#1 A Girl Like Her ★★★★★
#1.5 Damaged Goods ★★★★★
#2 Untouchable ★★★★★
#3 That Kind of Guy ★★★★★

She was different now. She was a little bit ruined. She was damaged.

When we first met Laura in A Girl Like Her, it was hard for me to know what to make of her. The fact that she was married to Daniel — Ruth's abusive ex, if you don't recall — and pregnant with his child was enough to make one wary of her, but knowing Talia Hibbert's writing as I did, I knew to expect better from her than the vilification of an abuse victim, so I went into Damaged Goods feeling optimistic and hopeful.

"It's rather simple. You met her. You fell in love with her. You never saw her again. You never fell out of love.

Right from the start, it's clear that Laura is nothing like Daniel, and no longer wants anything to do with him — and I loved her. She's a powerhouse, and she deserves only the best in life, which luckily for Samir, happens to include the total teddy bear of a former flame she finds in her old beach town. Samir Bianchi is one of the most lovable, incredible romance heroes I've ever met, and I will forever sing his praises. (He's also half-Moroccan, if you're curious about the rep in this book!)

Really, half-nakedness was highly irresponsible, coming from a man who looked like that.

I also have to say that, despite the fact that there is some triggering content in the base plot (after all, Laura is an abuse survivor), Damaged Goods is overall one of the cutest, happiest, funniest, and most tender romances I've ever read. I laughed out loud at so many quotes (my endless favorite being: "Permission to beat the shit out of your husband?"), and I just honestly look back on this entire story and these characters with so much fondness, it's sickening. ♥