Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Delilah Green não está nem aí by Ashley Herring Blake

193 reviews

violetends's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

This is such a cute story. I read it in between many other things in a handful of hours and enjoyed it so so much. Delilah is a queer photographer who is wonderfully grumpy and stubborn, but also so cool and soft and Claire is this soft and tired bookshop-owner and mom who is beginning to turn into the parent she never wanted to be. This story is pretty straight-forward, the outcome absolutely clear from the moment they meet within the first pages. Throughout the story numerous very tropy romance clichés come up that would make me sigh and maybe have me read on begrudingly in a cis-het romance. But reading a sapphic version of them that is this well written, gave me a first taste of satisfaction for a literary need that I have been feeling for way too long. I will certainly read the next to volumes of this series even though I am half convinced that no combination of characters will be as endearing as Claire and Delilah, but I am more than wiling to let myself be convinced otherwise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol and Toxic relationship

nyree42's review against another edition

emotional hopeful fast-paced

3.5

Would have been a near perfect queer romance if Delilah had not been the type of person who used people for one-night-stands. That was triggering for me to read about, although I appreciated the deep insights into her psychology as to why she did that. On that note, I didn't like how another character who was in a fairly happy relationship kept telling her single friends to "get laid." "Just sex" is a myth. Even for a one-night-stand there can be a lot of complicated emotions and an unpleasant aftermath.
So no, I can't blindly accept promotions of promiscuity because... it just doesn't make anyone happy in the end. That - and the excessive amounts of alcohol consumption - are why I've only rated this 3.5 stars.
Aside from that letdown, this story was very sweet, genuine, spicy and messy in all the right ways, just like any good romantic relationship.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Infidelity

fromthefoxhole's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5

Delilah, the bisexual human disaster lead, is back in her hometown, hired as the photographer for her stepsister Astrid's wedding. She's up against a storied history - the loss of her father, a cold and unfeeling stepmother, and a step sister who regularly left her out. 
On the opposite hand is Claire, who was forced to grow up too early thanks to a teen pregnancy, but who Delilah has admired from a distance. Claire has also been a part of Astrid's trio of friends (coven) for as long as Delilah can remember, making her more than a little off limits.

Seeing the two of them dance around each other, putting together the puzzle pieces of the childhood they could have shared, scheming together on how to save Astrid from herself, and trying to fight their chemistry was honestly good for my soul. Sometimes, you just gotta have a queer love story to heal your heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Toxic relationship

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood, Infidelity, and Sexism

bookishwondergoth's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Love love loved this book. I was so up in my feels towards the end that my eyes welled up with many tears. RTC.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual content, Grief, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Sexism

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment and Cursing

dearbookboyfriend's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity

hflh's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought I was going to feel eh about this book and, after reading the first chapter, I was pretty sure I was going to hate it. Obviously, I was wrong on both counts.

This book is so incredibly tender and the characters have so much life. The heart of the story is the main characters navigating their past trauma and relationships and it’s balanced really well with sitting in those feelings and also finding love and healing. Blake shines in her work on character and relationships.

Yea, there are some cheesy cliches, but isn’t that the point? The only time I struggled with the cliches was in Iris’ characterization which I thought was a bit one-note but she functions more to drive the plot while the focus is primarily on Delilah, Claire, and Astrid. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent

Minor: Toxic relationship

themiscyra_anna's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Death of parent

microbemom's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Cursing

Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship