Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

God of Pain by Rina Kent

19 reviews

willowmcquerry's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

nitzanschwarz's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

66 | D | 2.5 ★  | passable

Honestly, I didn't really like this book. I essentially DNF-ed it at 49% because I just could not stand this couple, especially Creighton. However, I decided to pick it up and finish it because while reading the next book, I realized some plot-important things for NIKOLAI (and likely Bran) happened in the latter half that I wanted to be aware of before moving on to their book. So, I literally finished this book for other couples. Luckily, the second half of the book has many " lore-heavy" portions, which allowed me to fly through the next 35% and then sigh and slog through the remaining 15%, which was once again very couple-heavy. All in all, this book was an unfortunate turn of events for me because I actually really liked Creighton and Anikka in book one. They seemed like they were going to be a fun couple--boy, was I wrong.

So, let's begin with Anikka, with whom I had less of an issue aside from the forced quirkiness. I do think this character is a lot of "tell, not show," which is not a storytelling mechanism I like. We always heard how light and bubbly and bright she is, but I didn't really feel so reading in her POV or about her. Like, the narrative wasn't convincing me. Telling me she's yapping is not exactly it. 

But she's the least of my worries because her "better half" is way worse. Judging by his cameos in the first book and the beginning of this one, I thought I was really going to like Creighton. But noooo, dude had to prove me wrong, relatively fast. By the 45% I wrote in my notes "this man is a one star for me". He is such a controlling asshat. It'd be one thing if he was like that during sex - that's pretty much par for the course for this series, and I'm fine with that. But the way he basically shuts her up, essentially conditioning her not to disagree with him; not to go out with her friends without him; not to let anyone touch her--friends and family included, makes him into an abusive asshole.

This is why I got so annoyed with the narrative telling me that he was freeing Annika, teaching her not to be a people pleaser (are you kidding me? All she tries to do with him around is please him), to stand out for herself. Bitch, where? And the gaslighting. God. Why is Anikka apologizing for going out with friends when Creighton never informed her they had plans? Didn't know she was a mind reader. Why is she being punished for an innocent, non-probing questions you decided to branch into a trauma dump? Also, all the nice things he apperatenly does for her? Yeah, they mostly happen off-page. So all WE get to see is the abusive shit. Not the best story design, IMO.

Oh, and don't go looking for a good BDSM representation because I'm pretty sure this is not it, lol.

As for the more plot-heavy portions - I definitely liked them better than the rest of the story, even though I thought it was all so unnecessary. Like, genuinely, why?

He's "avenging the child he was."

Okay?... can we maybe do that with all the info and also direct our anger at the people who assaulted women and were ruined for it instead of the people who did the ruining? Just a thought. I also think maybe this is what made this book so unbalanced. A significant portion of the book, from around 50%, is dedicated to the big reveal and the fallout. Compared to the previous and following book, which had their big "mic drop" moments closer to the 75% mark, we get a lot less time for the couple to just develop and mesh. Even though this is a long book, it did feel like we speed-ran their falling in love, and maybe that's why I ended up disliking them as a couple so much. I did skim through their big confession scene or whatever on the island, though. I felt like I was gonna barf, lol. 

Plot - 13/20
Characters - 14/20 
Relationships - 12/20
Writing - 15/20
Reading Experience - 12/20
Final score: 66

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

h_lo1004's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

ahou13's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Toxic relationship

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

This book was better than the first . I tolerate Creighton more than Killian.

The shooting drama and the kidnapping to the island, was very chaotic. Made me question everything.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

lizziethebookdragon's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

0.25

I couldn't get over the age gap. There was consent in this one or at least from what I remember compared to the last one. 
A 17 and a 20 year old though? That's just weird and very creepy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

culzean's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

bluebell37's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

eelka's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

poupimali's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

4.0

The first half of the book seams a bit rushed between Annika and Creighton
The plot is very good though.

- secret society 
- friends to lovers to enemies to lovers (yes)
- grumpy (him) / sunshine (her)
- mafia
- college romance
- Dom/sub

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Gaslighting