Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Guarda-Costas by Katherine Center

152 reviews

cemsreadingcorner's review against another edition

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-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

4.5

Fantastic book!! The characters were great. I learned a lot about life and fame through them. I hated Hannah’s ex-boyfriend. He dumped her right after her mom’s funeral and then said she was a bad kisser.

He then hooked up with her best friend and then broke up with her.

What a sleaze-bag! After all that, he tried to get back with his ex, Hannah (you know, the one he dumped, then dissed). It’s a good thing she told him to go fuck himself (she didn’t say it in those words, though—although, she should have). I didn’t care for the parts where it would say “He looked at me, like Really?” I wish the author did not do that so much. Other than that, the story was enjoyable. It deserves the four and a half stars that I gave it. This was an entertaining, light read. I would recommend it to fans of romance books. 👍🏼👍🏼

Friday, October 13, 2023 at 2:04 PM

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Stalking, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism and Abandonment

3readingcircus's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking and Car accident

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Gun violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts

marianaribeiro's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Death of parent

raven1030's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment

This is such a good book. I highly recommend it!

I love a happily ever after!! The way they both helped each other throughout their time together was wonderful.

marisabenn's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-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

5.0

What a pleasant surprise!! I didn't expect to love this book, but I DEVOURED it. 

Hannah is such a badass. I know we don't get to see too much of her being an actual bodyguard, but that's okay. She didn't need it. She is smart, vulnerable, smart-mouthed, and loveable. She doesn't need to prove her worth by killing the bad guy. She does it with her kindness and smarts. I adored her.

I did not expect five stars from this, but what a happy surprise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, and Stalking

Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

tanvi45's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts

larrakyleen's review against another edition

4.5

Some parts are a bit predictable, but others are sweet, sad, surprising, and absolutely wild. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Car accident

Minor: Alcoholism

tinkeringcheck's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

First person romance is far from my usual, but I was completely taken in by the warmth and freshness of this story. Yes, it's a trope for the ages, but the healthiness of the relationship between the leads was such an unexpected delight. A male love interest with emotional maturity and an overabundance of green flags? Clear discussions of boundaries and feelings? It was a breath of fresh, Texas air and the best kind of romcom you can root for all wrapped into one wise, silly, hopeful package. I adored it. I adored all of these characters. And I especially adored Jack's family.

The one thing that stretched my suspension of belief was the bodyguard team's antics. There's a lot of telling us about how great they are, meanwhile what's shown is a lot of... high school level drama. I just wish we'd seen more of what made this team - and our lead by association - capable enough to be hired by a beleaguered celebrity. 

All that being said: Do not - do not! - go into this book expecting realistic drama or steamy romance. It's a bantery, feel-good, reverse bodyguard trope that runs on rom-com logic, but (mostly) in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Abandonment

Overall: It's a very light-hearted, hopeful book but it deals with some background heavy topics. In order or prevalence:

Death of parent, death, grief: Very beginning of book skims over the main character's mother dying, and the grief from that is a catalyst for the rest of the book. Grief (and hope) is a major theme.

Domestic/Physical abuse: Past, as a memory. A very violent incidence of it and the injuries/aftermath is described by character who was a child at the time.

Stalking: With one lead being a famous actor, there's lots of discussions about stalking in general. Stalking incidents are discussed in detail, though light-heartedly, until

one gets violent -> see gun violence.

Gun violence, suicide attempt, blood, injury: Someone is shot at and mildy injured.

In a hostage situation characters are held at gunpoint and one suffers a graze on the head that bleeds a lot but isn't too serious. The shooter plans to kill himself, not the hostages, but is talked down.

Toxic Relationship: Heroine has a generally very shitty ex-boyfriend.

Cancer: The male lead's mother is going through cancer treatment. There's mention of having and recovering from surgery, and the characters often briefly visit a hospital. The prognosis

ends up being very good and she completely recovers.

Alcoholism: More than one background character suffers from it.

One was killed before the story from driving recklessly under the influence.

Car accident, death: Past incident. The accident is described in detail more than once and led to a death by drowning.

The driver was under the influence, drove too fast, went off a bridge and drowned.

Drowning: One almost-incident during the story and one in the past - both described in some detail.

Vomit: One character has a phobia that he often vomits after being exposed to. It's not described in detail.

Abandonment: A character briefly describes a parent leaving them and their other parent abruptly when they were very young.

jcole32's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Stalking

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

caitlynlargent's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Blood