4.3
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3,738 ratings
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.
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.
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ISBN-10
1950165019
ISBN-13
978-1950165018
Print length
358 pages
Language
English
Publisher
K.B. Ritchie LLC
Publication date
February 04, 2019
Dimensions
5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
Item weight
1 pounds
Thoreau said, āDo not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. So aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.ā
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Weāre like lightning and thunder, inherently different but alike enough to share the same sky.
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B071KYP7YT
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1
MAXIMOFF HALE
āYou canāt tell me one thing about him?ā I ask for probably the millionth time. I havenāt actually been counting. But from Akaraās annoyed bite into his blueberry bagel, Iām guessing my question died a bitter death five minutes ago.
Today is doomsday.
The day where my unconventional, strange life becomes colossally more complicated. I can handle shit storms while propping up the Earth with one goddamn handābut I like to be semi-prepared for situations. I have a real switchblade in my fucking pocket, but I want a metaphorical one too.
Akara swallows his bagel. āYou want one thing?ā
āJust one,ā I affirm.
āHeās your new bodyguard.ā
I slowly blink into a glare. āThank you for offering the one thing that I already fucking know.ā Itās the one thing thatās been driving me up the wall like a possessed Spider-Man. Iāve had the same bodyguard for my entire life, and he decided to retire recently.
Just yesterday, I said goodbye to Declan. Itās bittersweet. He wants to spend more time with his wife and two kids, not be the 24/7 bodyguard to an internationally famous human being. I get that. Selfishly, I wish he could stay longer.
And when I mean longer, I mean forever.
Personal bodyguards are like spouses. All of my immediate and extended family have one. They follow us everywhere, eat with us, guard our rooms if we bring home strangersāor in my case, āuncomplicatedā hookups. Mind-blowing fucks. One-night stands. All of that is being passed to a new someone.
Iāve never had to introduce a new bodyguard to the ins-and-outs of my life. Itās not just going to be a Day In The Life of Maximoff Hale. Itās a permanent position thatāll last decades unless he turns out to be an incompetent prick.
This pivotal moment has put me on edge because Akaraāthe lead bodyguard in Security Force Omegaārefuses to share more information about him.
āLike I said an hour ago,ā Akara tells me, āitās better if you meet in person.ā Before I can reply, his cellphone pings.
I hope itās my new bodyguard. I check my canvas wristwatch.
Heās twenty minutes late, and Akara already assured me that he received the invite.
Location: Superheroes & Scones
Time: 6 a.m. (before the store opens at 8 a.m.)
The homey but massive store is empty. I only turned on a few lights since no employees are here yet, the place quiet. Dimly lit. While I wait, I stand behind the bar counter and pour myself an orange juice.
Iām not stealing.
My family owns the two-story hybrid comic book store and coffee shop. With red and blue vinyl booths, stools, and then rows and rows of shelved comics and merch, Superheroes & Scones resembles a retro diner and modern comic store. Eighty-five of them exist throughout the globe, but this one in Philadelphia is the very original.
Since its creation, itās had a few major renovations. The second floor used to be offices for a comics publishing company, which has since moved next door.
Capping the jug of juice, I look to my right. Bright blue stairs twist towards a second-floor loft area. Littered with colorful beanbags, sofas, coffee tables, and mounted televisions that play superhero films nonstop.
If I could rank my favorite places in the world, Superheroes & Scones would be number two. Right behind a pool.
Any pool.
I take a large swig of my OJ, and Akaraās phone starts buzzing in quick succession.
I wipe my mouth on my carved bicep and notice the text message boxes lighting up his screen. āSomeoneās popular.ā That better be my tardy bodyguard.
Akara wipes his fingers on a flimsy napkin. āItās only one person.ā
I crane my neck to try and see if I can spot a name.
Akara angles the phone towards his chest and scrolls through the messages. āChill. Eat. Try not to overthink, if thatās at all possible for you.ā
āItās not.ā I can fucking admit this.
Akara smiles but concentrates on his phone. Pieces of his straight black hair touch his dark eyelashes. His cut muscles could tear through his blue Studio 9 shirt. Thereās no uniform for security detail. Bodyguards just typically dress for the occasion.
Like when I attend formal charity events, theyāll wear suits and tuxes.
I roll my shoulders backwards, muscles tight. I need to stretch, swim several laps. I check the time on my phone. Then I take another swig of orange juice and watch Akara text.
āYou know,ā I tell him, āIām not asking for the meaning of life or a planetary map of undiscovered galaxies. You could give me his hair color. Zodiac sign. Maybe a last nameāā
āNice try.ā Akaraās brown eyes lift to mine just to say you canāt bullshit me before he returns to his cell. āWhy donāt you finish making your list for him?ā
āI already printed it out.ā Itās in the pocket of my jeans. Akara suggested I bullet-point the ārules of my lifeā for the unknown person.
Like #32: I take pictures with fans in real time and let them post the pics. Not all of my cousins or siblings allow this. It gives the public and media a timestamp of where I am. And itās considered dangerous.
A safety threat.
But Iāve lived my life beneath a spotlight since I was in the womb. I donāt give a shit if someone knows where I am at so-and-so time. Chances are, paparazzi will find me anyway.
After placing my glass down on the bar, I rake a hand through my disheveled, light brown hair. The strands are dyed from their natural dark-brown hue.
I know that you know what I look like. Youāve seen my face on the front page of tabloids. All while you were checking out two-percent milk, maybe a Kit-Kat bar, hopefully a can of Fizz.
I have forest-green eyes that dagger the souls of those who fuck with my family. Sharp cheekbones that look like knives, and a lean-cut swimmerās build from my competitive swimming days. You may not know that Burberry and Calvin Klein scouted me when I was eighteen.
I turned them down.
Akara texts. And texts.
For the past five years, heās been a central part of my life. Even if he isnāt my personal bodyguard. As the lead of Security Force Omega, heās in charge of hires, transfers, terminations, and keeping the whole system running. Heās the glue.
The constant.
Heās twenty-five, Thai-American, MMA-trained but specialized in Muay Thai, and he owns the Studio 9 Boxing & MMA gym down the street. People pack Studio 9 every morning, and evenings are impossible to get into without a referral.
He glances up from his phone. Eyeing me. āYou need to relax.ā
Iām impatient. And Iām overly self-aware. Firmly, I tell him, āIf he doesnāt show by eight, we have to leave.ā I canāt be here when the store opens. Iāll be stuck signing autographs and taking photos for hours on end, and I have a long, long list of things I need to get done.
Iām a CEO of a charity organization that raises millions annually. And I set a goal to raise $300 million for H.M.C. Philanthropies by December. Weāre not even halfway yet.
āHe knows,ā is all Akara says. He knows.
Who the fuck is he? I straighten up, rigid like Iām seconds from joining the National Guard. āDid you at least choose someone who can keep up with me? Heās not going to sputter out after an hour or two?ā I constantly drive back-and-forth from my townhouse, to my work offices, and to the gated neighborhood of my childhood home. Where my three younger siblings still live.
āAgain, relax.ā Akara holds out a hand. āI know you. I wouldnāt put someone on your detail that canāt handle your lifestyle.ā He pushes back his hair and then fits his baseball cap on backwards.
Akara appears approachable right now. Friendly, even.
But I witnessed him staring down a grown fifty-year-old man. Twice his size. Veins protruding in the manās ripped muscles: a known steroid-user. He was also my cousin Beckettās former bodyguard. And he fucked up. He let a cameraman slip into a public bathroom while my cousin was pissing in a urinal.
Akara laid into the bodyguard. Yelling, scoldingāand I just watched this much younger guy make a middle-aged man cry. Tears just streaming down his face. Akara made him feel like he committed involuntary manslaughter.
I realized thatās why most bodyguards say, āDonāt piss off the SFO lead.ā Pissing off Akara is like putting your ass on death row.
Boom.
Our heads whip to the tinted store windows. Four preteens just ran into the glass, bouncing on their toes. They scream a variety of names, mine included, and they cup their hands to the window. Trying to peer inside.
I smile.
Itās funny. If I thought it wasnāt, Iād be irritated every minute of every single day. Typically, thereās a line outside of the store until closing, so Iām not surprised people are already here before eight.
āOne, two, three,ā they all count together before shrieking, āMAXIMOFF HALE!ā
My lips stretch wider.
You, as in the four preteens and also the whole worldāyou all know me as Maximoff Hale. CEO of a nonprofit charity, one-time philosophy major, competitive swimmer, son of a sex addict mother and recovering alcoholic father, and the steadfast older brother to three and cousin to eleven.
Youāre obsessed with my perpetual āsingleā relationship status, and youāve never seen me publicly date anyone. On occasion that I wasnāt careful enough, youāve seen photos of me bringing home random girls or guys.
You know Iām not serious about them.
You know theyāll only last one night. Not one damn string attached.
You donāt know really anything about our bodyguards. Like how they exist in our lives as close as family members. Itās their duty to maintain anonymity with the public, and you canāt keep an eye on them or know them the way that we do.
So you know nothing about Akara Kitsuwon and the rest of Security Force Omega.
Akara grins at the three girls and one boy who canāt see us, but we can see them flailing excitedly and taking selfies. āThis shit never gets old.ā
I raise my OJ. āImmortal entertainment.ā Two homemade signs smack the window.
I read one: FUCK ME, MAXIMOFF HALE! She looks twelve, pigtail braids and braces.
My jaw muscle tenses. āJust kidding.ā Thatās not fucking funny. It should go without saying, but Iād never have sex with a preteen or teenager or anyone who looks on the cusp of being that young. Jesusā¦twelve. I have a sister that age.
Iām not against hooking up with fans. Itās pretty much inevitable, but it has to be a.) consensual and b.) someone of legal age and c.) a one-time thing.
Akara scrutinizes the preteens. āThe scary part,ā he says, āthat shit doesnāt even faze me anymore.ā He eyes the lock on the store entrance before returning to his cellphone.
The other sign from her friend: I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES, XANDER HALE!!
Xander is my fourteen-year-old brother.
My shoulders square, but I try to brush that sign off without a long thought. Akara resumes texting again. I lean forward. Still not able to see his screen.
āHot date?ā I ask.
Akara quickly says, āNo.ā Then he removes his elbows off the counter. Sitting up. āItās Sulli.ā
Sullivan Meadows. My nineteen-year-old cousin.
āSulliās blowing up your phone?ā I give him a look. āDidnāt you tell her that youāre with me?ā I needed a bodyguard just to drive here and meet a new bodyguard. The irony. I asked Akara if there was anyone available from Omega, and he offered himself.
āI thought sheād be asleep until nine, at least.ā
I wait for him to add more.
He stops there.
āWhy?ā I try not to snap. I swear the whole security team enjoys keeping me out of the loop. I could get twice as much information by just asking my family. But I restrain myself from texting Sulli.
āIt doesnāt matter,ā he says evasively and eats another bite of bagel while messaging my cousin.
āIt does to me. Sheās my family.ā Sheās not a part of security. Sheās on my side. Famous.
Three famous familiesāthe Hales, the Meadows, the Cobaltsāare permanently bound together because our moms are sisters. The Calloway sisters, to be exact. And the Calloways, namely my grandfather, founded Fizzle: a soda company so world-renowned that they beat Coca-Cola in sales for the past decade.
Fizzle is part of why weāre all famous.
But itās not the whole story.
I add, āI can just text her myself.ā I reach for my phone, but he caves, nodding to me.
Once he swallows his food, he says, āShe kept yawning on our way back from a state park. She didnāt get home until three a.m.ā He sends another text. āI shouldāve known sheād wake up.ā His eyes flit to me. āShe has FOMEFT.ā
Fear of Missing Every Fucking Thing.
My lips rise.
Sulli coined it herself. The most predictable thing about my younger cousin is the least predictable thing: sleep.
Iād think itās strange that Akara knows these details about Sulli, but heās her personal bodyguard. Heās been assigned to Sullivan since she was sixteen. If anyone knows her life habits, itās him.
It hits me again. The thought Iāve been swatting away like a bee: someone is about to know my life habits that intimately too.
Great.
I lean on the counter, arms crossed over my green crew-neck shirt. And then my muscles bind as the lock starts to rotate on the tinted-glass door.
Someone is entering. Someone who was given a key.
My new bodyguard.
Heās finally here.
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Krista Ritchie
Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins--one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek--but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.
For more information visit www.kbritchie.com
Stay up to date on new releases, bonus content, and more by signing up for Krista & Becca's newsletter. To sign up, copy and paste this link into your browser: www.kbritchie.com/newsletter
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Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5
3,738 global ratings
Hockeymom
5
worthy of reading over and over
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
This review is for all 13 books as they are equally good. I am now reading the series for the 3rd time. My top 2 favorite series. I absolutely love the characters and the storylines. There is something for everyone, Het, MM and poly. BUT I find myself strangely unsettled this time around and finally figured it out. I want more. More especially of Xander, Charlie, Tom and Beckett with their bodyguards. These characters did not get their full story and it seems like there is much more to tell. And of course, especially MORE of Maximoff and Farrow, great as a couple in work and play. I hope the authors are not tired of this wonderful family. I would love to continue reading.
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The Books Whisperers
5
Get Ready to feel ALL THE FEELS!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
The twins do it again. Just when I didn't think the Addicted series characters could get any better Becca and Krista Ritchie give us Damaged Like Us. This is a spin off series from the original Addicted series and it pick up with the Hale, Cobalt, and Meadows kids as adults. This first book centers on everyone's favorite adorable kid Maximoff Hale. If you read the Addicted Series you'll remember Maximoff as the Batman loving, water addicted swimmer, adorable little kid and big brother to the Hale kids, Luna, Xander, and Kinney. At the end of the Addicted series it's mentioned that Maximoff Hale is a loving, kind, loyal and responsible little boy who is constantly taking on more than he should to the chagrin of his parents especially his father Loren Hale. Not much has changed in the Damaged Like Us series for Maximoff Hale except we find out in this book that he's come out as bi-sexual. The entire world is focused on him and his actions and Maximoff Hale is VERY aware of that, allowing public opinion to dictate his actions to a large extent. Maximoff a.k.a Moffy to his friends and family is still struggling to get the world to see that Loren Hale is his biological father and he takes great pains to distance himself from his Uncle Ryke whom he bears a marked physical resemblance to. In this new series Moffy and Jane are the closest and best-est of friends not just because they're cousins but because the intense scrutiny in their lives has made it impossible for them to trust anyone outside of the immediate family. Later the media will twist this relationship, as they are known to do, anytime these families get together, or hell just exist. The story begins with Moffy getting a new bodyguard one he doesn't want. Enter Farrow Keene 27 year old bodyguard to Lily Hale now being transferred to Moffy's detail. There's a complicated relationship already in place between Moffy and Farrow that highlights the fact that these two have known each other since they were kids as Farrow's father was and still is the families concierge doctor. Here's what these two authors do so well. They take a volatile subject, addiction, alternate lifestyle, paparazzi, family dynamics and they make these characters who deal with, experience, and live through these situations believable, relatable, and above all HUMAN. We see Moffy struggle to deal with the insensitivity and hostility that comes with being born into a famous family. We see his kindness in spite of or maybe because of all of that. We see him as a person with flaws but who struggles every day to navigate the treacherous waters of his life under the intense eye of the media and we see him (for the most part) succeed. The best part, the very best part in my not so humble opinion is seeing him learn to trust enough to fall in love. To LOVE to open himself to that vulnerability and we get to see him be loved in turn. I can't tell you what these books have meant to me. As the child of an alcoholic parent it was validation to read the Addicted Series and to know, to feel, to UNDERSTAND exactly what Loren Hale dealt with in his own home with his own alcoholic father. As a woman it was vindication to watch Lily Hale overcome an addiction that society would turn into something awful and filthy. To see her strength in overcoming that. Maximoff Hale's story only further cements why these books have gathered such a huge following. Why we as readers have fallen in love with these people. Becca and Krista Richie give real emotions, real stories, real situations that many of us are either dealing with now or have dealt with in the past. These books are like literary therapy. They show us the light at the end of very dark tunnels and they give us the courage and the fortitude to keep going. Becca and Krista always approach these topics with sensitivity and tolerance allowing us to explore our own morality and sexual identity in a safe and positive way. If you read nothing else this year you have to read Damaged Like Us.
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16 people found this helpful
Debbie Cagle
5
BEST AUTHORS
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2024
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I have read all of Krista and Becca Richie books. They are amazing! This is one of my favorites. I have re read them all many times. They make the characters so vivid that you think they are real and feel you are part of the story. As well as part of the friend group and family. I definitely recommend you will not be disappointed
Alison Silva
5
Finished in one siting
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
I truly enjoyed this book. I ignored my sleep schedule to continue reading it š. Canāt wait to continue reading the series !
Ashley
5
FIVE STARS THOOOO <3 IT WAS AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL AND EVERYTHING I WANTED
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2017
Verified Purchase
There might be some vague spoilers since Iāll be posting a few quotes from the book, but nothing major that will ruin the book for you. Anything that might be considered a direct spoiler will be behind a spoiler cut. Possible spoilers for past bookās and the addicted series.
FIVE STARS THOOOO <3 IT WAS AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL AND EVERYTHING I WANTED!!!!!! Please BUY the book (K & B deserve the money, tbh!!!) and give it a chance. I wish I had read it slower because I donāt want to have to wait for more.
Okay, so this is my first m/m romance book. I read more f/f romance (when I can actually find a good one ļ) cause I love watching other girls fall in love while I lay in bed in ratty pajamas and stuff my face with junk food. So I wasnāt sure what to expect because female characters are who I fall in love with first when reading (because men are literally from hell and girls are angels), but I should know by now to trust that Krista and Becca will make me fall in love with the characters & story.
Maximoff Hale ā I already knew going in that I was going to love him and route for his happy ending. Hell, Iām 100% sure we all loved is batman loving butt the second he was born. K & B managed to make him a perfect picture of both his parents. The boy has cheekbones for days. Moffyās got a big heart and gives himself completely to those love. Watching him spit out sarcastic replies reminded me so much of Loren that I was constantly nostalgic and dying for a re-read of the addicted series. His relationship with Jane and his siblings was one of my favorite parts of this book. Even when we didnāt get to see them in person, they were still a strong presence in his life and in this book. I love how brave and honest he was about being himself. Iām super glad K & B went for the bisexual label since a lot of the time thatās such a taboo word in the media.
Farrow Keene ā Oh my god, he was utter perfection. For some reason he was permanently this super serious and gruff bodyguard. Even when we got little snippets from K & B, I still couldnāt switch off that he was some tough alpha dude. He still was a tough alpha dude, but he was genuinely so funny. Like, he constantly made me laugh throughout the book. Heās serious about his job and protecting Moffy, but he was also teasing and fun. I think he was a good balance for Moffy because he held too much of the world on his shoulders. Heās someone Iād love to hang out with, but heās too damn hot and I feel like I would end up nervous lmao
Relationship - Oh man, watching them slowly fall into this easy friendship and partnership was so beautiful to watch. The way Farrow slowly let Maximoff take control without compromising his safety was amazing. I swear K & B write some of the healthiest relationships, which is funny considering the main six started out in their relationships. They know how to write bad boys without making them gross or abusive. Theyāre soft and they have emotions and they cry. Itās just refreshing to see relationships that arenāt one sided and full of trust. Theyāre not just lovers, but theyāre friends too.
Steam factor ā AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I know K & B said it wasnāt a slow burn, but I swear the sexual tension was killing me before I even started reading. I was on chapter one and wondering when naked fun times were gonna happen. When it did happen? Boy, it was steaming up my glasses. You wonāt be disappointed!
Also, Luna and Kinney are like two halves of me!!! Ghosts and aliens? IāM IN LOVE. I seriously need a book for every character. IāM WILLING TO BEG TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. LIKE ON MY KNEES AND THROWING MONEY LEFT AND RIGHT!!! Lmao Iāll cry if we donāt get a story for the rest of kids. The family dynamics are giving me life and I LOVE it.
Thank you, Krista and Becca! For always being on point and making me laugh and gush over fictional characters. You guys wormed your way to my top rated and auto buy authors for me.
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7 people found this helpful
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