Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Restore Me by J.L. Seegars

51 reviews

ashleycmms's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual harassment

takarakei's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

This was veryyyyy long, longer than it needed to be. A lot of spice, as in frequency. It is dual pov but I felt it was a little off balance as we got mostly Sloane's POV and I would've liked to get more of Dominic. The ending was cute but just took too long to get there the middle dragged a lot.

5/5🌶️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism and Car accident

sienna_jo511's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

jerricka329's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Grief, and Sexual harassment

bookishplantmom's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

2.0

This was really disappointing so buckle up because I have thoughts. The book started out well and the premise was interesting. Two people with a complicated and conflict filled past start seeing each other romantically while trying to grapple with the death of someone they both loved very deeply. Ok fine, good. I am not a widow and can’t know how realistic the grief portrayed in the book actually was. For me, it felt like it took too much space in the story especially given that Sloan is apparently ready to get out there and date again. It felt like her internal conflict and constant referring to her husband as though he was still living and she was cheating on him was contradictory to me because it has been YEARS and she is trying to move on. Though grief can be that way, I’ve heard, so again maybe it’s realistic. My struggle with this aspect wasn’t so much that she was conflicted, it’s more that the conflict and her perspective on it never actually evolved or shifted in a meaningful and understandable way to me. It was as if there were two Sloans in the story and at no point did they connect really. 

Dom’s grief was similar in that he was deep in his self loathing and we never really get to see him work through that. His secret pining for Sloan and his whole “I hate you” act for over a decade needed wayyyy more unpacking than what it got. He was an ASS to her for a DECADE and we’re just not going to talk about it?! Because…he was…secretly in love???!?! I needed to see more atoning for that for sure. 

My other major difficulty with this book is that Dom’s authoritative/possessive  tendencies while fun in some sexy instances were concerning in other moments especially after “the incident” happened that he had to help with (iykyk) I found the dubious consent between them so soon after what happened was not believable/ok given how the incident affected Sloan. Even though it was clear that she was into what Dom was doing it was icky to me. I also always feel annoyed when a book equates an STI conversation with “being clean” because it perpetuates stigma. 

My next and biggest problem which really pulled me out of the story at about 60% and grated on me until the very end of the book was that the whole premise of this romance is based on miscommunication which continues nonstop and made me increasingly frustrated. I was so annoyed with their ridiculous refusal to have adult conversations left me unable to root for them at all. Because of this constant inability they had to just bffr with each other I basically hated them as a couple by the end of the book. And the fact that this same refusal to have mature conversations extended to the whole family?! I just… I enjoyed the book at the beginning but after the halfway point it was a steady decline until the bitter end. The one saving grace is that there is plenty of decent steam though even that got dull after a while. Idk I’m bummed this was not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

mbichaela's review against another edition

slow-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

3.0

ENG
It was so hyped that I was sure I would love it. Well, I have no idea how I feel. I liked some parts over others. What I wasn't fan of were

that he didn't tell heroine sooner, her mom and the third-act breakup. Also, the sneaking around was annoying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

bookswithca's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

ailemaa's review against another edition

medium-paced

1.5

I thought it would be a book about two people who have bonded through the loss of the most important person in their lives, trying to grieve, but it’s just a creepy guy who became obsessed with this girl he talks to for like 20 minutes and who never stopped even when that girl married his “best friend” and fucked her as soon as his “best friend” died. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Miscarriage and Grief

Minor: Cancer and Car accident

ariel_marie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage and Car accident

Minor: Sexual assault

peachani's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment