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galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Tex is acting in the pursuit of upstaging his retired detective father, who is venerated for taking down a crime family in the prime of his career. Unfortunately, he’s playing a game of snakes & ladders while everyone else around him is playing 3D chess. He walks in to the Vitale’s bar with no game plan, just grit and determination and bluster. When Enzo pops out to buy him a drink, it’s all systems go and Tex will gladly give his body over in order to get close to the man. It isn’t until his own safe haven is breached that he begins to understand how dangerous the situation he’s gotten himself into might be.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.25 / 5⭐
I want to be clear upfront: I did not hate this story, but I was extremely baffled by a lot of the choices made about Tex’s character and his motivations. When I take a step back, he is a suitable and complex enough main character, but he is such a departure from what I was expecting in a story featuring a cop/mobster romance that for a while, I couldn’t accept that he wasn’t poorly written. From this book’s premise, I anticipated a battle of wits, two characters evenly matched, alternating between being one step ahead of each other; but this story really is about a silly little guy throwing himself blindly into a situation that he cannot grasp the breadth of and floundering around while things progress.
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Police brutality, Vomit, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, and Physical abuse
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug use, and Trafficking
narliee's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Blood, Cursing, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Stalking, and Violence
leakoop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Torture, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Blood, Gun violence, Cursing, Death, Police brutality, and Sexual content
eloise_vi's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug abuse
bookishval's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction
the_otaku_bibliophile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
vousziel's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
poetrypup's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Torture, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Drug use
jessie_h's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Addiction
Minor: Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
emilia777's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
this reminded me of my wattpad days, and i have yet to decide wheter that’s a good or bad thing.
it was entertaining for sure
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Self harm and Addiction