A short, steamy, instalove blue-collar alpha military man and younger woman romance.DamienAfter ten years as a Marine, I retired early so I could enjoy my thirties without all the horror.Deployments all around the world have left their scars, but I’ve made a life for myself as a construction worker. I still get to be active and use my hands. I just don’t have to watch people I care about die.… to watch people I care about die.
Then, a little spitfire named Nancy hurtles into my life, and even though she’s so much younger than me and my opposite, I can’t get her off my mind.
I’m pretty sure she hates me until she approaches me one day to be her fake date to her sister’s wedding.
I should say no, because this isn’t going to go anywhere.
But I can’t resist the thought of spending an evening with her…
Nancy
It’s been a hell of a year.
In that time, I escaped my abusive ex-boyfriend and found a great job I love. I’m trying to work my way back to normalcy, to something approaching a healthy life.
Now, I just have to prove that to my family.
My sister Harlowe’s getting married to the love of her life, and her wedding is the perfect time to show them all I’ve got my act together with my super sexy, super doting boyfriend.
Except I don’t have one.
The guy leading the construction crew where I work fits the bill physically, even though he’s eight years older than me and we get along about as well as oil and vinegar. But I’m desperate, and he’s willing.
It’s just one night, and then we can go our separate ways…
DAMIEN: Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door is a steamy, instalove story with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and, of course, a HEA. This is book 6 in the Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door series.
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Loved this quick read from Mazzy King. She is a great author and I have come to love her work. Nancy and Damien meet when both are dealing with stressful times in their lives. As they get to know each other, they are able to change those for the good. There is some drama with her ex-boyfriend who is out of jail but Damien is there to save her. She also found the strength to stand up to her family. Loved the chemistry and attraction between Damien and Nancy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nancy works at a museum and trying to get work done but the construction crew is making such a racket we can’t hear herself think. She goes to confront them when she comes in contact with Damien. She seems to have a bit of anger towards him. Its not meant to be towards him but all men in general. She had a horrible relationship that turned her attitude sour towards men.
Damien was patient with her & showed her not all men are bad. He proved that when he helped her out being her date to a wedding. He changed her mind and heart. She couldn’t be happier.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nancy has finally healed. It’s taken her a year but she’s finally gotten to a good place in her life. They are remodeling at the Museum where she works and with the noise she can’t hear a conference call she’s waiting on. She marches out and taps the first man she comes to. Damien turns and gets blasted by Nancy about the noise. He’s shocked at the attack but promises to cut the noise. I love Nancy and her spunk at not taking any gruff from any man. Damien got be later when he invites her to dinner and learns some of her background. Instant love between two people who have nightmares and learn to over come them. Read the story to find out about the pizza. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This is part of the Blue Coller Bad Boy Next Door series. What a fantastic addition. Reading Damien and Nancy’s story broke my heart, made me see red in rage and of course, pure joy when these two meet and get to know one another. Mazzy created an amazing man with Damien and he is absolutely perfect for Nancy. This is a short story but it packs a serious punch a d leaves you feeling amazing at the HEA. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have read all the stories in this series and I have loved all of them. This story is absolutely fantastic! Damien is a big, hunky, tattooed construction worker and he is working at the museum updating an area for an exhibit. Nancy is a spunky, independent woman rebuilding her life after an abusive relationship and has been healing and learning to trust. She comes to speak to Damien about the noise level. She is snarky and abrupt with him. Three days later Nancy has locked her keys in the car and Damien offers to help her out. He drives her to get her spare keys at the apartment. Offers to feed her supper. He knows she has been hurt and he is gentle, comforting and tender. Damien is going to help Nancy with her current situation of not having a date for her sister’s wedding. Damien and Nancy start enjoying each other’s company and by the end of the evening they enjoy a passionate, affectionate, sexy, smoking hot chemistry with lusting and loving. Nancy wants Damien. Damien is onboard with wanting Nancy. This is a great story and has fantastic characters which are so likable/lovable and you want them to get together. This is a short little read that will brighten your day! You will love it, really!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This too shall pass / Do you believe pineapple belongs on pizza?
Damien Willis is just minding his own business overseeing his construction crew who are doing renovation work at the local historical museum when someone starts poking the back of his shoulder. When he turns around he sees a beautiful young woman who also appears to have “fire napping in her eyes.” It is not only her eyes as she is all sorts of combustible and snarling grouchy. But he willingly stops the loud work once she explains why she is there and what she needs. He just can’t stop thinking about her and the next morning goes by her office to ask if she has any other meetings for the day so that he can schedule his crew around them for her. Instead she literally runs into him and the grouchy fire breathing wary woman his him full force again. There is obviously something going on that he is not aware of yet but he does recognize some things in her. Damien is thirty-three years old and spent over a decade as a Marine being on a number of deployments and in some very bad situations. He came home and got out trying to make a life for himself which has been somewhat successful. But he is still plagued by bad nightmares and the feeling that he cannot share his life as it is with anyone else. Well that is until he lays eyes on the intriguing beauty at the museum.
Nancy Monroe has been rebuilding her life and herself this last year after finally ending it with her very abusive ex-boyfriend. But the nightmares are still there as are the jarring reminders and thoughts that pop up sometimes. Along with being angry, not trusting men and still being seen as a disappointment by some of her family who are more concerned with how something appears instead of how it actually is. But at twenty-five she loves her job as the content manager for the local historic museum. She also has a nice secured apartment and a sister, Harlowe, who has always had her back.
Harlowe is marrying Darby on Saturday and Nancy is her maid of honor. She has returned to the museum after having her last dress fitting and is assaulted once again by the noise of construction work happening just around the corner from her office. When she realizes that she has a presentation to do in about ten minutes to some potential big donors and will not be able to because of the noise she has had enough. So one very peeved Harlowe goes barging into the middle of things and starts poking the bear, who turns around and has the most beautiful male face and pair of dark blue eyes. Thus starts their back and forth and interesting quick journey to a relationship.
Damien is the sixth book in the Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door and is another wonderfully written story by Mazzy King. The main characters are both broken in their own way but each is trying to build a new life for themselves and heal. They are drawn together on a certain level because of the pain they recognize in each other which allows them to feel safer together, thus being able to open themselves up to each other. After all no judgements just understanding is between them. I really felt for Nancy as she dealt with her family members who passed judgement even when they should have embraced her fully and kept her safe. When Damien gets close to her he is not going to let her get away but he does have to left her have the space she needs to feel safe with him.
Damien doesn’t know what to think about the beautiful woman who is so rude to him. Nancy is prickly and rude but he sees a hurt vulnerable woman behind the exterior she projects. When she lets him in they begin to understand each other. When she needs helps he’s there with no questions. Will Nancy let him in to love her like she deserves?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nancy escaped an abusive relationship. She’s slowly putting herself back together – she has a great job at a local museum, and a safe place to live. She’s still wary of trusting men, though. Damien survived tough deployments in the military, and he’s a construction worker. They meet when he’s working on a renovation project at the museum. He’s interested in her, but she’s not very nice to him. When she locks her keys in her car, he helps her out. And then again when she needs a fake date for her sister’s wedding. Damien is my favorite of all the blue collar bad boys. He’s a little rough around the edges, but there’s a really nice guy underneath the muscles and tats. He’s kind, patient, and supportive of Nancy. She’s such a sweet woman, a little shy and timid, in part because of her previous abusive relationship, but also because of her family’s treatment of her as the black sheep. They seem like such opposites, but they’re absolutely perfect for each other!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 6 in the blue collar bad boys next door series. It is an instant love older man younger woman with great characters that are complete opposites. very good short story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this story so much. It’s short, but entertaining and enjoyable even though it does reference past abuse. The characters were interesting and relatable. I felt like Nancy was very strong to go through what she did and get out.
****Blurb
Damien
After ten years as a Marine, I retired early so I could enjoy my thirties without all the horror. Deployments all around the world have left their scars, but I’ve made a life for myself as a construction worker. I still get to be active and use my hands. I just don’t have to watch people I care about die.
Then, a little spitfire named Nancy hurtles into my life, and even though she’s so much younger than me and my opposite, I can’t get her off my mind.
I’m pretty sure she hates me until she approaches me one day to be her fake date to her sister’s wedding. I should say no because this isn’t going to go anywhere. But I can’t resist the thought of spending an evening with her…
Nancy
It’s been a hell of a year. In that time, I escaped my abusive ex-boyfriend and found a great job I love. I’m trying to work my way back to normalcy, to something approaching a healthy life. Now, I just have to prove that to my family.
My sister Harlowe’s getting married to the love of her life, and her wedding is the perfect time to show them all I’ve got my act together with my super sexy, super doting boyfriend. Except I don’t have one.
The guy leading the construction crew where I work fits the bill physically, even though he’s eight years older than me and we get along about as well as oil and vinegar. But I’m desperate, and he’s willing. It’s just one night, and then we can go our separate ways.
****
Damien was awesome. I am going to keep him as my new book boyfriend. He was so calm and patient with Nancy even when she wasn’t being nice or polite. I liked that he called her on her behavior and didn’t just take it. I loved that Nancy recognized that Damien was different and decided to take a chance. Their happy ever after made me smile. I recommend reading this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I volunteered to read this ARC for an honest review. I enjoyed this quick story about Damien and Nancy. She’s spent the last year trying to reinvent herself after an abusive relationship. When she meets Damien at work, he’s doing construction at the museum, he offers her an unexpected friendship. Great HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Short but intense
4,5
Good story which although short, is intense by the way in which the emotional reconstruction of the heroine is presented after having lived an abusive relationship and that she meets a man who does not react like her ex and who attracts her.
Nancy works in a museum when she is disturbed by the construction next to her office. She asks the manager, Damien to stop. Against all expectations, he accepts. Nancy categorizes men as harmful from the old abusive relationship she had, but Damien’s friendly behavior and the way he then helps her, helps her to progress in her reconstruction and towards a new chance of finding love.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
This is a very well written, insta-love, bad-boys next door, happily-ever-after, STEAMY romance. This story is well-developed with characters that have substance and very hot chemistry. These characters are very well constructed and have a good chemistry. There are no cliffhangers, no cheating and has HEA. This is a standalone book 5 part of the Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door series. Must Read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is like the author said a short insta-lust/love story. Nancy starts off rather abrasive and confrontational. It was in part to having to develop a hardened shell due to her abusive ex-boyfriend. Once she finally gets it through her head that Damien is not him and he’s being very cordial despite her lack of pleasantness she finally pulled her head out and was a lot nicer.
Damien is very much a nice guy, with large protective instincts, which was probably intensified from his time overseas in a warzone.
Nancy is a few years younger than Damien and she has her own form of PTSD from her abusive ex-boyfriend, plus a large inferiority complex from being the less than perfect one in the family.
Damien becomes Nancy’s plus one for her more family acceptable sisters wedding. What started off as just a fake boyfriend role morphs into something a lot more once these two let their guards down.
We get a nasty appearance from abusive ex-boyfriend as the outside drama to the story.
Despite the shortness of the story you do get to know both characters and what drives them. They are both very likeable and you look forward to their happy ending. If you are looking for something thought provoking or very deep this isn’t it, but if you are looking for something with a little steam, a sweet guy, a young woman getting her life back on track then you have found it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first book by this author, and I am not disappointed. Damien is great quick read with lots of caring, love and protection.
Damien and Nancy run into each other at the museum from there the fates new what they were doing. They are both cut from the same clothes broken in their own ways, but together they are stronger than any building.
I look forward to reading more from Mazzy King.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A well written, steamy, and engaging older man younger woman romance; and an amazing addition in the Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door series. It is an emotionally deep read with characters you will love; the chemistry between them is intense, instant, and HOT! Definitely recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ok, so I struggled a bit with this book at the beginning. I did NOT like Nancy, at all! I understood what caused her behavior and demeanor (abusive ex & a mother more critical than comforting), but I still didn’t like her. Damien, on the other hand, I loved from the first sentence. But I must say, I was impressed with how Nancy grew. After meeting Damien, experiencing his calm and acceptance, Nancy gains the insight and courage to try to trust. Damien doesn’t let her down.
Now, I’m all for instalove, quick and sexy stories. This one has so much depth beyond that. And the skill required to write Nancy. In this short story, Nancy takes such emotional chances and has seeds of her personality blossom. Nothing seemed forced or rushed, but rather unfolded organically. To my mind, this is a mark of great talent!
Anyway, I ended up loving this story. Nancy and Damien heal one another, grow together, and have you cheering for their HEA. Well done, Mazzy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line and character work were great. The book had a smooth flow to it. This was a quick, fun read and a great addition to the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Damien and Nancy are both veterans, i should say, though in a different wars. Him, as a soldier; her, as a battered woman. They both fought and survive but have deep seated wounds but their loved healed old wounds and it’s about time to make it legal with his proposal.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Yowza. This was an amazing book, very quick read. Up close and personal to the after effects of domestic violence and how it leaves a lasting impression.Nancy was abused by her ex-boyfrIend and still having nightmares. Damien is a construction worker who was a former Marine. He meets Nancy unexpectedly on a job site and was instantly attracted to her. Both have demons in their past they are trying to overcome. Both have nightmares. Will they be able to heal each other? Wonderfully written. Great job! Great story with HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.