Candy M.’s Reviews > Fragments > Status Update

OH NOOOO 😭😭😭😭 that’s the worst feeling ever. I’ve only read distorted but I remember wanting Luthor/Ren so bad!! So I know they’re a highly anticipated couple. I hope the rest gets better for you 🩷🩷

😬

@Hope, I'm hoping it gets better so I'll try to power through it. All the reviews have been so positive too... I really wanna end up enjoying this one. I'll be devastated if I don't 🫠💔

@len, a tragedy 💔💔

What was it that made you want to dnf?

That is so disappointing. I hope the story picks up for you. 🙁

worst feeling hands down :( and now i'm scared cause this has been one of my most anticipated releases of the month (and year tbh!!) for me. hope it gets better though! 😭🥰

@ACE, too many on-page scenes between both mcs and random people (although they're supposed to be exclusive later on as was confirmed by the author). Two threesomes with a "platonic" best friend. One talk randomly shaming monogamy. And one of the MCs taking advantage of their mentally ill friend (schizophrenia) to boot.

The list is long....

@L Ann, thank you 😩 I refuse to give up just yet but we'll see...

@Lila, it was top 3 for me as far as most anticipated books of 2023 too 😭 I was even there when it got the release pushed back twice. This is really disheartening to say the least, but I'm hoping against hope that it will still turn into a positive experience somehow 😅

Been there and u have my sincerest condolences 😥🙇🙇

@Mariam, thank youuuu. Thinking of taking a short hiatus (a day or two) and attempting again tbh...

omg. what went wrong babe?

@Mila, a lot honestly. I knew going into this that there would be cheating and scenes with other people. But the author went overboard in my humble opinion. Spent more time on that than actual interactions between the mcs it feels like.

I feel your pain😞 Here’s hoping it gets better💜

@Nelly, I appreciate it 😩💌 I'm taking a day or two off but hoping to come back with a better disposition

Candy wrote: "@Mila, a lot honestly. I knew going into this that there would be cheating and scenes with other people. But the author went overboard in my humble opinion. Spent more time on that than actual inte..."

awe sorry to hear that. I watched her live on ig when she was talking about the book. Like I don't mind cheating as long as its not on each other, so i am not exactly dying to read this yet lol

NOOO WTH! 😭😭

@Mila, the first half is... heavy on it. There's also a dubious situation later on. But some people have been LOVING this one, so me and my pet peeves are likely a big part of the problem.

@Anum, I KNOW 😭😫

Oh no. If you finish it, harás una review? 👀 I want yo hear your thoughts! También le tenía ganas a este libro, pero los libros de la autora nunca han funcionado para mi 😬

@Marian, estoy pensando en eso. Estuve hablando con una amiga y las dos nos llevamos tremenda decepcion. Hay dos libro de esta autora que amo (joyless y brainwashed), ademas de otros que me gustaron pero no fueron masterpieces (for the fans was alright and the Christmas daddy kink novella she did too)... pero este... err....

*no compliments loaded*

Joyless no funcionó para mí pero i haven't read Brainwashed, aunque el concepto suena muy interesante 🤭 siento que sería a el libro que le daría una oportunidad

Sabía que había cheating aquí, no me gusta mucho eso, así que siento que será una desastre para mí leerlo 🤔
Lamento que no estés disfrutando this book like the others ☹️💕

MarianR wrote: "Joyless no funcionó para mí pero i haven't read Brainwashed, aunque el concepto suena muy interesante 🤭 siento que sería a el libro que le daría una oportunidad

Sabía que había cheating aquí, no ..."

If you like true crime, complex morally bankrupt characters and delving into their psychological makeup, pues lo recomiendo. Sigue teniendo sus cosas OTT porque seamos sinceras, los prisonmances suelen salpicar OTT por todos lados (ademas de que esta autora es propenso a ello), pero creo que Brainwashed tuvo exito donde Disturbed no supo que hacer.

And thanks! Tbh I'm gonna take a break and attempted again later, but things aren't looking too good, that's for sure.

i just saw the list of the things you mentioned bothered you and fuck, that'd bother me so much too. 😩 it's a shame bc i've been seeing so many positive reviews but i also have to take into account the fact that they're mostly arc reviews 😂😭 i know there was supposed to be cheating, but i thought it'd be handled well; or at least, as well as it can be (with the right character development and proper scenes between the mcs to convince me of their love) but it seems that didn't happen, which sucks. :/ hope your lil break works and it picks up for you! 🫶 but after the things you said, i don't think i'll be touching this, like, ever, bc i don't want to spoil the good memories brainwashed gave me 😂😭

@lila, I loved both Brainwashed and Joyless from this series a lot (Brainwashed remains one of my favorite reads in recent years in the romance genre 😭)... but this? I still don't know how to react. I think I'm still in shock and kinda just processing the fact that, even if by a miracle I end up liking the rest of the book, it will never become the story I was excited for. The downside of getting hyped for any book, however. Sorry to kill off your excitement too in the process ): but hey, I guess I would've liked to know these things beforehand too so hopefully at least it saves you a minor headache.

At the end of the day, I don't even think the cheating was what upset me the most 😭

OMG SAME. brainwashed was such a hit for me, but i'm kinda scared of reading joyless tbh bc while i do read poly, i'm wary of how it's done cause i hate it when one of the mcs feels "left out" of the romance, or pushed aside. but when it's done really well, i could love it, and joy as a side character had already intrigued me so im definitely having it on my radar for now lol. whereas i've seen the spoilers for distorted, and... i don't think that particular plot twist is for me 😂😭

i get what you mean though, and it sucks being disappointed by a read you've waited SO LONG for. and since you're already so let-down by it, you can never get that feeling back and it's just sad. :( but yeah i'm definitely glad to know now so that i can cross it off even though i'm tempted to skim it cause i had pre-ordered it in my excitement so i anyway own it 😂😭 but idk, i don't wanna spoil the characters - though i have heard the side characters are holding this up so i'm glad of that. i hate that this was such a mess though, bc while i heard (view spoiler)[there was a menage scene with a friend (which seemed sus bc i'd rather it was with a random stranger if they're not all getting together later LOL), and that ren did cheat in the beginning - generally cheating is a dealbreaker for me cause i've never yet read a book where i've liked it but i thought this would be the exception, but i'm probably wrong. 😂 what was the dubious situation later though? 👀 (hide spoiler)]

SPOILERS for the book (tagging this since I'm on mobile for anyone who might randomly see this on their feed)

The dubious situation I hated were two: one, which was a very specific instance of Lex taking advantage of his cellmate and friend, Dash, who has ongoing hallucinations (schizophrenia) to make out with him. It really felt so exploitative and kinda ruin my image of Lex as a character. Just a big nope for me in terms of consent and... seriously? Exploiting his mental disorder like that? Not okay. This happened when he and Ren weren't together but I still hated it (happens at around 50% where I left off). The 2nd thing is less of a specific situation and moreso how Ren's sex addiction is handled: feels more like fodder for pointless smut (soooooo many useless scenes of Ren getting fucked by random men, guards and other prisoners on page) than a harmful behavior being analyzed and carefully studied. Zero character development on this front so far, and it's another point for exploitation I'm not really comfortable with.

I'm seriously praying for the 2nd point to at least get better as the book advances, but the first one, with how it was framed as being "okay" and all.... not so much. Just basking in the bitter aftertaste of my disappointment over here.

Might need your jegulus recommendations to snap me out of this one 😭

Oh and I forgot to mention this, but for Joyless: I'm personally veryyyyy picky with poly books myself, but I enjoyed how it was done a lot. The throuple centers more around Velle, I do have to say, but I liked that personally since he is the one character with the most issues (without spoiling you) and he does need the comfort the other two offer. Joy is an absolute badass too. More independent than Rook and Velle, but still fiercely protective of them both. And Rook to me felt like the glue holding it all together. The measure of "normalcy" both characters were missing.

wait a minute - he and ren weren't together at even 50%? and there were scenes with other people till that time? but that'd piss me off 😭 dash is the mc of book one, right? and him being taken advantage of like that would just piss me off like nothing else especially if dash is imagining someone else and just - no. you're so right about that not being consent. as for the addiction - i've only read one other series/book with a mc who has sex addiction but even that seems to have more development than this. i thought there would be proper convos about his addiction, actual development with his character and him finally figuring out he wanted to be with lex alone and WHY, yknow? so it's disappointing. :( and the first point is definitely not okay. we know this is a dark romance, yes, but that doesn't mean these types of things should be shown like THIS. it's frankly harmful portrayal of how people with schizophrenia behave and how people should behave with them imo.

Candy wrote: "Might need your jegulus recommendations to snap me out of this one 😭"

hopefully they help 😭😂

Candy wrote: "Oh and I forgot to mention this, but for Joyless: I'm personally veryyyyy picky with poly books myself, but I enjoyed how it was done a lot. The throuple centers more around Velle, I do have to say..."

all of them sound like they're essential to the functioning of their relationship, which is what i like hearing. i don't like the dynamics to feel "unequal" with one of the characters being left out but that doesn't seem to be the case here, which is a good thing! i don't mind if it revolves around a particular character as long as all of them love each other equally (though if it's in different ways, it's fine, but all of them have to be involved lol). thank you for all that info! i'm definitely tempted to pick it up now lol, so i might have to make it my next read when im in the mood for poly 👀

Oh no. I was worried this one would have tons of cheating and/or multiple partners because of how Ren has been portrayed so far. I’m still stuck on Brainwashed only because it’s over 600 pages and I haven’t had the focus to read it. I want to badly although I can’t say I was too impressed with Dr Love when I read Joyless but the whole serial killer/therapist thing sounds awesome. I hope this got better for you!

*deleted from tbr*