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ecravens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
nineinchnails's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
13/12/2023
i actually enjoyed this more than i did the first time around but i rate things differently now. the writing style is really charming to me so even though there isn’t a lot of romantic development (imo) i liked reading it. it was a little OTT and very angsty but that’s exactly what i enjoy reading right now. i do feel disappointed that
——
first read: 23/5/2022
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Death, Incest, Rape, and Death of parent
Minor: Eating disorder and Pregnancy
disordered eatinglauramparis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
folkofthebook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I would definitely check triggers for this as it's on the darker side, but I wouldn't say nearly as dark as say, Penelope Douglas's Devil's Night series. It does have degradation kink, though it wasn't as intense as I was expecting, or maybe my perception of that has been skewed by my reading. I did feel like it was a complex relationship that I had a hard time wrapping my head around (which I enjoy), and I really like Murphy's style of writing. I got what I came for with this book and I'm leaving a happy customer.
TW/CW (possible spoilers FYI):
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Cursing, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury
branny's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
ohkaythen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence
geoblockreads's review against another edition
The author reminds us, over and over again, how messed up and disturbed these two are, how sick their fantasies are, and how they're made for each other etc. It gets pretty boring pretty fast, especially because the book never actually shows us this. It just tells us. The kinkiest thing in the book (as far as I got in, anyway) was Whit choking Summer. The rest of it is pretty expected vanilla sex, which is (again) pretty repetitive.
It doesn't really feel like they've actually grown together, or progressed in their feelings in any sort of way. The author just tells us how obsessed they are with one another, without any evidence. It just feels super forced, and I stopped reading because I don't feel like I'll be satisfied by the ending. I'm also getting very bored by the same lines, over and over again. This book is 600 pages and it feels like its been copy pasted. Like things haven't really changed.
Also Whit isn't an interesting love interest to read about? Like he ticks all the dark romantic interest tropes (playboy, obsessive, possessive, rich, good looking) but he doesn't really have any kind of redeeming quality. I don't mean I want him to be a nice guy, I just want him to have at least something interesting about, that makes me want the relationship to work out. But he's boring, and falls super flat. He feels like a caricature of every dark romance love interest. In all honesty, a literal dildo could stand in for his role and it'd be the same. And he goes his whole 'I want to break out of the mold' but it's so overdone and unconvincing.
Not only is the writing repetitive, the plot is too. Twice, Whit has stepped in and saved Summer from being beaten up, and then saved her from being raped. He's also gotten jealous of an outfit twice. Very dull. I don't mind tropes, but you do have to add something to it to make it interesting. It feels like this dark romance was written by AI that's been fed Penelope Douglas books.
The only redeeming part of this book is Sylvie, so props for that. Her being sick is interesting, and part of me wants to keep reading for her. (I hope for a Munchasen by proxy plot line, that'd be unique and interesting) but I can't really be bothered reading more about the two main characters, because they're going to put me to sleep.
2/5 stars
Graphic: Rape
mayagraci's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use