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wa_reader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Spice with some trope-y romance and suspense.
I was interested in reading Luc's story after #2 in the series. But I found him unlikeable. I did like Alyssa for a bit, but then she kept putting up with Luc's rubbish and a lot of the strengths of her character disappeared from the writing by a third of the way through. I only kept reading to find out the ending & the suspense reveals. Eck, no more thanks.
Trope-y bits that personally wrecked it for me (but that other readers may be happy to read - good luck!):
* "The male not believing what a female says" - hello rubbish 90's Mills & Boon. Luc's complete distrust/disbelief in anything Alyssa says about the parentage of the baby. Even after updated Dr advice and repeated conversations/boundaries. "Finally the truth comes out" only when bouncer Tyler says he had never slept with Alyssa, 90% into the book. Luc is such a loser for only listening to/ believing/ trusting what males tell him. And frankly Alyssa is a victim to put up with his loser-ness.
* "Male putting whore/virgin complex onto female", particularly when he's indulged for years in hardcore kinks. The assumption by Luc, linked to point above, that a prostitute sits at a different moral level/value compared to a soccer mom, any of his male friends, a stripper, one of his previous kink-partners, or even himself is a massive level of cognitive dissonance. How does he even walk and talk at the same time with that level of brain cramp? Insert more complete lack of intelligence/ personality/ value as a human put-downs here.
* "Male bringing around female love interest through non-consensual sex", particularly where she has in the past been assaulted/raped. How magical! Yet another shitty 90's Mills & Boon spew worthy trope. The scene where Luc ties Alyssa up, then has his eye pressed to the locked bathroom door gap, then kicks the door open to get after her? Personal trigger full of red flag spewdom.
Ebook via Libby
I was interested in reading Luc's story after #2 in the series. But I found him unlikeable. I did like Alyssa for a bit, but then she kept putting up with Luc's rubbish and a lot of the strengths of her character disappeared from the writing by a third of the way through. I only kept reading to find out the ending & the suspense reveals. Eck, no more thanks.
Trope-y bits that personally wrecked it for me (but that other readers may be happy to read - good luck!):
* "The male not believing what a female says" - hello rubbish 90's Mills & Boon. Luc's complete distrust/disbelief in anything Alyssa says about the parentage of the baby. Even after updated Dr advice and repeated conversations/boundaries. "Finally the truth comes out" only when bouncer Tyler says he had never slept with Alyssa, 90% into the book. Luc is such a loser for only listening to/ believing/ trusting what males tell him. And frankly Alyssa is a victim to put up with his loser-ness.
* "Male putting whore/virgin complex onto female", particularly when he's indulged for years in hardcore kinks. The assumption by Luc, linked to point above, that a prostitute sits at a different moral level/value compared to a soccer mom, any of his male friends, a stripper, one of his previous kink-partners, or even himself is a massive level of cognitive dissonance. How does he even walk and talk at the same time with that level of brain cramp? Insert more complete lack of intelligence/ personality/ value as a human put-downs here.
* "Male bringing around female love interest through non-consensual sex", particularly where she has in the past been assaulted/raped. How magical! Yet another shitty 90's Mills & Boon spew worthy trope. The scene where Luc ties Alyssa up, then has his eye pressed to the locked bathroom door gap, then kicks the door open to get after her? Personal trigger full of red flag spewdom.
Ebook via Libby
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Kidnapping
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