Review: Love Always, Damien by D. Nichole King

Author: D. Nichole King

Book: Love Always, Damien

Other Book in Series:

Love Always, Kate (review here)

tl;dr recommendation: This book takes you on an emotional ride laced with hope that Damien might get the life he deserves.

Book Summary:

They say time heals all wounds.

What a load of bull. It’s been four years, and Kate’s voice still echoes in my mind.

Every. Damn. Day.

I numb her memory when it taunts me. In college, I drown her out with booze and easy lays. I can’t do what she asked.

I can’t let her go.

Not even when Lia shows up, freaking ripping what’s left of me to shreds. Caring about someone isn’t worth the deadness that follows after they’re gone. I didn’t ask for this. Didn’t ask for her.

And I sure as hell didn’t plan to miss her when she walked out of my front door.

Now, if I want to keep her, I have to straighten myself out and earn her. I can’t screw this up.

Because if I do, I’ll lose more than just Lia.

I’ll lose my life.

**This book is New Adult and not recommended for those under 17 due to language and mature situations.

Longer Review:

This is the second book in the series, and I strongly strongly recommend that you stop right here and go read Love Always, Kate (link above – IT’S FREE). You’ll cry your fucking eyes out, but I think you need that base of knowledge as a foundation before you dive headfirst into the clusterfuck that is Damien’s head.

Ok, now, let’s go:

good freaking lord. I may have cried every time Kate’s name was even mentioned, but let’s not dwell on that. This book gives you all the feels. Every single one. Damien’s pain is palpable, his joy is contagious and his love for Lia is tremendous. I oscillating between giggling, crying and gasping.

Damien’s incapable of getting over Kate and he doesn’t want to. His heart will always be with her and his refusal to allow any other person to come near it is both heartbreaking and endearing. It’s been almost five years since Kate lost her battle with cancer, but to Damien – it happened yesterday. He’s never allowed that wound to heal because he thinks that it will allow him to forget her. Instead, he rips it open constantly, drowns himself in the pain, and then drinks and fucks to attempt to alleviate it. God, Damien. It hurts to read this.

Obviously, Damien’s in a bit of an unhealthy spot. So when people from his past show up and shake up his life, his emotions scatter. He’s provided an opportunity to get his life together and his attempt at taking it is laudable. Of course, he has no idea what he’s doing, but he’s determined to figure it out. I was incredibly proud of him and I swooned all over myself as he interacted with Lia.

I have to admit, even as Damien started to move on, I felt like he was cheating on Kate. I hated myself for feeling like that – how could he be experiencing so much joy when he was totally in love with Kate? But there are different kinds of love. I rationally know that, but I’m so protective of Kate it’s like a knee-jerk reaction to flip anyone off that even tries to come between Damien and her memory. SIGH.

This book takes you on an emotional ride laced with hope that Damien might get the life he deserves. And I WANTED him to find happiness. This is another ugly-cry book and King, once again, knows how to hit me right in the emotions. Five Stars.