Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Next of Kin

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young

19 reviews

binevolentbookworm's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.5

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dymonlikestoread's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

✨ Book Review✨

Next of Kin

Author: Hannah Bonam-Young

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (3.75)

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

When Chloe receives a call that her alcohol-addicted birth mother Connie has given birth to her little sister Chloe steps up. To meet child protective services standards she participates in their Teamup initiative. Warren is financially stable while Chloe provides the space needed for Warren to take custody of his teenage brother Luke. Hesitant but willing to do anything to protect her little sister from a similar childhood she had.

I think the plot of the book is amazing. I loved the representation in the book. I love ASL and I was so glad to see it being represented in this book. Initially, I liked Chloe and Warren he was grumpy but funny. The first half of the book was excellent. I think a combination of the banter, instant love, and Warren's attitude lowered the overall rating for me.

The book was pretty fast-paced we didn’t get enough background on Chloe’s transition from a single woman to essentially a single mother. There wasn’t much background either on how Warren and Chloe fell in love. The only connection I saw that could’ve created a relationship between Warren and Chloe was the care he had for Willow. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two of them.

Maybe I am biased as someone who has dealt with a person exactly like Warren—someone who blows up at small things and has explosive reactions. I couldn’t imagine feeling safe around them with a baby, especially with my adoption on the line.

Overall, I think the storyline was there and regardless of how it was executed I still enjoyed it. I definitely will be checking out the rest of the series.

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nakole's review against another edition

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4.0

𝓝𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓚𝓲𝓷

Next Book 1

By: Hannah Bonam-Young

Contemporary Romance

Paperback

𝒪𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓁𝓁: 4/5

𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒: 2/5

𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌: This book has reinspired me to pick up learning ASL again, I have taken a couple classes but since I graduated I've been slacking so I'm going to get myself to focus on it again.

It's very different concept than any other contemporary romances I have read recently which is really nice. I enjoyed that Chloe, Warren, and Luke do not just have any easy time, because while I have never been nor have I had someone I've been close to been part of the foster/adoption system, I do know that it is a process that takes it's toll and Hannah shows it in this book. How Chloe struggles with her adoptive parents and birth mother, the anxiety that Chloe experiences when she seens it's CPS calling her, Warren's anger issues, Luke being a people pleaser. And those are just a couple of examples and it is really nice to see characters learning to heal rather then meet a partner and everything being fine and dandy right away.

𝒜 𝐹𝒶𝓋𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒: "I told him that you made it impossible to stay away. That everything about you is pulling me in. I may have refered to you as a whirlpool...as cheesy as that may be. I could resist, try to swim out, try to avoid it-but it would be easier to float. And, for the first time, I'm not scared to."

𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈: Disability Rep; Slow Burn; Forced Proximity; Roommates To Lovers; Grumpy Sunshine; Banter; Foster Guardians; Single POV; Roommates; Deaf Rep

𝒯𝓇𝒾𝑔𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈: Foster Care & Adoption; Past Parental Neglect & Abandonment; Past Death of Parent (Drug Overdose); Drug & Alcohol Consumption; Sexual Content (Consensual); Anxiety, PTSD, & Anger Management Issues; Medically Fragile Infant in NICU (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome); Ableism; Toxic Relationships (Not MCs); Cursing

Content Warnings

frankiereadstoomuch's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.0

Content Warnings

teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective

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

3.5

The story behind how the characters come together is unique and I really liked the concept. The main characters each had their struggles and though that can somehow make things feel forced, it felt natural in how they supported each other and showed their vulnerabilities. I felt the relationship came together naturally. The found family aspect was a nice touch. The writing was accessible, but did lack some depth in places where it was "telling, not showing" I wish there weren't time jumps, I think the gaps left were important ones to fill. I appreciate that the conflict wasn't the typical normally seen in romances. I think dual POV would have also added great depth. It was a heartwarming read that touched on healing, forgiveness and acceptance.

Content Warnings

lindsaymck's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.75

“Almost thirty minutes late, parked in a non-parking zone, villain’s cheekbones… this is a disaster.” What an entrance for Warren and a deliciously sour start to the sweetest love story.

Chloe is root-for-able from the jump. Her character is SO well-developed, layered, and lovable. I am absolutely impressed with how well Hannah Bonam-Young describes Chloe’s deeply complicated relationship with her birth mother and her quick (but wholehearted) acceptance of the guardianship of her newborn sister, Willow. Their CPS situation, and that of Warren and Luke, is handled with such care, compassion, and heart. The “Team Up” initiative sets up the perfect tension of forced proximity for Chloe and Warren, two independent people who learn how to rely on and support one another. They are in such similar positions being an older-sibling-turned-parent figure and their first impressions of one another are discarded as time reveals their true natures and undeniable compatibility. The trust they build turning into a healing love is so genuine, you can’t help but celebrate the found family they create together.

Chloe and Warren are both beautifully flawed people who want to do better for their siblings and help each other do just that. Warren invites Chloe to show him her “messy” and that is part of what made this story with such a special plot unbelievably memorable. The way she has never been fully herself in her relationships for fear of being a burden - with her adoptive family and her best friends, Emily and Lane - so clearly stems from the loneliness and heartbreaks of her childhood and having to grow up way too soon. Chloe wanting and working to save her sister (and Warren wanting and working to save his brother) from those same heartbreaks is stunningly and powerfully written. The love they find along the way is chemistry that heals not only the characters, but readers, too.

I read “Next to You” before this book, so I couldn’t appreciate the (re)appearances she and Warren have in that book and would go in order for a reread.

Moments I’m still thinking about:

Warren and Chloe’s first date, which has basically made any other first date underwhelming and mediocre. Romantic dinner, making wishes on glow in the dark golf balls, and an empty theatre with a guitar serenade of his song about her… it could’ve read cliché, but every part was original distinctly *them*
Warren’s nickname for Chloe being “Dove” and the meaning behind it is so moving. I will never settle for “babe” again. 🕊️ Warren is HOME for her the same way she is PEACE for him.

Content Warnings

thebruce's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

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tetrootz's review

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funny hopeful 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? No

3.75

Content Warnings

spellbindingtomes's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

The premise of Next of Kin tugged at my heartstrings with Willow and Luke 🥹 it was such a unique concept and I enjoyed the family dynamics here. I loved Chloe. She was funny and loving. How she stepped up to take care of Willow was incredibly admirable. I wasn't a super fan of Warren especially with the way he acted towards the end and though the pacing was a bit off, I really enjoyed Hannah's writing in this book.

Read if you like:
🕊️forced proximity
🔧found family
🕊️foster/guardian romance
🔧grumpy x sunshine
🕊️disability rep

Content Warnings

felishacb's review

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dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I loved the found family aspect of this romance, including the fact that they talk about foster care. There is also deaf representation, and they practice trauma informed responses.

This is described as a slow burn, but I think they get together after three months? I say this as the same person who was disappointed it took 70% to get to the open door scene. So. I contain multitudes.

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