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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
i'm so tired.
writers have got to stop using a woman's dislike, or disinterest, in being around/having children as some kind of red flag for being a psychopath. or at least develop the ability to treat it with nuance, rather than beating you over the head with it.
robyn harding has this uncanny ability to incorporate one detail that doesn't necessarily ruin her books, but cheapens them. in the first, it was the constant mention of some kind of marital betrayal and it turned out to be the husband microdosing LSD. in the arrangement, it became the in-your-face cautionary tale treatment of the sugar baby's story. with this book, it's the above.
robyn! i like you! you didn't even have anyone with a chignon hairstyle, or use the word "preternatural" in this book! but come on, dude!!!!
writers have got to stop using a woman's dislike, or disinterest, in being around/having children as some kind of red flag for being a psychopath. or at least develop the ability to treat it with nuance, rather than beating you over the head with it.
robyn harding has this uncanny ability to incorporate one detail that doesn't necessarily ruin her books, but cheapens them. in the first, it was the constant mention of some kind of marital betrayal and it turned out to be the husband microdosing LSD. in the arrangement, it became the in-your-face cautionary tale treatment of the sugar baby's story. with this book, it's the above.
robyn! i like you! you didn't even have anyone with a chignon hairstyle, or use the word "preternatural" in this book! but come on, dude!!!!
Not a huge fan of this book or this storyline or the characters. But it was interesting, hence the 3* rating! Or maybe 2.75* more realistically.
Read for a TBR Challenge
Read for a TBR Challenge
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Indignant, corrosive, pretentious
Two to four very different but very obsessed persons revolve around a self-obsessed pottery influencer.
We follow two MCs as they come to meet, know, and obsess over the friendship they have with a low-key influencer. We also get snippets of the influencer's partner and one of their friend's partner's POV.
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:
- 🤷♀️ Do you want to read about an insufferable, obvious narcissist and their two flying monkeys that protect them even when they are obviously cracking? If yes, you may enjoy this story. If no, prepare to be annoyed and bored.
-There are some meaningful moments regarding females grooming females, and the complexities of different sexual arrangements (from polyamory to asexuality), but it's all surface level for the most part
-😬 Stereotypical child-free-by-choice and childfree-by-force rep. Our villain somehow manages to tread the line of "I hate kids, ew, they should all die, I never want one and I'm evil" with "Bio-baby on the way, yay! Can't wait to fill up my Insta-feed with my mini-me who I will emotionally abuse b/c I don't have a maternal bone in my body". We also have someone infertile who is portrayed as weak and desperate, to the point that they would do anything to have a bio-ish kid, even if that means exposing themselves and their potential child to abuse and betrayal.
-I feel like this story had a point, even if it wasn't a deep one, but that I missed it because too many things happened. We have a lot of tropes intersecting in a way that wasn't OTT but also not realistic, and it made the story unravel and seem like too many things were trying to be said in a shallow, cringe-filled way.
Cred Rating 😛: OTT just short of campy
Mood Reading Match Up:
-Friendship and relationship secrets
-Narcissistic abuse cycle and obsession (platonic and sexual)
-Coming of age with unconventional family trope
-Hidden extra-marital affair steamy romances
Content Heads-Up: Infertility (childfree-by-choice and by-force rep may not be healthy). Narcissistic abuse. Infidelity.
Format: Digital via Scribd
Two to four very different but very obsessed persons revolve around a self-obsessed pottery influencer.
We follow two MCs as they come to meet, know, and obsess over the friendship they have with a low-key influencer. We also get snippets of the influencer's partner and one of their friend's partner's POV.
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:
- 🤷♀️ Do you want to read about an insufferable, obvious narcissist and their two flying monkeys that protect them even when they are obviously cracking? If yes, you may enjoy this story. If no, prepare to be annoyed and bored.
-There are some meaningful moments regarding females grooming females, and the complexities of different sexual arrangements (from polyamory to asexuality), but it's all surface level for the most part
-😬 Stereotypical child-free-by-choice and childfree-by-force rep. Our villain somehow manages to tread the line of "I hate kids, ew, they should all die, I never want one and I'm evil" with "Bio-baby on the way, yay! Can't wait to fill up my Insta-feed with my mini-me who I will emotionally abuse b/c I don't have a maternal bone in my body". We also have someone infertile who is portrayed as weak and desperate, to the point that they would do anything to have a bio-ish kid, even if that means exposing themselves and their potential child to abuse and betrayal.
-I feel like this story had a point, even if it wasn't a deep one, but that I missed it because too many things happened. We have a lot of tropes intersecting in a way that wasn't OTT but also not realistic, and it made the story unravel and seem like too many things were trying to be said in a shallow, cringe-filled way.
Cred Rating 😛: OTT just short of campy
Mood Reading Match Up:
-Friendship and relationship secrets
-Narcissistic abuse cycle and obsession (platonic and sexual)
-Coming of age with unconventional family trope
-Hidden extra-marital affair steamy romances
Content Heads-Up: Infertility (childfree-by-choice and by-force rep may not be healthy). Narcissistic abuse. Infidelity.
Format: Digital via Scribd
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy
medium-paced
I could barely put this down, this was super addicting. I loved the writing style.
This story was strangely juicy. It revolved around a small set of characters but it did it well.
I had fun!
This story was strangely juicy. It revolved around a small set of characters but it did it well.
I had fun!
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Swap was just so good. Freya never wants to have children and is somewhat of a free-spirited, tortured-soul artist who has recently moved to the beachy island after running from a scandal caused by her previous life as a social media celebrity.
Low, an awkward, gangly teen girl with no support at home immediately wants to be close to Freya. At first she takes art lessons from her, then slowly she gets closer and closer until we realize what a crazy SWF freak she really is.
Enter Jamie, an unlikely friend for Freya. She is desperate to have children and has yet to conceive. The two women form a friendship, Freya convinces Jamie to hire Low at her boutique and thus begins a seriously messed up love triangle. It’s mostly platonic, and also very strange.
Low gets jealous of the friendship, Freya pushes Jamie too far and the resulting drama is worthy of a season of Desperate Housewives. It’s so good. You can’t miss this one.
Special thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. This one is out June 23–so snap up your copy to enjoy as you socially distance this summer. My review will be published on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog, on June 6, 2020.
Low, an awkward, gangly teen girl with no support at home immediately wants to be close to Freya. At first she takes art lessons from her, then slowly she gets closer and closer until we realize what a crazy SWF freak she really is.
Enter Jamie, an unlikely friend for Freya. She is desperate to have children and has yet to conceive. The two women form a friendship, Freya convinces Jamie to hire Low at her boutique and thus begins a seriously messed up love triangle. It’s mostly platonic, and also very strange.
Low gets jealous of the friendship, Freya pushes Jamie too far and the resulting drama is worthy of a season of Desperate Housewives. It’s so good. You can’t miss this one.
Special thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. This one is out June 23–so snap up your copy to enjoy as you socially distance this summer. My review will be published on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog, on June 6, 2020.
A fast listen, and good overall story. And all the plot elements!
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated