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sfrench385's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Murder, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Torture, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug abuse and Adult/minor relationship
now_booking's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
This is admittedly not my favourite CF series just by virtue of how dark it is and how the heroines always seem to exist to serve as a sexual remedy to the hero’s childhood trauma. In case you’re wondering if this is for you, first of all, even though this can standalone, I think there’s more meaning if you’ve read the entire series and even more of a bonus if you read the Sea Haven books too- it’s not essential, but you’ll have a better insight into who is who. Secondly, this is dark romance- as in Dark DARK romance and nowhere near for the faint of heart. It goes beyond the physical and sexual childhood trauma experienced by the members of Torpedo Ink and dwells in the violent sort of intimacy, one of the survivors needs as a result.
In this latest installment (Book 6) of the Torpedo Ink series, Savage meets Seychelle when she saves him from getting hit by a truck. A (sexual) sadist, Savage is initially hesitant to pursue his instinct devastating attraction for Seychelle because of her apparent goodness/innocence. Meanwhile Seychelle is battling with coming to terms with newly emerging (sexually) masochistic desires of her own while being stalked by danger and health challenges.
There are things I liked about this book. I liked that there was finally a content warning and also that this book is split into two- this one (which is still potentially pretty triggering) and one that is even more so which is an optional read in this series. I liked that at the end, provided are resources for people who have experienced the physical and sexual abuse and trauma especially in childhood like Savage had. I liked that this book was more relationship-focused than it was about the action. There is still action but this is definitely a book about Savage and Seychelle, so much so in fact that often the rest of the subplots (like with the Diamondbacks) seemed thrown in just to spice things up and give a role to the other club members. My issue with this book again like happened with some books in this series, comes not from the specific sexual desires and tastes of the characters but from the way consent and autonomy for the heroine is dealt with. Seychelle is more or less open to S&M but it felt like many times she was pushed too far beyond her boundaries. It felt like Savage frequently overrode her concerns for his desires in the moment and spoke for her about what she wanted when it seemed like it would have been more appropriate to take a step back and regroup. He acknowledged that she wasn’t a submissive but often would treat her as one. He wanted to change the rules in a way he acknowledged she couldn’t change them herself. Often to me, it just felt like this lovely character became a prized tool for Savage to deal with his trauma especially during intimacy rather than a person. He was not willing to reciprocate the concessions he asked for and give the heroine the time she asked for to simply process the major things being demanded of her. This to me, wasn’t romantic whatever the back story- for one person to be doing all the giving and sacrificing all the time, it didn’t sit well with me. And that’s a repeating trend in most books in this series. I’m glad that there’s a second book on this couple coming out where they’re apparently going to deal with some of these relationship “growing pains” issues- perhaps some of these tensions will be dealt with then.
In this latest installment (Book 6) of the Torpedo Ink series, Savage meets Seychelle when she saves him from getting hit by a truck. A (sexual) sadist, Savage is initially hesitant to pursue his instinct devastating attraction for Seychelle because of her apparent goodness/innocence. Meanwhile Seychelle is battling with coming to terms with newly emerging (sexually) masochistic desires of her own while being stalked by danger and health challenges.
There are things I liked about this book. I liked that there was finally a content warning and also that this book is split into two- this one (which is still potentially pretty triggering) and one that is even more so which is an optional read in this series. I liked that at the end, provided are resources for people who have experienced the physical and sexual abuse and trauma especially in childhood like Savage had. I liked that this book was more relationship-focused than it was about the action. There is still action but this is definitely a book about Savage and Seychelle, so much so in fact that often the rest of the subplots (like with the Diamondbacks) seemed thrown in just to spice things up and give a role to the other club members. My issue with this book again like happened with some books in this series, comes not from the specific sexual desires and tastes of the characters but from the way consent and autonomy for the heroine is dealt with. Seychelle is more or less open to S&M but it felt like many times she was pushed too far beyond her boundaries. It felt like Savage frequently overrode her concerns for his desires in the moment and spoke for her about what she wanted when it seemed like it would have been more appropriate to take a step back and regroup. He acknowledged that she wasn’t a submissive but often would treat her as one. He wanted to change the rules in a way he acknowledged she couldn’t change them herself. Often to me, it just felt like this lovely character became a prized tool for Savage to deal with his trauma especially during intimacy rather than a person. He was not willing to reciprocate the concessions he asked for and give the heroine the time she asked for to simply process the major things being demanded of her. This to me, wasn’t romantic whatever the back story- for one person to be doing all the giving and sacrificing all the time, it didn’t sit well with me. And that’s a repeating trend in most books in this series. I’m glad that there’s a second book on this couple coming out where they’re apparently going to deal with some of these relationship “growing pains” issues- perhaps some of these tensions will be dealt with then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Drug abuse and Infidelity
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