Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Darling Venom

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington

14 reviews

dlsmk's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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rubellaface's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

I read this novel without really reading the synopsis. I just knew I liked books by this author. And my god, while I wouldn't recommend doing that if you're faint of heart, this novel gut punched me. Haymaker to the heart. I was not okay.

Then together with our FMC, we learned to grieve and heal and try to make the best of things.

The author has a magical way with words, and having a novel within a novel takes the reader on a journey through the neuroses of being a writer and the power words have within and without the author's intention.

And somewhere along the way we also get to fall in love with older brother Tate-- a man we've been groomed to hate from the beginning and an OBGYN who made me regret for a split second choosing to have only female gynos in my life. But like all main characters in a Parker S Huntington novel, there's more to him than meets the eye, and like all of us, he's a little broken inside too.

I loved this novel. I loved Tate and Charlie. I still love Kellan. And I'm going to look closer at those I love and check in more. Just in case.

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bonnie_1's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

I haven't had a 5 star read so far this year but Darling Venom completely just changed that. This book has a trope that through me off in the beginning but as the book progressed I ended up rooting for the two love interests. I never thought I'd be a fan of a slow burn romance book but here we are. The character development in this is amazing and the relationships formed are also amazing. I feel like these characters are real and that if I go to New York one day I'd literally see them on the street but unfortunately they're fictional (dies internally).
Parker S. Huntington is such a talented writer and I'm a sucker for good writing. This book is definitely not for everyone but I, ladies and gentlemen, love and adore it. Please do look up trigger warnings if you plan on picking this up.

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readwithyesi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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kittens_say_meoww's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Where to begin, maybe by addressing the very few things I didn’t like. This book is…devastating. I cried often. It’s so well done and not at all what I expected. I will be buying a physical copy to cherish. The biggest cons are the HEA epilogue and the marketing both of which come off as cheap and inauthentic. This is marketed as romance and I suppose it technically is. However, it’s more apt to say it’s about grief, and flawed humans, and complexity of the human experience. It’s a book within a book. Why this story is marketed as dark romance is beyond me. It’s not “spicy” as it’s marketed and intimate scenes (albeit one) seem pretty authentic to everyday life. The cover(s) don’t represent the story, at all. It doesn’t even match the description of any of the characters. Moving on, some reviews mention the length of this book. And I can see that for a “best friends brother romance” it would seem long. But, as I’ve said that’s not actually a good description of the book in the first place. That being said, it feels like the ending was rushed. Without spoiling, it’s the classic everything sucks and is pulled together in the last chapter and the bow is the HEA 5 page epilogue. I hate thattt and in this particular story it cheapened it. Some of the angst in the middle (particularly as it pertains to Terri) could have been cut out to give more attention to a more authentic ending that honored all that the main characters had been through. All in all, I loved this book and it will be hard to move away from. I desperately wish I knew someone that had read it so I could talk about it with them. Best of luck, it won’t be what you expect it to be if tiktok sent you to it. Please realize it’s a messy, devastating, not overly exaggerated story of broken families and trauma and death. Even though it betrays some plot points, please check triggers if you’re sensitive to almost anything.

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saltphxchic's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

2.5

Note: while I tried not to give story, or anything big away, there is potential for mild spoilers in this rant.

I'm torn on the number of stars to give. Because I do feel like it was decent writing and there is definite potential. The book was able to hold my interest. I appreciate the turns and getting different perspectives from each character. But there were so many cringe moments, repetitiveness, and even predictability in the story that I just can't get past. I also find it hard to believe this was written by a Woman. I keep double-checking because I swear this has to be a male author.

Starting with our main female character who falls into the manic pixie dreamgirl trope (of course she's also a virgin), she's here to save everyone from themselves y'all 🙄, including a man who is more than 10 years her senior and definitely not a virgin. The author has entirely mysoginistic views on love and sex. Let's not even get into the super cringe OBGYN scene, has this author never been to a gynecologist before? She makes it seem like going to the doctor's an amusement ride and that you'll barely escape cumming while there. That's not even broaching the ethical side of him even agreeing to see her as a patient.

We also find the characters in typical gender roles, with our main female offering up herself, her time, and her money to clean his apartment and fill his fridge with food (he's a doctor and likely makes loads more than her). This man also doesn't even want her there, nor does she live there, but were supposed to believe this is healthy for her, just because she's taking care of him and his curmudgeonly father? Meanwhile, she has time to do this as she works full time, has a babysitting side gig, is editing a novel in her free time, and lives no where near him? He can't even be bothered to acknowledge her work or thank her. In typical male fashion, he just pretends everything just magically appears stocked and cleaned. Because apparently an adult man in his mid-thirties can't be bothered to take care of himself. He even somehow goes for weeks without even realizing his father has chased away his housekeeper. He doesn't bother checking in on his own employee (or paying her?) and he sells himself the lie that maybe his housekeeper just showed up again one day. Typical men, you dont have to arrange cleaning services, women just show up and do it for you!

Then we've got the tiny bit of pregnancy story at the end, well this is glossed over other than to make sure we know she just has a perfect pregnancy, with no issues, pains, etc. Of course our now 23 year old manic pixie girl is perfect in every way and doesnt complain about the same stuff majority women do during pregnancy. This must be why the main male loves dating someone so much younger than him. Apparently she's just a walk in the park.

There is also nothing emotional or sexual from a woman's point of view in the sex scenes. I felt they would more appropriately fit on pornhub as they're written for the male gaze, i.e. talking about how wet the female is i.e."The wetness pooled, running down my thigh." I think every scene mentions her wetness at some point, even telling us "Her wetness could be seen from satellites."

There are just so many cringe moments, especially surrounding the main characters virginity and the man's faux altruistic view of not taking it, queue back to the obgyn scene. Ugh, I just want to roll my eyes. This man constantly takes advantage of this woman, then feigns altruism. It's beyond frustrating. I want to be clear, I am not against a steamy book. I have read plenty of steamy books. But the sex scenes in this book would not get to me as a woman, they sound more like the typical sex men think is good, i.e. sex that is lacking even just basic touching and foreplay that I think most women appreciate. I think for most women sex is about the journey, not the end goal. It is clear these scenes were simply to get off, and clearly make it seem women get off just as easily as men.

Don't even get me started on the blowjob scene where he basically tells her "Good girl" (OM-barf!) and of course she likes it, she wants so much to be a "good girl" that she takes half his "assault rifle, larger than legal cock" and readily slurps up his jizz, "Thick, white ropes shot out of him, landing on my lips, tongue, teeth. He palmed the back of my head, guiding me forward. My lips wrapped around the tip of his cock to accept the rest. He filled my mouth, tasting earthy and warm. I swallowed, unable to get enough of him."

All this behind a thin door in his doctor's office, while his employees likely listen on the other side. Talk about professionalism. He probably f****** multiple women, without condoms mind you, in his office and then he gets to continue to be one of the top Doctors in New York, trusted by women, for their OB-GYN needs. Ugh, so much insidious misogyny.

As you can tell from my review, the misogyny is where most of my anger lies, but I have problems with the rest of the story as well. The entire idea that this kid who, they're both grieving, worked so hard to get accepted into Harvard just for the sole purpose of having someone read and edit his book so he can present it to her.... The entire idea is just ridiculous. And as someone who has dealt with 2 family members committing suicide it feels appalling to me to explain away somebody's suicidal ideation and life planning like this. Years of hard work, just for someone you met once a year, that you never planned on following through with for yourself? It's not believable and takes away from the grief the author wants to portray.

I also found a lot of the story was predictable, especially the so called big dropper at the end that was delivered by the reformed curmudgeonly father. I won't give away his news, but I saw it coming 100 miles away, among other predictable storylines in this book.

I think the author has potential, they can write well, and for as much as I hated this book, I did finish it. It could have been shorter, or perhaps if they drew more on the emotions they wanted to convey (grief, sadness, depression, healing, understanding, connections) then I would have devoured its length. But the sexual tension was so glaring and took over everything, there was no room for other emotions to be considered. I feel it was a disservice to this story and it's characters. Because I see how emotionally powerful this book could have been.

It's clear from the sneak peak of the next book at the end, the author hasn't changed writing styles. Immediately we are greeted by a 10 year age gap between the male/female characters. I'm not even going to start that one. What does a newly 18 year old girl have to give a 28 year old man. How about dating someone at least 25, then at least her brain is finished developing and not as easily accessible to your male grooming.

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hopecobbledpots's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

"His eyes told me he knew pain, and they were in a committed, unbreakable relationship."

Darling Venom took me a long time to read. I kept having to stop and go back to it. I don't know if it was the subject matter, but I suspect so. Be warned, fair reader. This book deals with:

•Suicide
•Grief
•Mental Illness
•Suicidal Ideation
•Alcoholism
•Gaslighting
•Death of parents
•Scars
•Cutting

It's a lot.

Part One introduces us to Charlotte and Kellan Marchetti. Two young people teetering on the brink of the decision to commit suicide. But because they meet a pact is formed - once a year, they met in the roof of the school until they are seniors. That's how they stay alive. Their pact. But Charlotte noticed how much Kellan was physically and emotionally bullied at school. She knows he's cutting himself and doing drugs. She tries to get him help. But nobody listens. Not even Kellan. Then comes Senior year. And she's running late. And it all goes horribly wrong.

Part Two, Four Years Later, sees Charlotte working at an Editorial Firm where her boss, the owner, just happens to be pregnant, and the OB/Gyn is Dr. Tatum "Tate" Marchetti, Kellan's surviving brother and former guardian. Tate is fielding his way through numbness to mild rage when Charlotte enters his life via her boss. Then enter the third Marchetti male, Terry Marchetti, Father of Tate and Kel and author of the sensation The Imperfections. Part Two spends a long time or what felt like a long time to me going around the relationship between Tate and Charlotte, Terry and Charlotte, and Tate and Terry. All of this was guided by a manuscript left to Charlotte by Kellan. The physical book is 470 pages. I don't know if it could have been cut down. It just felt like it was going around in circles at times.

I was to public speaking what Tommy Wiseau was to acting. ~ Tate Marchetti

Part Three - You'll like this part. This is where Tate shakes off his demons and goes for it. This is where it starts to get good.

The Epiloge - This part made me cry. When you read it, you will too. I just hope you survive Part Two.

I'm reading this a solid 3 black hearts 🖤 🖤🖤. I think Charlotte and Kellan would approve.

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