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Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
33 reviews
wordwilderness's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book had me smiling and giggling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
cgn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I found this book a little too easy to put down for a long time, but it was still delightful. I love the representation of gay women following their passions, and while I wasn’t head over heels for this romance, I did love the ending. Be forewarned there’s a bit of power play spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Sexual content includes BDSM-style power play/submission that is not discussed but is welcomed by both characters.make_believer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Sexual violence
yvonne_cl's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
slow-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? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Death, and Genocide
adalgibson's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
The premise and story were great, but I didn’t love the execution. It felt clunky at times and the lead-up to the romance felt a little rushed. Overall though was an enjoyable read and the sex scenes were very well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Sexual content
wardenred's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The earth is the center of a web of force that touches the moon, the sun, the other planets, and perhaps even all those distant stars that burn so far away. But every other moon, sun, comet, planet, and star is itself a center, and exerts its own force upon all the rest.
Nothing in the universe stands alone.
An incredibly beautiful and thoughtful book. I deliberately read it at a slower pace than usual, even though sometimes it was hard to pace myself and not just gulp down all the remaining chapters. But I didn't want to miss out on anything. The prose here is gorgeous, the characterization throughout the book is consistently evolving, and even though the romance obviously takes central stage, there's so much else going on.
I loved both Catherine and Lucy, independently and together—especially together. Theirs is exactly the kind of relationship I want to see in romance: two people building a future together as they work through the effects of their individual pasts, seeing the best in each other and lifting each other up, helping each other be the best version of themselves. It was wonderful to see these two women let each other in and work together as partners. All the beautiful details woven into their relationship—the art and the science, the translations and the embroidery—added so much to the story.
The parts of the book that were perhaps the most fascination but also the most difficult to read involved the vividly painted picture of the society these characters live in. It's impressive how the author doesn't gloss over or sugar-coat any of the numerous aspects of the systematic oppression Catherine and Lucy encounter, whether head-on or in passing—and at the same time, manages to lead the story to a powerful and hopeful ending. The world around the characters doesn't change in an instant, but there's a strong feeling that it can change, bit by bit.
Without diving into spoilers, I'll just say I also enjoyed how the subject of the power imbalance between the romantic leads was handled. Like so many topics in this story, it was very directly confronted instead of steering toward something like, "but they love each other, so of course this won't be a problem, let's focus on something else." And it was firmly the kind of confrontation that leads to solutions, not problems.
Overall, an amazing read, and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Olivia Waite in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"Women's ideas are treated as though they sprung from nowhere, to be claimed by the first man who comes along. Every generation had women stand up and ask to be counted--and every generation of brilliant, insightful, educated men has raised a hand and wiped those women's names from the greater historical record."
This historical romance has layers on layers. It's a sapphic love story that deals with coming out to yourself and to others, as well as readjusting your view of the world by breaking free of common, false understandings of relationships. In this story, we find the countess Catherine St. Day, widowed and glad to be free of her husband, even as she struggles to find a new purpose outside of funding and supporting his scientific expeditions. We also get to know Lucy, who stood in and outgrew her father's shadow but finds her career options in astronomy limited after his death.
This warm, heartfelt love story covers the trials of building a relationship in secret that ought not be treated as shameful or unusual, but society paints it so. It's about seeing your own potential and reaching for it. It's about the magic of science and of art to show us pieces of ourselves, others, and the universe. It's about how those big questions concerning who we are and our place in the world should be open to everyone, not be dictated and pruned by some pompous white man.
And at the heart of it all, this is a lovely read with a satisfying romantic arc from attraction to true connection. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to anyone.
This historical romance has layers on layers. It's a sapphic love story that deals with coming out to yourself and to others, as well as readjusting your view of the world by breaking free of common, false understandings of relationships. In this story, we find the countess Catherine St. Day, widowed and glad to be free of her husband, even as she struggles to find a new purpose outside of funding and supporting his scientific expeditions. We also get to know Lucy, who stood in and outgrew her father's shadow but finds her career options in astronomy limited after his death.
This warm, heartfelt love story covers the trials of building a relationship in secret that ought not be treated as shameful or unusual, but society paints it so. It's about seeing your own potential and reaching for it. It's about the magic of science and of art to show us pieces of ourselves, others, and the universe. It's about how those big questions concerning who we are and our place in the world should be open to everyone, not be dictated and pruned by some pompous white man.
And at the heart of it all, this is a lovely read with a satisfying romantic arc from attraction to true connection. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, and Death of parent
anovelbeauty's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Book TW: sexism common to the historical time (cht), homophobia (discussed; cht), mentioned emotional abuse/IPV,
Historical Fiction LGBT romances will almost always have a fine line to ride between just being downright depressing and not completely ignoring historical context in favour of a happy ever after. I actually think The Lady’s Guide walked it pretty well. There is certainly a decent amount of heavy sexism and the knowledge that queer relationships are frowned upon for women, however there are still sweet and happy moments. I also liked the acknowledgement that queer couples throughout history have existed and many were able to find ways to remain with their partners for their lifetimes.
Now, the part I /certainly/ adored was a consistent blending of science and art. While Lucy is our stalwart astronomer, Christine is both an artist and firmly within the scientific world. While very few of the characters in the book seem to be based off of real historical figures, I will always appreciate recognition for the women throughout history who have created art and contributed to science’s progression who were often relegated to the sidelines or erased entirely. Most of female characters in this work are strong and wonderful. Lucy and Christine’s relationship is equal parts steamy, healing, and sweet. I should mention that there is both lesbian and bisexual rep in the book! The characters that were supposed to be mature /actually/ acted mature or at least realized quickly when they messed up. I /loved/ a lot of the artistic and scientific descriptions in the book as they really brought the setting to life for me. I was thoroughly invested in Lucy’s fight to translate Oléron’s works and be acknowledged for work by the men of science in England. There were a few lovely moments of comeuppance and just it was a lovely, compelling read. As a bit of a science and art nerd myself, this romance hit the sweet spot for me! If you’re looking for a mostly pleasant, historical, sapphic romance that is equal parts science and art (and yes, an actual happy ending) you will probably love this one!
Historical Fiction LGBT romances will almost always have a fine line to ride between just being downright depressing and not completely ignoring historical context in favour of a happy ever after. I actually think The Lady’s Guide walked it pretty well. There is certainly a decent amount of heavy sexism and the knowledge that queer relationships are frowned upon for women, however there are still sweet and happy moments. I also liked the acknowledgement that queer couples throughout history have existed and many were able to find ways to remain with their partners for their lifetimes.
Now, the part I /certainly/ adored was a consistent blending of science and art. While Lucy is our stalwart astronomer, Christine is both an artist and firmly within the scientific world. While very few of the characters in the book seem to be based off of real historical figures, I will always appreciate recognition for the women throughout history who have created art and contributed to science’s progression who were often relegated to the sidelines or erased entirely. Most of female characters in this work are strong and wonderful. Lucy and Christine’s relationship is equal parts steamy, healing, and sweet. I should mention that there is both lesbian and bisexual rep in the book! The characters that were supposed to be mature /actually/ acted mature or at least realized quickly when they messed up. I /loved/ a lot of the artistic and scientific descriptions in the book as they really brought the setting to life for me. I was thoroughly invested in Lucy’s fight to translate Oléron’s works and be acknowledged for work by the men of science in England. There were a few lovely moments of comeuppance and just it was a lovely, compelling read. As a bit of a science and art nerd myself, this romance hit the sweet spot for me! If you’re looking for a mostly pleasant, historical, sapphic romance that is equal parts science and art (and yes, an actual happy ending) you will probably love this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
jayisreading's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
3.75
The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics is a novel I never would have considered reading, only because it’s well within intersecting genres that don’t interest me (more specifically, historical fiction/romance). I was challenged by a friend, however, to try reading this book and not be too judgmental about it. The romance aspect was not my cup of tea, but I can see why this friend recommend the book to me. Olivia Waite pleasantly surprised me with underlying feminist themes in Regency England, giving much power to the women in this book. Oh, and of course, lots of positive queerness between women and a great acknowledgment that queer people existed throughout history.
Waite also writes beautifully. I certainly found it enchanting, especially considering so much of the book focuses on the stars, and she weaves metaphors in so well in relation to them.
I did have one gripe, which was that I couldn’t quite tell how much time had passed between chapters. It would be mentioned, but it almost felt like an afterthought. It made the relationship between the two protagonists, Lucy and Catherine, feel rushed. I also think it affected some of the relationships that these characters had with others, but not to the point that it ruined the overall reading experience.
Romance genre elements aside (which, again, I really wasn’t the biggest fan of, but I’m trying not to let that affect my overall impressions of the novel), I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is definitely a must-read for folks who do like queer romance and historical fiction.
(And spoiler warning: The twist at the end was simultaneously delightful and annoying in that it kind of felt like a cop-out.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
decklededgess's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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? No
4.0
trigger warnings: marital abuse and assault, potential mention of bdsm relationship with a sub who wasn’t really fully consenting??, emotionally abusive exes, homophobia, sexism and misogyny, sexism for women in STEM, sex and nudity, alcohol, sexist family, death of parents, mild racism
surprisingly diverse!!! hella brown and poc characters mentioned except none of them have their actual races mentioned save one because of his name. but the book is making several points about first wave feminism which is interesting!! really enjoyable.
surprisingly diverse!!! hella brown and poc characters mentioned except none of them have their actual races mentioned save one because of his name. but the book is making several points about first wave feminism which is interesting!! really enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism