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gracelyn's review against another edition
3.0
⋆ ⁎ ★° ⁀ ➷ 3 steamy
“I don't want to witness the moment when the perfect star actually shows to the world that he's not so perfect after all.”
I don’t know how to feel about this book. Some parts, I loved, some felt unnecessary and dragged out. Did I like this book? Not sure. Did I like the characters? Yes. I enjoyed Sebastian Weaver over Naomi “Nao” Chester. I felt that Naomi probably has more depth to her, but I felt like I didn’t get to know her and I didn’t know who she was really. I felt that we explored more about Sebastian characters. However, there are many things that wasn’t explained about Sebastian. I am hoping however that I see more of their emotional connection in the second book, rather than their physical.
Content warnings:
Non-con/dub-con, rape fantasy
Tropes:
- Toxic relationship
- ”The Bet”
- Bad boy x Anti-social girl
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Body shaming, and Racism
xo_sbaby's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Cursing, and Bullying
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
Minor: Abandonment and Body shaming
kat1105's review against another edition
Dnf at 71%. I wanted to like this book and the characters but there were just too many problems I couldn't get past.
- The main characters in this book are supposed to be in their fourth year of college but the characters and setting feel more like a highschool. The interactions between the cheerleaders is reminicent "Mean Girls" and not in a good way.
- The best trope in this book doesnt make any sense and is very poorly executed.
- What was the point of the penpal subplot. The penpal comes up twice and the letters add little to the story overall. The letter responding to Naomi's confession about having CNC fantasies was hard to read and perpetuates alot of negative stereotypes about people who engage in CNC. (They are crazy, messed up, wrong, need therapy...) None of which are true.
- On the topic of CNC... it is very poorly and unrealistically executed in this book. In BDSM consensual non-consent is considered edge play for a reason. If not done carefully it can cause serious physical and psychological harm to both parties. CNC is not something you jump into with a partner becuase you "just know" they will be into it. Forcing yourself on someone saying no without prior discussion, negotiation and agreement is rape. The first time Naomi and Sebastian have sex it is not CNC it is rape. He breaks into her home, shuts off the lights and forces himself on her while she is bleeding and begging him to stop. He gives her a safeword and claims he will stop it she uses it but there was no negotiation of that safeword and he refuses to allow her to set any boundaries or limits for the encounter. This was not CNC this was rape that he gaslights her into believing was consensual. Later on in the book it is made clear that using her safeword would harm their relationship. Safewords are sacred and using a safeword should never have negative repercussions on the relationship as a whole. I knew going into this that there were dark themes to this book and not all aspects of healthy BDSM would be followed but this book takes it too far. This book doesnt tow 00⁰000 the line between CNC and rape it blows right past it and then tries to gaslight you into thinking it didn't and it perpetuates alot of harmful stereotypes about people with a CNC kink in the process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Rape
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