Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

87 reviews

hannahbee12719's review against another edition

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit

d_lapri's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

4.25

This was a surprisingly deep book, as the fmc is dealing with the trauma and after effects of an abusive relationship while also trying to start a new romance. From my non-survivor perspective, I thought it treated the issues well, and with accuracy. All the trigger warnings though, we really are in her head as she is trying to cope.

Single POV, 1st person, fmc. Fmc is Black/mixed, mmc is white.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Stalking, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Minor: Racism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, and Vomit

The sexual assault tag is for

a beginning attempt that is unsuccessful. It is implied that there was assault in the past but we don't get any details.

shaynicole's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Minor: Racism

kfmcf's review against another edition

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

4.25

MAJOR CW for gaslighting, emotional abuse, and a toxic relationship

I read this way back in '21 when I was first getting into contemporary romance as a genre and thought it was pretty good. Honestly, reading it again, I really enjoyed it. I think in my last read, I had just come off of reading some of my all time favs (The Kiss Quotient, PYMoV, etc.) and it warped my views of the book a bit. 

I really enjoyed the chemistry of the two characters and what they were dealing with. I appreciated the single POV as we really were able to invest in time with Naya and understand what she was feeling with Jake and appreciating him as a character (though...I don't know why the name Jake just doesn't work for him imo for some reason). 

Normally when I see characters communicating over text or email or whatever I skim really hard, but the interactions between Naya & Jake over text was fun and cute. I don't know, friends, something about these two just hit for me rn. 

The drama with Davis gets a little over dramatic and he was cartoonishly evil at some points, but having gone through an emotionally abusive relationship myself, sometimes it is just like that. 

I'm reading The Fastest Way to Fall and Technically, Yours right now for book club and I'm...not happy there was a shift from single POV. I think Denise Williams is stronger in single based off of this book, but I'll reserve judgment for those books until I'm finished.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Bullying, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Racism, Violence, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Cursing

megnut's review

emotional 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

3.75

Both main characters have been hurt by previous partners... but the abuse by Naya's ex weighs heavily on her part of the story. 
There's a happy ending, but it's an emotional struggle to make it there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting

drgnlis's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

kitwhelan's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I really enjoyed the romance between the two characters, but the theme of domestic abuse (with the abuser lurking just off-page much of the book) made it a very tense read and I feel like we should’ve spent more time on our MC healing from trauma than on the flirty romance. I also really, really didn’t like that when she had a trauma response near the end and it was her who ended up apologizing for “messing everything up.” Trauma victims need to be understood and given space, not made to apologize. 

Major trigger warnings for domestic abuse and attempted rape. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Rape

sharkyray's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

Read it start to finish in one day, I couldn’t put it down!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

annahamburger's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Vomit, Alcohol, Cursing, Stalking, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Infidelity, Body shaming, and Fatphobia