Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Pestilence

I have a lot of conflicting emotions about this book. I am not a fan of "dark" romances typically and don't see the appeal of fictional relationships that are founded on toxicity/abuse. I didn't realize just how dark this novel was before i picked it up. The relationship between Sara and Pestilence is very abusive, toxic, and violent; all of which was incredibly off putting and made it difficult to get into the love aspects of the story. However, the world in which the novel was crafted and the plot surrounding the relationship made me enjoy it to the point where I would have given the book 5 stars if it weren't for the awful relationship dynamics. The author created a brilliant landscape for a world sliding deeper into dystopia. She also did an incredible job capturing the moral complexity of humanity and of our ideals around right or wrong. The book was surprisingly poignant and tugged tight on my heartstrings. The violence and cruelty of the romance didn't feel pointless and the author made Pestilence's grasp of what humanity really means grow in a way that I was able to feel for him and Sara. I was worried the topic of religion would be overbearing given that the plot revolves around the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but it is handled with tact and in such a neutral way that I think an open minded reader of pretty much any background would be okay with it. But please check trigger warnings for this book because it is very dystopian and dark.

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tatiannaskye's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.75

Ugh I don’t know what to say about this book other than I’m not the biggest fan. Was it worth it to waste my time? Maybe. Will I ever read it again? Hell to the no. Wish I could have gotten more out of it but oh well, it’s done and over with so I’m happy about that at least!

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katemaxwell's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny 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

4.25

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ireadinbed's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

I went into this book expecting to dnf it with a strong recommendation from a Facebook group as a read like for a dark romance I thought was okay

It was so much better than I expected. I really felt for Pestilence in his struggle to accept humanity when he has repeatedly seen it's worst.

I just found it a genuinely meaningful read.

All that said, I thought the last 15% ish of the book felt very rushed. And what I came to the book for (smut, because of the read like suggestion) was honestly really underwhelming and weirdly written. I felt like the author added them because she had to and honestly I would have preferred fade to black over that awkwardness.

I'm not sure I will read on with the series but I'm sleepy tempted, especially if I need a good cry! You can't get a more intense enemies to lovers of I'm honest.

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rogueblackwood's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This one was hard, but the writing style was solid. The characters go through hell no pun intended. It's not a series I'll continue but I'm excited to explore her other work!

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zabeishumanish's review against another edition

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dark inspiring slow-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? Yes

4.5

Incredibly unique romance. I never really felt like we got to see enough of Pestilence’s emotions. The strength of Sara’s emotions still made for an incredibly compelling narrative.

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books_bunny's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book surprised me, whilst I went in relatively blind and expecting an average read I found myself really enjoying this book. Some of the themes were a lot darker than I expected and, whilst I really enjoyed how the author wrote them, I can see why some people would not. If you are sensitive to certain themes I would recommend checking the content warnings beforehand.

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