Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - How to Fail at Flirting

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

110 reviews

lindsm94's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

I found this book really slow and even though the characters are relatable, I just could not get into the story. I think it had a good ending with the main character standing up for herself and finding her voice. It is written really well, but not for me. Also trigger warning for domestic violence

Content Warnings

ksuazo94's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense fast-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

Content Warnings

ambaldwi's review against another edition

Go to review page

fast-paced

3.25

Content Warnings

rickireadss's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

WOW WOW WOW. this is my second book by denise and definitely my favorite!! nia and jake just felt so real. like they were imperfect characters, their reactions to certain situations was just so human, and i loved them for it. i honestly wouldn’t change a thing about this book. each of their pasts made me cry ngl - especially nia’s. they were just so cute with each other - the back and forth was so funny and had me giggling and smiling while listening. the spice was phenomenal - jake could GET IT.

⚠️: domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, toxic relationship (fmc and her ex), gaslighting, misogyny, sexual assault (attempted), sexual harassment (workplace), racism, stalking, panic attacks/disorders, infidelity (not mcs), vomit

Content Warnings

anova's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful 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

Content Warnings

megallenbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

Look, it's a solid read. You won't be disappointed if you wanting a contemporary romance to read in the bath of a Friday night and get your weekend off to a relaxing start. Hero Jake would make a perfectly adequate book boyfriend, you won't need to think very hard, and there are few points that will make you swoon a little. However, nothing about it sings "You must read this to be complete".

Basic story, Naya is a 33 year old professor still reeling from a past abusive relationship whose coping strategy seems to be staying home and doing nothing except going to work and hanging with a couple of close friends. Wasn't aware this wasn't a perfectly valid life choice, but her friends seem to be worried about it and so, trying to help her live a little, they make her a to-do list which include stellar items like "let a stranger buy you a drink". She proceeds to follow their list and in the process meets Jake, a consultant, in town for a wedding.

Now this is a single POV book and so while bits of Jake's back story is shared, don't expect to see any character growth from him or angst. He is very much written as "the perfect man" and not a character you need to think about too deeply. That said, this made some of the conflict in the book seem even more unrealistic. He has no known flaws, why is Naya hesitating?

The biggest conflict for Naya is her overcoming part trauma and I do thing the whole domestic violence aspect of the book is glossed over. It's not mentioned in the blurb at all; Naya is "a frumpy cardigan wearing overachiever with a demanding job" according to that. Not a woman who was in a long term relationship with a man who got his rocks off on demeaning her and controlling her. It's also glossed over in the way this would impact her in a professional sense (they were coworkers and he reappears on the scene) and why it affects the way she approaches her job. What's more is a lot of the resolution for this conflict happens off page. All of this is to say the conflict is made fluffy but it's not a fluffy topic. I would have like more care around it or for the author to have chosen another source of angst.

That said, I did read this in a day and was happy to. Spice factor : 🌶🌶

Content Warnings