Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

23 reviews

booksalacarte's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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? Yes

4.75

Seven days in June 4.75⭐️ 3🌶️

Contemporary romance
Second chance romance
Flashbacks
Silent disability rep
Witty banter
Generational curses
Flawed MC’s
Messy love
Great side characters

This was such an interesting, non-typical romance story. Very Romeo & Juliet- if they hadn’t died and instead met up 15 years later. I really liked the idea.

The MC’s were so interestingly flawed. I liked each of them individually. Eva was holding her own as a mom, a writer who was afraid of being in a rut and wanting to branch out.. all while keeping a silent disability a secret. Shane was perusing what he needed to solidify his place in sobriety. Recognizing his downfalls, slip ups and looking at them head on.  

I found the magnetic inevitability of the romantic tension to be SO well done. The MC’s chemistry was on another level.

The side characters were fun, but the POV shifting to them would have been better if there had been MORE… or none at all. It was disorienting to have a chapter or less in a non-MC POV, then never have them revisited. And to have one of them be a catalyst in the miscommunication where a text message would have alleviated the situation completely… and then completely done away with in such a way. It felt trite.

There were a LOT of pop culture references. Not my favorite to have to read. I always worry about it putting a very specific time stamp on literature.

With black writers as MC’s, the discussion around black excellence and a celebration of black culture was very prominent throughout the book. And it was fun having it openly talked about and pointed out in a writer pannel between black authors. 

Overall, I did love this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Gaslighting, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Self harm

d_a_n_a_z's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Suicide attempt

ksuazo94's review

adventurous emotional hopeful sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Child death, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Body shaming

eule's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

I feel like this book did not give me as much as I expected. The ending was unnecessarily stretched and even though I adored the characters (especially the mother-daughter-relationship and the dynamic between Audre and Shane), the plot somehow seemed incomplete…? 

Yet, this novel is breathtaking, funny and reflective while dealing with the power of love, coping with your past demons and tackling todays racism. Beautifully written and gorgeous characters with hell of a trauma. I especially enjoyed the fragility of Evas and Shanes relationship: a honest reflection of reality. 

All in all: read this book y’all. It’s pretty good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Self harm

feistyannotatingbooks's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Child abuse, Gun violence, Addiction, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

A little spicy, a little sweet, this book is a brilliant love story. It focuses on two broken people and their journey to loving themselves and one another completely. I loved the characters, I loved the way the author including many present-day pop culture references and allusions, I loved the ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Abandonment, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug use, Racism, and Rape

socheydy's review

emotional 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

3.75

READ AS AUDIOBOOK. For about 80% of the book I would say it was nice background for my lego building. I am not really a big lover of contemporary romance but always like to try one every so often. If you love the genre then you’ll love this book. I enjoyed the exploration into black and creole culture, I do find (personally) that white contemporaries bore me towards the end and end up on my tbr so this was definitely a big upgrade. The last 20% of the book is what stole my heart.

Spoiler

the side plot of shane and ty caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect it from this book and I loved it so much that it completely changed the way I saw the book. I think within contemporary books I always end up falling in love with the main characters’ side stories. eva and her mother’s relationship was so much more interesting to me than her and shane’s. 

overall a solid book for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, and Drug use

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Gaslighting

Minor: Car accident and Death of parent

alicelalicon's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Self harm, Gaslighting, and Medical content

Minor: Death of parent and Car accident

dannythestreet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Racism, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Kidnapping

davalyns's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The book was fun, and I enjoyed moments, particularly how close Eva (protagonist) was to her daughter Audre.

Spoiler

I also enjoy Black female contemporary writers but naming the child Audre Zora Toni Mercy-Moore was a bit heavy-handed for me.

I wasn't a fan of the flashbacks and consistent reminders that Eva and Shane (love interest) were so intensely passionate about each other as teens in their thirties were still affected by it. I also wasn't a fan of the teenage bits in the story. I get it was vital to the story, but it took away from the stronger connection they could have made as adults.

What I loved the most were Eva's genealogy discoveries. Her finding stories about her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother was the best part of the book. I feel Tia has a great story there, and she should explore that. Reading about women from Louisiana always gives me a perk, and I would have enjoyed that more.

I also enjoyed the ending, realistically having Shane realize that he needed to get his life for himself before he could ever be a partner for Eva and stepfather for Audre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Medical content, Self harm, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, and Misogyny