You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow.
I sobbed so much throughout this book. This was a lesson in trauma and not just by a boyfriend or spouse but family. Although this i meant to be a romance the family trauma in here is what made me cry the most. It spurred, Grace to actions that she took in her romantic life. She was looking for love anywhere and the first person that gave it to her she gave her all too. The relationships in this book are so complex and not black and white.
What I liked:
- Such an accurate representation of abuse.
- Friendship relationships
- Emotionally jarring writing.
What I didn't like
- Nothing was really wrapped up and maybe that was the point but i wanted to know more.
I highly recommend
I sobbed so much throughout this book. This was a lesson in trauma and not just by a boyfriend or spouse but family. Although this i meant to be a romance the family trauma in here is what made me cry the most. It spurred, Grace to actions that she took in her romantic life. She was looking for love anywhere and the first person that gave it to her she gave her all too. The relationships in this book are so complex and not black and white.
What I liked:
- Such an accurate representation of abuse.
- Friendship relationships
- Emotionally jarring writing.
What I didn't like
- Nothing was really wrapped up and maybe that was the point but i wanted to know more.
I highly recommend
This is not an easy book to read. But it was really well done.
Trigger warning; emotional/physical/sexual abuse. Attempted suicide/many suicidal thoughts.
This was a very heavy, very raw, very trigger book. It's incredibly real and realistic. You can feel the fear,pain,love and worry through out the book.
This was a very heavy, very raw, very trigger book. It's incredibly real and realistic. You can feel the fear,pain,love and worry through out the book.
So torn, because while I did like the book and story, it felt like such a slog sometimes. Definitely a super important story though.
Finished reading: June 30th 2018
“When I feel trapped, afraid, lonely, I only have to look up at the sky and think: this is what people in Morocco look at when they see the sky. And India, Thailand, South Africa. Korea and Chile and Italy. The world, I remind myself, is mine, if only I have the courage to grasp it when the opportunity is given to me.”
Spoiler
I've had lots of people warning me to brace myself before picking up Bad Romance, because it would be an emotionally draining read. I can definitely understand that warning now. Bad Romance will make you feel uncomfortable, frustrated, outraged and basically an emotional wreck. Oh yes, this is not an easy read and painfully accurate in describing how a toxic relationship can destroy a person. Coming from someone who had the back luck of being in a toxic relationship once, I can fully relate to the main character Grace. Did I want to scream at her to get the hell out? Yes. Was I frustrated by how blind she was to what Gavin was doing to her? Yes. Did I shake my head as she let him take away her freedom piece by piece? Yes. But this is exactly what a toxic relationship will do to the victim and while painfully frustrating at times, Heather Demetrios deserves a round of applause for getting these words on paper no matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel. I could have done without the love triangle, which put kind of a damper on things for me, but overall Bad Romance is a very strong read that will stay with me for a long time. Emotionally draining, but o so satisfying in the end.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
Whoa. This book was bitter and dark. But also absolutely bone-chilling and beautiful. I cried buckets of tears. Heather Demetrios is SUCH a master of words. I read Something Real eons ago, and it was dark and twisted but hidden under a bright, flashy veneer. This book arrived without pretension, and I enjoyed it in a totally different way.
The book is incredible because you really do come to fall in love with Gavin, even though you know he will become a monster someday. But we don't ever see Grace view him in a totally different way. He doesn't ever become UGLY, even though he's become some scruffy rock god who reeks of cigarettes. You only realize that he's become this horrible person after he crosses the line. And suddenly, everything he's ever done has become horrific and creepy.
My heart goes out to the missed opportunities. Think of the poor Gideon's of the world who got caught in the fray. I hope he gets a happy ending someday too. And doesn't Grace realize she DOES deserve someone good and pure? That's almost the most messed up part — that she thinks someone like Gideon is too good for her. He's my kind of people, and I love everything he stands for.
Grace's mom's relationship with Roy was the perfect foil (or was it more like parallelism? Sad either way), and so was her OCD (vs. Gavin, of course). Seriously though, how could Grace's mom make her go back to him? Meanwhile, I adored Gavin's parents. They made the separation so much harder.
I also loved that Nat and Kyle got their own happy ending, even though you only realize it by reading between the lines in the acknowledgements. But um, why were Kyle and Peter such loyal friends with Gavin? They had to realize something about the whole situation had gone horribly wrong. Speaking of the acknowledgements/author's note, that whole section made this book even more of a suckerpunch. How much of this story, in its essence, was real? I mean, it obviously was, because how else can you end up with a story so raw and real?
Bad Romance is hopeless, heart wrenching, dark, and twisted. The writing is a car crash that you see coming from a mile away. I only wish we got to see Grace on the other side of it all. The ending was way too soon! Couldn't we just get a little glimpse into her life four years from now, after living large at USC?
The book is incredible because you really do come to fall in love with Gavin, even though you know he will become a monster someday. But we don't ever see Grace view him in a totally different way. He doesn't ever become UGLY, even though he's become some scruffy rock god who reeks of cigarettes. You only realize that he's become this horrible person after he crosses the line. And suddenly, everything he's ever done has become horrific and creepy.
My heart goes out to the missed opportunities. Think of the poor Gideon's of the world who got caught in the fray. I hope he gets a happy ending someday too. And doesn't Grace realize she DOES deserve someone good and pure? That's almost the most messed up part — that she thinks someone like Gideon is too good for her. He's my kind of people, and I love everything he stands for.
Grace's mom's relationship with Roy was the perfect foil (or was it more like parallelism? Sad either way), and so was her OCD (vs. Gavin, of course). Seriously though, how could Grace's mom make her go back to him? Meanwhile, I adored Gavin's parents. They made the separation so much harder.
I also loved that Nat and Kyle got their own happy ending, even though you only realize it by reading between the lines in the acknowledgements. But um, why were Kyle and Peter such loyal friends with Gavin? They had to realize something about the whole situation had gone horribly wrong. Speaking of the acknowledgements/author's note, that whole section made this book even more of a suckerpunch. How much of this story, in its essence, was real? I mean, it obviously was, because how else can you end up with a story so raw and real?
Bad Romance is hopeless, heart wrenching, dark, and twisted. The writing is a car crash that you see coming from a mile away. I only wish we got to see Grace on the other side of it all. The ending was way too soon! Couldn't we just get a little glimpse into her life four years from now, after living large at USC?
Oh my goodness. This book was absolutely incredible. I had high expectations for this book. I really did. I love Heather’s writing, but this book was something else. I think it’s such a powerful read that I wish was more widely read. I might as well just end this review here and just say BUY IT BUY IT READ IT READ IT!… but I think you need more convincing than that.
Bad Romance centres around Grace who has a pretty tough home life. Her stepfather scares her and her mother’s OCD makes Grace’s life incredibly hard. Grace is constantly doing jobs for her stepfather and scrubbing away making sure everything is super clean for her mother. Grace wants to escape her life. She wants to direct in NYC. She certainly has big dreams. She then meets Gavin. He’s totally gorgeous and talented. Grace can’t believe her luck. However, poor Grace actually finds herself in a controlling relationship. Grace and Gavin fall in love quickly and deeply and before she knows it, Grace is trapped in a dangerous relationship…
I love how Bad Romance is told. It recalls what has happened in the relationship with Gavin. Right from the start, the reader knows it’s not good news, but she slowly tells us the downfall of the relationship. Oh my goodness, it was such an intense read. It’s not easy to read but at the same time it was easy to keep turning the pages, desperate for Grace to escape from her toxic relationship and rubbish life.
Grace is an adorable character. She puts up with so much crap from her family. It was easy to see why she fell for Gavin’s advances so quickly. She just wanted to be loved. He was her hero, helping her get away from her family and it was easy to see why she was taken by him. I loved that she had strong friendships and I loved her theatre adoration. Even though we didn’t see Grace’s sister so much, it was nice to know she had that support system there as well. It was so tough to read about Grace’s experiences with Gavin and her stepfather because I was rooting for her to have her happy ending. I really grew to care for her over the course of the story.
I think this book is so vital because it sends a warning about how easy it can be to get into an unhealthy relationship. Gavin made my skin crawl. He really did. I hated how he made Grace feel and how he controlled her so much that she wasn’t even allowed to be friendly towards her male friends. He also affected her dreams. Grr, Gavin made me mad!
I will remember this book because I think it’s such an important, educative read. It will stay with me for a while.
Bad Romance centres around Grace who has a pretty tough home life. Her stepfather scares her and her mother’s OCD makes Grace’s life incredibly hard. Grace is constantly doing jobs for her stepfather and scrubbing away making sure everything is super clean for her mother. Grace wants to escape her life. She wants to direct in NYC. She certainly has big dreams. She then meets Gavin. He’s totally gorgeous and talented. Grace can’t believe her luck. However, poor Grace actually finds herself in a controlling relationship. Grace and Gavin fall in love quickly and deeply and before she knows it, Grace is trapped in a dangerous relationship…
I love how Bad Romance is told. It recalls what has happened in the relationship with Gavin. Right from the start, the reader knows it’s not good news, but she slowly tells us the downfall of the relationship. Oh my goodness, it was such an intense read. It’s not easy to read but at the same time it was easy to keep turning the pages, desperate for Grace to escape from her toxic relationship and rubbish life.
Grace is an adorable character. She puts up with so much crap from her family. It was easy to see why she fell for Gavin’s advances so quickly. She just wanted to be loved. He was her hero, helping her get away from her family and it was easy to see why she was taken by him. I loved that she had strong friendships and I loved her theatre adoration. Even though we didn’t see Grace’s sister so much, it was nice to know she had that support system there as well. It was so tough to read about Grace’s experiences with Gavin and her stepfather because I was rooting for her to have her happy ending. I really grew to care for her over the course of the story.
I think this book is so vital because it sends a warning about how easy it can be to get into an unhealthy relationship. Gavin made my skin crawl. He really did. I hated how he made Grace feel and how he controlled her so much that she wasn’t even allowed to be friendly towards her male friends. He also affected her dreams. Grr, Gavin made me mad!
I will remember this book because I think it’s such an important, educative read. It will stay with me for a while.