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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Don't Look Back in Books

May 14, 2023  
Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back
Jo Spain | 2023 | Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I haven't read anything by Jo Spain before but after reading Don't Look Back, I will certainly be keeping my eyes open in the future as I enjoyed this.

Don't Look Back is a twisty thriller with great characters, not all of whom are likeable, and an intriguing plot with some great twists. Be warned, it deals with domestic violence so if this is a trigger, I would steer clear.

Travelling from London to the Caribbean and to Ireland, this is one twisty book that is told at a good pace, from multiple points of view and with some flashbacks. The plot is complicated but it all comes to a satisfying conclusion in the end.

All in all, an enjoyable thriller that kept me reading into the night and I must thank Quercus Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Don't Look Back.
  
It Ends With Us
It Ends With Us
Colleen Hoover | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.3 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
** spoiler alert ** This book. I finished it last night and can't stop thinking about it. I'm no expert, but the development of the characters, and the story, are superb. All of the characters had so much depth and I was completely immersed in the story. I didn't just read this book, I devoured it. My only caveat, and here's the spoiler, was Ryle's explanation for the abuse. I thought it should have been further explained, and made really clear, that his behavior had nothing to do with trauma related to his childhood. He was not blacking out. He was just plain abusive. Saying he was blacking out is a cop out. This is such an important and educational book about domestic violence, that it's a disservice to allow this reasoning without explaining that domestic violence isn't about anger, but about power and control. A perfect illustration of this is when Lily first meets Ryle on the roof deck and he's beating up the furniture. Did he black out at the hospital and beat up a co-worker? No. Did he black out and throw his sister down the stairs? No. He went to the roof and took it out on the furniture. A conscious choice. Did he black out when he was in their new apartment when he destroyed Lily's belongings then waited for her in the kitchen and sexually assaulted her then beat her? No, it was a very calculated assault. I would have liked a better explanation for this behavior from an educational standpoint. Lily made a smart decision,but I think she believed the excuse, which is so common and what can keep a person in that abusive situation. Even if it had been explained in the afterward, at least then it would have been made clear that his excuse was just that, an excuse. Despite this, it's still 5 stars for me. I will be thinking about this one for a long time to come.
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated His Wicked Lady in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
HW
His Wicked Lady
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is definitely a novel you should not base on its cover. The cover makes it look medieval, the description makes it sound regency, but the actual story has a completely different than both of those.

There were a lot of pros and cons for me in this book. On one hand, I liked the strong females leads and the author tackling the subject domestic abuse. However, it felt awkward in unrealistic for the time frame that the author placed the story in. I also felt the dialogue was a bit out of place. Sometimes, authors modernize dialogue so it is more readable for the readers. I am not sure if that’s what she was doing, but it didn’t detract too much from the story. In fact, I quite enjoyed the lead couple’s bantering for the most part.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the novel. It had some unrealistic factors that grated against my nerves, but I was invested in the HEA.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Joy (2015) in Movies

Mar 17, 2018  
Joy (2015)
Joy (2015)
2015 | Drama
7
6.7 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
It takes a special kind of confidence to ask a movie studio to give you $60 million to make a two-hour-plus movie about mops and the home shopping channel, but David O Russell clearly has it and here is the result. What Fox were doing saying yes is probably less mysterious if you look at Russell's track record and the calibre of the cast he assembled for this movie.


Still, this is probably the most substantial movie ever released which is predominantly concerned with the realities of domestic cleaning and the intricacies of injection-moulded plastic and patent protection law - I suppose there is also a healthy element dealing with the protagonist's family and relationships, and the general hard-work-and-dedication-will-get-you-there-eventually ethos is the kind of thing that makes studios and audiences comfortable. Good performances, obviously; generally very engaging and watchable; educational, too, especially if you have trouble keeping the floor clean.
  
A Room Away From the Wolves
A Room Away From the Wolves
Nova Ren Suma | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
So many things being represented! Like LGBTQ+, abuse, assualt, depression, etc. (1 more)
Ghosts + love + death + dark back story = recipe for the best book ever!
The beginning is a little confusing, but it ties up well in the second half. (0 more)
A wicked ghost story that will satisfy every need!
I absolutely loved this novel!! I couldn't get enough of it and didn't want it to end. There's LGBTQ+ representation, romance, death, mystery, family drama, talk of suicide and domestic violence. I mean A Room Away From the Wolves has it all!

The only reason why this novel isn't sitting at a 5-star rating is that it was a little confusing in the beginning. I didn't quite understand the story-line and plot and the characters seemed to be lacking. But once I actually delved deeper into the novel, I got my answers and everything became clear yet again.

Want to read more? Head over to my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com