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A review by yazaleea
Follow the River by CE Ricci
3.0
This came as a surprise to me but I kinda enjoyed this, enough to rate it 3 stars.
One of the things that could never have made me rate it higher is how pissed off I was with the author's disclaimer. It's fucking INSANE to belittle people who need specific trigger warning, especially when you are going to write about rape, children sexual abuse, substance abuse and more. "Don't read if you are a pussy" is fucked up, especially when people don't HAVE to read the trigger warnings if they don't want to be spoiled! But some people do, we don't have all the same experiences and traumas and it's a fucking pity an AUTHOR of all people would just mock this.
And for what? I liked the toxic relationship between Rain & River, it was not bad! The use of sworn enemies when talking about college students playing football will always be funny to me, though. The plot was very, very silly though, adding on top of that literally all the "LOOK THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE" elements you can think of. Rain has a mountain of repressed homophobia he takes out on River, they hate each other's guts and it leads to them fucking up on the field and their coach, for some reason, has the authority to jail them for FIVE WEEKS, during CHRISTMAS BREAK, in a secluded cabin. Okay. Hum, how about no.
But whatever, no matter how fucking unbelievable that single premise is, what is even more unbelievable is what fucking happens there. Namely Rain raping River in a cruel way, seeking to HURT him both mentally and physically. And then, just because it's not enough, we slide right into rape apology territory when River assures him it's not rape! River didn't say no! He liked it! You're not a rapist, babe, we're fine! Absolutely crazy. It's something to be a prick and say using trigger warnings is a spoiler, it's another to treat these sensitive topics with very little accountability for the characters. If they had ACKNOWLEDGED the act for what it is and seriously discussed it, it would have been different. But here, Rain is forgiven, because while this is a dark romance, we can't just go and have a rapist as a love interest now can we? This was insane. Just as insane as the very detailed, very graphic scene of child abuse. Like... why? That was so damn weird, I'm sorry lol.
Everything was so dramatic, over the top, we go from Rain being an homophobic asshole to a possessive alpha boyfriend in three days, just because. The development was weird. The side cast non existent (I wanted more of Siena and Taylor, them just being there was so strange???). I have spoiled myself the second book and I know Roman is going to be a pain in my ass, love triangles are just not necessary especially when there is already so much drama going on. I'm tired. I did like River, though! He was cute and snarky and messy, he made the read OK!
I realise I barely said anything positive on this book and I'm not sure I can find the words to say why I liked it, besides for the fact that I was craving toxic romance. And the toxic is here alright. I am exhausted though, and not in a good way. I am going to start the second book, and probably skin through it because no matter how ridiculous and over the top the plot is, it's like a car crash I can't look away from.
Anyway, I was so sure I liked C. E. Ricci's writing, but I think I just really like her couples, and the rest is just. Whatever to me. Except Iced Out, that one was great start to finish for me. Anyway, time for After the Rain and more foolishness i guess
EDIT: One thing that was HILARIOUS was Rain's homophobic rants!! I was laughing so hard, when he was like "not gay but i'd suck his dick" "not gay but he is so damn hot" "i'm ace but fuck those dirty ass queers", pure comedy gold.
One of the things that could never have made me rate it higher is how pissed off I was with the author's disclaimer. It's fucking INSANE to belittle people who need specific trigger warning, especially when you are going to write about rape, children sexual abuse, substance abuse and more. "Don't read if you are a pussy" is fucked up, especially when people don't HAVE to read the trigger warnings if they don't want to be spoiled! But some people do, we don't have all the same experiences and traumas and it's a fucking pity an AUTHOR of all people would just mock this.
And for what? I liked the toxic relationship between Rain & River, it was not bad! The use of sworn enemies when talking about college students playing football will always be funny to me, though. The plot was very, very silly though, adding on top of that literally all the "LOOK THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE" elements you can think of. Rain has a mountain of repressed homophobia he takes out on River, they hate each other's guts and it leads to them fucking up on the field and their coach, for some reason, has the authority to jail them for FIVE WEEKS, during CHRISTMAS BREAK, in a secluded cabin. Okay. Hum, how about no.
But whatever, no matter how fucking unbelievable that single premise is, what is even more unbelievable is what fucking happens there. Namely Rain raping River in a cruel way, seeking to HURT him both mentally and physically. And then, just because it's not enough, we slide right into rape apology territory when River assures him it's not rape! River didn't say no! He liked it! You're not a rapist, babe, we're fine! Absolutely crazy. It's something to be a prick and say using trigger warnings is a spoiler, it's another to treat these sensitive topics with very little accountability for the characters. If they had ACKNOWLEDGED the act for what it is and seriously discussed it, it would have been different. But here, Rain is forgiven, because while this is a dark romance, we can't just go and have a rapist as a love interest now can we? This was insane. Just as insane as the very detailed, very graphic scene of child abuse. Like... why? That was so damn weird, I'm sorry lol.
Everything was so dramatic, over the top, we go from Rain being an homophobic asshole to a possessive alpha boyfriend in three days, just because. The development was weird. The side cast non existent (I wanted more of Siena and Taylor, them just being there was so strange???). I have spoiled myself the second book and I know Roman is going to be a pain in my ass, love triangles are just not necessary especially when there is already so much drama going on. I'm tired. I did like River, though! He was cute and snarky and messy, he made the read OK!
I realise I barely said anything positive on this book and I'm not sure I can find the words to say why I liked it, besides for the fact that I was craving toxic romance. And the toxic is here alright. I am exhausted though, and not in a good way. I am going to start the second book, and probably skin through it because no matter how ridiculous and over the top the plot is, it's like a car crash I can't look away from.
Anyway, I was so sure I liked C. E. Ricci's writing, but I think I just really like her couples, and the rest is just. Whatever to me. Except Iced Out, that one was great start to finish for me. Anyway, time for After the Rain and more foolishness i guess
EDIT: One thing that was HILARIOUS was Rain's homophobic rants!! I was laughing so hard, when he was like "not gay but i'd suck his dick" "not gay but he is so damn hot" "i'm ace but fuck those dirty ass queers", pure comedy gold.