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vsanson97's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
i knew going into this that it was going to be a very heavy, intense book but even though i read dark romances no problem i did have to stop a couple times and just sit there and process.
if you decide to read this book PLEASE DEAR LORD read the trigger warnings, i’ll list them below.
****MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS*****
trigger warnings:
❌ Rape
❌ Abduction
❌ Physical Abuse
❌ Thoughts of Suicide
❌ Victim Blaming (i don’t know if this counts as a trigger, but i’m sure that it would bother a lot of people who have the previous triggers stated)
this book is more than just the trigger warnings though, and while it has romance the underlying message is so much more than that.
the characters went through A LOT just with their trauma and then we see the after effects on how they chose to navigate through the trauma and how they learned to grow through it as well.
this book did have the “sisters ex” trope, which normally i steer clear from, but i feel like with this book specifically it didn’t bother me as much - especially finding out more things about melody as the book progressed.
i found the epilogue to be very sweet, i feel like it was what was needed after such an intense book and wrapped up Dean and Cora perfectly.
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Miscarriage
jocee's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, and Miscarriage
julesash's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Rape, and Miscarriage
kelseyfreeman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Grief, Body horror, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Death, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Blood
mamede's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Dementia, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
mj_86's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Miscarriage and Self harm
ancaudle'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? It's complicated
5.0
"..we aren't something meant to be labeled. We transcend titles."
Enemies to 'forced' lovers
Kidnapping
Captive/prisoner
Abuse
rape
miscarriage
Attempted suicide
I don't even know how to describe how I felt reading this book. My heart simultaneously filled and broke at every page. I loved it from the start and this is one of those books that I will think about for a long time. What they went through down there was just as tormenting as what they went through later. Dean and Cora were put in an impossible situation watching (reading) it unfold tore my heart out.
And they clutched to each other like they're each others lifeline and I loved it so much, even though, on paper, it was wrong. But in reality, it was so so right.
Such a brutal story and the best relationship arc. I was crying at times and giddy at others!
I plan to go buy the rest of Jennifer Hartmann's books now.
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Miscarriage
aliceloyallaleon's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Grief, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Rape, and Self harm
goodgirls_library's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.25
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Darkness: ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫
Quotes:
It was only three weeks, but it’s burned into every cell, every vein, every tainted pocket of my soul. Forever. And so is she.
Short version: This is a harrowing novel that weaves an intricate tapestry of two people who are broken and work to hold each other together. I would strongly recommend reading trigger warnings before reading, even though it will likely spoil the plot for you. Still, if you are comfortable proceeding, I believe you will find this book beautiful and challenging.
Full review below:
Tropes:
⚫ Dark Romance
🚫 Forbidden Romance
😡 Enemies to Lovers
👥 Forced Proximity
Plot Summary: After her sister’s birthday party, Cora realizes she’s lost her wallet and has no way home. She calls everyone, but the only person who picks up is her sister’s fiance, and her archnemesis, Dean.
But on the way home, flashing lights in the rearview mirror pull them over. Only it isn’t a cop, it’s a serial killer, and he takes them both. Locked in his basement, they are made to endure horrific torture, and must learn to let go of their pain and frustrations with one another to help one another survive… and escape.
But with every day that passes, the lines between them blur, and they are left to grapple with much more than just the basement’s horrific reality.
The Good: This book broke my heart and put it back together. The trauma these two endured, the way their stories unfold and we learn how they’ve really leaned on each other all along, the way they heal each other and help each other through the toughest moments of their lives… it’s stunningly captured. I’ll admit, the premise of this book was challenging for me to look past, and I did not expect to sympathize with these characters, or to root for them. In honesty, I almost DNF’d around 70% of the way through, but I am glad I stuck with it, and got to watch their story come to fruition. Even the things I didn’t love about the book, made sense for the characters and their development.
The Bad: This is a dumb thing to complain about, but plot point of needing a wallet to have money to pay for an Uber while she has her phone just kinda made my eye twitch because that’s not how Uber works, but honestly, now I’m just nitpicking. More seriously, I do think the book got a little repetitive at times, but as I said before, I think it reflected how “stuck” the characters were in their trauma.
Spicy chapters: Honestly, most of them. But it is hard to count, because many of the scenes involved non-consensual encounters.
Cheating? It’s complicated
Third-Act Breakup? Yes
HEA? Yes
OWD? It’s complicated
Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt
corrupted_taco'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
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt