Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Darkest Temptation: Special Edition by Danielle Lori

13 reviews

kkmbrlyy's review against another edition

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

2.5

I would give it a 3 but mentioning Hitler definitely is like ice cold water being dumped on you in a book that's supposed to be hot and heavy. If you like dark romance this could be a little bit of you. I could not stop cringing at the mentions of how she was a fresh 20 year old virgin...the age gap was not for me. He doesn't even get better until maybe chapter 40? It's so weird how the author mentions races like why did she have to mention the lady that owned the store in Paris was Indian? It did nothing for the book. Also I hated the stereotypical way she made anyone Russian speak "vant" "vill" "goodvye" like why? The writing wasn't horrible but the plot was mostly a game of cat and mouse and the mouse is highly aware she has Stockholm Syndrome. There wasn't even an epilogue to add onto the story. Like did she ever become pregnant or was that a fake fortune telling? If it was why bother adding that in

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rayesp's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Reading through this book felt like fighting in a war

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poupimali's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted tense slow-paced

4.5

I absolutely loved Rowan and Mila’s story.

- mafia
- age gap
- kind of enemies to lovers with a bit of Stockholm syndrome
- Hilarious and sunchine FMC
- grumpy tense MMC
- Slow burn

I really laugh out loud many times because of the banter between them.
And I am really a sucker for mobster who are speaking a foreign language that the FMC doesn’t understand. 

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naviareadinghub's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5


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zayyssa's review against another edition

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

2.0

This killed the series. Even in my Russian-mafia standard this was off. There was tension, yes, but there was no chemistry. 

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claravek's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

5.0


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molly_rose's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-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

4.0


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vertreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • 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? Yes

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r1vana's review against another edition

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3.25

The beginning of this book was rough. Like he assaulted her(slapped her…?!!!)
I hate these kinds of things bcz of the main end up together, it feels stockholm syndrome, like mentioned in the book, a few time..
But not gonna lie, in a weird f-up way, Ronan aka D'yavol  grew on me.
This couple is completely different from the first two. 
Christian + Gianna and Ronan + Mila= when their love language is literally them insulting one another>>>

Beside that this man kept her earring with him…?!

And Christian, Gianna and Kate appearances and Ronan sweet moments with Kat.
-

Christian looked like Gabriel the archangel.
Ronan was every part D'yavol. I knew if they stood on separate sides of an alley and I was running from danger
I'd jump into D'yavol's arms.


Quotes:
Mila glowed. The only shadows that
touched her were mine.

She gave me her forgiveness.
I had nothing to give her but vengeance.



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literamy's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i knew this book would be dark. it’s in the title, it’s in all the content warnings, and it’s true to it, through and through. i went through turmoil alongside Mila—through her determination to find her father, her journey to Russia, her optimism and kindness in the face of adversity, and in how she loves, wide open and without restraint.

i’m a character reader, first and foremost. i fell in love with Elena and her sweet romanticism, i adored Gianna for her sarcasm and softness, but i fell the hardest for Mila. from the get-go, she was imperfect, but so wholly intent on her life meaning something more. more than Miami, more than The Moorings, more than being married off to a man who doesn’t love her. i understand people’s criticisms of her character—she’s blindly optimistic, she’s too trusting, she makes mistakes, and she’s imperfect—but that’s why i fell in love with her. her sunshine smile, her yellow wardrobe, her warm heart, and wanting to love so much that it ends up hurting her. in that way, i thought this book was Danielle Lori’s strongest. both Mila and Ronan were SO deeply flawed, and even in this world of mafia romance and fanaticism, there was something real about that. it sucked me right in and made my heart race, and it completely transported me to Moscow alongside Mila.

and as the story unfolded, as the sucker punch of Ronan’s cruel, twisted intentions fully came to light, i got nauseous. i teared up; i felt my belly twist in rage. as we moved into the second act, i almost had to stop reading. it was visceral and too real, and i felt betrayed by Ronan right alongside Mila. the only thing that kept me going was how much i connected with her, how much she felt like a real person to me. and i was disgusted, i felt sick, and then, somewhere along the way, it quieted. 

it wasn’t easy. i was so sure that my hatred and disgust for Ronan would stick with me long after i finished—but through his horrible, twisted exterior, little things started to shine. D’yavol, the most ruthless and feared man in the Russian mafia, fell for the sunshine girl he kidnapped, plays candy crush on his phone, eats froot loops, and has a thaw in his heart. there are Ronan haters and there are Ronan apologists, but i fall somewhere in the middle. 

dark romances—especially ones with twisted, sadistic themes, with kidnapping, with every single plot point in TDT—are never my thing. ever. but because of Mila’s character, because of how strongly she resonated with me, because of the way this book got inside of me and refused to get out—something got me. this is my guiltiest pleasure of a read, and i understand the criticisms. i understand why people don’t like it. i understand the complaints of it being too dark, too twisted, too much. but, just like Mila, disgust turned, somewhere along the way, into passion. and then, despite all reason, passion turned into love. Mila Mikhailov, and all of her fucking yellow, drowned everything else out. and, like Mila, somehow, i fell for Ronan and the horrible, violent way he loves. it’s not simple, and it’s almost inexplicable, but the way i felt after i finished—awestruck, whiplashed, stunned—that stuck with me long after. and that’s what a good book—with complex but ultimately, somehow, lovable characters—does. it sticks to you, it stays with you. 

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