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bree_h_reads's review against another edition
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Racism and Grief
alex_baker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Murder, Stalking, Mental illness, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Abandonment, Confinement, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Gore, Body horror, Cursing, Alcohol, Genocide, Gun violence, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Classism, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, and Stalking
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
HOW TO BITE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND WIN A WAGER has a self-contained and very satisfying story, featuring a slow exploration of the boundaries between "liking someone who is a vampire" and having a vampire fetish. The romance builds slowly, held back for a while by mutual distrust and fascination which eventually turns into passion. I get very stressed out by stories where at least one of the characters in a relationship is lying, but this was handled in a way that meant I was able to finish the story without being too stressed to keep reading. I like a lot of things about how this was handled, from the worldbuilding sneaking in info about how vampires have existed for hundreds of years (or longer), to Wesley's long-distance best friend who can provide emotional support but can't solve the logistical problems. A lot of excellent storytelling decisions were involved, and I had a great time reading this.
I'm pretty sure one of the minor characters is the protagonist of the next book, but even if I'm wrong, there are some pretty big things that Vincent and Wesley weren't able to handle which could be addressed in future books. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Gaslighting, Confinement, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Torture, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Medical trauma, Homophobia, Excrement, and Medical content
melonmachinery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The characters are all 1 dimensional. Wesley is Mexican American and you can tell because he says Sí-Yes when he's rushed. Vincent's line about not wanting to exist if it harms others fell flat in its delivery and how it changed Wes's opinions instantly. The real world internet references and usage is so incessant, the characters must have gotten their education at Tumblr University. The romance is rushed, which I did expect since most romance novels do, loving the "insta-love" plotline. The entire moment on top of the mausoleum roof was embarassing. You just wanted to shake the characters and ask why they suddenly are so relaxed about being chased by bad guys they can get each other hard in the cemetary. Wes's vampire kink tended to be embarrassing at best and uncomfortable at worst given the in world context of vampires and what he specifically wanted to do. Vincent is supposed to be sexy and predatory in these moments but most of them made me laugh.
The whole thing with the pharmaceutical company and dead mom was trying to take on something large but failing to deliver, which is also how the story ended for Wes and Vincent. I didn't particular care for Wes's struggles about the revelation of his mom's death since he seemed very blasé himself about selling all her items and changing things once it was confirmed. Their choice to leave the company be and take care of themselves because they wouldn't get support since the government doesn't see vampires as people with rights in particular was discomforting in ways hard to describe.
I could go on. It was an easy read, but not in a good way. Wouldn't recommend this to anyone but wouldn't actively stop people from reading it. Hopefully the author will grow in time.
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Stalking, Classism, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Violence, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking
tragicgloom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Classism, and Self harm