Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

20 reviews

brokenlightdances's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Biphobia

Minor: Fatphobia

allonsyahhlee's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Minor: Classism, Violence, and Emotional abuse

ohheyitskaitlin's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content, Biphobia, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Ableism, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Violence, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Medical content

historic_wince's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted slow-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

4.0

I nearly DNFed this book 8% into it. I could not get past the second hand embarrassment of the

FMC lying to the love interest in order to impress him

. Granted, this is supposed to be cringe worthy, but it nearly did me in. I’m glad, however, that I picked the book back up and finished it. (The audiobook, btw, his excellent. Narrator did a really great job with all the voices). 

 

Our main character is Rosaline, a bisexual disaster. She’s a 27 yr single mum, who’s still desperately trying to live up to her parents expectations. And while she’s always doing what’s best for her kid, she’s not always doing what’s best for her. That includes her dating life. 

 

I really enjoy how Alexis Hall’s writing style has matured and his character work remains top notch. Some readers mayn’t appreciate just how contemporary some of the references are, nor that the book/baking show is rather self referential. Others may not like the ‘love triangle’ at the center of this story, but I really enjoyed the character development throughout the 8+ weeks and how the two love interests juxtaposed one another. This novel contains several sex scenes, but not of them are intended to be ‘spicy.’ Instead, they are central to the development of the plot and character arcs of our main characters. 

 

I did foresee

Alain’s suggested threesome, but I will admit how the scene played out was more scary than I anticipated. Rosaline is assaulted by Alain’s female friend, and both women were coerced by Alain himself to participate. The scene is not particularly violent and Rosaline is able to safely barricade herself until able to the leave the situation.

 

 

I think this series has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to the next installments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Biphobia, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

cluckieduck's review

funny lighthearted slow-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Biphobia, and Cursing

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Bullying, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse

sglance9's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Biphobia, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

alexgloriaj's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Biphobia

imds's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Gaslighting

plumpaperbacks's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-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

3.5

This was good in the beginning and in the end, but my interest waned during most of the middle. While I did like Rosaline, my favorite characters were side characters—specifically, Anvita and Amelie. The banter was highly entertaining, but there were also times where some of the dialogue and even a couple of characters felt cringey. I liked Alain at first, but then he started to get on my nerves more and more, and then he outed himself as a totally pretentious, jealous asshole. I no longer like him. And while Harry is a sweetheart, no doubt about it, I… didn’t really feel any chemistry between him and Rosaline?? I liked their friendship, but never really got attached to their romance.

Also, it felt pretty obvious to me that Rosaline would win the competition. Books like these almost always either have the protagonist win, or they come in second/third place but still end up getting some sort of prize out of it. I’m happy for her, don’t get me wrong—and definitely glad that Alain didn’t win—but yeah. No surprise factor here.

Overall, this was fine. Not the new favorite I’d hoped it would be when I started, but not bad either. I’d recommend it, but there are other romances I’d recommend first/more. I’ll probably read the next one just because I’m curious, and these books are, at the very least, entertaining.

Representation

• bisexual protagonist
• lesbian side character
• achillean side character
• Punjabi side character
• side character with an anxiety disorder (unspecified)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Classism, Biphobia, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

The sexual content and sexual assault tags are there separately; there are multiple, consensual sex scenes varying from mild to moderate explicitness. The attempted sexual assault was stopped and challenged. Emotional abuse, gaslighting and classism are all in regards to Rosaline’s parents, with the former two relating to their treatment of her and the latter to their opinions of others. Biphobia is also directed at Rosaline, but from side characters, and she challenges it every step of the way.

cheye13's review against another edition

lighthearted 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: Classism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Gaslighting, Biphobia, and Cursing

Minor: Bullying and Fatphobia