Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Losers: Part I by Harley Laroux

35 reviews

b00kl0v3rastro's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is my favourite book of all time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Cursing, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Biphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship

noelle_julianna's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Sexual content, Stalking, Biphobia, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Classism, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Addiction, and Blood

Minor: Grief, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Outing, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Violence

fictionalized_bliss's review

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, and Bullying

snarkycrafter's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Drug use

Contains explicit descriptions of BDSM relationships. Read author’s note at beginning of book before reading further.

amyaltvater's review

dark fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Fatphobia, Self harm, Gun violence, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Stalking, and Emotional abuse

Mmfmm, dark erotic romance

karalara's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Mental illness, Bullying, and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

mckaylamarry's review

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Drug use

bialves's review

adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Smut with a (found family) plot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Child abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Toxic relationship

shaykay's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.0

This duology is one of the staple book suggestions for dark romance or bully romances. It's kind of popular. I don't see people go nuts over it as much as some others but it is still highly suggested so I wanted to give the book a chance and I will say this one was hard to get into. I only realized the novella was out there and needed to be read before this book as I was starting the Halloween scene. Even though I struggled getting into this book I think the best way to read the duology is to start the first book until you get to the time skip/graduating high school then go back and read the novella then go back to the main book. I really liked seeing how things change between them. When she left for college she was the it girl, the queen bee, head of the popular crowd meanwhile Manson was an outcast and got kicked out of school right before graduation! It was intense and plays into the sterotypical roles but the guys don't just forgive her when she appears again. When she first comes back these guys are still considered outcasts but the party made it seem like they had more friends, at least Manson was closer to the inner crowd so I don't know why we kind of lose that again after Jess comes back. Things escalate around them as the outside world intervenes in their relationship. Not only was it unconventional but they live in this small town who tried to pull Jess back into the box they made for her. It caused a lot more tension when she rebelled against it not just for the guys but also because she wanted to work not just get married and be like her mom. This one also ends in a cliffhanger but we get an HEA at the end of the next book and I really like what they end up being even if the trip there gets bumpy sometimes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Drug use

readwithmichele's review

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

BOOK:  Losers (Pt. 1)
AUTHOR: Harley Laroux
PUB DATE:  9/30/22, self-published
PAGES:  594
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
GENRE: Dark Romance

REVIEW: Although not required, it is strongly recommended to read the novella, The Dare, prior to reading Losers. This book is First Person, Multi POV. This is a dark romance/taboo story.  If you are not into that sort of thing, then this series may not be for you. I was so anxious to learn more of the story of Jessica (the blonde, young 20s bombshell who has been given everything to her on a silver platter since birth).  She was a bully in high school, running with the jock crowd & always bullying the rejects/losers for no reason other than to appease those in her circle that didn't like the way they looked. Losers (Pt. 1) begins a few years after The Dare novella.  Jessica runs into her high school group of rejects, (Mason, Lucas, Jason & Vincent), after returning home to her parents from NY for the Summer. She & the boys all shared a brief history that night several years ago, and are connected by that one, post-high school Halloween party, where dares are divvied out to Jessica by Mason in the group. A few years later, Jess has returned to her hometown and is faced with each of them again - the guys all living together under one roof as one family.  A connection (& revelation) transpires between each of them, and a bond unlike anything Jess or the boys have experienced grows. There is a lot of spice in this so know that going in. I loved getting to know the individual background of the boys and of Jess, and how, over time, they genuinely cared for one another. Not only do they have solid feelings for each other, there is undeniable, genuine love. Again, there is lots of spice and lots of sharing, hence – taboo. As always, please be sure to read trigger warnings that are laid out by the author at the very beginning of the book. I’m very much looking forward to reading Pt 2 of this series! It’s highly rated on Goodreads for a reason!

Happy Reading!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Blood