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kitten638897's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Gaslighting
gabi_w21's review against another edition
2.5
While I largely enjoyed this book more than Throttled, it, by no means, is amazing. In between Declan treating Iris abhorrently and sneering at everyone around him and crying over his treatment by his father and Iris inexplicably being attracted to him despite his vile treatment, there were moments I loved—their back-n-forth banter, the little things he did to be nice for her, CAL. But any love I had for this book is overshadowed by just how abusive Declan is to Iris; over and over he snaps at her, throws a tantrum, and anytime she pushes back, he just mentions his dead, dead and did I mention dead mom and how he's sooooo unloveable and she forgave him. Also all of his little quirks are due to said dead mom. He likes mimosa and F1? Dead mom did. He likes elephants? Dead mom did. He drives a nice car? It was his mom's. He knows about Iris's learning disability? His mom had the same one. The little dumb word game he and iris play? He and his mom did—jesus, is there anything you enjoy/do that doesn't loop back to your Dead Mom? You can't tell me that him buying her a greenhouse and adopting a dog for her after calling her a failure, which her abusive dad always did, is gonna make her accept his random-ass marriage proposal. Why even make Iris Black if it adds nothing to the narrative? Iris could've been white and everything would've been the same, except she wouldn't have fallen into the “Black character has to do emotional labor for the traumatized, woe-is-me white character/love interest”. Nevermind how overworked she is. I hated Declan with a burning passion and Iris, for that matter. She never stayed angry with him, even when she had every reason to be, and each time she'd feel guilty and sorry for daring to be upset. Get mad, girlie! Don't let him pout and wobble his fucking lip and buy you plant after he hurt you so badly. I don't think I'll ever pick up anything by Lauren Asher again for the amount of bullshit in her books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Cancer
myyam's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny and Gaslighting
demy_summer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-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: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
melissa_rueff's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is just fine? I didn’t hate or like the main characters. But I do hate this man trying to trap a woman with him through manipulative tactics and just weird power grabs? I understand that the main lady doesn’t care about it but even when you don’t feel like you’re being manipulated or like controlled by a romantic partner you are? I feel like, if you have like a controlling partner thing you might be into this, but for me, it was just a lot of red flags decorated in like acts of service and ways to show your love through like presents and things. So if you’re in any of that, I think you’d be into this book but for me, I got a bit of a ick but I wanted to finish.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Ableism, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
vj_thompson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.25
First off, I wish there was more overlap in the two stories. Yes, it is about a whole new love story but in other romance series I have read, the author still brings in the other couples into all the stories. Second, I wish there were more moments where each character had someone to support them like their family members stepping in. It felt too focused on Declan and Iris, and there inner monologue. Overall, I love their story and thought the ending was adorable. It was something straight out of a romance movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse and Pregnancy
kim03's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
I'm glad i managed to finish this one. Now. Onto my critique.
- Declan and his abusive characteristics (is it possible that ppl who've been abused are more likely to become abusers?)
- Declan was horrible from start to finish.
- The writing style was not mine. The pacing was also really weird and all over the place. The reader was threw right into the action aka the shit we all came here for: engagement announcement.
- Character building: the way the characters just felt "it" from the start, the "spark" that would grow into "love" without any actual chemistry or proof. Then Declan would randomly change emotions, go from i love this woman to it's just sex, etc. It's like make up ur mind old man. And while i think Iris deserved better, at one point i was like this is on her now. Like. She kinda brought this mess into her life on her own and doesn't make any efforts to get out of the mess.
- The fact the every time Declan needed to be seen as sympathetic by the reader, his mom would get mentioned.
- The fact that he says she looks fine ON THEIR WEDDING DAY, with the outfit she spent hours on. Wow. The audacity.
- The fact that he bought her a dog, which he doesn't want to take care of, as part of his pathetic apology scheme.
- The fact that she has dyslexia or something and thinks that she has to work twice as hard as a result of that (a mindset he does not help her change) as opposed to actually getting the accomodations she needs in order for her work to be more fair.
- Sex in the office. No. Absolutely not. ESPECIALLY not when she says no not here.
- He insults her and then is sad that she doesn't kiss him back.
- Now. I have been abused before, in perhaps a similar way to Declan, but would i ever let it out on other ppl???? No. I would let it out on me bc I'm self destructive but that's not the point (I'm also a ppl pleaser so). I just don't see why he doesn't see how toxic he is, when the bad example is right in front of him (both his father and his mirror image lol) and seek therapy to end the cycle. But no. He lets it out on everyone else, including his brothers and Iris.
- The two of them are so toxic, but most of it is Declan.
- Circling back: Declans abusive traits. Fuck that man.
The only reason this book didn't get less stars is because I've read worse. So.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcoholism
zc2's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Epilogue was a little much. Kinda forgot they went on a Safari tbh. It did help the growth of the characters though, it’s def a slowburn but it does give you taste of how they will progress as characters. I was not a fan of how Declan just one day out of the blue decided he was in love with Iris but yea it was pretty good ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
ka_ke's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Lauren Asher sure knows how to grab your attention with another fantastic rom-com. It was refreshing to see that not everything was resolved with Declan, and I enjoyed seeing the family dynamics on all sides. Cal may be my favourite of the Kane brothers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, and Violence
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Ableism, Alcohol, Classism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship