A review by cinderrunner
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The book was cute. The relationship was cute. There were some genuinely precious moments that gave me butterflies. I would have rated it higher if not for two things. 1) Aaron was ABUSIVE and that is never properly tackled. The behavior he exhibits is incredibly dangerous. He
sexually assualts
Anastasia. But it is never called that. He is never held accountable, he never faces consequences, and even when Anastasia does cut him off the gravity of what he did is underplayed in the plot. I believe everything he did was premeditated, i cannot accept that
he didnt know he was underfeeding Anastasia (especially given how she calls him out for lifting well over her body weight. Why would he make such a fuss about her weight if he could lift it unless he was trying to exert power over her and manipulate her relationship to food to keep her dependent on him? Which would fall under emotional abuse btw).
, and given that he intentionally lied about
how he broke his arm (again in order to try to manipulate her)
it only stands to reason that he knew damn well what he was doing the whole time. The characters are constantly trying to either excuse his behavior, justify it, or questioning what his motives could possibly be. But nobody (even Anastasia with all her therapy) ever points out the obvious of him being an abuser and him wanting control over his victim. Seriously, Aaron was textbook red flag abuser. The way it is downplayed in this book truly disgusts me. If you ever meet someone like Aaron, RUN. 2) i HATE a
pregnancy
trope and that epilogue pissed me off. 
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