teachreadrepeat's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was... not very good. It was recommended on TikTok and it sounded up my alley, so I decided to check it out. I love the Voyeur club aspect of this and the professor/student scenario, but Callum was insufferable. He was a hypocrite the entire time and I cannot stand people who shame sex workers. Do not enter into a situationship with someone who works in that world if you're not going to be okay with it... Possessive love interests can be written very well, but Callum was not. I also thought Oaklyn put up with way too much from him. If the author had focused more on his trauma only, than the unnecessary jealousy plot line, I think this would've gotten a higher rating because that part was good. Also, WHY did this man kiss with his eyes open so much??? 🤦♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
anastashamarie's review against another edition
⚠️ Trigger warnings neededn: Graphic descriptions of child sexual abuse; sexual assault on a college campus; sexual content; alcohol abuse; significant age-gap; taboo relationship
DNF @ 66%.
This might be a little spoilery but I'm not saying anything I didn't already say in the TWs so 🤷🏻♀️
Look, I like a dark romance with over-the-top, toxic characters as much as the next gal, but this just doesn't do it for me.
The mental health professional in me was just screaming at the MMC the whole time. Like sir, MAYBE if you would actually focus on a relationship with a woman instead of just jumping to sex first thing, you'd feel comfortable enough to talk about your life and feelings instead of just panicking. Maybe the significant trauma you went through requires you to go slower and build trust and communicate. Maybe that's why you actually are finding success with this girl... because you got to know her as a human instead of just going on a date and then being like "why isn't sex working when I have trauma and don't trust this stranger?" Didn't you see a therapist? They should have talked to you about this if they were worth their copay. Why is a 19 year old the most emotionally intelligent person in this guy's life?
Nevermind the amount of internalized misogyny that is on display here by having a character who is a successful PhD-holder (with a university job and his own freaking astronomy lab) focused solely on sex as the end-all-be-all of life. And this expectation to bang strangers is forced on him by everyone in his life, too! I get it, sexuality is important, I'm a fierce advocate of that. But it's also not everything! There 👏 is 👏 more 👏 to 👏 life 👏. I fell like everyone just needs to chill.
Lastly, alcoholism isn't cute. I said it. So yeah, this book isn't for me.
DNF @ 66%.
This might be a little spoilery but I'm not saying anything I didn't already say in the TWs so 🤷🏻♀️
Look, I like a dark romance with over-the-top, toxic characters as much as the next gal, but this just doesn't do it for me.
The mental health professional in me was just screaming at the MMC the whole time. Like sir, MAYBE if you would actually focus on a relationship with a woman instead of just jumping to sex first thing, you'd feel comfortable enough to talk about your life and feelings instead of just panicking. Maybe the significant trauma you went through requires you to go slower and build trust and communicate. Maybe that's why you actually are finding success with this girl... because you got to know her as a human instead of just going on a date and then being like "why isn't sex working when I have trauma and don't trust this stranger?" Didn't you see a therapist? They should have talked to you about this if they were worth their copay. Why is a 19 year old the most emotionally intelligent person in this guy's life?
Nevermind the amount of internalized misogyny that is on display here by having a character who is a successful PhD-holder (with a university job and his own freaking astronomy lab) focused solely on sex as the end-all-be-all of life. And this expectation to bang strangers is forced on him by everyone in his life, too! I get it, sexuality is important, I'm a fierce advocate of that. But it's also not everything! There 👏 is 👏 more 👏 to 👏 life 👏. I fell like everyone just needs to chill.
Lastly, alcoholism isn't cute. I said it. So yeah, this book isn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Blood
Significant age gap; taboo relationshipiamsammie27's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Toxic relationship
kinskinn's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
rafaelabossoni's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
man... this book is just... meh.
the characters are weird. it's hard to like them, they not relatable at all, i don't think they have good chemistry and their relationship just feels wrong and toxic. the only reason why i didn't drop it was because i was truly intrigued by callum's trauma. i wanted to know what happened to him (i guess that's a good point in this book, the author really left us in the edge of our seat waiting for the reveal) only to be dissapointed. once callum revealed his trauma - and it was done in such a cold way, i couldn't sympathize with him at all - the book totally lost its thing. i just finished it cause at this point it was just a few pages left, and i hate dropping stories. i hated that oaklyn was his savior, the only possible woman, she fixed him (as if that's how trauma works). overall, the book just felt really rushed and bad developed, and even tho the whole story was about charactet development, i didn't see much of it. in one word: bad.
the characters are weird. it's hard to like them, they not relatable at all, i don't think they have good chemistry and their relationship just feels wrong and toxic. the only reason why i didn't drop it was because i was truly intrigued by callum's trauma. i wanted to know what happened to him (i guess that's a good point in this book, the author really left us in the edge of our seat waiting for the reveal) only to be dissapointed. once callum revealed his trauma - and it was done in such a cold way, i couldn't sympathize with him at all - the book totally lost its thing. i just finished it cause at this point it was just a few pages left, and i hate dropping stories. i hated that oaklyn was his savior, the only possible woman, she fixed him (as if that's how trauma works). overall, the book just felt really rushed and bad developed, and even tho the whole story was about charactet development, i didn't see much of it. in one word: bad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
zellapaige's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
More emotionally complex than expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
rhyaddams's review against another edition
challenging
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Incest
amy_esther's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
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