Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert

39 reviews

violetends's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

3.75

Read for fun while in quarantine. And I gotta say, I think I found my romance book series. Disney villains, enemies-to-lovers, kinky smut written by a person who has very obviously dabbled more than a little in kink and everything there is to know about it like safewords, aftercare and consent practices as well as a wide range of fun and possible ways to play, yess!

Even though this novel does not even pretend to be anything but smut, it still manages to present a compelling narrative with interesting characters and developments of both. I enjoyed the many cameos of other disney characters and the twists Katee Roberts gave them. (And I am so much looking forward to the second book that focuses on Meg, Hades and then also brings in Hercules).

It also opened interesting perspectives on questions of consent in the context of confinement and control. Even though Jafar stresses how important it is to him that Jasmine remembers her safeword and uses it if necessary, there is only a limited space in which she can navigate since he holds financial power over her and factually controls the spaces she is allowed to move in. The narrative continously highlights that she enjoys this for the time being and is waiting to gain further knowledge of the world she has been locked away from, before she wants to free herself from another person's control. There were scenes however, in which this became too much and uncomfortable for me,  

e.g. when Jasmine began to talk about the factual power imbalance between them and how the choices she was able to make were still within a framework presented to her by Jafar. And it did not really seem as if he understood this or cared to understand. In this case I was able to suspend my disbelief, or rather my morals. Ultimately this only worked for me though, because the narrative concludes with Jasmine freeing herself and taking up a position of power that first positions her over Jafar as she reclaims her position as her father's heir. From here on they will only be equals if she allows it and their d/s dynamic remains a fun part of their sex life and whereever they care to bring it. Due to the carefulness, with which Roberts wrote the d/s dynamic of this book, I was able to put the weird feeling I had aside but I don't think that this would have worked for me in many other novels.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

flyingryndeer's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

ruthiedr89's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Vomit, Trafficking, and Alcohol

katherineguild35's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

daringreader13's review against another edition

dark funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Consensual nonconsent- explicit

booksandteatime's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

jlaz_13's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Blood and Murder

hayleyvharrington's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

ednam0dewannabe's review against another edition

Not my cup of tea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Death of parent

thanmayi's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Spicy with a plot
This book was such a breeze to get through and had an enjoyable plot along with the really food spice, I loved how the book portrayed cnc in a more positive manner but this comes as a surprise to no one as Katee Robert literally the queen of spice. I did not see the twists coming and there was major character development when it comes to Jasmine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse