The Romance Queen Books Reviews

This was not what I expected, but was pleasantly surprised. I love the plot and that I had not idea was coming up. Not for the faint of heart!

Unusual dark story that creates bonds through trauma. The illustrations were amazing, but I think the story needed more foundation to back the creation of the bond between the MCs

I enjoyed the story and thought it was well illustrated will recommend to my friends

Love them

The genius of the bag scene is how much it refuses to mean anything on the surface. A dropped bag, a current that takes it fast, a friend in a panic. And then one quiet confession buried inside the action: she shows the right face. Not her real face. The right one. The author never circles back to explain what Jenna wanted or why she manufactured the circumstances that put her back in that house. She trusts you to carry it forward yourself.

The family is the trap and the cover at the same time and the book is very clear about this without ever saying it directly. the dad's trust keeps jenna inside the situation. the sister's watchfulness keeps jenna performing normalcy. the family gatherings are where greg's cover is maintained and where his access is established. none of it is accidental and greg understands the whole structure better than anyone inside it

It's visceral in a way that has nothing to do with the obvious moments. The atmosphere itself gets under your skin early and stays there.

T never felt like a random pickup to me. The eye lines and hand choices made the pull between them without making it blunt which is exactly the kind of detail I come for. It was not flawless on the technical side, but it stayed emotionally persuasive. I am grateful you keep making room for that visual depth in the books.

The afterword was the first time I felt like someone was talking directly to me about what I had just experienced and not judging me for how I experienced it. The part about patterns we recognize feeling like home even when they shouldn't really landed. I came for a story and left with a bit more self awareness than I arrived with and I didn't expect that at all from this kind of book. THANK YOU

Overall, interesting and different, just didn’t completely hit the mark for me.

The moment at the dock where Greg holds out his jacket and deliberately does not look at her chest is more carefully constructed than any overtly threatening scene in the book. Restraint as demonstration of power. He shows her exactly what he is choosing not to do and makes sure she registers the choice. The author understood that the withheld thing can be more present than the thing itself.

This book did not make me feel good. it also did not make me feel nothing. I’m somewhere in the middle of that.

Unforgettable. Bizarre. No redemption arc, just a descent with excellent lighting. The dolls will live in my head rent free indefinitely. I cannot explain why I would recommend this to anyone…but perhaps I would.

okay i went back and reread chapter one after finishing and JENNA LET THIS HAPPEN. she knew what she was doing. she put herself exactly where she needed to be and the book just lets you figure that out yourself and doesn't make a big thing of it. i feel so seen and so called out at the same time. the author is doing something sneaky and i respect it so much.

I went into this book wondering why the title was so intriguing. The whole story had me second guessing the next steps they'd take. I was floored at the twists in the story. The illustrations were eye popping for real. Never had an ebook like this. I have to read it again.