Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Words by A. Jade

24 reviews

aalysad's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-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

This book was absolutely perfect! The enemies to lovers trope was done so well and the spice 🤌🏻😍 there were so many emotions I experienced with this book. I loved every character so much. Every one of them had so much depth. The book was long, but I didn’t want it to end! The writing was truly beautiful. Also, I listened to the audio along with it and was not disappointed. 😏

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Self harm, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

kaileeledger's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-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

Really enjoyed this story. The only reason I gave it 4/5 stars is because at points in the story it kind of dragged. It was a lot of back and forth “do I wanna be with him or do I not?” Without having a fair amount of plot to distract. Wasn’t a bad story, it was just a bit repetitive at times. Overall, I would recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Car accident

Minor: Child death and Toxic relationship

lina_m's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• 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? Yes

1.5

Dude's committing arson and fucks the girl (who he has stolen his most famous song from) in front of the fire??? And in another scene, she wakes up handcuffed to the bed with a random woman between her legs while he touches himself and then makes this random woman kneel in front of him to cum on her face???

I think I need to desperately rethink all of my life choices because I didn't dnf the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

valeriaboom's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia and Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Dementia, Car accident, and Death of parent

hellodebbies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

amberlinanderson's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• 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

The first reveal of Lennon’s “coping mechanism” was such a heart breaking experience. The letters in the end made my heart swell. There were a few plot holes and a few times that Lennon really annoyed me, but overall, a good, emotional read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

aj_igoe's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

To say this was a wild ride is an understatement. 

First, I was very upset because there are no trigger warnings. And they’re definitely needed to be some. While there’s not much that triggers me, there is a form of SA, and as a survivor, sometimes I do get emotionally triggered. When the protagonist, Lennon, thinks she’s having a wet dream and wakes up to a girl going down on her. A girl that she doesn’t know. Being told to do so by the male lead, Phoenix, and so on. It was the most questionable scene and out of place seen in the book and they just gloss over it— no discussion on it and forget it ever happens except like one mention. 

Second, there’s there’s literally on page child abuse - the prologue and later one. This alone warrants a TW. Plus the toxicity of the relationship and death of a parent, dementia, all these things needed to addressed in the beginning. 

Lennon I loved her. Second, I read some other reviews bothered by her losing weight. I’ll you what, my skinny was a size 10 and I wasn’t skinny at all. I just wasn’t obese and I appreciated her being at that size because I felt like I could relate to her 100% at that size. She was still plus size. At that size I was told I was plus size at ducking forever 21 at 19. I wasn’t even large, I was more like average but I always had breasts and huge hips. 

I want to address some of Phoenix behavior.  There were some reviews addressing how poorly he acts. But to this, as someone who studied child development (pregnancy thru 25) and how trauma affects the brain — working alongside kids as a former preschool teacher, a few with traumatic childhoods, his actions are normal behavior for someone who never received therapy or help. While I agree some of his behaviors are abhorrent they are not out of the norm for a broken individual.


Those things aside I really really enjoyed the book. I read dark fantasy’s and dark romance. So other than needing TW — which if the book had them, I might have rated it higher — it could never be 5 stars with the SA on page unless it had been discussed in book and actually like spoken about as SA. 

But I loved all the characters, and I was extremely invested in them. I really did care for all of them, I’m a Stormy stan for sure. I wish I could give this more stars but my conscience will not allow. I finished it hours ago and can’t stop thinking about it and even considering purchasing the audio and listening to
It. I really did love the characters and story itself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Child death

Minor spoilers in review but nothing of plot or character development

hq_reads'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is an enemies to lovers, second chance romance. Although this book is fast-paced, it is loooong. It’s equally sexy and equally heartbreaking and I thought A. Jade did a great job of writing Lennon’s emotional pain and Phoenix’s self-destructive personality. There were times in really felt the pangs of heartache. 

More than just a romance, this book also covers difficult and emotional topics such as grief, addiction, drug use, death, bullying, fat shaming and dementia. I definitely feel these topics are handled well by the author and are relevant to the story, but do check the trigger warnings.

This book gets pretty spicy at times and the sexual tension between the characters is excellent. Although I liked the romantic story, there are elements about their relationship that some will find very toxic - Phoenix is the definition of a flawed and morally grey character. He’s controlling and manipulative at times so if you find that triggering, you have been warned. 

At times I found Phoenix unlikeable and completely toxic which then made me question Lennon’s logic. When reading romances, I love a strong female character but it frustrates me how easily Lennon gave in to Phoenix’s charm at times, especially after everything he’d done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Infidelity

luvrland's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

2.5

i really only only liked the main couple, lennon and phoenix.... but it took me a long time to actually enjoy them together in the story. i hated them for the most part, and a lot of the serious issues in this book were not handled with the care it deserves... very baffling choices the author made with some of the plot and character actions.... writing was not good either, barely tolerable 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Abandonment

ladylaurenexplorer's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

What a emotional roller coaster I’m on when I was reading this book. At first I wasn’t really feeling the lead up to the betrayal. 

But once I got past that couple of chapters it became a very thrilling and emotional ride. I know Phoenix is very complicated and almost hateable to the extent. But as the book we know and I just couldn’t help but to slowly like that turn to love him.

And actually Lennon was very relatable and I wasn’t annoyed by any of her thought process. I’m also glad that we got dope perspective because I did like seeing the emotion in Phoenix. 

I’m also glad that everything kind of sort of worked out I wish we had a longer epilogue. Like maybe a year down the line or something.

But I am in patiently waiting for the Skyler and Memphis book to come out. Because from them being side characters and me filling the angst from a side character. 

Just means their book is gonna gut me, especially with how we know some of the activities and really messed up decisions they make about their lives. And I can’t wait to read every moment of it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Sexual content

Minor: Domestic abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment