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vault_assassin_01's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence
thelongroadtosanity's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"But if I’m her calm, then she is my chaos, and if I can’t live with her forever, then I don’t want to live at all."
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"But then, I realized, monsters aren't capable of returning love. And the longer you spend chasing it from someone who cannot ever give it back, the more of a monster you become in turn."
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Nick is a DEA agent tasked to go undercover and infiltrate a small, Irish-run Mafia. The Westerly's gang is selling a type of pure heroin dubbed Flying Monkey, and has a mysterious creator of the drug that they keep close tabs on. Trying to stop their operation, Nick goes in undercover as Brayden and tries desperately to uncover who the creator of Flying Monkey is. Discovering that Westerly's youngest daughter, Evelina, is practically running the entire operation, Nick and Evelina practically begin despising each other at once... until that hatred turns into something more.
Emily McIntire's dark fairytale retellings are my absolute favorite. She has such a way with making the reader fall in love with her characters, and this I have to say, was no different. Evelina had such a f***-around-and-find-out attitude that I absolutely adored. I also enjoyed the inner turmoil that Nick had once he realized that he had feelings for her.
All of McIntire's retellings are so enjoyable to read, with incredible plots, plenty of action, and lots of spice. (09/2023)
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"But then, I realized, monsters aren't capable of returning love. And the longer you spend chasing it from someone who cannot ever give it back, the more of a monster you become in turn."
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Nick is a DEA agent tasked to go undercover and infiltrate a small, Irish-run Mafia. The Westerly's gang is selling a type of pure heroin dubbed Flying Monkey, and has a mysterious creator of the drug that they keep close tabs on. Trying to stop their operation, Nick goes in undercover as Brayden and tries desperately to uncover who the creator of Flying Monkey is. Discovering that Westerly's youngest daughter, Evelina, is practically running the entire operation, Nick and Evelina practically begin despising each other at once... until that hatred turns into something more.
Emily McIntire's dark fairytale retellings are my absolute favorite. She has such a way with making the reader fall in love with her characters, and this I have to say, was no different. Evelina had such a f***-around-and-find-out attitude that I absolutely adored. I also enjoyed the inner turmoil that Nick had once he realized that he had feelings for her.
All of McIntire's retellings are so enjoyable to read, with incredible plots, plenty of action, and lots of spice. (09/2023)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gun violence, Sexual content, Drug use, Bullying, Blood, Addiction, and Death
bakedbeanss's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
I highly enjoyed this book. I think this came extremely close to scarred. I really loved the banter between Nick and Evalina. I didn’t think I was going to like the undercover storyline but it was pleasantly surprising. I did really feel for Evalina with everything going on with her family and what she had to go through with them. The trauma that she had to deal with from such a young age. That also goes for Nick. Overall a great read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
dlsmk's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
4.0
Listen. I don't condone these things. And the fact anyone would throw away the morals, no, FLING them, so far because they fell "in love" is so dumb. But this shit...? I fucking ate this shit up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Body horror, Child abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
zarakoconnor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.0
Amazing to have a morally gray female main character for a change. So we’ll written and so complex and human.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic relationship
the10thingsiloveaboutbooks's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I feel like each time I read a new book by Emily my love for them is diminishing. Hooked was excellent, but I just couldn’t vibe with the characters in this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
kerrythefire's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Give me all the fairytale/myths/nursery rhyme retellings! These will never get old for me. Especially the ones that only very loosely follow the original contours... It's fun to spot the little easter eggs when they do show up.
I loved that the anti-hero/villain in this reimagining was a woman. I hope Emily McIntire writes more like that.
The plot itself kept things moving fast and I was anxious for pretty much the last 8 chapters of the book.
Nick's emotional evolution felt a little bit incomplete which made it feel less compelling/believable. From where he started, with all the baggage and trauma, it seemed like it would take a lot more for him to get to love. When he was asking his sister what love feels like... As a reader who witnessed his entire story with Evie, my guy what you are in is lust. It was a very "telling you the characters are in love" situation vs. "showing".
Those sex scenes were 🔥🔥🥵 tho.
I loved that the anti-hero/villain in this reimagining was a woman. I hope Emily McIntire writes more like that.
The plot itself kept things moving fast and I was anxious for pretty much the last 8 chapters of the book.
Nick's emotional evolution felt a little bit incomplete which made it feel less compelling/believable. From where he started, with all the baggage and trauma, it seemed like it would take a lot more for him to get to love. When he was asking his sister what love feels like... As a reader who witnessed his entire story with Evie, my guy what you are in is lust. It was a very "telling you the characters are in love" situation vs. "showing".
Those sex scenes were 🔥🔥🥵 tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Drug use, and Sexual content
emwalynn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
In the beginning, I thought the book would feel stereotypical, but I found that everytime I turned a page I got more and more invested. The relationship between the two main characters captivated me and was the reason I decided to stick it out. I'm glad I did, because the story got so much better the deeper you read.
(mentions of the story)The twist of Cody being in the FBI at the end came as a shock to me, which is something I look for in books. I've always been able to predict a twist ending very easily, but this one actually managed to blow me away.
My one critique has to be the overuse of the same sexual terms. The sex scenes were great, don't get me wrong, but could at times feel slightly repetitive.
(mentions of the story)
My one critique has to be the overuse of the same sexual terms. The sex scenes were great, don't get me wrong, but could at times feel slightly repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Addiction, Violence, Drug use, and Gun violence
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
xxkatastrophe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Drug use, Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Addiction, and Abandonment
tayh14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Drug use