Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Score by Elle Kennedy

39 reviews

annatl4's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

3.5

i liked the score much more than the mistake. it felt a little more plot focused and the characters felt much more real. i thought allie was funny and lighthearted and i thought deans soft side really showed when he fell for allie. i thought they made for a great match. i loved that dean really cared and allie felt safe enough to call him for anything. i appreciated the pacing up until the end, which is typical of Kennedys writing. the ending was sudden and sad and the drama/breakup felt forced as a plot point. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

smartcookiesca's review

emotional funny lighthearted 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: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault

culzean's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

saretta02's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

shaesensual's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

I absolutely understand now why this book is one of the most highly praised in all of Kennedy’s series! Allie and Dean are so lovable and so compatible, you are rooting for them from the very beginning and each piece of information revealed about their chemistry just pushes their relationship right along. These characters can’t help but fall in love with each other even when they both try so hard not to! Seeing Dean’s mushy side develop until he’s getting Allie’s obscure French soap opera at his penthouse is truly character development. I also loved the Allie-cat nickname, seeing Summer’s actual introduction in the series and the start of her relationship with Allie, and understanding more about Hunter as a Dean 2.0. This book is also such a sweet spot in the series timeline where all of the characters you know and love are in the story or just on the outside of the story. I LOVED this book and might be the only one in the series I’d consider rereading. 

I had also previously read about the major third act plot point in Summer’s Briar U book, but it was entirely different reading it from Dean and Allie’s perspective and seeing their growth through it. Truly handled so well with how the characters make decisions to better themselves and each other. 

This might be the only romance book I’ve been embarrassed to read in public! Allie and Dean’s trade off of dominant and submissive behavior is fun, fun, fun. The kink is high in their encounters, putting some things in their sex life I’m sure some people only fantasize about. They are continually pushing each other’s boundaries in such a hot (and consensual) way. Dean’s exhibitionist kink explains so much about him and apparently Allie too!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

graceev's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Death of parent

britwalsh16's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

I could not put this book down!! I read it in a day! I just couldn’t stop!! Elle Kennedy has a way of making you want the player! & each one has had a heart of gold under their player facade. Dean was no exception, as the king of players! & Allie trying to use him as her rebound, but the explosive chemistry they had just jumped off the page! & then the third act problems hit, & I seriously cried! I did not expect that in the slightest! Gahh!! This series has my heart, why did it take so long for me to read them?!?!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

abidavisf's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

My heart is broken and full all at the same time.

For the first two books in this series, my reviews centred on how extraordinary Elle Kennedy is at writing hard-hitting topics and weaving them into such romantic storylines. Frankly, I had no idea how extraordinary she was until I read The Score. 

This book has torn me apart. I sobbed. Do not expect an easy read, because, I promise you, it isn’t one but, my word, is it beautiful.

Allie and Dean’s relationship is joyous, playful and fun and just wonderful to observe but, more than anything, the individual journeys that they (particularly Dean) take are beautiful. Dean experiences some real hardship in this story. His character is tested and he has to make some difficult choices in heartbreaking circumstances. The Score is not for the faint of heart but it will make you grateful for today.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Death of parent

jetty_books's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death and Car accident

Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

catastrophiclyss's review

challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail