Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Twisted by Emily McIntire

43 reviews

popquizliz's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

lilithreads's review

adventurous dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Minor: Kidnapping and Car accident

__romancereader__'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-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

I loved this book so much read it in 1 sitting it was amazing i love julian and yasmin the book is definitely getting a five star from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Not all content warnings are about the main characters some are and some are about the characters that come along in the book🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

l_piller's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

ellecarp's review against another edition

dark funny 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent

bryelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

Obsessed with this book. This is a dark Aladdin retelling, where “Jafar” gets the girl. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcohol

r1vana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.5

“I want to reach into your chest and hold your heart in my hands, making sure it only beats for me. 
But I don't want your firsts, Yasmin. I want your forever.” 

This is one of the most anticipated books of 2023. With the last book being a hit for me, I had high hopes and Emily Mcintire did not let me down this time!

This was so good. I read it in one shot. Left no crumbs.

There are some ups and downs…

This is a retelling of Aladdin but the villain gets the girl as always in this Never After series. 

I have always loved Aladdin. So when I heard that the author is gonna make a retelling, I was kinda scared and hesitant to read it.

In this book, we are introduced to Yasmin and Julian.

Julian Faraci wants everything. When I mean everything it’s Yasminems father’s diamond business that he helped for years. But in order to do so, he needs to marry Yasmin in order to own Sultan's.

On the other hand, Yasmin wants nothing more than to be able to love Aidan, the man she loved as a child. She just want to truly love him openly. However, due to her father's dying wish, marrying someone of his wish so the soon to be husband will become to heir of his company. 

•Tropes? 

Slow burn with banter

Age gap (13yrs) with arranged marriage by forced. 

Forced proximity and sexual tension.

Enemies to lovers

“If you touch her, you die.”

“My wife!”

The slow burn was slow. Which sometimes made it seems that the plot was getting dragged, but when they got together, the plot got real fast.

Also, I wished that Yasmine had a backbone. Because sometimes it was frustrating to read whenever she let people walk all over her. This book has some misogyny. Julian is hot and cold. But the more we get to see his childhood, the more I have come to care for him:
Your first mistake was not recognizing who I am... Your second mistake was disrespecting my wife. 

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The author easily portrayed Julian as a villain who is truly avaricious and toxic, but deep down, he is a man who has always known what he wants. 

Until Yasmin tries very hard to exploit his weaknesses against him. All the secret scheming and the tension was stressful were almost unsettling. 

I like that his character didn't immediately progressed to a happy lolly changed-man persona that usually comes with dark romances.

By the time I finished the book, his villainous side was still strong as ever but his wife has become his first priority. He is a man who would not hesitate to commit crimes for the people he loves without ever feeling guilty.

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This book also has a love triangle. Something I don’t really like. But in this case since it is a forced marriage with a “villain(antihero) gets the girl”, I let it pass.

And why the heck did he named his snake Isabella. Julian definitely did not look villainy… on that part.

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At the end of the day, Yasmine is sweet and Julian is spicy. They have come to balance each other:
 "My love for you is dangerous.”

PSA: Julian has a very filthy mouth. He is for the street. He’s an Italian villain:
"You're an angel, gattina. And I'll break your wings just to keep you by my side.” 

The spice level depends on the reader…

degradation; spanking; daddy kink; choking; voyeurism

"Sei bellissima quando implori."

“You look beautiful when you beg.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Child abuse

taylorvalerie's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

krisalexcole's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

readingwithjamie's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Finally writing my review since Twisted is released. 

Emily has done it again! This is my favorite Never After series book. This is a dark contemporary fractured fairy tale loosely based on Aladdin. She has a way of weaving in those little nuggets and characteristics of the original characters from the story, all the while executing a unique plot that has you on the edge of your seat with all its twists and turns!

This story follows Yasmin and Julian. Yasmin is the heiress to the her dying father's diamond fortune. Julian is her father's right hand man.  Julian wants Yasmin's legacy and Yasmin wants to marry the "love of her life" without disappointing her father. Julian coerces Yasmin into marrying him for his own selfish reasons with the promise that she can go live with her secret boyfriend. 

I read this book in less than a day, I could not put it down. The tension between these two characters...phew that coffee table scene...is down right addicting!!
I don't know what it is exactly, but a possessive behavior just does it for me in a book. Julian had me drooling. I just love how their relationship evolved from where Julian hated literally everyone to loving Yasmin and literally hurting anyone who touches her. Loved that Yasmin was such a spitfire and was not afraid to put Julian in his place. Julian's backstory was heartbreaking, all that trauma made me want to put him a bubble to save him.   

I cannot say enough great things about this book. This is by far my series and Emily's proves over and over again that she writes the best morally grey characters. Recommend if you love dark romance, age gap, forced marriage/marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, My Wife energy. Please check trigger warnings before reading.

Spice: 4

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer and Domestic abuse