Sadist with massive Madonna-whore complex thinks his wife is too pure to ever be kinky and that he can’t love a submissive so he shuts the Dom side ofSadist with massive Madonna-whore complex thinks his wife is too pure to ever be kinky and that he can’t love a submissive so he shuts the Dom side of him off. Then she files for divorce and he decides to hold their business as leverage over her so she’ll go to his secret house and learn about BDSM for 30 days. This is not good consent!!! He’s trying to scare her and punish her for leaving him. Adam was pretty much the worst and I was glad Charlie called him out on it at least. It’s no great shock that Diana is a submissive after all and that Adam handles it all TERRIBLY.
Compelling writing but I’m not sure I’m in it enough to want to read the second book. The way Adam went about things, especially that ending, is unforgivable. Diana deserves infinitely better. I'm just not sure I'll believe in whatever redemption Reiss sets up for him. Also: there’s some not great BDSM rep. You can’t just look at someone and know if they’re submissive. I can’t buy Adam being this renowned Dom when he doesn’t know how to obtain basic consent or explain how various kinks work or how a scene will play out ahead of time. Especially when he’s taking someone to a house in Montauk where they will not have access to a car or have another way to leave. Poor Diana had no idea what she was agreeing to!
Note: this is a completely cishet white book, as far as I can remember, even though it’s partially set in NYC. It’s extremely heteronormative with Dominants largely being equated with men and submissives as women, though there is eventually a brief acknowledgment that female Dommes exist as well as male submissives. However, that’s not ever presented as the norm at the club or in the way Adam talks about BDSM. It’s also quite gender essentialist.
Characters: Adam is a 36 year old white publishing company co-owner, Dom, and sadist. Diana is a 28 year old bisexual (?) white publishing company co-owner. They’ve been married for four years. This is set in NYC and Montauk.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (FMC punches MMC, pushes him, and throws a stock pot at his head at various points. None of this is treated as partner violence), past abortion (baby’s spine grew outside of its body and would not have survived), past statutory rape, ephebophilia, and grooming (MMC had sex at 15 years old with his best friend’s mom who “seduced” him and introduced him to rough sex; this is not presented as if there’s anything is wrong with what she did), FMC files for divorce from MMC, perceived infidelity (MMC thinks FMC is having an affair but she’s not; FMC believes he’s having sex with his old submissive but he’s not), FMC’s father has emphysema from smoking, kink-shaming, internalized kink-shaming, Evil Ex trope (not really his ex but she was his submissive for 30 days in the past), concussion, war veteran secondary character uses a cane for leg injury (his penis was also shot off during the same attack), past death of FMC’s mother (unspecified reproductive organ cancer; FMC is at risk of inheriting the same gene and it's recommended she have a hysterectomy once she’s had children), past death of MMC’s parents (car accident when he was 5 years old), parental pressure for grandkids, secondary character’s mom had a stroke and later dies, use of safeword (respected), denial of aftercare to secondary character, toxic Dom (secondary character), on page sex, D/s, dubious consent, impact play, bondage, domestic discipline, mild humiliation play, gag, voyeurism, orgasm control, BDSM club, masturbation, past CNC with secondary character, exhibitionism (secondary characters), Master/slave relationship (secondary characters), alcohol, inebriation (secondary characters), p-in-v is the only “real” sex, virginity fetishization, casual homophobia, gendered euphemisms for genitalia, gendered pejorative, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of secondary character’s grandma who has dementia
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Nook) Purchased: 2017...more
If someone offered me a million dollars for three months of caregiving, I would absolutely take it but I don’t know that I would have lasted the full If someone offered me a million dollars for three months of caregiving, I would absolutely take it but I don’t know that I would have lasted the full three months when the patient in question is a guy like Eric. He was such an absolute jerk and for no reason! Would it kill him to be kinder to his employees? A person’s true character shows in the way they treat the people under them or in the hospitality industry and he failed on all counts. Just because he pays them well doesn’t negate the way he talks to them. Therefore, I had a hard time rooting for a romance with Julie.
Julie was a doormat who not only took Eric’s verbal abuse but let her sister get away with her selfishness for far too long. I wish she had to stood up for herself with her sister much sooner and called out Marie for not helping with their parents more. I also didn’t like the way she ultimately handled things with Eric. (view spoiler)[She has sex with him even though they’re not together anymore and then doesn’t even tell him she’s quitting. She just leaves! That’s so unprofessional regardless of how sad and hurt she feels. (hide spoiler)]
I may not have been on board with Eric but I still read this quickly and I even cried, as I often do with this author’s romances, so that’s something.
Characters: Eric is a 38 year old white video game developer and former football player. He has an 8 year old daughter named Maddy. Julie is a 32 year old white caregiver, online college history teacher, and former PhD student (ABD). This is set in Charlotte, NC with trips to the Outer Banks and Baltimore.
Content notes: MMC’s daughter has an unknown neurological condition that could potentially be terminal (view spoiler)[time spent looking for diagnosis and trying different treatments; Maddy thinks she is dying at various points because of what one doctor said but she doesn’t have an official prognosis. At the end, there’s still no diagnosis but the new treatment seems to be helping. (hide spoiler)], brief sexual assault (MMC drunkenly gropes FMC without consent; he immediately stops when she says no and she doesn’t treat it like a big deal), on page death of FMC’s mother (stroke), FMC’s father died 8 months ago (pancreatic cancer), MMC’s leg is broken in 3 places from skiing accident (full cast; uses wheelchair and crutches), internalized ableism, overt and casual ableism, invasion of privacy (he tracks down her telephone number from the funeral home), debt (medical, student loans, credit card), employer-employee relationship, stuck elevator, sexism, classism, forgetting to eat, MMC was never involved with daughter’s mother (one night stand without a condom), past death of MMC’s parents (dad of heart attack), alcohol, excessive drinking, inebriation, on page sex, outdoor sex, masturbation, casual acephobia, gender essentialist language, ableist language, casual use of colonialist language...more
Both predictable and poorly executed. My guess is Prescott was trying too much to emulate Penny Reid that she lost what’s great about her own writing.Both predictable and poorly executed. My guess is Prescott was trying too much to emulate Penny Reid that she lost what’s great about her own writing. I probably should have DNFed but I was just so taken aback by the change in authorial voice and representation issues that I had to see how it would all play out.
Olive is a poor little rich girl hiking the Appalachian Trail and reckless to boot. I suspect we were supposed to view Olive as “spunky” but I never bought it. Her family views her as a rebel for some odd reason because she broke off several engagements and hasn’t found a job she likes. But then she doesn’t really need to work since her family is wealthy and she can just up and hike the AT for months on end without a concern. Must be nice. She ignores hiking advice from experienced hikers and rangers despite never having done any hiking before taking the AT on. This, of course, goes about as well as you might expect. If I’m too annoyed to appreciate a “snowed in” scenario, then you know it’s bad.
Then we have Jay, our white-passing grumpy hiker who has a big internalized racism issue with being mixed race. And look, this could be interesting to explore but not when it’s written by a white author and especially not when it's handled so clunkily. Jay has a Japanese mother and white father, the latter of whom died while he was young. He grew up in rural Tennessee and he and his sister were two of the few (or only? I can’t remember) Asian kids at school. However, Jay is white-passing, while his sister is not, and he tried hard not to let anyone know about his racial identity. To this day he is not comfortable revealing his Japanese heritage and he expects Olive to freak out when he tells her, even though she’s done nothing to suggest she might be a raging bigot. It's rough stuff. Besides Jay's mom and sister, everyone else in this book was white. He doesn’t have any Asian community aside from his mom and sister, who live in different parts of Tennessee. Why would he choose to be a ranger there and to further isolate himself? The other nods to him being Japanese were superficial and stereotypical. It’s just really not great representation across the board.
Frankly, it wasn’t good character work either. Olive and Jay are more caricatures than lived in characters. There were so many loose threads, like whether Olive ever confronts her ex-boyfriend or stands up to her parents. Beyond that, it was hard for me to buy the romance. Somehow it’s a slow burn and yet they both believe they’re in love after they spend two days in a cabin together. Such a disappointment.
Characters: Olive is a fat white AT hiker and president’s granddaughter. Jay is a 30 year old white-passing mixed race (Japanese) park ranger and ornithologist. This is set in Cades Cove, TN and the Smoky Mountains.
Content notes: off page death of FMC’s grandfather, internalized racism, past racism, blizzard, past fatphobia and fatshaming by FMC’s family, past fighting, discussion of internment camps, past death of MMC’s father (car accident), rodent carcass, on page sex, alcohol (secondary character), casual ableism, casual homophobia, gendered pejorative, gender essentialism, ableist language, mention of past death of FMC’s grandmother, mention of past death of MMC’s pet dog,
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2021...more
3.5 stars. You know, I’m enjoying this series overall but it has not worked its magic on me the way it has for most of my friends. I wonder if the fir3.5 stars. You know, I’m enjoying this series overall but it has not worked its magic on me the way it has for most of my friends. I wonder if the first IA series you read is the one that imprints on you? That’s Hidden Legacy for me. But my guess is Kate Daniels wouldn’t have imprinted on me unless it was the first shifter book I read. While the world-building is interesting as a whole (the vampire stuff alone!), I’ve read much more compelling shifter series and Curran leans too much into macho gender essentialist stereotypes for my taste. Kate is the reason to read the series, despite the aspects where it doesn’t hold up.
The inevitable battle with Roland was gripping but also a letdown? I must have read this on a real bloodthirsty day or else I’m tired of how much the final showdown is being dragged out. But it was interesting to learn more about Roland via Erra (and everything it took for Kate to bring her back, for that matter), as well as see Kate be tempted by power and domination.
Kate not wanting to plan her wedding got real old. It was a little too Not Like Other Girls for me. It’s really weird that Roland would be invited to her wedding; true, it wasn’t by Kate or Curran but I can’t imagine why Roman thought that was a normal thing to do. Not to mention that Kate would suddenly not want to kill her dad, even though he’s the embodiment of evil who has gone after her multiple times. All the other characters are like, “well, he is your dad.” NO. He is a sperm donor who first tried to kill her when she was in her mother’s womb. He has never meaningfully fulfilled a parental role in her life. They didn’t even meet until a couple of years ago! What in the actual revisionist history bullshit is this?!?!
That makes me question how the final confrontation is going to play out.
Characters: Kate is a 28 year old mercenary with tan skin. She’s the guardian of Julie, a 16 year old white girl. She has an “attack poodle” Grendel. Curran is a 34 year old white Beast Lord and lion shifter. This is set in Atlanta and Omaha.
Content notes: suicide attempt (secondary character), self-harm for blood magic, abduction of secondary character, off-page torture of secondary character, enslaved secondary character, abusive biological father, religious abuse of secondary characters, murder, attempted murder, attempted murder of infant, mass murder, crucifixion (secondary characters), past murder of children, past mass suicide by the Koorgahn, battles, physical assault, scorpion, secondary character ate children (past), blood, blood drinking (secondary character), plaguewalkers, lacerations, stomach wound, hyena bite, stabbing in heart (secondary character; survives), past forced medical experimentation and possession (secondary character), bigotry and speciesism toward shape-shifters, “half-breed” as slur for shape-shifters, xenophobia, animal death, animal skeleton hoard, vision of FMC’s future baby being murdered, past parental intimate partner violence (FMC’s biological father killed her mother who was trying to prevent him from killing FMC), past massacre of MMC’s family (he survived the attack), past death of FMC’s parents and guardian, fear of loupism (a virus that causes shapeshifters to become physically and mentally ill, to the point where most must be exterminated, even babies), necromancers, body commentary, fatphobia, diet culture, mentally ill secondary character, pregnancy epilogue, pregnant secondary character, childbirth, secondary character in wheelchair, vomit (human and animal), on page sex, alcohol, casual ableism, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide...more
An ambitious second installment of this fantasy series exploring the process of decolonization. Luca and Touraine have their own aims when it comes toAn ambitious second installment of this fantasy series exploring the process of decolonization. Luca and Touraine have their own aims when it comes to what will happen next for the Qazāli and Balladairans. The Qazāli have wrested back their freedom but their country is in shambles and in need of food as they figure out how to rebuild. Meanwhile, Luca must try to outwit her uncle who seeks to keep her throne, while all the nobles judge her harshly for “losing” the colony. Meanwhile she’s asked Touraine to come back to Balladaire to help her—and the Council has told Touraine to use Luca’s feelings for her to help them get food and supplies.
There is a lot happening and even more to come. With multiple POVs, it could be tricky to keep track of at times and not every POV (*cough* Fili) is as developed as it needs to be. But when you’re talking about decolonization, how can CL Clark not reach for the stars? It’s a massive undertaking and the author explores it from a number of angles, making for one compelling, albeit violent, story. Much more is to come in book 3, thanks to Pruett’s actions.
That said, I don’t buy the romance between Touraine and Luca at all. It’s not earned and they don’t trust each other so how can they be declaring their love? It’s not a healthy relationship given where they started as colonizer-colonized. I want to believe in them together but the power imbalance—and differing goals—is real.
Characters: Touraine is a lesbian Qazāli lieutenant in her mid-20s. Luca is a disabled 28 year old Balladairan princess who wears glasses.
Content notes: emotionally abusive uncle, child physical and emotional abuse, child torture and imprisonment, murder of child (poison), self-harm for blood magic and to practice healing, PTSD, cannibalism, missing child, past and present death of loved ones, assassination attempts, murder, attempted murder, torture, physical assault, violence, abuse and execution of prisoner, past and present battles and casualties, captivity, book burning, palace fire, funeral pyre, skeleton, past child sacrifice, past burning of ships with passengers to contain plague, MC uses a cane and experiences chronic pain (horse trampled her leg), lacerations, broken arm (secondary character), infected gunshot wound (secondary character), colonialism, racism, racial slurs, misogyny, crop plague, food poverty and weight loss, homophobia, classism, past forced child removal from home by colonizer, past death of Luca’s parents, secondary characters missing limbs, vomit, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), hookah, cigarettes, gendered pejorative, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of soldier who died by suicide (past)
Not as gory as Butcher & Blackbird but just as delightful! I still have no idea how this author manages to combine dark romance and romantic comedy anNot as gory as Butcher & Blackbird but just as delightful! I still have no idea how this author manages to combine dark romance and romantic comedy and make it work as well as it does. Lachlan and Lark had the best dynamic, slowly evolving from antagonists to lovers. This contains one of the best grovels (yes, an actual grovel!) I’ve read in a long time. Lachlan screwed up and once he realized it, he more than made up for his actions and showed that he changed. That’s how it should always go but too many authors proclaim they’ve written a grovel romance and completely biff the assignment so my hat is off to Weaver.
That said, the external threat was completely unnecessary. Not only was it unnecessary, it made me question Lachlan and Lark’s competence and you never want that for your contract and serial killers with secret hearts of gold. But seriously. (view spoiler)[They never once thought it could be Abe? Abe, the weird guy who came out of nowhere and is a little too intensely interested in them? There were too many logistical issues for him to be Harvey’s brother. I didn’t buy that connection one bit. (hide spoiler)] This means I really enjoyed myself up until the last 20% or so when the plot became more contrived. That also happened with B&B so I’m going to cross my fingers Weaver gets better editorial support for book 3.
Characters: Lachlan is a white Irish contract killer and leather worker who wears glasses. Lark is a white indie singer-songwriter and serial killer. She has an American Akita named Bentley. This is set in Boston.
Content notes: panic attack, past sexual abuse by school artistic director, past physical abuse and neglect by MMC’s father, infidelity (FMC’s ex cheated and messaged underage girls; secondary character cheating with his children’s nanny), great-aunt is dying of cancer (view spoiler)[she’s murdered via injection by villain (hide spoiler)], FMC is a serial killer of rapists and pedophiles, MMC is a contract killer (victims include drug dealer), home invasion and abduction, murder, attempted murder, removal of fingers and eye from corpse, locked in rotary batch oven, torture, drug assault, stalking, vehicular collision (to kill a guy), past patricide by MMC, lacerations, concussion, missing fingertip, needle (sews mouth shut), gunshot wound (secondary character), religious perversion and shaming, insomnia, fear of small spaces, FMC’s mom walks with a limp (injury from past home invasion), teeth, forced tube-feeding, animal abuse (dog bites villain and he kicks and then hurts him off-page; dog recovers), ageism toward great-aunt, past murder of FMC’s father (home invasion), past death of MMC’s mother, past death of FMC’s great-uncle, past immigration to the US, unsafe sex practices (no condom for penetrative sex without discussing STI prevention. MMC was tested but FMC does not disclose when her last test was. She’s on birth control.), on page sex, power exchange, degradation play, sensory play (ice cubes), choking, public sex, pegging (bonus scene), anal play, sex toy, alcohol, inebriation, casual ableism, casual acephobia, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide...more
Messy, messy, messy. I can only handle an infidelity plot if it’s going to eventually turn into a polyamorous relationship between all involved. I’m sMessy, messy, messy. I can only handle an infidelity plot if it’s going to eventually turn into a polyamorous relationship between all involved. I’m sure it’ll all turn out okay in the end but in the meantime, I was beyond frustrated with Isolde and Tristan’s carelessness and selfishness. I still don’t believe (view spoiler)[Mark didn’t know all along and even orchestrate things between them. My hope/belief is that he does know but he had to feign disbelief as part of his master plan to catch the mole in his organization and to deal with Ys. (hide spoiler)] I really hope I’m right.
There was a lot going on here. Too much, honestly. I’m not convinced the Ys plot was necessary, though I did enjoy the nods to the characters from Sherwood. I’m down for an eventual Ys series but it doesn’t quite align with my ideas about Mark, Tristan, and Isolde. However, in Sierra I trust so I will do my best to enjoy the ride. I would have been perfectly fine with a closer focus on the triad at hand and the threats introduced in the first book. The Catholic church and Uncle Mortimer alone would have held my attention! Let the record reflect Mortimer is the worst and I’m basically screaming at Isolde to wake up and smell the coffee. Which brings me to my other issue. In Salt Kiss, I absolutely bought Isolde’s competency and was eager to see how her mind worked in this installment. Instead, we’re dragged into a morass of insecurities, religious mortification, and internalized kink-shaming. Now sure, we all contain multitudes and the image we present to the world is not necessarily how our brains operate. But I was still expecting Isolde to be a badass instead of questioning her judgment on anything and everything. (view spoiler)[Her duty to God is basically brainwashing by her spymaster uncle who groomed her to become a saint aka use her to murder the people he decides while calling it holy. (hide spoiler)] That is a tricky needle to thread and it just didn’t come together for me or add up based on what we’ve known of Isolde up to this point. But I recognize Isolde’s issues could be stirring up my own religious baggage and I may not be looking at her character clearly. I just so badly want badass Ice Queen Isolde to be present and accounted for instead of making one rookie mistake after another.
Normally I love Sierra’s prose—and I still do. But it was a titch overwritten and tended to be more purple than I associate with her. This may be related to my dislike of the way Tristan and Isolde beat themselves up for nonsense reasons, who can say.
Middle books can be tricky and Honey Cut is no exception. How are these three going to become a three?? We know they're kink-compatible but as to the rest, whew. This particular series really hinges on Mark and whatever happens next. Perhaps it will upend my expectations and understanding of the previous three books. I absolutely believe this is possible and I can’t wait to find out.
Characters: Tristan is a 29 year old bisexual white bodyguard, army combat veteran, and a virgin. Mark is a 36 year old bisexual white kink club owner, Dom, ex-CIA, and Ranger veteran. Isolde is a 22 year old bisexual Catholic white art and antiquities firm employee, spy and assassin for the Catholic church, and karate and krav maga practitioner. This is set in Lyonesse and DC.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (view spoiler)[at the very end, FMC has been charged to kill her husband but she doesn’t want to. Mark catches her going through his belongings and after a confrontation, she knocks Mark out with the end of her knife, instead of cutting his throat. (hide spoiler)], infidelity (view spoiler)[Isolde and Mark agree to be faithful once they’re married. However, Isolde and Tristan have sex a few times after the wedding and they are caught. (hide spoiler)], Isolde assigned to kill priests who covered up sexual abuse by other priests, PTSD, nightmares, hyperventilation, murder, torture of secondary character, past assassination attempt of Mark (stabbed in the shoulder), Tristan killed his best friend while deployed to prevent him from assassinating the Carpathian leader and her family (past), past death of Mark’s husband (reported as “friendly fire” while he was on assignment), internalized kink-shaming, religious abuse via FMC’s uncle, past religious homophobia and sexual shaming, emotional neglect by Isolde and Tristan’s fathers, past death of parents (Mark’s parents, Tristan’s mother, Isolde’s mother), past death of friends/platoon members, professional ethics violation (bodyguards should not have a sexual relationship with their clients), past military service and deployment, pregnant secondary character, unsafe sex practices (Isolde and Tristan don’t use a condom for penetrative sex without discussion of STI prevention; Isolde and Mark do not use a condom and are tested regularly at Lyonesse but it is not clear that Tristan is, plus they are cheating so Mark is unaware of this risk), on page sex, D/s, MMF menage, sadism, degradation play, praise kink, mild breeding kink, impact play, pain play, bondage, biting, exhibitionism, voyeurism, phone sex, public sex, orgasm control, anal play, masturbation, sex toys, kink club setting, alcohol, cigarettes (secondary character), ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
Disclosure: I’m friendly with the author online....more
Romcoms tend not to be for me but I love Scarlett Peckham’s historical romance and I was curious what a contemporary romcom would be like under her neRomcoms tend not to be for me but I love Scarlett Peckham’s historical romance and I was curious what a contemporary romcom would be like under her new pen name. If you’d presented a writing sample from this without telling me that fact, I never would have guessed Katelyn Doyle and Scarlett Peckham are the same person because the writing style and tone is entirely different. The first 100 pages were a slog but then the story finally settled in and the pages turned quickly enough after that. However, it never came together for me as a whole. I was thankful, at least, this didn't have much by way of nonsense shenanigans (the reason most romcoms fail for me) but it wasn't funny either.
Molly is a grumpy romcom screenplay writer to Seth’s sunshine family law attorney. She broke his heart at high school graduation and sparks fly when they see each other at their 15 year reunion. However, Molly doesn’t believe in romance while Seth is a hopeless romantic who gets serious too soon when he dates so it’s an uphill battle over the course of a few years for the stars to align for these two. I loved Molly for her acerbic wit. She was the reason I kept reading.
Molly thinks she’s incapable of love but she has friends she’s known since high school and she’s still trying to impress her toxic father so clearly she’s wrong. Her two best friends are in long-term marriages and she believes in their relationship so, even though her parents didn’t work out, she does have examples of loving relationships. (I would also throw Seth’s parents in to the mix since they dated for a few years in high school.) It really bothers me when romantic love is elevated above all else and I didn’t feel this did enough to push back on that notion. It’s unfortunately common within romance but that doesn’t make it acceptable. This also set Molly and Seth on a rather predictable path once they got together.
While I really enjoyed their banter and the dynamic of their relationship, Molly kept worrying she was going to break Seth’s heart putting him in the position of reassuring her. However, they never addressed safeguards for the relationship, like what would help them each feel more secure. I really wish Molly had returned to therapy at this point because she needed a safe place to process the changes in her life. Although I’m not sure therapy would have been enough because Seth really messed up. (view spoiler)[ In proposing to her out of nowhere after only five months together, Seth shows he hasn’t really grown or changed his approach to relationships, nor has he really understood Molly’s fears. (hide spoiler)] I was so frustrated with him!! I think they’ll be okay in the end but I do hope they explore couples therapy because I’m not convinced they won’t repeat the same pattern again in the future.
The bones of the story wound up being enjoyable enough but the execution was filled with my pet peeves. It was written in 3rd person present POV, the tense that trips me up the most. Both characters regularly break the fourth wall, which did nothing for me. Seth calls Molly “kid” when they are the same age. I’ve read a few recent romances that are very anti-divorce lawyer, which makes no sense to me. I liked how Seth countered Molly’s derision about his work, particularly pointing out that family law is more than divorce and that divorce doesn’t always represent a failure. Some marriages need to end and not all lawyers are dirtbags.
Lastly, there was a carelessness with the sense of humor that tended toward punching down. The story itself was unfortunately gender essentialist and casually acephobic. This author is more thoughtful in her other work so I’m not sure why that did not extend here.
Characters: Molly is a 33 year old white romcom screenplay writer. Seth is a 33 year old white Jewish family law attorney. This is set in Florida, Chicago, and LA from 2018-2021.
Content notes: anxiety, past panic attacks, FMC on antidepressants, toxic father, COVID-19, alcoholic secondary character, secondary character’s husband cheats and gets the other woman pregnant (they’d started IVF), IVF and fertility struggles (secondary character), past maternal depression, past acrimonious parental divorce (infidelity), parental pressure for grandkids, pregnant secondary characters, unsafe sex practices (no condom for penetrative sex without discussion of STI and pregnancy prevention), on page sex, video sex, sexting, sex toys, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, excessive drinking, diet culture, STD stigma, casual acephobia, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction and suicide, mention of past weight loss after break-up...more
I don't know if the story is just that angsty or if I was simply in need of emotional catharsis but I cried so much while reading this. Josie particulI don't know if the story is just that angsty or if I was simply in need of emotional catharsis but I cried so much while reading this. Josie particularly tugged on my heartstrings. The pining and shame and wanting to run away from the embarrassment of your ex-friend/crush unexpectedly showing up at family Christmas!
However, I don't think this adequately addressed Cameron’s abandonment issues and fear of commitment. After a slow burn, they suddenly hit warp speed (view spoiler)[after having sex. Josie quits her job and pivots straight to pitching herself as executive producer for Cameron’s potential show and then he’s talking to Max about how he’s going to marry Josie. They haven’t really addressed any of her issues and Cameron was still freaking out any time he got close to Josie! (hide spoiler)] I needed him to go to therapy and deal with his baggage in order for me to believe he wouldn’t someday bail on Josie. I did really enjoy this overall but mostly because it had such a chokehold on my emotions.
Notably, this is the kind of book that will make readers think differently about previous characters. Alice and Max are the worst and I don’t think this went hard enough on them. I think much less of Alice as a result. (I skipped Max’s book because it was a double whammy of things I prefer not to read about: cop MC and someone fleeing their abuser.) The Mitchell clan is overly nosy and involved with each other’s lives, which is what led to this whole mess to begin with. I wish that had been dealt with more.
Characters: Josie is a 24 year old white reality TV writer and executive producer and a virgin. Cameron is a 29 year old white chef and YouTube star.
Content notes: dubious consent (FMC initiates kiss with MMC while she’s 17 and very drunk; he knows he shouldn’t kiss her back and keeps trying to redirect her but eventually he kisses her back), fatphobia, FMC’s birth father was a dirty cop who tried to kill her mom (past), past child physical abuse, past juvenile delinquency, cop secondary character, sober secondary character, pregnant secondary character, vomit, past miscarriages (secondary character), past PPD (secondary character), past parental abandonment (secondary character), past death of MMC’s mother, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, underage drinking, casual acephobia, ableist language...more
And so this fantasy series comes to an end. There’s A LOT to keep track of between the characters, various dynamics and relationships, and the overridAnd so this fantasy series comes to an end. There’s A LOT to keep track of between the characters, various dynamics and relationships, and the overriding plot. But I was in it to see how Penelope would bring it all together and whether the long-standing resentments and bigotry between the Elsirans and Lagrimari could be bridged. It mostly worked, though I was surprised by certain characters whom I’d previously thought highly of. (Jasminda, WTF are you doing?!)
The actual ending was…fine. (view spoiler)[To get back their Earthsong, they have to sacrifice their resentment, hatred, and bitterness toward each other. A wee bit on the nose. And convenient. The True Father’s death was anticlimactic, as was Goddess Awoken’s role in everything. (hide spoiler)] It’s not that I have a better solution for how this series could end. More that I was hoping for more, given the set up of the previous three books. But I’d still recommend the series on a whole. I really enjoyed this world and seeing how magic functions. The Nethersingers were my favorite.
Characters: Jasminda is an Elsiran-Lagrimari Queen and Earthsinger. Jaqros is an Elsiran King. Kyara is a 21 year old Lagrimari former assassin with Nethersong. Darvyn is a Lagrimari Earthsinger (likely mid-20s) and the Shadowfox. Zeli is an 18 year old Lagrimari Sisterhood novice and the Goddess’s robemistress. Varten and Roshon are 18 year old Elsiran-Lagrimari twin brothers who are white-passing. Ulani is a 7 year old Lagrimari girl and Tana is an 11 year old Lagrimari girl and Nethersinger. Lizvette is an Elsiran socialite. Tai is a Raunian smuggler and prince with face tattoos and blue hair. (Elsirans have white skin and Lagrimari and Raunians have brown skin.)
Content notes: self-harm (and other-harm) for blood magic, past child physical and emotional abuse, child abduction, murder, attempted murder, past and present torture, physical assault, near-drowning, terrorist attacks and casualties, wraith attacks, possessions, zombies, corpses, relics (mummified fingers), smoke bombing, seizure (secondary character), enslaved people, mugging, drug assault, family rejection, racism, xenophobia, refugees, ableism, animal abuse (girl kicks dog), FMC believes she is sterile but learns she may be able to get pregnant after all, past imprisonment, past death of loved ones, past paternal abandonment, secondary character was cut out of her comatose mother’s womb (past), secondary character’s mother died giving birth to her (past), secondary character with facial scars, secondary characters with prosthetics, alcohol, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction...more
My quest for good medieval romance continues. This turned out to be Medieval Romance-Lite: entertaining enough but the medieval setting was more windoMy quest for good medieval romance continues. This turned out to be Medieval Romance-Lite: entertaining enough but the medieval setting was more window dressing than I prefer. Plus, I found Alice to be a frustrating character. She might be Book Smart but her repeatedly reckless actions disputed her intelligence. She never took basic safety precautions, even when Hugh instructed her to. On the surface, Alice and Hugh had the kind of dynamic I enjoy: he’s grumbly but can’t help but look out for her while she blithely carries on with her sunshiney view of the world. But the execution just plain didn’t work here. Still, I’d try another medieval from this author and see how it compares.
This was published in 1995 and it holds up fairly well. However, there is a fair amount of ableism around Alice’s disabled brother and it does include both the Fat Villain and Mentally Ill Villain tropes.
Characters: Hugh is a 30 year old white knight and spice trader. Alice is a 23 year old redheaded white scholar of natural philosophy, herbalist, and a virgin. She’s the guardian for her 16 year old brother Benedict, who is disabled.
Content notes: secondary character dies by suicide (view spoiler)[villain does this to avoid being questioned by MMC after he’s been apprehended (hide spoiler)], past child sexual abuse (secondary character), off page attempted rape of secondary character, past partner violence (secondary character), dying child (FMC able to heal him), murder, attempted murder, poison, abduction, attempted robbery, mentor is dying (recovers), sexism, misogyny, slut-shaming, purity culture, FMC’s brother’s leg is disabled (riding accident), ableism, past parental rejection of FMC’s brother for disability, religious abuse (misogynist monk), Fat Villains trope, Mentally Ill Villain trope, past murder-suicide of MMC’s parents when he was an infant(view spoiler)[mother poisoned father, then died by suicide. Except it turns out it was staged and they were both murdered. (hide spoiler)], past child neglect, sibling parentification, past death of MMC’s grandfather who raised him, past death of FMC’s parents (accidental self-poisoning while testing a remedy, murder), MMC’s parents weren’t married when mom became pregnant (dad was betrothed to another), infidelity (secondary characters), past participation in the Crusades (secondary characters), FMC’s uncle stole her inheritance, secondary character with depression, secondary character with a stutter, past death of FMC’s aunt, vomit, pregnancy epilogue, on page sex, alcohol, opium (secondary character), sex worker stigma, hymen misinformation, anti-fat bias, redhead stereotypes, STD stigma, “womanly flesh” as euphemism, gender essentialism, ableist language...more
Not quite as good as the first book but still a delightful ride. Things are taking a very promising turn for Kit and Rian. I’m bummed the publisher caNot quite as good as the first book but still a delightful ride. Things are taking a very promising turn for Kit and Rian. I’m bummed the publisher canceled the series and we won’t get a book 3. Especially after that twist toward the end!
Characters: Kit is a 24 year old white military sea captain and Aligned with water. Rian is a 28 year old white colonel and Viscount. He has a dog named Sprout. Kit and Rian are members of the Order of Saint James. This is set in 1815.
Content notes: nightmares, PTSD, past and present imperialist war, mass casualties, murder, physical assault, imprisonment, abuse of prisoner (secondary character), ship attack, arson, abduction, pirates, stranded on deserted island, earthshocks, Scarred Villain trope, lacerations, gunshot wound (secondary character), skin burns (secondary character), vomit, misogyny, sexism, classism, injured sea dragon, gambling, secondary character’s father tried to marry her off at 13 to an old man (she escaped), past death of MMC’s parents, FMC was a foundling left at the palace (raised in great group home), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide...more
A very twin-forward installment. We get Yakov and Theo’s romance and a subplot about the romance between Yakov’s twin Pavel and his boyfriend Arwen. PA very twin-forward installment. We get Yakov and Theo’s romance and a subplot about the romance between Yakov’s twin Pavel and his boyfriend Arwen. Plus, Theo’s twin brother Pax plays a role and will likely be a future MMC himself. I loved being back with the bear shifters! It was interesting to learn more about the way these pairs of twins functioned and the special connection they have to each other, which came in very handy as the plot unfolded.
However, the twin connection contributed to a plot imbalance. There was so much happening here and so many characters and POVs to keep track of. There were times Nalini gave us the wrong POV (e.g. being in Arwen’s head when Theo met Yakov’s family instead of us getting to see her take it all in). The world-building is starting to confuse me when it comes to the PsyNet and the Scarabs. I appreciated the great-grandfather’s letters with his sister before and after Silence but wonder at their inclusion now vs. earlier in the series. I’m sad the series is starting to get unwieldy for me but I will continue regardless.
The treatment of mental illness unfortunately was quite ableist and upsetting. In addition to Theo’s internalized ableism, we got the Mentally Ill Villain trope and one of the worst versions of it, since it didn’t even make sense. It’s just lazy writing. While I’ve struggled with the depiction of mental illness through this series, I would hope it would have improved by now instead of constantly ebbing and flowing.
Lastly, while it was nice to see a romance subplot for a queer couple, Arwen and Pavel’s love story felt very underdeveloped compared to other books that feature two couples. Part of this could be because we’ve slowly seen it develop in the background of other books but it would have been nice to get a complete story for them, especially since they’re the first queer characters in the series. I would like to have a better sense of how queerness is treated in this world in general, especially since this is set in Russia. It must be a much more inclusive Russia than the one we know today. At least I hope.
Characters: Yakov is a 5’8 mixed race Russian dominant StoneWater bear shifter and alpha’s second. His twin brother Pavel is a gay hacker who wears glasses and is dating Arwen, a Psy empath. Theodora is a 28 year old white Psy telekinetic, former medical device technician, and a virgin. Her twin brother is Pax, a powerful Psy with Scarab Syndrome. This is set in 2083 Moscow.
Content notes: nightmares, panic attack, rage attack (FMC throws MMC against a wall, bites him, and pelts him with object. While functionally this is partner violence, she is completely unaware of her actions and unable to stop, as a function of past medical experimentation. MMC manages to demobilize her until she comes back to herself), codependency, past mental, physical, and medical abuse by FMC’s grandfather (her parents did not intervene), past nonconsensual medical experimentation as a child (goal was to make people pliable so FMC’s grandfather could use them at will), FMC’s grandfather used her skills to murder people (past), serial killer, murder, attempted murder, dying MCs (recover), physical assault, FMC’s twin brother is slowly dying of Scarab Syndrome (no cure), Mentally Ill Villain trope, overt and casual ableism, internalized ableism, secondary character takes advantage of mentally ill character for their own gain, eugenics (Medical Center performed lobotomies and killed Psy they deemed “broken”), past cardiac arrest for FMC and her twin when FMC was being tortured by grandfather, aunt’s twin brother died in the womb (she treats him as if he’s inside of her still), past forced family separation (FMC and twin separated at age 7; FMC was raised by foster mom and erased from the family), past and present family estrangement, FMC’s estranged mother plans her assassination, brief toxic masculinity, past assassination of FMC’s grandfather, past attempted child abduction (MMC’s mother killed the men who tried), past exposure of secondary character to drugs in utero, past death of secondary character’s mom by overdose, needle (injection), shock bracelet, scarred back, bird carcass, FMC and her brother healed a dying bird (past), past death of great-uncle by suicide, pregnant secondary character, family pressure for grandchildren, family planning discussion, on page sex, alcohol, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around inebriation...more
I don’t get the Derek Craven love. This was such a mess, head hopping and all. It had 500% too much Evil Ex. That plot shCW: intimate partner violence
I don’t get the Derek Craven love. This was such a mess, head hopping and all. It had 500% too much Evil Ex. That plot should have been axed in favor of transforming Derek into a healthy, non-abusive partner. I was never clear on what Sara saw in him, nor did I believe he was so immediately captivated by her. I did not care for the Madonna-whore dynamics of Joyce vs. Sara, particularly since Joyce is further demonized for being kinky and having had abortions in the past. Joyce is for sure a terrible human being but she’s also gone through horrible circumstances. I didn’t buy her fixation on Derek but I didn’t care for the way the story handled her either, especially when it took an unnecessary turn into the Mentally Ill Villain and Evil Bisexual tropes.
More egregiously is the way the plot (mis)handles intimate partner violence. Derek is both physically abusive toward Joyce and Sara and abused by Joyce. His treatment of Joyce is justified and rationalized by all the characters. His treatment of Sara is largely overlooked, apart from her occasionally telling him he’s hurting her when he grabs her in anger. It’s excused because he’s both feral and wealthy; the former as in “he doesn’t know better”, which is BS, and the latter, meaning he can get away with treating people however he wants. And that includes the lack of good and clear consent with Sara. This does not a good romance hero make. He’s the fantasy of redeeming the “bad boy” except there’s no redemption to be found.
On top of all this, there’s the casual racism related to Derek’s depiction as a POC. He’s is constantly described as “swarthy” and while we’re never told his race or ethnicity, there are one or two brief mentions of him having brown skin. There’s more focus on his green eyes, which plays into the way he’s exoticized by the female secondary characters. None of this aged well.
Characters: Derek is a gambling club owner and former sex worker who has brown skin (and green eyes); he’s not sure of his age but another character says he looks 30 years old. Sara is a 25 year old white author and a virgin who wears glasses. This is set in London.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (view spoiler)[MMC physically assaults and nearly strangles ex-lover and threatens to kill her repeatedly. His ex-lover has his face slashed and threatens other harm and will not let him go. MMC is physically rough (repeatedly grabs her too tight in anger), controlling, and jealous with FMC. At one point he says “I won’t let you leave me.” (hide spoiler)], rape (view spoiler)[Evil Ex initiates sex with MMC while he is severely drunk; he believes she is FMC in his inebriation and penetrates her. Then the fog lifts and he realizes who she is and he stops. (hide spoiler)], attempted rape (view spoiler)[Evil Ex arranges for man to rape FMC as part of her revenge; MMC is able to get there in time before the guy gets far (hide spoiler)], attempted gang rape by men in street (MMC gets there in time to prevent them), sexual assault/dubious consent (MMC does not ask for consent with anything he does and ignores FMC saying no; she’s always into whatever happens by end of the scene), infidelity (view spoiler)[MMC having an affair with a married woman; FMC is almost engaged to someone else when she kisses and wants to do more with MMC (hide spoiler)], Evil Ex trope, Mentally Ill Villain, trope, Evil Bisexual trope, biphobia (not countered), murder, attempted murder, physical assault, abduction, arson, missing and perceived as possibly dead MC, mob violence, maiming/knife wound on face, stitches, gunshot wound (secondary character), secondary character to be locked up in remote Scotland (tantamount to institutionalization), casual racism (POC MMC described as “swarthy”), Romani slurs, misogyny, sexism, past sex work by MMC (possibly when underage), sex worker secondary characters, sex work stigma and shaming, slut-shaming, purity culture, classism, secondary character was forced to marry an old man when she was only 15 (past), past abortions (secondary character), past abandonment by MMC’s mother at his birth (found in gutter by sex workers and raised in a brothel), past child homelessness and poverty, child labor exploitation, police raid, past incarceration (secondary character), story of murderer awaiting execution who died by suicide, discussion of whether fictional character died by suicide, past thieving and grave-robbing by MMC, gambling, baby epilogue, on page sex, MMC has off-page sex with a sex worker while pretending she’s FMC (the MCs are not together at the time), alcohol, inebriation, excessive drinking, cigars, laudanum, “male length” as euphemism, STI stigma, anti-fat bias, diet culture, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2019...more
Not much by way of plot or characterization but it was a nice enough distraction while I was waiting in the airport.
Characters: Jemma is a Black travNot much by way of plot or characterization but it was a nice enough distraction while I was waiting in the airport.
Characters: Jemma is a Black travel memoir author. Levi is a Black artist. This is set in Blakewood.
Content notes: FMC’s sister goes into labor two months early (baby has brief NICU stay), past death of MMC’s parents (cancer, hit by drunk driver), past infidelity and murder of ex-fiancé (FMC’s ex cheated and the boyfriend of the woman he was cheating with shot him, then died by suicide), past gun threat (boyfriend of the woman FMC’s fiancé cheated with showed up at her house and put a gun in her face while trying to find her ex), pregnant secondary character, unsafe sex practices (no condom for penetrative sex without discussion of pregnancy and STI prevention), on page sex, mirror sex, paint play, anal play, alcohol, past marijuana (secondary character), N-word (not a slur), ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction...more
A hot hookup at a club leads to something more for Silas and Matthew. It also needed more development, particularly around Matthew’s representation asA hot hookup at a club leads to something more for Silas and Matthew. It also needed more development, particularly around Matthew’s representation as a Person of Color. His race/ethnicity is never identified. Matthew and Silas never talk about being in an interracial relationship, nor is there a sense of whether Matthew being POC ever affected his schooling or job prospects or factored into him coasting at work. Plus, Matthew’s dad is a cop so that’s a whole other can of worms. The author is white and while I’m glad she didn’t make racism a central theme, there’s no reason to ignore race completely outside of mentioning his skin color a couple of times. He basically functions as a white character as a result. Similarly, I’m concerned the depiction of Silas’s neurodivergence might fall into stereotypes. I wish we had a better sense of how his workaholism connected to his neurodivergence and how his grief over his parents’ death intersected with both. I also wish (view spoiler)[Matthew had been the one to make the grand gesture instead of Silas, since it was his fault they got into a fight in the first place. His words were so cutting and mean, especially to weaponize Silas’s mental health in that way. I’m not sure he deserved Silas giving him a second chance. (hide spoiler)] This was a promising premise; it just wasn’t executed as well as I was hoping for. I did thoroughly appreciate the kitten content though.
Characters: Silas is a 27 year old neurodiverse gay white biomedical engineer. Matthew is a 29 year old gay game programmer and occasional bartender who is POC. He rescues a disabled kitten and names her Zuul. This is set in Tampa, FL.
Content notes: insomnia, anxiety, Silas is neurodiverse (use of “mild Asperger’s syndrome” as a descriptor), forced mental health leave, self-harming behaviors due to workaholism (works weekends, never takes vacation days, etc.), skipping meals and forgetting to eat, past death of Silas’s parents (car accident), rescued kitten with hip deformity, Silas’s parents gave away his kitten without his knowledge when he was a kid, past divorce (secondary character), Matthew’s dad is a cop (discussed but not seen on page), on page sex, biting, bondage, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, past marijuana, gendered pejorative, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2019...more
An imagining of St. Hilda’s life who played a large role in bringing Christianity to medieval England in the 7th century. Little is known about her chAn imagining of St. Hilda’s life who played a large role in bringing Christianity to medieval England in the 7th century. Little is known about her childhood beyond that she was seer to her uncle, King Edwin. This is Griffith’s best guess at what might have happened. The book begins when Hild is 3 and carries us through her early teen years. It’s an exploration of politics, religion, hypocrisy, and the whims of people in power.
This is slow-moving and focused on the details of 7th century life. It could get boring at times but then characters would go off to war or Hild would be questioned by the king and I’d be back in it again. Hild herself was a complicated character for me. On the hand, she has incredible access to power from a young age and her word can lead to wide-ranging repercussions for others. She goes from believing in the Anglo-Saxon deity Woden to advocating for the Christian god, even though she doesn’t really believe in him simply because of the political power it will bring. Yikes. She could be short-sighted and ignorant and not all that interested in changing that. This made me very frustrated with her. I kept having to remind myself she was only a child and one who was being used for her mother’s own aims at that. She was easier to take once she got to the tween/teen years. And I did sympathize with her when she’d wish she could just play or explore or live her life instead of having to balance everyone’s expectations and the political machinations. It was also interesting to see how queerness was treated in this world, with Hild being bisexual and it not being a big deal.
That said, I take issue with two characterization choices. First, Hild is an enslaver. She buys a Welsh girl from a market, pretty much out of nowhere. Gwladus becomes her “servant” and later (view spoiler)[ initiates manual/oral sex with Hild but refuses any sexual act in return. There is never any conversation about the power dynamics or differential. Years later Hild suddenly frees Gwladus but still doesn’t really explain anything to her. (hide spoiler)] People were regularly enslaved back then, particularly the Welsh. But that doesn’t mean I want a seer princess MC to do so, especially since that doesn’t seem to be backed up by the historical record. It was an authorial choice, as was Hild’s eventually (view spoiler)[incestuous (hide spoiler)] relationship with her half-brother Kian. He doesn’t know the truth about who his father is but Hild has always known and she bears responsibility for the way their relationship evolved, even if she ultimately had no control over (view spoiler)[being forced to marry Kian at the very end. (hide spoiler)] I’m just not sure what these two choices are supposed to tell us about Hild or 7th century life when this is an imagining of what her life might have been like. Bold choices either way.
This is a long book but it’s only the start of Hild’s life. I’m interested to see where things will go for her next.
Characters: Hild is a bisexual white princess and seer to the King and an enslaver. This begins when she is 3 years old and ends when she is around 14. This is set in 7th century Britain.
Content notes: incest (view spoiler)[MC forced by the king to marry her half-brother Kian; Kian does not realize they’re half-siblings, while MC has always known and did not maintain appropriate boundaries over the years and almost had sex with him at one point (hide spoiler)], enslaved-enslaver sexual relationship (view spoiler)[MC purchased Gwladus from a market. Years into their relationship, Gwladus initiates manual/oral sex with MC. She does not want to receive any sexual favors from MC. Years later MC frees Gwladus who then continues to work for MC (hide spoiler)], intimate partner violence (secondary characters), death of secondary character in childbirth, forced miscarriages (secondary character unknowingly given an abortifacient by MC’s mother), death of secondary character after another forced miscarriage, death of children (illness, froze during extreme cold weather), abuse of enslaved person by secondary character, MC’s mother is emotionally abusive, child neglect, death of father (poisoned), war and casualties, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, torture of prisoners, desecration of corpse, MC purchases and enslaves a woman (much later frees her), enslaved secondary characters, human trafficking, sexism, homophobia, fatshaming, infidelity (secondary character), dogfighting, animal abuse, animal sacrifice, animal death, religious abuse, forced conversions/baptisms, mentally ill secondary character, pregnant secondary characters, consensual abortion (secondary character), lacerations, various injuries, menstruation, vomit, on page sex, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, STD stigma, gender essentialist language, ableist language, mentions of bandits who have raped...more
Another intense installment! I hope Kate and Curran can take a break someday from all this constant fighting and almost dying. It’s going to be intereAnother intense installment! I hope Kate and Curran can take a break someday from all this constant fighting and almost dying. It’s going to be interesting to see how their post-Pack life continues to evolve.
Characters: Kate is a 27 year old mercenary and city guardian with tan skin. She’s the guardian of Julie, a 15 year old white girl. She has an “attack poodle” Grendel and a 10 ft tall donkey named Cuddles. Curran is a 33 year old white Beast Lord and lion shifter. This is set in Atlanta.
Content notes: suicide (ghoul evading capture), dying MC (intracranial hemorrhage and stroke; recovers), self-harm for blood magic, missing person, abduction (secondary characters), imprisonment in cage (secondary character), murder, attempted murder, physical assault, gore, body horror, lacerations, severe skin burns, immolation (secondary character), necromancers, ghouls, reanimative metamorphosis (e.g. after they kill a wolf griffin, it transforms into a giant wind scorpion), high speed car chase and crash, past plague, vomit, past parental intimate partner violence (FMC’s biological father killed her mother who was trying to prevent him from killing FMC), past massacre of MMC’s family (he survived the attack), past death of FMC’s parents and guardian, secondary character recounts past attempted partner violence by colleague’s husband, bigotry and speciesism toward shape-shifters, casual and overt ableism, ableist slur, secondary character with one arm (cut off while protecting a pregnant woman), mentally ill secondary character, family estrangement (secondary characters), pregnant secondary character, on page sex, small penis insult, classist pejorative, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism (somewhat countered), ableist language, use of “buried the hatchet”, mention of man who flashed customers at the casino...more
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