Beautifully Damaged

Beautifully Damaged #1

by L.A. Fiore

Ember Walsh is a trusting soul with the quiet beauty of her late mother, who perished in a mysterious car crash when Ember was three. A little tomboyish from being raised by her father, Ember packs a punch when a stranger gets pushy with her in a bar, catching the steely blue eyes of a tall, gorgeous tattooed man—Trace Montgomery. Still damaged from her last disastrous relationship and warned off the bad boy by friends, Ember fights the smoldering heat that Trace sparks in her when he begins shadowing her like a dark angel.

Burdened by a lifetime of horror and heartbreak, amateur fighter Trace doesn’t want to want Ember. His deep self-loathing keeps him from having any meaningful relationships, but Ember is an itch he can’t scratch. The two push and pull, slowly crumbling their walls, seemingly brought together by fate, because the turmoil that haunts their pasts is interlinked in undeniable ways. But can these two fighters finally lay down their arms?

In Beautifully Damaged, L.A. Fiore delves into deep scars and lets love and forgiveness uncover redemption.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fighters, Abuse, Erotica

370 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2012

About the author

A top 11 Amazon Bestselling author, LA Fiore, wife, mom, identical twin, hybrid author, and extraterrestrial, is a fan of the fermented grape and a dabbler in storytelling. She believes in a happily ever after, but she likes to make her readers work for it. When she's not writing, she can usually be found in the garden or hanging on the deck with her family and friends. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and their four fur babies.

Website: https://www.lafiorepublishing.com
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/lafioreauthor
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Reviews

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. And not in the good way. I rarely write a scathing review of a book--I tend to figure, unto each his own, and if I didn't like a book that doesn't mean it doesn't have an appropriate audience out there somewhere. To be honest though, I felt like I was completely duped and hoodwinked by all of the wonderful reviews of this book. The only "wonderful" thing I can say about this book is that the title is decent, and the book ended--eventually. I feel like I owe it to unsuspecting readers like me who are seeing 4 and 5 star reviews and expecting a 4-5 star book to tell you Run! As fast as you can.

For a point of reference, I read Beautifully Damaged after seeing recommends for it on my kindle account and reading many "rave" reviews. I had just finished a series of contemporary/young adult texts that lived up to their reviews. Here is a list of books that I would rate with a 4 or 5 star review to illustrate my particular tastes: Slammed, Point of Retreat, The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden, Hopeless, Bad Rep, On the Island, Easy, The Edge of Never, Crossfire Series, Beautiful Disaster...just to name a few. I had just finished Hopeless when I ventured into Beautifully Damaged. Like many others, I had seen this title but had been turned off by the cover; in this case, I should have judged the book by its cover. There are a plethora of issues in this text, so I'll try (probably unsuccessfully) to keep my rants to a minimum.

First off--I'll echo what several other people have said about grammar, spelling and punctuation in this text. It is atrocious to the point of distraction. "Dear L. A. Fiore, I would like you to meet my dear friend the coordinating conjunction. Before using the coordinating conjunction, please use a comma. This will join two complete thoughts into one sentence. Thank you." Beyond the fact that the commas seem to be thrown in at random, there are more run-on sentences than there are cheesy orgasm descriptions, and the spelling is just atroshus (see what I did there?). Add to that, the organization of the plot is awful. I can overlook editing issues for a great story. But editing issues and an awful story--I don't think so.

Let's start off with the characterization...oh that's right, there isn't any. I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum, but honestly, there isn't much that can be spoiled in this particular text, so feel free to keep reading without any major "reveals."

Ember: Typical 23 year old virgin living in Manhattan (because that's normal) who is shy, quiet, and apparently has pheromones made of crack because she attracts just about every male that comes in contact with her, yet for the whole of her life up until this point, she's never really been able to date. We don't get to see her personality at all. She is pretty much falling head over heels for Trace the entire time and puts up with everyone's BS around her. Wait, maybe that is her personality...pushover extraordinaire. She makes friends at the snap of a finger and has no need to build a deeper connection with anyone. It seems all of her friends are just as close as family within 5 minutes of meeting her. Lucien is a perfect example. Aside from that, her narration is just obnoxious. She says "Oh my," as if she's a damsel about to faint at any moment. That, and she is continually "blushing up to her hairline..."

Trace: 28 years old, tatted up, perfect body, fights all the time and always wins, and oh yeah, super rich. Again, completely normal. Oh but wait, he's damaged. Not just any type of damaged... yep, you guessed it, he's beautifully damaged. But whose mission in life is it to bring him out of his shell!? Ember's, of course! She's able to take this one-night stand having hound dog to the likes of a slightly yappy, neutered Chihuahua with a "love at first sight" run in.
I'm all for fantasy romances. After all, one doesn't read fiction looking for true stories, but I at least like an illusion of possibility in my fiction. Something more than, "Boy meets girl. Boy loses his testicles to girl. They live happily ever after. The end." This story lacks that growing point and connection--they supposedly have this uh-mazing connection/attraction, but then go weeks and weeks with only talking on the phone and seeing each other occasionally. Then they move in together, oh but still, no sexy time. Barely any sexual tension occurs. It's like that whole issue of their relationship is skipped over and not addressed. Half the fun of "angsty" romance is the build up--this book lacks this completely. At one point, Trace literally says, "I need to be inside you." Then flash forward to weeks later and there has still been no "inside" of anyone. It just doesn't make sense. The transitions and time line of their relationship is confusing and off the mark.

While on the topic of sexual tension (or lack thereof), the dialogue, especially when trying to be "sexy," is unrealistic, dry and stiff--it is about the only thing "stiff" that the pages have to offer. (Horrible pun intended). I cannot get over how unrealistic the character interactions are. Rather than having seemingly natural conversations, the author has dialogue clearly meant to fill her purpose, but it doesn't reflect the character's personalities at all. (At least not the personalities she supposedly assigns to them...or that we as readers infer through our own fill-in-the-blank imaginations...) It is almost comical to read as Ember "Psych 101s" Trace, and Trace has deep revelations about the "coping mechanisms" for his dark past. For someone who is completely unwilling to talk about his past, he certainly seems to have quite the psychological awareness of all of his issues. The whole situation is just so incredulous that I couldn't stop reading. I had to find out if there was something so earth-shattering and redeeming that this book would change my mind and live up to its 4/5 star status. It did not. While I could go on and on about the dialogue, I'll stop to move on to other issues.

I quickly want to hit the living situation. This is Manhattan--one of the most expensive cities one could possibly live in. Lena and Ember have a two bedroom apartment. Ember is a waitress. Not sure about Lena, but it's a bit of a stretch that they can afford that in Manhattan. Oh, but Trace has an even nicer place, and Ember doesn't ever question how he affords it. She doesn't question anything about his finances until she sees his bank account, but still, she only questions to herself and doesn't bring up his 7 figure balance to him. The facts that he buys $1,000 dinners and lives in a fabulous Manhattan apartment are all normal for an amateur fighter. But wait, Trent, who is a bartender also has an apartment with no roommate and plenty of space. So when Ember needs a place to crash, she can move right in with him. I did a little research just to see what is currently available apartment-wise in Manhattan--there aren't even so much as studio apartments available for less than $1,000 a month, let alone multiple bedrooms with "plenty of space." But it is convenient for the story that a bartender could afford a nice, large apartment, so whatevs.

Moving on to the supporting characters, namely Lena and Lucien. There is NO development for them whatsoever, and neither holds a purpose that I could see. Lucien meets Ember at a bar. Correction, shy little Ember sings on stage and plays piano at a bar. Yes, of course our leading lady is musically inclined, and of course she randomly decides to stop being shy and perform for total strangers. I digress. Lucien and Ember go on a date. He realizes she is into someone else (because she is so easy to read). He encourages her to fight for that other guy. They become BFF. The end. Oh, and Ember's super alpha-male "You are MINE" boyfriend has no problem with Ember hanging out one on one with Lucien at any time. Very realistic.

Lena and Ember have supposedly been BFF for forever and are always joined at the hip. But then Lena went to college on an academic scholarship, and while away, she thrived and lost a lot of her token shyness. This is all revealed through a conversation Ember has with her dad. (Note the contradiction that she's never had a boyfriend because she was always too shy, but for 4 years at college she lost her shyness and really came into her own...hmm, that makes sense...). All of the sudden, Lena starts dating Todd--we know nothing about him, how they met, how long they've been dating, etc.--just that they are all of the sudden a couple. And he's apparently bad news who brings out the inner bitch that's just been lying wait in Lena's personality all along. Ember goes from Lena being her best friend, to Lena being a catty self-centered bitch that Ember can no longer stand. I'm sorry, but you're not friends with someone for over a decade when all of the sudden you wake up and realize their personality is a complete 180 from what you thought. If anything, the fact that Ember watches her "best friend" being used and abused by this guy and does nothing about it reflects poorly on her. She even mentions that Lena is too thin, has dark circles under her eyes, is clearly not doing well, but her response is "Welp, she's actually a bitch so who cares if she's in an unhealthy/abusive-ish relationship." The whole thing just does not sit well. *Baby spoiler.* Then, the fact that she just punches Lena multiple times was out of left field. Seriously? Grown women punching each other in the face...a backhand would have been more believable, if physical violence was absolutely on the menu.

Furthering the Lena point is the whole Todd/Dane "conflict." *Minor spoiler alert* (but not really)...I fully believe that there are depraved sociopaths out there who look to hurt/abuse women and get away with it. I fully believe that as a conflict in a well-written book, one of these depraved sociopaths could be after the female protagonist. I do not, however, believe that this sociopath would casually discuss his plans of violent rape to his buddy while in a public restroom. I'm just throwing it out there that one of the whole characteristics of sociopaths is that they DON'T discuss their conquests; rather they thrive on living the whole double life thing. Secondly, even IF Dane had been casually discussing the felony he was planning on committing with dear ol' Lena's innocent little roommate, I seriously doubt that Lena would be knowingly in on the plan. Yet, that is the conclusion that Ember and Trace immediately come to: "Well, Dane is going to rape you, and Lena is going to spend the night at Todd's so she must have been part of the plan..." It just doesn't make ANY sense. Furthermore, the development of Dane is just NOT THERE. I didn't believe him as a threat. Period.

Oh but wait, there isn't just the crazy rapist after Ember, there is also a whole murder mystery surrounding Trace's parent's murder 13 years earlier. Oh, and Ember's mother's death by hit and run 20 years earlier. There couldn't possibly be some sort of connection...could there? But it gets better. It turns out that Ember's uncle on her mother's side is also a private investigator--it just becomes apparent that he never tried to privately investigate the death of his sister, because if he would have, then he would have discovered all the crazy things he comes to discover 20 years later. Maybe it never occurred to him to try to get closure by using his profession. I mean, why would a private investigator try to find details about the untimely death of his only sister?

Okay, this rant review is starting to get as long and tedious as the book. Suffice it to say, I could go on about the storyline issues. The fact that there are WAY too many things happening in this book, and none of them got the attention/development needed. The fact that the character interactions are ridiculous and unrealistic. The fact the even the sex scenes are blah, bleck, boring and repetitive. I mean, the poor girl loses her virginity and he doesn't even offer some foreplay to get her ready, or slow entrance. Nope, he slams that bad boy in with one thrust. I guess it's like ripping off a band aid. The whole thing just oozed (yuck, unintentional visual) 50 shades/Black Dagger Brotherhood meets college age romance wannabe with no real story line focus. It's like the author took all of the trendy plotline details from popular books over the last year and tried to cram them into one 300-ish page text. When Trace "crams" into Ember, he promises it will fit--the author's cramming, however, does not.

Please, do yourself a favor and read another book. Any other book. And if you still choose to read this--just know that you've been warned. I think I'm going to go buy a cake pop.

[Kinsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was such a huge disappointment for me! I hate being too critical in my reviews for I know how much work and effort authors invest into their books, but I can't sugar coat it. Too me, this was not a very good book. I can see why others would like it, I get the appeal, but there was just so much wrong with this that I couldn't even stand to finish it. I hate to say it, but this is my first DNF ever!

What's it about?
Beautifully Damaged, is about Ember Walsh and Trace Montgomery. Ember Walsh is the shy, quiet one who enjoys staying at home and reading classic novels instead of going out to bars and hooking up with guys. However, on one occasion she goes out with her best friend and she meets our inked bad boy Trace. From the moment they meet sparks fly, and instead of being the quiet one that she's always been, Ember decides she wants him. Completely.

Trace Montgomery is a tattooed, possessive fighter, and a womanizing bad boy to boot. However there's much more to Trace than just his hot alpha male goodness. He's also got a disturbing past filled with dark and traumatic secrets. Secrets that no matter how much love he has for Ember, he can never let out...

While Trace may be a legitimate fighter, Ember Walsh is going to be doing a different kind of fighting... she's going to be fighting for him, for she sees the beautifully damaged man beneath the facade.

"There was a dark side to Trace Montgomery. It should be my clue to stay away but, despite that darkness, my gut was telling me there was so much more to him than the callous, womanizing hothead that he was rumored to be -- that there was a really good man underneath.

Sounds good huh? I thought so too, and while this book has a lot of potential it failed to keep my attention and engage me. There was supposed to be this epic love and passion in their relationship and I didn't feel any of it.

I found Ember to be one of the most annoying doormat heroines that I've EVER read. She had no backbone. I get that you want to fight for your man, but there comes a point when you have to stand up for yourself. He's gone most nights and doesn't come home rarely ever? He leaves you at home and goes and flirts with other women and you don't question him? Honey, that's not fighting for a man, that's having no backbone. While Trace may have his reasons for acting the way he does, Ember doesn't know that and she continuously puts up with his crap even when she thinks that he's cheating on her. Stupid. She was probably the main reason I couldn't continue this book. I wasn't a fan of Trace either. Unlike Travis Maddox, who I fell in love with immediately, I felt no connection to either of these characters. I honestly didn't care what happened in their pasts because I couldn't even care what happened to them next and that's saying something..

BTW, can I mention the fact that everyone in this book is either psycho or an attempted rapist?

"I'm all kinds of fucked up, Ember, and there are going to be times when I can't give you everything you deserve, like when I storm out or shutdown. My demons -- I've had them for so long that I've grown accustomed to them but when I'm with you, the demons are quiet and for the first time in my life there's peace. You're my balm, my lifeline, Ember, and everything that this fucked-up man has to give you: this body, my heart and my damaged soul, is yours. You said that for you, it's me and that's how it is for me. You, it's you, Ember."

Moving on to the secondary characters! When I first started this book I got really excited for I thought that Trace's best friend and Ember's friends would actually serve a purpose. They didn't, in fact all they did was annoy me. Instead of giving them a personality all the secondary characters came off flat and not well written, not to mention Ember's father is supposed to be this awesome guy yet after Ember finds out Trace supposedly cheats on her all her dad says is, "Are you sure you saw what you saw?" I'm sorry but if my father found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me he would be on his doorstep ready to punch him not taking Trace's side....

Only thing I'll give this book credit for is potential and some beautiful quotes...

I feel bad writing a review to solely rant about it, however there wasn't many good things to say about the parts that I read. Since I didn't finish this and only read around 55 percent of it, if you want to read this book, read it! I'm not trying to discourage anybody from reading it since some of my friends on here loved it! I felt like it was either a hit or miss with some people and unfortunately it was just a miss for me.

"Despite your destructive personality, I really hope that one day you'll love someone the way that I love you, someone you are willing to fight, lose and hurt for. Whoever that very lucky woman is, I hope that she loves you just as much."

"It isn't everyday a wish comes true and you, Ember, are the answer to my wish."

[Georgia ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 so beautiful and so damaged STARS



I'll tell you what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter.

An emotional story of a scarred man and the woman that loved him. Is it enough not just forget, but forgive the past? The sins of the father will forever haunt the son? Are we doomed to loneliness and despair?

This book about Trace and Ember, is so much more than a story of person who feels inadequate of love, undeserving a future. A sexy story, that sex isn't what drives it. It presents us with a decent mystery to keep turning the pages, intrigued and with enough heartbreak to clench our heart and catch our breath...

Ember Walsh
A young woman, fresh out of college with dreams. A strong individual, a little bit shy, but independent, determined. She doesn't run, doesn't doubt. She knows her heart, speaks her mind and fights for what she want. Her man, her flawed Trace.



I loved Ember. It is so refreshing to read about a heroine that doesn't bolt at the first hurdle. She has known heartbreak. But that will not stop her from claiming what it is hers.... Trace.

Trace Montgomery



"I just need a minute, Ember." "Why?" "It isn't everyday a wish comes true and you, Ember, are the answer to my wish."

A haunted man, a damaged soul. The mysterious and intriguing Trace broke my heart and had me crying. The gorgeous man, hides an abused child. Perfectly imperfect, he doesn't know love. When he is granted Ember, every dream comes true. But he doesn't believe in dreams, having lived only in nightmares. Doesn't believe in happily every afters and love.

Will he succeed in pushing her away? Will his torment ever end?



I was torn between throttle Trace and smother him with kisses. You can't really fault him for his actions. He has known only indifference and abuse, but I was pulling my hair out with this self-sabotaging man, second-guessing himself. Arrogant and possessive, thick-headed and achingly sweet.

Your ID is EmberLove and your password is Mine.

Trace is not a man to mess with. Literally and figuratively a fighter, he'll protect what it's his, if he doesn't succeed in destroying it first.

"Hello, Mr. Walsh. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Completely, totally, hopelessly. Thank you, sir. Goodbye, sir."

If love isn't enough, this book delivers a solid mystery. Not giving away any clues, keeps you on your toes, with twists and turns and a great cast of secondary characters.

This book has a love/hate relationship going on with its readers. I can see why it didn't work for some but don't discard it without a chance. Yes there are mistakes. The editing could be better. I didn't care... Let it won you over as it did with me and if it doesn't, I don't think that you'll feel that it was a waste of time...

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

DON'T LET THE GRAMMAR-NAZIS SWAY YOU - THIS IS A GREAT STORY
This story is so good that you can overlook any issue with technical crap.

"I'm all kinds of fucked up, Ember, and there are going to be times when I can't give you everything you deserve, like when I storm out or shutdown. My demons - I've had them for so long that I've grown accustomed to them but when I'm with you, the demons are quiet and for the first time in my life there's peach. You're my balm, my lifeline, Ember, and everything that this fucked-up man has to give you: this body, my heart and my damaged soul, is yours. You said that for you, it's me and that 's how it is for me. You, it's you, Ember."

"My, what big muscles you have." He looked at me right in the eyes when he replied, "That's a very appropriate reference, my dearest Ember, since I fully intend to eat you."

Okay so you have your typical mousy virgin, book slut and over bearing best friend / roommate and enter hotter than what should legally be allowed - womanizing, fighting, tattooed, rich, bad boy. But this story that starts off as a good girl falls for bad boy turns dark quickly and then it veers right past dark and heads straight into crazy town.

Ember finds herself being rescued by a man that is dangerously delicious one night - but in a city as big as Manhattan she surely won't ever run into him again. Wrong. After some encounters and her blatant stint as a stalker they become close - then he does what all of our favorite bad boys do - pushes her away and shuts down. But Ember is falling for Trace Montgomery and is bound to get to the bottom of his secrets that make him feel that he is unworthy of love. What has caused his beautiful damage?

This is where all hell breaks loose. So my recommendation - get a board, some push-pins, yarn and some pens. Start tracking the players and links they hold - this romance turns into a suspense/mystery quickly with multiple story lines playing out. You have the path to uncover secrets, intersecting pasts that start to surface, a sick fuck that is a stalker, rapist and nut job that keeps popping up and a great romance unfolding all before your eyes.

This story has twists and turns so hold the fuck on. I tried to anticipate each plot turn, but then suddenly something else was thrown in that floored you. Every time you were close to closure another wrench was thrown in - but it all worked.

I found myself thinking up the most outrageous ending to this - and ended up partially right (remember that monkey wrench). I read the lines and I instantly got goosebumps from the moment when it all becomes clear. This story gets sexy, intense and dark. But it is such a perfect blend that you are pulled into it.

Ember and Trace were perfect - two souls that had a need for each other far beyond anything you could imagine.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

'totally, completely, hopelessly'

I feel like there aren't enough words to describe what is going on in my head right now, and I really f*cking wish there were, because I hope to show you what this story is going to do to you.


There is this girl. Ember.
A beautiful soul for all means and purposes. She's nothing like the dull wallflower her best friend insists on treating her as. She's a woman with a natural force and determination to stand her own ground behind the veil of shyness. Her blush is not a sign of fragility, but the very picture of her unquenchable fire to save the man of her life from his self-destructive self. Timid and funny, but demanding and claiming as well.

I was just leaving the place, coffee in one hand, pop in the other, when the door opened and in walked Trace with his beauty. Ah hell, and here I just shoved the entire birthday cake-pop into my mouth. I tried to hide in the shadows, motionless, hoping that Trace was like a t-rex and that his vision was based on movement, but when his voice spoke my name, my shoulders slumped as I turned, looking very much like a cow grazing in a pasture.





Her words angered me, almost irrationally so, and before I knew my intention I leaned over the table so I was eye level with her.
"You're right; he's not for me because when I look at him I see so much more than a rutting stallion." At her look of outrage I turned my eyes to steely
blue ones before I added, "And if I was lucky enough to catch his attention I sure as hell wouldn't be okay with having him for only one evening." I
then placed the check on their table and walked away.

And there is this man. Trace.
Swallowed by his demons, unable to escape from a past clawing at him, drawing him to the depths of destruction and self-loathing.
He uses his fights to let go of the anger, of the desperation, of the feeling that he's worth shit and will never be good enough for anyone.
He was abused, torn apart and chose to deal with his own hell the only way he knows. What he didn't know was the angel that was set to save him and give him the life he never had. The love he never received. The soul he thought was maimed out of him.

As the song came to an end he lowered his head so his lips were right near my ear and he sang along softly.

You're beautiful. It's true.

There must be an angel with a smile on her face.

When she thought up that I should be with you.

But it's time to face the truth,

I'm never going to be with you.

Their connection is so strong that it cannot be denied. But the past is always stronger.

She places her love, her trust, her everything before him because he's worth very last chance of being brought out of his darkness. And he tries to free himself from that sucking hole his mind keeps bringing back to memory.

I removed the bandage and watched as his eyes moved to the spot I just revealed. The tattoo of the Celtic symbol for everlasting love was done in
black and gray and just under it was Trace's name in cursive. I watched him as he stood transfixed, looking at my hip, and then I offered softly, "I
knew with absolute certainty that, what I wanted, I'd want forever."


He reached for my face and lifted my gaze to his and the emotions stirring in those eyes left my breath still in my lungs.
"I'm all kinds of fucked up, Ember, and there are going to be times when I can't give you everything you deserve, like when I storm out or shutdown.
My demons -- I've had them for so long that I've grown accustomed to them but when I'm with you, the demons are quiet and for the first time in my
life there's peace. You're my balm, my lifeline, Ember, and everything that this fucked-up man has to give you: this body, my heart and my damaged
soul, is yours. You said that for you, it's me and that's how it is for me. You, it's you, Ember."

But eventually his conviction of being nothing drives him into pushing his angel away with the only way he can.

"You fucking coward. After everything, this is how
you decide to end it with me?! I love you, you miserable fuck. I saw you, not the man you want everyone to believe you are. I loved that man but you don't give a shit. You whine that everyone in your life sees you as a piece of shit yet you still push me away. I think you want to be miserable and alone. I guess the wounded sob stories get you laid, huh?! You tug on the heart-strings and get off on it."
He stiffened and his jaw clenched but I didn't care. I held his glare as I tilted my head and added, "Well, you go back to your meaningless sex, Trace. Don't let your heart get involved and continue to live a shell of an existence because you're too weak to face your past and move on. But know this; you will never be free of me. I will haunt you, too. I'll become one of your demons, Trace, because I was the one who loved you, truly, hopelessly and completely and I would have given it all to you. Remember that when you're alone and miserable; you had the real deal but you were too much of coward to hold onto it."

But giving up on him may be what he wants but this girl is determined to lead him to his light and out of the pit. Their love is healing for his wounds, soothing for his scarred soul, a jolt of power for his utter blankness.

"You said once that you thought I used sex as a way of seeking value and maybe I did. In
the past, I didn't mind when women touched me because they were only touching my body. Never, in any of my experiences, did a woman touch
something in me that went deeper than the flesh, until you. My soul ached for you, Ember, long before we ever made love but the truly humbling part
is that your soul ached for me, too, and not just my body but all of me. Even now, you still love me when you know all the worst things about me. You
own me, Ember, body and soul and I crave your touch both inside and out."





"A child that comes from the love we have for each other, a child that is a part of both you and me, how could I not want that?"
I reached up to touch his face. "You're healing, Trace."
"I am and it's all because of you."

And as everything that had been buried in both their past is brought to the surface, their bond is stronger than ever. They are headed for their eternity, for a life that will be completing and consuming.

"From a damaged, lost soul to having you as my wife, I will be forever grateful. I love you, Ember."
"Not damaged. Beautifully damaged, Trace. And I love you, husband."
And then he kisses me.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾]

GAWD!!! Where do I even start with this book?



I tried...truly, honestly!!! I really really did. I read a chapter, I put it down, I went back to it, I put it back down, I wanted to throw my kindle against the wall.

This is the 2nd book in what I'd like to think as my fairly extensive reading history that I just could not finish.

I let myself get seduced by rave reviews and a sexy book blurb. Le Sigh

I should really know better by now.

I had to give up on this book about 35% in. I couldn't take it anymore. It was just


Were there a lot of grammatical errors in this book? GOD.YES! Could I have looked past them had the story itself been at least decent? ABSOLUTELY!

I felt like I was told the story from the very first page. The author did not do a very good job of showing. characterization? Forget about it! There was none.

Ember is supposed to be shy. This is TOLD to us by the fact that she blushes up to her hairline at every opportunity, oh and she says so herself countlessly. This is also NOT showed to the reader by Ember punching a guy at a bar just for trying to grab her and hit on her and singing in public bars. hmmm...sure...makes sense right??

Trace is a playboy. His actions however take a complete 180 soon enough. Also makes perfect sense!

As for everything else?

Well, aside from the obvious that I mentioned above, there was no scene transitions at all. This made it frustrating to follow the story. It would jump from one day to next, scene to scene, with no clear transitions. GAH!

Truthfully, I couldn't find one redeeming quality about this book. I have seen a lot of reviewers complain about the grammar. I could have looked past this and still enjoyed the book had it been the only thing I disliked about it. I have done this with plenty of other self-published and indie books in the past. But they, unlike here, had a fantastically written story to counterbalance the poor grammar.

Once I found myself at the 35% mark and still felt like doing this


I knew I needed to quit while I was ahead, with my sanity intact.

So, no rating from me.

If I had to rate it, I'd go with

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Contains mild spoilers**

This was a Kindle cheapy that had a lot of great reviews and a hot guy on the cover. Two signs of a potentially great book. Usually. Not so much this time. I can only assume that the same people who loved this book also loved Fifty Shades of Suck. Not because the subject matters were the same (they weren't), but because of how simplistic and stupid everyone was. Every character was a cliché of a cliché. Even though this book irritated the crap out of me, I had to keep reading until the end and I do not know why.

I have never read a book where the main characters used each other's names so much. It was in just about every sentence. "Hi Ember." "Hi Trace." "How are you Ember?" "I'm fine Trace, how are you?" *smoldering looks exchanged* "Okay, bye Ember." "Bye Trace." Seriously?? No one says anyone else's name that much. It was as bad as all the 'Jack's' and 'Rose's' in Titanic.

Naturally Ember was so perfect and sweet and innocent that everyone loved her immediately. She is also a virgin...naturally. The only person who didn't LOVE Ember was her bff Lena who turned into a raging beyotch without any warning. Ember's dad tosses in a line about how Lena was always like that, but Ember was so wonderful that she only sees the good in people and didn't see it. I would like to add that there were no clues for the reader either so it seemed like she turned on a dime which annoyed me to no end.

Ember almost gets attacked at least three times due to how perfect and innocent she looked. One dude becomes majorly obsessed within minutes of meeting her, to the point of harassment. Most of those types like easy victims so I'm pretty sure he'd have moved on in real life, but I get that some drama was needed.

At around 30% of the way into the book, Ember has Trace's name tattooed on her body. Mind you, they hadn't even had sex yet. Hello...obsessive much? If I were Trace I would have run, but naturally he found it "hot".

Trace is the typical alpha male. And he's BEAUTIFUL! Lest you forget, it's mentioned about 1000 times (hence the similarity to 50 Shades). And he's damaged...but beautifully damaged so it's okay. He's also very over-protective of Ember. Because she's special...and perfect...and innocent. He is kind of like a Fight Club fighter, only legitimate. Additionally he is a gazllionaire (of course) and he owns a restaurant, a bar and is the best cook ever. He randomly decides to open a cooking school because, why not?

The majority of the book consists of Trace & Ember running into each other repeatedly. Then Trace alternates between pushing her away and pulling her closer. "I want you so bad Ember." "Ember go away, I am damaged and had a horrible childhood. You're too good for me." "Ember come back, I want you again...for a minute." I may have paraphrased a bit, but you get the idea. And perfect, wonderful Ember just kept putting up with it because ‘she saw the real him, underneath the hard body and tattoos’. She practically drools every time she sees him.

Ember is also kind of an idiot. There are various clues that practically have flashing neon signs yet she is blind. When she & Trace first meet he asks her where she works. She names a high class restaurant and he makes a weird face. Anyone with half a brain realizes that he probably owns the place, but she is shocked...SHOCKED, when she finds out he does. At another point, he surprises her with a private evening in the club where they met. She asks how he was able to get it reserved and he winks (practically) and says the he "knows the owner". In other words he is the owner. Yet she is once again SHOCKED when she finds out he is the owner. She spends hours thinking about how Trace won't talk to her about his horrible childhood, yet she spends no time considering what might have actually happened to him. When it is finally revealed, she is...you guessed it...SHOCKED.

At one point, Ember goes on a date with another guy named Lucien. This was during one of the periods where Trace was pushing her away. Naturally Lucien is immediately smitten, but he quickly realizes that she is in love with someone else (was she wearing a sign?) so he convinces her to "fight for him". Umm really? He could be an abusive jack-hole for all Lucien knew! He is so taken with her perfectness that he is fine being just friends and he even becomes friends with Trace too. Anyway, when Trace decides to open his cooking school, Ember takes Lucien out shopping for a location. WTF??? It's not her school and, to the best of my knowledge, neither of them knows what to look for yet they are doing the shopping for Trace. So Lucien, who is also fabulously wealthy (of course) and trying to become a more 'legitimate' businessman, offers to be an investor in the school. He says he'll draw up a contract and she's all "I trust you Lucien...EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE A CRIMINAL". She might not have said that last part, but my point is that she should have. She just met the guy!! She even goes on to name the school. Without any discussion with Trace…whose school it is supposed to be! She randomly names it ‘Everything’ and she wants the sign to include all of the ingredients leading up to the completed dish. All the ingredients of what? No clue. Also, was the sign supposed to take up the entire outside of the building? Because seriously? How was all of that supposed to fit onto one sign? If I drove past a place called Everything, I would be all “WTF does that mean?” Idiot!!

Lastly, before my big spoiler below, I will quote directly from the book. "If I had a pen I'm fairly sure I would have stabbed myself in the eye at that moment." This is an accurate representation of how I felt many times while reading the book.

Major Spoiler: It is eventually revealed that Trace and his sister were both sexually abused by their father. I am by no means an expert in this type of abuse, but I watch a lot of crime related TV shows which all indicate that those types of predators prefer one sex over the other. In other words, it is very rare that a father would rape both his son AND his daughter. That was yet another example of lazy storytelling that irritated the heck out of me.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥♥♥♥♥ 5 BEAUTIFUL FANFUCKINGTASTIC STARS


Wow !! I certainly got so much more out of this book that I ever expected... I expected a good angsty bad boy meets good girl and they fall in love story.. but this was so so soooo much more



Trace.. 6'4 of bad boy with tatts and muscles....so sexy.. all the women want him and all the guys step back when he walks by. He's a part time cage fighter and the rest of his income, which is quite a lot, is a mystery..... He's beautiful and strong on the outside, but completely broken on the inside. Thinking himself dirty and unworthy of anyone.. especially Ember


Ember is strong and faithful and all that is good.. she's got a huge heart and when she lays eyes on Trace, she knows that he's the one.. She see's past his shield and knows his heart is good. She refuses to give up on him and pushes him to see the person that he really is no matter how much he tries to push her away. She never gives up. She is strong and she won't lose the man she loves

There is more to their story though.. they are tied together from their past.... them comeing together is more than coincedence.. it is fated. There are other players surrounding them that have bad things plannded. They must fight for more than their love.. Trace will do anything to keep Ember safe and he may have too...

Favorite Quotes:

"All that I am, Ember, this very damaged and unworthy man, is yours."

In my life, I've never had anyone who means to me what you do. You are the most precious thing in my life and I would do anything to keep you safe.

"From that first night at Sapphire, it's been you, Ember -- longer actually."

" You said once that you thought I used sex as a way of seeking value and maybe I did. In the past, I didn't mind when women touched me because they were only touching my body. Never, in any of my experiences, did a woman touch something in me that went deeper than the flesh, until you. My soul ached for you, Ember, long before we ever made love but the truly humbling part is that your soul ached for me, too, and not just my body but all of me. Even now,you still love me when you know all the worst things about me. You own me, Ember, body and soul and I crave your touch both inside and out."

He brushes his lips over mine before I ask, "What were you thinking about?" "You, and how my life is so different from how it would have been without you. You saw past a damaged surface and found the man beneath it. More, you loved that man and allowed him the honor of loving you." "I feel like the lucky one, Trace."

LOVED THIS BEAUTIFULLY DAMAGED MAN AND THE WOMAN THAT SAVED HIS HEART

[Rosa · Rating 1 out of 5]

So for 90% of this book I was bitching about how horrible it was. And dear god was it horrible. At first the only thing that kept me reading was Trace. See I have this weakness for fucked up crazy guys. I don't know what it is but Trace met the criteria. Well after Trace started "healing" all I wanted to do was buy him some tampons and midol. Holy crap he was the biggest pussy ever. He cried over everything said thank u for every single stupid thing and then would say I love u about a hundred times in one page. I can't even tell u how sad that made me. He was a big tattooed fake!! And Ember. FML!! One of the worst literary characters I've ever read. She was so fucking annoying I wish I could have gone through the book at beat the ever loving shit out of her!! I was seriously hoping and praying that Dane would kill her so the fucking book would end on a high note. Unfortunately all that oh be careful he is a sociopath blah blah blah was condensed to two pages. I was sad that he didn't kill her. I was tricked by the awesome sexy cover and the summary. To say it was terrible would be like calling a hooker loose! A huge understatement.

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Beautifully Damaged ☆s

Meet Trace, The image he allowed everyone to see was just that, an image.


The Beautifully Damaged Soul.
The Master of His Own Hell.
The Inked Angel.

& Ember Walsh...


She was like his Kryptonite.
His pillar of moral support.
His light in the darkness.
His Everything.

You're beautiful.
It's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face.
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I'm never going to be with you.

This story had a dark past, it has mystery and bit by bit a lot unfolded.
The plot of this book was beyond brilliant! The story, the build up everything about this book was compellingly good. I just couldn't put the book down until I finished it and leaned all of its secrets.

Won't say much about the story because there is a lot of mystery and suspense to it.

Loved each and every character from the book [except the A-holes]
Trace, Ember, Trent, Lucien, Luke, Rafe, Josh, Shawn, Chelsea!! Beautiful characters!!

I reallllllly want Trent, Lucien, Luke, Rafe to get their own books! It will be mindblowingly brilliant! :D

I didn't want to book to end :( Wanted it to go on... especially the ending.. How I wish it was wayh longer.
Its stupid how we like some novels to be a stand alone, and some we want them to be series or super long. :P

You're my balm, my lifeline, Ember, and everything that this fucked-up man has to give you: this body, my heart and my damaged soul, is yours. You said that for you, it's me and that's how it is for me. You, it's you, Ember."

[Tessamari ♥Many Waters...♥ ~ Sweet Spot Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Stars

“I couldn’t imagine loving someone with that kind of intensity, and knowing that the one you’re with is the only one you’ll ever want.”
I realized that I was rambling so I stopped talking as Trace just looked at me. His expression was completely unreadable. He wrapped his hands around my face as he looked deeply into my eyes before he whispered, “I can…”

This story was…surprising. I kept going back and forth on how I wanted to rate this because my emotions were all over the place. This book was actually divided into two parts. The first part left me frustrated, pissed off and just an emotional wreck. I wasn’t sure if I could’ve gone on, but the masochist in me wanted to see how the story will pan out. Boy, am I really happy I decided to continue on because the second part was a doozey. The revelations were both surprising and heartbreaking. There were so many twists and turns that took my mind a moment or two to gather exactly what was going on. But what really mattered to me the most was that all those revelations just made Trace & Ember’s relationship stronger.

The real Trace Montgomery was far more complicated and I feared that underneath his seemingly put together and beautiful outer package existed a damaged soul.

To say Trace Montgomery has issues is putting it mildly. The man has demons that he’s dealt with his whole life, alone. He’s never let anyone close, ever. All he has in his world is his sister, his best friend, Rafe, and the hordes of nameless women that frequent in and out of his bed. But no one, no one, knew the extent of his burdens. He feels like he’s too damaged to be worthy of love. That’s why when he meets and falls for Ember, he knows he’s living on borrowed time. There’s no way a woman like her would ever stay with someone like him, especially if and when she ever learnt the truth about his past. His eyes never left mine when he said, “I want you but I don’t want to want you.”

He was gorgeous but more, he equally beautiful on the inside and all he saw was the damaged man he believed himself to be.

I give Ember some credit. To deal with Trace’s Jekyll and Hyde moments takes A LOT of patience. I was proud of her. Don’t get me wrong, there were several times she acted like a doormat, but when she finally stuck up for herself; those moments are when she shined the most. It was pretty tiring in the beginning when she kept telling herself that Trace was out of her league. Trace’s horde of women consisted of exotic beauties, not shy, big brown eyed brunettes like her. But for some reason, her and Trace are constantly running into each other. The next thing you know, they become friends…sort of. Trace keeps hinting he wants more, but something is holding him back. Ember is determined to find out what makes Trace tick. Trace does everything he can to push her away, but like I said, Ember never gives up on him. She knows there’s something going on between her and Trace and that their relationship is worth fighting for. She’ll do anything to prove to Trace that he is indeed worthy of love.

That’s what I wanted: Someone who knew me better than I knew myself, someone who knew all the worst of parts of me yet still loved me.

This story is a rollercoaster of emotions. For me the first part of the book was extremely frustrating. Trace’s decisions and how he acts upon pushing Ember away pissed me off. I was angry at him. I understand his need to remain closed off and why he felt the need to push her away, but why he couldn’t unburden himself to Ember was perplexing. The second part of the book was both happy and sad. We finally got a chance to get to know Trace. Once he shared his past, things started to make sense. I knew it was going to be heartbreaking hearing what happened to him, but when he actually said the words…oh, my God. How a father could do what he did was beyond disgusting and disturbing. But there was more. We find out more about his past connections to Ember and her family. I couldn’t believe the amount of drama in the second half. Whew!! Okay, if you’re in the mood for an angsty drama with a touch of suspense and mystery, then pick this up. It’s one crazy ass ride.

Oh Wait!! Two minor things I need to mention before I shut up:
One. Lucian is a secondary character in this story that desperately needs his own story. He’s just so sweet and wonderful (oh and extremely sexy). I would LOVE to read his own story.
Two. This story is in desperate need of some editing. There are several of instances of run on sentences. (I know this because, trust me, I’m guilty of this, too). I wish the author took the time to insert some pauses or something to know the scene changes. It’s not bad or anything, but just an annoyance.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll tell you what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter.

This was not just a love story about damaged man and the women who loves him and wants to save him. This story had suspense, mystery and a lot of drama! Trace and Ember were tied together in more ways then they could have ever imagined.

Ember is kind of quiet, kind of shy, but one night when she is out with her friend Lena at the club Sapphire, she shows a different side of herself. When a guy there starts harassing her, we learn Ember can throw a punch. When the guy still doesn’t back up, all 6’4” of hot tattooed muscle makes him.... Ember was immediately attracted to this man, her inked angel, but she was warned of his reputation...
It was painful looking at the man you wanted more than a cake-pop and knowing you’d never have him because to do so would mean becoming one of the many notches on his bedpost.

Meet Trace Montgomery



Trace is one of the most self deprecating men I have ever seen. He feels unworthy of any love or respect. It broke my heart that his past demons influenced him so much. Things in the past he had absolutely no control over made him feel guilty and unworthy, unlovable. Unable to be saved.
He and Ember start running in to each other around the city, and they become close... friends. Trace won’t let Ember get too close. He warns her several times why he can’t be with her-
“I’m not good for you, Ember, but I can’t seem to stay away from you either.”

“I’d give it all to you, Ember- but me- I’m not a good man. You deserve a man worthy of you. I want you. I can’t think straight; I want you so fucking badly but I’m shit, Ember, and I always will be.”

Ember doesn’t believe that about Trace. She sees the good in him, but she still wonders...
Could people be truly happy if they were unwilling to put the ghosts of their pasts to rest?

Trace has trouble letting anyone in. The only people who really matter to him are his sister, Chelsea and his best friend, Rafe. Even they didn’t know the extent of his terrible past. Ember starts to break through his walls. It scares him to death, but he is starting to fall for her. Hard.

“I’m all kinds of fucked up, Ember, and there are going to be times when I can’t give you everything you deserve, like when I storm our or shutdown. My demons- I’ve had them for so long that I’ve grown accustomed to them but when I’m with you, the demons are quiet for the first time in my life there’s peace. You’re my balm, my lifeline, Ember, and everything that this fucked-up man has to give to you; this body, my heart and my damaged soul, it’s yours. You said that for you, it’s me and that’s how it is for me. You, it’s you, Ember.”

“I love you and that includes all of your demons. I’m not going anywhere.” 



Ember loved Trace. So much that she was willing to fight for him, no matter how hard he tried to push her away, she was always there for him. She had the support of his best friend Rafe and her family. Once her dad met Trace and saw how in love he was with Ember, he always rooted for their relationship. My heart broke for the two of them at times, after a lot of angst and turmoil, Ember finally got Trace to see that she loved him and she wasn’t going anywhere.

“I’ve never had anyone in my life treat me like I was worth anything. I was usually just an annoyance, and amusement or a piece of ass but not a man worthy of respect or love, until you. All that I am, Ember, this very damaged and unworthy man is yours.”


“No, Ember, she made sure that Chelsea and I were safe but it was you, Ember, who saved me.”

After Ember and Trace were making it work, I thought it would be smooth sailing... but there was still a lot of mystery surrounding the death of her mother and his parents, a lot of connecting pieces none of which added up. Then the whole Dane saga- ugh! A lot of crazy things happened in the second half of the book, some of which I didn’t see coming at all!!!

I really enjoyed this one. Some of the subject matter was a little difficult to read, and there were twists and turns in the plot, but it all came together in the end. Ember and Trace were a beautiful couple! After all the drama, the ending was perfect for me!!! One of my favorite Trace lines “There are so many reasons I could list as to why I want you in my life but the three most important are I respect you, I admire you, and I love you. Marry me, Ember.” Obviously Trace and Ember were great, but the secondary characters were also wonderful! Lucien was my favorite, but I also loved Rafe, Luke, Trent and Ember’s dad and uncle. I would love to read another book with these characters! - maybe Lucien or Rafe??? Love Lucien! This was a 5 star read for me!!!

“No one ever has, or ever will know me the way you do. You’re inside me, Ember, you are my heart... and you are my soul.”

“You are my wish come true.”
“And you’re mine.”

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully Damaged is exquisite story. I can't put into words what I felt reading this.There was so much emotion in this book, and I don't think my review could do justice to it. This was my first time reading anything by L.A. Fiore and I applaud you.

Beautifully Damages is a very fitting title for this book. You have Trace are (H). A broken man, a broken soul who had a heinous childhood. It was heart breaking story and my heart was breaking for him in this story. Ember are (h) was started out as a shy-wallflower was a strong Beautiful woman. Ember fell for Trace almost right at the start. Like a magnetic pull, the true definition of a soul-mate.

There where many twist and turns to this story, and many secondary characters. Some I loved and quite a few I really hated, but that's what makes a great story.

[Aestas Book Blog]

So I've been told this has a broken Alpha hero and HEA... I'm intrigued...

[Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beautifully Damaged pulled me in and then crashed and burned. I haven't had a 1 star rating in almost 3 years, but there was no denying how I felt about this book. Even though this story held so much potential, the characters wore on me and I kept picking holes at the story. When I found myself skimming the last quarter of the book, I knew I was done. So my top three issues were...

✩A doormat heroine

He really was fucked up, but I loved him. I loved him enough to stay.

From the very first chapter, we watched as Ember let her roommate walk all over her. Her roommate said rude things to her, took her stuff and even ditched her. All while Ember let her. And when she allowed Trace to do the same thing, I was done with her. I was so angry that she allowed herself to be a victim, again. It was frustrating that she never said anything when her boyfriend would be gone for all hours of the night or when she would catch him flirting with other girls. And there's a scene where it looks like he's having sex with another girl, ugh. Just no. Her lack of actions made me completely lose any and all respect I had for her. Yes she punched a guy in the beginning of the story and another person way down the road but it wasn't enough. Not near enough because of all of the other moments I painfully had to sit there and watch her do nothing.

✩A jerk of a hero

“You actually believe I could feel any other way about you? You are my forever.”
“You’re not mine.”

If you follow my reviews, you know I always love the guys that start off as a douche bag and then turn into so much more . But with Trace Montgomery, I finally found a jerk I didn't like. I tried my hardest to fall for him since he was thoughtful, caring and protective. But in the end, I just hated him. My first clue that I should have given up on him was when he was staring at Ember, while getting another girl off. My second clue should have been when he purposely flirted with other girls when Ember was around. My third clue should have been when he didn't care that he was tearing Ember apart when he threatened to bring another girl back to where they both lived. Ohhhh and he proceeded to warn Ember that the girl he was bringing back was a screamer. What a great guy *rolls eyes*. And while there was a ton more clues, the final nail in the coffin was when he made it look like he was fucking another girl while Ember walked in on it. Just NO. Trace pushed too hard. He pushed too far. I didn't care that his past made him the way he was. He was cold and callous in my eyes.

✩WTFs

I discovered that a body could still function when the heart was reduced to nothing but ash.

I'm not even going to touch on the fact that we're told Ember is shy yet she has no problem singing in public or punching a guy in the face, or the cooking thing, or her tattoo she got before she even slept with Trace, or his stalking, because all of that was absolutely ridiculous. But the huge revelation at the end? I'm sure that was supposed to make us happy, but all it did was make me livid. The legal implications, the emotional scarring, the abandonment? Not to mention the complications in the future, I just, wow. Are you kidding me? It was messed up on so many levels and it left the worst taste in my mouth.

Beautifully Damaged was definitely not for me and I wont be picking up another book by this author.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Halfway through this book I need defibrillation--I've already been damaged and cannot make it till the end.

But let me tell you this: Typically, I really appreciate the effort and focus of people who do everything they can to follow their dreams (people such as the author of this book). This is not the case, however, when it comes to killing people's brain cells with what is supposed to be literature, which also happens to be written in a way that makes English language run and scream for its life.

I do feel the need to point at least two of the reasons behind my humble opinion of this read.

1. Ember--Ember, oh dear Ember, what has life done to you? Were you buried in a cave? Under thick ice? On top of mount Everest? You are deluded and you make me feel funny (with all your stalking, blushing, tattooing-before-ever-had-sex-with-the-guy stuff...) and I don't think I could ever like you. EVER.

2. And Trace--why, oh why did you let your balls get surgically removed? I thought you were supposed to be a bad boy, an alpha-male, and yet you somehow managed to turn into this annoying teenage girl blabbering about these demons...

I kid you not, people, I can usually tolerate a lot of bull, but that book I could not stand and will not finish. Suffice to say that if it were up to me, I would never let this 'book' get published on paper...

[Jacqueline's Reads]

DNF with 9 hours left

The great thing about Kindle Unlimited is that sometimes you can listen to the audio books for free. It's not for all books, but there are some with that option.

I read the mixed reviews on this one and since I had KU, I thought what the heck, give it a go.

The thing is, this book is pretty old, I think it was published in 2013 (don't quote me on this). I think since then to now my reading taste has CHANGED A LOT. What I once found a big deal isn't so much anymore. What I once found as interesting and mysterious is now kind of boring and typical. Get what I mean?

The thing that made it hard for me to finish this book was the narrator. I love audio books and usually I have a HIGH tolerance for narrators, not much bothers me, but this girl's voice. I couldn't stand it. She sounded like a 30 year old woman with something stuck up her nose. I'm sure she's a very good narrator, but it didn't do anything for me.

I was only able to listen to this book because I have other books in line to read, so that is why I decided to just stop listening.

On a positive note, I like the revised cover, it looks lots better.

[BookLover · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wavered back and forth between liking this book, being frustrated and constantly raising my eyebrows in disbelief. This was kind of like three books/stories in one.

In the first part, shy Ember met hot Trace and pursued him, despite him trying to keep her at arm’s length because he didn't feel worthy. I found that part of the story enjoyable. In the second part, after Ember "caught" Trace, I got irritated when Trace decided to push Ember away. I doubt I would have been as persistent or forgiving as Ember was. I don’t even know what to say about the third part of the story without posting spoilers, so I will just say that I found the “mystery” to be not my cup of tea. The reasoning behind some of the actions didn’t make sense to me and the ending “reveal” seemed so silly.

Most of the story was a solid 3-3.5 for me but the last part of the book just brought down my overall enjoyment. I totally get why people loved the book. It was definitely a page turner, but unfortunately, it was a frustrating page turner for me.

[Carol]

This book started out good, but unfortunately I lost interest.

For me the characters didn't have enough back bone to keep me on there side, and I lost interest 60% in. As I didn't finish the book I will not be rating it.

This was a pass for me.

Happy Reading📙📗📚📙📒📓📘📖📙📚📗📖📕📔📗📘📗📔📕📘📗📖

[Awilk -never sleeps- · Rating 4 out of 5]

L A Fiore has done something not many authors manage. She wrote a female character in a romance that I actually liked. Ember was smart, loving, independent and interesting.She also managed to write an extremely hot, but very damaged bad boy. I actually liked them both very much. Added to that a great cast of secondary characters, and I was already well on the way to liking this book.

The storyline was really good. A romance that the hero could heal and grow from, while the heroine could have all her dreams come true. Liking this more.

That was enough to have me liking this book. L A Fiore didn't stop there though. Oh no! I also got a pretty good mystery/stalker story as well. I ended up staying awake way past my bedtime so I could finish this. With all these things I liked about this book it ended up with me loving it.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning:
This book may not be suitable for those who don't like: Eggs. Bacon. Or... Cake-pops.
-It may cause hallucinations and or dreams about cake-pops.
-You may go through withdrawals if you aren't stocked up on eggs, bacon or cake-pops.

Just a little taste of Ember's mind and cake pops:
"I was like a junkie and Trace was my drug. I had no will power when it came to him. He was like my life-size cake-pop..."

You have been warned.

Holy Twists Batman! The second half of this book is full of twists and turns. However, I should probably start at the beginning.

The first half of the book is focused on Ember and Trace's friendship and relationship. It brings in to play a few bad characters and Embers friend/roommate Lena. As well as her good friend Trent. Trace and Ember work out a friendship that eventually turns in to a dating relationship. Trace has demons from his past that effect how he deals with life and sometimes Ember. Also, in the first half, we meet some awesome friends and family members who are great secondary characters.

The second half the book has some twists and turns and a little suspense of "Who did it" mixed in. It also has a very nice balance of Trace and Ember's relationship mixed in as well.

I loved how Trace and Ember start their relationship. They build up a friendship and hang out. Even though there's an instant and deep attraction to one another, these two play the friendship card first and never rush anything. Even after they start dating they never rush the intimacy. These two were perfect for each other. Trace was hard around the outside exterior but a softy on the inside. He was strong, protective, sweet and loving. He was a force to be reckon with but would give you the shirt off his back. Even though he was damaged and scarred for life from his childhood demons, Ember was able to see past all of that and see the beauty that was deep down in Trace.

..."You, and how my life is so different from how it would have been without you. You saw past a damaged surface and found the man beneath it. More, you loved that man and allowed him the honor of loving you."

"No one ever has, or ever will, know me the way you do. You're inside me, Ember, you are my heart and you are my soul."

Ember wasn't strong but she wasn't very fragile or overly weak either. The author gave Ember the perfect balance of a heroine that was very relatable and refreshing. She didn't cry over little things, freak out or run from the problems. She didn't over react or act out in naive ways either. She felt very real and very relatable to. She knew when to hold her tongue and when to let loose when she had enough. She wasn't made up of a whiny, catty, jealous, mistrusting girlfriend and she certainly didn't have a jelly spine. I loved Ember and I applaud the author for the woman she created out of her.

This book was amazing. It had me grinning, laughing, sad, mad, and oh yeah thinking about bacon and cake-pops. I think the story line, twists and turns of the plot, the love story part of the book and over all the secondary cast of characters as well as the flow of the story were done wonderfully. I enjoyed every second of this book. I didn't want to put it down and was on the "edge of my seat" on a few things.

The cast of secondary characters were awesome, well at least the family and friends were that is. They made you care for them, love them, laugh with them, and appreciate them. They honestly were a great support group for Trace and Ember as they had good advice, were loving, supportive, fun, protective and over all just were good people to have around. A few even made you swoon for them and made you hold out hope that they would have their own stories told in future books.

As for the cake-pop, bacon and eggs comment.... Ember was in love with cake-pops. She ate them, talked a lot about them and dreamed about them. She even got others addicted to them. As for the bacon and eggs comment, that seemed to be the breakfast choice more often then not for the main couple.

I felt the author left this book opened ended when it was all said and done. The couple's main story and twists are done but I felt like she left the option open to be able to add another story for a couple of her other characters.

One thing I wished hadn't been thrown out there so much were the: I LOVE YOU's. I totally get why it was said a lot but at times it felt too much. Also, the ending was a tad rushed before the epilogue.

SIDE NOTE: If I start playing my kids Wii, I can only blame this book too. :oP

[Vallsykes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hope whenever I decide to write a story, and it turns into a self- published book, that I heed the words in my own reviews. Lot's of writers have stories to tell, but execution of those stories, however controlled it can be, and reader reception of them are left to luck, chemistry, and/or good editing! I am convinced.

It still amazes me that terribly edited books can become popular. More, when those books are let loose on the reader population with sloppy grammatical errors and plot. This is not to say that I haven't rated some that had errors/issues, but were still gems, with 4 or 5 stars. It's just that 4 times out of 5, these books are tragic disasters.

Beautifully Damaged is one such book. Tragically, it wanted to be a dark, romantic suspense--along the lines of Anne Stuart'sInto the Fireor Linda Howard'sShades Of Twilight---BUT, it doesn't come close because it is bogged down in overdone, new adult formula virgin-heroine-meets-emotionally-fucked-with bad-boy (who is too dangerous for her) and blah, blah, blah. Adding to the tragedy is that the suspense factor had merit; then the backstory and uncovering of mystery is painfully, slowly dragged out, to the point that you don't give a damn anymore. I feel like a broken record for stating this again and again in reviews, but more character depth and point of view would have helped, greatly.

Instead, it seemed the author stumbled through telling the story in a drunken stupor, leaving out chunks of detail, jumping from one thing to another, and not "closing the deal" on what had potential to be a better story.

[Nicci ☞ Hell Raisin Sugar ☜ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, the cover SUCKS. But what's inside.......



Trace Montgomery. Fighter. Man whore. Totally and completely gorgeous. Damaged. Irrevocably. Or so he thought.

Enter Ember. Beautiful and unassuming. Sweet. Innocent. Vulnerable. Loving. Beloved.



I love this book. Like LOVE this book. It made me cry, it pissed me off, it made me think.... What if God makes one person for you, one perfect reflection of your soul and your other half is heartbreakingly damaged? What if he pushes you away, deliberately hurts you, crushes your heart.....do you hang on? Can you hang on? How much of yourself can you sacrifice?



Trace is alpha protective without being a possessive Neanderthal. Oh, the way he loves Ember.

Does he know you're the very air I breathe?
I don't deserve you, but I'll never let you go.
In my life, I will never love anyone like I love you.

Ember fights HARD for Trace. She's a better woman than me, for sure. Over and over, she sets aside her pride (and self-respect occasionally) to battle Trace and his demons. Proof positive that those who are the hardest to love need it the most.

[• Lisa • · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I'll tell you what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul."

This started off as a bit of a slow burner.
At the beginning I didn't feel like I had a great introduction or connection to the characters.
The first 20% consisted of an awful best friend, a mysterious would be suitor and a female lead who needed a serious case of self discovery.

That being said from that point the book turned a 180 on me and what an up, down, side to side, back and forth journey it was. This story had heartache and despair by the page full. It was almost painful to read at times.

The main male lead - Trace, is a guarded wounded soul, a man who is drowning in his past and unable to see past it all to be loved.
The main female lead - Ember, a self confessed shy and sheltered woman in her early twenties is drawn to this tortured hero and is desperate to love him through his dark past, their story shows her transformation as the book progressed and I loved that loving this man ultimately was the making of her as a character.

The story is painfully honest and by no means a light read, the author made a way of keeping secrets back and leaving the reader guessing right through the story. It is a true soul mates story one that held me as a reader at times had me captivated and frustratingly addicted - absolutely desperate for respite and a long awaited HEA.

In short the book had a slow start, a great middle, just ok in parts and at times towards the last quarter I felt slightly bored and would skim read but it did have a lovely ending.

Some 5 star moments but overall just a 2.5 - 3 star read for me

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Ass kicking stars from me!! From page 1 I was a goner, right from the start you are pulled into the story and your under it's spell, and I can honestly say I had my very first book crush, now I know exactly what everyone talks about!! Trace did it for me!! lol
Definitely a book worth reading to anyone who hasn't!! Huge thanks to the person (Mare) for recommending it to me!! Loved it!!

[Jamie *Gypsy Smut-a-teer* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so, so good!! I have to admit there were some mixed reviews, but I try to start each book with an open mind. I was for sure not anywhere near disappointed.

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Source: theberry.com via Karen on Pinterest

The reader meets Trace Montgomery in a bar defending a rather shy Ember Walsh's honor. Right then she is warned he is a womanizing badass and to not get attached. Something about him just pulls Ember to him. Then, the chance meetings just start happening more often. I guess I have a bad thing for these hot men with damaged souls. Trace Montgomery for sure is that man. I just wanted to wrap him up in a bear hug and fight his battles for him. Trace has dark secrets and doesn't let anyone in. A friendship begins and then the two start to fall for each other.

There are two parts to this book. Part one is the love story of Ember and Trace. Part two is more of a suspense story with Trace and Ember working together to figure out a murder mystery. I feel like I'm being cryptic by not giving many details away, but that's the beauty of this story finding out the details.

I did feel like in the end some of the storyline was left hanging. Maybe that means there is going to be a sequel, I need to check. I wonder what happens to evil bitch Lena and what happened with her and Todd. Also I would like to know what ended up happening to Dane. In the end it said his whole family would be brought down, but I specifically want to know what happened to Dane. Also, I have further questions about Victoria, but don't want to elaborate on that in my review due to causing spoilers.

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Source: Uploaded by user via Johnny Chunga on Pinterest

Overall, I really liked this book. OMG, Trace Montgomery was just straight up yummy. He was so sensitive, protective, and sweet. I loved how Ember came out of her shy shell and put Lena in her place and saved Trace in every way imaginable. Such a great read. :)

[Alba M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Voy a decirte lo que es el amor verdadero. Es una devoción ciega que para nada tiene en cuenta la propia humillación, la absoluta sumisión, la confianza y la fe contra uno mismo y contra el mundo entero, y que entrega el propio corazón y la propia alma al que los destroza.»

«Estoy jodido por donde me mires, Ember, y habrá momentos en lo que no pueda darte todo lo que mereces, como cuando salgo corriendo hecho una furia o me cierro. Mis demonios... los he tenido durante tanto tiempo que me he acostumbrado a ellos, pero cuando estoy contigo, los demonios están callados y por primera vez en mi vida hay paz. Eres mi bálsamo, mi tabla de salvación, Ember, y todo lo que este hombre jodido tiene para darte: este cuerpo, mi corazón y mi alma dañada, es tuyo. Dijiste que para ti, soy yo y eso es lo que eres para mí. Tú, eres tú, Ember.»

Os cuento un poquito:
Aquí conocemos a Ember, una mujer totalmente antisocial, es así. A mi también me gusta quedarme en casa de vez en cuando pero esta chica a veces parece que no quiere ni ver la luz del sol. Así que una noche, cuando sale a un club con su amiga y compañera de piso, Lena, alguien intenta propasarse con ella (porque su amiga la ha dejado sola y tirada) y un hombre la salva.
Aquí conocemos a Trace, un luchador, lleno de tatuajes y guapo a rabiar, que por mucho que quiere a Ember, más que a sí mismo, se cree que no vale lo suficiente como para que alguien pueda amarlo.

La historia es enrevesada y dolorosa. La trama de la vida e infancia de Trace a veces me costó entenderla, porque quien decía ser tal persona no lo era, y viceversa. Mi pobre Trace, al que achucharía sin remedio, me ha conquistado. Sí que ha tenido momentos en que me gustaría haberlo golpeado hasta que entrase en razón pero... al final siempre acabo perdonandolo, como Ember. Lo malo de esta historia es que todo lo relacionado con el amor entre Ember y Trace pasa a la velocidad de la luz. Demasiado rápido y demasiado dulce para mi gusto, a veces. También es verdad que la autora recurre mucho a nombrarlos, no sé si me explico, por ejemplo: están hablando y siempre se están llamando por sus nombres, en plan: Sí, Trace, te quiero y él le contestará y y a ti Ember, porque en serio, Ember, eres lo mejor que me ha pasado, Ember. (No está así literalmente en el libro pero se acerca a la forma en la que lo hace, repite sus nombres un montón de veces, lo que me pone nerviosa. Jolin ya sabemos quienes son!).
Además de eso, sabiendo que hay otros dos libros más, ME INDIGNA MUCHISIMO (como ya había dicho) que la hermana de Trace, Chelsea, no tenga su propio libro y su propia historia de amor. Sé que está traumatizada y supuestamente vivirá permanentemente con esa mentalidad de niña de 8 años, pero ¿de verdad la autora no puede sacarse un milagro de la manga, que acuda a un psiquiatra/psicólogo milagroso que la ayude a avanzar? Es que en serio, amaría a muerte que Chelse se enamorase y fuese feliz, después de todo lo que ha pasado. Me frustra muchísimo que no consiga su final feliz, aunque no es como que ahora esté triste pero bueno, ya sabéis lo que quiero decir...

Por lo demás, la historia está bien, no es de lo mejor que he leído y quizá podría hacerse un tanto extensa, pero no es de lo peor que he leído. Está bien para un libro de esos que quieres tomarte con calma.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I don't know what about this book, I liked this book, but I did not love it.


We have Ember Welsh, a 23 year old virginal girl that falls in love with a stranger named Trace Montgomery after he saves her from another man that assaulted her in a crowded bar. Then fate decides to step in, and everywhere she goes, she sees him with his hoards of women. But something inside her tells her that he is more than just what he chooses to project to the world.

Because of Embers supercuteness, Trace starts to fall for her, and after a particularly nasty incident with her best-friend's boyfriend and his friend, Trace moves her in with him in his apartment. Then she meets Rafe, Trace's best-friend who tells her that if she truly loves Trace then she should fight for him when he pushes her away.

So Trace actually is an asshole and does push her away, but then he realizes that he cannot live without her and tells her everything about his past, which mainly constitutes of abusive father and negligent mother. And then even more secrets come out and then a happily ever after.

Why I don't love it?



Just humor me by checking out the cliches:

1. Innocent virgin female protagonist: Check
2. Tormented male protagonist: Check
3. Boy is manwhore: Check
4. INSTA LOVE!: Check
5. Boy loves the innocent girl: Check
6. Boy saves girl: Check
7. Boy is a dick to girl, but girl still comes back to him after he quotes motherfucking classics to her: Check
8. Abusive parents: Check
9. Everyone loves the female protagonist, because she is the fucking female protagonist: Check
10. Innocent virginal girl is a sex goddess: Check
11. Boy is extremely jealous of other male competition: Check (I actually like that one, but just to be an asshole I am adding that too)

That's a total of 11 fucking cliches and that 11 cliches too many. That was seriously all that I was doing while reading the book. Seriously people.

The writing on the contrary, was pretty neat. I liked the flow, and the authors language was pretty humorous. All in all not a bad read, but not a great read either.

[Carolina L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because sometimes a song tells everything for us...

Find me here,
And speak to me.
I want to feel you,
I need to hear you.
You are the light,
That's leading me,
To the place,
Where I find peace again.

You are the strength,
That keeps me walking.
You are the hope,
That keeps me trusting.
You are the light,
To my soul.
You are my purpose,
You're everything.

How can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?

You calm the storms,
And you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands,
You won't let me fall.
You steal my heart,
And you take my breath away.
Would you take me in,
Take me deeper now.

And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?

Cause you're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.

And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better, any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?

Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this...

[K. Bromberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK! Didn't expect this to be so great of a read....LOVE Trace!