Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Love at First Set

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan

10 reviews

ninebookishlives's review against another edition

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lighthearted

3.0

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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.0

Every relationship in this book is dysfunctional at best and toxic at worst. No one seems to genuinely like each other, and no one is actually good to each other without having an ulterior motive. The idea that we are meant to support dysfunctional dynamics,

like the two love interests manipulating each other all the time and some straight up gaslighting happening throughout

worries me. The chemistry also seemed to be based entirely on sexual attraction between Cara and Lizzie, which is fine, but doesn't really make the HEA satisfying. The ending also struck me as a lot of miscommunication that could have easily been resolved, so I found myself skimming a lot of the last 5 or 6 chapters.

There is also no real resolution about Lizzie's mom. It's just assumed she went no contact, which left me without closure as a reader.

The author also specifically noted the races of non-white people, but only noted the races of white people when they were being introduced at the same time as POCs (such as Jane and Sherry). That comes off kind of racist with the white folks being presumed as "default" but non-white people being noted. It also didn't escape my notice that the only racialized people were extremely minor characters with very few lines (Mina, Jane, Ramón).

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torikate7's review against another edition

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medium-paced

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

3.0

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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4.0

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waterbear0821's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.5

I am not a regular romance reader, so I know a lot of the things about this book that annoyed me are just standard tropes and I shouldn’t expect anything different. Specifically, I really hate the “bad communication skills as a substitute for plot” trope. I’m a huge sucker for chosen family tropes, though, so that mostly evened out. The book is cute and fulfilled my need for brain candy to listen to while driving, but the primary defect is that there really isn’t enough plot for a novel. The dialogue was repetitive and excessively detailed, there was too much describing facial expressions and gestures, and the internal monologue of the main character just said the same things over and over. Not only did that all make the book drag, but it made the characters seem one dimensional. It felt like a novice writer trying to hit their word count. Having said that, it’s serviceable light reading and probably plenty fun for fans of the genre. CW for toxic family and jealousy.

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kshertz's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Adorbs. Sexy gym rat and rich real estate agent? I can get with it! It’s a sweet little rom com. Nothing super unique but I love their love story for sure. ❤️

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stacy837's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

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cc_shelflove's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

This book started off strong, but I had a hard time staying invested after the halfway mark. While I laughed a lot at first, the drama inevitably ensued. The third act breakup was a little much for me, as both women assumed the other did not want to talk and essentially ran from her problems. I did enjoy that the book delved into other relationships aside from Lizzie and Cara’s, such as their toxic relationships with their mothers. Overall, a cute read. I am sure there are many readers who will adore it.

“‘You deserve someone who wants to make every day of your life the best day of your life, whether that means some stupid grand gesture or just grabbing your favorite candy bar when they stop to get gas. Someone who doesn’t just know how you take your coffee, but the movies you like, the songs; someone who wants to know what makes you tick. Don’t settle for anything less.’”

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a_rich_read's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

3.5

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