Tag Archives: Death of a Partner & Spouse

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

A refugee of the Great War, Poirot has settled in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Period-typical sexism
  • Period-typical racism & racial slurs including antisemitism, antiziganism (g slur) and mentions of blackface
  • Drugging
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Seizures (on-page)
  • Death of a mother from accidental overdose mentioned
  • Murder of a mother/mother-in-law and wife by poisoning (which was first diagnosed as death from heart failure)
  • Incarceration pending trial
  • Military service mentioned
  • Mentions of euthanising a dog

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago… The gift is simple – twelve books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him. Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Grief & loss depiction (theme)
  • Death of a father from a heart attack
  • Death of a husband from cancer recounted

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem…Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome costar Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity—have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds. Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Workplace sexual harassment
  • Parental abandonment recounted
  • Emotionally abusive relationship recounted
  • Intimate partner violence (secondary characer)
  • Infidelity (accidental, protagonist believed her boyfriend was seperated from his pregnant wife)
  • Parental infidelity & divorce mentioned
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Alcohol consumption & drug use
  • Fainting spell (on-page)
  • Pregnancy mentioned (secondary character)

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen

Miriam Brody is dreading Hanukkah with her overbearing family in Charleston. Ditto for dreamy pro football player Cal Durand and Christmas. After sharing a few flirty drinks on the flight there, the strangers conspire to tackle the holidays together, posing as a couple. But as shenanigans unfold, Miriam realizes her feelings are anything but fake. Uh-oh. Are they headed for a holiday miracle—or a holiday disaster?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Dieting (athletic)
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Minor physical injuries (ACL injury, oil burn)
  • Death of a wife in a skiing accident recounted

Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley

Willa Lieu-Endicott moved from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Since her husband’s death, she’s been struggling to get back her old career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Unfortunately, her latest project—ghostwriting for a viral cooking sensation known more for his washboard abs than his meals—has her stuck. Until she meets her new neighbour. Hudson Clark, the handyman next door, lives on a farm with his parents and two adult children. He’s the opposite of everything she’s ever known. His happily chaotic life includes biker barbecues, an escape artist dog, and adorably menacing goats. He’s also got a sinfully… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Grief & loss depiction (theme)
  • Death of a husband due to diabetes-related complications

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why. The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Prescription drug abuse & recreational drug use
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a girlfriend, daughter & sister
  • Death of a mother & father
  • Murder
  • Stabbing
  • Gassing
  • Physical assault
  • Wrongful imprisonment
  • Animal attack mentioned

The Demigod Complex by Abigail Owen

When Lyleia Naiad was head-hunted by Brimstone, Inc., for her job as Executive Assistant to a high-powered billionaire demigod, she was given one directive—do NOT fall in love with Castor Dioskouri. Doesn’t matter if he’s the son of Zeus and can electrify a room with a single glance. As an ex-nymph, she possesses a unique ability—a gift from the goddesses to protect nymphs from the randy gods—to resist her boss’s charms. Or so she thought. He insists she accompany him to an alpha wolf shifter mating ceremony, an event where the pheromones fly, and so do clothes… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexual assault recounted
  • Sexual harassment
  • Boss-employee relationship
  • Infideity recounted
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Murder of a pregnant wife by being burning to death recounted
  • Death of a mother recounted
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Drowning
  • Stalking

The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

Sebastian Malheur is the most dangerous sort of rake: an educated one. When he’s not scandalizing ladies in the bedchamber, he’s outraging proper society with his scientific theories. He’s desired, reviled, acclaimed, and despised—and he laughs through it all. Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, on the other hand, is entirely respectable, and she’d like to stay that way. But Violet has a secret that is beyond ruinous, one that ties her irrevocably to England’s most infamous scoundrel: Sebastian’s theories aren’t his. They’re hers. So when Sebastian threatens to dissolve… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Domestic abuse recounted
  • Martial rape recounted*
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Miscarriages recounted*
  • Sibling with a heart condition
  • Murder of a husband by being pushed down a staircase
  • Death of a father from suicide recounted
  • Imprisonment

* Context : The heroine had nineteen miscarriages in her previous marriage in attempt to sire an heir for her husband. Her husband forced and coerced her to have sex with him despite medical advice. She almost dies from the toll it places on her body.

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci

Charlie Matters’ life has always been a fight for survival. Orphaned with no prospects, Charlie steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he can enlist in the battle against the Germans. He miraculously emerges unscathed from the Blitz, but there’s no telling when the next bomb will fall, and whether it will be the one to end his life. Molly Wakefield’s dreams of a joyful homecoming are all she’s had to hold on to after being evacuated to the countryside via ‘Operation Pied Piper’ five years before. But when she finally returns to the city, Molly faces a London changed… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Grief & loss depiction (secondary character)
  • Death of a wife (secondary character)
  • World War II (theme)

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever. Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colourful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won’t let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost—especially for her aging mentor with a fading memory. Troublesome tourists don’t check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper’s award-winning flowerbeds. But Nolan Rhodes isn’t your average tourist. Devilishly handsome… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexual assault recounted (secondary character), including mentions of image-based sexual abuse and attempted paedophilia
  • Nonconsensual voyeurism of protagonist by secondary character
  • Self-harm (secondary character)
  • Panic attack, nightmares, and survivor’s guilt
  • Alzheimer’s Disease (secondary character)
  • Alcohol consumption & drugging
  • Blood & gore depiction including emesis, decapitation, body parts, and dead bodies
  • Physical injury, including scars, burns, and previous rehabilitation after severe injuries sustained in a car accident (protagonist)
  • Needles (piercing)
  • Death of a brother in a hit-and-run car accident recounted
  • Death of a mother & father in a car accident
  • Murder of a boyfriend recounted
  • Murder & attempted murder (theme)
  • Torture recounted, including food deprivation
  • Physical assault
  • Near-drowning incident
  • Kidnapping & captivity recounted
  • Golf cart and go-cart accidents (secondary characters)
  • Stalking & home invasion
  • Animal injury & death (horse)