Reviews tagging 'Torture'

When Heroes Fall by Giana Darling

4 reviews

secondhandbookshelves's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

This was a buddy read and I waffled the entire time between liking and hating the two main characters.

This probably isn't a spoiler, but hey, let's mark it like one anyway since it talks about how the characters change during the story. (I refuse to say character development)

at first I adored Elena, strong, unflappable, smart lady that she is, and was annoyed with the buffoon who got such marvelous advice as "I say, have fun with the girl. Hell, make her cry, get her to quit, whatever you want." who then proceeded to announce (frequently) how much he would like to break her, corrupt her, destroy her, and f*ck with her. Also, this quote from his point of view: "I knew with the right training and a patient master, she would be glorious." 
And immediately after that he talks for half a page about how he will force her to be his.
Big no from me 🚩🚩

Then around the halfway mark Elena had turned into a simp who could only think about being with HIM and actively goes about destroying the life shes been working for and building since age 11.....
And he suddenly was a poet who desires nothing more than her to be safe and loved and healed from her past. 

In conclusion, they're both idiots and may they be happy in book two which I will not read 👍🏻

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Torture, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

rickireadss's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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

4.5

this was SO GOOD!!! the beginning was slower in the fact that not a lot happened & it was a bunch of info-dump but i enjoyed that. the banter between dante and elena >>>>> UNMATCHED. i have so much of it highlighted on my kindle because AH-MAZING. i absolutely loved them both so much. the last like 30% - ACTION PACKED. literally all the vibes i want in a mafia romance omfg. i am so excited to pick up the next one because omfg that ending had me melting 😌

⚠️: infidelity (not between the mcs), murder, violence, gun violence, grooming, adult/minor relationship, abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, death of parent, torture, kidnapping, blood, infertility, miscarriage, sexual assault, trafficking

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Blood, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

cocpop_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

Omg I love this book so much!!!! Elena and Dante are 🤌🏽💋 chef's kiss. 

I loved how we were introduced to both characters and that you don’t really get their whole back story right away. Because as you learn more about this dark yet charming capo, his actions make so much sense. And as you learn more about Elena and how she grew up, it’s not a shock to see why she acts the way she does. I would 100% fight her entire family for her.

Idc that her sister and ex are a better match, the fact that they cheated 🤮🤢🤮 I would be so fucking cruel to them that they wished they never stepped foot in NY again

I am a ride or die for these two and I’m so excited to read the second book.

4/5 on the spicy scale. The dirty talk was immaculate in this book. I really think my favorite scene was

the masturbation scene, when Dante put his cum on her lips 🥵🥵🥵🥵 goddamn was that dirty and sexy

.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

readwithelle's review against another edition

mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Torture, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol