Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton

122 reviews

nerveblockreader's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

⭐️:  Enzo is Italian and what he says just sounds delicious. 10/10 swoon
⭐️:  4/5 spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️, of course it got a little repetitive but still enjoyed reading it
⭐️: Overall plot was engaging, and the rollercoaster of a plot had me coming back for more.
0.25 ⭐️:  Enzo’s reaction towards identity theft is 100% over the top. Identity theft just takes a couple daunting phone calls to credit agencies and puts an extra security measure to combat it from happening again. It makes your financial life a tad bit inconvenient, it does not ruin your life because banks protect you against fraudulent transactions nowadays. killing someone over it is not the answer?!?) overall this man is a walking red flag 🚩🚩🚩 
0.25 ⭐️: This book is problematic on so many levels. Their relationship, albeit it works, is trauma bond and Sawyer is so broken that forgiveness comes easily. This is my first HD Carlton book and I had high expectations since so many people had high regards for Haunting Adeline. The middle portion is dragged out for way to long and the hot/cold of Enzo and Sawyer’s relationship had me pulling my hair from frustration. The trauma both MCs have endured was glossed over and could have been explored to deeper levels instead of ‘this old man is creepy’ and ‘this lighthouse/island is odd’ sentiments expressed time and time again. Enjoyed the read, wouldn't read again. 

Side note: 
- Who is Troy and why do we trust him other than being told we can trust him??? 
- what is up with hooking fingers in the jaw/teeth?? I find this mannerism peculiar and don’t see a reason for its repetitiveness. I can see this happening behind closed doors but on a day to day basis?? I have questions 
- Sylvester is coo-coo and demented, what he does is sickening 🤮
- we must protect Simon at all costs 

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britrcup's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

3.5


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anyakdh's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
🎶Fuck it I love you - Lana del Rey 
Tbh idk this book was average to me I thought I liked dark romance bc I read haunting Adeline and LOVED IT but this one just didn’t do it for me 

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valleynoor's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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booksbytheglass's review against another edition

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challenging 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? Yes

2.0

so I’m a fan of dark romance and a thriller/romance blend, but this one was not it for me 🫢 it went beyond dark and immediately headed towards disturbing 

enzo and sawyer were not perfect for each other by any means, but the attraction between them was obviously hot - I mean, steamy beyond steamy 🥵 but between their pasts and the constant fighting, I didn’t feel like they qualified as enemies to lovers since all they did was hate f!ck until the last few chapters when all of a sudden, they were like “omg I do love you” without warning …

I was way more interested in sawyer’s past than I was in the present day mystery. her abuse as a child shaped her beyond imagination, and she only spent a conversation or two talking about it. I’d have rather listened to sawyer work through her trauma than escape “ghosts” in a lighthouse 🥴🥴🥴

onto the thriller portion, the lighthouse atmosphere was so spooky!!! I loved the elements of it all but the story itself was pretty weak. I knew the “ghosts” weren’t real, and the creeping around really got old and dragged out (no pun intended) 

I was bored and creeped out and really not digging enzo’s possessive personality. from someone who went through SA myself, having a kink of fake SA is just not okay 🥴🥴🥴

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: rioja red blend 

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c_mck's review against another edition

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

5.0


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pana's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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rza1002's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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icieri's review against another edition

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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

1.75


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giannareadsromance's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. This book was everything. Sawyer and Enzo are perfectly imperfect for each other, and their stories and backgrounds were both equally heart-wrenching. Their time together in the lighthouse was trying, yet in the end brought them closer than anything else could’ve. I could’ve easily read another 300 pages! The spice was 5/5 🌶️ for sure, with an alpha MMC that you love to hate. I couldn’t get enough!

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