Title: Damaged Goods
Series: All Saints High #4
Author: L.J. Shen
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Genre: New Adult Romance
Tropes: Friends to Enemies to Lovers/Football Romance
From L.J. Shen, the USA Today bestselling author of Pretty Reckless, comes a brand new book in the All Saints series.
Underneath the goody two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her?
Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter. Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak. Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn't. But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey's picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes. She's becoming a piece of gossip. The Troubled Child. A drug abuser. No longer the girl her best friend once knew.
Lev Cole is so golden, he's got the Midas Touch. Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché. But with a girlfriend he doesn't love and a career path he doesn't value, Lev is coasting.
The only two things he cares about, Bailey and becoming a pilot, are out of reach.
But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind.
The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?
Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
This is one of those heartfelt stories that sticks with you. There is an overpowering amount of angst and emotion in this story. This book also signifies the end of an era which is sort of bittersweet.
This author always hooks me with incredible plots. I love the originality when it comes to the execution of the plot. I am always drawn into the story easily. Her author voice is very relatable and her storytelling is brilliant.
These characters are so vibrant and complex. I loved how unique they were and how they had distinct personalities that made them stand apart. The character development in this book is immense and intense. These characters experience so much and have so many vulnerable moments. These characters were crafted so honestly and in such a raw way that they felt tangible. There is an awesome cast of secondary characters that add so much depth to the story.
This is a second-chance friends-to-lovers romance that is super intense. Bailey and Lev's romantic journey was compelling. They had a unique bond that was undeniable. There was a lot of drama but also a lot of healing in their relationship. Their love for each other is so genuine and unconditional.
Overall, this is a poignant and heart-rending story that will bring you to your knees. It has so much complexity and will put your heart through a plethora of emotions. These are characters that you will fall so hard for. I will be on the lookout for this author's next release.
ALSO AVAILABLE
L.J. Shen is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of contemporary, new adult, and young adult romance. Her books have been sold in twenty different countries, and she hopes to visit all of them.
She lives in Florida with her husband, three rowdy sons, and rowdier pets and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows, and reading to her heart’s content.
My name is Vanessa a.k.a. Queen Alchemy. I am a 30-something-year-old mother of four nerdy, fantastic children. We live in the Midwest. I have a reading addiction, and I hope that I never recover! I'm the hugest nerd you can find with interests not limited to the following: comics (Batman and Captain America for the win!), science, computers, zombies, unicorns, Harry Potter, cartoons from the 80's & 90's, Frankenstein, history, crafting, cooking & baking, Star Wars, digital scrapbooking, D&D, Minecraft, Hello Kitty, horror, metalcore, royalty, tattoos & piercings, bright colors, and so much more!
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