Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

12 reviews

bookameme's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Kai and Banks Are Crazy Hot

Quote:📖

“We’re only ever good, because there are consequences.”

Thoughts: 💡

This was my second read through and I forgot how much I loved this book. Angsty romance, dark themes, and taboo smut scenes make this series iconic. The schenagains Kai and Banks get up to are crazy hot with an intense push and pull relationship. 

Berkley is re-releasing the first three books in the series and I’m incredibly excited to read them again. 

Writing Mechanics: ✍️

The writing in this series is designed to be dramatic, and it works. The book is told in first person present tense dual POV, but it hops timelines to show you flashbacks and help you piece through the history to understand the story. The smut scenes are pretty wild and if you don’t like it a bit twisted, taboo, and graphic then this one probably isn’t for you. 

I personally love these characters, they’re completely broken with tragic pasts and some really dark ideas, but they pull together to be one another’s life lines. I think the reason I hated Nightfall so much is because I love these characters so deeply. This book and the others in the series paint the characters as extremely morally gray but with a deep ability to forgive, after meeting out a healthy dose of revenge.

Fun Bits:

⚜️ Wild Secrets 

⚜️ Painful Pasts

⚜️ Morally Grey Characters 

⚜️ Wonderful Side Characters 

⚜️ Standalone Romance, Series Long Plot

⚜️ Super Hot Smut In Some Taboo Places

Important Note:✨

This is book 2, this is a standalone romance, but the plot stretches over the whole series.

Full Content Warning:⚠️

Violence, Abuse, Religious Desecration, Death, Mentions of CA & SA & Child SA, Abandoment, Drugs, and Alcohol, Very Dark Themes

Stats:📊

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Characters 💙💙💙💙💙

Romantic Suspense: Hidden Identity, Forced Proximity, Second Chance, Morally Grey, Enemies to Lovers, Found Family

Dual POV

Violence, Abuse, Mentions of CA & SA⚠️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse

booklloveer101's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Confinement, Cursing, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

diamondsequallove25's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I love Kai and Banks's relationship.  

I didn't particularly appreciate their story reflected on Damon 

I love Pen's writing in this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Slavery, and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Alcohol, Addiction, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Drug abuse

bigbookslay's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

KAI AND BANKS ARE THE LOML

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Incest, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Misogyny, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Blood, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Domestic abuse

anyakdh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

1.75

mmh would have been 2 if I liked banks I did like the start of the book highlighting how much Kai has changed and then it was never addressed again the only thing that kept me gking was Damon I’m so interested in his character and WILLL he was so quiet I can’t wait to step into his mind but yeah no this book was boring 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Grief, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, and Death of parent

francess_m's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Kidnapping

modjeskapup's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

niyahneal's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Death, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

ladylovestead's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This is the second book in the devil's night series. You do need to read the first book in the series to understand what is happening in this one. It helps to read the first one as well because Rika and Michael are in this one and you get to enjoy seeing their relationship develop a bit more. This romance focuses on Kai and Banks. Banks is one of the most interesting characters I've read about in a long time. I absolutely loved her and she is one of my top favorite characters of all time. Her transformation in this story was so wonderful, and this would have been a great book if that's all it was, but it was more than that. Not only did we see this wonderful character transformation in Banks, but we get to know Kai and see how he struggles with this inner battle between the dark and light parts of himself. The book also has thriller elements with the storyline about Damon that continues from the first book. This was a great read if you like dark romance and I'm excited to read book 3! I don't like to share triggers because some find them to be spoilers, but if you need to know triggers, do look them up before reading.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Stalking, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment, Blood, and Murder

bananapie123's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Violence