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Before Stephanie Carovella had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, she was damaged.

Stephanie Carovella has been running from her past all her life. The survivor of a brutal attack, which left her best friend dead, she has carefully built a protective wall around herself, but she knows sooner or later her past is going to catch up with her. It’s why she doesn’t want to fall in love. It’s why she doesn’t want to let anyone get too close.

Dominic Delaney works hard and plays just as hard. He’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em guy who doesn’t believe in forever until Stephanie walks into Outlaws. She is wild, unpredictable and dangerous as hell, yet, he’s drawn to her. He needs to know the secrets behind her eyes. He can’t walk away.

A sexy, tattooed womanizer, Dominic Delaney’s everything Stephanie wants to avoid. She knows she should stay the hell away from him, but he makes her want to stop running. Sometimes, even the Damaged deserve to fall in love.

* Please note this is a prequel series set 10 years before the Stephanie Carovella series. The second novel Stephanie and Dominic novel will be out in 2015.

(Click on the book cover to read my review)

**I would suggest reading the Stephanie Carovella series first**

From the start, I have been a major Dominic Delaney fan, and upon finishing Damaged, I am positively convinced that no matter how many books Ms. D’Angelo writes for her Carovella series there will never be another male specimen more perfect for Stephanie than Dominic Delaney. And this says a lot as I have always bounced between Dom and Jase for our girl. I absolutely adore Jase and actually begged Nina to give him and Steph their HEA. That sentiment has changed now. As I said above, I have come to the conclusion that it is Dom or no one. With that said, I need me more Dom and Steph. So glad, Nina has decided to keep writing the Outlaws series. I’d have to say, Damaged also solidified Dom as one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends. 

Huge kudos to Nina D’Angelo for taking us straight back to the very beginning with this striking installment about friendship and love at first sight. Normally, I shy away from anything resembling instant love, but I think Steph and Dom worked for me because I was already previously invested in their story; therefore, they did not feel anywhere close to instant to me. We met both characters in Nowhere to Run and Nowhere to Hide. Within these books, we learn that the main protagonists have a deep attachment to each other that has already been established. The author gives us an in depth glimpse inside the dynamics of their history, deep love, and explosive relationship, making the reader anxious to get their greedy little hands on their back-story. 

In the Carovella series, Stephanie’s life is pure craziness, never a dull moment; it holds so many twists and turns that you never know exactly where the author or characters are taking you. The entire read you are holding on to the edge of your seat, trying to figure out where each piece fits into the puzzle. I think what I loved the most about the Outlaws series is that Dominic balanced our girl out and seriously slowed the craziness down a bit. While there were still twists and turns, Damaged focused more on Stephanie and Dom’s developing relationship. This version of their lives opened us up intimately to this couple both intellectually and emotionally. I felt the author shined with the flawless insight into the intricacy of both characters. I can honestly say there was not anything one dimensional about either protagonist. Both, Stephanie and Dominic, were wrapped up in layers of façade, damaged to the core; that is until they found each other. In my opinion, Nina D’Angelo nailed these characters. She wrote them with such precision that they stayed true to who they were perceived as in the previous books.

With that said, I adored these characters, but holy hell did they ever frustrate me. Sometimes, I really wanted to smack them and tell them to start fricken communicating. If Dominic and Stephanie actually communicated about the deeper things, I think most of mine and their trepidation would have disappeared. 

And Dom—oh my gosh did that man piss me right the hell off with his little stunt. I mean I totally got it and all, but still—damn you Dominic Delaney. I wanted to kick him so hard in the junk. There were other ways of handling that little (or not so little) twist. In that moment, I doubted him; however, I didn’t doubt him for long. He earned my devotion back rather quickly. 

One thing I can say about Ms. D’Angelo is that she never fails to provide an amusement park full of emotions, taking you on a myriad of rides you aren’t totally sure you actually want to get off of. Her writing is so engaging and infectious, I find myself devouring her books within hours. I am always sad to see these characters go on their way, and I am seriously impatient in my wait for the next editions. I have been reading Ms. D’Angelo’s books since the beginning and with each new one she cements herself as one of my favorite authors.