Chelle reviewed Bittersweet Bride by Vanessa Riley
Review of 'Bittersweet Bride' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
The male lead was a dumpster fire. I couldn't finish the book. So many consent issues.
He was engaged, his family disapproved, sent him to war. He was reported dead. She married someone else. Six years later he shows back up and is a miserable bastard to her because she moved on. He's written a play, naming her the villain, and is threatening to publish it unless she sells her land to his family.
His family who did their best to kill her after he left.
He keeps physically getting close to her, and she says no, but he pushes anyway. THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC OR SEXY THIS IS A LACK OF CONSENT!
It was so uncomfortable to read.
She was having a panic attack due to a storm and got in her carriage to leave the theatre. He pushed in.
When he grabbed her wrist and started kissing it …
The male lead was a dumpster fire. I couldn't finish the book. So many consent issues.
He was engaged, his family disapproved, sent him to war. He was reported dead. She married someone else. Six years later he shows back up and is a miserable bastard to her because she moved on. He's written a play, naming her the villain, and is threatening to publish it unless she sells her land to his family.
His family who did their best to kill her after he left.
He keeps physically getting close to her, and she says no, but he pushes anyway. THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC OR SEXY THIS IS A LACK OF CONSENT!
It was so uncomfortable to read.
She was having a panic attack due to a storm and got in her carriage to leave the theatre. He pushed in.
When he grabbed her wrist and started kissing it I threw my kobo across the room and decided I didn't give a crap if there was a redemption arc for this idiot... I couldn't read it. This isn't romantic. This isn't desirable. This is a male deciding that his desires are more important than the consent of the woman.
I've read books with unjust blame before, it's tricky to handle properly without making the reader HATE the character. I wish for Theo to wind up with almost literally anyone else.
This book made me physically uncomfortable with hate for the male lead.