Audiobook Review: Damaged Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Damaged Like Us (Like Us, #1) by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Series: Like Us #1
Published by Audible Studios on September 19, 2017
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Alexander Cendese, J.F. Harding
Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ, New Adult, Romance


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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.

I just fell in love with a bisexual god named Maximoff Hale, a rich philanthropist who excels at everything. The man is fiercely devoted to and protective of every single member of his enormous family. Selflessly, Maximoff only indulges in one night stands, refusing to subject lovers to the public scrutiny a more serious romantic relationship with him would cause. He’s the perfect specimen. His hot tatted and pierced bodyguard, Farrow, is no slouch either.

The plot is strong and entertaining, but the narrative is waaaaaaay too cock-centric for my tastes. I lost count of the number of references to cocks: hard cocks, beautiful cocks, throbbing cocks. Here a cock, there a cock, everywhere a cock cock. I get that Maximoff is highly sexual, but I feel like too much sex talk cheapens the bond between him and Farrow—which the story tries to make clear is about so much more than just physical attraction. Still, these two are extremely charismatic characters with fantastic chemistry.

The blurb says Damaged Like Us can be read without reading any previous Krista and Becca Ritchie books, but I feel like I would have benefitted from reading the previous related series (Addicted and The Calloway Sisters). I’m sure it would have made some of the connections between the parents and the children more meaningful. Heck, it would have made the need for every family member to have their own personal 24/7 bodyguard easier to understand. It didn’t dampen my enjoyment, though. Damaged Like Us ends on a mild cliffhanger, and I definitely plan to continue on with the next book. I’m hoping to learn even more about Farrow.

Alexander Cendese and J.F. Harding are perfectly cast as the narrators. The richness of their voices fit my idea of Maximoff and Farrow, and a variety of distinctive characterizations bring forth clear images of all the other characters. Their vocal performances wonderfully enhance the story.

Recommended for fans of:
Lifestyles of the rich and famous
M/M romance
Bodyguards

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