Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton

38 reviews

mznerdy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

our_smutty_corner's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

meganashlee27's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

ewindtberg's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

This is the fourth book that I’ve read from this author and it did not disappoint. I kind of-sort of knew what the plot was going into it based on short summaries but I didn’t expect it to be what it was (in a good way). That shark scene though?! Bonkers. The ending was crazy and creepy. Did I still read it and recommend this book to friends afterwards? Most definitely lol. Check the TWs as this book is not suitable for anyone under 18.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Sawyer is on the run and hiding in  Australia. To get by, she has been stealing people's identities. Fate throws her in to Enzo's path and bed. After realizing his identity has been stolen, Enzo sets out to track down and punish the woman responsible.

The idea behind this book was interesting to me.

Two people who hate each other get shipwrecked on an isolated island where there is nothing but a creepy old man and some noisy "ghosts".

I liked the mystery vibes to it. That said, the dark romance edge didn't really work for me and the twists were super predictable. 

First off, I didn't like either of the characters. Sawyer has a really fucked up past and is dealing with all sorts of PTSD from it. Enzo is a psychopath shark expert. There was nothing redeeming about him.

A woman steals his identity, and his reaction is that shark scene? WTF! Truly a psycho.

I just didn't care about either of them. It's a shame because with Sawyer's background, there was so much potential for readers to make an empathetic connection.

Second, both characters felt flat and there was a lack of chemistry between them. It was all about who could hurt the other more. Together they are completely chaotic and explosive (not in a good way). There was no real character development in this book. Neither were likable, nor were they really redeemed by the end.

I feel like this would have worked better as a regular thriller without the dark romance edge to it. Parts of this book just dragged so much, and they were always the dark romance parts.

Tropes' forced proximity, enemies to lovers, morally grey, one bed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

bibliophile1775's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting

bakedbeanss's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

I was not expecting this book to be what it was. The thriller side of this book was amazing! There was some foreshadowing with the direction of the book but you still never expected the twist. And as toxic as Sawyer and Enzo were I really loved how their relationship turned out. They are so fiercely protective of one another and by the end you could see how much they cared for one another. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

lolalastname's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

0.25

Not just bad, but also boring

Full review later

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

staceyb's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

stitchof's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail