Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Pretending by Holly Bourne

13 reviews

rachel_nut's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Reading the first few pages, it is safe to say that this book intrigued me, a brilliant “hook” to draw the reader in. I will admit that it does “settle down” for the first 100 or so pages, and during that I was not as determined to finish it due to its slow pace. However, it picked up and I found it a struggle to put the book down and finished it in 2 days!

I especially like how there isn’t a good or bad ending, just a “neutral” one. I like how the author explains how falling in love at the end doesn’t mean it’s just “the end”, or that it’s a particularly happy ending, because falling in love isn’t the sole accomplishment women “should strive for”. In fact, falling in love doesn’t determine whether a woman is successful or not, and this, as well as other topics, is explained so well throughout this book. I highly appreciate how well Holly Bourne’s writing conveys the multitude of complex issues that arrive in the package that is the reality of women’s lives.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

moselle's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship

jennyredgate's review against another edition

4.0

this book 🥺 I really felt for April - she’s been through so much and her struggles throughout the novel are deeply relatable. I loved watching her grow and mature as a woman, and I’m still just so happy that she got her happy ending in the end 
(got me so much that the only emoji to express my feelings was this gross one. it’s ok)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content

lizaxwin's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I‘m so ambivalent about this book. I really hated the FMC in like the first half of the book, but she got better and recognised her mistakes and everything. But… idk… her constant hate on other women made it kinda unpleasant nonetheless. I mean, why do we have the constant need to put other women down? Isn‘t it enough that men do that (which was basically the whole point of the book). Idk… the ending was OK. Yeah… definitely check trigger warnings for this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

ccassidy98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Flew through this in just 3 days. Major trigger warnings so do check those out before reading, this is not the book that the blurb would suggest! 

Hard hitting and difficult to read at times but oh so raw and real. I didn’t think much to Joshua, but April was such a relatable and well-written character. 

Brings up some important topics and thoughts about dating, who we present ourselves as, and the realities of se*ual as*ault and toxic masculinity. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

lucy33's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

ok, 12th and final book of holly bourne's!!!! is it my favourite of her's? idk, i hate pitting books against each other (they're all different wtf how??), struggle enough to give ratings for books. this book had some beautiful passages and simular to How Do You Like Me Now? (HB's other adult novel), contained a lot of my pondering questions - that was nice, made me feel less crazy. the MC was beautifully (perfectly, honestly) written, and it was heartening to see a real human being for a character rather than a fabricated version of the favourite things in a person. (the story literally being about fabricating/pretending to be a perfect person lol.) I really enjoyed how the final paragraph was written was an ambiguous s/o it was such the perfect way to wrap up the story. I loved how the different types of paragraphs were, and some of the shorter chapter paragraphs passages were so beautifully written. the chapter lengths were all perf, some short and long thank you very much, my lovely. overall, the book made me heart yurn and it was utterly gorgeous. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual content

theereaderscorner's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I think this may be the least stars I’ve ever given a Holly Bourne book!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship

booksandcat's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

I didn't particularly like this book. I like what Holly Bourne was trying to do, I think, but I think this story got lost along the way. I also find myself skimming her writing but somehow it keeps me reading, so she gets 2.5 for that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

mariacirillo's review

emotional funny hopeful sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship