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makennalutz's review
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, and Torture
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Murder, and Sexual harassment
hereiskyra's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
4.25
But honestly, all I could think for a while was that this story was going to be a whole lot of “well my daddy is a sadist so now I’m a sadist… it’s genetic 🤷🏻♀️” but it really wasn’t that type of vibe. His reputation was earned but he wasn’t quite the devil everyone thought. The circumstances of his life and every relationship he had were things that would’ve driven most people mad.
Isadora wasn’t my favorite character who ever existed, but she was brave and somewhat relateable (minus the musical prodigy thing). She came from not so great circumstances and she was thrown in to some pretty bad situations and had to make tough choices at a young age. I really appreciated how mature she was since we had such a large age gap. Nothing like trauma to age you!
The angst and the tension between these two was fantastic. And the forbidden aspect and his particular… tastes? were something completely out of the ordinary.
This still had a gothic, dark vibe and it enhanced the book so much. The description for this beautiful home and cove are forever going to be some of my favorites, too.
Tropes:
Age gap
Tortured Hero
Forbidden
Morally Grey MMC
Gothic
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
doahdancer's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
This book suffered from slowness in the upfront build, but it did have a good payoff. My first critique is some of the reveals were obvious, despite their resolutions being quite satisfying.
Overall, I was surprised at how gruesome this one was and I'm not sure I'm content with the write-off on the MMCs involvement in some of the darker elements that were introduced. Not sure there was a better way forward without overpowering his character further, but at least the FMC's acceptance of his reasons for staying involved needed to be developed more.
I loved the gothic feel and the mystery that wound its way around their fated romance. If you can handle some loose ends remaining at the end, this is a great choice for someone craving a dark, romantic mystery/thriller.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
johnayismyname's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
ladykristianna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
foxgame's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Giulia is accommodating, indulging in whatever I ask, but what I need is something that would turn her stomach.”
And it was at this point that I knew it was going to be one of those books (more 😳 than 🌶️).
However moving past the 😳 moments, this book had gothic overtones and I had to keep reading to find out what happened to his wife and child, even though we all could guess. I liked the writing with some action, some good guys and some real nasty guys.
Recommended for those who enjoy a Mr Rochester with a side serve of nazi genetic sadistic BDSM research.
Can’t give it a 🌶️ level because past book recommendations with low 🌶️ have shown I’m living a sheltered life. But will opt for a 😳😳😳 out of 5.
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
chanelreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Suicide attempt
_terah_hansen_'s review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Dementia, and Murder
that_casshole's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Stalking
Minor: Gaslighting
bo_okish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism