Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - A Touch of Malice

While I still love the characters and the world St. Clair built, the story arc was missing for me in this one. I love Hades and Persephone together and on their own, but it just seemed like everything that happened in the last 10-15 chapters could’ve happened way sooner. Persephone especially seems not to do anything (other than have sex with Hades) for 80% of the story. She slacks on her training, she slacks with her work, she slacks in her personal relationships. I hate when people lose themselves in their relationships in real life and I hate it in this book too. Although I’m still looking forward to book 4, I’m glad that it’s going to be awhile before it comes out so I can have a bit of a reprieve from the disappointments of this magical series.

Content Warnings

morriganslibrary's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Content Warnings

raphaela's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

They are fighting. Every. 10. Pages. I am so over this story, I had to fight hard to even finish the book, only to find out, it's not the final one? Like, there's a cliffhanger???
The way the issues of the characters are dealt with drives me insane,

like they argue about him not telling her something every single chapter but nothing changes, ever. And the way she just casually addresses that he's an alcoholic??? Like I get that there are more pressing matters happening atm but hello?? She's not even that concerned or worked up about it.

I don't really get them anymore tbh.
Also, there is so little plot happening over several chapters (basically most of the book) and suddenly everything is happening too fast with way less details than required to actually make me care. At least the smut is kind of okay, although it becomes a bit repetitive over the course of the book (like I can read about them fucking on their bed and in the bathing rooms only so many times before I just start skimming - also, they bathe like three times a day??).
Hermes and Apollo really carried this book, I don't know if I could have finished it without them appearing from time to time.

Content Warnings

feb_books's review against another edition

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medium-paced

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

2.25

4 hot peppers emoji
Hecate and Hermes are like a glass of cold milk that you drink after eating super spicy foods. I love them.

You know what? I learned about myself after I read this book. I realize that my longing for a bloody war and a good plot exceeded my like to read spicy scenes. This book has too many spicy scenes. At one point, it made me bored reading it.

This book promised me war, but the fight scene or the chaos just appeared at 20% of the book. And 80% of this book is a steamy scene and a random scene that I’m not sure why exists in the book.

And you know what is killing me right now? I have to read the next book because of the cliffhanger. I came this far reading this series, so I wish to finish the story. And I’m praying for the next book, A Touch of Chaos, will have more than spicy scenes in it.

Ps: I love the Housewarming Jokes.

Content Warnings

charlee92's review against another edition

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dark fast-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? Yes

3.5

Persephone was so much stronger in this one. I loved that. The spice went up a notch for sure.

Content Warnings

mkwreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

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