Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

17 reviews

samanthaleeshea's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Great fast read, lots of twists and turns.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

saraellenme's review

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Forced institutionalization

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

   When an unhoused woman saves a rich housewife's life, their lives become intertwined in a murder plot. How will they get out alive? 
   I'm torn on rating this book, I enjoyed that it delved into deeper topics, but I also found it a bit predictable at times. I'd say I predicted at least half the twists.
    I enjoyed the happy ending, but I felt it wrapped up too quickly for how drawn out other elements were.
 
 Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
    Both narrators were amazing! 

Extra ratings: Fluff - 0/5   Heartfelt- 4.5/5   Helpful -NA    Horror -NA    Inspiration -NA    Love aka Romance- 1/5    Mystery -3/5   Predictability -3.75/5    Spice-1/5    Suspense - 3.5/5    Tear- 4/5   Thrill - 4/5    Humor-0/5 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

annaofjesup's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Blood

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Addiction

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Another solid domestic thriller!! This has definitely become my favorite sub-genre of mystery thrillers. And this one is heavy on domestic twists and suspenseful thrills!!

While it was a little slow to start, the intrigue never stops. It increases with each chapter (short chapters are the best) and throws in punch after punch of “WTF?!“ drama. This one is best if you go in blind, so I won’t say much else except that you will definitely have trust issues after finishing it. 

Robyn Harding is SO GOOD at what she does!! Fans of “Sleeping with the Enemy”, “Gone Girl”, “Killing Eve” and the like should flock to this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bookb1itch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

 Thanks to Better Reading for a preview copy of this book.  This is the review I submitted to them:

A very engaging look at what desperate women are capable of, in the quest for their essential survival.  Lee’s restaurant business collapses as a result of COVID 19 and bad decisions.  Bankrupt, and on the wrong side of a gangster, she flees and lives off the grid, in her car.  Early one morning, Lee witnesses an apparent suicide attempt, rescuing the woman from the sea.  The “drowning woman”, Hazel is married to a cruel and controlling man and has reached the limit of her endurance.  Hazel and Lee form an unusual friendship. 

 

The story explores how people are shaped by their experiences and are not always what they present to the world.  The major twist is unexpected. 

An addictive read recommended for those who enjoy the books of Claire Mackintosh and Peter Swanson. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Death of parent

soobooksalot's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Two women on two very different life paths makes for a most riveting story. 
 Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for my eARC of The Drowning Woman for review!
 Canadian author Robyn Harding has absolutely nailed her latest thriller. The stories of Hazel and Lee drew me in immediately, and they're surrounded by secondary characters who are all levels of nasty.
 I was travelling while readin  this, and often find it difficult to keep up with a book when not on my usual life schedule - this one kept me at it whenever I had a spare moment!
 Recommended!
 For release on June 13.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol