Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

9 reviews

jennanaps's review

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Abandonment

Moderate: Blood, Death, Colonisation, War, Child abuse, Medical content, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

smuttymcbookface's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.75

As with all Tessa Dare books, this was fun to read with hilarious banter between the characters.

Both the MMC and FMC, Logan and Maddie, are easy to like but frustratingly dense about each other. Tessa Dare always does an amazing job of taking an almost outlandish plot (a 16 year old girl making up a fiance, who then turns up at her castle) and turning it into something fun rather than ridiculous.

I did find Logan quite infuriating in intimacy scenes, as he was often pushy and ignored non-verbal "No"s. This is quite common in historical romances, so I don't hold it against the book. However, when Maddie explicitly said "Stop," he did.

The ending was a little too much for my liking,

her leaving for a supposed 6 month expedition, but actually just not telling her what she was doing for a week,

but as always, the epilogue was wonderful.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Sexual content

jessgj's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.5

This has been on my radar for a while. I've loved the Tessa Dare books I've read thus far but didn't want to burn through them all quickly. That said, I just DNF'd a book that left me wanting and decided to get back into it. I was not disappointed.

I really appreciate how Dare's books properly start on page one. In another writer's hand, we could have spent more time world-building and spinning our wheels but Dare just launches into the story and asks us to keep up. Instead, the book starts on page one,  immediately showing us Maddy and her worldview through the letters. Unknowingly, this also builds up the believability of the romance because we're drawn into her the same way Logan is. If we kept going with the book after a few of her letters, I can't imagine how he felt after 6 years of letters.

I love the cast of characters (Grant, my dear sweet man) and appreciated how while they're the comic relief, they help humanize Logan and really make you side with him, even when he makes poor choices. They're the proof that he's not as gruff and brutish as he wants you to think he is. And the tragic backstory? Amazing and truly heartbreaking. 

(I don't have a place to mention this but dang, I love a thirsty MC who's like "This isn't just my lusty desire to see a naked person, I'm a SCIENTIST!" It always slaps.)

The ending was a little clunky to me, with extra drama and loose ends to tie up. That said, I didn't mind it too much as I needed to make sure all of my new imaginary friends were okay. I'll definitely be returning to this writer. 

TW: Abandonment, sexual content, panic disorder, PTSD, brief violence and injury, blood, blackmail, off-page deaths, mentions of war and battles,

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death, War, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Child death

indieandajean's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted

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

5.0

I tried very hard (veh-ry veh-ry hard) to find something I didn't like about this one, and honestly folks, I came up empty. "The cover art wasn't my favorite" was about the best I had because otherwise this is just all the tropes wrapped up with a neat little (tartan) bow.

If you like any of the following, this one is for you:
- Misunderstandings
-Marriage of convenience
-My heart can't take rejection so I am going to pretend I'm not in love even though I totally am.
-Kilts.
-Accents.
-Tragic backstories
-Lovable side characters
-Possessiveness
-Supporting each other's dreams

Need I say more?

I really think this might be one of my favorite books Dare has ever written, and I highly recommend reading it.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: War, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Colonisation

uranaishi's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Dementia, Medical content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, Death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Violence, and War

charitytinnin's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and War

wickedgrumpy's review

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

The cover and title are admittedly very cringe, however the premise is hilarious.

I had a surprising amount of fun reading this book.  The female main character was quick to invest me in what happened next and her Not Like The Other Girls (TM) vibes were actually pretty endearing since the initial shallowness of "I don't like balls and dancing" ended up having a lot of character depth to it and led to a very sweet moment between her and the main guy.

The prologue started off on an epistolary note and the letters she was writing were so silly that I honestly wouldn't have minded a full documentation of the 4 years worth.

There remain in my heart some qualms about the initial blackmailing situation as well as the semi-sketchy consent issues, but when they finally manage to communicate honestly and trust each other, everything worked out really well.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Alcohol, Mental illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, War, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders

kim03's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

Idk, I feel like Tessa Dare could've milked it out a little more (e.g. the marriage of convenience, the letters she wrote but also Logan's character / background...)

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, War, and Abandonment

Minor: Blood and Death of parent

aqtbenz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment