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kellyinbookland's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
guada_reads's review
4.0
This is a good dark queer romance, Aura grows in a fricking cult and it's able to get out(we don't know how, they never say hoe she escaped which is kinda annoying) but you know cults will follow you anywhere. On a night out with her boyfriend and her best friend she meets Ruby and there's sparks right away, but she cannot like girls, right? WRONG! That energy it's there and so much shit happens.
Ruby is so top, so strong and has a delicious dirty mouth.
2.5
Ruby is so top, so strong and has a delicious dirty mouth.
2.5
adaxpas's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.0
kcbear's review
5.0
Holy Hanna!
Ya know, for me to be a lesbian myself, this is my first taste of FxF
Ya know, for me to be a lesbian myself, this is my first taste of FxF
elmshouse's review against another edition
1.0
I hate to give a book I only read 20% from a 1 star, but this was quite bad.
Liza James used to write on Wattpad and I’m not surprised by that bc it reads like the smutty fanfiction on there. I can get down with fanfiction-like writing, but when there’s no substance in plot, the characters, and especially the romance, you lose me.
I thought the writing could have definitely used an editor. If I have to read “fuck” or “toxic” one more time, I’m going to lose it. I thought that Ruby and Aura read the same, Vibe would’ve benefited more if there was only one POV. The dialogue felt very clunky and cringey, it took me out of the novel bc nobody talks like that??
oh god the characters. everyone is a pos besides our two leading ladies, and tbh they’re not even compelling as they are dependent on each other IMMEDIATELY, i don’t know anything about them individually other than they’re both traumatized and are surrounded by awful people.
side note: it’s really annoying to read sapphic stories when a lot of them have a focus on men continuously being awful to them or have multiple scenes of heterosexuality in a WLW BOOK!!! what feminist is going to enjoy reading about detailed SEVERAL sexual assault scenes that described in a fetishized way? lol not me
there was no plot, but to be fair, I only read 20% of the book
there was no romance either it was just abrupt sex and sexual attraction. idk what this “connection” these girls have considering they haven’t even known each other for 24 hours let alone spoke more than a couple of sentences to one another. I guess it’s just their ✨vibes✨ that are pulling them together, I’m sorry I can’t suspend my disbelief.
I can get down with a dark romance read, i can definitely read dark elements and enjoy them if they’re well-written. like I read all levels of horror? but this read like mediocre “dark” erotica, maybe the romance comes later…. but I don’t care enough to push through this aggravating mess.
first book club dnf rip rip
Liza James used to write on Wattpad and I’m not surprised by that bc it reads like the smutty fanfiction on there. I can get down with fanfiction-like writing, but when there’s no substance in plot, the characters, and especially the romance, you lose me.
I thought the writing could have definitely used an editor. If I have to read “fuck” or “toxic” one more time, I’m going to lose it. I thought that Ruby and Aura read the same, Vibe would’ve benefited more if there was only one POV. The dialogue felt very clunky and cringey, it took me out of the novel bc nobody talks like that??
oh god the characters. everyone is a pos besides our two leading ladies, and tbh they’re not even compelling as they are dependent on each other IMMEDIATELY, i don’t know anything about them individually other than they’re both traumatized and are surrounded by awful people.
side note: it’s really annoying to read sapphic stories when a lot of them have a focus on men continuously being awful to them or have multiple scenes of heterosexuality in a WLW BOOK!!! what feminist is going to enjoy reading about detailed SEVERAL sexual assault scenes that described in a fetishized way? lol not me
there was no plot, but to be fair, I only read 20% of the book
there was no romance either it was just abrupt sex and sexual attraction. idk what this “connection” these girls have considering they haven’t even known each other for 24 hours let alone spoke more than a couple of sentences to one another. I guess it’s just their ✨vibes✨ that are pulling them together, I’m sorry I can’t suspend my disbelief.
I can get down with a dark romance read, i can definitely read dark elements and enjoy them if they’re well-written. like I read all levels of horror? but this read like mediocre “dark” erotica, maybe the romance comes later…. but I don’t care enough to push through this aggravating mess.
first book club dnf rip rip
eshurricane's review
5.0
Dark and gritty and everything I didn’t know I needed.
Vibe is a character-driven book centered around Aura, a woman who escaped from an extremely abusive cult, and Ruby, a stripper with her own abuse-filled past. They meet when Aura goes to the strip club to fulfil her boyfriend's sordid desires, despite not being into women. But when Ruby enters the stage, it's electric, and the two have this connection that while is an element of any good meet-cute, is so much more intense than most. Their vibe is palpable, I could taste it, a testament to the author's skill with visceral language and heady descriptions.
The book is told in dual POV first, so we get chapters from both women. As I immersed myself more and more into Aura's PTSD from being in the cult and Ruby's hardship being abused by a powerful man in the club, my heart grew more entwined with these characters. And as they discover each other, Aura trying to figure out what these feelings and urges are, and Ruby trying to understand feelings of caring for someone romantically beyond just lust...it's fucking delicious.
There is so much going on externally that weaves itself into the lives of these women, but their personal journeys of self-growth and actualization are so prevalent and important alongside them falling in love. And it happens so gradually and organically that it feels so realistic. These two people need to overcome so much trauma and face their own demons, and then somehow end up fighting alongside each other. It's heartwrenching.
When I got to the end of the book and read the acknowledgements and read about Liza's personal journey and how she wants to show everyone that they can face their demons an have freedom, I cried. There were a few times I choked up reading this book, but her personal truths made me actually cry. Because as much as I tout that we need more normalization, that there needs to be more stories that just have LGBTQ characters doing normal shit, this is the reason why stories about characters needing to slay their demons to love who they love are still important. Because there are people out there struggling with this. And they need to know that it's okay and we're in this together, and they can find freedom.
I know that I'm super lucky that I grew up with open-minded family and support from my social circle to explore my sexuality in a healthy way. That I was able to have my journey quietly and free of judgement throughout my teens and into my twenties before I heard the term pansexual and suddenly felt like I'd my people. Not everyone gets to have that privilege or freedom, and I hope beyond hope that despite having to overcome hardship and oppression that any of you out there struggling get to the point where you can be yourself and love yourself and others openly without fear. These feelings and this message are so interwoven into this tale and it's so powerful.
Anyway, all this rambling to say—BUY THIS BOOK. And the sequel. I'm already into it and it's just as amazing.
Vibe is a character-driven book centered around Aura, a woman who escaped from an extremely abusive cult, and Ruby, a stripper with her own abuse-filled past. They meet when Aura goes to the strip club to fulfil her boyfriend's sordid desires, despite not being into women. But when Ruby enters the stage, it's electric, and the two have this connection that while is an element of any good meet-cute, is so much more intense than most. Their vibe is palpable, I could taste it, a testament to the author's skill with visceral language and heady descriptions.
The book is told in dual POV first, so we get chapters from both women. As I immersed myself more and more into Aura's PTSD from being in the cult and Ruby's hardship being abused by a powerful man in the club, my heart grew more entwined with these characters. And as they discover each other, Aura trying to figure out what these feelings and urges are, and Ruby trying to understand feelings of caring for someone romantically beyond just lust...it's fucking delicious.
There is so much going on externally that weaves itself into the lives of these women, but their personal journeys of self-growth and actualization are so prevalent and important alongside them falling in love. And it happens so gradually and organically that it feels so realistic. These two people need to overcome so much trauma and face their own demons, and then somehow end up fighting alongside each other. It's heartwrenching.
When I got to the end of the book and read the acknowledgements and read about Liza's personal journey and how she wants to show everyone that they can face their demons an have freedom, I cried. There were a few times I choked up reading this book, but her personal truths made me actually cry. Because as much as I tout that we need more normalization, that there needs to be more stories that just have LGBTQ characters doing normal shit, this is the reason why stories about characters needing to slay their demons to love who they love are still important. Because there are people out there struggling with this. And they need to know that it's okay and we're in this together, and they can find freedom.
I know that I'm super lucky that I grew up with open-minded family and support from my social circle to explore my sexuality in a healthy way. That I was able to have my journey quietly and free of judgement throughout my teens and into my twenties before I heard the term pansexual and suddenly felt like I'd my people. Not everyone gets to have that privilege or freedom, and I hope beyond hope that despite having to overcome hardship and oppression that any of you out there struggling get to the point where you can be yourself and love yourself and others openly without fear. These feelings and this message are so interwoven into this tale and it's so powerful.
Anyway, all this rambling to say—BUY THIS BOOK. And the sequel. I'm already into it and it's just as amazing.