Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Dark Obsession by Penelope Douglas

7 reviews

booklloveer101's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault

theteamsreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The best in the series.  A dark, sexy romance that actually IS dark and sexy.  Following the third horseman Damon Torrance as he begins to tear down Winter Ashby's life and family after the incident so many years ago, a surprising backstory and dive into these characters' minds reveals that what's on the surface is not as it seems.  Recommend to anyone with a dark and spicy read in mind with a surprisingly excellent plot, a larger found family than once realised before, and even further surprise in diversity, as to Winter's  character not being limited to her blind disability.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Minor: Car accident

jlaz_13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Cursing, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Stalking, Blood, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

jsumner1125's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I don't know why I like this series.  Damon was a horrible guy and I really didn't see any redemption for him that I could be satisfied with but he may be my favorite character now.  Totally selfish unless you are his people.   He had to have super special love and Winter was perfect. I loved how he treated her disability as a non issue, he let her truly live.  I am really liking the growth of all the charcters, the town story line of wealth and intrigue and I am super excited to finish with Will's story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse

coligmueller's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Incest, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment

lilydoyle6's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

3-4? Can't decide. But, this book definitely didn't need to be 500 pages. Everyone says it's their favorite of the series and idk about that. Overall it was good and not as romance heavy as the others. I think Damon did a nice 180 by the end. And can't speak to the blind representation and whether or not that was problematic/accurate. But glad I can keep crossing these off my list. Feel like I need to do my due diligence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Murder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood

Moderate: Kidnapping

sierrachenee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Somehow this series presented me with Damon, a convicted felon, attempted murderer, and just all around screwed up character who terrorized everyone including the girl he loved and by the end of this I am in love with him. 

This book is confusing for my brain but I loved it. I don’t know how some things got redeemed but this book really does make you think. It’s very morally gray in a lot of areas and extremely dark so I would not recommend for everyone. It was so heartbreaking every step of the way. 

Some parts were a bit too much or out of character or tied up too nicely but the good out balances the bad. 

Winter is also my favorite lead women in this series so far. She is blind and I liked that Damon didn’t coddle her like a lot of others did. She was very determined, smart, strong, but also very caring. Their relationship was extremely messed up but they worked so well together. His relationship with Will too is my favorite. 

If there wasn’t more in a series this book would provide me with a major book hangover and I’d be wandering around for a week or two trying to figure out what to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Murder, Gun violence, Bullying, Pedophilia, Incest, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Stalking, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use