Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Stora vackra liv by Emily Henry

80 reviews

jasperw's review against another edition

3.25

emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This is my second Emily Henry book. The last one I read (Beach Read.. I think?) I thought was fine. I remember parts of it, but I didn't love it the way so many people seem to. I was excited about the premise for this one, and even when early reviews started coming in and people who usually love her work didn't like this one, I continued to be optimistic because I thought maybe what didn't work for them would make it work for me. I really like the story and the characters. I like Hayden and Alice as characters, and I liked their romantic dynamic as well. I liked the mystery in the plot, and I love the idea of exploring the past of someone in tandem with other character's present. What really fell flat for me was the pacing and the ending. I think the pacing of the plot points needed more work. Most of the book had a slow burn, but then when a specific mysterious element was added, it felt like it was rushed to be explained, which killed some of the buildup. Along with that, while I could have accepted the ending (although that itself also felt a tad rushed) the epilogue is what really through me off. We jump around in the future, with so much changing for these characters so quickly, but because it's the ending and we're jumping through time, it didn't feel like we really got to feel these changes happening for them. 

I liked this more than I liked the other Emily Henry I read, and I would pick her work up again if a book sticks out to me, but I don't feel a strong feeling about needing to pick up another of her work. 

*Edit: Apparently I gave Beach Read 4 stars ... that is wild to me. I do not think it would be a 4 star for me now, and at this point in time I do think this is a better book, but it's also a lower rated book compared to books I really enjoy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Dementia

Minor: Terminal illness

marissagero's review against another edition

2.25

challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

I feel like I just reread The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol

Minor: Pregnancy

marmellowreads's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

---

Great start, slow in the middle, super fast ending. Idk how to feel about that pace 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment

hrh_victoria's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Pregnancy

ronan_lesh's review against another edition

3.5

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Death of parent

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual violence, Abandonment

flwrchld's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent

Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Abandonment

acovington's review against another edition

3.25

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

There were some parts of the story that really shined, but to me the romance subplot felt like a distraction from the biography plot instead of aiding it…..although once you read the end Hayden’s presence makes more sense. 
Hayden and Alice did have cute moments, but I wasn’t invested in them as much as other EH couples, maybe because I wanted to constantly get back to Margaret’s story.

I’d heard this book was similar to Evelyn Hugo, and the more I read the more it felt like we were tap dancing up to the line of plagiarism- I won’t say it got crossed but I am uncomfortable with the amount of similarities

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual content

pfranklin48's review against another edition

3.5

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent

ursula_la's review against another edition

4.0

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Car accident, Death of parent

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

3.25

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

               This book felt like it was trying to be two books at once. It was trying to be a bit of both a literary mystery and a contemporary romance book. The two didn’t weave that well together, however. 

              I hated all the edging the author did with the MC’s sexual relationship. I think she was trying to keep it from being “too spicy” for her readers, but still spicy enough. However, it just got frustrating. I get the building anticipation of them having intercourse, but it just took too long! 

              I liked most of the characters, all the townspeople, Cecil and Margaret especially, though others not as much, looking at you, Alice, and especially her mom, and Theo. 

              Overall, it was a decent book. Mostly, the structure just didn’t work for me. As well as the drawn-out nature of the MCs’ relationship, and their admitting their feelings and desires. 


  

​Narrator Rating:​ 4.75 stars

             I wish they’d gotten someone else to narrate the section of the book that was supposed to be part of the biography. Julia Whelan is wonderful and did an amazing job, however, I feel like having dual narration would have been better for the two intertwined sections of the book. 

Elements 

Heartfelt-💔💔💔 

Horror- N/A

Love aka Romance- 💋 💋 💋 💋 & 1/2

Predictability-🔮 🔮 🔮 

Spice-  🌶  🌶  🌶 

Tear- 😭 & 1/2

Thrill- N/A

Humor- 😜 😜 & 1/2

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Classism

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol