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A review by 7sofia7
Enthralled by Giana Darling
4.0
3.75 - 4 0
Um...it's a good book, well written and engaging but it's taboo and not in a "oh that was kinky way". Rape and abuse are a consatant in this book. Described both as a terribile violation and a hot, love inducing way to form connection.
SPOILERS
Mandatory premise: I appreciate how the author shows the misogyny and violence of the world without shying away from it. It is a trait of her in her writing that I admire very much.
Do I need the heroine to enjoy herself during non consenting sex and later fall in lust/adoration with the hero. Yes. But also it felt so much like Stockholm syndrome.
The author did a good job between showing how horrible the situation was (the piercing, the almost starvation, the branding, the hunt, the wipping, the rape both from the hero and from the other guy,...) and giving the readers branches to hold on to and not hate the hero (how he was raised and trained by his father, how he was forced into the club, his hatred towards Cosima's father, how he empathises with the slaves and has a history of taking their beetings, how he had to train her in order for her to getting used to punishments for the public scenes, the fact that Cosima was coerced into the agreement (she had to do it for the safety of her family but she still had some kind of agency by choosing tobgo along that plan)...)
I liked my reading experience but I could not look past the abuse perpetrated by Alexander. I never hated him but I still haven't bought into him as a hero. And I have read and loved various dark/captive/bdsm romances. Thia is probably because I don't enjoy a 24/7 master/slave dynamic and also because I don't love sadists.
I felt bad for Cosima. She was so young 18 to Alexander's 35 years. 17 years old age gap. I know that age gaps as a staple of Gianna Darilng writing and I am used to the trope but it's not one that I particulary love. Expecially if the is such a big power imbalance.
I understand why after two weeks she had to stop refusing him so hard but at the same time I liked her more feisty and less aquiescent.
How Salvatore and Dante used Cosima is despicable.
I emphatise both with Dante and with Alexander for the revenge thing.
The revenge is the central plotline besides the romance part but the pacing wasn't great. Too much near the end and too little at the beginning.
The marriage felt so abrupt but at the same time believable comming from Alexander.
And I repeat I don't see how Cosima fell for him (and she was okay with being her slave forever? No thanks. I'm happy for her choice at the end even though it har to be caused by an even more tragic event. Btw why Noel beat her at the end made little sense)
The miscarriage however felt superfluous. And why Noel (i presume) wanted to make her pregnant if then he made so she miscarried??
I want to personally murder Noel. End of story.
Miss Pealr was sketchy from the beginning and ther story was predictable but I strongly dislike her still.
THESE ARE NOTES JUST FOR ME
Gianna Darling's choice to have the characters meet before her acquisition was a wonderful choice that really helped the beginning of the book for me.
I really enjoy the trope when near the end the hero sends har away and she is kind of broken by this. And also the fact that he wants to use her for his revenge.
But I love her leaving him.
I like it so much when in mafia/captive stories the heroine has a friendship with a subordinate of the hero. In this case the cook
Um...it's a good book, well written and engaging but it's taboo and not in a "oh that was kinky way". Rape and abuse are a consatant in this book. Described both as a terribile violation and a hot, love inducing way to form connection.
SPOILERS
Mandatory premise: I appreciate how the author shows the misogyny and violence of the world without shying away from it. It is a trait of her in her writing that I admire very much.
Do I need the heroine to enjoy herself during non consenting sex and later fall in lust/adoration with the hero. Yes. But also it felt so much like Stockholm syndrome.
The author did a good job between showing how horrible the situation was (the piercing, the almost starvation, the branding, the hunt, the wipping, the rape both from the hero and from the other guy,...) and giving the readers branches to hold on to and not hate the hero (how he was raised and trained by his father, how he was forced into the club, his hatred towards Cosima's father, how he empathises with the slaves and has a history of taking their beetings, how he had to train her in order for her to getting used to punishments for the public scenes, the fact that Cosima was coerced into the agreement (she had to do it for the safety of her family but she still had some kind of agency by choosing tobgo along that plan)...)
I liked my reading experience but I could not look past the abuse perpetrated by Alexander. I never hated him but I still haven't bought into him as a hero. And I have read and loved various dark/captive/bdsm romances. Thia is probably because I don't enjoy a 24/7 master/slave dynamic and also because I don't love sadists.
I felt bad for Cosima. She was so young 18 to Alexander's 35 years. 17 years old age gap. I know that age gaps as a staple of Gianna Darilng writing and I am used to the trope but it's not one that I particulary love. Expecially if the is such a big power imbalance.
I understand why after two weeks she had to stop refusing him so hard but at the same time I liked her more feisty and less aquiescent.
How Salvatore and Dante used Cosima is despicable.
I emphatise both with Dante and with Alexander for the revenge thing.
The revenge is the central plotline besides the romance part but the pacing wasn't great. Too much near the end and too little at the beginning.
The marriage felt so abrupt but at the same time believable comming from Alexander.
And I repeat I don't see how Cosima fell for him (and she was okay with being her slave forever? No thanks. I'm happy for her choice at the end even though it har to be caused by an even more tragic event. Btw why Noel beat her at the end made little sense)
The miscarriage however felt superfluous. And why Noel (i presume) wanted to make her pregnant if then he made so she miscarried??
I want to personally murder Noel. End of story.
Miss Pealr was sketchy from the beginning and ther story was predictable but I strongly dislike her still.
THESE ARE NOTES JUST FOR ME
Gianna Darling's choice to have the characters meet before her acquisition was a wonderful choice that really helped the beginning of the book for me.
I really enjoy the trope when near the end the hero sends har away and she is kind of broken by this. And also the fact that he wants to use her for his revenge.
But I love her leaving him.
I like it so much when in mafia/captive stories the heroine has a friendship with a subordinate of the hero. In this case the cook
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Rape
Minor: Miscarriage