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marns20_'s review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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
Read this based on a prompt during a readathon (1000-doors readathon). Never read a mafia romance before, kind of random so I didn’t know what to expect. Fast-paced and easy read, perfect for the readathon. Had a sneaking suspicion that I dislike age-gap romance, this 1000% confirmed it! Enjoyed reading but every time references to the character’s ages or the age gaps came up I just got the ick! Suffice to say I will not ever be reading Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence
There are no rape scenes depicted however the notion of rape and consent is heavily drawn upon in this book, due to the arranged marriage situation, so this may be a trigger for some. It never happens but it is talked about so bare this in mind. This is a mafia romance so there are mild descriptions of violence but nothing too graphic or distressing IMOlilypilly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It's the misogyny I know it is, I just can't seem to get past it no matter how hard I try. Like I get yk big strong mafia man who can't show weakness, but just the rituals of the Family's and how they treated the women. I guess I'm just lucky that I liked this guy somewhat more because he didn't force himself on her on their wedding day. Aria annoyed me, Luca was better, favourite character was Romero, at least he was respectful. Even the possessiveness didn't make me feel much this time. I'll read the rest of the books, only because I need to finish the series and I'm intrigued about how it will continue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, and Misogyny
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
vinnijo's review against another edition
dark
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Death, Cursing, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm, Child abuse, and Rape
radkalamackova24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Suicide
bookishmichs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Gore, and Rape
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
nicichels's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Rape
risseandshine's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Death, and Gore
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
ashleycmms's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, and Gun violence
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
vampires's review against another edition
3.0
this book has one of the worst smut tropes ever ("it's totally unavoidable that a woman's first time is blindingly painful and super bloody") but they did do a TON of foreplay so i'm less mad than i would be otherwise.... and sometimes it does hurt and sometimes there is a little blood no matter what... but i wish they hadn't acted like that was inevitable and i wish it hadn't been to such an extreme ?
i also didn't like that every woman in this aside from her sister was a spiteful bitch towards her lol. like there are two categories of women in this book: spiteful "sluts" and martyred/abused married women. they all feel like caricatures of women instead of characters with actual motivations or thoughts in their head. relatedly, i don't think it's romantic when a man distinguishes between his wife and his exes by saying that the exes are "those other sluts i fucked". i'm willing to accept a certain level of misogyny in na contemporary, especially in a setting like the mafia lol, but it was so repeated and eventually just got tired. like... we get it already. they're bad people. We get it
and i sort of thought this was book 1 in a series about them, because with the pacing of the novel and their relationship it seems like their relationship development should be continued in a sequel about them, but there isn't, and this was a standalone (in a series of standalones about different couples).
otherwise it was a typical mafia book with the classic tropes. i wish there was a sequel because i think the main couple has a lot of potential and could be really good, but i have mixed feelings about them because this was the only book. if they grew a little in a sequel i would probably like them a lot more.
somewhat less of an issue imo, but in terms of typos and "desperately needs a series of thorough line-edits," this book kind of embodies the pitfalls of self-publishing. there were dozens and dozens of very obvious typos that make me think she didn't even have beta readers, much less actual editors look over this. the dialogue is very strange at times, with almost no contractions ever (even when it sounds unnatural not to use one) and just the general... phrasing and pacing of the dialogue sounds like an AI sometimes, lol. instead of having what is maybe the intended effect (formality? if it was intentional) it actually just looks like. amateurish / inept ? i can set that kind of thing aside but if it gets to you then maybe read a more recent edition (assuming it's been rereleased, because the cover on my version is different than this cover).
also important as far as tw's go: there was very pervasive talk of graphic sexual violence, it never actually happens on-screen, but constantly throughout the book people are talking about being "fucked bloody" (and unwillingly, i.e. rape) and other things, again the rape never occurs but it is discussed with relative frequency. just something to be warned about
i also didn't like that every woman in this aside from her sister was a spiteful bitch towards her lol. like there are two categories of women in this book: spiteful "sluts" and martyred/abused married women. they all feel like caricatures of women instead of characters with actual motivations or thoughts in their head. relatedly, i don't think it's romantic when a man distinguishes between his wife and his exes by saying that the exes are "those other sluts i fucked". i'm willing to accept a certain level of misogyny in na contemporary, especially in a setting like the mafia lol, but it was so repeated and eventually just got tired. like... we get it already. they're bad people. We get it
and i sort of thought this was book 1 in a series about them, because with the pacing of the novel and their relationship it seems like their relationship development should be continued in a sequel about them, but there isn't, and this was a standalone (in a series of standalones about different couples).
otherwise it was a typical mafia book with the classic tropes. i wish there was a sequel because i think the main couple has a lot of potential and could be really good, but i have mixed feelings about them because this was the only book. if they grew a little in a sequel i would probably like them a lot more.
somewhat less of an issue imo, but in terms of typos and "desperately needs a series of thorough line-edits," this book kind of embodies the pitfalls of self-publishing. there were dozens and dozens of very obvious typos that make me think she didn't even have beta readers, much less actual editors look over this. the dialogue is very strange at times, with almost no contractions ever (even when it sounds unnatural not to use one) and just the general... phrasing and pacing of the dialogue sounds like an AI sometimes, lol. instead of having what is maybe the intended effect (formality? if it was intentional) it actually just looks like. amateurish / inept ? i can set that kind of thing aside but if it gets to you then maybe read a more recent edition (assuming it's been rereleased, because the cover on my version is different than this cover).
also important as far as tw's go: there was very pervasive talk of graphic sexual violence, it never actually happens on-screen, but constantly throughout the book people are talking about being "fucked bloody" (and unwillingly, i.e. rape) and other things, again the rape never occurs but it is discussed with relative frequency. just something to be warned about
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Physical abuse and Rape
the rape that I tagged doesn't occur on-screen or between the main couple, I only tagged for it because of the scene after the wedding where everyone is basically celebrating that they thought she was raped (again, she wasn't) and all the wives are sharing their rape stories ???? so no specific instance of rape occurs but there is a LOT of talk about sex as violence and lack of distinction between sex and rape, and expectation of rape / people telling the mc that she'll be raped. it's pretty pervasive even though it never actually occurs, and it could easily be discomforting so i tagged it.
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