Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Twisted Games by Ana Huang

251 reviews

b_addie_readsbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional medium-paced

4.25

Overall: 4.25 ⭐️
Romance: 4.25 🩷
Spice: 3.75 🌶️
Characters: 4.25 👤
Plot: 4.00 💥
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

book1hoarder's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I read this as a book to play in the back ground. Much like the first. Not much to say beyond that. I didn’t hate it. 

Their relationship was kinda cute. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

witcheep's review against another edition

Go to review page

I tried so hard, but this series just isn't for me. I don't like the possessiveness the male main characters have or the way the female main characters become insta-lusty because of it.

 "Remember, in public, you're my princess, but in private,
you're my whore
."

Nope. That's my final que to DNF – I've pushed past too many icks already.

Besides the lusting romance, the other plot is advanced with rushed telling, not that much showing: we get big time jumps and recounts of what happened during those. How dull.  Besides, the very tragic backstories of the main characters' don't add much to the present of the story, they feel like just using trauma for shock value. That's not my cup of tea.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

chels984's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

omg i love rhys he’s so cutsie and protective they were made for each other🥰🥰🔥
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

adeela_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted relaxing tense slow-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

3.75

3.8 stars

✨️ Tropes:
• bodyguard x princess 
• spice
• hate to love 
• banter
• forced proximity
• wounded hero

𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

💫

Everyone talks about how this one was better than Twisted Love and ik Bridget and Rhys are one of the most loved couples from this series so my expectations were set and let's just say I was left expecting more from the hype. It also dragged a bit & should have been lil shorter. For me it made a good read but book 1,Twisted Love with Ava & Alex is in the lead currently. I enjoyed their story much more.

With that said I still liked Bridget and Rhys together. They were so cute and I loved her as an fmc she was amazing while Rhys made the perfect book boyfriend (degrading kink aside) 

I'm a sucker for a good bodyguard romance and this does the trope justice but my fav from the trope is T̶h̶e̶ B̶o̶d̶y̶g̶u̶a̶r̶d̶ b̶y̶ K̶a̶t̶h̶e̶r̶i̶n̶e̶ C̶e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶ &̶ T̶h̶e̶ B̶o̶d̶y̶g̶u̶a̶r̶d̶ P̶r̶o̶p̶o̶s̶a̶l̶ b̶y̶ S̶o̶o̶k̶h̶ K̶a̶u̶r̶ 🤭

I was rooting for Bridget and Rhys the entire time and I'm so glad it all worked out. I was so proud of Bridget and she truly embodies a queen perfectly. The way Rhys stood by her and was her hype woman warmed my heart. 
He had my sympathies with the horrible childhood he had. I literally flinched when he talked about the abuse he underwent... I'm happy that he gets to spend his life with a woman that loves him coz he deserves good. They are a beautiful couple! Also wasn't surprised by the truth of Rhys' father & I love that he mentioned South Africa as a place he'd retreat to!! 

AND OMG When Alex made a cameo I squealed! Now onto book 3 & 4 I go!

♡ @𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚_𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 
𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚/𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐤 ♡


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

teddy_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

3.0

 
Y'all - I knew what I was getting into, picked this up for that reason, and got what I wanted. These are definitely cringe, as all the novels in this erotic unhealthy possessive contemporary darkish mainstream romance genre that’s blooming right now are. But I cannot help it, they're escapist. And I'm in my smut era. But I do have to say, props to Huang because the writing is solid (as opposed to many in this genre). Like the words and sentences and dialogue are written intelligently...and have been edited. I deeply appreciate that. Some of the character points/experiences are a bit over the top for dramatic effect - of course - butttt overall I was entertained. And this outward-badass but softie-for-his-lady situation is a bit more my speed than the last one (Alex was actually actively a bit scary, and didn't grovel quite enough IMO...though nothing can really touch the last one for drama). It's unhealthy, and I do kinda think the spicy scenes here were more for effect than they actually should have been, based on how the relationship developed, but again, Huang is giving the people what they came for - while giving it a plot framework - and I can't fault that. Long story short, I sped through this, enjoyed the cameos and setups for the rest of the series (as I'm used to, and look forward to, with these kinds of interconnected-series-but-still-standalone romances), and will definitely be reading the rest.    


“But people were people, no matter their title, and some desires were universal. Unfortunately, the ability to fulfill them was not.”

“There’s no such thing as *just* a story. Every story is important.”

“Even when you’re not there, you’re everywhere. In my head, in my lungs, in my fucking soul.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

natashaball's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-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? No

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

liekewae's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

I read this book right after the first book of the series (Twisted Love) and I must say: I liked book 2 way better than book 1. I don’t mind a morally grey character when it comes to fictional characters, but Alex from book 1 was a bit too much for me from time to time. To me, Rhys had a lot more depth to this personality and I felt more sympathy for him. I liked the character development of Bridget and how the books are separate but also intertwined. 

I must say: I finished it pretty quickly so that’s a good thing. Onto book 3 I guess ;) 

Warning: if you’re not into smut, you should not pick up these books because gosh, these characters (and I guess the writer too) are insatiable 🤣😜
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tyras_bookshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

Very nice! A little too cheesy in the end but everyone learned a lesson of some kind and came out better than they started. 

The author spent a while in other areas, maybe too long,  because while the end of the book spanned several months, it all happened in like 16 pages. Felt kinda rushed with all the time slippage - the entire book spans 3 years for the characters. 

I liked this one waaay more than Twisted Love. 
Rhys is so hot and dark and damaged but is the biggest teddy bear for Bridget. 
I really love “that’s my wife, be careful” energy and he’s got it in spades. It also makes the possessive crazyness a little more hot bc while it’s toxic (“touch her and you die” is not how you handle problems), Bridget is so into it too. 
Bridget was pretty meek for most of the book but she really just wants to be a normal girl so I can’t fault her too much. She comes into her own though as a monarch rather than just being a passive bystander in her own life. 

The part of the twist was predictable but the rest was pleasantly shocking. It was also nicely reminiscent of the second Princess Diaries, of which I’m a big fan, so that helped. But not so much so that it felt like straight plagiarism. 

I’d keep reading Ana Huang. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings