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reads_all_the_books's review
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Sexual content and Abortion
Moderate: Emotional abuse
morgansbookshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Confinement
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Medical content, Child abuse, and Abortion
Minor: Death, Murder, and Pregnancy
kathleenmcg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Abortion
kamreadsandrecs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First reason: the narrative was stronger in this one than in The Dragon’s Bride. not to say that the first book was told badly, but I just liked how this one hung together, as it were. It just seemed better-told over all, than the first book.
Second reason: I liked the characters more. I liked the way Catalina’s inner angst was portrayed, and ngl I felt as if I could relate to some degree to what she was going through. The disbelief, especially, is something I relate to very, very hard. Thane, too, was interesting, though I personally found that their inner angst was a bit…idk. Broken too swiftly? Like, I know that processing grief is different for other people, and that for some it can take a VERY long time to finally get a handle on it while some people seem to manage it just fine in a couple of weeks, but a part of me wishes there’d been more time given over to exploring that angst. But then again, I’m a slowburn kinda gal, so that might just be personal preference. Would’ve also given more time to explore Catalina’s emotional baggage too, maybe given more room to portray how Thane helped with that - not fixed it, of course, since love and sex don’t fix deep emotional wounds, but it would have been nice to see how Catalina progressed and changed.
I’m also gonna have to say I liked that this novel portrayed a couple actively choosing to be child-free. Sometimes in some other novels, one or both characters will say they don’t want children, only for twu wuv to somehow change that stance and boom! By the end they’ve got one or two kids with more on the way. And yes, yes, I KNOW that for some people that does actually happen, that meeting the right person at the right time can soften one’s stance regarding having kids if one didn’t want to have them before, but I appreciate how the characters in THIS novel stuck to their guns about not having them, and how Thane really respected Catalina’s decision on the matter and didn’t try to get her to change her mind. I also appreciate how it portrayed abortion as something any woman should be able to get, regardless of WHY she’s getting it.
Since it appears that this series gets better with every succeeding book, I’ve got high hopes for the third book in the series - not least because that gargoyle man looks pretty attractive.
Graphic: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Vomit, Abortion, and Body shaming
reference to age play and to DDlg, slight dollification, use of unconventional gaglilbookbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abortion and Emotional abuse
skaurgo's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abortion, Abandonment, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
alliecat1915's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Death
ashleycmms's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Sexual content, Death, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Toxic relationship
Minor: War and Blood
queenie_ofthe_void'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
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Abortion
forgottencupoftea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Abortion, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death