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paulaeatsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i loved this for many reasons!!
the story is entertaining, the banter is great and the heroine is an absolute badass!
perhaps most significantly though and maybe the central point of this story is the way the hero's childhood trauma is treated. that is, with intense compassion and deep feeling. i loved to see the way his painful past influenced his current behaviour, the way he thinks about himself and the world.
in the end, it was wonderful to see portrayed how love can help us heal and grow.
BUT!! i do feel very conflicted about the way this book treated women other than the heroine, particularly sex workers.
the hero, of course, is a scoundrel and has therefore been with many women. the sex workers he has been with are big and large-chested and if not stupid, then evil. they are good enough for him to sleep with, but other than that he doesn't like them very much.
the heroine, naturally, is *not like the other women*. she is beautiful, tiny, slim, intelligent, brave and of course of the nobility. that is, she is worthy of love. and with her love she is able to save and reform the hero.
the hero's hatred of women is explained by his traumatic experiences and the difficult relationship toward his mother. eventually, there is some reconsideration of his beliefs and some redeeming moments. yet overall this truly bugged me. the constant derogatory treatment of sex workers frustrated me.
had this not been the case, i might have given this 5 stars. alas, it shall not be.
i do still recommend reading it, since the rest was indeed remarkable. i can see why this is considered such an important text within the genre. but proceed with caution and be mindful of the above mentioned issues.
the story is entertaining, the banter is great and the heroine is an absolute badass!
perhaps most significantly though and maybe the central point of this story is the way the hero's childhood trauma is treated. that is, with intense compassion and deep feeling. i loved to see the way his painful past influenced his current behaviour, the way he thinks about himself and the world.
in the end, it was wonderful to see portrayed how love can help us heal and grow.
BUT!! i do feel very conflicted about the way this book treated women other than the heroine, particularly sex workers.
the hero, of course, is a scoundrel and has therefore been with many women. the sex workers he has been with are big and large-chested and if not stupid, then evil. they are good enough for him to sleep with, but other than that he doesn't like them very much.
the heroine, naturally, is *not like the other women*. she is beautiful, tiny, slim, intelligent, brave and of course of the nobility. that is, she is worthy of love. and with her love she is able to save and reform the hero.
the hero's hatred of women is explained by his traumatic experiences and the difficult relationship toward his mother. eventually, there is some reconsideration of his beliefs and some redeeming moments. yet overall this truly bugged me. the constant derogatory treatment of sex workers frustrated me.
had this not been the case, i might have given this 5 stars. alas, it shall not be.
i do still recommend reading it, since the rest was indeed remarkable. i can see why this is considered such an important text within the genre. but proceed with caution and be mindful of the above mentioned issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
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
It's a banger. She bloody sues him for damages when he ruins her AND shoots him for it! Of course he thinks he so sneaky and smart (he isn't, bless). Definitely contains a lot of toxic masculinity and the emotional journey to work through that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
trashbinfluencer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Deportation
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