Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Dare by Elle Kennedy

10 reviews

ameliabiblio's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

I have to admit, this one got off to a bit of a rough start, but once the story started in earnest, I was hooked. I was bothered at first because I couldn't tell if Taylor was actually fat or if she just thought she was fat and honestly, I'm still not sure. Either way would have worked because both would be a representation of some sort, but I felt like I wasted time trying to figure that out. But maybe that's a me problem. But basically, I felt like the beginning was cliche and unoriginal and kind of boring, but once we got to the meat of the story, which was about halfway through, I was all in. 
I loved watching Conor and Taylor confront their own demons and insecurities head on and with each other's support. I thought it was actually pretty brilliant to

have them make the exact same mistake with each other. It put them on even ground and showed how irrational acting like that is, but also how it's so easy to fall into bad habits to protect yourself.

Once the story had more depth, it really came alive. If the whole book had felt like that, it would honestly probably have gotten 5 stars, but as it is, the beginning was pretty meh and an amazing ending can only make up for so much.
I'm so excited to continue reading Elle Kennedy's other books. I'm glad I gave her another chance after feeling pretty neutral about The Deal. (Which I am planning to return to and reevaluate after loving so many of the other books in the series.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment

Revenge porn is uploaded to the internet near the end of the book. This is eventually reported to the police. The love interest is not the person who does this.

shaesensual's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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

2.75

"I'm too young to be this unhappy, and too loved to be this alone"

This quote really describes my change of heart about the final 15% of this book because this felt like something the main character had already discovered before reaching this point in the story.

Light spoilers ahead, but I've got a lot to rant about. So much time is spent building a foundation of trust, support, and honesty between these characters only for that to be thrown away in an instant. Not only do things blow up again, Taylor then takes the unnecessary step of insulting all of Conor's deepest insecurities. Taylor struggles with her self image due to her weight, which I wish took up less of this book because she's a more dynamic character than that, but when Conor has his own turmoil, he doesn't start calling her fat and saying nobody could possibly want to be with her. Taylor, on the other hand, says things to Conor that I might consider unforgivable even taking into consideration the circumstances. Her actions were just to harm him and it felt like taking 1,000 steps backwards in their growth as a couple. And he somehow manages to immediately forgive her and even says she was right. Additionally, there is a lot of gratitude for Conor's reaction in this final section of the book as if its so remarkable, but I can't honestly imagine an adult who would have reacted any differently. This book would have received a 4.25/4.5 rating from me without this major shift towards the end or bad just ended after the gala conflict.

Really wish this had a stronger ending overall as this was the weakest book in the series.

The positives: the fake relationship into real was really great. I loved all the "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" comments when they were still both unsure. I thought their flirting dynamic and conversations together were fun and cute. Overall a really fun couple to read about.

The spice was spicy in this book! I loved seeing repeated scenes of foreplay leading up to their first time having sex. Standalone, these scenes are great but the fact that their first time happens immediately following the biggest fight in their relationship and Conor's sudden change of heart makes it less sexy than it could have been because that conflict is still right there. And, in all honesty, I had no interest in the final sex scene after Taylor gets sexually exploited. The resolution with Conor and from that type of trauma was too quick for me. Not to mention “fuckturtles” was beyond weird.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Misogyny, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Dysphoria

britwalsh16's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0

OMG! This book is EVERYTHING! Like the amount of emotions I am feeling right now is insane! I am Taylor, Taylor is me! I identified sooo much with her it was insane! & Conor with all his talk about body positivity & all his support of Taylor, just made me swoon to no end!! I NEED a man like Conor! He is everything!! If I could give this book 10 stars I would! 100 stars! They go through a lot of very serious stuff, & it was all written so beautifully! I just couldn’t put it down, but also, I did not want it to end!! Give me more of Taylor & Conor please!! Pretty pretty please!!! 🥺🙏🏻

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

abidavisf's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Phew, Elle Kennedy does it again. I’ve not seen myself in one of her protagonists quite as much as I do in Taylor. I’m flawed. The Dare was healing for me, eye-opening and really quite surreal.

As always, the spice and the banter was on point, and Elle navigated really tricky topics with grace. The shining star, however, is definitely Taylor’s insecurities and the way we get to see how the rest of the world truly sees her. I wish I could read the minds of the people around me like we got to read Conor’s. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing

caitlinemccann's review against another edition

emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I appreciate how consumable Elle Kennedy's series are. Even if I'm reading it for the first time, there's some inherent comfort in that.

What threw me with The Deal was the heroine, Taylor's, very clear disordered eating habits that were never addressed. Please be mindful of that if you decide to read this book. I debated rating this book lower than a three because of it but ultimately rounded up because there were still enjoyable components elsewhere in the novel. However, I think this is potentially the weakest of the Briar U series.

So easy to read but kind of a meh 3-star rating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Misogyny, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity

malisac16's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming and Bullying

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Abandonment

culzean's review against another edition

funny tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

haley49's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was a mess but I enjoyed it. All the conflicts were melodramic, the mid/plus-size rep was hit or miss, and there wasn’t enough groveling in my opinion—but I ate up all the tropes. Conor and Taylor were sweet leads who pretended they didn’t have golden retriever energy when together. There were some laughing moments and some good cameos from previous installments in the Briar U series. (No off-campus ones) When he wasn’t being stupid, I adored Conor as a love interest. He is the sweetest. Probably my favorite Briar U boy??? (There is something about boy #4 in Elle Kennedy series lol) I recommend—if you can withstand the some representation issues and second hand embarrassment.

The fat rep is with the main character who is bullied for her looks throughout her life, specifically by her sorority sister, but it really impacts her self-esteem and its her main source if inner conflict. At no point in the story does her love interest think about her looks or weight with any negativity but there are several points in which she jumps to conclusions, even when irrelevant, about her weight being a problem. Her love interest continually reassures her but at times it does feel like the she-needs-male-validation-to-feel-beautiful trope. She is also heavily sexualized with her weight, particularly with regards to her boobs. If any of that would seriously bother you, this isn’t your book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexism, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Minor: Drug use and Outing

there is a video released without consent as part of the third act conflict

lilypilly's review against another edition

lighthearted 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

She's my future now, and I'm hers

Nah I actually loved Conor though, why is he one of my favourites and I didn't even know who he was until Hunter's story? He was such a cutie and bless his heart. I could relate the most to Taylor's body issues compared to any of the other issues covered in this series. It was almost like Elle Kennedy wrote a book about me. Again, I'm missing that fall head over heels in love with someone, like I know they love each other, but it's missing that all-absorbing love. 
This was a good book, feeling unfished though for the last book in Briar U. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol

When Taylor gets dared to have sex with Conor Edwards, the hottest boy on campus who gets whatever girl he wants, things arent looking good for Taylor. But Conor is more interested than she thought, Taylor is the most interesting to approach Conor in a year, and he'll take her up on whatever crazy offer she has. When they agree to fake date to mess with Taylor's sorority, the lines become blurred between what is real and what isn't. As a video of Taylor on a porn site kissing a fellow sister gets uploaded, feelings get pushed aside in an attempt to save each other.

sophies_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia