Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

5 reviews

hudsononaux's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Grief, Stalking, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infertility, Violence, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death of parent, and Chronic illness

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I always enjoy this author duo, and I was very sucked into this story. It felt weird that it was set in an area where I've spent so much time! Will read more by this pair.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Stalking

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Gun violence, and Medical content

adventuresinfictionland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Stalking

sunsetcity's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Murder, Miscarriage, and Stalking

thatswhatshanread's review

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

This is my first Hendricks/Pekkanen book and it was a pretty solid domestic thriller! 

The writing was gripping and the short chapters helped moved the story along, even when I found some parts of the plot dragging a little. I did like the dual POVs switching between the two main female characters of the novel, the unorthodox therapist and the unfaithful wife. Overall, the web of lies and deception played out well, bringing in several minor characters to make you second guess things. 

Still, the final moments and twists of the book kinda threw me off of the intrigue. It didn’t quite add up, perhaps feeling a little rushed and tired, in terms of the genre. I guess I was disappointed in the end results, but I wouldn’t say that made it a bad book. I just hoped for something else to happen.

This one was definitely all about perfect appearances, and people not being who they seem to be on the surface. Perfection often precedes secrecy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, and Stalking

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent