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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
dark
slow-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
aquele da menina sequestrada numa viagem que acaba se apaixonando pelo cara que compra ela . podia ser dark, mas é vanilla.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was so beautiful
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a heavy book based on the topics and I really felt the weight of this whilst reading and after finishing. The characters in this book are flawed. The darkness they have in common should draw them together but it also keeps them apart. It's a very real portrayal of how complicated it can be to accept the darker parts of your own nature and desires, and then to trust another with those too.
There were some parts I wasn't a big fan of. Mostly the "big turning point in Tess' character development" monologues. It just felt forced really.
There were some parts I wasn't a big fan of. Mostly the "big turning point in Tess' character development" monologues. It just felt forced really.
dark
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was far better than many recent dark romance novels saturated with recycled tropes and gratuitous shock value. You can clearly see and appreciate how early 2010s indie authors helped push the boundaries of romance fiction, both thematically and psychologically. Where conventional romances often gave us bland, self-insert Mary Sues, this book attempts something more layered, especially in the portrayal of the FMC.
Tess’s psychological arc has moments of genuine complexity - particularly when she dissociates during submission at the beginning, a scene that stood out as both disturbing and compelling. Unfortunately, these promising explorations are followed by a sharp pivot into more conventional BDSM/DS romantic beats. It’s as if the book couldn't decide whether it wanted to be an introspective psychological study or a genre-conforming romance. If it had delved deeper into the FMC’s psyche, it might’ve veered into Story of O or Delta of Venus territory. Instead, we get a blend - intriguing in concept, but frustrating in execution.
That said, for a debut, it’s quite well-written. The middle drags with predictable D/S tropes, but the conclusion redeems it: Tess finally articulates what she wants and how she wants it, which offers satisfying emotional closure.
The sex scenes themselves were more theatrical than erotic for me. Over the top in a way that felt more performative than intimate, though I imagine it works for some readers.
Now, the audiobook… that’s another story. Jacob Morgan’s French accent was distractingly bad, to the point where I found myself skipping sex scenes just to avoid it. Hannah Belle handled narration well overall, but since the FMC is meant to be Australian, her persistent American accent was jarring. Worse still, the audio production was poor: volume shifts mid-sentence made it genuinely hard to follow. In hindsight, I wish I’d read the physical book instead. The writing deserved better delivery.
Tess’s psychological arc has moments of genuine complexity - particularly when she dissociates during submission at the beginning, a scene that stood out as both disturbing and compelling. Unfortunately, these promising explorations are followed by a sharp pivot into more conventional BDSM/DS romantic beats. It’s as if the book couldn't decide whether it wanted to be an introspective psychological study or a genre-conforming romance. If it had delved deeper into the FMC’s psyche, it might’ve veered into Story of O or Delta of Venus territory. Instead, we get a blend - intriguing in concept, but frustrating in execution.
That said, for a debut, it’s quite well-written. The middle drags with predictable D/S tropes, but the conclusion redeems it: Tess finally articulates what she wants and how she wants it, which offers satisfying emotional closure.
The sex scenes themselves were more theatrical than erotic for me. Over the top in a way that felt more performative than intimate, though I imagine it works for some readers.
Now, the audiobook… that’s another story. Jacob Morgan’s French accent was distractingly bad, to the point where I found myself skipping sex scenes just to avoid it. Hannah Belle handled narration well overall, but since the FMC is meant to be Australian, her persistent American accent was jarring. Worse still, the audio production was poor: volume shifts mid-sentence made it genuinely hard to follow. In hindsight, I wish I’d read the physical book instead. The writing deserved better delivery.
DNF at 7%, just couldn't do it. I was bored to death.
