Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Triple-Duty Bodyguards by Lily Gold

43 reviews

christinaj1021's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

This "why choose" romance centers on Briar, a seemingly bitchy actress with an intense stalker, which causes her to up her security and hire three deadly attractive bodyguards.

All in all, this was a "why choose" romance I'll remember, mostly because Kenta is my TYPPPPPE and Matt is written to mirror Henry Cavill's physical description. Still, I found that Gold has written better "why choose", and out of her current four, I would rank this 3rd.

Gold often tackles big, real- world issues in her books, which I love! She handles them well and shows growth, ranking her (in my opinion) as a top writer of why choose. It's easy to get lost in the sex (which like, we still get loooots of sex), but Gold pulls out serious discussions and self-reflection between her characters in a unique way for this genre. This particular book focused a lot on PTSD, which I personally don't connect with so (though it was very interesting and emotional to read about), I found I was less invested in the journeys of self-fiacovery than in some other books of hers.

Another point of contention i had was that only one of the MLI's bedroom antics seemed to live up with his personality. The other two were kind of randomly thrown together in a mishmash of interests and didn't have distinct bedroom personalities. Still hot, still enjoyed it, but I felt like it veered from how Gold usually writes her men.

Overall, though, this book was a fine example of hetero why choose. There was a dramatic plot, single and group scenes, and character growth. Would recommend to fans of the genre!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death and Alcohol

sunray_sunburn's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This story was darker and had a lot more intense themes and scenes than the other Lily Gold books I have read. I have not experienced the things that the main character does, but I feel like it was handled well and was not idealized or romanticized in any way. 

I really liked the love interests in this book. The fell into the typical reverse harem archetypes, but they were all individuals outside of the relationship which was refreshing. They all have tragic and unique stories and are a great group both in and out of the relationship. 

The story is good and fun smut as it is supposed to me. And I've said it before and I will say it again, I have no problem with that! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Gaslighting, and War

moonieness12's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

kam_be's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Sexual harassment, and War

chrisljm's review

challenging dark funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Torture, and Vomit

Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

sdupont's review

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.5

This is another enjoyable read from Lily Gold. I love a bodyguard romance and this one did not disappoint. I liked how complex Briar was I think her depth really added to the story. I also enjoyed how each guy- Glen, Kenta, and Matt- all brought something different and unique. Together they had a great dynamic. This book was great and I would recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Stalking

Moderate: Mental illness and Kidnapping

Minor: Body shaming and Torture

mollydollydoodah's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I just read this entire book, front to back, in one sitting. It was absolutely phenomenal, with touching moments and feelings and emotions. It was action packed, which made it super interesting, and the characters were all so lovable in their own ways. This book had me crying at times, which is always a sign of good writing. I thought that everything was so well written and executed throughout the novel, from the perspectives to the plotline to the details. The darker themes were portrayed in realistic, understandable ways and not easily brushed off. Each character has their own personal struggles, and these are well-described and major parts of the novel. The characters had all been through stuff in their past that explained their actions, which was great as each backstory fit their personalities and insecurities. I like how all of the characters were held accountable for their actions, and that Briar was headstrong and not afraid to stand up for herself. It was super interesting to watch everything unfold, and I obviously couldn’t put it down. I loved it, even if it is not a traditional romance novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Eating disorder

isamoledo's review

emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

coles14_'s review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

ka_ke's review

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Triple Duty Bodyguards was good, but Friends with Benefits was better. The spice was about the same for both books, however I feel like FwB had better character development. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand Lily Gold’s writing, and I appreciate it as a pallet cleanser between high fantasy & sci-fi reads. The portrayal of PTSD and mental illness could use some work, as someone with loved ones with PTSD etc, it can be very difficult to love and support them when they’re struggling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail