Damaged Goods by Ainslie Paton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. (No Spoilers in this review.) I was looking for a read to sink my teeth into and forget the real world around me existed. Damaged Goods did exactly that.
Miss Paton takes conventional romance, turns it on its head and dunks it right into ice water and that’s what I like about this talented author’s writing. If you’re looking for sweet, tidy and perfect, then this is not the book for you. I would however still recommend you give it your best shot. It’s gritty and hard hitting yet still manages to tug at the heart strings in the romance department.
Miss Paton writes with such wit and charm that even the darkest moments surprise you with a line to make you smile. There is no doubt this author has a unique way with words. Her characters are so real you wonder how on earth they’ll ever get out of the trouble she gets them into. She does so with admirable skill to reach a very satisfying ending.
I was glued to this book and with every chapter hook, I kept turning because I simply could not put it down for wanting to know what happens next. A truly engaging, brilliant read, master penmanship and a unique voice.
The Hard Part is Getting Back Up
This is the story of a man who can’t get it up and a woman who’s never gotten it on.
Sidelined by a broken back, CEO, Owen Lange is confronted by two things: his sex life will never be the same and he’s dependent on his pain meds. He never expected to have his dependence called out as addiction by a junior help desk employee.
Cara Douglas knows all about pain and loss. She’d had her sights set on the US Olympic Gymnastics Team before an accident landed her at a help desk screen. The last thing she expected to be helping with was an intervention for her boss.
Owen doesn’t thank Cara for her trouble. He calls her a snitch. But even through his paranoia he knows she’s right. After all, addiction runs in his family. He also knows he has to make it up to her, but the only thing Cara wants is the one thing Owen can’t give her.
Question: What do an injured athlete finally ready for no-strings sex and a nice guy who can’t get it up have in common?
Answer: Sexual awakening.
Small Town Fiction 