Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

10 reviews

renpuspita's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted 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

 If judging by cover alone, I expect a cute contemporary romance feature Desi characters. Even the blurb said so. What I don't expect after finish reading is rather than a conrom, Partners in Crime more like romantic suspense. With angst, LOT of angst. I had read Alisha Rai's title before and I forget that she can write a delicious angst.

I like both Mira and Naveen, since both in their thirties so they are already mature and no unnecessary or prolonged drama OR third act breakup. Before the story began, Mira matched with Naveen, only to let her insecurities about her shady family and past that make her broke things up with Naveen via text. Ouch. I like the second chance trope that Rai write because not only Mira have a huge emotional baggage, Naveen himself also just recently sober and also failed in the romantic department. I think both Mira and Naveen suit each other, they compliment each other with Mira who is savvy enough to face their enemies while Naveen also support her emotionally and also smooth things over with his communication skills. Truly a partners in crime. In the end Mira manage to face her past and pursue her happiness in the future with Naveen.

The story is fast paced and full of adrenaline. The suspense keep me reading especially regarding the jewels that Mira's late father stole and the identity of the villain named Cobra. Not only Mira and Naveen race through time because Cobra threatened Mira's sister life, they also go to many states and also do heist. The romance itself maybe not much and more like angst, but the amount of romance and angst are well balanced. However, the twist regarding the Cobra identity and another character from Mira's past left me dumbfounded. A true Bollywood moment, lel. Just like your usual Asian centered story, the story will be no complete without meddling parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, etc. 

If you love your romantic suspense with heist element, well balanced angst and romance, family theme and a nonstop chase with a slight mystery, I will recommend Partners in Crime! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Abandonment, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

Minor: Grief, Infidelity, Racism, and Pregnancy

grace_b_3's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Infidelity

Minor: Pregnancy

hennie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

2.0

I was expecting a cute contemporary second-chance romance (and that's on me, I shouldn't start books without knowing what they are about). In the beginning, Partners in Crime was exactly that: We get to know our two main characters, Mira and Naveen, and we learn about their struggles in life (sobriety, a shady past, difficulties with romantic relationships). Then we see them together for the first time, and I was still convinced that this was going to be a chill romance - until they are both kidnapped by a rival of Mira's mob father literally three pages later. 
I sadly couldn't get behind the whole crime/heist vibe. The problems our MCs face get resolved too quickly and too smoothly. The entirety of the story happens in literally two days - which means a lot of things are happening, and there's ultimately not enough time for the romance to build.

"The Talk" was always delayed by one thing or another, which irritated me.

The writing style was simple, with short sentences and few adjectives (as is mine, but I still don't have to like it in other books). The same goes for the sex scenes, which were only sparsely described.

Throwing a "good girl" in there doesn't make it good smut.

 
The resolution at the end was uninspired (

too many people coming back from the dead

), and having two epilogues was just excessive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Death of parent

kitwhelan's review against another edition

funny hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

A fun action-movie rom-com that I devoured in one night.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Alcoholism

notsobinaryart's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Classism, Gaslighting, and Blood

Minor: Torture, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual harassment, and Infidelity

auudrey's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Kidnapping and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Stalking, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Grief

Minor: Body shaming and Panic attacks/disorders

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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: Abandonment, Violence, Addiction, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Confinement, and Kidnapping

Minor: Body shaming, Racism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Abandonment, Grief, and Death of parent

katebrownreads's review

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Gun violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Addiction, Body shaming, and Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent and Infidelity

decklededgess's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

trigger warnings: kidnapping, alcohol, infidelity, violence, physical injury, emotional neglect, abandonment, sexual content, gun violence

This is like The Spy Who Dumped Me but like a thousand times better. It’s a wild ride from start to finish with such cool plot twists!!!!

Mira and Naveen are so adorable. I loved both of their back stories and the way their history fed into the people they were in the start of the book plus how as they understood each other’s past they began to fall for each other again. Beautifully done. 

Naveen’s sobriety was represented with a lot of respect as was Mira’s anxiety and PTSD. A lot of tense and sensitive emotional topics in regards to fraught family history was also done super well but the tone of the book still was relatively light and adventurous. 

And of course, can’t forget the smut scenes. Two strategic there’s only one bed moments WITH a cunnilingus scene. This book ate. Literally 😏

Alisha Rai continues to be one of my favourite authors of all time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Violence