Reviews with content warning for Rape - Does It Hurt?

So after reading a couple of books from H.D. Carlton... I didn't mind this one. I do think it had much more sexual content than I was expecting... because I was really interested in the horror subplot about the man that took them in at the lighthouse. Like especially wish I had known more about how the wife died. Considering he literally tortured his family because he refused to accept change. Maybe it would've been nice to know too if like since people had come forward with accusations for Kev, that like Sawyer wouldn't actually be convicted of something that was--in reality--an act of self-defense. Idk, I'm conflicted. As much as I love spice in books, this may have been a little too much spice because the plot was very interesting.

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everythinginbetween's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

5.0

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kestra84's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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bekahzabel'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Phew what a WILD ride 😮‍💨

I honestly had no idea what to expect outside of knowing this was dark romance. This is my first time reading H.D. Carlton and it didn’t disappoint. Was it packed full of triggers? Yes. So be wary of those and check before indulging.

Grumpy sunshine to the point that bully tropes were at play. From start to finish I was fully immersed and damn… it got hot in there 🥵

I’d definitely recommend this to fellow dark romance lovers. Enzo and Sawyer’s story is one that’s going to stick with me, and something I see myself revisiting and reading again.

5🌟/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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amfrizi's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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fariasalamp's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? No

1.0

It is my fault for not seeing the tags and trigger warnings beforehand.

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emeraldmachireads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

“There's a place in the ocean, so deep, where not a single point of light penetrates through it. And for so long, I've been trapped there, unable to breathe. When I met you, you lifted me out of that darkness, and it was the first time I came up for air. You've become my oxygen, and I can no longer breathe without you.” ೃ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

ᯓ★ Rating.
⤿ Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5
⤿ Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 5.0

› Genre: Dark Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Suspense
› Tropes: Enemies To Lovers, One Room/Bed, Forced Proximity
› Slow-Paced, Dual POV

ೃ — I decided to have a young adult fiction hiatus and just focus on dark romance, that's why I read this, and it did not disappoint me. The story follows Sawyer, who's on the run and escapes to Australia, when she neets Enzo, a sexy Italian who'll make you swoon so hard and you'll never have a chance to catch your breath. Sawyer steals his identity and the man sees red since.

H.D. Carlton did it again! I don't know how many times I forgot to breathe while reading this book. It was an amazing type of slow, dark romance with touch of suspense. For me, the concept was as dark as the Cat and Mouse Duet and this book definitely gave me chills. Also, the spice was phenomenal. Enzo was too much to handle. Sawyer was also a likeable character despite the fact that she was an identity thief. Yes, some parts in the story were a bit confusing, but I get to understand them as I continue reading. Everything in this book was perfectly written and it's definitely worth it.

Note: The story contains trigerring contents, so please check trigger/content warnings and read at your own risk.

› Finished: October 03, 2023

Content Warnings

raes_reading_nook's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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