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starcrossreverie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I waited for this book on Libby for a month, probably longer, and told myself to finish the book for that reason but one chapter after the rape scene I realized that finishing the book means I'll have to read Daphne get her happily ever after and that Simon would have to push aside his feelings in order to make HER happy. That is beyond fucked up.
And it wasn't just the rape scene that made me give this book a 1 star.
It's bland and boring. With a fake dating trope, it NEEDS drama. It needs more than just one scene where one becomes jealous at the romantic attention the other is getting, and that scene in Daphne's calling room was not it due to how soon into the fake dating it happened.
Daphne tells Simon that the fake dating wouldn't work on the Mamas as they'll continue pushing their single daughters at him but we don't get a scene like that! Even if it was just Daphne's self consciousness letting her say that, we still don't get to experience Daphne getting jealous of the attention he's getting.
They fall in love too quickly, which goes against the fake dating trope. They're supposed to have that realization that makes them go into denial over their feelings, only to realize that they can't escape how they feel, and then there's supposed to be a moment where they wonder how on earth are they going to turn this from fake dating into real dating, wondering if the other person even feels the same way about them.
The fake dating trope is supposed to come with drama and angst, but everything goes perfectly without any bumps in the road. I wouldn't even call the duel a bump because it was so dumb.
I knew she was going to rape him before I started reading but I liked her siblings and Lady Whistledown from the show a lot, so I read it for them and figured I'll push past this book to get to the other ones. Wasn't worth it, plus I've since learned that her brothers are trash to women.
My curiosity to see how bad the men in these books are makes me want to try reading the other books. I don't see myself finishing them either.
Overall, Daphne is a POS. I hate this book. And to the defenders who say "this is what happened in the 1800s.", this book wasn't written in the 1800s, and y'all aren't reading it in the 1800s. I would not be surprised if fans of these book also love Haunting Adeline. I am legit mad that the book fans talked about this dark romance series as if everything was sweet and wholesome, y'all really have people thinking these books are normal romances.
Graphic: Ableism, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Rape
jeyjeyyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Fun if you’re a big fan of the show (like me) and wanted some more content though it’s clear the show made a looootttt of effort to improve this lackluster story.
Cute romance at times but ruined by the toxicity, the assault, and the « you’re my property » talk which was just EWW
Bonus bad : sexual assault is REALLY not cute ! Nor is guilt tripping the victim ms Daphne :)
Yeah : it’s bad
Will I be reading Antony’s book just cause it’s Antony ? Yes, obviously.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment and Ableism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Classism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence, Cursing, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Violence
dorin_love's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Daphne outright rapes Simon while he is unable to consent due to copious amounts of alcohol. She forces him to impregnate her against his will.gwenswoons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
itsbaberuthless's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
Minor: Classism, Infertility, Death of parent, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
emclougher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Classism, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
maziemouse's review against another edition
1.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
mels_reading_rook's review against another edition
I was having a wonderful time, enjoying the story and the characters. And then, a little over halfway, it all started to go downhill. Daphne and Simon were caught in a compromising position, and so Simon agreed to a duel to the death with her brother, Anthony. Daphne proceeds to manipulate the situation and guilts Simon into marrying her, where he informs her he can't have children. Yes, his choice of wording was misleading - as it is a won't not can't situation - and when Daphne discovered that discrepency, she had no respect for his boundaries. Yes, she's entitled to be upset by that misdirection, but she should still respect that children was out of the question.
Instead, Daphne does the worst possible thing. She rapes him, and violates all his boundaries.
I am done with this book. I am done with this series.
This review can also be found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6531894162
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Classism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Miscarriage
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Classism, Rape, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, and Racism
Minor: Fatphobia, Blood, Alcohol, Body shaming, Vomit, Violence, and Cursing