A review by kim03
Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.5

I'm glad i managed to finish this one. Now. Onto my critique.
  • Declan and his abusive characteristics (is it possible that ppl who've been abused are more likely to become abusers?)
  • Declan was horrible from start to finish.
  • The writing style was not mine. The pacing was also really weird and all over the place. The reader was threw right into the action aka the shit we all came here for: engagement announcement.
  • Character building: the way the characters just felt "it" from the start, the "spark" that would grow into "love" without any actual chemistry or proof. Then Declan would randomly change emotions, go from i love this woman to it's just sex, etc. It's like make up ur mind old man. And while i think Iris deserved better, at one point i was like this is on her now. Like. She kinda brought this mess into her life on her own and doesn't make any efforts to get out of the mess.
  • The fact the every time Declan needed to be seen as sympathetic by the reader, his mom would get mentioned.
  • The fact that he says she looks fine ON THEIR WEDDING DAY, with the outfit she spent hours on. Wow. The audacity.
  • The fact that he bought her a dog, which he doesn't want to take care of, as part of his pathetic apology scheme.
  • The fact that she has dyslexia or something and thinks that she has to work twice as hard as a result of that (a mindset he does not help her change) as opposed to actually getting the accomodations she needs in order for her work to be more fair.
  • Sex in the office. No. Absolutely not. ESPECIALLY not when she says no not here.
  • He insults her and then is sad that she doesn't kiss him back.
  • Now. I have been abused before, in perhaps a similar way to Declan, but would i ever let it out on other ppl???? No. I would let it out on me bc I'm self destructive but that's not the point (I'm also a ppl pleaser so). I just don't see why he doesn't see how toxic he is, when the bad example is right in front of him (both his father and his mirror image lol) and seek therapy to end the cycle. But no. He lets it out on everyone else, including his brothers and Iris.
  • The two of them are so toxic, but most of it is Declan.
  • Circling back: Declans abusive traits. Fuck that man.


The only reason this book didn't get less stars is because I've read worse. So.
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