Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

25 reviews

grumpyreading's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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📚 Review: Ugh. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Sonora Reyes. They are such a great writer. You fall in love with the characters, feel the pain they feel, and feel all the joy with them. This book was so timely, and dealt with some really tough topics, but still left me feeling so hopeful and happy at the end. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a queer romance with three dimensional conflict and characters you will get to know and love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation

louisekf's review against another edition

2.5

emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book should have worked better for me than it did. I enjoyed the characters of Han (Alejandro) and Kenny and thought their long-term friendship was excellent. But somehow this never really pulled me in fully. 

 

Han has lived in the US (New Mexico) for most of his life, having been sent there to live with extended family after a near-disaster with his drug-addicted mother in Mexico. But he’s undocumented and so his life is pretty precarious - jobs are hard to get and keep, he doesn’t have a driver’s license, he worries every time he’s near a police officer, etc. He and Kenny are roommates and have been friends since they were very young. Kenny helps Han as best he can, driving him places, etc. Kenny has a girlfriend, Jackie, who I absolutely hated. She was abusive to Kenny and I hated that he felt he couldn’t stand up to her. When he broke up with her, I was so relieved. I guess i just didn’t buy that whole relationship. Jackie was so incredibly evil and Kenny was a real sweetie. 

 

Kenny then figures the best thing he can do for Han is to get him his citizenship by marrying him. (Kenny is bisexual and Han believes he’s straight, but isn’t interested in women at all.) 

 

The topic of possible deportation and all the struggles Han was experiencing were well done and are important topics for people to read about in this personal way. 

 

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook has two distinct narrators who both do a wonderful job: André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz. 

 

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read  a review copy of this book and for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Deportation

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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I loved the Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic Schools but this one didn't quite hit for me. The story itself was good! And I love seeing physically affectionate "bros" (and the cringe and callout about hiding behind that "bro" label!) and the development of trust and vulnerability. But the writing didn't seem to support the story as well as I would have liked. And I wouldn't consider it a romcom — definitely more of a romdram with sprinkles of cute character-based humor (

Thornelius 4 Eva!

).  I'm admittedly bad at liking angsty* romances, though, so your mileage may vary! 

*Not meant to downplay the emotional stress and distress of the situations discussed in the book, which were represented very well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Abortion, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

blackmailing, threat of deportation

ohshebookish's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse, Racism, Death of parent

kaschaller's review against another edition

3.75

emotional sad

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse

notsobinaryart's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Trafficking, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail

Other content warning: ICE, anti-immigrant hate, threat of deportation The abuse is *not* from the main relationship but instead from a toxic, abusive ex to Kenny, one the MCs

mnerd63's review against another edition

2.0

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment

the_queer_bibliophile's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Thank you to Sonora for having me on their team for this book. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced in any way.
Oh. My. Gosh. I just gobbled this up in less than 24 hours. I decided to read the ARC (thanks Forever!) and listen to the audiobook (thanks Sonora!) at the same time, which was a first for me, but did not disappoint. I genuinely couldn't put it down. Before I get more into it (no spoilers), I would just like to say there are serious topics talked about in this book. I advice looking at the trigger warnings AND the Author's Note mentioned in the beginning of book before reading it. I could relate to different aspects of both Han and Kenny, from the people pleasing to the fear of commitment. But these boys stole my heart with their words and actions. This book isn't just packed with romance either. I was cackling up a storm at some points, while tears streamed down my face at others. The side characters were all so diverse and gave an extra layer to the already well-written story. Sonora does a great job highlighting everyone's diversity, while still making it all come together in a neatly wrapped story, full of what the world needs a lot of right now: hope. Hope for a better and more diverse, accepting future. That's what this book gave me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Death of parent, Pregnancy

Minor: Addiction, Racism, Grief, Abortion

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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 I really enjoyed this book! I could not put it down. Loved all the characters (except two, you know who you are). Sonora Reyes has the gift of making you feel all the emotions within one story and this was no exception. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Books for this arc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation

Moderate: Biphobia

Minor: Abortion

christinefitz's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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This highly enjoyable and very believable take on the fake-dating trope handled heavy themes with a careful touch. While I cried for almost the entire second half, a lot of those tears were happy ones. The support the MMCs demonstrate to each other, as well as the support of their families, is so touching. I think it's still rare to find explicitly autistic characters in fiction and I really appreciated Han's character and the way his autism affected his dating life and understanding of his sexuality. There are a lot of miscommunication moments in this book, due to the secrecy of the fake-dating plot and Han's autism, but the payoff feels worth the frustration. Now very tempted to break my 'no-YA novels' rule to finally read 'The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School'.

 I received this digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Deportation

Moderate: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol

Minor: Mental illness, Vomit, Abortion