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hereiskyra's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
4.25
But honestly, all I could think for a while was that this story was going to be a whole lot of “well my daddy is a sadist so now I’m a sadist… it’s genetic 🤷🏻♀️” but it really wasn’t that type of vibe. His reputation was earned but he wasn’t quite the devil everyone thought. The circumstances of his life and every relationship he had were things that would’ve driven most people mad.
Isadora wasn’t my favorite character who ever existed, but she was brave and somewhat relateable (minus the musical prodigy thing). She came from not so great circumstances and she was thrown in to some pretty bad situations and had to make tough choices at a young age. I really appreciated how mature she was since we had such a large age gap. Nothing like trauma to age you!
The angst and the tension between these two was fantastic. And the forbidden aspect and his particular… tastes? were something completely out of the ordinary.
This still had a gothic, dark vibe and it enhanced the book so much. The description for this beautiful home and cove are forever going to be some of my favorites, too.
Tropes:
Age gap
Tortured Hero
Forbidden
Morally Grey MMC
Gothic
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
doahdancer's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
This book suffered from slowness in the upfront build, but it did have a good payoff. My first critique is some of the reveals were obvious, despite their resolutions being quite satisfying.
Overall, I was surprised at how gruesome this one was and I'm not sure I'm content with the write-off on the MMCs involvement in some of the darker elements that were introduced. Not sure there was a better way forward without overpowering his character further, but at least the FMC's acceptance of his reasons for staying involved needed to be developed more.
I loved the gothic feel and the mystery that wound its way around their fated romance. If you can handle some loose ends remaining at the end, this is a great choice for someone craving a dark, romantic mystery/thriller.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
xoxo_bookishbabe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m perhaps a bit too good at piecing together mysteries, though, because I did find some of the twists of the story to be predictable. But, truly if you’re paying attention, it’s easy to pick up on the clues for when the twist is revealed later. This isn’t a point of contention for me because I still very much enjoyed the book.
If you’re a dark romance, romantic suspense, etc reader and you haven’t read Keri Lake, I’m assuming you live under a rock. She just knows how to write ‘em and this book was no exception.
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
kat1105's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
renaaa_'s review against another edition
3.75
I didn't really get the emotional connection between the characters, especially with the huge age difference (which normally doesnt bother me, except the FMC had just graduated high school) besides the convenience that they lived/worked in the same house.
However, the plot of the book was so out there with all the family drama that I had to finish it to know what happened. Once you thought you knew someone, there'd be a huge plot twist.
Overall, the book was very well written and was different from anything else I've read before. Think of it like a very, very, very dark beauty and the beast.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Murder