Beyond Repair: Part Two

Damaged Duet #2

by Y.V. Larson

I spent about 780 days in captivity. My first 365 days of freedom were in a psychiatric facility. The following 547 days I spent being comforted by my parents.

For 1,692 days, I forgot how to live. Joy and excitement weren’t in my vocabulary. Then my men gave me over 100 days of everything I lost. They made me feel repairable.

Piece by piece, I started becoming whole.

The monster came back though.

I hope the happiness and love I found will keep me warm in the following days of darkness because I’ll need them. I’ll need my men. Once again, I’m all alone and apparently, I’ve healed enough to be broken again.

Author's
This is book 2 of the Damaged Duet. You’ll find MPOV, MM content, and dark themes in this contemporary MMFMM why-choose.
Trigger
Each book is recommended for those 18+ due to sexual content, violence, and trauma. A further detailed list will be included in the forward.

Genres: Why Choose, Romance, M M Romance, Mental Health, Dark, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2025

Reviews

[belle ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

.ೃ࿐

2.5 ✨

ੈ✩‧₊˚ my thoughts

Should have been a standalone.

Going to review this duet in a single review as the books were both quite short and (probably) should have been a standalone.

I liked most of the characters. Especially Kai and Henry were really cute, I loved seeing their relationship together and in the group. I also really liked Ridge and the portrayal of his anxiety. What I think YV does very well in her novels is explore trauma, anxiety, and depression, and I think that is why I will always pick up her books.

Sadly, this duet didn’t hit the same for me as her other duets The Invisible Omega & The Torn Omega, which I loved. I think this would have simply worked better as an OV because, for this to be a contemporary RH it felt a bit unbelievable. Also, the references to Nina reading OV books and the men thinking she should ‘nest’ like an omega were weird to me.

To me, this should have been a standalone as the second book dragged quite a bit, especially in the beginning. As both books were less than 250 pages, it probably would have worked better as a single book

Lastly, who the fuck was Adam? He took up a lot of mental space in book 2, but we’re left confused as to his involvement with the characters. At one point, I was convinced he was Mr. M in disguise with all that foreshadowing the author was doing. No one trusted him, but he was always in their business.

.ೃ࿐ trigger warnings
Kidnapping, physical and sexual abuse, PTSD, anxiety, sexually explicit content with multiple partners

-`♡´- Happy reading! Belle

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── ୨୧ ──── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──── ୨୧ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─


➛ post-read ── .✦

That took me so much longer to finish than I thought it would. I’ll probably only write 1 review for the 2 books idk

ೃ࿐ pre-read .ೃ࿐

With that cliffhanger I have to dive straight into the second book. Luckily these are fairly short reads

[Lanae (findmeonsmutlane) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I really enjoyed part one and thought it was absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful. But part two fell a little flat for me.

While the healing journey in part one felt seamless and had a great flow (between healing but also setbacks and showing that moving on from trauma isn't linear) book two felt very jumbled. There were these really great moments that had me absolutely sobbing and touched. But then these moments were I was like, what is happening.

The introduction of Adam made no sense to me. At first I was like, omg this is Mr M! And I thought we'd have this wild moment. But then I was like, is he, like being creepily weird towards her. This sudden interest, calling her "little one" and then the weird comment of "I should have always been in your life". I felt like he was almost wanting to be with her. I don't know, and then nothing more happened other than him being her parent's friend. And I was just so confused on what the point was

The spice was also, interesting. It would start hot and steamy and then fade and be over in a second. And the balance between showing the FMC taking her power back and enjoying life, but also still having massive amounts of trauma. I dunno, there was a gap I couldn't get past.

All in all, this still was a beautiful story on trauma and healing from it.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ Arc Review⭐️
Beyond Repair Part 2 by @y.v.larson
Book 2 in Damaged Duet
Available 07.15.2025
3/5⭐️

I absolutely loved the first book in this duet, which makes it tough to say that the second one fell a little flat for me. After that intense cliffhanger, I was expecting more drama and emotional tension but even so, I still enjoyed the read.

Book two picks up right where we left off, with chaos swirling and Nina once again trying to pick up the pieces, with the help of her four men, of course! I love the dynamic between her and each of them. They all love her in their own way, and each plays a unique role in her healing journey.

That said, I did find the smut a bit bland this time around. It wasn’t quite what I hoped for, but hey— nothing a little imagination can’t fix!

What I really appreciated was that Nina’s journey of healing continued, even through setbacks. She has so much strength in her, even when she doesn’t realize it. I also loved seeing the guys struggle with how to support her while dealing with their own emotional battles. It felt raw and real. This duet is truly a story about healing, love, and finding your worth after trauma.

If you’re in the mood for emotional depth, found family vibes, and characters who fight their way back from brokenness, the Beyond Repair Duet is hsolutely worth picking up.

Thank you so much to the author and @theauthor.agency for the ARC!

[✨Sandra✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read the part two after part one, cause I loved that. I enjoyed the beginning, but then I got a little confused.

With this extra person suddenly in the picture, who just shows up out of nowhere, I was sure there was something there. Even the guys and Nina felt something. But it never got addressed, or answered. I didn’t see where this character fitted into the story.

Otherwise I enjoyed the rest of their story. They developed stronger sexual relationships as well, and the sprinkle of spice was good. It maybe felt a bit rushed sometimes, but I did feel like they had a strong connection and chemistry with each other.

The ending was nice, and I liked to see a little bit from their future in the epilogue.
Over all it’s a good duet, with heavy and triggering subjects for some. I felt the trauma responses were addressed in a good and believable way. It felt real and honest.

[Nini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!

this had so much potential but unfortunately I found it was lacking 😭😭😭
I thought there was going to be a shock factor to the killer when there wasn't :(
and the sex scenes? they were so bland, so anticlimactic 😭😭 it game nothing 😭😭 I am sadddd now!!!

the thing was I didn't enjoy that much book 1 and I was enjoying this one soooo much until we found out who the killer was....

tropes:
☆🍁dark romance?
☆🍁why choose
☆🍁childhood friends to lovers
☆🍁⚔️ 👀
☆🍁dom/sub vibes
☆🍁multi-pov's
☆🍁trauma healing

[Joanne- Bookish.zebra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as we met Adam, I didn't trust him. All of my notes are about him and why I thought he was suspicious 🙈
I loved seeing Nina's relationship in ith the men progress. Especially her and Trevor's as I felt like he struggled the most due to his dominant personality.
Him asking Nina if he reminded her of MR M broke me.
Seeing him 'off the leash' Woof!

So glad Will was the one to end it.

Thanks to The Author agency for this Arc.
💛

[Annelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️

I much prefered the first book of this serie. There wasn't enough action for me, too many monologues, descriptions, waitings, etc.

[aida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to be honest and admit that I struggled quite a bit with this duet—not in the sense that I couldn’t get through it, but in the sense that I found myself feeling frustrated with certain aspects of the story. I’ve tried to sit with my thoughts on this for a while to really digest all of my emotions, and still find myself disappointed. Let’s talk about it.

1. The Initial Setup
I found it immediately off-putting that this story starts with our FMC being, essentially, forced by her parents to move into a house of her own almost forty minutes away from them. Perhaps it’s the immigrant in me that finds it appalling and confusing that loving parents would do this to their daughter (who is not even of legal drinking age in the U.S.)—their daughter that was kidnapped and missing for years, brutally traumatized during that time, who had to spend over a year in a psychiatric facility because of how suicidal the experience made her.

It just seemed wildly counterintuitive that this would be beneficial to her at all given that it’s happening against her will, is forcing her to once again feel isolated (in the same ways she did when she was kidnapped), and doesn’t seem like something a parent in this situation would willing to do, let alone actively want to do.

This also is hand-in-hand with my issue of therapy in this duet—or the lack thereof. I immediately clocked, early on in the first book, that our FMC was not actively going to therapy—at least not in any meaningful way in the story. Quite frankly, I could not get past the mere idea that a young woman who went through as brutal a trauma as our FMC did would not actively be going to therapy to help work through her issues, especially if she had spent such a long time in treatment prior to being with her parents again. Which makes my original point even more glaring; you’d think her parents would be prioritizing therapy over forcing her to move out on her own.

I’m well aware that our FMC living on her own is the catalyst for the guys returning into her life and for the romance that ensues, but I don’t think it’s good enough.

2. Adam & Our Kidnapper
I think the majority of readers went into book two with the assumption that Adam was probably the kidnapper—I mean, why else would the author suddenly introduce a man that was best friends with the FMC’s father back in the day as a part of the story? More specifically to introduce him right after the FMC is hurt seeing ‘Mr. M’ again for the first time, with him miraculously finding her, and then suddenly remaining in her life?

So, you continue to read and narrow your eyes every time Adam makes another appearance in the second book, gears churning in your mind and disgust brewing in your gut. Because you’re convinced he’s got something to do with this. Why else would this RANDOM man keep appearing, even when he has no real depth to add to the story?

I’m genuinely not sure if this was meant to be a red herring and ‘trick’ the reader, or if the author just genuinely didn’t realize what she was doing with him while she wrote her book. But in the end, Adam is literally just a dude who was friends with her parents, and our real kidnapper was just a dude that goes completely unexplained.

3. The Kidnapping
We don’t really get a lot of details. Now, I want to be very clear that I’m not looking for graphic or highly triggering descriptions of what our FMC went through. I think that it can be difficult to stomach that kind of content sometimes and, quite frankly, there is enough violence against women in all sorts of media that we don’t need to weigh this story down with trauma p*rn.

However, we don’t really get any sort of insight into what happened. Our kidnapper is literally a nobody—I don’t think we even get a real name for him. We don’t know who he is or what his motivations are. We don’t know if he was watching our FMC for a while before he first kidnapped her, or if it was a crime of opportunity. We don’t know what he really wanted from her… A slave? From the details we do get, it seems like he wanted her to cook, clean, and stay quiet in the basement otherwise. We also get that this man is somehow incredible at changing his appearance and disguising himself.

These are all random facts that are thrown into the story, but when combined, don’t really paint a clear picture of who this man is. And I get it—he’s not the story, our FMC is. Fuck this dude. But I still find it to be a necessary part of the story that we should get some clear idea of, given that this is part of the FMC’s past and present. To me, it just feels like it wasn’t properly planned out or given enough detail in the author’s outlines and mind map, and therefore it makes the story weaker.

As an afterthought to this point, the author tries to make it explicitly clear that the FMC did NOT face any sort of sexual abuse while kidnapped. There’s not enough empirical, peer-reviewed data to suggest actual statistics on this, but it does feel a little unbelievable. More specifically, I kept catching on to this because it seemed like the author kept this component out of her trauma to aid in the romantic aspect of the story.

4. Is she unknown?
This maybe goes along a bit with the previous point, but I want to give it it’s own section. I found myself genuinely confused in this duet about how much of our FMC is publicly known. The information within the duet is contradictory.
-In book one, when the guys find out she’s alive, they’re relieved and adamant about seeing her immediately. When her parents come clean that she’s been back for over two years, the guys are mad. This sets up canonical information that when our FMC escaped, her identity was kept hidden—hidden to the point that her four best friends, who have been hopeful for her return all this time, had no clue that she was already back home with her parents.
-Later in book one, she goes out with the guys, and some random teenage boy immediately recognizes her as the kidnapping victim of this killer who escaped. This sets up new, canonical information that our FMC’s identity is known enough that a true crime fan could immediately clock her identity.
-In book two, the guys find news articles about her rescue and state that there’s some information about her but that it was very hard to find without looking for it.

As a reader, you’re left with a host of questions and concerns.
-What information of hers was actually released to the public, especially given the perpetrator is still actively at large?
-Given that he’s still out there, there is no reasonable explanation for her not being in some sort of WISTEC program to protect her, especially now that his victims are being killed.
-If some random teenage boy in Provo could recognize her, did NO ONE in Heber know she was back? This duet confirms that her parents still live in her childhood home, and so the assumption is that the neighbors would probably know she was back. Which begs the question, how did the guys not know? The excuse that her parents didn’t call isn’t good enough, when anyone else could have. Anyone could have posted about it online, too—which goes back to a concern for her safety given that this man is still out there.

I’m not looking for a perfect book with not a single flaw to be found or question to be had. But I should NOT have this many questions and concerns, which feel glaringly obvious as unanswered and potentially just plot holes.

5. The Relationship…
The relationship between our FMC and her guys really hinges on the fact that they were best friends before she was kidnapped, and that there was already a potential relationship blooming between the five of them. This is meant to explain why our FMC is so quick to trust the guys and let them into her life and why their relationships progress so quickly (both emotionally and physically).

Except, we don’t see their relationship before. We only see it now. So you don’t really get good relationship growth because the relationships are sort of predetermined by their past, and we’re not privvy to that.

And while I appreciate when an author doesn’t try to write perfect and unrealistic characters, there were multiple instances where the guys’ behavior towards Nina and her trauma and trauma responses felt a little to hot-headed and not understanding enough. I wasn’t a huge fan of this.

6. Unnecessary Duet
Both books are less than 250 pages, I believe, so I think two books is a bit unnecessary when it could have just been one book with the content we do have. That being said, to have this be a more successful story, I think the author *should* have kept this a duet, but should have made the story more robust.

I think it would have been more powerful for us, as readers, to have gotten:
-More of the FMC and the guys before the kidnapping. We’re told multiple times that they were very close and that there was a blossoming relationship happening between them already. It would have been more emotional for us to have seen some of this, to help us understand just why the guys care so much, why our FMC is struggling to believe they’ll still want her, etc.
-As previously mentioned, more about the actual kidnapping would have been great. Even more about our FMC after being found, while being in the psychiatric hospital, etc. We’re sort of thrown from her escaping to her years later in the present, and I think it makes the story not as powerful.
-In the same vein, I would have loved more build up into her growing fear of being watched and feeling unsafe. It would have been interesting to see her start to open up and live life more, and then retreat in a way that worries those around her and has them question her. I think the author tried to do this, but with so few words in the entire duet, this doesn’t get explored well.
-More therapy. Our FMC’s internal monologues about how she’s struggling are great. They feel raw and real. But I would have loved to see her working through this more with a professional and even her parents, as opposed to it literally just being that the guys come back into her life and fix her, which is more or less what happens.

7. The Epilogue
I’ll keep this part short because it’s personal preference more than anything, but I’m not a fan of the happy ending just suddenly appearing this way and being years in the future and she has KIDS. I think it’s a bit off kilter from the rest of the story, honestly, not to mention that I don’t think kids need to be part of HEAs

[Laurie Reads Reverse Harem · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

Tropes:

🩷 MMFMM (with MM)
💜 Childhood Friends to Lovers
💙 Kidnapping
🩵 Hurt/Comfort

This book pretty much broke me and put me back together. Although I usually stay away from FMCs who essentially are meek - this FMC had a way about her that although she is fragile and falling apart, she's strong in ways that grab your attention.
Her co-dependency could be slightly too much at times - but I think as a reader, she needs to be that way because of her history.

However I need an explanation for Adam. I won't say more as it would be a spoiler. But simply, why?

Overall, four out of five stars.

I received this book (ARC) for free in exchange for my honest review which I am leaving voluntarily.

[Sarah Coggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

After the cliffhanger we were left with in part one of this duet I was very eager to jump right back in to Nina’s story with part two of Beyond Repair.

Part two starts right where part one left off and I’m so pleased it did as I was in desperate need for some much needed answers.

After her attempts to heal from her trauma in the last book, Nina suffers some major setbacks in her process at the beginning of this one, but the resolution seems to come very quickly and even though it’s not quite how I expected it to go and was slightly anticlimactic, it allows the main focus of this story to return to Nina’s journey of healing and the relationships she had begun to build with her men.

Nina once again has to start from scratch but with the undying love and support she receives from Kai, Henry, Ridge and Trevor along side her parents, she learns to work her way through it and the strength she shows is definitely something to be admired.
Just like before I loved the dynamic between Nina and each of her men, they are so beautifully patient with her even while still trying to deal with their own struggles and they all play their own important parts in her journey to heal.

Although I can honestly say I was a bit confused by the addition of Adam’s character within this story, the suspicions I originally had about him turned out to be completely and utterly wrong. I think an explanation for his character was needed as I really didn’t understand his purpose, but unfortunately the reasoning behind this was something I felt we never actually got and I was a little disappointed.

Just as before, this story was such an emotional read that was so very real and raw, the epilogue we got at the end was just perfect and allowed us to see the HEA that Nina and her men absolutely deserved after everything they had gone through.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

All right, then here we are, at the end it turns out that this was not a re-read nope. This is my first time reading this particular book that being said the first book I absolutely loved. However, the introduction to Adam was absolutely positively unnecessary. The author could have just written in some random person like a bag boy from the grocery store or a gas attendant from the gas station, seeing her fall and running to pick up her ringing phone. Adam played absolutely no significant part other than acting absolutely suspicious. I was on the same page as many other reviewers in thinking that Adam was either Mr m, Or connect it to him. He was positively creepy. I mean, he could have been a good part. If it was written well and it wasn't honestly, it felt like somebody just came along and said, "oh, well, you know, I think that I'm just gonna add something a little spicy right here, oops, I forgot my train of thought, so I'm not going to write his character properly". Anyway, I think the introduction of Adam and his very minor points throughout the story positively ruin the book. It screwed with the flow. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. Honestly, when you're reading this, if you can just ignore the Adam character altogether, you'll enjoy the book a lot better, I mean, his supposed security didn't exactly help her not get kidnapped right? And that is another point that made me think he was connected to the bad guy. Because if he did such great security, how did the bad guy end up in the house? Oops, I guess I should put spoiler alert oh well. So yeah, if you can mentally erase Adam from the book you will enjoy this book. Me, however, every time that I started to completely forget about Adam, he popped up again... like a zit. Anyway, moving on, I'm going to find Something Else to read bye.Bye

[Kerry Officer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part Two kicks off right where that brutal Book One cliffhanger left us hanging by a thread 😱🔥—and let me tell you, that ending did us DIRTY. I was not okay. And the emotional whiplash continues in the best, most devastating way. 😩💔

While there is redemption in this installment—moments of warmth, healing, and connection—Y.V. Larson doesn’t let anyone get off easy. Recovery isn’t linear, and this book proves it. It’s a thousand steps backward not just for Nina, but for her entire family. 💔💔 Their pain bleeds off the page, and watching them all struggle to find footing again is so real, so raw, so human. 🥀

Nina is still unraveling from the trauma, the fear, the deep-rooted paranoia that creeps into every corner of her life. And rightfully so—because the threat? It’s not gone. The stalking, the danger, the constant sense of being watched—ugh, it clawed at me. 😵‍💫🕷

And yet… the bond between her and the boys. 💞 That shattered, beautiful connection is still there—battered, bruised, but not broken. Watching them ask the impossible: How do we make this work? How do we start a life when the past refuses to let go? The emotional depth here was EVERYTHING. 😭❤️‍🩹

It’s not a fairy tale. It’s messy. It’s honest. And it makes those moments of light—those glimpses of love, family, hope—mean so much more.

And THANK YOU, Y.V., for that epilogue. 🙌😭 That glimpse into their HEA (happily ever after) was exactly what my heart needed. After all the chaos, all the pain—it felt like a deep breath after drowning. 🫶

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cringe became overwhelming in this one. I just couldn’t handle it anymore. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is constantly crying, breaking down, having severe anxiety, while also seeing therapists… Like, I get the high emotions, but goddamn, get a hold on yourselves. They legit seemed like they all had the emotional maturity of a toddler, even her mother. Everyone needs to stop fucking crying. And even if it was the case, normal maybe, I don’t have to read the same thing fifty times. I don’t need the same description of tears every time. I know what happens cause it’s been described at least a hundred times in these tiny fucking books. This book was definitely much more boring, uneventful, and useless. It could’ve been shortened to like a 50 pages and added to book 1. Also, why are we not addressing the creepy Adam guy? So many hints that he was related to the bad guy, but somehow ends up not being related???? What was the point to his fucking character then?

Anyways, redundant writing. The plot is very very similar to other books of the same type. The guys had truly no distinctive qualities. I found them to be like a blob of XY chromosome tbh. Kept forgetting how many guys there even were. This girl is also very unlikable. Her character is so bland and forced. Actually no. All characters were so forced, especially the guys with their crazy mental bullshit and protectiveness and overreacting to everything. Everyone in this book needs to chill.

[Nikki B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beyond Repair, part 2, is a continuation from book 1 and you must read book 1 in order to have any clue what's happening in this one. Unfortunately, this one didn't hit for me. It was mostly her trying to heal and navigate life with 4 men in it. Personally, I think these 4 men who also have their own trauma, shouldn't be the ones taking care of a girl who went through what she did. They should have all been seeking help. Adam was introduced into the story line and I really thought more would happen there, and then, nothing. He made comments to her that seemed to indicate he wanted more and came across as protective of her, but then nothing happened on that front. I also found the whole thing with Mr. M to be very anticlimactic in this part of the book. I just really thought there would be more happening on the Mr. M plot. I feel like that would have made the story a little more exciting.
This story has potential, but it's lacking development on that plot and more focused on her and the guys and while thats exciting and spicy to read, I feel like the main plot (being the trauma that she went through and is trying to heal from) should have taken forefront. Especially with the story being named Beyond Repair. As the reader, I'd like to know what she went through to make her feel so damaged beyond repair and not just the little tidbits we were given here and there.

[°˖✧˚lindsay˚✧˖° · Rating 1 out of 5]

As awful as it is to say, I was disappointed the beginning didn’t go as expected. We were instead thrust back into the plotting that wasn’t working in the first place.

The spice was bad.
It wasn’t closed door, but it was almost like a blindfolded bystander?
We get the general idea, but we’re not really a part of it, even though it’s even from their perspective.
It’s also only the guys describing it and they zone out through the majority? for some reason?

She is extremely infantilized and the guys seem to thrive on it.
Ex: They wake her up to brush her teeth because she ate candy before bed, even assuring each other they wiped her and made her pee before making her sleep.

She calls her dad ‘daddy’ and cries it out loudly whenever she sees him.
Her stomach is her ‘tummy’ and hand stuff is ‘yummy rubbing.’

It just doesn’t culminate into a character that we should be comfortable being included in orgies.
At least there aren’t any.

They also dramatically drop to their knees a lot.
Ouch.
31 times in this one and 26 times in the first part.
It’s just not sustainable.

The drama unfolded predictably yet disappointingly.
Like, I knew it, but how boring that it was true.
And how dumb were they to not consider it?

I had to skim to the end.
I genuinely viscerally disliked this and everyone in it.

The epilogue was somehow worse?
Would not recommend.

[FloofyMooseReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Damaged Duet, a new adult contemporary why choose romance. I received an advance review copy and my thoughts are my own. Thank you to the author and The Author Agency for my eArc.

Tropes and themes include:
✨ Friends to lovers
✨ Why choose (mmfmm)
✨ Hurt/comfort
✨ Healing after trauma
✨ She’s a smut reader
✨ Mental health rep

Rating: 4/5 Stars 3/5 Flames

The Lovely: I loved that the FMC’s healing journey continued, even after a setback. She has so much fight in her, even when she doesn’t see it. I also loved that we saw the MMCs struggle with how to help her, and how to cope themselves. This is really an exploration of healing and relationships after a traumatic event.

The Mundane: I still would have liked to get to know each of the MMCs better. It felt like that was needed for each of them to have their own identity. Even in this second book, I sometimes found myself getting confused as to which MMC was which.

Recommendation: After the brutal cliffhanger at the end of part one, I’ve been (anxiously) awaiting this conclusion. And wow did I blow through this book in one sitting. If you like a dark story with sweet MMCs and all the hurt/comfort feels, I think you would like this duet.

[Kim Bobbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending to this duet was not what I was expecting, but I still loved it. I knew it would be emotional but the author’s focus on the mental health struggles of Nina and her family over the action of searching for the man who tortured Nina was not a choice I was expecting. I think some readers may be expecting this installment to have more action because of the cliffhanger at the end of part one, but I felt the emotional impact of this story in my core. Nina and her family’s journey to overcome all of the trauma caused by the evil Mr. M is heartwarming and rewarding. It’s nice to see her come out of the fog of her trauma, and let those around her take care of her. She will have to overcome the feeling of being a burden on those who love her and her fear of them abandoning her. Through learning to trust in their love and support, she will find herself finally envisioning a future. In the end, this story is about love, healing and finding life again after trauma. Overall, I personally enjoyed this story so much, but it is emotional and could definitely be triggering for some. Please take care of your mental health before you dive into this duet. Nina and her boys will get their happy ending, but it will be a rough road.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. This duet was great. I found that it definitely focused on Nina's healing and her relationships with the guys over any plot or suspense elements.

Having part 2 so close to part 1 was definitely needed! Part 1 ended with a cliffhanger, which left me needing answers.

I definitely found that Nina's journey felt authentic and real. That she struggled with setbacks, which would be true for a real situation. Again, I adored these characters. I really loved being able to continue their story, especially so soon after the cliffhanger in part 1. I do feel like very little happened outside of Nina's relationship with the guys.

We were introduced to a new character in this book, Adam, however his character was added with very little purpose to this story. I feel like there could be a reason for this as it was implied that there was something going on with Nina's parents and Adam. This is something i really want to find out!

For me, I would have liked to see a bit more beyond the relationship. As well as this, I felt like the ending was a tad rushed almost as if was to easy to find a serial killer.

If you're looking for a story about healing, this duet is great!

[The Body Count Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Repair, Part 2 picks up moments from where part 1 ended. I thought I went through all the feels and heartache with Part 1 but I was wrong.

Part 2 is truly a story of healing and growing. Nina's story is tragic but seeing the men in her life surround her with love and support... ugh, it's everything. The chatacter growth over the course of the two books is incredible. There is such an amazing mental health representation throughout all of the MCs. Seeing Nina's struggle and how not only her men but her parents show up for her is exactly how the world should be.

I have seen Adam come up in a few reviews so here is my take. At first I thought he was Mr M. But from the comments he made, I feel like Adam, Meg and Will were in a relationship at some point and then went their separate ways. I could be totally wrong but it's what I believe. Meg and Will were VERY accepting of Nina's relationship with 4 men pretty much from the start.

Grab the kleenex, a cup of hot tea, blanket.and find a cozy corner. You will need it. Nina, Trevor, Ridge, Kai and Henry are all waiting for you.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

After that intense cliffhanger in part 1, I was so intrigued and invested to see what happened next in part 2.
part 2 picked up right where we're left off and I was expecting a different outcome to what happened. however it was not. so that was interesting.
Nina's guys went into full protective mode, unsurprisingly..I mean why wouldn't they. I loved how they just simply tried their best to comfort her, be there for her. As well as showing us how they were struggling too.
it was more fasted paced too. between what happened at the beginning of the book, to the middle, and finally the ending. it was pretty quick.
I was a bit confused of the Adam character...randomly introduced...mixed in with the story...and than gone...I first thought maybe he's the kidnapper...but no..still he randomly disappeared after another intense part of the book. 😅

I did love the ending. it was happy, the characters were all getting their happy ending. the epilogue was cute.

overall, I did enjoy it...just felt some pieces missing and some parts just quickly gone through.


thank you Y.V. Larson for the arc. 🫶🏻

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️
Everything I liked in the first one was especially present in the second one so no complaints there. However, with that being said, it felt like things were stagnant for most of the book. I know healing isn't linear but it felt like we barely (if ever) moved forward without taking 10 steps backward. I would have liked to see her become her own person and see how she'd thrive but we never got that. Even an epilogue that explored their future would have been nice (yes we did get one but from her Mom's pov that showed next to nothing)

Also, what was the point of introducing Adam? He was some long lost 'Uncle' figure that knew her parents in college but stopped interacting with them because he was jealous? But he also brought nothing in the grand scheme of things so what was the point? It would have been a crazy twist if he turned out to be Mr.M in some twisted plot of revenge of the parents (because at one point Meg had a crush on him until she met Will so what if it was some f'd love triangle lol) Anyways, that would've been interesting. I would have liked to learn more about Mr. M and who he was but it was all pretty anticlimactic.

[Booksbystarlightandshadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid three star read for me; it kept me engaged and I liked the story. Henry and Kai's relationship was a real highlight and I liked their heart to heart about their own relationship evolving to include Nina. I also liked that Nina's trauma was shown to not magically be cured overnight. That being said, after the cliffhanger of book one I was expecting a little more action. Mr M was such an off page force in book one and I really wanted to know more about him and why he had targeted Nina but none of that is really explained. Instead there was a focus on a new character which didn't really go anywhere and it was all based in the present rather than exploring any of the past. I'd have loved just a little more context to highlight how Nina far had come in her journey.

My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read

[Jenna (Bookstagramer)]

DNF

- Emotional
- Why Choose
- Childhood Friends


Y.V Larson, I wanted to love this series and I gave it my all but I was not pleased. This series was everything I loved. Between Why Choose, Emotional, and Childhood friends, I thought I would give this series 5 stars, but unfortunately, I was not able to finish book 2 as it lacked detail and even plot.

I would love to have the first part of the 1st book before FMC gets kidnapped. I want to see her grow up with this MMC and who she was before she was found. I would love to see the time while being kidnapped, and then the 2 years before she saw the MMC again. I would love to see how the MMCs were dealing with her being missing. Y.V Larson did an ok explaining what happened after the fact, but it wasn't done the way it should have been done. It was like watching a show through a mirror and a window; you get some facts, but you are missing so much of the show.

I just wasn't able to finish the series and I wished that Y.V Larson had done many things differently when it came to this series.

[📚🌶️✨ Carli ✨🌶️📚 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story was good. Writing needed work.

The plot was good. It kept me entertained, however the writing was really disjointed and poorly planned. Especially the epilogue. There were several times I had to reread a page several times to figure out what was actually happening because it wasn’t laid out clear enough. Clothes changed on page or body placement in a scene that didn’t match up to the original layout. Weeks would pass in a single paragraph and often you didn’t get a clear view of how much time actually passes.

I feel like the author did a good job of describing the PTSD and recovery even though we didn’t really read through her fully recovering. It seemed more realistic than a lot of dark set books like this in regard to timelines.

The author did a good job of making you like every one of the characters. Even the meek MFC. The guys understanding of her recovery automatically was a bit unrealistic but I still liked them all together.

Overall, entertained but probably won’t pick up another of this authors books. She needs a lot more editing in her writing.

[Shyann Bierach · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️




WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THE BOOK ;
🔥MMFMM/Why Choose
🔥Hurt/Comfort
🔥Tr@uma healing
🔥Childhood friends to lovers
🔥K!dnapping
🔥MM Content
🔥MPOV
🔥Tr!ggers
🔥Mental health rep
🔥@bused FMC
🔥Dom/Sub vibes
🔥Loving men





❗️ Author's Note:
This is book 2 of the Damaged Duet. You’ll find MPOV, MM content, and dark themes in this contemporary MMFMM why-choose.

Trigger Warning:
Each book is recommended for those 18+ due to sexual content, violence, and trauma. A further detailed list will be included in the forward. ❗️









REVIEW ;
-LOVED how this book picked up right where the first one left off. This book had chaos, healing, love, & finding your worth after trauma. I loved reading about Nina healing even with some setbacks she always got through it. Her strength is definitely worth admiring. If you’re in the mood for an emotional depth, founded family, & characters who show tremendous strength, this book is the book for you!

[OooLaLa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quiet Ending to a Loud Beginning

"Beyond Repair" Part 2 wraps up Nina’s story and brings closure for her and the guys—Ridge, Kai, Henry, and Trevor—but I’ve gotta be real with my book besties: it didn’t hit quite as hard as Book 1. While the first book gripped me emotionally with its raw trauma and intensity, this one felt like it pulled back a bit. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some strong moments and I appreciated seeing everyone try to heal and move forward, but overall, the emotional punch wasn’t as sharp this time around.

That said, it was still a solid read with a satisfying enough conclusion to a really dark and heavy journey. If you’re already invested in Nina’s survival story and need to know how it all ends, it’s worth picking up. Just go in with slightly adjusted expectations.

My Ratings:
⭐ 3.5/5
🥵 3/5

[gemma.louise.xx.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when Nina thought she was getting herself back, tentatively moving on with her men, Mr M came back. All the work she’s done so far to heal feels futile since she’s breaking again. Can Ridge, Trevor, Kai and Henry pick her up again or is too late for all of them?

This was a RIDE!! I so don’t wanna spoil it but I had doubts! And those men?! Holy hell! I don’t even know if I have a favourite (which is unusual for me in RH, I ALWAYS have a favourite!) because they’re all kinda perfect in their own way. Only thing I may have wanted is more spicy scenes with them all but there was enough to keep me happy 🤣 sad we won’t get any more of these guys though!

This is an ARC review and all opinions are my own. Thank you to The Author Agency for the ARC copy of this book and for the opportunity to read and review it

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

💔Why Choose
💔Childhood Friends
💔Mental Health Rep
💔Romantic Suspense

Part Two picks up right where Part One left off, and wow my stomach was in knots the entire time! The emotions were high, and I was completely hooked.

That said, I was a little confused by one part: Nina’s parents' friend. His sudden appearance felt like it was building to something big... but then nothing really came of it. I kept waiting for a twist or deeper connection, so that left me scratching my head a bit.

Aside from that, I really loved this story. The guys in Nina’s life were incredible…supportive, vulnerable, and just genuinely good people. Their relationships with her added so much depth to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this duet. If you’re in the mood for an emotional, character driven read, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

[Jjs_booknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I love about Y.V. Larson is that she is going to take you through that trauma healing redemption arc whether you are ready for it or not. She does a spectacular job at showing that healing is a journey with so many twist and turns. Nina, while having the guys now, still faces the same issues as before and her instincts are to push them away but they won’t be push out so easily.
Starting right where the last book ended, this book very much focused on Nina’s healing journey and developing relationships with her guys. There was a couple things that didn’t make to much sense to the story leaving it a bit confusing as to the purpose (aka Adam) but it really didn’t matter. While she does confront Mr. M again it wasn’t as climactic as I was hoping. And that cute little epilogue at the ending showing Nina future, I love it!
Overall it was a good conclusion with sprinkles of spice.

[sycokittykat - Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Threat returns stalling healing

Her men were determined to help her find her light again. She began to smile and the fears lessened. 

Then it was shattered when the monster returned. He is determined to take her again. Does he plan to kill her or just continue what he was doing. 

This story is so sad but the healing is beautiful. These men were never going to be complete without her. But they need the monster to be removed for good because he threatens their happiness. 

This relationships is built brick by brick and reinforced by the others. Together they will build something unbreakable. Any cracks can be mended because they can not fail when they are all keeping it up. 

The monster's end was a bit anticlimactic in my opinion but I don't feel like this story was even about him. It was really just about the FMC learning to live again and finding her forever.