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amanda_reads13's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Oliver, Sydney best friend, went missing as a child. 22 years later he is found alive.
This book is incredibly emotional and devastating. The story pulled me in and sunk it's teeth into me. It tackles many heavy topics and has some very serious and sad moments. Yet, it still manages to be incredibly hopeful and uplifting.
Oliver is obviously the stand out in this book. After everything he has endured in the last 22 years, he still manages to become an incredibly kind, thoughtful, and compassionate man. He is a true survivor.
I wish there had been more focus on his backstory and him acclimatizing to society. Yes, I know this is a love story, but considering the plot of this book, there was way too much focus on the fact that he was a 30 year old virgin and all that came with that.
I completely understand Sydney's thinking behind her not wanting to jump into a romantic relationship with Oliver. I mean the guy just escaped after 22 years, how is that even a question! He should be in therapy, not jumping into a relationship. That said, many of her choices really frustrated me and it felt like she was acting quite selfishly a lot.
How are neither Gabe or Sydney in therapy???
There were definitely some shocking twists! I had my suspicions about one, but I couldn't piece it all together. I really liked how all of it came together in the end.
Tropes: friends to lovers
This book is incredibly emotional and devastating. The story pulled me in and sunk it's teeth into me. It tackles many heavy topics and has some very serious and sad moments. Yet, it still manages to be incredibly hopeful and uplifting.
Oliver is obviously the stand out in this book. After everything he has endured in the last 22 years, he still manages to become an incredibly kind, thoughtful, and compassionate man. He is a true survivor.
I wish there had been more focus on his backstory and him acclimatizing to society. Yes, I know this is a love story, but considering the plot of this book, there was way too much focus on the fact that he was a 30 year old virgin and all that came with that.
I completely understand Sydney's thinking behind her not wanting to jump into a romantic relationship with Oliver. I mean the guy just escaped after 22 years, how is that even a question! He should be in therapy, not jumping into a relationship. That said, many of her choices really frustrated me and it felt like she was acting quite selfishly a lot.
How are neither Gabe or Sydney in therapy???
There were definitely some shocking twists! I had my suspicions about one, but I couldn't piece it all together. I really liked how all of it came together in the end.
Tropes: friends to lovers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Death of parent
bookish_den's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual assault
Minor: Stalking, Grief, Death of parent, and Vomit
geagleson9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Confinement, Medical content, Grief, Cursing, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy, Child death, and Death of parent
xbookishlibra's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
you guys... this book has become my absolute favorite!
i loved every second of reading this book. it had me wanting more and more. i still want more of Syd and Oliver. i really thought Oliver was my new favorite book boyfriend and then he rescued a baby raccoon and kept her. that's when it was solidified that he IS my new favorite because if you know me, raccoons are my favorite animals ever!
i've never read anything quite like this and i love that about it. i also loved the cameo of Tabitha and Cora! i haven't read Still Beating but i know they're in it!
the twists at the end were insane but i definitely called it after a bit! i always had bad vibes from him!
i could really go on and on about this book so just do yourself a favor and read it!
i loved every second of reading this book. it had me wanting more and more. i still want more of Syd and Oliver. i really thought Oliver was my new favorite book boyfriend and then he rescued a baby raccoon and kept her. that's when it was solidified that he IS my new favorite because if you know me, raccoons are my favorite animals ever!
i've never read anything quite like this and i love that about it. i also loved the cameo of Tabitha and Cora! i haven't read Still Beating but i know they're in it!
the twists at the end were insane but i definitely called it after a bit! i always had bad vibes from him!
i could really go on and on about this book so just do yourself a favor and read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Confinement, and Child abuse
katie_lacour's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A very special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bloom Books, for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book!
Jennifer Hartmann’s novel, Lotus, is a captivating story that I would recommend to any reader interested in romance, thriller, or mystery novels. While the novel is able to appeal to readers with different interests, Hartmann maintains the integrity of a unique, strongly-developed, and interesting read. Oliver is such an adorable character and I would protect him at all costs!
Although the book does contain content that may be triggering to some, I appreciate Hartmann’s responsibility as the first page of the book addresses content warnings for long-term abduction and childhood sexual assault. The use of a Content Warning page should be normalized in the book industry, and I am glad Jennifer Hartmann takes the mental health and safety of her readers seriously. That said, I also appreciate that while these themes are a primary part of the story, Jennifer Hartmann does not overuse or abuse these themes in an attempt to shock or disturb the reader. Not only is Jennifer Hartmann responsible in her motivation to warn readers about difficult subject matters, she also addresses these subject matters in a respectful and thought-out manner that is essential.
“Lotus” tells the book from two primary perspectives, with interludes from other character perspectives throughout the book. The story follows Oliver, a man who has escaped a long-term abduction, and his journey to adapting to real life and healing from his trauma. In a counter-perspective, the reader experiences Sydney’s point of view. Sydney, Oliver’s childhood best friend and both current and former neighbor, is relieved at Oliver’s escape, but haunted by the trauma of his disappearance and the lack of answers. Together, Sydney and Oliver must navigate what their past, present, and future will mean as two people who have meant so much to one another.
While I was initially nervous to read this book because of the dark themes addressed, the book was able to make me feel such a wide spectrum of emotions far beyond those of pain. Oliver’s isolation as a long-term abductee enables him to have an intelligence and appreciation for things in life that are beyond many of us. In many ways, it has made me think of the isolation many of us experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many have felt that this isolation has led to a deep loss, and perhaps even a stagnation of emotional intelligence, the depiction of Oliver has instead given me hope to what we as humanity may have learned and grown from that we would not have otherwise. Although the book addresses the grief of lost time, the primary emotion I felt while reading this book was hope. Not only is the book completely different from what I expected, but the plotline led to my immediate investment. Safe to say, I was hooked, and read this book all in one sitting.
While initially this book seemed a bit too predictable, the author did a wonderful job of completely shocking me with a twist I could not see coming! I believe the planning behind the plot was incredibly well developed as it appears the author had great intentionality behind the shift from a sense of predictability to complete shock!
Although hope was my primary emotion, I still appreciated the wide variety of emotions I felt while reading this book: shock, fear, love, hate, anger, sadness, reflection, amusement, inspiration, and tension. The author was able to beautifully balance the multiple genres of mystery, thriller, and romance. I felt each aspect of the book was given a moment to shine, and I appreciated the book’s ability to address my craving for each genre. I especially appreciated the book’s romance as it was unlike any other I have previously read. I feel it can be summed in part by my favorite quote in the book: “there is no logic in the way our hearts beat.”
“Lotus” contributes to the conversation of childhood sexual assault in a meaningful way, but I would love to see this topic be addressed further in a secondary novel focusing on the victim’s growth and healing from the trauma. I especially appreciated the point of view of a survivor’s friends and family, and the difficulty of navigating a loved one’s healing. This perspective was a very interesting and essential take on how harm cannot be solitary and discriminant, and has a ripple effect on everyone around us. In this book, I learned how when helping those around us harm from trauma, mistakes are inevitable, but compassion and patience are essential.
Finally, my only, very small, confusion is there seemed to be a small plotline hole regarding a part of the discovery of a mystery. Whether or not this is intentional as a commentary to the ineffectiveness of the police in this scenario, I am not sure. I would love to see this addressed, but I will not go into further detail here as I cannot spoil the book!
I would absolutely recommend this book to any reader interested in these genres, and I believe it can be read from a wide variety of ages. I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Hartmann, and I cannot wait to see what she writes in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping
Moderate: Stalking, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Death and Death of parent
lifeofmavsgirl's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Rape, and Pedophilia
robzuwu's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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? No
3.0
I found the mystery to be far more compelling than the romance and honestly at times I wished the romance wasn't a part of the story at all. That being said, I did think the mystery was pretty easy to figure out and not because it was predictable or anything but because the author sprinkled in a bunch of clues throughout the book that I had been highlighting and I was very happy when my suspicions were confirmed.
I found Sydney to be insufferable, to be honest, she was kind of judgey in the way she thought about other women. I also didn't get why the main characters fell in love, like it all felt kind of forced. The parts of the book I really enjoyed were Oliver's chapters where we got to see a bit of how his captivity affected him, seeing him interact with the world and experience things that we would consider mundane with such a fresh perspective was some of the most compelling writing I've read. The ending though, the meaning of lotus...big effing eye roll omg, I did think the epilogue dragged on a bit and the secondary couple (which wasn't really secondary they barely appeared in the book) felt even more forced than Sydney and Oliver. I will say that aside from forcing myself to read Sydney's chapters (because her chapters usually had the most clues) I had a lot of fun reading this book, it was an overall enjoyable experience but I probably won't read another one like it, like the two genres (mystery and romance) didn't complement each other in this particular book, I found myself to be more invested in one aspect of the book and was really annoyed when the book then spent several chapters just on the romance haha.
I do recommend it though, and maybe you might like Sydney. (Oliver is a gem though but also maybe because he's such a blank slate its hard to be annoying when you have a very non descript personality)
I found Sydney to be insufferable, to be honest, she was kind of judgey in the way she thought about other women. I also didn't get why the main characters fell in love, like it all felt kind of forced. The parts of the book I really enjoyed were Oliver's chapters where we got to see a bit of how his captivity affected him, seeing him interact with the world and experience things that we would consider mundane with such a fresh perspective was some of the most compelling writing I've read. The ending though, the meaning of lotus...big effing eye roll omg, I did think the epilogue dragged on a bit and the secondary couple (which wasn't really secondary they barely appeared in the book) felt even more forced than Sydney and Oliver. I will say that aside from forcing myself to read Sydney's chapters (because her chapters usually had the most clues) I had a lot of fun reading this book, it was an overall enjoyable experience but I probably won't read another one like it, like the two genres (mystery and romance) didn't complement each other in this particular book, I found myself to be more invested in one aspect of the book and was really annoyed when the book then spent several chapters just on the romance haha.
I do recommend it though, and maybe you might like Sydney. (Oliver is a gem though but also maybe because he's such a blank slate its hard to be annoying when you have a very non descript personality)
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Confinement
britrcup's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, and Confinement
ellaskrovset's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Murder, Cursing, Grief, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Violence
tris24's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pedophilia