Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

4 reviews

akswhy's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-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

2.5

An interesting concept that turned surprisingly soapy by halfway through. I think there needed to be a little bit more plot that did not involve the love interest aspect of things. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism

celery's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

roget's review

dark lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

The duke was a bit predatory in some scenes in ways that squicked me out. Annabelle was okay with it; in her place, I wouldn’t have been. (Also wasn’t a fan of a scene in which he contemplates how he would have the power to

rape her.

I think the author was trying to draw attention to his awareness of their uncomfortable power differentials, and obviously, he does not do that, but the fact that the thought occurs to him, even in an abstract, disassociated way, is tbh a bit chilling. I kept reading because the book is mostly self aware of this. It seems to want us to confront the more uncomfortable ways that women were (and are) interacted with. 

I did like the scene on the parliament floor. That made me like him a touch more. That was pretty cool.

Overall, I was rooting for Jenkins despite knowing that he wasn’t who she’d end up with b/c Montgomery seemed like a stack of red flags sewn into a bag that you might stuff over someone’s head while kidnapping them.

The suffragette content was quite fascinating to see, and it was woven into the plot well. It’s a historical romance with some fleshed out muscle, basically. 

Note: for sensitive, anxious turtles like myself, this book does have mature scenes, but they are skippable without too much plot confusion. 

Another note: I marked “dark” because I think this is dark for the genre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

I would recommend victims of sexual harassment, assault, and violence proceed with caution.

onemamareads's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Death of parent