Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Wait For It by Mariana Zapata

8 reviews

luchikreads's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

🌶️🌶️🌶️

emilyfrenchie's review against another edition

funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

apolen's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

amanda_reads13's review

funny lighthearted sad 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

This book is SO good. I laughed, I cried, I swooned.

Diane is a 29 year old hairstylist who is raising her two nephews (5&10). Her little family has endured so much and she is doing everything she can to give her boys the best life possible. When they move into a new house, she meets Dallas, a 41 year old retired from the navy. Not only is he her neighbor, but he also becomes her oldest nephew's baseball coach. As their friendship flourishes, so do their feelings for each other. 

Diane is so incredibly strong and determined. She has taken on such a huge responsibility in raising her 2 nephews and will do anything for them. She is fierce, speaks her mind, and loves her family more than anything. Her boys are her whole world and she will fight anyone who tries to hurt them. As much as she worries and stresses about not being a good enough guardian for them, she is raising some incredibly smart and sensitive boys. Her relationship with them comes first and is more important than anything else in her life. She is very hesitant to let anyone in due to her past truama and the fear of her boys being hurt. 

Dallas is grumpy and a bit closed off, but as he warms up to Diane, we see that there is so much more to him. He is generous, protective, and so caring. He takes care of his grandmother and even takes in his asshole brother. He loves Diane and her boys so fiercely and wants nothing more than to take care of them. He takes his time and truly gets to know her. He is honest and open with her. He takes a while to tell her how he feels, but he shows it in everything he does throughout their entire friendship. 

I love that we get a peek into the characters from Kulti and Wall of Winnipeg. Vanessa is Diane's best friend and Sal is her cousin. I also really liked all the side characters. 

Yes, it is a SLOW burn, but I love how much we get to see their relationship grows and their feelings develop. Their relationship develops slowly, but it makes sense considering their respective backgrounds. Neither would jump into something quickly, it wouldn't make sense for their characters. 

That epilogue... Perfect ending. 

My only issue is that I think that large age gap wasn't necessary, 12 years is a pretty big gap. 

Tropes: slow burn, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, single parent 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide and Domestic abuse

kb33's review

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I want a Dallas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide, Drug abuse, Violence, and Domestic abuse

michmoo's review

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Racism, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

venetiana's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

The slow burn is good. But there's also some toxic/red flag behaviour which really didn't need to be there (it literally didn't need to be part of the plot, this was used for accentuating loyalty).

[The author also (afaik) appropriates the term "spirit animal" and I'm not sure how far the lines are blurred concerning colloquialisms. Some expressions rubbed me the wrong way.]

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abandonment, Excrement, Alcohol, Blood, and Death

Minor: Cursing, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Stalking, Drug abuse, and Eating disorder

nicolesreadingbooks's review

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

bruh this was such a slow burn but soooo worth it... also part of the mariana zapata literary universe i swear i felt like a genius connecting the dots but in reality i am an idiot for taking this long HAHA

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Suicide, Death, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse