Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

22 reviews

lialovesreading's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Cursing

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

novelideea's review

challenging dark medium-paced

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Infidelity

robynbookworm's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

ernis's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The book started out strong and engaging but the finish wasn't what I had hoped for.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Sexual content

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this storytelling, and I was definitely kept guessing quite a few times during the story. I think the complicated friendship relationship was really interesting, and the kind of "mixed media" style kept the reader really paying attention.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Classism, Bullying, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Murder, and Sexual content

Minor: Drug use, Medical content, Infidelity, Grief, Misogyny, Suicide, and Vomit

emmehooks's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Infidelity

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child death, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Drug use, Alcohol, and Grief

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Terminal illness, Suicide, Sexual content, Miscarriage, and Panic attacks/disorders

minimicropup's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Inquisitive, ghoulish, contemplative

We follow characters from two timepoints - the '70s and present day. Both timePOVs are set in a Villa on the outskirts of Orvieto, Italy. The present day characters (a cozy mystery author and wellness influencer) are working on their slightly estranged friendship and are enticed by the history of the villa. In the 1970s a platinum album was composed and a classic horror novel written at the villa.

Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕: 

• I liked the depth of character development and how the hint of campiness slowly escalated through a realistic slow burn mystery
• Bit of grown-up Goosebumps energy with discovering the history of the Villa and what went down by decoding hints in the author's horror novel
• The setting was immersive and kind of evolved into its own entity in the story
• If you're in this just for the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll you may be disappointed. It's in the plot, but isn't the main focus. I liked how it was worked into the plot naturally and seemed realistic.

Cred Rating 👌: Realistic with just a touch of campy

Mood Reading Match Up: 

• Friendship and sibling dramas with bits of 'cattiness', jealousy, scheming, and competition + heartwarming and empathetic moments
• Slowly unraveling murder mysteries and blackmail 
• Elements of "good for her" revenge
• Summer vacation vibes, nostalgic 1970s vibes

Content Heads-Up: Good childfree-by-choice rep (female). Gaslighting and emotional abuse. Drug and alcohol use. Death of a baby.

Format: Scribd Digital and Audio

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Death, and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Sexual harassment

Sexual content is with consent. Adult/minor relationship is early 20s with 15-16 year olds running away from family together.

vanella's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, and Cursing

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

luverbyrd's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I almost DNFd this. I should have, but I thought "maybe it will have an interesting twist at the end". It kind of did, I guessed one of the "twists" very early on.
I found the past story more interesting than the present. I despised the "friendship" Chess and Emily had from the start. I didn't really like any of the characters, past or present.
I enjoyed the inserts of fake news articles and podcasts to bring the history of the villa to the reader. It was a nice touch.
This book just wasn't what I expected and wasn't the right fit for my tastes.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Murder, and Sexism

Minor: Abortion

meghanm404's review

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy, Drug use, Death of parent, Grief, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Infidelity