Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

79 reviews

jules172's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5

Guys this book was actually really cute. Like the book obviously has its red flags but it had really good disability and mental health representation. Like Zahra is so real for some of the things she does and she's one of those like takes no bs from anyone main characters like Jules Ambrose. Minus all the darker stuff the premise for everything is really cute plus it had amazing characters like Ani she's such a sweetheart and Cal too, I can't wait for his book. Brady is fr giving Mastermind by Taylor Swift and lowkey feels like Tobias Hawthorne the first from Inheritance Games. But guys, in all seriousness, it's a solid book 4.5/5 go read

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Abandonment

whalenjulianna's review against another edition

hopeful 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? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Pregnancy

witcheep's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

1.5

His lips drop to the spot on my neck that's already marked and bruised. "Because why talk about being possessive when I can show you instead?"

It's scary how much excessive possessiveness and abuse of power and money is romantisized in this book. The MMC Rowan is a walking red flag who doesn't care about anyone but himself – and maybe his closest family –  and is comfortable with using any means necessary to get what he wants. Rowan doesn't even consider the impact his actions have on others unless he has something

*cough* someone *cough*

to lose if he doesn't. 🚩🚩🚩

The FMC and love interest Zahra is represented as the "relatable" good girl with a humble background and altruistic sunshiney nature. She resists an idea of any involvement with Rowan because he is her boss,

but after a short while gives the resistance up because Rowan implies she should

. However, Zahra's character fails to be lovable in her overflowing altruistic righteousness that is forgotten as soon as

Rowan comes around to hijack her into the luxurious lifestyle a billionaire can provide on a whim

. Zahra is willing to let go almost all of her agency for

Rowan's love

. That kind of unbalanced power dynamic just makes things very dangerous, and not in a good way.

"Now that I have you, I'll never let you go." [--]
     "I don't want you to."
     "It's cute that you think you have a choice."

Even though this is fiction, I could not let the possessiveness, the abuse of power and money, and unbalanced relationship dynamic pass; I felt uncomfortable throughout a big portion of reading this book. Luckily I read other books in this series (and a few other Asher's series) first, and can safely say that things get better. This might be the only one of Asher's books that I actually dislike.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

yannalovesbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-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

5.0

Umm okay so this book definitely changed my life and I’m SICK! I dont even know where to start with this review so let's just start with talking about the plot.

Essentially, Brady Kane (the owner and creator of a theme park similar to Disneyland called Dreamland) passes away. In his will, he leaves his three grandsons letters detailing the task they must complete to secure their part of the company (three grandsons, three different books). So this book focuses on the youngest grandson, Rowan Kane, who needs to fix whats wrong with the park/bring back the spark in order to become the CFO. Rowan Kane is a lot of things, grumpy, calculated, closed off, and not easily trusting. However, throughout the book, these choice of words are put into question when he meets ray of sunshine and super trusting, disorganized Zahra Gulian. He wants nothing more than to focus on the task at hand and together they have the potential to change the course of Dreamland forever...but can they keep their relationship strictly professional despite their frustration for each other?

Okay so now that you know the plot, I just want to say that for me this book was spectacular. It was perfect for getting me out of my reading slump and I couldn't help but find myself rooting for Zahra and Rowan. The characters were so emotional and vulnerable and flawed and so to watch them work through their insecurities and their past was beautiful. I loved that Lauren Asher didn't just brush away their past but instead showed us characters who behaved the way they did as a result of it. And with this, I loved that it wasn't just linear. In real life (as we all know) it takes time to change from old ways. It takes time to trust when you've been proven otherwise. Everything just takes patience and time and whoever is there for you, fighting for you, and prove time and time again they are there for you- they are the real people worthy of knowing the real you.

Throughout the book I was stressing for some of it and for other moments I couldn’t stop laughing. This book is one of a kind and it is not one I wont be forgetting any time soon. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

reminiscences's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

janacc's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-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

3.0

vàries coses

• love sunshine Zahra
• superiority complex.. not for me
• el plot de mentides m'estressa
  per sort acaba "aviat"
• cute la versió soft d'en Rowan
• fan del banter
• representació del síndrome Down molt ben feta. Amb un gran personatge rodó amb importància al plot i ben desenvolupat, cosa poc comuna en molts llibres de ficció 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship

andysanzz_'s review against another edition

emotional sad fast-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, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

emmieanna's review against another edition

challenging emotional lighthearted reflective medium-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

3.25

3.25✨

I don’t know how to feel about this one. I think I liked the story and wanted the characters to end up together but also he is the worst kind of person. I guess that is the point but she literally did not do one thing wrong to him the whole time and he was a liar and manipulator who couldn’t admit his feelings even to himself.

That being said, I will be continuing the series because I want to see Declan eat his words and be humbled by Iris because I know that they are supposed to end up together.

Also, I love the representation of differently ambled people in this book. Anni is the best character and you can’t tell me otherwise,

plus they incorporated a positive action scheme into the park

Love love love.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Abortion, Alcohol, and Classism

neevabeeva510's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Mental illness and Pregnancy

edietz22's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted relaxing sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism