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A review by kimschouwenaar
Painted Red by Alina Harper
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The Author Agency provided me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What starts as seemingly any other cute romance novel quickly takes a turn for the worst.
Moving from Dallas, Texas to the Pacific Northwest into her late uncle's cabin home, Tatum is looking for independence and a place where her art will be appreciated. After leaving behind an ex-boyfriend with a dangerous temper, she finds freedom in the company of two new men. One is the town golden boy, and the other is the rich mystery man whose family has a reputation.
But nothing stays perfect forever. One man's secrets brings terror and danger into her life in the form of a secret stalker. When things go from bad to worse, Hayden and Anthony have to put their differences aside after a lifetime of not getting along. Then, when she suddenly goes missing, the two men have to work together to find her before it's too late.
When I tell you this was exactly what I signed up for. It's a perfect combination of steamy romance, a heart-pounding thriller and lots and lots and lots of hurt/comfort scenes. Tatum quickly became one of my all-time favourite female characters, Anthony's stoic performance yet soft heart captured mine, and Hayden's sweet persona took me by storm. The way they all care for each other was absolutely heart-warming to read, and the banter between Hayden and Anthony was just chef's kiss. And Zara... ZARA! A gorgeous, murderous woman who I would love to cross paths with at one point in my life.
There were a few inconsistencies and scenes that made me question the characters' judgment, which is the reason I rated this 4.5 stars.
Do not hesitate to get your hands on a copy of this book, but please do not forget to check out the trigger warnings below!
TW (taken directly from the book):
Explicit language, mature sexual content, talk of loss of a parent through illness, stalking, blood and gore depiction, talk of domestic violence, murder, abduction, gassing, graphic depiction of a cat having a seizure, mention of animal death, anxiety, depression.
What starts as seemingly any other cute romance novel quickly takes a turn for the worst.
Moving from Dallas, Texas to the Pacific Northwest into her late uncle's cabin home, Tatum is looking for independence and a place where her art will be appreciated. After leaving behind an ex-boyfriend with a dangerous temper, she finds freedom in the company of two new men. One is the town golden boy, and the other is the rich mystery man whose family has a reputation.
But nothing stays perfect forever. One man's secrets brings terror and danger into her life in the form of a secret stalker. When things go from bad to worse, Hayden and Anthony have to put their differences aside after a lifetime of not getting along. Then, when she suddenly goes missing, the two men have to work together to find her before it's too late.
When I tell you this was exactly what I signed up for. It's a perfect combination of steamy romance, a heart-pounding thriller and lots and lots and lots of hurt/comfort scenes. Tatum quickly became one of my all-time favourite female characters, Anthony's stoic performance yet soft heart captured mine, and Hayden's sweet persona took me by storm. The way they all care for each other was absolutely heart-warming to read, and the banter between Hayden and Anthony was just chef's kiss. And Zara... ZARA! A gorgeous, murderous woman who I would love to cross paths with at one point in my life.
There were a few inconsistencies and scenes that made me question the characters' judgment, which is the reason I rated this 4.5 stars.
Do not hesitate to get your hands on a copy of this book, but please do not forget to check out the trigger warnings below!
TW (taken directly from the book):
Explicit language, mature sexual content, talk of loss of a parent through illness, stalking, blood and gore depiction, talk of domestic violence, murder, abduction, gassing, graphic depiction of a cat having a seizure, mention of animal death, anxiety, depression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, and Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, and Alcohol