind of Perfect. I still see them as little babies wandering around their houses and their parents protecting them fiercely from the awful people around them and the harsh media. So, when Moffy’s first chapter came, I was really shocked at the way he speaks (how he says a lot of bad words like ‘fuck’ and ‘asshole’ – which is clearly a sign of Loren and Ryke’s influence) and then I suddenly imagine him again being a little baby and sleeping in his Batmobile bed when he was a toddler *sniffles*. This also happened to the other Addicted babies who made apperances so I was both gushing and crying whenever they appear. *sniffles like Lily*
The new side characters were exciting! I always predicted that their bodyguards, apart from Farrow, will have a huge part in the story – and I was right! They weren’t just bodyguards to them, but also their closest friends (and possible love interests in the future). Since they are working 24/7 for all the Cobalts, Hales, and Meadows, their working relationship would definitely blossom into something more. I love how we also got Farrow’s POV because it gave us an insight on the lives of the bodyguards and how they think of their clients. And the diversity of the bodyguards! I really love how most of them is a mix of different nationalities with different personalities. I enjoyed reading all the playful banter they have in their comms, and I really hope to see more of it when the next book comes out.
Also, hands down to the twins for finally showcasing a really diverse cast in terms of sexuality. I always defended in Tumblr on asks that I get about there isn’t enough diversity in the Like Us series, since we didn’t get much of it in the Addicted series. I adored that Moffy’s bisexual, and that Krista and Becca Ritchie made his love interest a male. They could have had given him a female interest, but they did so much more and provided us with sexy Farrow. I haven’t read a lot of MM romance aside from a few in YA books, so I was shocked and amused with all the sexy times between Moffy and Farrow. And it was H-O-T AF! I need to put my ereader down for a few times during the sexy scenes because it was really hot. I know how good the twins are in writing sexy scenes, but doing it on their first MM book? Two thumbs up!
I love the dynamic between Moffy and Farrow. It was so cute that Moffy had a crush on him when he was a teenager, and how he became all flustered around him when they saw each other again. I loved how Moffy was able to fully trust him without any doubt, and that he was able to let his guard down with him, because he’s been carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders since he was young, and Farrow changed that! I liked also how Moffy’s the one who used to do one-night stands and Farrow’s the one who’s into commitment and monogamy, because I actually thought it was going to be vice-versa. Both of them are so stubborn and dominating, but in each other, they turn soft. *ships Marrow so hard*
Now for that awful plot twist. I’m actually a bit disappointed at that part of the book, especially on what the Addicted gang did to them. THEY DOUBT JANE AND MOFFY! Jane and Moffy who were already attached to the hip since they were born! There was obviously no incest happening between them because they’re best friends and their family taught them to love each other! That love is the most important thing in the world! The hugs and kisses they share are because they’re really close and they treat each other more like siblings than cousins. They, of all people, should know how it must feel like to be not able to let others hear them out when people doubted on them and told they were liars. For the first time since I got into the Addicted world, I was so disappointed in them, and I cried so hard and wanted to punch each one of them for saying all those things to Jane and Moffy. How can you do this to us, KB?!?
But aside from that, I really enjoyed this book! It exceeded my expectations! There were both cute and funny and devastating moments, so it was one hell of a ride. I can’t wait for this story to continue in the next book!
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