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wellreadblackgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Suicide
Minor: Pedophilia
now_booking's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a really compelling, super dramatic romance and I found it really hard to put it down. Based on the author’s warnings in the beginning, I wasn’t sure I was ready to embark on this but I decided to give this a shot and I wasn’t disappointed.
The premise is that when Eliana’s tech savant (adopted) daughter goes a-hacking and discovers who her biological father is (Malachi) and runs off to go meet him, she sets in motion a series of dramatic events that lead to Malachi’s fiancée Ziva spiraling and Malachi and Eliana coming to terms with loss.
The novel isn’t about a main couple per se, but there is really good relationship development and you felt like you got to know the characters fairly well including the couple. It’s really hard to get the balance right in a novel like this where multiple characters have a voice and to not lose the chemistry and momentum in the coupling. This succeeded in telling a multifaceted story but still having it be a romance at its core. I liked all the key players- Eliana, Malachi, their smart-mouthed daughter, Violet, the cast of family and friends.
Things I wasn’t as in love with: I found it really hard to believe that Malachi didn’t realise how toxic Ziva was before. I think it played into the “men love toxic love” trope and I think I felt like Malachi was to grown for that kind of nonsense. I was also ambivalent about the treatment of mental health in this book with Ziva being the main example and her presenting very much a worst case scenario of not getting help. There was to an extent a reinforcement of certain gender role tropes that was subtly done but that gave me a bit of pause even though I recognize them as being very realistic parts of the culture they were representing.
Ultimately, I was really sad when this ended because I enjoyed it so much. I am in the mood to dive back into this author’s back list and find something else.
The premise is that when Eliana’s tech savant (adopted) daughter goes a-hacking and discovers who her biological father is (Malachi) and runs off to go meet him, she sets in motion a series of dramatic events that lead to Malachi’s fiancée Ziva spiraling and Malachi and Eliana coming to terms with loss.
The novel isn’t about a main couple per se, but there is really good relationship development and you felt like you got to know the characters fairly well including the couple. It’s really hard to get the balance right in a novel like this where multiple characters have a voice and to not lose the chemistry and momentum in the coupling. This succeeded in telling a multifaceted story but still having it be a romance at its core. I liked all the key players- Eliana, Malachi, their smart-mouthed daughter, Violet, the cast of family and friends.
Things I wasn’t as in love with: I found it really hard to believe that Malachi didn’t realise how toxic Ziva was before. I think it played into the “men love toxic love” trope and I think I felt like Malachi was to grown for that kind of nonsense. I was also ambivalent about the treatment of mental health in this book with Ziva being the main example and her presenting very much a worst case scenario of not getting help. There was to an extent a reinforcement of certain gender role tropes that was subtly done but that gave me a bit of pause even though I recognize them as being very realistic parts of the culture they were representing.
Ultimately, I was really sad when this ended because I enjoyed it so much. I am in the mood to dive back into this author’s back list and find something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Mental illness, Infertility, Murder, Suicide, Abandonment, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Blood
jessg1014's review against another edition
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Child death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Infertility
_geminigenres's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
ashatroyal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Two black professionals as MCs. Okay doctors!!! This was definitely a slow burn love but I think it was done right as the child was the main focus and I really appreciated that. There was a good amount of drama that kept me engaged. There were so many secrets! I loved to see a different family dynamic as people can become parents in alternative ways. I also loved the highlight on a man desiring to have children. Violet bad as hell but so smart! I just knew Ziva was going to do something sneaky with the paternity test but she was a mess!! Mental health and loss of a spouse and friend were also discussed. “You want my chains dangling in your face, baby?” I know that’s right!! It got a little chaotic at the end, but the family got the ending they deserved.
There were a few inconsistencies. Does Ziva have a stepmother? Because in the book it said hopefully she was with her parents but later we find out her mother passed. It was also kind of random to name a patient and start the chapter off with her name. Because I’m like who is this? Saying “Eliana’s patient opened her eyes” seemed more practical. Maybe it’s linked to another book. Where is the author from that we can get to the airport thirty minutes before a flight? In another scene, Malachi walked them to the gate. I felt like some things were repetitive and drawn out. Eliana made it seem like she only had a sister, maybe she’s not close with her brother. Also, I think the dad has to sign the birth certificate but it was a great gesture.
I’m not sure what the author meant by this is a dark romance. This wasn’t dark at all. There were clearly major triggers concerning pregnancy and mental illness but aside from that the story was pretty light (with the exception of one scene). A few minor mistakes but nothing to take away from the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infertility, Self harm, and Suicide
bookswhitme's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
CW: miscarriage, death of a spouse, parental death, loss of life/murder, on page suicide (ch. 36), sexual manipulation of a minor & adult/minor relationship (mentioned but not depicted), discussion of mental health and declining ,entail health (depicted on page)
I’ll tell you one thing, this story was beautiful, heavy, and tragic all at the same time. It’s written in a way that allows us to take in all the main perspectives we need: Malachi, Ziva, Eliana, Violet, and Easton. They’re all key players in this story and the narrative treated them as such.
Now, I wanted to snatch up Violet a few times for getting beside herself lol. Her decision to secretly meet her biological father sets off a series of events that no one is prepared for. Malachi has been wanting a child for as long as he can remember and so when Violet shows up in his classroom, he’s shocked, but never hesitates to step up. Unfortunately that puts her adoptive mom, Eliana, in an uncomfortable position and unknowingly pushes his fiancée into even more unstable territory.
The love story between Violet, Malachi, and Eliana was beautiful. You get to watch their family connection grow and even though I didn’t always buy the chemistry between the couple, I always bought into the family dynamic that they established. Unfortunately, a good amount of the tragedy in this book stems from Ziva and the type of person her past has turned her into. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to beat her several times over, but I also felt sorry for her because of all she’d been through, that wasn’t an excuse for her to be a horrible person, but whew she really never stood a chance. Easton having to go through all this with his mama broke my heart, but I’m glad he had Malachi to help him through.
We were always headed to a confrontation of epic proportions, but things spiraled QUICKLY once we hit like...90%. Even with the trigger warning, I wasn’t expecting what happened. I knew the end result, but I didn’t know that’s how we would get there so that kind of threw me. Of course, in the end everything is wrapped up with a bow, but WHEW that ending was a lot.
All in all, an engaging read and definitely one to pick up if you can handle the heavy themes.
I’ll tell you one thing, this story was beautiful, heavy, and tragic all at the same time. It’s written in a way that allows us to take in all the main perspectives we need: Malachi, Ziva, Eliana, Violet, and Easton. They’re all key players in this story and the narrative treated them as such.
Now, I wanted to snatch up Violet a few times for getting beside herself lol. Her decision to secretly meet her biological father sets off a series of events that no one is prepared for. Malachi has been wanting a child for as long as he can remember and so when Violet shows up in his classroom, he’s shocked, but never hesitates to step up. Unfortunately that puts her adoptive mom, Eliana, in an uncomfortable position and unknowingly pushes his fiancée into even more unstable territory.
The love story between Violet, Malachi, and Eliana was beautiful. You get to watch their family connection grow and even though I didn’t always buy the chemistry between the couple, I always bought into the family dynamic that they established. Unfortunately, a good amount of the tragedy in this book stems from Ziva and the type of person her past has turned her into. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to beat her several times over, but I also felt sorry for her because of all she’d been through, that wasn’t an excuse for her to be a horrible person, but whew she really never stood a chance. Easton having to go through all this with his mama broke my heart, but I’m glad he had Malachi to help him through.
We were always headed to a confrontation of epic proportions, but things spiraled QUICKLY once we hit like...90%. Even with the trigger warning, I wasn’t expecting what happened. I knew the end result, but I didn’t know that’s how we would get there so that kind of threw me. Of course, in the end everything is wrapped up with a bow, but WHEW that ending was a lot.
All in all, an engaging read and definitely one to pick up if you can handle the heavy themes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
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