Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

13 reviews

mrsmishler's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, and Sexism

wanderlustsleeping's review against another edition

Couldn’t keep going. It was slowing down my reading. Just not my thing! I was intrigued a couple times, and I rolled my eyes a couple times. Came to the conclusion that this series is just not for me, and that’s ok!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexual harassment

magmck's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Self harm

rachelisgreen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This was really high quality garbage. Like, it was very cheesy and trashy but the writing was good and the story was well done. There were some things that should have been very cringey, but it went past cringe and into camp, so those bits were actually hilarious. 

But I thought the relationship between the MCs developed well, there was some good hurt/comfort, and the disability representation was surprisingly well done. 

I hated Butch tbh, but maybe I was supposed to? I’ve heard he develops throughout the series. Overall very enjoyable read, but would only recommend to friends tolerant of the cringe/ generally some offensive stuff that just didn’t age well. 

Ps. There’s a lot of sexual assault threat/ attempts floating throughout the book. None from close characters, but still enough to give someone the ick for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Sexism, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality

Minor: Pregnancy and Torture

There’s a lot of sexual assault threat/ attempts floating throughout the book. None from close characters, but still enough to give someone the ick for sure. There’s also a lot of misogyny and chauvinism

mostly by Butch, but the way most of the vamps talk about women is not great

. There is also a lot of whorephobia and violence against sex workers in the book.

by the villain(s) but also one of the inner circle, Zsadist, though his actions are not confirmed.

breesmith2364's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

2.5

Some people really love this book but it just didn’t do it for me. In fact, it took me a week to force myself through it (I’m usually a read it in one day person). I didn’t feel like the main couple actually even liked anything about each other. It was just sexual attraction (steam wasn’t detailed) and then poof they “love” each other. The character back stories were cliche. The style was hard to get into because it constantly jumped around and focused on the perspective of too many characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

The sexual assault and sexual harassment is not done by either of the main characters. Some of the violence is brushed off because it was against prostitutes… like that made it not a big deal.

elwyn_k's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Police brutality, Misogyny, and Gun violence

Minor: Drug use

moodreadererin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexism, Drug use, Vomit, and Animal death

Minor: Torture and Slavery

eatingbrains's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.0

I don't really know what to say about this book.  It's the first one I managed to pick up and finish in a while so it had that going for it but part of that might have been that I wanted to see where the trainwreck go.

So many things were conveniently coincidental.  It was full of tropes that I hate, like fridging, dubious consent, insta-lust/love, etc...

The take on vampires was different I suppose but the secret society based enemy was decidedly wacky.  Will not be continuing the series.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, War, Police brutality, Stalking, Addiction, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence

josefiend's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

kaadee's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious relaxing fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Ok so I was basically forced to read this book and I have a lot of thoughts.
First of all, I would like to start of saying I am a feminist. The last thing I enjoy is a man being annoying and very misogynistic. That was my main problem with the book, the lack of boundaries the men had. I mean, in one chapter they all grabbed the main character like 10 times. Have they never heard of keeping their hands to themselves?? It isn’t hard. I get that the book is smut and it’s woman’s fantasies (yadayada i don’t care) I’m not a huge smut reader whatsoever so the constant sex scenes was annoying but whatever, if it’s your cup of tea sure go ahead.  I could work around the sex part and enjoy the actual story of the lessening society, sure.
Well, the world building is trash. So, if I wasn’t going to pay attention to the sex part I was paying attention to the plot and the world. It had no substance. I mean, I feel like the author just made up words to describe things and the Encyclopedia in the beginning made me feel like I was about to read a good world building story. Nah. The lessening society is a terrible enemy but I lowkey agree with their actions (just a bit hah sorry) I don’t understand the whole beef with the Scribe Virgin and the Omega like can’t you just fight or something? Why carry on a needless battle for hundreds of years.
Second of all, we are literally introduced to the main character when she is being sexually assaulted. I mean, come on!! Why do women need to be sexually assaulted to further a plot? They don’t! It’s stupid and it makes me hate the author just a little bit more. Also -1 star for all the pop culture references. Jesus, if there’s one thing I hate in a book it’s a pop culture reference just thrown in there for the fun of it. It ruins the fantasy for me especially when they talk about Wrath banging it out to Jay-Z. Who needs to know that? Because I honestly don’t care.
Now that I hated on the book let me go over some things I enjoyed. The dialogue between the side characters. An author who can make side characters loveable is doing a good job. I want more of the side characters and I feel like they all had individual personalities. I enjoyed their banter with each other, like, a lot. It was funny at times, so funny I even laughed out loud. I also enjoy the Scribe Virgin. It’s nice to know there is someone (a woman) that puts these Alpha males in their place.
Anyway, I will be reading the next book but only because I’m interested in seeing if the series gets ANY better (hoping)

2023 return: changing my rating because this is one of my favorite series. You can make fun of me for this review, it’s ok. I was innocent back then lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Blood, and Death

Minor: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Animal death