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 …
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.
Damaged Like Us is the first book in the Like Us series and can be read and enjoyed without reading any of Krista & Becca’s other novels.
more
Funny, romantic, and CRAZY hot. I loved the writing, the story, the characters… okay, everything. I loved EVERYTHING about this book.
I have to say, if all M/M romance could be written just like this, I’d read them all. Damaged Like Us had the right blend of romance and growth and development that made it more than just an enjoyable read – it made it a brilliant read.
The Hales are known for being welcoming to oddballs and black sheep, very fandom-loving, and all-around laidback and cool.
I’m so freaking happy that I already knew these families and therefore already understood their dynamic. I knew how fiercely protective they were and how far they would go to ensure each others’ happiness. Maximoff Hale went above and beyond trying to make everyone happy. He was most definitely a people pleaser but that only made him more endearing to me. Who doesn’t love a guy who would give everything he has for his family?
Maximoff
celebrity earned through his parents
philanthropist
worry wart
hot AF
kind, caring, considerate, patient, loving, understanding, compassionate, etc.
nothing like what I expected
Farrow
hot bodyguard extraordinaire
educated to be a doctor and didn’t finish his residency… so smart
kind, caring, considerate, patient, loving, understanding, compassionate, etc.
everything that Maximoff needed
We’re like lightning and thunder, inherently different but alike enough to share the same sky.
I loved the push and pull between him and Farrow. Two hot, alpha males who at first weren’t willing to give up dominance and then realized that the compromise only sweetened what they shared. I loved how they tried to keep their ish private but it didn’t make their relationship suffer. Moffy was a bit too hard on himself but luckily Farrow knew him well and didn’t allow him to sink too low. Together these two were a force and I freaking loved them!!
This is what I missed in my life, and I can’t imagine never discovering this feeling. Never having him.
I was so happy to get to see everyone again. These families are everything, I tell ya. I wasn’t happy to let them go and I’m so glad that there is another book, featuring this sweet couple. It’s already been added to my TBR
I’m addicted to this entire series!!
Let me start by saying that this was nothing like I thought it would be. I had like 10 different theories about what was going to happen and who certain characters were going to end up with and I only one came true. So much about this book surprised me (in the best way possible!).
This was such a solid start to the Like Us series. Krista and Becca managed to make me fall in love with every single character. I really hope this series ends up being more than 3 books because we need books about Janie and Sulli, and hopefully we can get more stories for the other characters.
There’s an ensemble of characters here, each one unique in their own way. Moffy, Janie, and Sulli lived up to all of my expectations. Moffy and Janie’s friendship was amazing to read about, it was one of my favorite parts of the book, so was seeing Moffy with his siblings. Sulli didn’t have as much “screen-time” as the other characters, but she is definitely one of the more interesting ones. Hopefully she’ll have a bigger part in Lovers Like Us because I would love to see more of her.
Also, the Omega security team was amazing, specifically Akara and Quinn. And shout out to Jack Highland, you seem interesting. I do wish we would have learned a little bit more about Farrow and that his and Moffy’s relationship was a bit more developed, hopefully that will happen in the next book.
What I Didn’t Like
1. Moffy’s issues with Ryke (please get over it already)
2. “forest green eyes”, lots of talk about Moffy’s jaw
3. core 6 reaction to the rumors at the end ://
There’s a lot more that I want to say, but I’m pretty sure it’s all a spoiler. So I’ll leave you by saying you should definitely read this, and you should go in with zero expectations, because you’ll definitely be wrong.
I really enjoyed the series. The hard gets sucked me right in without needing any previous books in the universe…
As a fan of the Calloways from way back, I can’t believe it took me so long to get here! Now that I have had a taste, I need to dive all the way in.
Look out Hales, Cobalts, and Meadows- there’s no getting rid of me now!
Wolfscout and his shadow are an inspiring and highly entertaining duo. Their bond is the stuff that makes everyone a hopeless romantic. Enjoy the romance, the chemistry, and the unwavering support.
Damaged Like Us is an honor even if the title comes from a malicious place. Beauty changes depending on the viewer…
These narrators are new to me and that is a crying shame. While I tend to need time to adapt to new narrators, I was whisked away in the story immediately. Alexander and JF are a team both as Mafi and Farrow and as narrators. Their distinctive voices gave a well-rounded preformance and I have no doubt I will be trying to ship their future work as well.
I couldn’t love this series more. I’ve devoured every single word Krista and Becca Ritchie have put out in the world. Nobody, and I mean that, writes like these girls. You’re not reading about fictional characters, they’re actual, real people who draw you in and make you fall in love with them and their journey. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
New to me authors. New to me series. Looovingggggg!!! While I am new to these ladies I am not new to MM reads and this series came highly recommended. I was looking for a new series to listen to in audio and these narrators are some of my faves. The celeb/bodyguard trope 100% peaked my interest and I dove right in. There are lots of primary and secondary characters and Krista and Becca did an excellent job developing each character as they are introduced. Additionally the chemistry between Maximoff (Moffy) and Farrow his bodyguard is sizzling!!! Book Two, Lovers Like Us continues their story. Can’t wait to see where this series goes, but I am loving the direction it is heading.
I have no idea why I loved this book so much. There were a lot of cliches and over the top scenarios that sometime felt a little bizarre. Yet, I could barely put this book down and once I finished it, I went directly into book two. The writing is well done, although sometimes the plot felt all over the place, and the characters were great. I really, really, really, really liked all the characters and became addicted to their dramas, their successes, and their romances.
I cannot even say how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, some reviews are ugly. I’m so glad I didn’t listen, I absolutely loved this book. This was a beautifully captivating and heartwarming journey to go with Maximoff and Farrow.
New to me author pairing. This is a mm contemporary story set in the USA. Main characters are Maximoff (the rich one) and Farrow (the bodyguard). Enjoyable story. Farrow puts Maximoff in his place many times. Loved the banter between characters. I’ll read more from this series.
You need to get the audio for this book. AMAZING!!! Maximoff and Farrow are such a powerful couple.
See more of my review here on my YouTube channel – https://youtu.be/YrF7AzIkXSY
Must read.
Damaged Like Us is my first Krista & Becca Ritchie novel and I absolutely loved it. This was Maximoff and Farrow’s story and I loved them both. Maximoff was kind, loving to his family, alpha when needed and absolutely perfect. Farrow, his tattooed bodyguard, matched him every step of the way and was perfect for Maximoff. The banter between them had me laughing aloud and the made me enjoy this story so much more.
However the novel wasn’t just about these two, as Maximoff’s family and their bodyguards were ever present in almost every scene and they all added something more to the story.
This novel had a bit of it all, steamy scenes, drama and some emotional moments that will all tug at your heart. It was a fantastic story and I can’t wait to start the next book in this series.
The narrators did an excellent job with the audiobook. The were able to differentiate between the characters. The pace and timing was great and I enjoyed listening to them narrate this novel.
I would highly recommend this novel to all lovers of MM romance.
I really liked this book. Like, really liked it. The writing style was a bit different than from my usual reads. The main character was telling the story as he was talking to you personally – someone from the public in his fictional world. That style added a certain something to the story, and made it stand out in a good way.
Both Maximoff and Farrow are snarky and sarcastic. They’re smart and funny. And Maximoff’s heart is just the biggest. They’re both complex and flawed individuals, shaped by their circumstances that are way beyond average. Their interactions are simply delightful to read.
The fact that the story doesn’t get overly mushy is a big plus in my book. Just like in real life, most of the obsessing, emotion and insecure rambling that occurs are inner monologues. There are no two-page long declarations of love or stuff like that. Verbal communication is shorter, terser. More real. I love that.
To me, the story backdrop was quite original. The hounding of the papparazzi, the never-ending misconceptions in the media. The way total strangers acted like douchebags beacuse of some twisted reasoning that public figures aren’t thinking, feeling individuals or ‘should be able to take it’ and ‘only have themselves to blame’. It’s scary and brilliant. And, yes it’s fiction, but it was a brand new perspective for me. All the sickening downsides to being famous that I myself have never even considered.
Two things in this story was a total turn-off. The first one is the ”dyed, white hair” of Farrow. Yeah, I know, I’m shallow. But seriously, I just can’t picture that ever being sexy. And just imagine the upkeep! He’d have to dye those roots practically every other day. And he’s supposed to be this super busy bodyguard who hardly gets any free time at all.
The second thing is Maximoff’s name. The full name is bad. His nickname, Moffy, is even worse. I don’t know how an American or native English speaker precieves these names. But as a Swede, they couldn’t be more un-sexy. Maximoff sounds exceedingly silly to my ears. That name has me thinking of a small, yappy dog from Russia. And the nickname is truly not meant for a human being. Moffy is the name of a lap-dog or some other pet. Or, it could possibly be used if heckling someone for stuffing their face. So I must admit, I chose to call Maximoff Max, in my head.
Luckily. I could still enjoy the story (although every mentioning of Farrow’s white hair had me cringeing). And I bought the second installment, Lovers like us, as soon as I finished Damaged. It’s simply a terrific read that you don’t want to miss.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/
Have you met Maximoff Hale yet? or what about the hot and sexy bodyguard Farrow Redford Keene? Or the guys at SFO? Well, if you have not, it is time to go buy this one.
Such an awesome series! By far my FAVORITE M/M romance!!! #teammarrow
Barely made it through the first two chapters. Guy gay romance. Wouldn’t have attempted to read it if I had known. Not my cup of tea.
I really like the characters in this story. I will definitely be getting the other books in the series.
First book that deals with gay love that I read. The plot and story were great.