Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Bully by Sophie Lark

15 reviews

hanschub's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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

5.0

ate up every second of this book. i was iffy about it at the beginning, but fell in love sooo fast. i love that cat finds herself and that we see how devoted dean can be when he loves someone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Murder

jazzmarie22's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Death of parent

papabuttah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

fast-paced

• 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

3.0

Dean knows Cat's secret and is using it to manipulate and control her.

This is Dean's redemption book. In the past 2 books and in the beginning of this book, he was absolutely horrible. His arc throught this book was pretty well done. 

We already know a fair bit about Dean's past coming into this book. As we progress through the book, we get more of an insight into Dean and the childhood he suffered through. He has been abandoned time and time again. Years of heartbreak and rejection has turned him resentful and hateful. 

Cat, WTF! She just goes along with Dean's blackmail and allows him to treat her like garbage and degrade her?

How did this go from carrying his books and feeding him grapes, to EVERYTHING that happened in that tower? Cat, where is your self-worth and self-respect? The lines are blurry, did she really consent at first, or did she go along with him out of fear?

Ok so, Dean did get better through the book, as he works with Snow and starts to fall for Cat. BUT their relationship is very twisted.

At first it is solely based on Dean dominating and controlling her... *Cough* dog collar *Cough*. Yes, they eventually "fall" for each other, but their relationship is extremely toxic.

I enjoyed the Snow/Sasha cameo. I'm pretty sure I know who the spy is...

Tropes: mafia, enemies to lovers, bully

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

sam019's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love this series - one of my new favourites for sure! When I began reading Sophie Lark's Underworld series, I DNF'D at the second book. Then I read her Brutal Birthright series and enjoyed it. Now, reading the Kingmakers series I'm absolutely in love. I love this series so much it's got everything Iove: academia, castles, new countries, intricate and dark romances, found family, etc. I will definitely be re-reading this series as I'm sure I'll pick up more details the next time around. I'm thinking of even going back and trying to read the Underworld series again because I love how all of these characters are interconnected! I'm going to be in such a reading slump after thks series is over... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

marshallreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

ktkeps's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

psyched_np's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

shector1's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Very steamy🌶🌶🌶🌶 very emotional 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Misogyny

weelasswithabook's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

CW parental death, parental abandonment, torture/interrogation 

I'll be honest, I was going to skip this one in the series. I can't express my loathing for Dean in The Heir, so I had no idea how Sophie was going to make me fall for him. 

Well, I was proved the fuck wrong because this is my favourite of the series so far 😂

If you know me, you know I love character development. I want in their heads and see why they are how they are. I want to see their vulnerabilities come to the surface and see them soften. I also like seeing someone gradually realising their strength and self worth. This was a prime example of that well executed in both characters.

Bully romance rarely works for me. More often than not, I'm not a fan. But this had just enough of the "bully" aspect to create a negative push and pull between the MCs, instead of causing extreme discomfort. Straddled the line between bully and enemies to lovers, if that makes sense. 

I can't sign this off without mentioning the bell tower scenes 👀 10/10 *chefs kiss* round of applause. I love a D/S dynamic, it's my bread and butter 😍

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Abandonment