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yourbookishbff's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
3.5
It Takes a Scandal by Carolyn Linden takes our series to the countryside, where sisters Abigail and Penelope meet the mysterious Sebastian Vane, neighbor to their new country estate. It has elements of Hades/Persephone (even literally descending below ground to a secret grotto for an intimate encounter) as well as Beauty and the Beast (though our Beast is simply thoroughly misunderstood and misaligned, and if anything, is more traumatized than severe). This dragged a bit for me, as I don't love when the story feels so isolated (taking place almost entirely between the neighboring estates) and because it generally leaned more dark and reflective than I had hoped. It felt almost gothic at times - our tortured hero is Really Tortured, and the story takes some dark twists toward the end as our mystery unravels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
rcpope's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
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