Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

22 reviews

cyndi1966's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Stalking, Infidelity, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

lindsayvale's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Violence

allisonplus's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Rape

weeta's review against another edition

dark slow-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

3.0

This was a quick read and Xe Sands is an awesome narrator. As far as thrillers go, story is pretty typical - awful men, a little twist at the end, murder plots involving large inheritances. Fun to listen to while working but not a story or characters that’ll stick with me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, and Violence

jj_tj's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse

Minor: Blood

ssarahbbeth's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

Like most thrillers, this was a page turner. I felt intrigued by how it gender flipped the domestic thriller. Instead of a missing wife we had a missing husband, and right off the bat we know she's guilty. She sets it up for him to be found immediately, but when his body is not where she left it, the question is raised, did he survive and is he out there somewhere, plotting his revenge? Or did someone else have a vendetta against her husband?

No specific spoilers ahead but a little bit about the structure of the plot so if you intend on reading it, you may want to skip. Lila never once goes looking for her dead husband after his body disappears. She doesn't frantically search, she just coolly sits back and lets everything unfold. The first plot twist I absolutely saw coming, and I was a bit disappointed. The second plot twist was a huge surprise, but was delivered like an afterthought. As the story progressed, the dialogue got less believable. I feel this plot was A+++, but the story could have been executed so much better. This is definitely a fast paced and fun read, and I could see myself reading it again, there were just a couple of things that would have made this a 5 star read though that I wish were included.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Sexism, Stalking, Death, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

Nothing is particularly graphically depicted in this book but the themes are heavy and present. The men in the main character's life are horrid. They reduce her to her looks and her coldness or constantly gaslight her.

ells___'s review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence

tabbed_reads2much's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Sexism

While these content warnings weren't excessive or vivid, the sheer number can make the read overwhelming. I would not suggest reading until you are in a good headspace.

thehistorybunny's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

What a great book! Until you get to the end and it turns into something else entirely. Ruined the whole thing. Spoiler-related:

Thought it was going to be a Burning Bed situation and it just escalated into a serial killing/assaulting family???

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

sderrig's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Blood, Physical abuse, Rape, Stalking, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Torture