Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The House of the Wicked: A romantic suspense novel by Oona Arlo

1 review

lore_and_books's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Whoa. What a great read. Every time I thought I knew what was coming, I was wrong. The suspense, the twists, the tension, the secrets, the world of crime — it was all so engrossing. The setting is dark, but the romance aspect itself is not particularly dark. Perhaps this is obvious given the setting, but I still think it’s important to mention; there are many CWs. The author makes these all available in the back of the book.

After losing her parents at a young age, Nora is raised by her godfather who is a crime lord. He is controlling and protective, keeping Nora heavily guarded at all times. Enter: the new head of security. From the moment they meet, their magnetic pull to each other is hard to resist, as much as they know they shouldn’t act on it. When Nora and August are forced to flee the city, Nora struggles with knowing who she can trust. Faced with confronting her role in her godfather’s criminal empire, complicated feelings for August, and secrets that crumble everything she’s ever known — can Nora finally leave this life behind?

I really liked the formatting of the book: several chapters in Nora’s POV, and then several in August’s, rather than switching back and forth every chapter. I feel like it really let me see inside each character more and understand their actions and motivations better.

Read if you like:
- forbidden romance (he’s her bodyguard)
- forced proximity
- suspense
- criminal world setting
- touch her and regret it

This is Book 1 of a duet, and does end on a cliffhanger.
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