Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish

21 reviews

sage_alexandra's review

• 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

if you liked 2006's "The Holiday," you'll like this even more because its queeeeeeeer!!! I came for the lesbians and stayed for the gays. Truman's love of bullet journaling might be the kick I need to get back into it myself. And Greta makes me mourn even harder for good lighting and temperatures for plants.

we love Ash so much in this household 

*would've rated higher except i got the ick from Carys later on in the book. I honestly thought maybe that relationship wouldn't get a happily ever after. Ash and Truman's story gets 5 stars though!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Dementia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Emotional abuse, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

sexual content specifics:

public, but relatively hidden, sex between Carys and Greta. they are also much more sexually active than Truman and Ash

shelfofunread's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Dementia

Minor: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

k1313's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia and Antisemitism

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted 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

3.0

I can't quite pin point what it was, but I had a hard time getting into this one. It was also steamier than I was expecting, which isn't a bad thing, it just took me by surprise. Part of it was probably the insta-love-ish part of the plot, which isn't my favorite trope in romances. Give me the slow burn over that any day. I like the anticipation.

It's a cute holiday romance, though! I enjoyed how both Greta and Truman found what they were looking for by swapping houses. There's some more emotional tones, but overall, it's an upbeat, happy romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Dementia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia

fanboyriot's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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

Read For:

✓ House Swap

✓ Happy Ending

✓ Holiday Romance

✓ Healthy Boundaries

✓ Wholesome Romance

˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗

This was such an amazing book.  Could not recommend it enough.  I loved all the holiday vibes and the healthy romance was so good!!  The characters working with how to set boundaries and especially with family it was written so well. And the characters all had depth and personality.  The plot was cute and the house swap made for an entertaining read, both settings were written beautifully!

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Angst Level: n/a

POV: Duel, Third Person

Release Date: 06, September 2022

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, Grief, and Religious bigotry

nightworldlove's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

relin's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity, Dementia, Grief, Outing, and Alcohol

sestout's review

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity and Alcohol

the_true_monroe's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.0

While the overall story was not for me, I connected greatly with Greta’s family dynamic, the struggles it caused in her interpersonal relationships, and her transition into her own person outside of the enmeshed family. I loved how her thought process and realizations were thoroughly communicated to the reader but also her partner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Dementia, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Transphobia, Vomit, and Lesbophobia

lost_windsock's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

This book was so wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it the whole way through. I felt so hard for both Greta and Truman. I related to Greta's struggles with her family a lot, and the advice she got from Muriel(who was just such a delightful side character) hit me so deeply. I loved Carys and how she was unwilling to accept anything but what she needed, and I loved how she helped Greta realize that was something she needed to give herself too. I also really loved Helen and Veronica, and their whole side plot was just a lot of fun. Truman's plot line honestly got me close to tears several times. The way he was treated by his ex, and the way he let others treat him for most of his life was just so upsetting, especially since he was just the absolute sweetest person. Letting himself tamp down his own creativity, not seeing his own art as art...I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him to shine. I loved the way he ended up meeting Ash, and the theme of everyone in town always recognizing Greta's sweaters made me laugh every time. The tenderness that he was able to offer Ash, who SO needed it, was one of my favorite parts of the book. Those gentle moments of just letting him let go and cry when it was so obvious he hadn't allowed himself that. I enjoyed Truman's side plot with discovering the roots of his favorite book series, and his friends Germaine and Charlotte were a really fun inclusion to the story. Having online friends that support you is real! And the representation of that was so refreshing! Also a big shout out to Ramona, who was a really fun character and whose cryptic texts split up the book into perfect chunks. The holiday themes in this book were actually quite subdued for a holiday book, but I think that made me like it more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Dementia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol