Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli

25 reviews

xapoptosisx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

All I need to say is I read this book in one sitting and I need the next book now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Cursing, Addiction, and Classism

Moderate: War, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

andi885's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is filled with tense mystery, adventure and suspense. I ate it up so fast.  
I'm a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers trope - and I mean a real one. I want the hate to be so intense that it seems they will never be able to love eachother. This book didn't disappoint in that regard. 
The plot was mysterious and suspensful and it kept me on the edge of my seat guessing the outcome. 
It was so well written and almost perfection. 
My cons with this book is sometimes the sweet moments of the romance felt a little forced because of how intensely the main characters were supposed to hate each other.

I also felt like Gideon just suddenly fell in love with Rune without any real epiphany moment, or solid reasons for changing his mind about her. It wasn't blatant enough to knock too many points off my rating though.

 
I can't wait for book two, and I'm so sad it won't be released for another nine months!!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Rape, and Sexual violence

nova_lilias's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

First 5 star of the year!! I absolutely loved this book and yes, it made me cry. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Blood

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, and Toxic relationship

rsainta's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Blood

megnut's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence

Minor: Classism

ruth_a's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Religious bigotry, Drug use, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Grief

author2223's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Classism, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Self harm, Child death, and Police brutality

novel_nibbles's review

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolute perfection. My favourite read so far this year 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, War, Self harm, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Hate crime

chasinggrace's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

• 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

4.0

Overall, I really liked this book. I was invested in the fake courting between two characters, rooting for the underdog, and anxious during the attacks. I was worried this was going to be a typical “two brothers and a girl” love triangle story, but it really was more than that. You truly come to understand each character’s motivations, why they are who they are today. By the last 20 pages, I was crying. 

Now, there are a few things I would change. In the first 100 pages, the author repeats herself a LOT, with very similar sentence structures and identical descriptions (of a witch’s first bleed, of how Rune played into her Nan’s death, etc.) I found it annoying and it took me out of the story. Secondly, boxing? The way the characters speak and dress and transport themselves, this story takes place in the “past.” But boxing? With gloves, in a ring? This could’ve easily been a fighting ring or sparring, but boxing took me out of the story as well. It didn’t seem to fit. 

Seeing as Rune and the witches have escaped to Cailis on the Continent, I’m excited to see what happens in book 2 as the world expands. My heart is BROKEN that this is now an Enemies to Lovers back to Enemies story, but I’m rooting for them. They just need to talk it out😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Classism, Addiction, Body horror, Rape, and Sexual content

jordanog4's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gun violence