Damaged Goods (All Saints, 4)

It’s so good to come back to Todos Santos. Also bittersweet, as one of my favorite series comes to an end. All Saints High, as well as Sinners of Saint, are two of my all time favorites. Each book in the series includes some sort of heartache &/or trauma (check TW), but this book. THIS BOOK. Oh My Marx, I was not prepared.Bailey and Lev’s love story is a messy one. A beautifully painful, heart wrenching and complicated messy one (again, check the TW). And completely opposite of what I expected. But it is indeed a love story. A very strong love story. Unconditional, unwavering, and resilient. Even in the worst of times. They are Soulmates. They’re endgame. They have loved one another, in some capacity, since birth. Best friends, in-love, codependent, etc. And in a way became human shields for one another. Protecting the other from all the pain and stress that life brings. Their inner battles start to surface more with their first big separation - Bailey leaving to attend Juilliard. And they have to face things independently and on their own. Without the constant support, protection and enabling they have always provided one another. Things change. They change. And things start spiraling.I initially had to acclimate myself to seeing them as young adults. We’ve seen them as kids and preteens/young teens up until this point. And I think we were meant to see and feel that. That’s how their family sees them. As the flawless, innocent and perfect kids in the family. The stars that shine bright and will carry on familial legacies and fulfill dreams. They both have a lot of expectations placed on them, from an early age. From their families as well as from themselves. The need to please everyone eventually comes to a head, as these expectations are stifling and birth secrets, lies, resentment & overwhelming pressure.There is a lot of heartbreak and mending in their story. Together and Individually. It becomes a cycle. They each have their own personal battles and demons to overcome. Bailey’s addiction being one of them. Their need to please their family, another. You will feel their struggles. It’s palpable and painful. And at times it gutted me. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, once you survive one heartbreak another one comes at you fast, hard & unexpected. And that’s another thing I think we were meant to feel. Because that is how addiction can sometimes feel. The ups and downs. The set backs. The pain. The need to fix the other. But there is also healing, self discovery, growth and pride. And as much as you feel their pain, you will revel in their happiness and successes. This is a love story that will find a permanent place in your heart and stay with you.“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙.”It was packed with a lot of great cameos - all of our favorites - some having a stronger presence than others. Especially with their immediate family. I loved Jaime as a father in Pretty Reckless and that carried on in Damaged Goods. He has a such a sweet and extremely supportive & involved relationship with his daughters. You just want to hug him. Daria is Daria. She is a tremendous source of unconditional love and support for her sister, amongst all her “Daria-ness”. Dean’s nature really reflects in his two sons. All three are extremely devoted and dedicated to the women they love. Cole men love hard and fiercely. Lev’s overprotectiveness may trump the other two, though. The four families are extremely enmeshed with one another. Zero boundaries. Continual & complete support. Which is something I’ve always loved. This book also offered closure to the families as a whole, tying up loose ends & sensitive subjects with grace.Damaged Goods is a deep love story filled with heartache, overcoming obstacles, healing, forgiveness and coming in to one’s own true self. A destined love that was strongly fought for. I felt the pain and the joy. And I loved all of it. A must read and new favorite of mine.𝙃𝙤𝙬'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝘿𝙤𝙫𝙚? 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙.𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡, 𝙄 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙.

I don't know what I was expecting but it was not to get so emotional and cry reading this. I think a part of it is these characters felt like friends I was seeing for the first time in a long time. Before this book I read Fabric of our souls and that was an emotional book but I didn't shade a tear then I read this book thinking it would be a good book to read after such as dark and sad book. Lol my mistake! I felt so many things reading this book. Sad, anger, conflicted, and a few giggles. Drug addiction is a personal pain because I haven't seen or talk to my brother in years. This book made me look at some things I may need to work through.Friends to loversFriends to enemies kinda lolSecond chanceChildhood loveThe spice was a 2 on my personal scale because I'm a high spice girl. I felt like the dirty talk and build up was awesome but the actual spice fell kind of flat. HOWEVER!!!!! Thus story was so good and getting to see where all the other couples are in life that I didn't mind or take away from the stars I gave it. I feel there is openings for another book or a nice ending that I would be satisfied with. I love this author and have read almost of her books. I'm behind on a few series but if you are looking for a good series then check out the series before this one and then this series. I will never NOT recommend this series or this book.

My head has yet to stop spinning! What I have just read kept me up until the early hours, and I have one of the biggest book hangovers ever. My first thought for future readers is to take note of Shen’s message at the beginning of her fourth All Saints High novel. Mine? Put your big girl panties on, ladies! Damaged Goods is mind-blowingly intense, beautiful and ugly-crying, all rolled into one story that brought out feelings I didn’t know I had in me. Shen has undisputably gone to a lot of trouble to make her latest offering a standalone. However, by reading the previous books, you’ll gain a sense of familiarity with other characters who stole my heart. Jaime and Melody Followhill’s youngest daughter is a perfectionist, the ‘good’ girl whom Dean Cole’s son, Lev, had leant on when he most needed her. I liked how Shen shifted their thoughts back and forth from past to present, learning what looked like an unbreakable friendship shattered beyond repair. Going separate ways, him playing college football, and Bailey chasing her dream at a prestigious dancing school, living up to their parents’ high expectations is taking its toll. Turning page after page drew me deeper and deeper into Bailey’s downward spiral. Her folks and Lev knew what she had to do, but that feeling of impotence when someone doesn’t want to admit they’ve got a severe problem is heartwrenching. Shen tackling such a formidable topic and the distress it causes was so realistic that here I was, reading her storytelling at its very best. It’s hard to describe how the whirlwind of emotions left me—Bailey became my despair, Lev’s torment my torture.What gave me hope was observing Lev man up. I could have given him a high five for standing up for himself. He not only acquires the skill of saying no firmly but also finds it in him to face Bailey at her worst–no less 24/7. Chapeau Lev. With all his responsibilities, he’s there, trying to make things right by her! Even though he came across as bitter well into the story, this young man’s devotion to her overwhelmed me. I lapped up every convo he had with his teammates and coach, his fling, well—hold on to your seats, folks! Hardly ever has a character rattled my cage as much as she did.Laughable moments there are, however. Shen entwines the rough with the smooth, off-the-charts banter with harsh reality. She’s kept romance at arm’s length, which I appreciated since it wouldn’t have fitted Lev and Bailey’s story even a little. It’s about forgiveness, healing, trusting, and being there at the right time. Meeting up with the All Saints crew pleased me no end. I’m still swooning over ‘Uncle’ Dean and loving Bailey’s older sister, Daria, even more than I already had.I’ve tried to keep my review spoiler-free (I highly recommend going in blind) when I couldn’t stop highlighting such shareable quotes, though this one brought home the importance of everlasting love. ‘Be proud of your scars, Dove. Because where you see hardship, I see opportunity.’ Indeed, Lev’s words weren’t just swoon-worthy; they were the crux of the matter! Bravissimo, Shen. You opened a can of worms, turning a well-crafted plot with its characters’ virtuous weaknesses, strengths and growths into an unforgettable reading experience.

This was a little slice of perfect for me 😊.The story, the characters, all of it. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. Bailey and Lev will go down as some of my favourite LJ characters ever.Dean, Lev’s dad was definitely my least favourite from previous books and I was surprising fine with him. I disliked him so much I didn’t finish the original set of books. Sorry Jamie and Trent 😞. Will definitely come back to your stories soon.

'Damaged Goods' is the finale in the All Saints High (ASH) series by LJ Shen. This has been an amazing series to read, and 'Damaged Goods' had a lot to live up to. I've been waiting for Bailey and Lev's story (aka #bailev) for some time, and I'm so happy that the book beautifully completed the series, and was a perfect companion story to those that have gone before.Bailey and Lev have been besties since childhood, but also have a very deep emotional and intellectual bond. The beautiful, talented, and caring Bailey descends down a dark path while away studying ballet, and the solid, dependable, and constant Lev is drawn like a moth-to-a-flame back to her to try and prevent her self-destruction.This is a story about redemption, love, adversity, and soul-mates. The characters were all a little flawed and a little messed up, which gives this story that edginess and tension that makes an LJ Shen book so compelling.This is a complete standalone YA romance story, told in dual pov. You do not need to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one.

Che posso dire? La Shen colpisce ancora e alla grande.Credo sia tra le poche a potermi far impazzire per un friends to lovers (best friends to lovers) dove lui non ha mai nascosto i suoi sentimenti per lei, dove li ha sempre dichiarati e continua a farlo.Credo di aver bisogno di un Levi nella mia vita.Di un giocatore di football, grande e grosso, che si inginocchia a striscia verso di me solo perchè gliel'ho chiesto, solo per non farmi baciare un altro ragazzo.Levi è qualcosa di meraviglioso, da proteggere.Un ragazzo che ha sacrificato la sua vita nel voler essere il figlio perfetto, nel mettere da parte i suoi sogni per assecondare il padre.Non gli piace il football, vorrebbe fare il pilota militare eppure eccolo come capitano al liceo.Bailey l'abbiamo conosciuta nel volume di Pretty Reckless, e Levi in Broken Knight.Erano entrambi personaggi secondari ma in questo volume? Dio ragazzi in questo volume quanto li ho amati.Ammetto che con Bailey ho avuto un rapporto abbastanza contrastante, non tutti i suoi comportamenti mi sono piaciuti ma credo fossero coerenti con i suoi problemi di dipendenza dalle pillole.E' sempre stata la ragazza perfetta, la figlia perfetta.La ballerina.La Julliard.Continuare il sogno di sua madre, soddisfarla, renderla fiera.Eppure quest'aspettativa, la scuola, la madre arrivano a spezzarla.A romperla.Avrei voluto urlarle in testa per come a volte ha trattato Levi, ma capisco anche il suo punto di vista.Ha avuto paura che lui confondesse la lealtà per lei, con l'amore.Gli è sempre stata vicino, da tutta la vita e l'ha sempre considerata perfetta.Ma se così non fosse?Bailey ha sempre avuto paura di dover essere all'altezza delle aspettative di tutti, e Levi è il suo migliore amico. La sua anima gemella. Ma ha paura di spezzarlo, ha paura che il suo amore sia un'illusione, sia dovuto al fatto che ci siano sempre stati solo l'uno per l'altra.HO AMATO QUESTO LIBRO ALLA FOLLIA.Il percorso di Levi, che nonostante l'amore per Bailey non si è mai lasciato piegare.Non ha mai ceduto.Non voleva questa Bailey, la dipendente da pillole, ma la sua migliore amica e se allontanarla e non cedere sarebbe stata l'unica soluzione, l'avrebbe fatto.Non avrebbe mosso un dito su di lei, nonostante il desiderio di entrambi, fino a quando non fosse tornata di se.Ho amato questo suo lato più duro.E' il percorso di entrambi.Di capire che non sono perfetti, che devono smetterla di cercare di accontentare tutti.Sono anime gemelle, l'end-game dell'altro.L'hanno sempre saputo tutti e due, non ci è mai stato realmente nessun altro oltre loro.

This story is everything and beyond. It's told from both sides (Lev and Bailey), which shows so much deeper how they feel and makes the reader (me) understand them better.This book is the 4th installment in the All Saints High series and is full of cries and laughter’s. It's way intense by so much feels and still makes you believe in happily ever afters.I love how Bailey and Lev have an evolution in their lifes and story (it's not all Shine and lovely), which made me glued to every single page. There is so much going on, and it all still makes so much sense.Lev is the boy/man everyone desires, the golden boy, so to say, but he's so kind and full hearted when it comes to Bailey that I'm over the moon.Bailey is the nice girl living next door. Everyone wants to have her close, but she's fighting her own demons. That makes her so retellable for me. We all have demons, but the way we choose to live with them makes us individually.I strongly recommend this book. The love, the sweets, the sad moments, and the spicy ones are all worth the price of time and emotions.About the book:Underneath the goody two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her?Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter. Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak. Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn't. But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey's picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes. She's becoming a piece of gossip. The Troubled Child. A drug abuser. No longer the girl her best friend once knew.Lev Cole is so golden. He's got the Midas Touch. Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché. But with a girlfriend he doesn't love and a career path he doesn't value, Lev is coasting.The only two things he cares about, Bailey and becoming a pilot, are out of reach.But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies, his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind.The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?

5/5 ⭐️ 3/5 🌶️Lev is just as easy to fall in love with as his brother Knight and I was here for every moment. I devoured this book in one day and have no regrets.Lev and Bailey are so friggen cute and their story is heartbreaking the things Bailey goes through and how Lev always just wants what is best for her.It was awesome to see snippets of Dean and Dixie I really hope they will get their own book I would love to see what comes of their story.Bailey was so easy to relate to and her constant fight to be perfect was truly sad to read.“What doesn’t kill you,sometimes revives you”this book is that. Watching Bailey struggle with her addiction and Lev’s constant people pleasing they both had to grow and learn to be different people.