Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - All the Little Raindrops

started off really strong & straight to the point which i wasn’t expecting! the beginning was good but it started slowing down for me towards middle & picked back up in the end. it sort of got a little confusing towards the end on how things played out. not a lot of romance just a sprinkle. two people who trauma-bond & eventually accepted it.

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mayawata_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

The only thing I was caught up on was how the main characters came to loving each other. While it was clear they had a connection and they discussed how their shared trauma could interfere with a healthy relationship, the admission of love felt almost rushed and lil out of place. But the plot had me on my ass trying to finish it, I was hooked.

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abookbitch's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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astoriareader's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

SYNOPSIS

Two seniors in high school, Noelle & Evan, have been kidnapped. They are locked in cages, and they are part of a sadistic game. It also turns out that Noelle & Evan know each other, and their families don’t have the best past. This portion covers about the first third of the book.
After they get out, some time passes in the book, and they reunite to try to figure out who was behind it all.

MY THOUGHTS

This was actually pretty bad. I wouldn’t call it a psychological thriller. It fits more in horror genre mixed with romance.
Definitely check out trigger warnings because this book is A LOT.
If you’re into gratuitous violence & torture, this one may be for you. That’s not my thing, so I didn’t enjoy it.
There isn’t much character development either. Characters felt very one-dimensional. Overall, the whole book fell flat for me. Not a satisfying ending. The romance between Noelle & Evan is just weird & based on trauma they went through together.
So many tropes & cliches in this one.
About 99% of the plot is completely unbelievable.
I also have a personal pet peeve with how many times the author used the phrase “took her virginity” re: Noelle. Virginity is a social construct. I mean, JFC, can we please stop using this phrase in 2024, particularly in reference to a teenage trafficking victim being raped?!

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️skip it, unless you’re into gratuitous violence & misogynistic writing.

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.

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charityconzone's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book definitely has trigger warnings-be prepared and look into what they are before reading. But the twists were worth getting through the first 25% of the book!

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alysclaire's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

So dark and messed up. Quite hard to read at times but also just wanted to know what happens. Not sure how to feel about it.

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soobooksalot's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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bribreez's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

*Check Trigger Warnings Before Reading.

5⭐️

I’m not usually one who goes out of my way to read books that have suspense, or thrillers, but anything Mia Sheridan writes, is an automatic read for me! Imagine a story on which two teenagers are kidnapped, being held hostage, and have no idea where they are, sounds scary right? Now, add in the fact that said teenagers actually know each other because one parent was murdered by the others parent?! That was Noelle and Evan’s predicament. Seemingly finding themselves needing to work together in order to escape the horrors that awaited them, it was an unlikely pairing especially with all that had happened years prior when Noelle’s mother was killed by Evan’s dad. Mia Sheridan’s writing was captivating as well, but also with a layer of mystery, and danger, had me on edge, and following along this suspenseful story.

Two unlikely individuals caught in a horrific situation in which they are being held captive in an unknown location, forced to endure horrendous torture, it was a dark time for both Noelle and Evan. Compared to other books written by Mia Sheridan, this was probably her darkest book that I’ve read that she’s written. This story explored the mystery and darkness that Noelle and Evan were faced with. I would suggest you check trigger warnings before reading. There were times I actually felt anxious and downright disturbed at what Noelle and Evan were forced into. I was just waiting for the moment that somehow, someway both Noelle and Evan would a find a way out. I was immediately compelled by Noelle and Evan, especially because, when finding out that Evan’s dad killed Noelle’s mother, you would assume they’d instantly hate each other. Instead, Noelle and Evan formed a deep understanding of one another, and that despite the horrors they faced, they would stick together against all odds.

Simply whoa…I mean that in the sense that it was so wild in the way how Noelle and Evan planned their escape. I’m telling you, this book will have you on the edge of your seat and feeling all the suspense! Again, dark and twisted things occurred in this story, but also the blood and gore was just as shocking. The part when Noelle and Evan enacted their plan was quick and so full of that palpable fear they felt in that moment that would either save them or risk them getting captured again. I was amazed at how Noelle and Evan utilized seemingly harmless items as an advantage to escape. I was sweating and worried at what I read! Phew! Talk about anxiety inducing!

Seeing what Noelle and Evan went through wasn’t just something they could forget, those scars would always remain with them. Even after the escape, trying to find some semblance of normalcy wasn’t an easy task for both Noelle and Evan. Trying to move forward also meant that Noelle and Evan needed to learn to be on their own, instead of the codependency they relied on when they were held captive together. In a way, it was heartbreaking seeing how much Noelle and Evan wanted to be near one another, but with all the trauma both mentally and physically still raw, it wasn’t the healthiest idea for them to always rely on one another to help forget some of the horrors even for just a moment. Point in case, after escaping Noelle and Evan used sex as a way of gaining control of their choices and trying to replace the horrors they endured with the memories of them being intimate with each other instead. That kind of intimacy backfired on Noelle and Evan as it later just became their form of a coping mechanism. Noelle and Evan each had a lot of things to work out for themselves and as much as they understood each other on a deep level, being with each other caused certain triggers or memories to come about. Broke my heart seeing Noelle and Evan feel some sense of peace when they met up again only to then part from one another.

Just when I thought things were potentially looking up, there was still more to uncover. Seven years later and Evan and Noelle were living independently and hadn’t spoken in a long time. With Evan being a private investigator, he had the means to make his own investigation to look into what actually happened to him and Noelle. Obviously digging into the case meant not only going back to those memories of horrific things, but also getting into contact with Noelle. Despite the reasoning which brought Evan back into Noelle’s life, it was really nice seeing them together again after the past few years. The chemistry between Noelle and Evan was still present, and with them having had time to work on themselves, there was still that strong attraction and feelings they had for one another. Aside from the tiny kernel of hope that Evan and Noelle might find happiness together, there was the clues they managed to find that led them to believe Evan and Noelle weren’t the only ones who experienced those horrors. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it seemed like all the clues Evan and Noelle uncovered led them to discover it was still ongoing with new victims.

OH MY GOSH! THIS WAS WILD! Once again Mia Sheridan blew my mind with the way she created such a detailed and suspenseful storyline. This was a gritty, dark, emotional story that covered heavy topics. Noelle and Evan were thrust into a highly unusual and terrifying situation that years later would reveal a bigger picture that they wouldn’t have even imagined. This story progressively got better and better! I was addicted to reading the story and couldn’t put the book down! The plot twists, secrets revealed, and of course the grand finale were shocking and jaw dropping! I certainly didn’t expect the outcome of the story nor finding out the truth behind everything Noelle and Evan went through! This story was mind boggling to me especially because, when it comes to other books I’ve read by Mia Sheridan, I don’t usually expect this kind of story, but nonetheless I loved it! Noelle and Evan were compelling, strong, passionate, thoughtful, intelligent, and admirable characters. This book constantly had me on edge, but in this best way possible that had me invested in Noelle and Evan. I still can’t get over the series of events that occurred in this story, but… wow, the attention to detail was incredible! Highly recommend!

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