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stephanieviolet's review
By chapter 5 I was really exhausted by the repetition of: biting inside of her cheek, desperate to feel free, how dirty and worn thin her clothes are, the bruises and pain inflicted upon her by her abusers. Chapter. FIVE. It was intense. I felt like by then the plot should be moving forward but it just keep repeating the SAME PHRASES and SAME CIRCUMSTANCES to make you feel pity for the MC. By chapter five I wanted her to die to just end the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Rape, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Torture, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Violence, Emotional abuse, Blood, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Slavery, and Sexual assault
chrisljm's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Another book that belongs in the 'reasons why you can't trust strangers' category. Knew I wouldn't enjoy it right from the start and I contemplated DNFing it, but it's not really in my nature to DNF things. I honestly should've though because what if I died tomorrow and this was the last thing I read...
I found the writing and sentence structure to be juvenile, clunky and awkward, but besides that I really can't give any criticism on any other parts of the story (plot, characters, chemistry) because I didn't care. The writing itself was too distracting for me and I believe this book would've benefited from at least another round of edits/editors.
I found the writing and sentence structure to be juvenile, clunky and awkward, but besides that I really can't give any criticism on any other parts of the story (plot, characters, chemistry) because I didn't care. The writing itself was too distracting for me and I believe this book would've benefited from at least another round of edits/editors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Xenophobia, War, Suicide attempt, Classism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Self harm
lex_is_bookish's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, Blood, Death, and Sexual content
falling_through_the_pages's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
In all honesty, I probably would have DNFed around 30-50%. It just so happened this was the only audiobook I had at the time, so I was willing to listen to it for longer. I am sort of glad I did, since it did pick up in the last quarter of the book. It was good enough that I will probably give the second book a chance.
But that first three quarters of the book was only just interesting enough to make me think it might get better soon. The plot moves pretty slowly and not much is happening. If you like Blood and Ash, you'll definitely like this one. There are striking similarities in the characters' personalities, the feel and rules of the world, and the rate at which things happen. I would argue the writing is better, since there isn't so much redundant thought process going on in the FMC.
I will say the romance is a bit cringe sometimes. The spice is good, but the possessiveness of the MMC is borderline. I believe this has been categorized as a dark romance, so that's probably why. The biggest thing you may need to get over in order to enjoy the romance is the pet name of "Little One." I don't know if this author has children, but this makes me think not. That term often is used to refer to kids, which did make this a little difficult for me to get through. Unfortunately, this pet name is used frequently, so if you can't get over it, don't bother reading it lol
The last quarter of the book was actually very good. Good pacing, edge of your seat tension, good character development, etc. I'm a little worried because there are a few books I've read like this where it starts so slow and finally gets good at the end. I almost always give the second book a chance, sometimes even pushing through the second book, only to DNF somewhere in the 3rd book. I'm definitely not giving this more than one more book to keep me reading.
Overall a very average read. Don't put this at the top of your TBR list. But if you have nothing else to do, it's not the worst.
But that first three quarters of the book was only just interesting enough to make me think it might get better soon. The plot moves pretty slowly and not much is happening. If you like Blood and Ash, you'll definitely like this one. There are striking similarities in the characters' personalities, the feel and rules of the world, and the rate at which things happen. I would argue the writing is better, since there isn't so much redundant thought process going on in the FMC.
I will say the romance is a bit cringe sometimes. The spice is good, but the possessiveness of the MMC is borderline. I believe this has been categorized as a dark romance, so that's probably why. The biggest thing you may need to get over in order to enjoy the romance is the pet name of "Little One." I don't know if this author has children, but this makes me think not. That term often is used to refer to kids, which did make this a little difficult for me to get through. Unfortunately, this pet name is used frequently, so if you can't get over it, don't bother reading it lol
The last quarter of the book was actually very good. Good pacing, edge of your seat tension, good character development, etc. I'm a little worried because there are a few books I've read like this where it starts so slow and finally gets good at the end. I almost always give the second book a chance, sometimes even pushing through the second book, only to DNF somewhere in the 3rd book. I'm definitely not giving this more than one more book to keep me reading.
Overall a very average read. Don't put this at the top of your TBR list. But if you have nothing else to do, it's not the worst.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
tired_cicada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Lost half a star for the use of the nickname Little one for the love interest. Such an ick particularly when he literally had another nickname for her!!! “My star”? Amazing! Just use that instead of infantilizing her
The plot has potential, I’ll try out book two and see if there is any pay off. The plot twist in this was laughably obvious. Like it was actually painful y’all.
Lots of shock value deaths that did nothing to the plot. “Oh no my brother died HORRIBLY let me be upset about that for six seconds and then move on to how good this rando I met in a barn looks naked” like, girl!
Furthermore why is EVERYONE so weird and possessive? about the fmc’s body, her knowledge, everything. Everybody wants to keep this girl in a cage!The mmc (I listened to this book so I don’t know how to spell their names, deal with it) goes on and on about how he gave her choice like that is such a gracious thing to do…. We’ll forget that the entire time they were traveling he was all “I’ll wait until you’re begging for it, but it’s totally inevitable that you’ll come to me. And also I won’t let you be with anyone else if you don’t pick me” yeah, total freedom there pal thanks
Was this great? Nah. Was it entertaining enough? Yeah.
Had nice line writing, and had the possibility for some fun world building if it goes that direction.
The plot has potential, I’ll try out book two and see if there is any pay off. The plot twist in this was laughably obvious. Like it was actually painful y’all.
Furthermore why is EVERYONE so weird and possessive? about the fmc’s body, her knowledge, everything. Everybody wants to keep this girl in a cage!
Was this great? Nah. Was it entertaining enough? Yeah.
Had nice line writing, and had the possibility for some fun world building if it goes that direction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
toriajohnson14's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
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? It's complicated
4.25
This book was great, I’m recommending it to all my friends! It has captivated me with the fun banter between the FMC and her counterpart, and I love the twist at the end. I think people will thing the twist was predictable but honestly I thought they were foreshadowing toward a different twist so it still really held me until the end of the book. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Blood, and Cursing
flora_fcrp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, War, Blood, Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
bekkz27's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
If you love disgusting Male Main Characters that are a walking Red Flag, then this book is for you. I only read it all because I wanted to know if I had called the "huge reveal" only 23% of the way in. It is insane how predictable this book was.
I haven't been this angry about a book for a long time. This book is a sad impression of the most popular books like ACOTAR or FBAA. TikTok needs to get their heads out of the dumpsters because that is exactly where this book emerged.
List of Transgressions:
1) Female Main Character = Mary Sue
She started this entire book as a really interesting character. Struggling through a very real grooming situation, she starts as a strong woman that refuses to take shit. Enter in a hot man. Just like that, she becomes a mewling idiot. Every bit of gumption and strength became a thing of the past as she turned into a doe-eyed schoolgirl in love with the first hottie to show her basic human kindness. *gag* The author attempts to hold onto the strong Estrella that shows up in the first 5 chapters by having her fight random people. It seems so out of context when you think about her upbringing in a very strict town. The logic is not logical here.
That isn't even bringing into account the blind way she refuses to use her brain throughout. There are COUNTLESS situations that made me question Caelum. Why does she never question this man who shows up and does things that are a tad too perfect? He is magically super good with a sword. How is that? He refuses to talk about his family or his past. Why does she just accept that? He is instantly in love with her. Why? He knows nothing about her and yet, he is ready to take her to bed the minute they meet. That seems fishy. What do you think Estrella? Nope. Perfectly logic. Even other characters bring up his bad behavior and she refuses to look at the FACTS presented to her. I hate this trope of a woman becoming a damn idiot because they found a man. She is a cookie-cutter Female Main Character who has no traits outside of being a love interest the instant Caelum arrives.
2) The Writing Style
I understand that Harper Woods is trying to reach out to the "common folk" here with her writing, but the offhandish way that common curse words are thrown into this book is jarring. The restrictive life and village that Estrella is raised in would not give her the vocabulary that is used. Also, pussy? She is too embarrassed to undress in front of people. Why would she use that word to describe herself? It doesn't fit the background set out for the character.
Let's talk about Caelum's nicknames for Estrella. "My star" passes the vibe check on this one because it speaks to an understanding of the true meaning of that name. I am a huge fan of nicknames. However, "little one" is a huge ick. He calls her it during sex and more than her actual name. That is not cute or sexy. It is the nickname for a child. I understand she is LIKE a child in her understanding of the world, but that does not make the nickname okay. It is really gross.
3) Sex
This book uses sex when the author doesn't know what else to do. When stuck on what should happen next, sexual tension or sex in general is the only answer. I also hate that Caelum uses sex to avoid answering questions that Estrella asks him. Plus, the sex scene in the public bath cheapened the relationship. Estrella WAS a quiet and reserved girl due to her upbringing. I respected that. However, Caelum goes from not wanting a single man to even seeing her slightly naked or touching her to railing her in the public bath to make a statement. Gross and not necessary.
4) (The biggest issue!) Caelum
Walking red flag alert. Nothing about this guy screams sexy love interest. He spends the majority of the book being overly protective and possessive. She is a person, not a horse. Through his constant gaslighting and avoidance, I felt like the author was trying to force the reader to think he was a good person. NOPE! He does nothing but objectify the main character and tell her how he will have sex with her. He constantly talks about how she will be begging him to fuck her and pretends it is romantic. RED FLAG! He gaslights the main character into trusting him while he lies to her the entire time. Whenever others beg Estrella to question what she is being presented about him, he gets violent. Um, not sexy. That is abusive behavior. I understand that Estrella's love map is super messed up because she was groomed as a child, but this is something else. She happily skips into an abusive relationship with Caelum and thinks it is true love. Ew. I cannot say enough about how Caelum is this unrealistic guy. Slong is so long it hits his knees and apparently, he is tall enough for Estrella to comfortably rest her head against his stomach while they are both standing. Who is Caelum? Slenderman!? UNREALISTIC!
I haven't been this angry about a book for a long time. This book is a sad impression of the most popular books like ACOTAR or FBAA. TikTok needs to get their heads out of the dumpsters because that is exactly where this book emerged.
List of Transgressions:
1) Female Main Character = Mary Sue
She started this entire book as a really interesting character. Struggling through a very real grooming situation, she starts as a strong woman that refuses to take shit. Enter in a hot man. Just like that, she becomes a mewling idiot. Every bit of gumption and strength became a thing of the past as she turned into a doe-eyed schoolgirl in love with the first hottie to show her basic human kindness. *gag* The author attempts to hold onto the strong Estrella that shows up in the first 5 chapters by having her fight random people. It seems so out of context when you think about her upbringing in a very strict town. The logic is not logical here.
That isn't even bringing into account the blind way she refuses to use her brain throughout. There are COUNTLESS situations that made me question Caelum. Why does she never question this man who shows up and does things that are a tad too perfect? He is magically super good with a sword. How is that? He refuses to talk about his family or his past. Why does she just accept that? He is instantly in love with her. Why? He knows nothing about her and yet, he is ready to take her to bed the minute they meet. That seems fishy. What do you think Estrella? Nope. Perfectly logic. Even other characters bring up his bad behavior and she refuses to look at the FACTS presented to her. I hate this trope of a woman becoming a damn idiot because they found a man. She is a cookie-cutter Female Main Character who has no traits outside of being a love interest the instant Caelum arrives.
2) The Writing Style
I understand that Harper Woods is trying to reach out to the "common folk" here with her writing, but the offhandish way that common curse words are thrown into this book is jarring. The restrictive life and village that Estrella is raised in would not give her the vocabulary that is used. Also, pussy? She is too embarrassed to undress in front of people. Why would she use that word to describe herself? It doesn't fit the background set out for the character.
Let's talk about Caelum's nicknames for Estrella. "My star" passes the vibe check on this one because it speaks to an understanding of the true meaning of that name. I am a huge fan of nicknames. However, "little one" is a huge ick. He calls her it during sex and more than her actual name. That is not cute or sexy. It is the nickname for a child. I understand she is LIKE a child in her understanding of the world, but that does not make the nickname okay. It is really gross.
3) Sex
This book uses sex when the author doesn't know what else to do. When stuck on what should happen next, sexual tension or sex in general is the only answer. I also hate that Caelum uses sex to avoid answering questions that Estrella asks him. Plus, the sex scene in the public bath cheapened the relationship. Estrella WAS a quiet and reserved girl due to her upbringing. I respected that. However, Caelum goes from not wanting a single man to even seeing her slightly naked or touching her to railing her in the public bath to make a statement. Gross and not necessary.
4) (The biggest issue!) Caelum
Walking red flag alert. Nothing about this guy screams sexy love interest. He spends the majority of the book being overly protective and possessive. She is a person, not a horse. Through his constant gaslighting and avoidance, I felt like the author was trying to force the reader to think he was a good person. NOPE! He does nothing but objectify the main character and tell her how he will have sex with her. He constantly talks about how she will be begging him to fuck her and pretends it is romantic. RED FLAG! He gaslights the main character into trusting him while he lies to her the entire time. Whenever others beg Estrella to question what she is being presented about him, he gets violent. Um, not sexy. That is abusive behavior. I understand that Estrella's love map is super messed up because she was groomed as a child, but this is something else. She happily skips into an abusive relationship with Caelum and thinks it is true love. Ew. I cannot say enough about how Caelum is this unrealistic guy. Slong is so long it hits his knees and apparently, he is tall enough for Estrella to comfortably rest her head against his stomach while they are both standing. Who is Caelum? Slenderman!? UNREALISTIC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Blood, Emotional abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
kat1105's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
dovahkiin_freyja's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Sexual violence
Minor: Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse