Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

64 reviews

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

   I enjoyed the book, but it was darker than I expected or at least more emotional. The toxicity of Liam's family holy shit! I can see how he would have been brainwashed to fall in line or everyone would lose their inheritance, but it was frustrating. I was with Anna, NO ONE needs all that money! Liam could say no to his father, his siblings wouldn't have been out on the street, and they all had good jobs, or spouses who were also loaded.
    If I'd been in that situation, Anna would have disgusted me, disgusted with the wealth and excess. Overall, it was a good book, just more emotional than I was prepared for. It harkened back to the Beautiful Bastard days but with more emotional depth. I wish we'd gotten more into Anna's past and issues as well. 

Narrator Rating: 5.0 stars

   Both narrators did an amazing job. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, and Abandonment

Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

The toxic relationships are between Liam and his family. As well as a bit between Anna and her mom, though that's not nearly as much of the story.

literary_laur's review

hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism

aoifeprettypurplepolkadots's review

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Medical content

alicesbookcorner's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Sexual harassment

ashlyncherie's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Everything that Christina Lauren write, I love! This was fun and new for me as a romance reader 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual harassment

itsgnat's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity

gwenswoons's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

I liked this one! Christian Lauren can be hit or miss for me and I think I’m finding that their more recent work feels more creative in the use of tropes, with better character development. I loved the setting and the “rich people behaving badly” of it all, and (as always) the CL chemistry between the two main characters is so good. I do struggle with the flaky artist stereotypes, so this wasn’t my favorite female MC, but Patti Murin’s audio narration was excellent (also as always; I didn’t love the male narrator but he grew on me a bit as I kept listening). Overall a fun read for some long car trips and mind-numbing errands I had to manage this week. :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

⭐ 4.25/5
🌶️ 3/5

Really, Christina Lauren books are always a great read, and this was no exception. 

📝 The story was fun, the FMC was hilarious, the chemistry between the two MCs was great. The whole fake spouse trope can be hard to buy in to, but it felt believable, with the stakes in this story.

🌶️ I always wish Christina and Lauren's books were a little dirtier/more explicit than they actually are, but there's still spice to be had! Multiple heated, enthusiastic scenes that were well done.

🎧 The narration was great! The book is dual POV, so there were two narrators. They both did an excellent job.

🤑 I get major ick from billionaires, so I avoid books about them. But this managed to be a story mostly featuring billionaires that actually didn't gross me out! Or it did, but in the ways the authors wanted where I could still root for the MMC. I thought they dealt with the wealth issue pretty decently overall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

jehansen127's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Gaslighting