Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Lady and the Orc by Finley Fenn

7 reviews

mburnsides's review

This is genuinely so bad. A lot of times poor quality is expected from self published books but BY GOD this is shit. The smut isn’t good, and it’s definitely not even passable enough to make up for the infuriating characters and horrible plot.
Grimarr and Jule are so toxic; they’re both terrible people who manipulate and lie, and they’re both constantly flip-flopping on what they want. One moment Grimarr is telling Jule he wants to protect her and will whatever she wants, the next he’s threatening to kill her and coercing her into sex. Jule can’t decide if she wants to bone the guy or if she wants to get away from him.
Theres some serious overuse of the words naught, prick (dick), and seed. A distracting and unsexy amount of the use of prick and seed. It’s gross and annoying to read. The way Fenn writes smut makes it sound painful and aggressive, and Grimarr is “culturally” kinky, but doesn’t ask Jule for permission ever.
The plot is so nonexistent. The only reason this book is 400 pages is because there’s a bad smut scene every few chapters. Grimarr and Jule spend so much time arguing back and forth over the SAME DAMN THINGS. They never get anywhere. And there’s so much focus on Jule being unable to have children with her husband, but Grimarr believing she can, she just needs the right guy. I hate that trope so much.
I was looking forward to this series because I like orc/human stories, but this is just toxicity with fantasy racism. Grimarr is so unattractive it’s hurts. Hes not charming or kind or protective. He’s all toxic masculinity. And Jule is just a huge idiot.
Don’t waste your time or money on this garbage.
DNF ~30%

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Infertility, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, War, Confinement, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

goldensisyphus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This book is repeated miscommunication tropes and repeated bid-d*ck breeding smut. It was too repetitive for my taste and I was so bored. The MMC is a gaslighting, lying self-admitted rapist (and we are somehow supposed to excuse these previous rapes just because he admits they "weren't successful" and he's going to do better?!). The most interesting part was the mysteriously scrawny, unblemished, shy orcs within the mountain. That's pretty much the only part I'd want to know more about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

hotlizard's review

dark sad medium-paced

1.0

This was full of absolutely unnecessary gaslighting and verbal abuse and manipulation. And the worst of it all is that the writer tried to make the lack of consent look sexy. Definitely will not be reading more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Sexual assault

jburson's review

DNF'd this earlier this year then picked it back up because it kept showing up on so many monster romance lists. Annnnd DNF'd it again. Maybe if this were pure erotica it would work for me but it's too long and dragging to be trying to be anything but romance & I just couldn't get invested in round after round of humiliation and abuse of the MC with the assumption that at some point I'm supposed to root for her to fall in love with her abuser?? No thanks. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Sexual assault, Confinement, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Slavery, and Bullying

rowanfaet's review

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.5

The main character was... very frustrating for most of the book. But, the last third of the book saved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Miscarriage

Minor: Abortion and Fatphobia

teignmouth's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Infertility, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

authorrubyduvall's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

2.0

Every time the orc hero, Grimarr, had a chance NOT to betray/humiliate the human heroine, Jule, he always chose to betray her. Even after a very convincing grovel. I'd give it one star, but the writing is otherwise pretty good, although the narrative sometimes lost its medieval vibe with overly modern-sounding language.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Cursing

Moderate: Abortion, Abandonment, Confinement, and Biphobia