Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Where's Molly

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Relationship: FM
Tropes/Triggers: Off page: CSA, incest, rape; On page: dismemberment, human trafficking, kidnapping, blood play
Series: Where's Molly? - Cat and Mouse Universe #4

Synopsis
FMC Molly Devereaux had a difficult upbringing. Her parents were drug addicts and she was responsible for her infant sister. She finds herself a victim of human trafficking and struggles to care for her sister and rebuild her life...until the mysterious Legion gives her a lifeline.

MMC Cage Everhart is in the business of creating new identities for people. Legion sends Molly to Cage to get a new identity and Cage falls for her. But she abruptly leaves to she starts her new life.

They unexpectedly find each other again but it's difficult for Molly to bear, due to her past.

Review
This was a quick read but very rich and adds so much to the Cat and Mouse Universe. Molly was mentioned in Hunting Adeline and if you have been reading the books in order, side characters we have seen before appear in this book too. Make sure you read the book to its entirety, there is an exciting tie in at the very end, after the epilogue 🌹

Content Warnings

heartgummi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Giving 1 ⭐️ for the prose, which is genuinely beautiful and lovely to read. However, this book is … bad.

This book is squarely what I would call "white woman dark romance" and I mean that in a very negative way. While I love dark themes in books, this novel trivializes them and pushes them to near-parodic levels. Molly's trauma isn't a facet of her character but rather a plot device that is poorly used to give her the mysterious, tragic waif vibe. While I can appreciate a character who is hardened by the abuse she's endured and the steps she takes to survive (in fact, messy female characters are my favourite to read and write), it just gives me "white person's fanfiction foray into sexual reclamation" … and it's not well done. It's downright disrespectful at times.

The worst part and what cemented me into this opinion was the casual mention that Molly's father raped her. This gets about half a page of exposition, and then is sidelined as just another assault in a long line of sexual abuse and trauma she's faced before she even became an adult. I don't think these topics have to be treaded upon lightly, nor should I think we have to look away from the stark reality they present, but I also don't think we can convert these issues into tropes that we toss aside either.

I don't know. It just gives me the ick. I was thoroughly uncomfortable every step of the way to the end.

My last complaint is with Cage. He sucks. He brings nothing to the narrative, and I don't even think he meshes well with Molly's character either. He's just there to be the obligatory sexy love interest, and offers nothing with the plot. There are also times when he exudes the "You're verbally saying no but I know you want it" energy (or outright says it aloud), which adds even more to how insensitively I think the author tackled the concept of a pedophilia and rape survivor who's slowly learning to enjoy sex and delve into intimacy again. Sorry, I'm just not the kind of person who can read this sort of fiction and not feel gross about it in some way.

Content Warnings

i8bananas's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

rachieanniereads's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i wish this was a full length novel. somehow a less than 250 page novella made me cry.

Content Warnings

cintiaha's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

ravenescence's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

pikapuddle's review against another edition

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dark hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Started and finished ‘Where’s Molly’ today. And honestly….im feeling satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time. And this may just be cause I struggle with short stories. I struggle to connect, but I also feel too rushed when it comes to short stories or standalone’s.

Spoilers

I think the writing is great. I liked finally knowing what happened to Molly, although I wish there was a bit more explored. She went through so much but she also escaped really easily and it felt a little too brushed over. Again, this could be cause I struggle with shorter stories. I wasn’t too interested in the romance with Cage, it felt too much like he was trying to be a Zade instead of a new character. It didn’t help even at the end with the extended epilogue when even the two characters were compared. Cage has nothing on Zade. I was also hoping that Addie and Molly wouldn’t meet. I mean it sounds nice, but the more I thought about it the more cliche it felt. And this was even before I’d finished the book, had no clue what would happen in the extended epilogue.

Not gonna lie, it was extremely jarring going from the emotional climax of Molly finally speaking to Emma/Layla, then the next page leading right into the middle of a sex scene. That transition left me feeling major whiplash.

I really had way more interest in Molly’s journey, how she escaped and what happened to her, although the smut was good, especially when she first discovered that she could be respected during sex, but the last sex scene as stated above, felt too jarring and unnecessary (going from sister scene, to sex scene). I wanted to know more about Molly, Cage just felt…a little unnecessary. Mostly with how much perspective we got from him. Everyone wanted to know Molly, hence the title of the book. Cage felt out of left field. I don’t mind that he’s there, I just wish it wasn’t dual pov, we as readers go into the book caring way more about Molly, than him.

I’m glad Molly made it safe, I’m glad she got a somewhat happy ending. I just wish I had the opportunity to know her better. She really did deserve that.

Should I be rating this 3 stars??…I’m still pondering honestly. I think so??…if I change my mind I’ll make an edit.

Content Warnings

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