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aftereliza's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
tense
slow-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
3.5
Nash gave me the creeps instantly, a reminder of my BA Creative Writing days at Uni and a reminder of why I no longer partake in those circles. He was instantly irritating and I got mad at Eddie for not realising that he had ulterior motives earlier. She was very much the densest and most naive character in the entire book and while I was angry on her behalf, I was angry at her actions and obliviousness more often.
Tropes:
Friends to Lovers
Unrequited pining
Secret relationship
Tropes:
Friends to Lovers
Unrequited pining
Secret relationship
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Alcohol
robin_reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
If you liked Bridgerton, you will love this.
But did Henry die or not??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence
sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
a brilliant romp, feeling new and fresh even when treading on well worn paths, and with emotional depth.
pros:
- the writing flows well, is light and amusing and plows along with all Eddie' eagerness. I liked the banter and the dialogue, the descriptions were visual and conjured up vivid scenes, especially Saint Bede's island in the dark, Rose's appearance, the clothing, the crumbling house, etc.
- I really liked Eddie and Rose as main characters, and all the side characters are fleshed out and real, with all their depths and foibles. Eddie is very much an unreliable narrator and its through her eyes we get to realise that Albert is a decent guy and Nash is the worst. Though the signs for the reader are all there, it's still gripping to see how itll unfold and satisfying when Eddie realises.
- the characters of Kitty, Valentine, Dayo, Liza, Albert, etc. all had their own motivations and quirks, and their own relationship with the other characters, including Nash. Dayo's campaign to bring about abolition was a good inclusion, and we got to hear about Kitty's passion for painting, Albert's rabbits (a reoccurring joke that I nonetheless thought wholesome). Juno the dog was even a fun character in herself, though I rather expected her to dig up some ominous bone or get stuck or find a ghost in the forest.
- I liked the setting and the Regency time period, with the contrasts of different levels of proprietary and the dropping in of real historical people, like Shelley and Byron.
- Even though I feel most twists were fairly evident: that Nash only wanted to have sex with Eddie, that she and rose were in love, that Nash had stolen the manuscript, the maid being murdered by Nash's father, etc.. I still managed to be surprised by others, like Albert being gay (which I really should have seen coming), the murdered maid being Henry's mother, Nash publishing Eddie's manuscript, etc. which were fun to discover.
- I liked Eddie and Rose's different journeys and how they found themselves at different times. their friendship/budding romance was so well written, i loved the ebb and flow and the depiction of their tension, quarrels, intimacy, sexual attraction, forgiveness, etc. That was so well done.
cons:
- the start felt slow and a bit shallow. I didnt much like Eddie at all and it was all too Brigerton at that point. it really picked up for me as Eddie got drawn in and the stakes went up, with more dark edges to Nash and debauchery.
- I thought there was a real lack of resolution with Henry and Nash both. I wish Henry could have challenged Nate about the locket, his mother, and the assault. I felt it was glossed over that Nash sexually assaulted Henry, though that threat lingers in the latter half of the book against Eddie. It was left unclear whether anyone got shot with the pistol and I'm not sure Eddie got to see Henry after that. that was a bit of hanging loose end unless we're meant to think that Nash murdered Henry and just cleared him away, which doesn't seem likely, but if it was then....
- it's frustrating that Nash never got any more severe punishment for stealing Eddie's manuscript, lying, cheating on Liza, verbally abusing Eddie, nonconsensually kissing her, and force feeding her drugs... she should have slapped him at least, and then got him denounced in the papers. instead we get a lacklustre end note. guess I'm more vengeful but I definitely didnt feel he got taught any lesson!
but overall, this was a thrilling and gripping ride with great writing and I enjoyed it :)
pros:
- the writing flows well, is light and amusing and plows along with all Eddie' eagerness. I liked the banter and the dialogue, the descriptions were visual and conjured up vivid scenes, especially Saint Bede's island in the dark, Rose's appearance, the clothing, the crumbling house, etc.
- I really liked Eddie and Rose as main characters, and all the side characters are fleshed out and real, with all their depths and foibles.
- the characters of Kitty, Valentine, Dayo, Liza, Albert, etc. all had their own motivations and quirks, and their own relationship with the other characters, including Nash. Dayo's campaign to bring about abolition was a good inclusion, and we got to hear about Kitty's passion for painting, Albert's rabbits (a reoccurring joke that I nonetheless thought wholesome). Juno the dog was even a fun character in herself, though I rather expected her to dig up some ominous bone or get stuck or find a ghost in the forest.
- I liked the setting and the Regency time period, with the contrasts of different levels of proprietary and the dropping in of real historical people, like Shelley and Byron.
-
- I liked Eddie and Rose's different journeys and how they found themselves at different times. their friendship/budding romance was so well written, i loved the ebb and flow and the depiction of their tension, quarrels, intimacy, sexual attraction, forgiveness, etc. That was so well done.
cons:
- the start felt slow and a bit shallow. I didnt much like Eddie at all and it was all too Brigerton at that point. it really picked up for me as Eddie got drawn in and the stakes went up, with more dark edges to Nash and debauchery.
- I thought there was a real lack of resolution with Henry and Nash both. I wish Henry could have challenged Nate about the locket, his mother, and the assault. I felt it was glossed over that Nash sexually assaulted Henry, though that threat lingers in the latter half of the book against Eddie. It was left unclear whether anyone got shot with the pistol and I'm not sure Eddie got to see Henry after that. that was a bit of hanging loose end unless we're meant to think that Nash murdered Henry and just cleared him away, which doesn't seem likely, but if it was then....
- it's frustrating that Nash never got any more severe punishment for stealing Eddie's manuscript, lying, cheating on Liza, verbally abusing Eddie, nonconsensually kissing her, and force feeding her drugs... she should have slapped him at least, and then got him denounced in the papers. instead we get a lacklustre end note. guess I'm more vengeful but I definitely didnt feel he got taught any lesson!
but overall, this was a thrilling and gripping ride with great writing and I enjoyed it :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
near drowningdaryn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence and Vomit
mxry_kat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Gun violence
tallandblonde's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, and Murder
below_average_baker's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gun violence and Alcohol
fictionalportal's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun read for the most part, though the protagonist Eddie is very difficult to stick with after a point. It's worth mentioning a few major content warnings, since the tone of the book shifts very abruptly in the third act. Spoilers below.
The way Eddie speak to her love interest, Rose, is rather lacking in empathy and a touch manipulative at times, which makes it hard to get into their relationship at first. This dynamic does shift over the course of the book, fortunately. Early on, Eddie often says things like "You don't feel this way, do you?" rather than asking a straightforward question. I understand that she's relatively young, but her voice read more consistently like a sixteen year old than a twenty-two year old in terms of emotional maturity.
Massive content warning for multiple instances of non-consensual sexual advances and attempted sexual assault. There's also a very confusing sequence fueled by hallucinogenic mushrooms that really ruined the last part of the book for me. In short, the main character is coerced into doing shrooms, and then it's unclear whether she hallucinates being assaulted or if she's actually assaulted. Then she hallucinates the man who tried to assault her shooting someone who interfered during the incident. Tonally, it didn't fit at all with the rest of the book, and honestly it was a very upsetting turn for an otherwise very lighthearted and fun story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book up until the last 80 or so pages, including the lackluster epilogue. The book is very well written, the dialogue is compelling, and the characters have really strong voices, but it seemed like the author ran out of ideas for plot and needed to contrive a way to raise the stakes at the end. While there was character- and plot-based setup for the events that occurred in those last 80 pages, it didn't feel necessary to go that direction, and it really tarnished an otherwise very enjoyable read for me.
Massive content warning for multiple instances of non-consensual sexual advances and attempted sexual assault. There's also a very confusing sequence fueled by hallucinogenic mushrooms that really ruined the last part of the book for me. In short, the main character is coerced into doing shrooms, and then it's unclear whether she hallucinates being assaulted or if she's actually assaulted. Then she hallucinates the man who tried to assault her shooting someone who interfered during the incident. Tonally, it didn't fit at all with the rest of the book, and honestly it was a very upsetting turn for an otherwise very lighthearted and fun story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book up until the last 80 or so pages, including the lackluster epilogue. The book is very well written, the dialogue is compelling, and the characters have really strong voices, but it seemed like the author ran out of ideas for plot and needed to contrive a way to raise the stakes at the end. While there was character- and plot-based setup for the events that occurred in those last 80 pages, it didn't feel necessary to go that direction, and it really tarnished an otherwise very enjoyable read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
internalized homophobia, hallucinationsvrhayes08's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Racism, Slavery, Colonisation, and Classism
cosypuck's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Queer friends to lovers. Crumbling Gothic house. Brooding poet. Eccentric artist types. Solid non-binary rep. I loved Reputation and had been looking forward to this, and it didn't disappoint!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Sexual assault