Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Losers: Part II by Harley Laroux

9 reviews

jessanicolesingh's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

For a categorically dark/taboo romance duet, these books were much more emotional than I had anticipated them being. I always love a good reverse harem, especially when the men play together too 😉

The series depicts a group of town outcasts in a polyamorous relationship that find themselves reconnecting with their old high school bully, Jess, whom they have all been obsessed with for years. After a chance encounter and car trouble, the guys propose a deal of sorts; if she agrees to join their quad for the time being they would fix her car in their shop. From there you can unsurprisingly expect a copious amount of spicy scenes, very heavy on the BDSM.

I absolutely LOVED these boys; Manson, the unofficial leader of the house and most forward towards bringing the FMC into the mix, Lucas, the hotheaded racer with a soft spot for cats, Vincent, the drug dealer turned romantic goofball, and finally Jason, abandoned by his religious parents that refused to accept him. Jessica on the other hand, I didn’t find myself all that crazy for, I felt like her plight was deeper than her personality at times.

I wouldn't really say there was too much of a plot outside of the payment arrangement that ultimately, and obviously, leads to Jess joining their “family.” There were some ghosts from their collective pasts slowly creeping in on them, namely Manson’s deadbeat father, Reagan, and a few stray bullies from high school still targeting them. From the first book to the second there was a fairly non-climaxal cliffhanger where the group was planning to take a vacation with just a touch of anxiety over the looming threats. Although the main antagonistic force wove in and out rather than a continuous buildup, this actually made the story more realistic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment

BDSM

wandering_seal's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

4.5

Reread.

Right. I love this series, love these characters, but I'd be lying if I didn't say this books got issues. It drags a bit when the story turns into

in-which-Jess-says-"I love you"-one-by-one

. Jess's mother does not get the comeuppance she deserves. But. BUT. The romance. The feels. I love these characters and I only want the best for them and this story is a part of that so how could I rate it poorly. It's got lots going for it if you can work around its issues. This story has stayed with me in a way I never would have anticipated, I love it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.0

We continue to follow Jessica and the men as they navigate their new relationship and deal with outside pressures.

I felt like he overall story and conflict took a backseat in this book and was almost an afterthought. We got the occasional issue with Manson's dad or Jessica's Ex, but not enough to build the tension needed for the reader to care. 

I do appreciate that we get more backstory on the men which allows us to see more of their personalities and their motivations. I think they are all interesting characters, but with 5 different POVs (+1 in this book), it is really hard for the reader to form a solid connection with each of them.

That said, you can feel the love between them. They are fiercely protective of one another and would do anything to keep one another safe. Unfortunately, they have always been a target from the community, but this has lead to such a strong and emotional bond between the men. 

We definitely saw the most character growth from Lucas. As he accepted the love and care of his partners, we saw him relax into the relationship more and become more confident in himself. He held onto so much anger and resentment, that when he let go and began to heal, he allowed himself to really feel that love and support. 

I hate to say it, but many of the spicy scenes felt like they were just thrown in there to get a reaction. Not many of these scenes progressed the plot or added to our understanding of the characters. This duet could have been edited down to one book. This would have allowed the author to place more focus on scenes that gave us solid character development or advanced the plot. It would felt less repetitive and would have allowed for us to connect to the characters more.  
I really appreciate the openness of their relationship. They all have amazing communication and are so supportive of one another. They aren't afraid to talk about everything and anything. I love how open they are about mental health struggles and the conversations around therapy and medication. I wish we had delved a bit deeper into the mental health side. 

Tropes: found family, poly, enemies to lovers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

jlpxoxo's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, and Abandonment

discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.5

It’s clear what the main goal of each of the books in this duology is: the first book is about reunion, overcoming lingering resistance to a relationship between Jessica and each of the members of this group, and building trust. And the second book is about love, and the admission/acceptance that they all love Jess and vice versa, as well as healing and forgiveness between them.

I understand that none of those things can be rushed, so on the one hand, I understand why it needed to be broken into two books and why each of the books had to be so long, but to be totally honest, this one still felt a bit too long to me. I think it’s because at least in the first book there was tension; the book started with Jess still hanging with the popular kids and so, plot-wise, a lot more BIG, external shifts had to happen in that book. It kept my attention.

This one, they’re already in a relationship, so all of the shifts that take place happen on a character-driven, emotional level. Sure there’s some outside threat with Manson’s father, but honestly  that aspect of the plot feels very marginal.

Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this series. I enjoyed getting to know each of the guys individually and their stories. The sex was obviously very very hot. The found family element was *chef’s kiss*. It wasn’t bad by ANY means and I’d still absolutely recommend it. I just thought this one moved a little slow at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Blood

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Murder

adelesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

This series hit the spot so good it's incredible. I fell in love with Harley. She is a phenomenal writer. And I would have given this a 5⭐ rating but toward the end there was this one scene that just wasn't it for me. Other than that it was amazing. I just know I will be re-reading this once again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Alcohol

bbygirl21's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book and everything about it. I can't get over how good the relationships are between all of the characters. I love how close all of the guys are and that they all have little relationships with each other. I've never read a polygamous group quite like this one but I absolutely loved it. The chemistry in this group is phenomenal. 

I also love seeing the correct development in Jess. I loved watching her come into herself and start to not care what anyone says or does to her. I love how she finally stands up for herself with all the people who don't like that she's with the guys. I loved that she's figuring out who her real friends are. Julia and Ashley are amazing. I'm glad that Jessica had such good friends in those two.

One thing I will say is that there are a lot of spicy scenes in this book but I felt that it really worked for this book. Every single scene in this book is different. No two scenes are the same which I think makes it work so well. I never felt the need to skim through any of the scenes or chapters. There's also a pretty good plot line in this story and I think that also helps balance things out.

Overall I absolutely adored this book and the whole duet. I would definitely recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Physical abuse

Minor: Body shaming and Abandonment

lotte5322's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence

sabinehunter's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism