Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - There Are No Saints

Ehh. I'm on the fence about giving this a 3⭐ because in terms of technical skill, pacing, and style, it's really not a poorly written book. Going down to 2⭐ feels unnecessarily harsh. The content is graphic and could be v triggering for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or child abuse.

That being said, the author does portray the modern female's experience with both topics accurately enough to not be fetishized. The main character Mara is a pretty relatable FMC and I actually liked elements about her, but she was a little flat toward the end of the book.

The MMC Cole is..ehhh. He's not the worst guy, he's certainly not the best. His psychological profile is muddy and he goes through changes that feel like they're purely for plot and not with realistic input.

The writing flows pretty well and did have some good imagery. The world of these artists could've been expanded on more imo, but it fades away pretty quickly when the MCs relationship takes center stage.

This book is very graphic & spicy, so if you aren't into that (I'm not really either), then you'll struggle to enjoy this book. It's much less about the serial killers and more about sex with someone "dangerous". It's not my personal vibe but it's a lot better than 50 Shades and other misogynistic garbage out there.

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lillyrb's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

I don’t think I can give this book a standard star rating of any kind, which doesn’t mean it’s a particularly bad or good book i’m just not quite sure how to feel about this.

I read this book because I didn’t know what to read next and a trusted reviewer (any book i’ve read after their recommendation has been great) really loves this book. Disclaimer, I did not know what I was getting myself into. I’ve never read a dark romance before and I really was not prepared. The beginning made me really quite uncomfortable. However, Sophie Lark’s writing style is incredible and the way she details the thoughts and feelings of the main characters is simply fascinating. Ultimately, I decided to read the whole thing because I enjoyed the writing, was taken with the psychological implications (?) of the main characters and I really really wanted to know what other people see in this book.

I didn’t not enjoy the book but I also didn’t like it in the way I usually enjoy reading books. It’s certainly a gripping read and the characters and writing are intriguing but overall the book not something I could describe as liking. I will read the second book because, again, I kind of need to know what other people are seeing in this and how the story develops, but I don’t think I can rate this book in any comprehensive way.

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dracomalfoi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

authornikita_leigh's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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