Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Lies of the Fae: Book One of the Stolen Fae series

I have written notes for review, but I will not publish them. This type of book is not my thing. It has a lot of triggering content. The fantasy part of the story was interesting, but erotica is something I can't get behind. I had a problem with rape being a part of fae lore. The trigger warning says non-consensual sex when it should say rape. I understand some people like rape fantasies, but it was a downside. It did not emotionally impact me because I knew it was coming, and I emotionally distanced myself from the story. On the other hand, the writer chose to introduce rape into the story, make her character go through different types of sexual assault, and only in the latter part of the book (around 80%) mention that no means no. In this 540-page book there is one sentence where the main character stands up for herself and finally says no to unwanted sexual behavior coming from two love interests. That had absolutely no effect compared to the rest of the book. I am desperately trying to rationalize the use of rape in the plot, but I am failing.
Also, I am not against sexual content in books, but making the plot revolve around sex is boring. Many other things bothered me, but I will refrain from discussing most of them. I found the plot predictable, and the fighting scenes become more repetitive by the end. The pacing was too fast for me. Villainizing Russians is a tacky, overused, and borderline xenophobic trope. I will not be continuing the series. I only read this because it was free on Amazon, and I was in the mood for fantasy.

Content Warnings

this_bookish_house's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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