Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Devil of Dublin by BB Easton

12 reviews

penny_abel's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful tense 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

4.75

I know the trigger warnings may seem off putting, but the way they were used in this story to give the characters depth and challenges to overcome was fantastic! I absolutely loved the characters and were rooting for them all the way. They are very human and flawed, and the building of their relationship throughout the book was beautiful. I also liked that the spicy scenes had realistic reactions to their traumas. A wonderfully refreshing dark romance with a great love story, likable characters, and the dark bits didn't feel like they were there for shock value. <Spoiler> The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the end of the book has a very emotional and romantic scene take place next to where the couple dumped a dead body much earlier in the story, which was a distracting thought to me during the scene.</Spolier>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Murder, Gun violence, and Pedophilia

dreamypageturner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, Child death, Misogyny, Gore, Cursing, Confinement, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Body horror, Blood, Pregnancy, Bullying, Violence, Incest, Grief, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Torture, Self harm, Car accident, and Drug abuse

Minor: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking

katieklysmic's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

belle13's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

Tropes/Themes: Childhood Friends, Shared Trauma, Mafia Aspects
Amount of spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️

I was completely unprepared for how heartbreaking this would be. Please for the love of god check the content warnings for this one. If I had known before going into it how sad and intense it would be I probably wouldn’t have read it but I’m glad I did because the writing was fantastic. The setting is also so vivid and beautiful, I really felt like I had been transported to Ireland.

I wouldn’t class this specifically as a ‘romance’ not in the traditional sense at least because it almost worried me that they were together given they had so much trauma and being together triggered a lot of their PTSD responses. I wouldn’t say it was ‘romantic’ until right at the very end simply because they were dealing with so much and it felt like it was more about how they overcame their own trauma and worked through their grief than it was about them being a couple.

It was beautiful and emotional and I’m glad it all worked out in the end for them. If it hadn’t I would have lost plot because those poor kids could not catch a break! I would recommend giving it a read but read the CWs first and know that it is not a mafia romance. There are mafia aspects to it but don’t go into it expecting a dark mafia romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Rape

unicornofthesea's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Trafficking, Rape, Child abuse, and Violence

Minor: Bullying, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Cancer

ireadinbed's review

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

3.25

Honestly i usually dislike mafia romances but this was reccomended as 'mafia for those who dint read mafia' and honestly the list was right on the money because i thought this was pretty decent! 

The spicy scenes left something to be desired in the titillation department but they really moved the plot and i appreciated the way everyyhing worked in seamlessly and seemed to serve a purpose. 

I think the setting really helped!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault

after_i_finish_this_chapter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault

elspethm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

5.0

This book really has everything in it, and it all works. 

The background is that Darby comes to visit her grandfather in Ireland every summer and she meets Kellen, a quiet boy she sees in the woods when searching for fairies.  Every year she meets up with him. One year they are jumping in the lake when they have a "supernatural" experience which connects them in a fairy tale way.

Meanwhile, Kellen has been abused by his guardian, Father Henry.  Darby's mother is sick and she can't always come every summer. Then one year she reads online that Father Henry died in a fire, and his ward has likely died with him, but there is no real indication.

A few years later, Darby comes back for her grandfather's funeral with her abusive fiance.  We find out she has been abused by people her father hangs around with, and was "saved" by the fiancé. As he is attacking her, Kellen comes back and saves her. (This is all the first 1/3 of the book!) 

Also meanwhile, since Kellen is on the run, he has no birth certificate, and has been taken in by the Irish mafia.  That leads into a long mafia story which Darby is dragged into.

Along with dealing with both of their previous abuses, they need to save themselves from the mafia.  It sounds crazy, but it all works well together.  

Both Kellen and Darby learn to be strong for each other and fight for themselves against their demons.  There is a HEA and Kellen's back story is ultimately described, which is also sad, but compelling  (dealing with the church, abuse, and church based maternity/"adoption" which wasn't really fought against until *1998*!) 

There are a lot of trigger warnings, mostly because of their backstories and Kellen's mafia ties, but the romance is wonderful, and the supernatural / fairy tale portion of the story makes it even more special.  I don't generally like mafia books and I definitely prefer not to read books about church/abuse, but I enjoyed this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Gun violence, Car accident, Bullying, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Police brutality, Sexual content, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

aklovekorn's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Car accident, Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Rape, Police brutality, and Trafficking

karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

“He’d found the strength to destroy the men who’d hurt us, and if that made him the Devil, then I would gladly burn in hell by his side.”

I quite enjoyed this gripping, hauntingly tragic, action packed story! 

At the start of this book we follow Darby as a young girl when she forms an unlikely friendship with Kellen, a mute known as the devil’s son, during summer trips to see her grandfather on his sheep farm in Ireland. With each summer visit, the pair grow closer while searching the woods for fairies and finding solace in the others’ company. After a tragedy and years later, Darby returns to the Irish village engaged to another man & unsure of what feelings reuniting with her old friend will bring to light. 

This story starts off a bit slower as we learn about the back story and what led to Darby & Kellen to form such a strong bond as children. There are some dark moments that happen to both MC’s as kids that are revealed as the story unfolds which was just heartbreaking to read. I have to say that there’s just something beautiful about seeing two pained souls find their way back to their first love🥹 

I was rooting for Darby and Kellen the whole way through! They were respectful of each other & mutually understood that touch alone was sacred, especially given their traumas. 

I also want to mention the Author’s note. It was fascinating to learn about the history behind this tale and I appreciate BB’s honesty in telling this story. 

**Please be kind to yourself & check the content warnings before jumping in because this does cover some dark subject matter— mainly child abuse, SA, ptsd, & domestic violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide attempt and Adult/minor relationship