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lilyemmaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Gun violence
thecozylibrary_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
still beating made me feel so many emotions. dean & cora are kidnapped by a serial killer who makes the victims fall in love with each other before unaliving them. dean is the fiance of cora's sister and they both have spent the last 15 years hating each other. once kidnapped, they're forced to do unspeakable things which makes their bond grow -- they need each other to get through life after what happened to them.
this book is emotional and angsty! i loved dean so much, he was so strong for the both of them.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt
amanda_reads13'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
4.0
Cora hates her sisters fiance Dean. He has been a thorn in her side for the past 15 years. After attending her sister's birthday party, her wallet is stolen and she has to call Dean for a ride. She figures she will just sit through the awkward car ride home. What she doesn't anticipate is waking up the next morning handcuffed in a psychos basement, next to Dean. The two of them must lean on one another to survive and support each other as they are tested in unimaginable ways.
When I say I cried, I mean I sobbed. This story tore my heart open. It was tragic and heartbreaking, yet beautiful. There were parts that were really hard to read. Everyone deals with trauma differently, I think that Cora and Dean's story shows that in a realistic and sensitive way.
Dean was extremely traumatized and definitely suffering from PTSD, yet he still had this incredible emotional maturity.
Cora went through something unimaginable. Not many people would have been able to survive what she did.
A few things that annoyed me:
- I didn't like how everyone pushed Cora to "move on". She has been through something seriously fucked up. No, she doesn't need to date or go out to the bar.
-I disliked Mandy. She is completely devoid of compassion and empathy. At one point she says to Dean that she was surprised that he didn't want to have sex the second he escaped. Like what? He has been through some MAJOR trauma and you are being so disrespectful and overly pushy. She gave him no space to breathe and just expected Dean and Cora to go back to "normal".
- I didn't like that we got this backstory of Dean and Cora hating each other, but not really hating each other. We are supposed to believe that they have formed a trauma bond, which makes total sense, but then we are shown all these flashbacks that lead us to believe that there were feelings between them for a long time. I wish that there wasn't this "we loved each other all along" undertone to the story. It kind of takes a away from it.
Tropes: Dark, Taboo, enemies to lovers
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, and Confinement
alilbitofeveryth1ng'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Violence, Animal death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault
jess1214's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death, Suicide attempt, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault
breesbookmark'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Blood, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Rape, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Abortion
pibblemama97'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
5.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Death, Gore, Grief, Cursing, Mental illness, Blood, and Confinement
Moderate: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
booksshereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Death
Minor: Miscarriage
moodreadererin'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Dementia, Fatphobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Death of parent and Miscarriage
sophiaheartsbooks's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Death, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Sexual assault