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A review by booksbytheglass
Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence