Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

29 reviews

mysteryspouse's review

emotional 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

ehoustonmyatt's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

This had potential to be so fun, even with darker themes. It, instead, focused on things that weren’t important and whizzed past the reveals that were supposed to be big. The Bethany of it all was very stereotypical and predictable, the love interest sucked, and it dropped some big dark themes too casually and not very thoughtfully. Also, the diversity included seemed like a performative afterthought. 

It’s sold as a “cozy” read that feels like Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic but it didn’t deliver any of that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Abandonment, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, Abandonment, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness

Hey, no dogs or cats die so I guess that’s one win!

ulviyyask's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Death and Terminal illness

roget's review against another edition

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infertility, Alcohol, and Pregnancy

Minor: Rape, Dementia, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Sexual assault

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

This book is worth the hype. I love the small diverse town and their family. I kept expecting one of her amazing family members to be evil, I wonder what that says about me. I also love Jake and Bambi. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Murder

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

1.5

This was potentially the biggest let down of a book I’ve read in a long time. It was marketed as a Practical Magic-type witchy romance, and for the first 20% of the book, it was delivering on that promise. However, the story takes a sharp left turn and the whole book ended up being a very difficult read. For starters, the characterization and setting seemed at odds with one another. Why was the grandmother constantly using southern phrases, going to a baptist church, and cooking with butter and shortening all for them to be living in…Southern California? Secondly, the pacing was off and the ending felt rushed and undone. There were major characters that came into the story at the last minute and had no conclusion whatsoever. Thirdly, the romance was lacking and became a subplot by the end of the book. The main character’s love interest was problematic, to say the least!

The fact that I was expected to root for the two of them after he revealed that he was ENGAGED WITH A BABY ON THE WAY was absolutely wild! But not as wild as the fact that his fiancé was FAKING THE PREGNANCY or that the FMC was totally fine with TAKING HIM BACK after all of that!!!

Additionally, the undertones were weirdly conservative? There was a lot of missionary white-savior rhetoric, a lot of churchy language, a lot of overly generalized and stereotypical portrayals of people of color, and a literal mention of Young Living Essential Oils. 🙃 Lastly, you could tell the author was trying to speak positively about therapy and mental health, but that was immediately cancelled out by her portrayal of one of the characters trying to take their own life and following that scene up with another character casually brushing it off by saying, “We all have our dark days.” 🥴
All in all, I would not waste your time on this book!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment and Infidelity

Minor: Rape and Pregnancy

kase's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape

luverbyrd's review against another edition

dark emotional relaxing medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cursing, Rape, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness

tinathesmall89's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

I loved the book, it was slow, it did meet the notes stating it was practical magic meets Gilmore girls. It was a slow read and I had a bit of trouble at first getting into the book, this isn’t the kind of book I normally read but overall it was nicely written and I loved that at the end of each chapter she has a recipe for one thing that is made in the chapter. This book was creative, loving, it put me in an emotional state since this is about the loss of a loved one and it made me think of mine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Cancer, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Murder

dwhiting's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Toxic relationship