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A review by courtney_saba
Gallows Pole by Eris Adderly
3.0
This author sure knows taboo.
I wasn't fully convinced in the relationship between the main characters, though. I feel like if it started a different way, like for example, they met somewhat naturally and slowly developed a relationship, with sexual tension and maybe a slow build-up/slow burn kind of progression, it would have worked better. I would have believed the second half of the story more, the feelings from both of them more. I didn't believe that they fell for each other. He used her. And then tried to justify him essentially raping her as his only choice because of his disfigurement? Wow. That's some excuse right there. But then the heroine was okay with it in the end. She basically forgave him for taking from her, without her full consent. The first sex scene was only for his pleasure only, and then he blackmailed her to keep her from running. And this was because he wanted a companion, a wife, someone to love him? I'm pretty sure if she accepted him later on in the book, if the story started the way I imagined it, like with the slow burn and sexual tension, she could have easily fallen for him despite his disfigurement. There was no need for the force.
Beyond that, if I took it the way that the author wanted me to take it, then it was a taboo, dark romance with dubious consent, a dominant male character, and a badass female character. I enjoyed it overall, but I didn't agree with how the author chose to write it. Personal choice, but it could have gone a different route and been so much more convincing, exciting, and decadent. Just feels like a wasted opportunity, just something for the author to write so that it has the connotation of taboo and that's it.
Was I entertained? For sure. I may try to pick up one of her other books soon.
Would I recommend this book? I don't think I can. Only because of the way I felt about it and how it felt definitely icky at the beginning of the story. To the point where I didn't believe in their relationship at all at the halfway point.
Would I reread this book? Probably not.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
I wasn't fully convinced in the relationship between the main characters, though. I feel like if it started a different way, like for example, they met somewhat naturally and slowly developed a relationship, with sexual tension and maybe a slow build-up/slow burn kind of progression, it would have worked better. I would have believed the second half of the story more, the feelings from both of them more. I didn't believe that they fell for each other. He used her. And then tried to justify him essentially raping her as his only choice because of his disfigurement? Wow. That's some excuse right there. But then the heroine was okay with it in the end. She basically forgave him for taking from her, without her full consent. The first sex scene was only for his pleasure only, and then he blackmailed her to keep her from running. And this was because he wanted a companion, a wife, someone to love him? I'm pretty sure if she accepted him later on in the book, if the story started the way I imagined it, like with the slow burn and sexual tension, she could have easily fallen for him despite his disfigurement. There was no need for the force.
Beyond that, if I took it the way that the author wanted me to take it, then it was a taboo, dark romance with dubious consent, a dominant male character, and a badass female character. I enjoyed it overall, but I didn't agree with how the author chose to write it. Personal choice, but it could have gone a different route and been so much more convincing, exciting, and decadent. Just feels like a wasted opportunity, just something for the author to write so that it has the connotation of taboo and that's it.
Was I entertained? For sure. I may try to pick up one of her other books soon.
Would I recommend this book? I don't think I can. Only because of the way I felt about it and how it felt definitely icky at the beginning of the story. To the point where I didn't believe in their relationship at all at the halfway point.
Would I reread this book? Probably not.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.