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Damage Control #4
Shane
Once upon a time, my life was good. I had a family, I had a girlfriend, and hopes for the future. That was long ago, but I remember it. A hazy dream of what could have been.
That’s gone now. I lost it all. Life fucked me over, and now I’m scared of my own damn shadow.
I’m training to be a tattoo artist, but I bet I’m not good enough. I have a roof over my head, but every morning I’m scared shitless that I’ll find myself on the street again – or worse, back in prison.
And every time a pretty girl looks at me, every single fucking time, I know I can’t be with her. Not only because she’ll find out I’m an ex-con and run the other way, no. It’s more than that. I just can’t. The thought of anyone touching me, the thought of getting aroused from that touch brings back every damn nightmare from my past to swallow me whole.
Can’t fucking do it.
Not even if it’s the prettiest girl on earth – Cassie. With her long blond hair and her pretty tits, her short skirts and high heels, she’s all my fantasies rolled into one. See, the fact she kissed one of my buddies? That’s good. The fact she looks at me like I’m a bug under her shoe? Even better.
Because it means she’s not interested in getting hot and sweaty with me, and that I can keep living that fantasy.
The fantasy that she wants to be with me as much as I want to be with her – even though I know it will never happen.
Standalone novel. No cliffhanger.
*Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.*
SHANE is book 4 in the series Damage Control - a series set in the same world as Inked Brotherhood. The boys of Damage Control were taken in by Zane Madden and Rafe Vestri and offered apprenticeship and work in the tattoo shop Damage Control.
Next in the Damage Control series: OCEAN (Damage Control 5).
That’s gone now. I lost it all. Life fucked me over, and now I’m scared of my own damn shadow.
I’m training to be a tattoo artist, but I bet I’m not good enough. I have a roof over my head, but every morning I’m scared shitless that I’ll find myself on the street again – or worse, back in prison.
And every time a pretty girl looks at me, every single fucking time, I know I can’t be with her. Not only because she’ll find out I’m an ex-con and run the other way, no. It’s more than that. I just can’t. The thought of anyone touching me, the thought of getting aroused from that touch brings back every damn nightmare from my past to swallow me whole.
Can’t fucking do it.
Not even if it’s the prettiest girl on earth – Cassie. With her long blond hair and her pretty tits, her short skirts and high heels, she’s all my fantasies rolled into one. See, the fact she kissed one of my buddies? That’s good. The fact she looks at me like I’m a bug under her shoe? Even better.
Because it means she’s not interested in getting hot and sweaty with me, and that I can keep living that fantasy.
The fantasy that she wants to be with me as much as I want to be with her – even though I know it will never happen.
Standalone novel. No cliffhanger.
*Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.*
SHANE is book 4 in the series Damage Control - a series set in the same world as Inked Brotherhood. The boys of Damage Control were taken in by Zane Madden and Rafe Vestri and offered apprenticeship and work in the tattoo shop Damage Control.
Next in the Damage Control series: OCEAN (Damage Control 5).
Unknown Binding
First published January 28, 2016
122 people are currently reading
941 people want to read
About the author
Jo Raven
49 books2,781 followersBe the first to get your hands on Jo Raven’s new releases & offers, giveaways, previews, and more by signing up here ▶ http://bit.ly/1CTNTHM
Jo Raven is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, best known for her series Inked Brotherhood and Damage Control. She writes edgy, contemporary New Adult romance with sexy bad boys and strong-willed heroines. She writes about MME fighters and tattoo artists, dark pasts that bleed into the present, loyalty and raw emotion. Add to that breathtaking suspense, super-hot sex scenes and a happy ending, and you have a Jo Raven® story.
Meet Jo Raven online – on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoRaven), chat with her on Twitter (@AuthorJoRaven) and join her readers group for sneak previews of her covers and stories (http://on.fb.me/1K2LvzO).
Jo Raven is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, best known for her series Inked Brotherhood and Damage Control. She writes edgy, contemporary New Adult romance with sexy bad boys and strong-willed heroines. She writes about MME fighters and tattoo artists, dark pasts that bleed into the present, loyalty and raw emotion. Add to that breathtaking suspense, super-hot sex scenes and a happy ending, and you have a Jo Raven® story.
Meet Jo Raven online – on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoRaven), chat with her on Twitter (@AuthorJoRaven) and join her readers group for sneak previews of her covers and stories (http://on.fb.me/1K2LvzO).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
January 30, 2016
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Omg, this author has the ability to make you cry, swoon and laugh! What a fantastic storyline; original and so emotional.
We have met Shane & Cassie in the previous books in the series, but this book focuses on them. Shane is a tortured man, living with PTSD. He is distant, he doesn't speak much and he cannot stand to be touched. His one and only friend is his cousin, Seth, and the only other person he can count on.
Cassie has been labelled a lot of things, and being a girl who sleeps around is one of them. After a mistake, she is not welcome in the company of Seth and his friends. In this book she totally redeems herself and I have to say that I loved her character!
She sees something in Shane and she wants to get closer to him, but will he allow her to do so?
Shane is fighting to survive in a world where he is labelled as not normal. He founds an anchor in Cassie and he realizes that life can be a little brighter.
Join them on their journey of self-discovery and love.
Jo Raven always manages to captivate me as a reader. Her books always flow perfectly and her characters always speak to my heart! If you are a fan, do not miss this and if you are a potential reader, then what are you waiting for? Dive into this one asap!
*****5 SCREAMING STARS FROM ME*****
June 15, 2018
as you know i read some of jo raven books. the ink brotherhood series. i felt luke warm.
then i start listening to damage control series. shane is my first choice. it has a positive reviews in the goodreads. and i did not disappoint. the damage control is much more deeper than ink brotherhood. the story have more dept.
the slow burn steamy sex is still there. the characters are much more alive and had a depth on it.
in shane, it deals about post traumatic disorder. and the alpha male is damage and broken. so broken that i am not even sure i can continue listening. but i march it forward.
at the end i fall in love with shane. he is such broken soul. but he is strong that he rocks this book.
4 stars
then i start listening to damage control series. shane is my first choice. it has a positive reviews in the goodreads. and i did not disappoint. the damage control is much more deeper than ink brotherhood. the story have more dept.
the slow burn steamy sex is still there. the characters are much more alive and had a depth on it.
in shane, it deals about post traumatic disorder. and the alpha male is damage and broken. so broken that i am not even sure i can continue listening. but i march it forward.
at the end i fall in love with shane. he is such broken soul. but he is strong that he rocks this book.
4 stars
February 9, 2016
I wasn't too sure about this book, what I saw of Cassie and Shane in Seth's book I didn't like. But being Jo Raven is the author I knew she would take me to my happy place, and she did. I ended up totally changing my mind about both Cassie and Shane.
What I struggled with was constantly being in Shane's head, over and over. On repeat. I get he had PTSD, I get he was struggling, I get he suffered horrific violations but I didn't get why the majority of the book was spent going over and over his jumbled thoughts, ad nauseum. A lot of this didn't really make much sense (as it wouldn't - the poor bloke was severely traumatised and not coping with life) and didn't really add to the story. The actual parts that did make sense and add to the story didn't come till very late in the book, and all at once and blink and it was done. I would have much rather had this and the very sudden ending fleshed out a lot more. Instead I found myself skimming a lot to avoid getting back into Shane's head.
What I struggled with was constantly being in Shane's head, over and over. On repeat. I get he had PTSD, I get he was struggling, I get he suffered horrific violations but I didn't get why the majority of the book was spent going over and over his jumbled thoughts, ad nauseum. A lot of this didn't really make much sense (as it wouldn't - the poor bloke was severely traumatised and not coping with life) and didn't really add to the story. The actual parts that did make sense and add to the story didn't come till very late in the book, and all at once and blink and it was done. I would have much rather had this and the very sudden ending fleshed out a lot more. Instead I found myself skimming a lot to avoid getting back into Shane's head.
February 1, 2016
Every time a new Jo Raven book comes out, I just have to download and read it immediately. The woman never disappoints me with her knack to tell a broken hero's story so passionately with heart and soul! And, Shane's heartbreaking story is no different. I felt like I was right there witnessing this poor damaged man's story. And, when misunderstood Cassie makes it her mission to save him, we get another whole story when her past is explored also. It's painful. And, sad when her truth is revealed. But, she gets Shane. She knows him like no other. And, when he admits that he wants to survive and never give up on living, she knows he's telling the truth. He's a survivor, as painful as his past may be. I just can't get enough of Ms. Raven's writing. It's beautiful! It's emotional! It gets me hooked right into the story every time by not wanting to let go of these characters and their stories. I just always wish that the books were a little longer, though. I love how the author incorporates all the past characters into all the new books. It's refreshing to check up on them and see what's going on in their lives at the moment. And, of course, we still get that loyalty, protectiveness, and friendship between the guys with their babes. They make me laugh. They make me shed tears. They make me swoon. Such a close-knit bunch of males to love! So looking forward to the next book in this series when Ocean's story is told...
January 25, 2016
Another rescued, damaged boy
Shane has a past that he struggles to escape. Nightmares, flashbacks, battling with his mind is a daily task. One boy who has been through hell and back.
You just want to take him in your arms and tell him it's ok.
Shane is a trainee at damage contol the tatoo place with the band of brothers I've read so much about in this series but that bond doesn't flow through this read and sadly I missed it.
I loved the way the guys would fight or die for each other, support each other, that invisible tie of past pain binding them all together and each wearing a dragon tatoo to prove it.
Shane has the support of his half brother Seth then he meets Cassie but the bond I loved so much in the other books the banter the friendships isn't there much.
This solely focuses on Shane and his struggles his battles his insecurities and Cassie who also has her own insecurities, a past she is ashamed of and a determination to change the way her future is heading.
Shane no longer wanting to suffer in silence and Cassie no longer wanting to follow in the footsteps of her mother, they discover each other and learn to trust and fight together.
Cassie
I've always been the girl who fears love, and now here I am. Shivering in my boots as the boy I love doesn't know how to love me back.
Shane:
She's part of why I wanna fight. Being with her makes my days brighter, the nights less dark.
A story of trust, hope, fighting demons, looking to the future and finding your first love.
There's angst and drama, heartwarming and heart tugging moments, hotness and a hea well sort of, it still felt incomplete to me? maybe I wanted to see more good things happening for Shane before I could settle calling it a hea.
Not my favourite in the series but filled with all the Jo Raven goodness I always enjoy.
She's my anchor, my sunlight, my girl.
Arc gratefully received for honest review Bbbf-sizzlereads-bestbookboyfriends
Shane has a past that he struggles to escape. Nightmares, flashbacks, battling with his mind is a daily task. One boy who has been through hell and back.
You just want to take him in your arms and tell him it's ok.
Shane is a trainee at damage contol the tatoo place with the band of brothers I've read so much about in this series but that bond doesn't flow through this read and sadly I missed it.
I loved the way the guys would fight or die for each other, support each other, that invisible tie of past pain binding them all together and each wearing a dragon tatoo to prove it.
Shane has the support of his half brother Seth then he meets Cassie but the bond I loved so much in the other books the banter the friendships isn't there much.
This solely focuses on Shane and his struggles his battles his insecurities and Cassie who also has her own insecurities, a past she is ashamed of and a determination to change the way her future is heading.
Shane no longer wanting to suffer in silence and Cassie no longer wanting to follow in the footsteps of her mother, they discover each other and learn to trust and fight together.
Cassie
I've always been the girl who fears love, and now here I am. Shivering in my boots as the boy I love doesn't know how to love me back.
Shane:
She's part of why I wanna fight. Being with her makes my days brighter, the nights less dark.
A story of trust, hope, fighting demons, looking to the future and finding your first love.
There's angst and drama, heartwarming and heart tugging moments, hotness and a hea well sort of, it still felt incomplete to me? maybe I wanted to see more good things happening for Shane before I could settle calling it a hea.
Not my favourite in the series but filled with all the Jo Raven goodness I always enjoy.
She's my anchor, my sunlight, my girl.
Arc gratefully received for honest review Bbbf-sizzlereads-bestbookboyfriends
February 14, 2016
Wow very deep
Words can never be enough to explain how this book has filled me with sadness and happiness. Jo you have hit home for a lot of us. Messages in here page after pages. Well written. As with every one of your books I love them. But this one has filled my heart.
Words can never be enough to explain how this book has filled me with sadness and happiness. Jo you have hit home for a lot of us. Messages in here page after pages. Well written. As with every one of your books I love them. But this one has filled my heart.
March 28, 2016
ANOTHER AMAZING READ FROM JO RAVEN! One of my favorite authors!
February 5, 2016
Oooooooooooooooooooh Shane...Shane, Shane, Shane. He was really awesome to read about. His struggles felt so real when you read them. You just really felt for him. He was an amazing character to read about because he wanted to change and he wanted to fight and get better. I loved watching Cassie stick by his side when other would probably be running for the hills. She stuck by him. The only downfall she had, is she let her mother get into her head about Shane which caused them to fight. It was a fight they needed to have because Shane needed to communicate more but Cassie's mother definitely caused more problems then there would have been normally. Also, I felt like the whole Jesse/Cassie kiss was never really resolved. Yes she apologized but they never said ok, we forgive you and then towards the end of the book, Jesse lays into her, thinking she pushed herself on Shane and humiliates her in front of a big group of people...when everyone tells him he was wrong, he never came to her and apologized, he never even apologized to Shane either....and that sat really wrong with me. I felt Cassie got the short end of the stick...yes...she did wrong and made a mistake...but she owned up to it. I'm not saying her, Jessie and Amber have to be best friends, but at least forgive and move on. I just felt bad for Cassie. Anyway...these two were really great to read about and I just loved this book.
September 16, 2017
I am so into the Inked Brotherhood and Damage Boys books by Jo Raven. Each of the boys has suffered through so much in the past and are still dealing with the aftereffects when their stories open. Shane especially comes from a very dark and troubled past. I knew a little of his back story from Seth's book, but you learn the full scope of the darkness, heartache, and despair he has/is facing in this one. You couldn't help but feel deep-seated compassion and empathy for him. I wanted to step into the story and help him fight his battles. Cassie seemed like a flighty, selfish character in the earlier books, but she redeemed herself in this one. She turned out to be just who Shane needed to move forward. Her past history with her older brother helped her to really understand him and how he was struggling with his demons. Her mother was unbelievably awful. No wonder the dad left her! I'm both looking forward to reading Ocean's story and dreading the end of this line of books. Another winner.
P.S. One thing I think didn't compute: what trouble did the "prison kings" get into because Shane spoke to the prison therapist? Nothing seemed to come of that from what was told in the story.
P.S. One thing I think didn't compute: what trouble did the "prison kings" get into because Shane spoke to the prison therapist? Nothing seemed to come of that from what was told in the story.
February 3, 2016
We've met Shane and Cassie before. A broken boy and a heartless man-eater.
It all began with a kiss. What started off as a way to make Shane notice her and make him jealous blew up in her face. She should have never done that to Jesse and shes been paying for it since. She wasn't raised to believe that there was anything real between men and women. Cassie is jaded, tainted in her own right. But there's something about Shane that calls to her. Wants her to be a better person. He makes her feel.
Shane wants Cassie. Wants her with every fiber of his being. But a past plagued with monsters and the inability to have contact with another person makes wanting just that...a want. When Cassie barges in on Shane's life and makes him open up, will is end in catastrophe or will to people broken in their own ways heal each other?
This is my confession: Shane will break your heart and put it right back together.
It all began with a kiss. What started off as a way to make Shane notice her and make him jealous blew up in her face. She should have never done that to Jesse and shes been paying for it since. She wasn't raised to believe that there was anything real between men and women. Cassie is jaded, tainted in her own right. But there's something about Shane that calls to her. Wants her to be a better person. He makes her feel.
Shane wants Cassie. Wants her with every fiber of his being. But a past plagued with monsters and the inability to have contact with another person makes wanting just that...a want. When Cassie barges in on Shane's life and makes him open up, will is end in catastrophe or will to people broken in their own ways heal each other?
This is my confession: Shane will break your heart and put it right back together.
February 23, 2016
The entire book he had flashbacks and nightmares with very little progression towards getting better. He can't remember anything either. He seemed to blackout a lot. Memories are suppressed and leaving him confused and blank.
He questioned everything. Thought he was going crazy, but never really told anyone what he believed. He just took everyone's word for it even though he had strong gut feelings and his memory was in and out. I don't know why he hadn't told Cassie or Seth exactly why he felt so uneasy. Could have helped his mental state a bit.
Seemed all he did with her after he worked around his triggers, was have sex. No romance really. They only know the minimum about each others past. It just seemed heavily focused on his PTSD and it overshadowed the romance or love developing between them.
No epilogue but I'm guessing that's because Ocean is getting a book next so the H/h will be mentioned in there.
He questioned everything. Thought he was going crazy, but never really told anyone what he believed. He just took everyone's word for it even though he had strong gut feelings and his memory was in and out. I don't know why he hadn't told Cassie or Seth exactly why he felt so uneasy. Could have helped his mental state a bit.
Seemed all he did with her after he worked around his triggers, was have sex. No romance really. They only know the minimum about each others past. It just seemed heavily focused on his PTSD and it overshadowed the romance or love developing between them.
No epilogue but I'm guessing that's because Ocean is getting a book next so the H/h will be mentioned in there.
September 14, 2018
I had a hard time with this one due to Cassie. In this series Cassie started out good, but in Jesse's book I really came to hate her, which made it hard for me to root for her as a couple in this one. I did like that she accepted Shane, even sought Seth out to find Shane's triggers and found ways for Shane to cope with them.
Shane's story broke my heart, but most especially when we got to the end and you realize what was being done to him. It's bad enough he had to live through hell, he shouldn't have had to re-visit it.
Shane's story broke my heart, but most especially when we got to the end and you realize what was being done to him. It's bad enough he had to live through hell, he shouldn't have had to re-visit it.
March 14, 2016
Another amazing book by Jo Raven.
Shane is an amazing character with a strength that can't let you indifferent. Cassie is also the kind of female character I like to read about. She's strong too and doesn't back down when it becomes tough.
This story is full of emotions depicted to perfection by Jo Raven.
Shane is an amazing character with a strength that can't let you indifferent. Cassie is also the kind of female character I like to read about. She's strong too and doesn't back down when it becomes tough.
This story is full of emotions depicted to perfection by Jo Raven.
May 24, 2018
Shane's story is tragic. Convicted of a crime he did not commit and abused in prison. He's tried to move on, get past the dreams, the nightmares.... He is an apprentice at Damage Control, Zane's tattoo shop. He is quiet, mysterious, handsome, brooding, and Cassie wants him. She made a big mistake trying to make Shane jealous by kissing Jesse and the reason this was so bad is because Cassie forced the kids on Jesse. He did not want it and it almost cost him the love of his life. She has apologized but it has taken awhile to get back into the group's good graces. Seth still speaks to her since her friend Manon is Jesse's girl and Shane still plays pool with her. Shane does not really do the talking thing.
Cassie intrudes on Shane's life and even though he does not understand that Cassie likes him he lets her because he likes the company. Things are not going so well for Shane the nightmares are getting worse and now he is having more flashbacks from his time in jail. He feels like he is losing himself. Cassie helps him feel grounded. He's afraid to have sex with Cassie because it triggers some bad thoughts. But when something stirs inside his soul when Cassie is near he wants things with her he never thought possible.
Cassie is not sure what Shane is feeling. The downside of dating the guy that never talks. Are they saying she's not even sure.
Things get hot and steamy with this couple and Cassie struggles to help save Shane's soul and she managed to steal his heart long before so it all comes together just as Kayla predicted.
The cover of this book is hot. I find the model for this perfect for this character description. And I feel that Shane is the hottest of the Damaged boys thus far. It's that quiet, mysterious, and tortured soul I'm guessing.
Rating: 4 STARS
(throw in an extra 1/2 star since the model of the cover is so hot)
Cassie intrudes on Shane's life and even though he does not understand that Cassie likes him he lets her because he likes the company. Things are not going so well for Shane the nightmares are getting worse and now he is having more flashbacks from his time in jail. He feels like he is losing himself. Cassie helps him feel grounded. He's afraid to have sex with Cassie because it triggers some bad thoughts. But when something stirs inside his soul when Cassie is near he wants things with her he never thought possible.
Cassie is not sure what Shane is feeling. The downside of dating the guy that never talks. Are they saying she's not even sure.
Things get hot and steamy with this couple and Cassie struggles to help save Shane's soul and she managed to steal his heart long before so it all comes together just as Kayla predicted.
The cover of this book is hot. I find the model for this perfect for this character description. And I feel that Shane is the hottest of the Damaged boys thus far. It's that quiet, mysterious, and tortured soul I'm guessing.
Rating: 4 STARS
(throw in an extra 1/2 star since the model of the cover is so hot)
August 24, 2021
What a storyline! This author is so talented at making her readers cry, like I did and wish I had a Damage Control guy!
The narrator for Shane was super spot on! He brought Shane’s character literally to life and relatable.
Cassie is the girl he has had a crush on but is afraid to approach because of his past and present demons.
I really loved his character and it’s relatable because I know people who have been through similar situations. The thing I love about this series is how the guys all stick together. Each guy from this series have had a hard lives and the owners of this the tattoo shop are my heroes!
Even Cassie has a heartbreaking past and a dysfunctional family. The books are standalone and have HEA guaranteed and wow the sex scenes are hot 🔥
The narrator for Shane was super spot on! He brought Shane’s character literally to life and relatable.
Cassie is the girl he has had a crush on but is afraid to approach because of his past and present demons.
I really loved his character and it’s relatable because I know people who have been through similar situations. The thing I love about this series is how the guys all stick together. Each guy from this series have had a hard lives and the owners of this the tattoo shop are my heroes!
Even Cassie has a heartbreaking past and a dysfunctional family. The books are standalone and have HEA guaranteed and wow the sex scenes are hot 🔥
January 31, 2016
Jo Raven has given us another spectacular look into the lives of those men we have grown to love. We got to see more glimpses of Shane in the previous book as it was written about his cousin Seth and what Jo set up was a broken and quiet man who secretly crushes on a girl that the rest of them can’t stand after the debacle at a certain wedding. Within these pages lies a story about a man who has been consumed of his past and it’s so overwhelming that he shuts everyone out and doesn’t know whether he lives in reality or strangled within his nightmarish memories.
After Shane lost his mother, his life started spiraling out of control. Things went downhill south and he ended up in jail alongside his cousin after they were framed and accused of doing something they didn’t commit. Those nights in jail were some of the most horrendous times of his life and the nightmares that come from his memories are unbearable. It led him to drugs and living on the streets after he got out with his cousin. Not until Zane found him and his cousin did their lives seem to start to get on track. But something has brought the past to the forefront and he can’t seem to escape the nightmares anymore.
Cassie does not value love and thinks of sex as only an act. She has been taught that love never amounts to anything due to her parents and her father walking out on her mother years ago. Her mother beat the thought into her head that sex was a bartering tool and it had no meaning behind it. When she kissed Jesse at the wedding, she thought he was like her. But what does that really mean? She’s been trying to figure out a way to apologize because she realized that Jesse was not like her. And they only made her feel worse when she realized she had another reason for doing it but couldn’t tell anyone the real reason. She was too embarrassed.
Throughout all of this, Shane had never turned her away. They’d shoot pool at the bar or have drinks. He never seemed to hold judgment over her because of her previous actions. She knew there was something about him that she was drawn to, but she couldn’t figure out why he’d want anything to do with her. She thought it was all in her imagination
Shane and Cassie are thrown together and start on this amazing journey of finding their self as well as what it means to truly love and care for someone else. They both share instances in the past that the never really talk about and have invisible scars that no one else can see but they live with daily. Shane is so lost that he finds comfort in Cassie. He doesn’t know why he deserves her or how he can keep her with a past as dark as his. Cassie wants nothing but to help Shane through some of the worst nightmares she has seen and her past has given her insight into someone with a traumatic past. She thought she could save someone in the past but she finally figures out you can’t save someone who has given up and doesn’t want to live. But now she has the opportunity to truly step in and help because the person wants to overcome the past and truly have a chance at life. Can they help each other find the true meaning of love? Can they depend on one another when they have never had anyone in their lives to depend on fully?
It’s hard not to give away much of the story without telling you what each one is going through. Shane needs love and you want to hug him tight throughout the book. You feel his loneliness and his drive to want to live and get better. Jo Raven has you rooting for him. Many people may not care that much for Cassie up to this point if you’ve read the series, but I feel she redeems herself over and over again throughout this book and you get an insight into what was actually going through her head before.
This story deserves to be read over and over again. It’s empowering and heartfelt. Shane’s story is something that everyone may be able to relate to on some level.
After Shane lost his mother, his life started spiraling out of control. Things went downhill south and he ended up in jail alongside his cousin after they were framed and accused of doing something they didn’t commit. Those nights in jail were some of the most horrendous times of his life and the nightmares that come from his memories are unbearable. It led him to drugs and living on the streets after he got out with his cousin. Not until Zane found him and his cousin did their lives seem to start to get on track. But something has brought the past to the forefront and he can’t seem to escape the nightmares anymore.
Cassie does not value love and thinks of sex as only an act. She has been taught that love never amounts to anything due to her parents and her father walking out on her mother years ago. Her mother beat the thought into her head that sex was a bartering tool and it had no meaning behind it. When she kissed Jesse at the wedding, she thought he was like her. But what does that really mean? She’s been trying to figure out a way to apologize because she realized that Jesse was not like her. And they only made her feel worse when she realized she had another reason for doing it but couldn’t tell anyone the real reason. She was too embarrassed.
Throughout all of this, Shane had never turned her away. They’d shoot pool at the bar or have drinks. He never seemed to hold judgment over her because of her previous actions. She knew there was something about him that she was drawn to, but she couldn’t figure out why he’d want anything to do with her. She thought it was all in her imagination
Shane and Cassie are thrown together and start on this amazing journey of finding their self as well as what it means to truly love and care for someone else. They both share instances in the past that the never really talk about and have invisible scars that no one else can see but they live with daily. Shane is so lost that he finds comfort in Cassie. He doesn’t know why he deserves her or how he can keep her with a past as dark as his. Cassie wants nothing but to help Shane through some of the worst nightmares she has seen and her past has given her insight into someone with a traumatic past. She thought she could save someone in the past but she finally figures out you can’t save someone who has given up and doesn’t want to live. But now she has the opportunity to truly step in and help because the person wants to overcome the past and truly have a chance at life. Can they help each other find the true meaning of love? Can they depend on one another when they have never had anyone in their lives to depend on fully?
It’s hard not to give away much of the story without telling you what each one is going through. Shane needs love and you want to hug him tight throughout the book. You feel his loneliness and his drive to want to live and get better. Jo Raven has you rooting for him. Many people may not care that much for Cassie up to this point if you’ve read the series, but I feel she redeems herself over and over again throughout this book and you get an insight into what was actually going through her head before.
This story deserves to be read over and over again. It’s empowering and heartfelt. Shane’s story is something that everyone may be able to relate to on some level.
January 24, 2016
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With each new troubled bad boy Jo Raven's paints on the page for us, my heart cracks a little bit more and I fall a little harder. My heart overflows with love for both the Inked Brotherhood and now the Damage Boyz and the strong caring women that can't help but steal their hearts. They are all so unique and have that special something. What they share is a tragic past and the strength to look past the outer shells with all the scars and see the love inside one another. After reading Seth, I couldn't wait to read Shane and Cassie's story and see how their love played out. They are sweet, sorrowful, and boy do they sizzle! They are definitely a couple that you don't want to miss out on. Jo Raven always has the most tragic and beautiful bad boys and their ink tells the story of their sad journey.
The abuse that Shane Tucker has to endure just about breaks the reader's heart right along side of him but Jo Raven always manages to put her hero and reader back together again. After reading Jo Raven's books, you are always left with a sense of the true evil in the world along with the love and hope that always prevails. In Shane's life thus far he has truly encountered a maliciousness like no other. He is still struggling with nightmares, flashbacks, and a general sense of foreboding. If only he could have his one wish in life... which is Cassie. I absolutely love everything about Shane from his flowing black hair, chiseled body, to his quiet demeanor. I was rooting for him to find true love and happiness before Jo Raven even let us know the true extent of scars he actually had. It is impossible to read about Shane and not have him leave an imprint in your heart.
Cassie Reyes is that girl that every women wants to hate and every guy looks at for just one reason. She has been wild and a bit of a trouble maker in the other books in the Damage Boyz series. I knew that I would like her because under that beautiful shell lies a soul that just wants to be loved and doesn't know how to form that emotional connection with someone else. She has a yearning for Shane that she has kept to herself and has caused her to do stupid things in the past which has ostracized her from the group. She is scared of all of her feelings for Shane and how to deal with the mistakes of her past. She turns out to be just as broken emotionally as Shane and leaves you awe struck with her strength and love for Shane.
Jo Raven takes these two characters through such an emotional and sensual journey which gives them a complete transformation from where their story begins. Jo Raven writes a special brand of bad boys that combines muscles, tattoos, big hearts and makes you want to protect them and makes you feel like you are a part of their fictional world. Who knows what tragedy will befall her beloved Damage Boyz in future books but one things for sure. There will be the love of the Inked Brotherhood and a special young woman to help them endure, overcome, and become whole again. I highly recommend for a steamy read that leaves you with that warm and fuzzy feeling.
With each new troubled bad boy Jo Raven's paints on the page for us, my heart cracks a little bit more and I fall a little harder. My heart overflows with love for both the Inked Brotherhood and now the Damage Boyz and the strong caring women that can't help but steal their hearts. They are all so unique and have that special something. What they share is a tragic past and the strength to look past the outer shells with all the scars and see the love inside one another. After reading Seth, I couldn't wait to read Shane and Cassie's story and see how their love played out. They are sweet, sorrowful, and boy do they sizzle! They are definitely a couple that you don't want to miss out on. Jo Raven always has the most tragic and beautiful bad boys and their ink tells the story of their sad journey.
The abuse that Shane Tucker has to endure just about breaks the reader's heart right along side of him but Jo Raven always manages to put her hero and reader back together again. After reading Jo Raven's books, you are always left with a sense of the true evil in the world along with the love and hope that always prevails. In Shane's life thus far he has truly encountered a maliciousness like no other. He is still struggling with nightmares, flashbacks, and a general sense of foreboding. If only he could have his one wish in life... which is Cassie. I absolutely love everything about Shane from his flowing black hair, chiseled body, to his quiet demeanor. I was rooting for him to find true love and happiness before Jo Raven even let us know the true extent of scars he actually had. It is impossible to read about Shane and not have him leave an imprint in your heart.
Cassie Reyes is that girl that every women wants to hate and every guy looks at for just one reason. She has been wild and a bit of a trouble maker in the other books in the Damage Boyz series. I knew that I would like her because under that beautiful shell lies a soul that just wants to be loved and doesn't know how to form that emotional connection with someone else. She has a yearning for Shane that she has kept to herself and has caused her to do stupid things in the past which has ostracized her from the group. She is scared of all of her feelings for Shane and how to deal with the mistakes of her past. She turns out to be just as broken emotionally as Shane and leaves you awe struck with her strength and love for Shane.
Jo Raven takes these two characters through such an emotional and sensual journey which gives them a complete transformation from where their story begins. Jo Raven writes a special brand of bad boys that combines muscles, tattoos, big hearts and makes you want to protect them and makes you feel like you are a part of their fictional world. Who knows what tragedy will befall her beloved Damage Boyz in future books but one things for sure. There will be the love of the Inked Brotherhood and a special young woman to help them endure, overcome, and become whole again. I highly recommend for a steamy read that leaves you with that warm and fuzzy feeling.
February 2, 2016
Dammit Jo Raven has knocked me off my feet again with her Damaged men. I seriously can't get enough. Shane's story is seriously one for the books it is devestaling heartbreaking. I cried, laughed and even yelled a few times while reading it.
I have gotten glimpses of Shane and Cassie in other books when Cassie seriously screwed up in Jesse's book and no one has forgiven for the ultimate no no. Honestly I didn't know how Jo was going to redeem Cassie but now I know and I feel for the poor girl.
This book starts out mostly with Shane damn the dude has has a fucked up passed and no one needs to ever go thru it again. I mean most of it is because what happened with him and his cousin back in prison. He has some horrible flashback of the past which makes him not be able to move on into the future. I felt so sorry for him when he has horrible nightmares and blacks out and can't remember what happened.
Than comes in Cassie they have been tip toeing around each other for a bit, but Cassie truly comes in and shows Shane there is something to look forward to, a future with her.
Although Cassie does have insecurities and it affects both there lives.Cassie she is a whore I aint gonna lie the chick did sleep around ALOT before she meet Shane and that is what got her in trouble with her and his friends in the first place. She honestly does not feel that she can be loved. It has a lot to do with her bitch of a mom. Than there is her past with her brother which caused her so much hurt she blames her self for what happened with him. Its a said story, but after understanding her I get why she slept around and thought that is all she was good for. Until Shane showed her that she could be loved.
The two seriously make one another better and it is an epic love. In the end they do realize they both need one another to be ok and make thru every day it just is a rough ride to them finally getting everything together and puzzle pieces put together.
I can't wait to read Oceans book something is really going on its driving me nuts to know why he was acting the way he was in this book!
I have gotten glimpses of Shane and Cassie in other books when Cassie seriously screwed up in Jesse's book and no one has forgiven for the ultimate no no. Honestly I didn't know how Jo was going to redeem Cassie but now I know and I feel for the poor girl.
This book starts out mostly with Shane damn the dude has has a fucked up passed and no one needs to ever go thru it again. I mean most of it is because what happened with him and his cousin back in prison. He has some horrible flashback of the past which makes him not be able to move on into the future. I felt so sorry for him when he has horrible nightmares and blacks out and can't remember what happened.
Than comes in Cassie they have been tip toeing around each other for a bit, but Cassie truly comes in and shows Shane there is something to look forward to, a future with her.
Although Cassie does have insecurities and it affects both there lives.Cassie she is a whore I aint gonna lie the chick did sleep around ALOT before she meet Shane and that is what got her in trouble with her and his friends in the first place. She honestly does not feel that she can be loved. It has a lot to do with her bitch of a mom. Than there is her past with her brother which caused her so much hurt she blames her self for what happened with him. Its a said story, but after understanding her I get why she slept around and thought that is all she was good for. Until Shane showed her that she could be loved.
The two seriously make one another better and it is an epic love. In the end they do realize they both need one another to be ok and make thru every day it just is a rough ride to them finally getting everything together and puzzle pieces put together.
I can't wait to read Oceans book something is really going on its driving me nuts to know why he was acting the way he was in this book!
January 30, 2016
I'm in love with a broken boy called Shane!!!
This is Shane and Cass's story. Shane is one of the Damage boys. He was taken into the fold by Zane along with his half brother and cousin Seth. Shane had a good life until his mom died and then all things went to hell. He's quiet and tortured by his past. He's trying really hard to heal and move on with his life but he just can't seem to get there. Cass is the good time girl. The one who see's guys as nothing more than a release. She uses men and leaves them. Except her attitude starts to change after she made a huge mistake with kissing Jesse at Asher's wedding without his permission. She has done nothing but follow her moms bad example but now she wants to apologize for her behavior and make amends with her friends. Some of her actions are because she likes Shane a lot and doesn't know how to approach the moody beautiful man.
Well i gotta say i think this book is probably the most heart breaking of all the books. I felt so much for him. He was fighting so hard throughout the book to heal himself to try and get through his pain but he just felt like he was going mad. He couldn't sleep or concentrate. He longed for Cass but he thought he wasn't good enough for her that he would never get over his fears and trust someone to help him. My heart just broke and shattered into a million pieces!!! all through the book i kept welling up with tears for him. And Cass?? well i loved her! i know a lot of people didn't like her from Jesse's book but i never hated her i could see her intentions weren't malicious but from a place that didn't know any better! i felt sorry for her too, her mom had made her feel like she had nothing to offer anyone but her looks and that she should never fall in love. What i really loved about her was her perseverance with Shane and her patience. It couldn't have been easy for her to take on his problems but she did it! And when they were together they were like two halves of one thing both of them fighters!!
I can't say how much i loved this book! I think this was slightly different to the others but that's what i love about this series in general not one is the same. I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone. It can be read as a standalone but please read the rest in the series because they are awesome!!!
This is Shane and Cass's story. Shane is one of the Damage boys. He was taken into the fold by Zane along with his half brother and cousin Seth. Shane had a good life until his mom died and then all things went to hell. He's quiet and tortured by his past. He's trying really hard to heal and move on with his life but he just can't seem to get there. Cass is the good time girl. The one who see's guys as nothing more than a release. She uses men and leaves them. Except her attitude starts to change after she made a huge mistake with kissing Jesse at Asher's wedding without his permission. She has done nothing but follow her moms bad example but now she wants to apologize for her behavior and make amends with her friends. Some of her actions are because she likes Shane a lot and doesn't know how to approach the moody beautiful man.
Well i gotta say i think this book is probably the most heart breaking of all the books. I felt so much for him. He was fighting so hard throughout the book to heal himself to try and get through his pain but he just felt like he was going mad. He couldn't sleep or concentrate. He longed for Cass but he thought he wasn't good enough for her that he would never get over his fears and trust someone to help him. My heart just broke and shattered into a million pieces!!! all through the book i kept welling up with tears for him. And Cass?? well i loved her! i know a lot of people didn't like her from Jesse's book but i never hated her i could see her intentions weren't malicious but from a place that didn't know any better! i felt sorry for her too, her mom had made her feel like she had nothing to offer anyone but her looks and that she should never fall in love. What i really loved about her was her perseverance with Shane and her patience. It couldn't have been easy for her to take on his problems but she did it! And when they were together they were like two halves of one thing both of them fighters!!
I can't say how much i loved this book! I think this was slightly different to the others but that's what i love about this series in general not one is the same. I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone. It can be read as a standalone but please read the rest in the series because they are awesome!!!
February 11, 2016
ARC in replace of honest review
Title: Shane
Series: Damage Control #4
Author: Jo Raven
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Jo Raven is one of my favorite authors I was excited to get a chance to review Shane.
> Shane is the 4th book in the Damage Control Series it was well written, and captivated my attention right away. This story held me transfixed from start to finish, I could not put it down. Every chapter drew me in more than the previous . I liked how the story flowed and how it keeps you reading to find out what is going to happen next. I think Ms. Jo Raven has another hit on her hands with this one. I found that the POV between the characters was very emotional and heartwarming. There’s so much emotion in this book. It deals with real issues and real people and their real reactions to them. This is why Jo Raven is so popular and why her books will continue to sell phenomenally well, she manages to hook the reader in with the purity of the story, and giving them the closest look into the truths of the darkest moments in her characters’ lives. Here is a little about each character.
Shane's mother died in a car accident leaving him alone at an early age, he is faced with nightmares and fade out/flashbacks from his past that are so real he struggles with day to day life. He's been secretly in love with Cassie for a long time, but he thinks her eyes are not on him. And he knows it will finally break him if he gets too involved with her , and she doesn't feel the same way.
>
> Cassie is shun from the group she really wants to be part of because of silly mistakes and a lifestyle her mother has made her believe is normal. Cassie is known as the playgirl and party chick. But she's really secretly in love with the sexiest man who barely speaks a word to her, Shane. She has feelings for Shane and a strength to stand by him helping him and believing in him, realising a friendship if important to her even if things don't turn into romance. Giving him a purpose to want to live, want to keep going and the possibility of a future. Overall, this fourth novel was a good and satisfying read, and it can pretty much be read as a standalone. Shane garners four stars, and would defiantly recommend this book to all my friends who read the same types of books I do. I am addicted to reading and am glad I had a chance to read this book.♥
Title: Shane
Series: Damage Control #4
Author: Jo Raven
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Jo Raven is one of my favorite authors I was excited to get a chance to review Shane.
> Shane is the 4th book in the Damage Control Series it was well written, and captivated my attention right away. This story held me transfixed from start to finish, I could not put it down. Every chapter drew me in more than the previous . I liked how the story flowed and how it keeps you reading to find out what is going to happen next. I think Ms. Jo Raven has another hit on her hands with this one. I found that the POV between the characters was very emotional and heartwarming. There’s so much emotion in this book. It deals with real issues and real people and their real reactions to them. This is why Jo Raven is so popular and why her books will continue to sell phenomenally well, she manages to hook the reader in with the purity of the story, and giving them the closest look into the truths of the darkest moments in her characters’ lives. Here is a little about each character.
Shane's mother died in a car accident leaving him alone at an early age, he is faced with nightmares and fade out/flashbacks from his past that are so real he struggles with day to day life. He's been secretly in love with Cassie for a long time, but he thinks her eyes are not on him. And he knows it will finally break him if he gets too involved with her , and she doesn't feel the same way.
>
> Cassie is shun from the group she really wants to be part of because of silly mistakes and a lifestyle her mother has made her believe is normal. Cassie is known as the playgirl and party chick. But she's really secretly in love with the sexiest man who barely speaks a word to her, Shane. She has feelings for Shane and a strength to stand by him helping him and believing in him, realising a friendship if important to her even if things don't turn into romance. Giving him a purpose to want to live, want to keep going and the possibility of a future. Overall, this fourth novel was a good and satisfying read, and it can pretty much be read as a standalone. Shane garners four stars, and would defiantly recommend this book to all my friends who read the same types of books I do. I am addicted to reading and am glad I had a chance to read this book.♥
February 4, 2016
4 stars
Once again Jo Raven delivers a boy so impossibly broken that it’s really difficult to see where his happy ending will come from. Jo just has this knack of writing a story that wrings the reader emotionally and manages to create these fantastic characters that a reader can’t help but fall in love with. She has a long list of damaged souls behind her and I think the series title, The Damaged Boys, couldn’t have been named any better.
This was a 4 star read for me and I’ll tell you why – my thoughts still linger on Rafe. He has had the most impact on me out of this author’s entire books and whilst this is an extremely good read it still doesn’t surpass Rafe for me I’m afraid. I’m hoping that maybe Ocean’s story (coming next I think) might be the one to top him. Jo’s writing style remains fluid and interesting. I always become sceptical when an author releases book after book in quick succession and wonder if they can keep up the strength in the story and writing. Jo does, and very well I might add. The stories aren’t inherently unique but they are penned in such a way that it’s hard to put the book down.
Anyway, we’ve met Shane before and we’ve also met the apparent trouble maker Cassie throughout this series. Match made in heaven? Definitely not, but somehow she has the right stuff when it comes to helping Shane and I really admired her tenacity to go after what she wanted. She stiffened her spine and took what she knew was coming from many different angles. I actually felt quite proud of her by the time I had finished reading. Shane’s history is dark, well part of it is anyway and at times my heart broke for this poor man. Again, the secondary characters are ones we’ve met and read of, and I always love that they have so much involvement throughout each book Jo releases. You get that sense of family and it’s a warm undercurrent flowing through the dark. There’s a bit of suspense thrown in here, it’s not huge but it gives a little more spark to the story for sure.
You need to read Jo Raven’s work if you haven’t, there’s plenty on offer and she never gets boring, there’s something to suit everyone I think. Recommended and looking forward to her next release.
Once again Jo Raven delivers a boy so impossibly broken that it’s really difficult to see where his happy ending will come from. Jo just has this knack of writing a story that wrings the reader emotionally and manages to create these fantastic characters that a reader can’t help but fall in love with. She has a long list of damaged souls behind her and I think the series title, The Damaged Boys, couldn’t have been named any better.
This was a 4 star read for me and I’ll tell you why – my thoughts still linger on Rafe. He has had the most impact on me out of this author’s entire books and whilst this is an extremely good read it still doesn’t surpass Rafe for me I’m afraid. I’m hoping that maybe Ocean’s story (coming next I think) might be the one to top him. Jo’s writing style remains fluid and interesting. I always become sceptical when an author releases book after book in quick succession and wonder if they can keep up the strength in the story and writing. Jo does, and very well I might add. The stories aren’t inherently unique but they are penned in such a way that it’s hard to put the book down.
Anyway, we’ve met Shane before and we’ve also met the apparent trouble maker Cassie throughout this series. Match made in heaven? Definitely not, but somehow she has the right stuff when it comes to helping Shane and I really admired her tenacity to go after what she wanted. She stiffened her spine and took what she knew was coming from many different angles. I actually felt quite proud of her by the time I had finished reading. Shane’s history is dark, well part of it is anyway and at times my heart broke for this poor man. Again, the secondary characters are ones we’ve met and read of, and I always love that they have so much involvement throughout each book Jo releases. You get that sense of family and it’s a warm undercurrent flowing through the dark. There’s a bit of suspense thrown in here, it’s not huge but it gives a little more spark to the story for sure.
You need to read Jo Raven’s work if you haven’t, there’s plenty on offer and she never gets boring, there’s something to suit everyone I think. Recommended and looking forward to her next release.
February 5, 2016
Reviewing on behalf of Relentless book chic’s ramblings and reviews
I didn’t think anyone would ever take the place of my #1 Damage control boy Jesse but Shane has, he stole my heart in this book.
Shane has had a troubled past, the horrors he faced in prison would break most people completely but he’s a survivor. Training to become a tattoo artist, even though he doesn’t think he’s good enough, he feels part of a family which is something he hasn’t had for a long time, apart from his cousin Seth who also works at Damage control.
Seth spends most of his time alone with his drawings. All his friends are with their women but that is something else he can’t have. The thought of touching someone or being touched by them hurtles him straight back into the hellish nightmares of his time in prison and there’s one woman who’d he’d love to touch, Cassie.
Cassie has a bit of a reputation with the men in the town and after the mistake she made at Asher’s wedding(Jesse, Damage control #2), most of the Inked brotherhood members have shunned her apart from her best friend, Manon(Seth, Damage control #3) and Shane.
Cassie struggles with her feelings for Shane as she doesn’t want to be accused of throwing herself at another man who isn’t interested. He never seems to pay her much attention and doesn’t really say a lot, he’s more of a listener. As Cassie gets to know him, she learns all about his nightmares and wants to do all she can to help the one man that she’s ever felt any real emotion for.
Will Shane survive when he confronts the demons of his past and will Cassie’s support be enough to help him heal enough to finally allow love back into his life?
Shane’s story is both heart warming and heart breaking but the bond between him and Cassie is so strong that together, they complete each other.
Jo definitely knows how to twist your emotions and leave your heart hurting with the amount of sympathy and warmth you feel for her damaged boys. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait till she releases the next one in the series.
I didn’t think anyone would ever take the place of my #1 Damage control boy Jesse but Shane has, he stole my heart in this book.
Shane has had a troubled past, the horrors he faced in prison would break most people completely but he’s a survivor. Training to become a tattoo artist, even though he doesn’t think he’s good enough, he feels part of a family which is something he hasn’t had for a long time, apart from his cousin Seth who also works at Damage control.
Seth spends most of his time alone with his drawings. All his friends are with their women but that is something else he can’t have. The thought of touching someone or being touched by them hurtles him straight back into the hellish nightmares of his time in prison and there’s one woman who’d he’d love to touch, Cassie.
Cassie has a bit of a reputation with the men in the town and after the mistake she made at Asher’s wedding(Jesse, Damage control #2), most of the Inked brotherhood members have shunned her apart from her best friend, Manon(Seth, Damage control #3) and Shane.
Cassie struggles with her feelings for Shane as she doesn’t want to be accused of throwing herself at another man who isn’t interested. He never seems to pay her much attention and doesn’t really say a lot, he’s more of a listener. As Cassie gets to know him, she learns all about his nightmares and wants to do all she can to help the one man that she’s ever felt any real emotion for.
Will Shane survive when he confronts the demons of his past and will Cassie’s support be enough to help him heal enough to finally allow love back into his life?
Shane’s story is both heart warming and heart breaking but the bond between him and Cassie is so strong that together, they complete each other.
Jo definitely knows how to twist your emotions and leave your heart hurting with the amount of sympathy and warmth you feel for her damaged boys. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait till she releases the next one in the series.
Read
February 2, 2016
Shane
by Jo Raven is the 4th book in
Damage Control Series
Shane Tucker is hard working, quiet and seemingly introverted. Going out occasionally with his friends to shoot pool or have a drink. From that standpoint he looks like a pretty typical young adult guy. That’s just the surface that you see. Shane has an incredible undercurrent of activity going on that isn’t overtly visible until it becomes more than he can contain. His cousin Seth and a few guys at Damage Control tattoo shop, where he is training to become an artist, know the story that explains Shane.
Cassie Reyes is “that” one girl that every group has. The girl who hits on every guy, drinks every time she goes out and more than not brings a stranger home to her bed. Can’t really blame her though, it’s what her mom has really driven into her as normal behavior. The thing is that Cassie is beginning to have an inner tug of war with herself if she wants to try more with someone like Shane or if he only wants one level of relationship with her.
Shane and Cassie’s story is really a puzzle that they must figure out how to keep turning the pieces around to get them to fit just right, not jamming them in without patience and finesse.
Jo Raven has a masterful voice when it comes to writing about emotionally fractured characters and she has done it again with telling the story of Shane and Cassie.
This book has a HEA and is a standalone. There are characters referenced from both the Inked Brotherhood Series and prior Damage Control books, so reading them in order would give a better overall reading experience.
I received this ARC from Jo Raven in exchange for my honest review
Shane Tucker is hard working, quiet and seemingly introverted. Going out occasionally with his friends to shoot pool or have a drink. From that standpoint he looks like a pretty typical young adult guy. That’s just the surface that you see. Shane has an incredible undercurrent of activity going on that isn’t overtly visible until it becomes more than he can contain. His cousin Seth and a few guys at Damage Control tattoo shop, where he is training to become an artist, know the story that explains Shane.
Cassie Reyes is “that” one girl that every group has. The girl who hits on every guy, drinks every time she goes out and more than not brings a stranger home to her bed. Can’t really blame her though, it’s what her mom has really driven into her as normal behavior. The thing is that Cassie is beginning to have an inner tug of war with herself if she wants to try more with someone like Shane or if he only wants one level of relationship with her.
Shane and Cassie’s story is really a puzzle that they must figure out how to keep turning the pieces around to get them to fit just right, not jamming them in without patience and finesse.
Jo Raven has a masterful voice when it comes to writing about emotionally fractured characters and she has done it again with telling the story of Shane and Cassie.
This book has a HEA and is a standalone. There are characters referenced from both the Inked Brotherhood Series and prior Damage Control books, so reading them in order would give a better overall reading experience.
I received this ARC from Jo Raven in exchange for my honest review
January 25, 2016
5 UNFORGETTABLE STARS !
Shane is a quiet man, broken and haunted by the demons of the past, struggling to survive the present. He's been secretly in love with Cassie for a long time, but he thinks her eyes are not on him. And he knows it will finally break him if he gets too involved with her , and she doesn't feel the same way.
Cassie is known as the group's playgirl and party chick. But she's really secretly in love with the sexiest man who barely speaks a word to her, Shane. So she kissed another man (who happens to be a friend who is in a very solid relationship with her other friend ) just to get a reaction from him. But regrets came later, because their friends shunned her. But through it all , Shane was only man who stood by her.
Their love was all-consuming but fears prevented them from saying the words. He was haunted by the past but wants her to be his future. She was also haunted by a past and wants to redeem it, by holding on to the man she knows she can save. In the end, they both fought for life to fight for their love.
I want to hug Shane for all the pain that he went through and applaud Cassie being his inspiration to live again. I love it when the heroine shines in the plot, and saves the man, even if she herself was not perfect.
SHANE is a very sexy emotional read. It's not a book which allowed me to pause in the middle of the pages because I got so hooked by the plot and by all the feels, I read it in one sitting. And the bittersweet but very happy ending left tears in my eyes. What a beautiful story! Truly one of the best books Josephine Raven has written. Shane will never be forgotten.
N.B. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest to goodness review .
Shane is a quiet man, broken and haunted by the demons of the past, struggling to survive the present. He's been secretly in love with Cassie for a long time, but he thinks her eyes are not on him. And he knows it will finally break him if he gets too involved with her , and she doesn't feel the same way.
Cassie is known as the group's playgirl and party chick. But she's really secretly in love with the sexiest man who barely speaks a word to her, Shane. So she kissed another man (who happens to be a friend who is in a very solid relationship with her other friend ) just to get a reaction from him. But regrets came later, because their friends shunned her. But through it all , Shane was only man who stood by her.
Their love was all-consuming but fears prevented them from saying the words. He was haunted by the past but wants her to be his future. She was also haunted by a past and wants to redeem it, by holding on to the man she knows she can save. In the end, they both fought for life to fight for their love.
I want to hug Shane for all the pain that he went through and applaud Cassie being his inspiration to live again. I love it when the heroine shines in the plot, and saves the man, even if she herself was not perfect.
SHANE is a very sexy emotional read. It's not a book which allowed me to pause in the middle of the pages because I got so hooked by the plot and by all the feels, I read it in one sitting. And the bittersweet but very happy ending left tears in my eyes. What a beautiful story! Truly one of the best books Josephine Raven has written. Shane will never be forgotten.
N.B. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest to goodness review .
January 22, 2016
I have to say that with every book Jo Raven writes, she absolutely breaks my heart with these boys. Shane has had such a hard life. Between being orphaned at a young age, living on the streets & then going through what he did while in prison, it's no wonder he thinks he is losing his mind. Especially when he starts losing time and having multiple flashbacks. It's finally gotten to the point that he can no longer hide it and he starts to think that his demons just might win. He can't even bear to be touched, and yet there is one person who he wishes he could get better for. One girl that makes him want to heal. One girl who he can never have...
Cassie has her own demons to conquer. She's the party girl who believes she's only good for one thing (because that's what her mother tells her). The girl whose father disappeared after her brother committed suicide. The girl who alienated everyone she considers a friend after making a stupid mistake. Well, everyone except Shane. Too bad he isn't interested...
God, I want to say so many things about this book but am afraid of letting a spoiler slip! I have no idea how Jo Raven is able to drag her boys (and girls) through hell and back without losing a piece of herself in the process. Every time I read one of her books it guts me in the best possible way, and SHANE is no exception. She broke my heart, made me cry (while wanting to hug Shane), and then put me back together in a way that I didn't see coming.
All I have left to say is READ THIS BOOK!!!
Cassie has her own demons to conquer. She's the party girl who believes she's only good for one thing (because that's what her mother tells her). The girl whose father disappeared after her brother committed suicide. The girl who alienated everyone she considers a friend after making a stupid mistake. Well, everyone except Shane. Too bad he isn't interested...
God, I want to say so many things about this book but am afraid of letting a spoiler slip! I have no idea how Jo Raven is able to drag her boys (and girls) through hell and back without losing a piece of herself in the process. Every time I read one of her books it guts me in the best possible way, and SHANE is no exception. She broke my heart, made me cry (while wanting to hug Shane), and then put me back together in a way that I didn't see coming.
All I have left to say is READ THIS BOOK!!!
February 11, 2016
This book pulled me in from the first page, and was so hard to put down!
Shane wanted to be normal, wanted to be happy. Unfortunately, he didn't think that would ever happen. He was suffering from nightmares from something that happened in his past. He would even have flashbacks and panic attacks during the day, especially if someone touches him. His best friend, and cousin, Seth knew part of what happened to him, and wished he could have saved him back then. Seth tries to help him deal with the pain of his past, by being there whenever he is needed. Shane knows that Seth is trying to help, but it just isn't enough. His nightmares and flashbacks only get worse. The only person who seems to be able to help him is his friend Cassie. Cassie lost her brother years ago, and knows a bit of what Shane is going through, and vows to try and help him the best she can. Shane thinks he is crazy and doesn't think Cassie can help him, but he is willing to try. As Shane and Cassie grow closer, they are finding it difficult to resist each other. Shane doesn't know why he can handle her touch, an no one else's, but he doesn't care. He can't seem to get enough of her touch. She centers him, keeps him in the now. She is his savior. She is like a light in his dark tunnel, and he has to get to the end to get to the light, to her. Can Cassie continue to help him break free of the memories of his past? Was Shane really going crazy, or was someone from his past out for revenge? This was such a great book, and I promise to recommend it!
Shane wanted to be normal, wanted to be happy. Unfortunately, he didn't think that would ever happen. He was suffering from nightmares from something that happened in his past. He would even have flashbacks and panic attacks during the day, especially if someone touches him. His best friend, and cousin, Seth knew part of what happened to him, and wished he could have saved him back then. Seth tries to help him deal with the pain of his past, by being there whenever he is needed. Shane knows that Seth is trying to help, but it just isn't enough. His nightmares and flashbacks only get worse. The only person who seems to be able to help him is his friend Cassie. Cassie lost her brother years ago, and knows a bit of what Shane is going through, and vows to try and help him the best she can. Shane thinks he is crazy and doesn't think Cassie can help him, but he is willing to try. As Shane and Cassie grow closer, they are finding it difficult to resist each other. Shane doesn't know why he can handle her touch, an no one else's, but he doesn't care. He can't seem to get enough of her touch. She centers him, keeps him in the now. She is his savior. She is like a light in his dark tunnel, and he has to get to the end to get to the light, to her. Can Cassie continue to help him break free of the memories of his past? Was Shane really going crazy, or was someone from his past out for revenge? This was such a great book, and I promise to recommend it!
February 17, 2016
The Inked Brotherhood and Damage Control series' by Jo Raven are two of my all time favorite romance series. And this latest installment in the series does not disappoint. I really do love tattoo romances and these books are great additions to the genre. Shane and Cassie have been on the outskirts of the scene until now. Shane has always been the silent broody one and Cassie has always been portrayed as the slutty friend that no one really likes. In this book you really get to put the whole don't judge a book by it's cover theory to the test. And that's a lesson that everyone is about to learn. Cassie has her own demons that she finds helps her connect with Shane. To Shane, Cassie is the girl he that has always been out of reach and uninterested. Due to some past sins Cassie runs to Shane for refuge. Only to find that she is his as well. This is one of Jo Raven's best and I was really looking forward to Shane's story. Both characters are real and the emotions and reactions they have are extremely relatable. You get to visit a lot of characters from the previous books in both series so I certainly recommend that they be read in order. There are some difficult situations that are not for everyone so I do caution people before they read it. As always I am looking forward to the next book, Ocean. He has been mentioned before and just happens to be the biggest mystery of all. I look forward to uncovering him and whichever lucky lady he ends up with.
February 1, 2016
Jo Raven's latest installment of the Damage Control boys is a heart breaking passionate rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Shane is the sweet, shy man with the heart of a lion. His weakness? Hes got demons breathing down his neck making him fear he's sloshing his mind.
Cassie has been secretly in love with Shane for a long time. She even made a mistake with another Damage Control boy in the past trying to get a rise out of Shane. But more than that, Cassie has her own demons she's fighting.
You wouldnt think that these two could work because of thwir broken issues. But amazingly Jo weaves the story so intricately that they turn out to make the perfect pairing.
I have been following Jo Raven and reading her books for at least 2 years. She was one of the first romance authors I tripped into and her stories are written in sich a unique way that she keeps me coming back for more. Lately ive been further into dark romance but Jo Raven is my guilty pleasure when it comes to contemporary romance. She provides enough angst to keep her readers interested from beginning to end and ger characters ...they're not billionaires or step brothers or Christian Gray. They are real. So lifelike they could step straight from the pages. The reader can easily relate to many characters from Jo's books.
Ill be waiting to see what this amazing author comes up with next!
Shane is the sweet, shy man with the heart of a lion. His weakness? Hes got demons breathing down his neck making him fear he's sloshing his mind.
Cassie has been secretly in love with Shane for a long time. She even made a mistake with another Damage Control boy in the past trying to get a rise out of Shane. But more than that, Cassie has her own demons she's fighting.
You wouldnt think that these two could work because of thwir broken issues. But amazingly Jo weaves the story so intricately that they turn out to make the perfect pairing.
I have been following Jo Raven and reading her books for at least 2 years. She was one of the first romance authors I tripped into and her stories are written in sich a unique way that she keeps me coming back for more. Lately ive been further into dark romance but Jo Raven is my guilty pleasure when it comes to contemporary romance. She provides enough angst to keep her readers interested from beginning to end and ger characters ...they're not billionaires or step brothers or Christian Gray. They are real. So lifelike they could step straight from the pages. The reader can easily relate to many characters from Jo's books.
Ill be waiting to see what this amazing author comes up with next!
February 5, 2016
Shane's story, wow. Heartbreaking. I swear I spent two thirds of this book on the verge of crying for him and wanting to make everything better.
This man has truly been through hell and when things started to get better, he started to pull himself out of the pit of darkness he's tossed back in.
Cassie is kind of hoe, she sleeps around, hits it an quits it. She wants Shane, has for awhile but she royally screwed that up, as well as relationships with most of their group of friends.
While finding her way back she discovers Shane's struggles and for once in her life she cares, she wants to help him.
She has a past that makes her better equipped to handle Shane than most of their friends and she's determined to get him through and hopefully one day he will want her like she wants him.
This story is truly heart wrenching, Shane went through so much at such a young age and on top of his soul being tortured by it, others see fit to make him suffer even more. Shane may be my favorite character in this series so far, yes he's seriously messed up but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel if you look hard enough. Sometimes that light comes from a surprising source but if it gets you where you need to be it's all good.
5 stars
This man has truly been through hell and when things started to get better, he started to pull himself out of the pit of darkness he's tossed back in.
Cassie is kind of hoe, she sleeps around, hits it an quits it. She wants Shane, has for awhile but she royally screwed that up, as well as relationships with most of their group of friends.
While finding her way back she discovers Shane's struggles and for once in her life she cares, she wants to help him.
She has a past that makes her better equipped to handle Shane than most of their friends and she's determined to get him through and hopefully one day he will want her like she wants him.
This story is truly heart wrenching, Shane went through so much at such a young age and on top of his soul being tortured by it, others see fit to make him suffer even more. Shane may be my favorite character in this series so far, yes he's seriously messed up but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel if you look hard enough. Sometimes that light comes from a surprising source but if it gets you where you need to be it's all good.
5 stars
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