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amanda_reads13's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Nicole "Cole" uprooted her whole life to be with her very Catholic/conservative boyfriend Patrick. Everything is going as planned until Patrick's "friend" Hawke moves into their house after being released from prison.
I HATE the cheating trope and there is no excuse for it. Ya, Patrick was a misogynistic jerk, but no one deserves to be so blatantly disrespected by their partner. If you want to be with someone else, then breakup with your bf! Ugh! It was also weird how she would just "play house" with Patrick in front of Hawke then become jealous when Hawke is around other women.
Hawke has recently been released from prison formurder. He was convicted of driving under the influence and killing his best friend in a car accident. Only, that is not the whole story. We get the impression that he is this bad boy who does nothing but bang random women and do drugs with his vagrant friends. But really he is a broken and sad boy who has endured so much loss, trauma, and pain. He has never truly been loved or respected by anyone. He has always been looked down apon or cast aside. All he really wants is for someone to love and understand him, his rough exterior is nothing but a mask.
Cole is a lost woman. She thinks that she has a good life. Sure Patrick is a bit of a misogynistic ass, but he loves and takes care of her. As her relationship with Hawke grows she realizes how truly blind she has been. Patrick sees her as an accessory to creating this picture perfect life. He never consults her on any decisions, gaslights her, and completely disrespects her.
Overall, she was very judgemental and childish. Unfortunately, there wasn't much growth to her character. She spent the whole time whining about how she was cheating on her "perfect" boyfriend with Hawke, but never did anything to change the situation....
Patrickit turns out is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He was the one who killed Hawkes best friend. He then fled the scene and pinned it on Hawke. Hawke not only lots his best friend, but he was then forced to take the fall for his death. At least Patrick got what was coming to him.
A few things - I really wish this had been dual POV. That would have added so much to the story. The writing was ok, but the story did drag and become very repetitive (Especially with Cole reprimanding herself that the cheating is wrong and her talking about Hawkes lip ring -mentioned 1000x). I felt like we didn't really dig deep enough into the characters and they felt a bit one dimensional.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, cheating, taboo, roommates, force proximity
I HATE the cheating trope and there is no excuse for it. Ya, Patrick was a misogynistic jerk, but no one deserves to be so blatantly disrespected by their partner. If you want to be with someone else, then breakup with your bf! Ugh! It was also weird how she would just "play house" with Patrick in front of Hawke then become jealous when Hawke is around other women.
Hawke has recently been released from prison for
Cole is a lost woman. She thinks that she has a good life. Sure Patrick is a bit of a misogynistic ass, but he loves and takes care of her. As her relationship with Hawke grows she realizes how truly blind she has been. Patrick sees her as an accessory to creating this picture perfect life. He never consults her on any decisions, gaslights her, and completely disrespects her.
Overall, she was very judgemental and childish. Unfortunately, there wasn't much growth to her character. She spent the whole time whining about how she was cheating on her "perfect" boyfriend with Hawke, but never did anything to change the situation....
Patrick
A few things - I really wish this had been dual POV. That would have added so much to the story. The writing was ok, but the story did drag and become very repetitive (Especially with Cole reprimanding herself that the cheating is wrong and her talking about Hawkes lip ring -mentioned 1000x). I felt like we didn't really dig deep enough into the characters and they felt a bit one dimensional.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, cheating, taboo, roommates, force proximity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Grief
jessanicolesingh's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Obsessed, obsessed, OBSESSED!!
Now I would never condone cheating in the real world, but within these pages I dare say the ends justify the means; this is not a story of infidelity, but rather redemption. It also highlights the idea that not everything, or everyone, is as it seems, good or bad.
Though written as a standalone, this book introduces Kid, the main character in my next read by this author, which I will be diving into next!
Now I would never condone cheating in the real world, but within these pages I dare say the ends justify the means; this is not a story of infidelity, but rather redemption. It also highlights the idea that not everything, or everyone, is as it seems, good or bad.
Though written as a standalone, this book introduces Kid, the main character in my next read by this author, which I will be diving into next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Car accident
thosebookbesties_nips's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Car accident
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
sabrina7's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
this book honestly sucked so bad and that’s really all thanks to cole. hawke was a cutie and i liked his character a lot but holy shit cole was sooooo very annoying. she was awful and judgmental from the very beginning and then went so far to claim that she wasn’t that way !! her back and forth “oh i love hawke” to “do i really know the real hawke” was absolutely insufferable. anyways she definitely did redeem herself toward the end and got a lot cooler but oh my god she was so tough to stand for the vast majority of the book. the ending was also a LOT and felt pretty unrealistic in the way everything worked out perfectly which definitely took away from the story for me. i mean how likely is it really that two rich white men (patrick and his dad) would actually be put away for the crimes they committed ? the answer is not very unfortunately i really only kept reading this for hawke and overall don’t regret my decision to finish the book but i definitely won’t be reading anything else by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Drug use, Violence, Car accident, Death, and Sexual content
keirah_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Infidelity, Sexual content, Abandonment, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcohol, Sexism, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
bookshelf20's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an amazing book. I will read anything written by Jescie Hall. She is a phenomenal author. She does an amazing job navigating tense themes and dark content, especially in a way that makes me crawl back for more.
The characters were great, I loved how the main character Cole was pulled from her shell and could explore darker parts of herself. She was easy to love and relate to on different levels. Her relationship with her boyfriend throughout the book can be relatable to different people in the level of control he exerts. The red flags sprinkled throughout the book are perfectly placed, they're subtle but if one is paying attention, you can catch them.
Hawke is a great MMC, and I was just DYING for him by the end. He has such a tragic backstory that drives his character forward and explains so much of why he is the way he is. He's mysterious and unapologetic with his actions and behaviors, taking what he wants when he wants it, knowing the FMC will be coming back for more. His dynamic with the FMC was perfect, and I was just itching for more chemistry between them as I'd read, and the Jescie Hall would deliver a few pages later with more one-on-one between FMC and MMC.
I highly recommend this book to readers, after having read That Sik Luv I was SO ready for more literature from this author, and it was so nice being able to immerse myself in the world she created. I listened to this on Audible with Joe Arden's voice narrating and let me just say, I listened to him for That Sik Luv as well, and he is a whole experience! I highly recommend listening to this and That Sik Luv just to experience Joe's voice as the MMC because he sounds like a f*cking God! He always has me gasping and my heart racing when I hear his voice in books.
I'm giving this 5 stars because it was great writing with a captivating plot and complex characters. I would also like to say that I wish I could give this more stars than just 5 because Joe Arden's voice was amazing!
The characters were great, I loved how the main character Cole was pulled from her shell and could explore darker parts of herself. She was easy to love and relate to on different levels. Her relationship with her boyfriend throughout the book can be relatable to different people in the level of control he exerts. The red flags sprinkled throughout the book are perfectly placed, they're subtle but if one is paying attention, you can catch them.
Hawke is a great MMC, and I was just DYING for him by the end. He has such a tragic backstory that drives his character forward and explains so much of why he is the way he is. He's mysterious and unapologetic with his actions and behaviors, taking what he wants when he wants it, knowing the FMC will be coming back for more. His dynamic with the FMC was perfect, and I was just itching for more chemistry between them as I'd read, and the Jescie Hall would deliver a few pages later with more one-on-one between FMC and MMC.
I highly recommend this book to readers, after having read That Sik Luv I was SO ready for more literature from this author, and it was so nice being able to immerse myself in the world she created. I listened to this on Audible with Joe Arden's voice narrating and let me just say, I listened to him for That Sik Luv as well, and he is a whole experience! I highly recommend listening to this and That Sik Luv just to experience Joe's voice as the MMC because he sounds like a f*cking God! He always has me gasping and my heart racing when I hear his voice in books.
I'm giving this 5 stars because it was great writing with a captivating plot and complex characters. I would also like to say that I wish I could give this more stars than just 5 because Joe Arden's voice was amazing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Death
firequeen_ash23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
OH MHY GAWD!!! THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!
This will be the second book by Jescie Hall that I've read recently and it was perfection. I love how dark this authors dark romances are and how she doesn't shy away from the dark and painful.
I love how much I can relate to this story and the characters. Each character has their own issues and growth they're struggling with and once they are forced together, secrets from the past soon catch up causing old wounds to be reopened before any healing can start.
Nicole is a young woman who thinks she has it all, the perfect little life with her perfect boyfriend, Patrick, who she shares a home with and who loves her. She's living a normal, happy life before Hawke moves in as their new roommate. Nicole automatically thinks she knows what type of person Hawke is, but there's more to the situation that she could possibly imagine. Her life is about to change for better or worse, will she be able to handle it?
This book is so realistic, dark and raw. Thid book is filled with so many different aspects; murder, mystery, pain, love, revenge and hope. Nothings as it seems. I loved the plot and storyline of Hawke. This authors writing just crawls beneath your skin and embeds itself in the readers heart. I literally finished this book in less than a day because I was so enthralled with finding out what was really going on with Hawke's painful past. He's definitely the sexy, tattooed, broken man that you can't help but fall in love with as the book progresses and you learn how much he's been through. I know without a doubt he's the character that women will be attracted to and want to fix.
This story touches on some serious topics that could be triggering for some readers but if you don't have any triggers this story is worth reading. I couldn't put it down. The spice and sexual tension is 🤌. I also loved how even though Hawke was suppose to be this scary tough guy, you get to see other sides of him and actually connect to his character beneath his facade. Nicole "Cole" definitely can be a little annoying at times but she's just inexperienced and doesn't know what's going on, but I love that once she found out the truth, she didn't cower or let it change how she felt. She embraced the darkness and stood up for what she thought was right and was willing to so whatever it took for the truth to come to light. She's a fighter and in the end I couldn't help but be impressed by her actions and her convictions. She definitely is a closet bad girl and seeing her grow as a woman and as a person made the the book even better.
I highly recommend this book!!! Definitely one of my favorite romance novels.
This will be the second book by Jescie Hall that I've read recently and it was perfection. I love how dark this authors dark romances are and how she doesn't shy away from the dark and painful.
I love how much I can relate to this story and the characters. Each character has their own issues and growth they're struggling with and once they are forced together, secrets from the past soon catch up causing old wounds to be reopened before any healing can start.
Nicole is a young woman who thinks she has it all, the perfect little life with her perfect boyfriend, Patrick, who she shares a home with and who loves her. She's living a normal, happy life before Hawke moves in as their new roommate. Nicole automatically thinks she knows what type of person Hawke is, but there's more to the situation that she could possibly imagine. Her life is about to change for better or worse, will she be able to handle it?
This book is so realistic, dark and raw. Thid book is filled with so many different aspects; murder, mystery, pain, love, revenge and hope. Nothings as it seems. I loved the plot and storyline of Hawke. This authors writing just crawls beneath your skin and embeds itself in the readers heart. I literally finished this book in less than a day because I was so enthralled with finding out what was really going on with Hawke's painful past. He's definitely the sexy, tattooed, broken man that you can't help but fall in love with as the book progresses and you learn how much he's been through. I know without a doubt he's the character that women will be attracted to and want to fix.
This story touches on some serious topics that could be triggering for some readers but if you don't have any triggers this story is worth reading. I couldn't put it down. The spice and sexual tension is 🤌. I also loved how even though Hawke was suppose to be this scary tough guy, you get to see other sides of him and actually connect to his character beneath his facade. Nicole "Cole" definitely can be a little annoying at times but she's just inexperienced and doesn't know what's going on, but I love that once she found out the truth, she didn't cower or let it change how she felt. She embraced the darkness and stood up for what she thought was right and was willing to so whatever it took for the truth to come to light. She's a fighter and in the end I couldn't help but be impressed by her actions and her convictions. She definitely is a closet bad girl and seeing her grow as a woman and as a person made the the book even better.
I highly recommend this book!!! Definitely one of my favorite romance novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Addiction, Cursing, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Alcohol, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Rape
katekreadsalot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Religious bigotry
serena_andherstories's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Car accident, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
sienasummerrreads's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
This follows Nicole and she has always been devoted to her “perfect” boyfriend Patrick. That’s until an ex con roommate with secrets moves in and changes her life path and sets it in a spiral.
This was such a fantastic forbidden and secretive romance. The plot kept me invested to keep on reading. I loved the characters and the side characters they all had a place. I’m honestly obsessed with Hawke. This man did things for Nicole I swoon over. The pushing boundaries, sneaking around and the hate to love element just did it for me. Not only that, the intimate spice was fantastic.
This also has elements of some dark subject matter that I love to read about.
Highly recommend this book! Jumping to Jescie next book Kid very soon.
If you love:
🔹Forbidden
🔹Roommates
🔹Misunderstood MMC
🔹Ex Con
🔹Secrets & Lies
🔹Fantastic Spice
Genre/Type: Forbidden Romance 18+
APK: Kindle Read
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Tropes or Themes: Forbidden, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Cheating, Addiction, Drugs and Alcohol
Check Triggers ⚠️
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
TikTok | Instagram | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Amazon Reviews 💫
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident and Death
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