DAMAGED by H.M. Ward

 

4.5 STARS
 
I really enjoyed this story.  Sidney leaves Texas to start a new life with her horrible past behind her.  She meets Peter who is a very hot & intriguing man, which she has not come across since she left Texas.  She sits down at his table thinking he is her blind date & he thinks she is just trying to pick him up.  Very cute beginning.  She ends up meeting her real blind date which is a nightmare, leaves & ends up in the parking lot with Peter again who is having car trouble.  She takes him home & ends up getting kicked out of his house after a steamy "almost" love scene & ends up very confused.

Turns out, Peter is a professor at the college she attends, taking over for a prof who dies unexpectedly, who Sidney was a TA for.  They cannot deny their attraction which is more than physical for both of them.  They continue to torture each other with their "forbidden love" since it is against school policy to be together.  Both characters are "damaged" in their own very different way.  We learn of their deep dark secrets & reasons for being so tortured & end up together of course!  Not a spoiler, just common sense :)  I would agree with some reviews that say she is a bit whiny about her horrible life, but I feel it makes you understand her character & I did not feel it was overdone.

The end of the book is a cliffhanger, but you can tell the direction the story is headed in the next book.  I am intrigued so I will definitely look for it when it comes out.

I did not give it 5 stars because I did not fall in love with the characters & I would not say it's one of my absolute favorites, but I thoroughly enjoyed it & highly recommend it.