Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair

17 reviews

rchulin1's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexism, Grief, Car accident, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cursing, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Torture, Classism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, and Confinement

libbytx's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Suicide

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Torture, Alcohol, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, War, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Abandonment, Stalking, Suicide, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail

scarlett_f's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-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

3.0

<Disappointing writing. Choppy sentences. Often rushed. It quickly became boring. Persephone would screw up, get mad at Hades, distance herself, then make up with him again.  And the sex/make-up sex became boring pretty quickly. Seemed like every other page was another sex scene, overdone and typical. 
Poorly wrapped up problem with a stalker. Done in less than five minutes, then back to poorly written sex scenes. The first book in the series was better. Very disappointed in the rushed writing. Going to read book three for grins and giggles, hoping it will be better.>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Sexual violence, Slavery, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Child abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Medical trauma, Self harm, Stalking, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Mental illness and Drug use

Minor: Car accident

hi_im_tate's review against another edition

funny hopeful 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

3.5

I had to deduct a star because *fuck* Persephone is so much like a college freshman. You can tell this is her first relationship. But that's what makes it so juicy. 

There is just so much to this book that I wouldn't have expected. Everything with Apollo (almost cried during his scene with his lover), meeting Leuce and learning more about her, the abduction, the proposal (s), the ending. It all intertwined beautifully for me. There were several times when I had to pull away from this book because it was just *so god damn good*. The love and passion Hades and Persephone share really, really touches my heart.

The author's note mentions learning more about Hades' life in the Upperworld and what he does. I am very excited for this because I just want to slurp up every piece of lore I can get about Hades. He loves so beautifully and fiercely, and I *need* to know what makes him tick.

There are some very prominent characters we have yet to meet. Where does Zeus stand in all of this? Poseidon? What's going on with Aphrodite? So many questions, so few answers.

Please make sure to read content warnings for this book. It'll make it easier.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Blood, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Rape, Cursing, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Physical abuse

Minor: Murder, Confinement, War, Physical abuse, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders

majormnkey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

3.25

Unlike many others, it seems, I like this book better than the previous (A Touch of Darkness). 
It explores more of the main character and other characters beside the love interest, although maybe in a slightly chaotic way. Persephone’s is still whiny and frankly annoying though, and she hardly learns from her mistakes. 

Some parts were spicy when there was more need for proper conversation and exploration of each others feelings. 
Also some relationships with the characters did a 180 degree spin without proper incentive. One day they felt this way, the next they felt the total opposite. But overall I liked where they went with the story. 

The only thing that felt really off was one of the spicy scenes in the latter half of the book where a momentous event had taken place and they STILL chose to do a spicy scene almost immediately after, WHILE having a conversation about that specific event. It pulled my mind out of the book, because it felt disrespectful and like the opposite of what the main character would do in that situation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Kidnapping, Self harm, Grief, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Car accident, Torture, War, Cursing, Infidelity, and Suicide

margaret_k30's review

adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Abandonment, Stalking, Torture, and Grief

Moderate: Self harm, Car accident, Infidelity, Suicide, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Blood

Minor: Pregnancy, Child death, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

frantically's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Not quite as great as the first one but I still loved it! There's a lot of angst and drama and let's just say, I'm glad I've already bought the next part because otherwise I'd be dying. 

We see a lot more of the supporting characters, especially Lexa & Apollo, in this sequel and their stories were each really well developed and helped further Persephone's own story (sue me, yes, I still have hopes for Apollo). I struggled a bit with the details of Lexa's story and would've loved some more exploration of the Drama™ that led to it, at times it felt like there was just drama for the sake of it, y'know?

I still love Hades & Persephone and I hope the teasers of their darker sides we got in this book get explored more 👀

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Vomit, Sexual content, and Suicide

Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug abuse

Minor: Medical content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity

zc2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted sad tense 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

4.75

I felt as though Persephone was always trying to retaliate against Hades and that part kinda got old. I was entirely shocked with the whole Lexa situation that was something else. I didn’t like Mr janitor guy from the beginning and didn’t know where his character was going. I’m still not the biggest fan of Luice though like when Antoni was like once a traitor always a traitor I was on edge from that point forward. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, Misogyny, Grief, Abandonment, Torture, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Infidelity, Gore, Alcohol, War, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Car accident, and Blood

painausten314's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

2.0

I’m only giving this two stars for the good sex scenes but honestly there wasn’t even enough of that!! 

Persephone became wildly unlikable in this book and there were too many tragic events.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Torture, Suicide, Infidelity, Murder, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail