This author really said, "What if I took what is typically the traumatic backstory that an MC has to overcome and instead just made that the whole romance?"
Yes, the start is bad--but pretty typical of the genre, only extra messed up that the MC is still a child in high school (not even a senior so I think like 16?) being preyed on by this much older/powerful adult.
But holy crap does it get so much worse.
TW for v3: ML brutally rapes MC for hours (days?) until he passes out and a doctor needs to be called. Again, literal child here, but doc went "mandatory reporter who? 🤑" MC is incredibly traumatized and scared of ML. Actually realistic levels of PTSD.
But then for some reason--maybe because MC is catatonic levels of shell-shocked--we get a POV switch to his rapist. You guyssss, he's like, really sad he broke his toy. Aww. :(
I only kept skimming because I was truly baffled how they could pull some HEA bullshit with this story, but that was a mistake because it just makes you more mad. ML's omega friend feels bad for his super sad buddy so goes to pick up MC and let him live with him. Making it really clear that he's not doing it for him, only for his rapist friend. Gives him some real pep talks about how he should stop being a sad sack who throws up everything he eats and pull himself together. So just more adults manipulating this literal child who feels like he has no family or support.
ML waits to meet with him until after he graduates high school (WHICH WAS ALWAYS AN OPTION, BTW, YOU COULD'VE WAITED UNTIL HE WAS AN ADULT) to be like, "Hey, hope you're over the trauma of all that rape because I'm about to be really aggressively sexual right away!" We're supposed to be impressed that he told off his mommy, as if her being the trigger for MC wanting to leave somehow makes her responsible for all his violent raping. 🙃
The most infuriating part of all of this was it framed like all of this was something for him to "get over" on his own, both the rape inflicted on him, and his feelings of inferiority to ML (because of his parentage and "having nothing special to offer"--since he's a literal fucking child.) Truly disgusting, wtf.
The art is gorgeous though. There, I said one nice thing.
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