Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Gleam by Raven Kennedy

103 reviews

feuchtitive's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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? No

1.5

Just meh. But I’ve invested. Why am I still here?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Kidnapping

annick's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

1.0

Errr I’m still skimming and disliking this series. I was told the spider sex would be great (ch30-32, 36). It wasn’t worth it. And the melodramatic dark trauma scenes in the first quarter are unpleasant and not my vibe. 

Annoying it was the writing style that irritated the most. The multiple similes back to back. The excessive inner chatter of the first person narrators in POV characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

monica0309's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

scarlett_f's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Sexual content, Gore, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Confinement, Grief, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Pregnancy, War, Alcohol, Murder, and Trafficking

bangiebangs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5

Yes, this book finally delivers. You get all the steamy spice, the romance, the tension, and the twists. That, but heed the CNs again - where the last one was tamer, this one is pretty heavy, especially if you're sensitive to drug use and abuse. Spice, would say 4/5!

I read this one in one sitting again, and I feel like the story keeps picking up steam! The romance between Auren and Slade blossoms into steamy sex (dare I say: finally the slow burn is over!), and the first big story arc feels wrapped up. The book still ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the main arcs are finished. 

There are a couple pretty intense themes in this one.

For me, the drug abuse - especially the scenes where Auren gets drugged - were pretty intense. This, along with the physical and psychological abuse is a severe mix.

Overall really good! I'm beginning to think you can skip book 1 (and maybe read a synopsis, or not), and just start with book 2. This could have been a duology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexism, Addiction, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Torture and Slavery

crystal689's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Torture

Moderate: Sexual violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Blood, and Violence

Minor: Rape, Confinement, and Murder

midnacine's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

5.0

This is absolutely my favorite book in the series, it wrenches my heart out every fucking time. Not a big fan of the narrators' performances in this one- I don't think Blake Lockhart reads women's voices well, so that took me out of the smut, and Zara Eden's inflection and pronunciation choices were strange at best. Narration I'd probably give a 3.75/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Torture, Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Trafficking

Minor: Infidelity, War, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, and Grief

mspilesofpaper's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

I’m in so much pain because of this fucking book/series and I will never get the hype about it. But then … it’s fucking booktok, so I should know by now that every hyped up booktok book is bullshit.

1) A lot happens but a minimum is actual plot. Most is Auren's rambling/musing and sex. Bad sex. The kind of sex where I wonder if the author ever had sex. Also dick girth. The kind where it’s so massive that I would worry about the vagina (either because it’s so big and thick that it’s unbelievable or where the woman has the body of a child). Also the dirty talk is so cringy. 

2) Why does everyone think that Rip/Slate is the villain? 

3) By now, Rip/Slate should know that Auren has zero control over her power/any understanding of fae things and yet he acts as if she does.

4) The last fucking chapters. I wish indie authors would have best friends who would read those books pre-publishing and tell them that they shouldn’t write this shit because major yikes that can’t even be brushed off with "it’s a 18+ book!".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Drug abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

_charliesbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Physical abuse, Grief, Vomit, Trafficking, Alcohol, Death, Infertility, Cursing, Torture, and Pregnancy

weasleys_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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

This series just keeps getting better and better. I can’t get enough of it! The characters are so fun and you really feel for the good guys and loathe the villains.

They finally get to the spice in this book, and boy! It is good! But also the characters talk dirty a lot 😂 which isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s pretty entertaining! Yay for Aurip! Also that ending is chefs kiss!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse