Scan barcode
emmydoil's review against another edition
I've read fanfics that had better writing then this book and that was deeply upsetting since people raved about this.
The characters were rushed in fleshing out their development, and everything felt sloppy.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Addiction, Violence, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
bookfan1414's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
sasharebekah'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Sexual content, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
katastrophi'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? No
0.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Torture, and War
aelinfeyrebryce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
*Please do not read if SA, R*pe, violence, and talk of blood triggers you*
This is honestly, and I do not say this lightly, the most ATROCIOUS book I have ever read.
Let's just take this step by step:
1. Plot.
There isn't one.
Oh, there's an ATTEMPT at one with some rival gang trying to kill them, but it's flimsy at best. It doesn't actually have any effect on the story until maybe page 380 and it's over within the next 100 pages. Knight solely wrote this book to fulfill a reverse harem fantasy, and that is extremely clear when the "plot" ends at around page 465 and the book has 638 pages. The last 6 chapters before the Epilogue were literally only added so that there could be an additional sex scene with each of the Vipers and Roxy before the conclusion. If you need to add more smut in to entice your readers after the main plot has concluded, then you're doing something wrong. The only thing that has an ounce of detail are the sex scenes, and I really wish they'd had much MUCH less.
2. Characters.
Every character has 10 cons to every pro. From worst to best:
5. Diesel - He is the worst character by FAR. I don't care if you've got a pain kink, more power to you. My issue lies with being SEVERLY ABUSIVE and threatening your sexual partner's LIFE during every single scene! He has so many scenarios where he pushes into Roxy's genuine injuries without caring if she's enjoying it or not. It doesn't even matter that she enjoys pain because he clearly says that he doesn't care if she enjoys it or not! He also has no regard for Roxy's safety either, constantly mixing blood into her wounds, whether it be his or some from one of his poor victims, and only so much can be blamed on his convenient "insanity" before you just sit back and realise that he's a dick! He's horrific and the book could only have improved without him in it.
4. Roxy - Ah yes, the "strong lead badass woman" is a COW! She's rude to every single person she meets, regardless of whether they have done anything to her. She's weak-willed and honestly pathetic for giving up to the Vipers within a WEEK! Also, she actually thinks to herself and says out loud that she will not "let herself get abused" because she isn't "weak"? Abused women are not weak! They are strong, amazing, badass survivours, and it's disgusting for a character to have the thought process leading to anything other than that conclusion when we're meant to root for her. She consistently does horrific acts, including putting the staff and petty criminals in danger by provoking them to cause her harm or look at her in a sexual manner, purely for her own enjoyment! She literally gets a man beaten because she goes to a strip club dressed like a stripper and ACTING LIKE A STRIPPER! She's a toxic piece of shit and I hated her.
3. Garrett - Oh woe is him, he has trauma so no one else is allowed any happiness (!) Honestly, it's a fucking joke that he's meant to be someone to root for. He has genuine trauma and it could have been an interesting plot point, but instead, it's just used to have Garrett be into rough sex. He's possessive like the rest, likes to throw his weight around to intimidate everyone, and is unnecessarily aggressive. He treats women like shit because a woman abused him (not in any way judging that aspect though, I know trauma can cause someone a lot of mental stress), but he acts as if he is JUSTIFIED in his actions against women (ranging from basic assault to SA) because he also has trauma?! YOUR TRAUMA DOES NOT JUSTIFY GIVING OTHER PEOPLE TRAUMA! He doesn't need a fuck toy in Roxy, he needs therapy.
2. Ryder - Shit wrapped in a suit. He thinks he's something special because he's rich, and it's his entitlement that gets Roxy sold in the first place. He also needs therapy, and I'm meant to feel bad for him because he struggles with his feelings? Yeah, well join the fucking club mate, I don't go around committing murder and assaulting people by SQUEEZING THEIR BROKEN RIBS just because I can't tell people when I'm sad! We're supposed to appreciate him for always wanting to protect his family, but he does that at the expense of countless others, costing lives that didn't need to be lost, and he also indulges Diesel in his torture fantasies no matter if the victim is guilty or innocent, which makes him a piece of shit-by-association.
1. Kenzo - Says a lot when the best of the bunch is still a piece of shit and is actually the one who sexually assaulted Roxy first. We're meant to view him as a dark romantic hero of sorts, he's SO in touch with his feelings, when really he's just as possessive, entitled, and abusive as the rest of them! He buys Rozy some expensive stuff and tells her that he loves her and we're meant to swoon, yeah I don't think so! He constantly thinks to himself AND SAYS TO HER FACE that Roxy is his "property" and she will never be free of the Vipers. Even when they offer her her freedom (which they can't even do since it isn't theirs to offer but I digress), he doesn't even last ten minutes before going to drag her back and then PUNISHING HER FOR LEAVING! The fact that he is the pick of the pack honestly makes me sick.
3. Writing style.
It's something alright, but it certainly isn't stylish!
For one thing, the number of typos and grammatical errors in this book was a joke, her proofreader needs to be fired! Secondly, I think that Knight had a word of the day calendar, but every day alternated between "goddamn" and "fuck", she uses those words so often you'd think she invented them! She tries to come up with different descriptive words for sex acts and sex organs but it's just cringey every time, none of the smut scenes were sexy in the slightest. She also can't write characters well at all! Every smut scene (bar the knife scene - don't ask) she could have swapped the boys out with each other and it would have made no difference, which is just a sign of lazy writing. She had characters doing things that they physically could not be doing (See: Roxy running about in a dress and heels after being tortured and having broken toes, ribs, and fingers, as well as a concussion, all before seeing a doctor). Overall, there were no redeeming qualities to her writing style in my eyes, none of it worked at all.
In conclusion, this book deserves minus stars, it's a waste of paper and I would not recommend it to ANYONE! I would never judge anyone for what they like in a book, but I honestly just don't understand how someone could enjoy this book, it was purely written for smut and none of the smut was even good! If people enjoyed it then good for them, I'm glad they got their money's worth, but I pretty much knew from the first typo 3 lines into the first page that I was not going to mesh well with this book.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Incest
notreallyregan's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Gore, Incest, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Trafficking
jasmine_0206's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Gore, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol