Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Sinner by Shantel Tessier

24 reviews

lotta_lip's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book challenged me on so many levels! I had to take multiple breaks reading it. Sin was to much for me! He crossed so many lines (yet he’s still got me to like him). Elli is an incredibly strong yet broken character that I just wanted to hug. I shed a few tears reading this book. Definitely a tense read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Alcohol, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Drug use

pericurran's review

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

Omfg this book was so frustrating. Girlie had no self respect at ANY POINT and literally every traumatic situation just ended w basically rapey sex between the MC's. Literally everyone sucked and if I could've I would've dnf'ed at 20% LOL also 0 character development from ANYONE it was literally like reading a Wattpad book from 2014 but w excessive sex scenes that weren't even that great. Anyways kinda sad bc there seemed to be potential for a good book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse

kaadee's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

2.0

Sin is a rapey asshole who makes me angry. He’s a terrible character who deserves n o t h i n g. 

Terrible book but at least Tyson was hot for the 2 seconds he was there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Drug use, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

vikrose's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was looking forward to this book and I may have overhyped it for myself. It takes talent to write a book like this and tie up all the loose ends created through the story. However, there simply didn’t need to be THAT MANY twists and turns. Certainly can say this book was unpredictable. The ending made me happy though, so it’s worth it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

leasasaa's review

dark fast-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? It's complicated

1.0

No.
Romanticising rape, sexual assault, abuse, grooming and manipulation doesn't make it fine. It's not a 'dark romance' it's just rape. 
When he said 'One with no voice, can't say no.' in the second chapter I was already done but I just wanted to see how bad it could get and oh god does it get so much worse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Addiction, Blood, Vomit, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, and Physical abuse

sandyra513's review against another edition

2.0

Definitely not a book I’d recommend. It’s very dark, and has no sense of right and wrong. The dark side of this book is beyond triggering. ESPECIALLY to anyone with SA trauma. It’s also unrealistic in terms of how easily the FMC recovers from everything that happens to her, over and over again.

⚠️spoilers ahead and TW⚠️

The FMC gets literally raped by every male character in the book except her actual father. I wish I was exaggerating. It also glorifies rape and violence. There’s a difference between consensual BDSM violence which has limits and whatever this book offers up.

Also, I’m a bit annoyed because by the description of this book alone, you’d think this is a dark fantasy spicy book which includes like demons and Lords and magic… there’s none of that. It’s just a bunch of highly toxic murderous men (rapists is a better word) who treat women like meat and kill a bunch of people…. All for 🐈. Like what?! No explanation on how these assholes became powerful and why they never get in trouble. But I feel like even if there was that explanation, it wouldn’t have mattered.

This is definitely a DNR for me. Very reminiscent of Melt for Us, which is another book that glorified rape and murder. 🤮

Only reason I’m giving it 2 stars instead of one is the effort that went into it? I don’t even know.

⚠️⚠️SA TW AND SPOILER ALERT⚠️⚠️

Honestly, I have no words… beyond the glorification of rape and murder, there’s nothing substantial about this book. Not the “spice”, not the story, not even fantasy and kink.

Review: 2⭐️s (just for the effort that went into it, but it deserves a one star tbh)
Spice Meter: VERY TOXIC SA GRAPHIC SCENES. No Spice.

Themes:
- Daddy (not the sexy kind)
- Violent BDSM
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Murder
- Torture
- Forced Pregnancy
- Mask
- “Lord” : which has nothing to do with magic/fantasy. Just a bunch of highly toxic asshole men running around raping and killing ppl… for the 🐈!
- Stalking
- Gaslighting and Manipulation
- Toxic parents

Recommend?: HELL TO THE NO! Not to anyone, but especially not to any SA survivour.

#TheSinner #shanteltessier #Sin #Ellie #bookstagram #booktok #doNOTrecommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, Pregnancy, Torture, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexism, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual harassment

firequeen_ash23's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Title: The Sinner
 Author: Shantel Tessier 
 Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

I really have enjoyed these standalone dark romances by Shantel Tessier that are all in the same world that follow individual characters. The Sinner follows the story of Sin and Ellington. Sin and Ellington grew up together as next door neighbors and now both attend Barrington College. Sin is a Lord and has decided that he will do whatever it takes to make Ellington his lady. 

But Ellington is on the list of ladies that Sin can choose from and so he decides that no matter what he has to do whether it's kill, steal or blackmail anyone and everyone to have what he wants most. But nothing is as it seems and there's so much going on behind the scenes that Sin isn't aware of and is working against Sin and what he wants. 

Ellington didn't have a normal childhood especially after her father died. Elli's mom is a lady and her father was a lord. So when her father died, her mom remarried to a different lord but he wasn't trying to be a father at all. Elli suffers at the hands of so many and Sin doesn't find out until the damage is done but it makes Elli the perfect match for him. Will Sin be able to save Elli from the past and present? Will he be able to have her when all is said and done? 

This story was so dark and smutty. I loved everything about Elli and Sin. Their story was hearts and flowers but more chains and pain. I love Sins obsession with Elli and what he does to show her that she belongs to him. He doesn't let her self destruct and instead protects her. 🖤i

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Stalking, Sexual assault, Bullying, Violence, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, Alcohol, Torture, Blood, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Sexual violence, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness

alxisrae's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This book was all over the place, and I thought the plot of the first one was chaotic. Also the sexual content in this one was so violent and the SA was so heavy it was uncomfortable. I sped through the last 1/2 of the book just to finish it. Like every male took every chance they could to actually SA the heroine or attempt to SA her. There is dark romance and then there is whatever this is

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Body horror, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicide attempt and Vomit

thelibraryoflovelythings's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Bro just r words her the whole book and they’re both ok with it 🤨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Incest, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, and Self harm

katto06's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Rape, Drug use, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Bullying, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Gore