Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Twisted Game by Eva Ashwood

9 reviews

readwithames's review

dark emotional 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

3.75

I liked this more than I thought! I'm thinking because this had a darker aspect and I was all for it.  It was a slow burn for sure and I'm glad for it. 

Ransom has my heart 💞 he's such a sweetie; although Malice is a broody grump and Vic has his own issues, I love them too. I found myself wishing Willow would stand up more for herself but her confidence at the end 📈📈 I WAS CHEERING FOR HER 🥳

Something I've been noticing from authors who write RH/why choose books, they always give the fmc 'a damsel in distress' storyline. It was played out in here but I enjoyed Ashwood's writing, I didn't even mind. 

However, I got the ick like at ~80% until the end.. I didn't want to continue this but the cliff hanger has me wondering but let's see if I continue. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

leeshy93's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse

chaoticmama8721's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was so. Much. Fun. It’s got tons of tension and drama as you try to figure out all the obstacles that pop up. Malice, Ransom, and Victor are a wonderfully flawed morally grey group of MMC’s. Willow is an interesting FMC. She’s not super confident, shy, quiet, but she has an inner strength that comes out as the book goes on. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. I’d say it’s a good boon for someone who’s read a few dark romances but could work for a beginner too. Spice is slower in the beginning and pretty tame but really ramps up in the end. Can’t wait to jump into book 2!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent

gluvsbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Maybe more like a 3.5 stars, but the cliffhanger has me intrigued for book 2!

This is Book 1 ‘Twisted Game’ of the ‘Filthy Wicked Pychos’ series starts out by following Willow, who happens to find herself in a predicament where she meets three brooding brothers. Willow has had a rough upbringing where she’s mostly had to raise herself, her relationship with her mother has been strained. She finds herself wanting to get some extra money but in the process she doesn’t know that she’s about to be witness to a murder and potentially gain the attention of the Voronin brothers. 

“if you're going to pull a knife on me, solnyshka, you'd better be prepared to use it.”

The three bothers—Malice, Victor and Ransom. They each have very distinctive personalities (I found this to be refreshing as in some reverse harem romances the mmc’s can often overlap in the personality department.) Their dynamic was easily identifiable. Malice is the brooding, intimidating, grumpy one. Victor has OCD, good with technology, quiet, and has obsessive tendencies and a huge need for order and control (I always find myself most attracted to these types in RH’s because even though we don’t know much about Victor just yet I know that he’ll probably be my fave.) While Ransom is the cheeky, upbeat brother. OH and did I mention, Malice and Victor just so happen to be twins! 

“Sometimes the people you love turn your love against you, and it's the most brutal weapon in the world.”

The story developed quite slowly and I sometimes found myself becoming bored. It could have probably been at least 100 pages shorter in length seeing as parts did seem to drag. However, it was very detailed and the story was built up nicely, giving us little crumbs into the guys’ lives just before they met Willow. 

However, something which I didn’t quite enjoy was how fast the relationship seemed to develop. Willow came to trust the brothers quicker than I anticipated or would have liked. I was hoping for a bit more back and forth from her. There wasn’t much conversation on anything overly personal between the brothers and Willow before any intimacy was established. 

I will be continuing with book two as the cliffhanger made that that the only option for me!


————————

Quotes:

- [ ] "She’s delicate and fragile, like a doll that you’d think would be easy to break. But underneath that porcelain exterior, there’s something more like iron at her core."
- [ ] "Sometimes the people you love turn your love against you, and it’s the most brutal weapon in the world."
- [ ] "Willow makes me want something that no one else ever has before."
- [ ] "Willow? She feels like a drug. Like something that’s going to wreck us all."
- [ ] “maybe I’m as twisted and fucked up as I always wanted to avoid being.”
- [ ] "I crave monsters."
- [ ] “Because you’re our responsibility. And we don’t let people hurt what’s ours.”
- [ ] "Dangerous, blood soaked monsters that leave a trail of death behind them. And yet still, somehow, I feel drawn to them."

- [ ] "I realize it’s not just the brothers who are monsters. She’s one too."


————————

Tropes:
- reverse harem—3 brothers 
- forced proximity 
- one bed 
- stalking 
- age gap

Notes: 
- possessive mmc’s 
- organised crime 
- gangs 

Content Warning: 
- Parental abuse (past)
- sexual abuse 
- talks of (past) child sexual abuse 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

laura_rheads_too_much's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

This took me a while to get into as there’s very few redeeming characteristics of the MMC’s initially and the FMC starts as quite a timid meek character. However, once they’re established, I found the character development quite compelling. I am interested in seeing how the FMC grows into a much stronger character and how the men change as their feelings develop for her in the series. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

charlottx's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

2.25

Mummy issues - That is all. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

misswirum's review

dark mysterious sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It feels a bit slow and boring at times and it's not really scratching the itch.

I find the bullying from Mean Girl April weird and out of place. I don't know why so much of the book took place at the university. Are we going back in the second book?

The MMC are fire, but the FMC are... weak, I suppose? She had a tough upbringing so I guess her issues and personality makes sense. And I'm sure we'll see a stronger side of her in the second book!

3,5/5⭐️
3,5/5📝
3/5🌶

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

ladyjane1114's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The flaws are the main focus as that’s all there is to these characters. They’re all vomit inducing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

rodes's review

dark emotional tense slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent