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abicaro17's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Drug use, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Death, Medical content, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, Cursing, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Stalking
daisycantread24's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
oakleylynch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All in all, I would rate this book a 4.5/5 stars and I would definitely read again! The other .5 is due to some of the reptitive nature of wording, but I genuinely adored this story and it made me sob (at a ridiculous time in the late hours of the morning) with how emotional it gets when the characters get vulnerable and honest with each other and start growing in their arcs. I'd say it's a medium paced book, it feels as though it moves fast once you get past the first half, but I was not bored in the slightest reading through the mental health segments. As someone with diagnosed mental health things, I felt seen in Phoenix and felt as though it was a very accurate portrayal of depression and anxiety and other mental health issues, and had good mental health representation. Also, 10/10 steamy scenes!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Violence, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Cancer, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, and Medical content
Moderate: Addiction, Stalking, Animal death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Child death
Minor: Miscarriage, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
dancing_daisy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Drug abuse, Violence, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Blood, Drug use, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
michaelahoyman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Gun violence, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Drug use
mnicolas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Grief, Self harm, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, and Mental illness
Minor: Cancer, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Death of parent
amberleila's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Self harm, Cancer, Death of parent, Gun violence, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Stalking
This book is a romance, but at its core the author is very open about discussing depression and anxiety, as well as suicidal thoughts and tendencies. If you are a person who is in recovery I’d deeply recommend picking this one up, I think it was deeply beneficial to read the author’s personal statement on her struggles. Read cautiously, read for yourself.readingstation's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Self harm
angeladee's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Self harm, and Medical trauma
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I say this all the time, but... I always find it much harder to review books that I loved. I never feel like I can find the right words to do it justice.
CW: suicide, suicide attempt, depression, addiction, death of parent
If you've ever read Kristen's work, you know there are always themes of mental health & overcoming internal struggles. Bring Me Back follows Pheonix after leaving a mental health treatment facility following her suicide attempt. Looking for a fresh start, she moves into her dad's shore house in New Jersey that has been vacant for a while. Next door is James, a broody & sexy cop who just can't seem to stay away. The book starts off with a bang, with a funny as hell meeting between the two, & takes off from there.
While I have dealt with bouts of depression at the lowest points of my anxiety & panic disorder, I have not been clinically depressed. Still, I appreciated the representation of depression & how it was written & handled in this book. It was out in the open, never shied away from, & never something to be ashamed of, which I absolutely loved. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness every year, & 1 in 20 experience serious mental illness each year. It's much more common than we think, & I love that Kristen normalizes the struggles, because there are far too many who are afraid to or cannot seek help or speak up.
There are heavy themes in this book. But there are also lighter moments. I'm obsessed with how Nix & James met. I laughed out loud several times. I goofy smiled like an idiot at the heartwarming moments between Nix & James, but also between Nix & James' brother Leo, & with their dad as well. And the steam... 🔥 handcuffs & baton... need I say more? 🥵
The character development was phenomenal. I loved them all, but Leo holds a special place in my heart, & I can't wait to read more of his story. 🥺
And there's something about the ending that I also loved & appreciated, but don't worry, I won't say what it is. I never post spoilers!
Oh, and just look at that cover! 😍 absolutely gorgeous! (The discreet one, but the main one is so nice too)
Go read it!
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Abandonment, Blood, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, and Death