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A review by lea_talisa
Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Let’s start with saying: the book isn’t bad s as it is… it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
I do enjoy a good dark romance at times, though the aggression and right out hatred the characters handled each other with made things hard for me. Even more problematic were some of the spicy scenes where he quite literally is on the edge of killing her. Also at times she’s saying no multiple times and things are happening not only without consent but with her having him told no.
I know it’s dark romance so some taboos will definitely be featured but -again- it just wasn’t my thing.
Yet, sometimes Enzo was incredibly thoughtful and caring. In my opinion the balance between him being an absolute asshole and him being the tender love interest, was just off. So while there absolutely were parts I enjoyed a lot (eg. unexpectedly the thriller parts) all in all it didn’t really do it for me.
Either way here are some quotes (maybe minor spoilers?):
• „The sharp pinpricks release all kinds of endorphins into my system, and I decide here, and now, that I’m addicted to tattoos.“ same, girl
• „I've been scared my entire life, and I've been touched my entire life. It'll never hurt when you touch me, but it hurt that you were no longer safe.“ ouch
•„What happened to you does not define you. It only forged a new path that will take you to a different version of yourself. But no one can force you to walk that road; only you can determine who you will be once you get there. It’s your choice who you become“
•„Imagine what you could do if you only believed in yourself.“
•„I’ve spent so much time running that I don’t remember why I’m living.“
•„There’s a place in the ocean, so deep, where not a single point of light penetrates through it. And for so long, I’ve been trapped there, unable to breathe. When I met you, you lifted me out of that darkness, and it was the first time I came up for air.“ a rare moment of Enzo living to his full potential
•„We both lost pieces of ourselves that day. But as time passed while stuck in that lighthouse, we slowly merged our remaining scattered pieces until we made more sense together than we did apart.“
•„You made me want to live.“
I do enjoy a good dark romance at times, though the aggression and right out hatred the characters handled each other with made things hard for me. Even more problematic were some of the spicy scenes where he quite literally is on the edge of killing her. Also at times she’s saying no multiple times and things are happening not only without consent but with her having him told no.
I know it’s dark romance so some taboos will definitely be featured but -again- it just wasn’t my thing.
Yet, sometimes Enzo was incredibly thoughtful and caring. In my opinion the balance between him being an absolute asshole and him being the tender love interest, was just off. So while there absolutely were parts I enjoyed a lot (eg. unexpectedly the thriller parts) all in all it didn’t really do it for me.
Either way here are some quotes (maybe minor spoilers?):
• „The sharp pinpricks release all kinds of endorphins into my system, and I decide here, and now, that I’m addicted to tattoos.“ same, girl
• „I've been scared my entire life, and I've been touched my entire life. It'll never hurt when you touch me, but it hurt that you were no longer safe.“ ouch
•„What happened to you does not define you. It only forged a new path that will take you to a different version of yourself. But no one can force you to walk that road; only you can determine who you will be once you get there. It’s your choice who you become“
•„Imagine what you could do if you only believed in yourself.“
•„I’ve spent so much time running that I don’t remember why I’m living.“
•„There’s a place in the ocean, so deep, where not a single point of light penetrates through it. And for so long, I’ve been trapped there, unable to breathe. When I met you, you lifted me out of that darkness, and it was the first time I came up for air.“ a rare moment of Enzo living to his full potential
•„We both lost pieces of ourselves that day. But as time passed while stuck in that lighthouse, we slowly merged our remaining scattered pieces until we made more sense together than we did apart.“
•„You made me want to live.“
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Abandonment, and Kidnapping