Pretty good books with a few surprises and some very toasty scenes.... I just love an alpha male.... A great read...

Aria has been told by her she is not good enough along with many other hurtful words. Grant who is also feeling worthless with MC is now only allowed to work with the dogs and so these two souls meet and bond over the animals. Each has low self-esteem. Aria is maybe lower than Grant for her mother is constantly telling negative words killing slowly. Grant and Aria though slowly bond and this is what makes this story work. There are other things going on but really for me, this was the main story. A good book and worth the read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the 2nd in a series, but reads well as a stand alone This has an interesting story plot. The characters are damaged both due to parents. Really sort of sad. I did like this but are all MC's this violent? 3.5 stars

i enjoyed this book. aria's trauma was very relatable as regards to her weight and body image. I just also loved their love story so much. i recommend.

First of don't read this book if you have any triggers about dieting, weight, eating habits.

I didn't mind this book but some things felt too much. Like I don't mind a FMC who has deep insecurities and self esteem issues, but pairing it with a family that is terrible, bff's boyfriend who he terrible, a personal trainer that shouldn't be one AND a MMC who has issues with attracted to larger women it all felt too much. Like this poor woman had no pure loving support system. Like not one person who wasn't tainted.

I received an arc of this book for an honest review

This is the second book in the Chaos and Carnage MC series however this can be read as a stand-alone. Firstly I didn't like how this jumped straight into the story with very triggering connect surrounding weight and bullying. I also thought the writing style wasn't for me it felt quite cringey the way characters spoke to each other and I felt like it was for a younger audience however because of the romance and smut in this I don't think it would be suitable for another age so it is hard to really pin this book down. I just don't think this fitted with the writing style I like and I do think this has a good plot for the right audience it's just not me.

In complete transparency, this just wasn’t the book for me. I did like the story line but the writing felt a bit juvenile and it seemed to be in third person POV, i didn’t like however that is a personal preference. The dialog felt a little pushed. Like it wasn’t a natural dialog.

I do think it’s a great point for this author to further their career! There is always things to learn. For me this wasn’t my taste though!

I loved this book! I loved seeing Grant’s character develop from the 1st book! There is some spicy with a bunch of chemistry!

This book was ok, the writing style just wasn’t for me.

* Given to me for free by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sam Crescent is amazing at writing a curvy and vulnerable fmc without making her annoying and naive. I love that I was able to feel the emotions Aria was experiencing throughout with her body image and her family.

You should read this if you like:
▪️curvy fmc
▪️mc club
▪️small town
▪️alpha male
▪️unplanned pregnancy (I secretly love this trope)

As always, check your tw. There is a lot of trauma in this one!

Thank you netgalley for the copy!

3.5 stars

This one was a bit complicated for me. I enjoyed the overall story and the action with the club. I even felt like Grant redeemed himself from book one but I feel the story focused a lot on the Aria’s weight. I understand that she was a curvy woman, and her insecurities stemmed from her weight and her family’s treatment of her but the continual mention of it made the story drag a bit. I did enjoy it though and I’ll definitely be looking for the next book in the series.

Damaged Souls has a bit of everything for every reader! Cartel? Check. Animal lovers?
Check. Romance? Check.
The two main characters, Aria and Grant, unknowingly have similar abusive pasts which lead them on a journey to learn self-love…all the while dealing with animal-mappings, murders and dark pasts that come back to haunt them!
This is a quick-read book I'd recommend to any readers of the gang/cartel fan club, as well as YA romance.

Why a 3/5 rating: I enjoyed reading this book, however not to the point where I'd read it again. I feel like Damaged Souls has too many “fingers” in too many niches for such a quick-read. I also feel like the main character (Aria) has a much younger/naive feeling outlook on life than her 25 years should have, which gives her perspective a much younger feeling overall.

This book was a decently written book about Aria and Grant's wild love story. It held my interest and was definitely a roller coaster of a relationship. Being a curvy girl myself, I could relate to all of Aria's self doubt and insecurities. I'm assuming that this is a second book because it often referred back to another couple and past events. I was still able to read and understand what was going on without reading the first book but I wish I would have read the first book to get a better understanding of Grant's past. All in all, it was a good book, I just wish she would have embellished more about Aria's rescue from the hotel.

Aria, I liked her A LOT from the very beginning of this book. She is feeling insecure, after her mother's continued snide comments about her size. She meets the troubled Grant, who is carrying baggage from a vicious father.
Their story is a long slow burn story with lots of emotion. He knows he wants her, she isn't so sure. Dogs bring them closer (Grant certainly loves his pooch) and as their relationship heats up outside activities slowly and surely help Grant recover from his childhood, Aria gets supported by him when her mum starts picking on her. So much to love about this book - emotional, family, pets, sexy times, love of family and two people who simply 'work' and support each other.

There is nothing worse than parents who don't accept their children for who they are. Aria and Grant's story can trigger. Physical and emotional abuse and its consequences play a major role here.

Aria and Grant's relationship is constantly overshadowed by their childhood imprints. Grant is the driving force behind wanting to change this situation for the better. It's not easy, there are regressions, but when you have someone who stands by you and who believes in you; then everything is possible.

I liked that this story works a lot with emotions. The MC theme does not completely dominate the plot, but is skilfully woven into it.

ARC Review of Damaged Souls by Sam Crescent
* * * * *
A sweet and steamy read between a beautiful curvy young woman struggling with her body, and a hard-headed MC man and former bully moving on from the ghost of his past to be with the girl he wants.

Aria has been harrassed and humiliated about her body forever. Not just from people at school or jerks who think they can have an opinion (including those dating her best friend), but also her own mother - a woman with a seriously strong issue towards diets. Always compared to her beautiful sister. Always ignored beyond her weight.
Now, she is taking it into her own hands.
Grant has been struggling in the MC and with his brother, the man now married to a former target of Grant's back in high school and incharge of his every move. As someone begins to pull the strings on taking rescue dogs from illegal fighting, Grant wants to know what is going on. However, the drama in his personal life has caused enough trouble to make him step away.
Until Aria.
She a beautiful curvy woman. He knows that if she ever found out the truth about his past she would hate him. Grant is going to prove he as changed, and will do everything to step up for her.

It is dogs in it! Of course I am going to love it!
Grant's devotion and guard towards Aria and the topic of her weight when it comes to facing other people and a mirror is lovely and mushy. Grant's relationship with his brother is also an interesting issue to read on, and how the past can still affect us no matter what time does.

Thank you to Netgalley for this copy!

*3.5 stars*

Love and baggage…

This is the second in the series and Grant and Aria’s story continues a story arc started in ‘Size Matters’, the story that brought Bull (Grant’s brother) and Maddie (his now wife) together. Bull and Grant are at odds (still), Grant has made peace with Maddie (finally) and Aria, well she is the new kid on the block…

Aria is struggling with self-esteem issues, family problems and a work situation that finds her directly in Grant’s sights. He’s been watching her, trying to coax her to go out with him, but she simply didn’t believe he was interested. That was all about the change even if the baggage they both carry was really heavy… Once they figured out they both wanted the same things, it all started to fall into place. Until it all fell apart.

If that wasn’t enough, all he** was breaking loose in Carnage and the MC was in the center of it. Alliances, suspicion, betrayal – it was all here and Grant and Aria were caught in the middle. The story was good, the writing style same. If I found the narrative a bit repetitive at times, that didn’t take away from the honest – and very real and negative - emotions they both wrestled with.

Tension-filled, this was a great mix of love story and (sometimes brutal) MC action. Oh and did I mention it has ALL the dogs? It does - enough to melt your heart…

Both Aria and Grant have been told that they are not good enough, that they will always be second to their siblings and have emotional trauma. Together, they manage to move on, help each other grow.

There were moments that i was so frustrated, angry and sad for these characters and what they went through.
On the other side, i wanted a bit more of the MC life and the third act was not that angst-y.

Check your triggers before starting this journey!

I was the wrong audience for this book. The characters were flat and failed to engage me in any way beyond words on a page. The writing was a bit repetitive and I felt as if I was being bludgeoned over the head with the same details/information page after page. The characters had a lot of self hate going on but that seemed to be fixed as soon as they started getting spicy which is highly unrealistic but allowed for fiction. I didn’t connect with the plot or the writing of this one:

Another great book by this author. When Aria meets Grant her only thought was I am not good enough for him, Grant sets out to show her just how perfect she is! Then when someone starts tormenting her can he stop it and is it related to the club

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own