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enchantingreads_rosyreviews's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Her understanding of love is entirely different from mine. Her lens, through which she sees the world around her is warped, in my opinion. But to her, my lens is a direct reflection of the pain I’ve yet to surrender. 'Some would call me broken... but I’ve never known anything other than the comfort of my pieces.'”
I didn’t know much about this story going into it. I read Hawke by the author & everyone raved about this one, so I picked it up. The duet audio performance was incredible in bringing these words to life! This is a dark one, like with a capital "D" but it’s also a beautiful one. Heartbreaking at times, edge-of-your-seat suspenseful at others, and always well-written. Fans of dark romance with a splash of crazy, some effed-up misogyny & an unhinged kind of “sik” love, then this is definitely the read for you!
“I don’t expect a simplistic love with Aero. It will never be normal, just as it shouldn’t. It’s complicated. It’s an abstract piece that’s painted with harsh strokes of pain, jarring splashes of deception, and obscene colors that scream in the face of injustice. I shouldn’t need to change him, and honestly, I don’t want to. But what I desire more than anything is an alignment of souls set in our own unbreakable bond.”
This was my darkest romance read thus far, but I knew I could trust Jescie’s beautiful writing. On the surface, this is a book about exploring desire, escaping oppression (mainly religious), and getting revenge. That’s completely true, this book contains the dark versions of all those themes. I mean it, this book is dark and true to its genre. But what I loved about Jescie’s writing were the layers of storytelling she gave us. There was mystery, a heist of sorts, assassin/hitman-style of revenge, a twisted love story, and discovering oneself.
And I have to say: if Chapters 54/55 of ACOMAF are the “ultimate, drop the mic” chapters for romantasy fans, then That Sik Luv’s Chapters 43/44 are the dark romance equivalent. Seriously! “Worth” and “Abstract Love” are poetic, tragic, emotional, beautiful, and unfortunately a representative experience for too many people. The audio performance during these chapters was incredible. And Jescie Hall's words are spectacular. Bravo!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Minor: Bullying, Drug use, Hate crime, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
This is a DARK book about taking down a religious cult society using dark methods. Please read the content warnings on the author's website or in the book itself.tellmetomorrow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first time I read this book, I gave it one star. I went into it with a very surface level mindset.
This time, I really allowed myself to delve into the trauma of the characters and I found that I WANTED the revenge they seeked. I ended up rooting for them.
Aero and Briony had opposing yet somehow still parallel life paths, both seeing different traumas and they were able to heal through them together. By their own means, in very sick and twisted ways.
I'm glad that I had taken the time to reread it.
This time, I really allowed myself to delve into the trauma of the characters and I found that I WANTED the revenge they seeked. I ended up rooting for them.
Aero and Briony had opposing yet somehow still parallel life paths, both seeing different traumas and they were able to heal through them together. By their own means, in very sick and twisted ways.
I'm glad that I had taken the time to reread it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Somnophiliabbygirl21's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. The pacing was slow, but perfect for this story. Aero was amazing, I loved that he took his time revealing everything to Briony letting her figure things out on her own. Briony was a badass. I loved that she paved a way for herself even when people tried to tear her down and stop her progress. And I loved how Aero broke Briony to make her stronger. And she definitely rose to her potential.
I will say I was disappointed when it came to Saint. I was rooting for him to not be one of the bad guys. And while he may not have been as bad as his father the bishop and the governor, Saint still ended up not being who I was hoping. I grew to like him over the course of the book. And then got severely disappointed by his true character. I am glad he did receive the same fate as his father, the bishop, and the governor. Saint deserves to live with his actions of blindly following his father.
That epilogue was fire though. I loved the exchange of power between Aero and Briony. I loved how Briony took Aero for herself and "cleansed" him of his past the same way Aero cleansed her. I love that he finally surrenders his complete self to her. I don't think this book could've ended any better. It was phenomenal.
I would absolutely recommend this book. But definitely pay attention to those triggers. This books won't be for everyone.
I will say I was disappointed when it came to Saint. I was rooting for him to not be one of the bad guys. And while he may not have been as bad as his father the bishop and the governor, Saint still ended up not being who I was hoping. I grew to like him over the course of the book. And then got severely disappointed by his true character. I am glad he did receive the same fate as his father, the bishop, and the governor. Saint deserves to live with his actions of blindly following his father.
That epilogue was fire though. I loved the exchange of power between Aero and Briony. I loved how Briony took Aero for herself and "cleansed" him of his past the same way Aero cleansed her. I love that he finally surrenders his complete self to her. I don't think this book could've ended any better. It was phenomenal.
I would absolutely recommend this book. But definitely pay attention to those triggers. This books won't be for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
katsey's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
firequeen_ash23's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Title: That Sik Luv
Author: Jescie Hall
Rating:☆☆☆☆☆
H A P P Y R E L E A S E D A Y ** A R C R E V I E W
@jesciehall.
Blurb: Fornication is a sin.
As it reads, we should flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
They teach us that these thoughts, these actions, are immoral. But that dark side that lives inside all of us, the true nature of man, drives us to seek the need that burns within, demanding to be set free. Deep inside of our bones lies that intrinsic need, one desperate to escape. An innate behavior, seemingly out of our control.
One that screams for sins they tell us are condemning.
Aero is the throat from which I scream.
The dark parts of myself I want hidden from this world are all he sees when he gazes at me beneath yet another mask.
He’s the demon drowning me in my own underlying desires.
He may never stop. Not until I succumb to my truths, or die beneath the weight of his unrelenting grasp.
Because according to him, the life I’ve been living is a hell far worse than death.
My Thought: OH. MY. GAWD. 🥵🥵...
Jescie Hall knows how to write dark romance. Her writing is the epitome of
Dark.
Tragic.
Deliciously depraved & devasting.
I couldn't help but become consumed by Hall's writing and Aero. Aero is such a domineering, broody, take no shit force of a man and I loved every single part of him. I really enjoyed the twists and turns and suspense through out this amazing heart stopper. I literally had to rub my thighs together while reading this book.
I also really enjoyed Briony which kudos for an original name, one that I personally love. Briony may be the so called "intended victim" but she's a total badass. She doesn't sit around crying over the life she had day after day, un⁸willing to fight for herself. No, she does grieve the life she thought she was suppose to have but then she decides she's going to fight for her future and Aero does what he always promised, he helps her bloom into the rose she was always meant to be.
I loved seeing Aero and Briony break down one another's walls and fall into chaos together. There's something so beautiful and raw in knowing someone's most inner demons and yet not running from that person but embracing all the ugly, broken parts. This book will haunt me quite possibly for the rest of my life. I highly recommend this book as well as Jescie Halls other books.
#arc #arcreader #releaseday #thatsikluv #jesciehall #bookfeature #booktour #bookpost #readandreview #reviewsmatter #reviewshelpauthors #Bookstagram #bookishcommunity #obsessedwithreading #helpauthorsbeseen #helpauthorssucceed
Author: Jescie Hall
Rating:☆☆☆☆☆
H A P P Y R E L E A S E D A Y ** A R C R E V I E W
@jesciehall.
Blurb: Fornication is a sin.
As it reads, we should flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
They teach us that these thoughts, these actions, are immoral. But that dark side that lives inside all of us, the true nature of man, drives us to seek the need that burns within, demanding to be set free. Deep inside of our bones lies that intrinsic need, one desperate to escape. An innate behavior, seemingly out of our control.
One that screams for sins they tell us are condemning.
Aero is the throat from which I scream.
The dark parts of myself I want hidden from this world are all he sees when he gazes at me beneath yet another mask.
He’s the demon drowning me in my own underlying desires.
He may never stop. Not until I succumb to my truths, or die beneath the weight of his unrelenting grasp.
Because according to him, the life I’ve been living is a hell far worse than death.
My Thought: OH. MY. GAWD. 🥵🥵...
Jescie Hall knows how to write dark romance. Her writing is the epitome of
Dark.
Tragic.
Deliciously depraved & devasting.
I couldn't help but become consumed by Hall's writing and Aero. Aero is such a domineering, broody, take no shit force of a man and I loved every single part of him. I really enjoyed the twists and turns and suspense through out this amazing heart stopper. I literally had to rub my thighs together while reading this book.
I also really enjoyed Briony which kudos for an original name, one that I personally love. Briony may be the so called "intended victim" but she's a total badass. She doesn't sit around crying over the life she had day after day, un⁸willing to fight for herself. No, she does grieve the life she thought she was suppose to have but then she decides she's going to fight for her future and Aero does what he always promised, he helps her bloom into the rose she was always meant to be.
I loved seeing Aero and Briony break down one another's walls and fall into chaos together. There's something so beautiful and raw in knowing someone's most inner demons and yet not running from that person but embracing all the ugly, broken parts. This book will haunt me quite possibly for the rest of my life. I highly recommend this book as well as Jescie Halls other books.
#arc #arcreader #releaseday #thatsikluv #jesciehall #bookfeature #booktour #bookpost #readandreview #reviewsmatter #reviewshelpauthors #Bookstagram #bookishcommunity #obsessedwithreading #helpauthorsbeseen #helpauthorssucceed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Violence
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