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books_n_bananas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Sexual content
alisoun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
annick's review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, and Homophobia
trashbinfluencer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Classism, Bullying, Cursing, Body shaming, Child abuse, Misogyny, Alcohol, Infidelity, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Vomit, Racism, Sexual content, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Deportation
henrismum's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: This is said to be one of the best romance books, so I thought I should read it. It was published in the 1990's and reissued and made into an audiobook.
Will I read more of the series / author?
The narrator was Kate Reading. I've enjoyed several of her other narrations. This was up to par.
Source: Hoopla
The cover of this book was mild; just the torso of a fully clad man in period costume. I suspect other editions may be more lurid.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Gun violence
kashila's review against another edition
3.75
It was a fun reading. The dialogue is quick and witty, and the plot is crazy enough. There is some strong character building, especially at the beginning. Dain is decidely and strongly sexist in his beliefs and speech, but Jessica won't take nonesense (though the gender essentialism is always there). I liked that she was strong-willed, intelligent, passionate and expressed her sexual desires clearly. She (at least to a certain point) has dreams of her very own, which was great (though she kind of forgot about her career-goals later in the story, which was a shame). But all and all, our Jess is a girlboss.
There's also this "passionate Italian" trope going around all the time, linked to poor-but-oh-so-virile byronic hero (the bits in Italian were a bit cringy. He's bilingual but still). I also found quite interesting that it is him that has all these huge self-image issues, and that we see how those insecurities formed in him. The prologue was nothing short of a brilliant character building/study.
The instant lust is there, but at least we see them trying to build it into something else --and we see it could work very well. I really loved grandmother Guinevere too, and the book contains a historical detail or curiosity here and there, which I liked.
Could have finished at around chapter 16, but I also liked the ending quite a bit. The last plot twist (?) was more effective than what I'd thought. I will most likely check out some of the other books in the series.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexism, and Sexual content
aaliyahjn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Sexual content
beccaand's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Abandonment and Racism