Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

12 reviews

emherrick's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The cast of characters is an interesting concept; however, I think some characters were more well developed than others. The main plot isn't what you think, the murder that is teased in the beginning does not happen until about 80% in. However, I did not really mind because I was invested in Lottie searching for answers regarding her mother.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

bekshirey's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Cursing

oceanelle's review

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

This was a breezy, quick read, but I couldn’t help feeling that everything I love about Bake-Off was tarnished by a distinctly American cynicism and lack of genuine human connection (which, incidentally, has always been why I don’t think the show would work in the US, but I digress).

The pacing was too fast and I would’ve liked more time to get emotionally invested in the characters; the characters were flat yet their professed development and connections happened suddenly and without reason, making it feel like there were things happening off the page that the reader didn’t get to see. It seems like the author tried to weave in some darker themes—

alcoholism, depression, sexual assault survivorship, anxiety blackouts, foster care, the murder of a parent, grooming, etc.

—but all of the representations of these experiences were clichéd, one-dimensional, and too neatly “resolved.”

As for the mystery, some of the twists and turns were satisfyingly surprising, but for the most part, I felt let down. In short, comparing the book to Only Murders in the Building and Knives Out is a stretch and a half; this was neither cozy nor clever enough to compare. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

rebgar727's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

This is a great read! Some tropes are to be expected given the genre of the book, but there were multiple layers to the plot (layers... Like a cake.. get it...). The writing style is fantastic- descriptive, yet easy to follow along. Main complaint is that the ending left more to be desired.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism

rochelleisreading's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Murder, Sexism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders

atamano's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, and Infidelity

Minor: Vomit

sarahmorgan's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The story was fun. The copywriting was strikingly lacking - there were at least half a dozen errors that kind of took you out of the story - but that isn’t the author’s fault!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, and Blood

kwurtzel3's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Misogyny

avari_schmader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Death of parent

thaliareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I went into this book expecting one mystery and it turned out there were actually three mysteries to be solved. I love the setting of the baking competition and I love the variety in the cast of characters. The pacing wasn't quite what I typically prefer. It seemed to start with a bang, slow way down, and then go full force in the last few chapters. I almost thought that the murder part of the murder mystery would go unsolved, but they snuck the answers in at the last minute. I could easily see this being adapted into a movie or series. I thought it was very dynamic and I loved that the audio book had so many different narrators. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Gore, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

As a murder mysery, most of the content warnings come with the genre. I don't think I'd consider this a "cozy" mystery despite the baking aspect. There is a secondary mystery dealing with the grief felt by one of the contestants who's mother mysteriously dissapeared while working in the house that the competition was hosted in. In addition the story does include a toxic relationship that is currently unfolding, as well as another contestant who shares a similar historical incident of sexual harassment in the workplace.