Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Season of Love by Helena Greer

14 reviews

apollo0325's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Sapphics really do fall in love quickly, huh?

It was an easy read, and while I liked a lot of the elements such as the exploration of trauma and how trauma affects our relationships, I also felt like it didn’t do enough. We get told who Cass is, but we never get to SEE who Cass is. Despite her deceased status, I think we could have done some small flashbacks especially with the letter from Cass at the end. It contextualizes the relationships between Cass, Miriam, Hannah, Levi, and Noelle and it makes the reader understand the emotional toil Cass’s loss has put on the main characters as well as the community. It feels like the book forces you to rely on how it might feel to lose a loved one, and if the reader like me has not experienced that, the emotional punches of this novel become weak.

I also hated the epilogue lmao it’s so obvious that they planned sequels to this because of the epilogue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Addiction

softstuff513's review against another edition

emotional hopeful relaxing 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

2.5

The readers voices annoyed me, and the main character annoyed me. I did like how Jewish it was. You don’t see that often. And cass reminded me of my great aunt…. Also ended on a really random cliffhanger? (Not a spoiler because the cliffhanger is unrelated to the rest of the story) Is there supposed to be a sequel?  The pacing was really weird… felt like it rushed through some parts, and characters kept popping up it was hard to track if they were there the whole time or are flying in and out of state…???

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Grief

i feel the book should have ended with her getting the note from cass…. Like they show the house then get the note

caseythereader's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Abandonment, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent

Minor: Antisemitism and Sexual content

orchidd's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Addiction, Death, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Cancer and Abandonment

wraith_demjin's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse

nicoreads333's review against another edition

I really wanted to love this. I was so excited for a cozy, sapphic holiday romance. However, I feel like the main focus of this book is trauma. Everyone's trauma. It was all they discussed. And it just felt heavy and slow. I like to read to escape, and this just wasn't that for me. I do think this may work for others (it has high reviews), but I just couldn't finish it. I just wanted a sapphic holiday romcom without all the heaviness. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, and Child abuse

internationalreads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Child abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

savvyrosereads's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

3.5

Out now! [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Miriam Blum hasn’t gone home in ten years—and with good reason. But when her beloved great-aunt dies, Miriam finds herself pulled back to life on the Christmas tree farm where she used to spend her childhood holidays, and faced with the possibility of a love story that might change her life.

I absolutely adore the concept for this one—a sapphic holiday rom-com with a Jewish MC but set on a Christmas tree farm? I knew I needed to read this one, and I’m so glad I did!

Season of Love is absolutely adorable, but it also packs a lot of emotion and meaningful messaging into a fun quirky rom-com. The characters are excellent and the “saving the family farm” storyline was extremely well done (and did make me tear up a bit).

If I’m quibbling, I did feel like this book was a bit more character-driven than plot-driven, at times, which isn’t usually my preference for rom-coms and is the reason this wasn’t an “omg yay ten million stars” review. But I still enjoyed this so much, and cannot wait for the sequel (Hannah is the best and I need her story desperately!!)

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: character-driven romance; diverse holiday representation; found family themes 

CW: Child abuse; emotional abuse; death of parent/loved one; grief; alcoholism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

kylieqrada's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.0

A very cute, fun Sapphic holiday romance! I like it when romances have a hard-hitting plot line, and this one did. Don't be fooled by the cover!! Also, love that we follow several Jewish holidays. I wish I hadn't pictured one of my best friends as the MC, but thankfully the sex scenes were closed door. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Misogyny

bakunzi1990's review

adventurous reflective 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

The o ly reason this didn't get a full 5 stars was that it only had closed door love. Otherwise is was very sweet.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism