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carbs666's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: War and Violence
ashlikes'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Violence, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Death, Infertility, Transphobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
mothie_girlie's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Transphobia, War, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexism
isotope_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Kidnapping
bunny_boy's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
Minor: War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia
pinkhyxteria'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, War, and Violence
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I definitely didn’t like this book as much as everyone else seems to.
Look, I want to make it very clear that Alexis Hall succeeded in his goal to write a historical romance with a trans main character in which her trans identity is not the main source of conflict. Yay!
Viola and Gracewood’s relationship was very sweet.
Hall handled gender and disability quite well. I have no complaints there.
Mira was by far my favorite character (loved her Frankenstein fixation!), and I would love to read a book about her finding love (especially if her love interest is not a man cause regardless of who she finds attractive, I don’t think that character would be happy married to a man within her particular social circumstances).
My main problem with this book was that it was far too long. It’s about 150 pages longer than industry standard for an adult romance novel (historical or contemporary), and it drags horribly at times. The characters also have the same conversation over and over.
The random villain in the final 1/4 of the story didn’t bother me conceptually. I thought the plot was fine. I just wish he’d been set up better and earlier. I also think there was some wasted potential for tension between Viola and Gracewood during all of that. Maybe the villain plot could have happened earlier and the official getting together could have been later (but with more tension and less repetition).
I enjoy Alexis Hall’s characters and his humor quite a bit. I just want him to write shorter books and pace them better.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence and Transphobia
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Gun violence, Sexual content, War, Drug abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Blood, Abandonment, Bullying, Homophobia, Vomit, and Kidnapping
anniereads221's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Classism, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Ableism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, and Deadnaming
alliei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I. LOVED. IT. SO. MUCH. I WANT MORE. GIVE ME A SEQUEL OR BONUS CHAPTER IDK JUST GIVE ME ANYTHING PLS.
I felt so much while reading this but nothing can compare to the love that Viola and Gracewood have for each other. I was literally just swooning and crying throughout the book, there was no in between.
I’m still so emotional right after reading it and that damn epilogue was such a nice way of ending the book, i want to cryYyy. I love the characters, i love everyone (except for the two assholes near the end, of course). I LOVE EVERYTHING.
Tbh i’m tempted to read it again rn.
Graphic: Deadnaming and War
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Death