Damaged and the Beast
This one was addictive!! But it was also (for me) an “I loved him but made excuses for loving him” kind of book. One of those books that I connected to, got all into the “hero” <— (although he’s kinda scary, and not in the acceptable “paranormal” way) but I’m going to admit, I pretty much… loved it as a whole.
However. While I was enjoying the heck out of it (in a total “guilty pleasure” way), I was simultaneously cringing. LOTS. ‘Cause OMG these two were basket cases of co-dependancy. But apparently if written a certain way (and I guess that way must be “intense and obsessed”), I really like that. In books. Books. I know you’ve heard me say that before, but it bears repeating for our new fellow readers that have joined us today. Wouldn’t want ’em getting any “impressions” of me, now would we. 😉
Maryse’s Book Blog: What I’m currently reading (and already loving)… thanks Joanna and Ashley!! “Damaged and the Beast” by Bijou Hunter. Damaged and the Beast is already rocking my reading night! Thanks for the suggestion Joanna!!! I’m still just in the first quarter but everything about it is making me read with a silly grin on my face. Just ask my husband.
Michele: You had me a Biker! Lol
Jeanie: Read this this past week too – I liked Farrah & Coopers banter (hell yeah…) but the next novel Damaged & the Knight is even better in my opinion. Can’t wait for the others!
Sabrina: Loved this one!!
Maryse’s Book Blog: Oooooooh he’s soooooooo jealous! Eeeeeeeep! Can you tell I’m titillated? Heh. oh Dr. Drew would have a field day with me and my book boyfriends,..
Joanna: Glad you’re enjoying it!!!! Really liked it. Still don’t know why. Sometimes best not to think these things through, LOL
Sarah: I have to admit that Cooper was a little more bad boy than I am usually attracted to even though it was implied badness and not outright described you knew what he was doing. But I was swooning through the whole book. Loved this one and there is a second book out as well.
Ashley: I’m having a hard time explaining exactly why I liked it (4.5 maybe more stars?)too. I think it was the connection Farah and Cooper have, I think it’s like the universe wanted them together even if it doesn’t always make sense, KWIM?
Kandace: I read it too. I feel you need to read both sisters’ books as a set. The second book answers the unanswered questions from the first book. The back and forth between Farah and Cooper at times drove me nuts but Cooper was super hot. I know Joanne liked the first book better but I sort of liked the second book a tad more.
Melanie: Finished it last night now reading the 2nd one in this series i loved the 1st book but i love the 2nd one more
Maryse’s Book Blog: Oh yeah?? That is SUCH good news. I’m at 80% (would have totally read it in one shot but my eyes gave out at 3am apparently). I love HIS intensity. Heartache for me!!
Jeanie: Totally agree with Kandace – I liked the second book better too.
Melanie: just finishing the 2nd book damaged and the knight its awesome
Maryse’s Book Blog: Ohhhhh noooo Cooper. What did you do!!?
Alyssa: I don’t like that Maryse. I just started!!!! Page 100
Maryse’s Book Blog: Okay wait. Whoa.
Ashley: Whoa?! Where are you at? Ah, wait. I know EXACTLY where you’re at.
Alyssa: Do I stop reading until tomorrow????
Kandace: Sleep is overrated…keep reading
Alyssa: Oh. My. God. Cooper!!!! Why???????
Maryse’s Book Blog: RIGHT!!?? Righhhhhht!!??? …
Alyssa: … Wow! Thank you. That was a sleepless night to finish. Loved that book. Intense, but at the same time protects us???? Does that make sense?
Joanna: Bwwwaaahahahaaa!!!
Kate: I really like this book and then today I started book #2 – Damaged and the Knight. Waaaaaayyyyy better than book 1. Judd is to die for and makes Cooper look Like a silly little boy. lol. If you like book 1 even a little bit keep going to book 2. I know I’ll be reading them all…
Did that give you an idea of how crazy we all went together and how crazy HE made us?
Not only was the super-hot and unattainable “hero” scary jealous, possessive, rude, demanding and clingy (which made me latch on to him, right back), but he’s bad-tempered and violent, too. Not to her, per se (except for that one over-the-top “punch the wall scene” that had me raising my eyebrows). Cooper was crazy! In fact, Cooper made my most beloved “accused of being co-dependant” bad-boy, Travis, look like a mature, calm and collected angel of gentle sweetness. Well. Actually he is, if you ask me. I’ve mostly always thought so. 😉
No, but for real. Cooper deliciously reminds me of Travis, but suddenly Travis just seems to me, much more… centered.
Oh come on. It’s all in fun. 😉 If you decide to read this ’cause it seems like your thing, enjoy it for the crazy-intense passion but don’t go into this looking for sweet and functional. Dysfunctional is more like it. But sometimes it takes dysfunction to fix things? *shrug* I dunno.
But either way, this is for a roller-coaster type NA romance read. For me, while I second-guessed so much and found myself preparing my “why-I-loved-it excuses” for my review, I shrugged it all off, and you guessed it. I “went with it”. Like my friend Joanna said:
Joanna: … Really liked it. Still don’t know why. Sometimes best not to think these things through, LOL…
Yep! I know, right? You seriously can’t take this too seriously. No. Seriously. I’m serious. 😀
I mean, yes. I DO know (or have known) a guy or two like that in high-school and college. He’s actually not that far off of the reality mark. And while her past and her demons are a bit… extensive (oh don’t even get me started on her mother) I actually have known a couple like them. In fact, (the real-life couple) his demanding demeanor made her so mad one time that she clocked him in the hallway with her locker-lock. He laughed and nobody batted an eye. We were used to their drama. And no!! It’s wasn’t me. LOL!!! I always had the sweet, soft-spoken calm boyfriends. Surprised? I’ll stick to the “bad boys” in books. It’s safer that way… 😉
But I digress.
So I’ve seen this kind of “addicted-to-each-other-but-driving-each-other-crazy” bad behavior, front row and center a few times. This guy is “over the top”, but from what I remember of my young-love crazy days, not so far-fetched. Eeeep! I know. Probably not what you want for your daughter (or loved ones), but if you’re into the angsty OMG I’m SOOOOO into you self-destructive behavior and downward spiral… THIS is for you.
So what’s it about?
Farah comes from a VERY bad past (and I mean bad). Terrible self-centered (addict/gambling) parents that have left her and her sister to fend for herself. When she moves to a new state to start college and try to make a real “normal” respectable life for herself…
I was a good person and deserved to have my simple dreams come true.
(and attempts at reconnecting with her mother) she meets bad-ass, tattooed, prince of a Biker MC (son of the head), Cooper.
He was exactly the kind of guy that scared the sh!t out of me. Wide shouldered, muscular, casually scary, tattooed, and stunning, he made my stomach flip with both lust and terror. If he ever showed interest in me I’d both shiver with excitement and likely wet my pants.
Known as the ultimate womanizer, unapologetic, he sets his sights on her. And she wants to have nothing to do with him and lets it be known. He doesn’t fit into her “fantasy future”. But Coop gets what he wants and he wants Farah.
“I might sit next to you in class next week. Try not to be a b!tch about it.”
Oh boy. Lots of push and pull and super-duper angsty. Eye-rollingly angsty at times (and OMG is she broken but so is he… so… *shrug*). But so addictive at other times. Nahh… always addictive. At least it was to me.
Sure sure… the feel is more, oh I dunno. High schoolish? Yes, they’re in college and they’re officially adults but their teasing banter and furious rants (rash decisions, expectations and reactions) showed their very young, very inexperienced age.
“I’m not giving up. If you keep running, I’ll keep chasing. I know what I want and I’m not pissing it away because you have issues.”
And yet, I still devoured them whole. There was a lot of real feel to them. Not ideal as a couple, no. But often very real. Scarily so. This guy could go off the handle, come up with his own “versions” and make up his own excuses with the best of ’em. But reality would indicate something much different.
“Screw this sh!t!” he yelled, walking away back to his bike. “I don’t need to chase an uptight b!tch, just so she can turn around and think I’m an ass! F%ck you, Farah!”
Oooooooooh!!! (and yes, I was secretly very excited for that rude but very realistic reaction). There were lots of them. The kind that would have you warning your best friend to DUMP him and never look back. And then there were the intense moments that had you “getting” him and her on a different level.
This one’s not for everyone. If you don’t like books that feature obnoxious (and I mean OBNOXIOUS) male behavior, frequent public outbursts, and romantic intensity that borders on obsession (or maybe IS obsession depending on what therapist you talk to), then, you know. Maybe not this one.
But if you liked books like Beautiful Disaster and Real and liked them especially because of the hero, then, okay. Guess what I recommend next? 😉
So that’s it.
4 stars. But 4.5 stars for every moment where I was right up in my iPad, freaking out over them. With them. And there were lots of those times.
And it looks like I need to be reading book #2 (Damaged and the Knight) ASAP. Even better than this one? YAY ME!!!
And here’s the reading order.
Love your review! I totally agree. Four solid stars. I was equally excited to read “Damaged and the Knight”, but…..I skimmed after 40% hoping for something, anything. I felt like was reading the same dialogue over and over and over. What a let down for me. Boo. I really wanted to love it.
ON THE OTHER HAND….I’m 50% into “Real Ugly”. OMG, OMG, SO GOOD!!!! Gritty, raw, angsty, read EVERY word, can’t put it down, etc!!! Right up our alley. I hope you still have it on your TBR list.
Have a great evening
I liked the second book more than the first. The Hero was older, still alpha but didn’t seem to loose control as much as Cooper did. Don’t know, Judd just did it for me.
I’ve been hearing a lot of different opinions on #2. Most seem to like it better, but a few have much preferred #1 (including my friend Joanna). I’m gonna give it a go, ’cause I did like the idea of that “hero” for her sister. She was so freaked out!
I liked #1 better but #2 is good and it continues with Farrah and Coop as background characters.
ACK!!! Now I have to get this one too. I’m starting to think my hubby has a point when he says “You read too much!”. Naaaahhh….
I was so surprised that I LOVED these books as much as I did. I keep coming back to them and rereading highlights of my favorite parts. I had heard that Cooper was way over the top, and he was, but so deliciously so….*sigh*