Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Restore Me by J.L. Seegars

8 reviews

tddaffin's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

18+

This book lived up to all the hype surrounding it! I had Restore Me on my TBR because of TikTok but ultimately read it because on J.L. Seegars' website she states, “All of my works center around Black women and the lovingly possessive men who are obsessed with them.” and this book definitely delivered that! Dominic is obsessed with Sloane, Sloane is obsessed with Dominic, and I am obsessed with both of them.

“An enemies to lovers romance about forbidden relationships and love after loss”; the way Dominic and Sloane's story unfolded was equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. I will say that the ending did feel a bit rushed for the book to be so long but I enjoyed the book overall. If you're looking for a book to read where the man falls head over heels in love first, this book is for you!

Check Trigger Warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage

Minor: Car accident, Cancer, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

shanaetheflyest's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Death

Minor: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Car accident, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

bootylicious's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.75

Wow this book was good. Honorable mention to chapter 45 (last chapter) I was so emotional. I don’t know why but tears were being shed lmaooo 
 
This is officially a Dominic Stan account btw that man can do anything he wants to me slut me out dom <3

Anywayyyyyy, I’m a huge fan of the authors ability to express the emotion of these characters so well. I was truly pulled into the characters perspective and it’s all due to the authors amazing writing skill. 

I do wish they showed how the rest of the family/friends (aside from mal) reacted to them being together AND getting married. That’s hugeeee. Even if you suspected something the reaction would of been great to read about.

Also ms sloane’s mom can catch some hands disrespectfullyyyyy because her behavior was INEXCUSABLE!!!! She was so mean and constantly bullying her daughter and I know sloan found her father to be a person of comfort/protection but at some point he should step in more sternly there’s NO reason for that woman to say these mean things TO her grieving daughter wtf.

she can also catch hands or be hit by a bus  for throwing away that note <3

My only reason for book rating being a bit lower is because it was dragged out a bit. I read this on kindle and I saw on tiktok how thickkkk that book was and it’s a bit much  — perhaps some of the sex scenes could of been condensed ??!¿

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

btchqueen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Car accident

bookwormbullet's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Grief, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Minor: Toxic relationship, Car accident, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

azariamckay's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective tense 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

3.75

I adored this book, it was very spicy and I couldn’t put it down, often finding myself engulfed in the novel at 4am. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, the characters were insufferable but I still cared for them and found myself rooting for them by the end. The writing at times would take me out of it though, I found nicknames, physical descriptions, and emotional explanations to be overused art times. There were also certain conflicts that didn’t make sense to me but I bypassed because this is a romance after all. I also found myself being extremely upset with certain characters for the simple fact that they lacked basic communication skills that would’ve inevitably solved all of their problems. All in all, I was very entertained by this novel, Seegar’s unintentionally swept me off my feet with Restore Me. I’m feverishly recommending her work to my friends at the moment. I’ll definitely tune into the sequel plans to write.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Car accident, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Addiction

Minor: Miscarriage and Terminal illness

gabichatslit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

First book I’ve finished all month and it’s a Black love story… how fitting. Restore Me is hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m not sure I even have the words to articulate the experience that was reading Dom and Sloane’s love story but omg how I wish I could read it for the first time again. I started it late Wednesday night and haven’t been able to put it down until the moment I finished it (Friday morning). 

The way Dom loves Sloane and sees/understands her!? Their intimacy?! How they can read each other in a way that comes with categorizing all the minute details of the other person… That is the way I wish to be loved. Also the way he never made her feel bad about the love she still carried with her for Eric. How reassuring he was during her moments of grief. How he was always her avenging angel. Dom just rewrote all my standards lol 

All I can hear in my head rn is “To Be Loved” by Adele and honestly, I think that is such an accurate representation of their love. 

This is easily in my top 5 of 2022 and idk if I’ll ever be over it. Not to mention he pulled a Derek Shepherd!?!!!!! I just really love them lol and I hope book 2 gives us Chris and Mal’s story bc the way he calls her princess makes me feel some kind of way lol 

Fave Quotes (below)

- “Eric was my better half, but Dom is the mirror image of my soul.”
- “And he’d done it quietly, carefully, and at a great cost to himself because he knew there was no hope in finding the piece of my heart I’d lost four years ago… so he gave me pieces of his instead.”

Thank you @literarylomii for another mind blowing recommendation.

Started 02/09; Finished 02/11

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Car accident and Miscarriage

thefatpaperback's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this read! It mixes heavy emotion with fun moments well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Homophobia and Ableism

There’s a joke/comment about diabetes that happens once in the book, hence the ableism CW.