Damaged and the Outlaw by Bijou HunterMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Two Outsiders
This is the fourth in a series of connected books. Technically you could probably understand the book without reading the previous ones, but you would miss out on a lot if you did so. There is no cliffhanger.
Raven is Lark’s older sister. She ran away when she couldn’t stop fighting with Larry their stepfather. When she got a message from Lark about being pregnant she came home, using it as a reason to leave her failed attempt at life away from her home town. She is brash, aggressive, a roller derby queen, adores her sister, is honest and loves her friends dearly without reservation. She decided when she returned home that she was going to avoid men because everyone she chose was a waste of space and she has terrible taste in them.
Vaughn, or Outlaw as he’s called in the club, used to belong to a different club where he worked as a cleaner. He was co-opted into the club because of his step-father. He never really decided to join, just did what he was told and ended up doing work that he resented. When he finally snapped, he went off the end big time and left with a young abused girl and found safety in his new home. Though he was part of the new club, he never felt like he truly belonged. He was always on the outside looking in because he had a contract out on him and he never expected to live.
When Vaughn and Raven meet they end up deciding to be friends with benefits as they understand that they don’t want to get involved, only that doesn’t seem to take. Their relationship evolves from a one night stand, to friends, to more. I actually really love how the relationship builds and layers up as they spend time together. Both these outsiders find a lot in common with each other, not to mention they make each other laugh. I loved their banter and playfulness.
The author creates tension because of the contract on Vaughn by placing pressure on the relationship and on them as individuals within the larger community. Vaughn isn’t the only one in danger due to his decisions.
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, sexy and emotionally satisfying. This really is a great series and I’m so pleased I discovered it. I’ve not got tired of it yet. By now, I thought I’d be ready to take a break and read something else, but I’m not because the books have enough differences to be interesting, whilst keeping up with the same spirit of the series as a whole. It’s a successful blend.
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