Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Losers: Part I

This duology is one of the staple book suggestions for dark romance or bully romances. It's kind of popular. I don't see people go nuts over it as much as some others but it is still highly suggested so I wanted to give the book a chance and I will say this one was hard to get into. I only realized the novella was out there and needed to be read before this book as I was starting the Halloween scene. Even though I struggled getting into this book I think the best way to read the duology is to start the first book until you get to the time skip/graduating high school then go back and read the novella then go back to the main book. I really liked seeing how things change between them. When she left for college she was the it girl, the queen bee, head of the popular crowd meanwhile Manson was an outcast and got kicked out of school right before graduation! It was intense and plays into the sterotypical roles but the guys don't just forgive her when she appears again. When she first comes back these guys are still considered outcasts but the party made it seem like they had more friends, at least Manson was closer to the inner crowd so I don't know why we kind of lose that again after Jess comes back. Things escalate around them as the outside world intervenes in their relationship. Not only was it unconventional but they live in this small town who tried to pull Jess back into the box they made for her. It caused a lot more tension when she rebelled against it not just for the guys but also because she wanted to work not just get married and be like her mom. This one also ends in a cliffhanger but we get an HEA at the end of the next book and I really like what they end up being even if the trip there gets bumpy sometimes.

Content Warnings

shaipanda's review against another edition

Go to review page

This was incredibly well done and I basically binge read almost all of it in one sitting (besides the first chapter or two which I read earlier)
I’d seen this recommended on tiktok before but I’d been hesitant because I generally don’t like bully romances.
I finally got around to reading it cause Gracie on tiktok recommended it and said besides The Bully by Sophie Lark this book series is the only bully romance she’s liked. This pushed me to give it a chance as The Bully is just about the only bully romance I’ve liked (till I read this)
And damnnn am I so glad I did this book is insanely good and ofc I’ve already started the second part

Content Warnings

discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful slow-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

4.0

I think it’s a testament to Laroux’s writing that, despite bully romances very much not being my thing, and despite degradation/humiliation very much not being my thing, I still loved this book.

The same can be said for the fact that although initially I was skeptical of the high page count, this book didn’t feel overwritten, and it held my attention from beginning to end.

Being the wet blanket that I am, there were a couple instances where I found myself proclaiming aloud: “that’s not entirely safe,” but all-around, I thought that the depictions of BDSM and its guidelines were handled well.

As a side note: at first when the negotiation of Jess’s servitude in payment for her car repairs was floated, it was presented as this very “you give us consent to do whatever we want, when we want,” situation, which was raising all sorts of red flags. [For the record, that’s not how consent works; you cannot give consent carte blanche like that without any parameters or discussion of boundaries. And if anyone asks you to, you should run.] But thankfully, that’s not where the conversation ended in this case, and they did go on to have a healthy discussion of hard and soft limits, safewords, etc. I really appreciated that. BDSM, for all the stigma that surrounds it, is a community incredibly preoccupied with safety, consent, and respect.

Content Warnings

mabellene's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Oh how I live and breathe for this duet. Losers takes place a couple years following the events of The Dare, when Jess returns to her hometown post grad. Still determined to fit in, Jess ends up making poor decisions that lead to her owing a debt to four of the most notorious guys in town. But she ain’t mad at it. There’s so much to be said for the amount of communication, consent, and growth we see between all of these characters. Laroux is a master at delivering endless filthy smut with amazing plot and heartwarming characters. One of my top reads for 2023!

Content Warnings

More...