Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Her Soul to Take by

11 reviews

dalek_caan's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

Solid dark romance book. Would read the rest of the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kuriouskat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug use, Stalking, and Alcohol

mzquirk's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

tranvnguyen's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Stalking

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide

unicornofthesea's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

weirdomen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

When I am looking for dark romance, this is exactly what I am looking for. I don't dip my toes into dark romance often, but when I do, the author almost always relies on dub-con, non-con, and/or the main characters treating each other like crap to make it dark. If that's your yum, I'm not here to yuck that. But if you're like me and wish authors would use other means to make the story and world dark, Laroux has your back. Laroux shows you can build a dark world and explore dark themes with murder, demons, subjectively controversial kinks, death cults, and human sacrifices to evil Gods and have every spice scene be 100% undoubtedly, enthusiastically consensual for all parties (with a safe word from the very start!) and neither main character purposefully treating each other like garbage even if they are enemies to lovers, and I am in love. 

The first book in the series was so close to being five stars for me, but I have to be honest and say I didn't feel the character development was the greatest. Rae and Leon do have great internal conflicts and they're explored, but I think the book needed to be slightly longer to really flesh out why they change by the end of the book. I'm also not the biggest fan of insta-love and both characters basically fell instantly in love with each other and first sight, but it's bearable because neither immediately accepts their feelings like rational beings should (in my opinion). I can understand why Rae comes to love Leon, but I'd still like better answers as to why Leon was so in love with Rae when he hardly knew her. I'm hoping reading the other books in the series might give some insight, but I'm doubtful.

I'm still excited to read the rest of the series though and willing to try Laroux's other series, Losers too. Bully romances, such as Losers, aren't my thing, but if the author handles the darkness and gray areas of bully romances like she handled the dark themes in this book, she may show me I can like bully romances too under the right conditions. 

Also, a small piece but important (to me) part of the story was also knowing Rae and Leon are both open and proudly bisexual. As well as Zane and Cullum who are featured in the next books. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more queer characters in the books and I love that!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Violence

Moderate: Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

brandywyne's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

tguccione's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

pixelited's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

This was the first smut book I read, and, to me, that was all it really was. The characters weren’t particularly written to be interesting, moreso just to fit the tropes they needed to fit into. The storyline was good, but it was pretty easy to guess what would happen next. 
However, I have to say that the description of the creatures featured in the book were really well-written. The horror aspect was well-described and thinking about how the creatures looked genuinely did send shivers down my spine. Overall, just taking the book for what it was, I did enjoy it and will probably read the rest of the trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

hollaylonn's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail