Tag Archives: Mental Illness

This page lists books that contain trigger warnings for the depiction of mental illness.

See also Anxiety, Panic attacks, Suicide, Self-harm, Phobias, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Addiction.

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position. Unable to find new work, she’s demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it’s not the duke she fears. It’s his merciless man of business—the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the duke’s dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn’t stand a chance. But she can’t stop trying—not with her entire future at stake. Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambiti… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Child abuse recounted
  • Pregnancy from rape (protagonist, on-page)
  • Nightmares
  • Death of a parent recounted

Unveiled by Jacklyn Daher

What if your entire life was a lie? Sixteen-year-old Luxor Everstone had the idyllic life — wealthy, popular and beautiful. Until in a fit of rage, she almost killed her best friend. And herself. Waking up from a coma she senses everything is different. She is different. A darkness lingers deep inside laced with rage, further fuelled by a faceless man who haunts her. Exiled to a sleepy town for a new start and to attend a juvenile rehabilitation centre, all she wants is a clean slate. Except the universe has other plans as crimson eyed people reeking of sulphur throw her life into… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Attempted rape
  • Depression
  • Self-harm
  • Bullying

If You Love Something by Jayce Ellis

As executive chef at one of the hottest restaurants in DC, DeShawn Franklin has almost everything he’s ever wanted. He’s well-known, his restaurant is Michelin starred and he can write his own ticket anywhere he wants. Until his grandmother calls him home and drops two 1) She has cancer and she’s not seeking treatment. 2) She’s willing half her estate to DeShawn’s ex-husband, Malik. Make that three bombshells. 3) That whole divorce thing? It didn’t quite go through. DeShawn and Malik are still married. And when DeShawn’s shady uncle contests Grandma… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Divorce discussed
  • Gambling addiction & gambling mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a grandmother from terminal cancer (off-page)

In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams

Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to prove she could make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is a shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap, giving her a chance to rebuild everything she’s lost: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend… and the last person she wants… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Drug use (smoking)
  • Death of a parent mentioned

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Hallucinations
  • Emesis
  • Blood & gore depiction and dead bodies
  • Plague mentioned
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Poisoning
  • Animal death

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie

What would you do if everyone you love disappeared? What if it was your fault? For July Fielding, nothing has been the same since that summer before senior year. Once, she had Alex, her loyal best friend, the one who always had her back. She had Sydney, who pushed her during every cross-country run, and who sometimes seemed to know July better than she knew herself. And she had Sam. Sam, who told her she was everything and left her breathless with his touch. Now, July is alone. Every single person in her small town of Lithia has disappeared. No family. No Alex… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Toxic friendship
  • Minor injury depiction (sprained ankle)
  • Depression & suicidal ideation discussed

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with Porfiry, a suspicious detective, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Period-typical antisemitism, misogyny & classism
  • Rape
  • Domestic violence & child abuse
  • Anxiety
  • Schizophrenia & psychosis
  • Suicide & self-harm
  • Murder

Freeing the Wild by Paisley Hope

Rising country star Cassie Spencer, otherwise known as the Princess of Bluegrass, is just kicking off her music career when tragedy strikes during her tour. Seeking solace, she retreats to Kentucky to visit her sister Ivy. Haden Westbrook, the charming heartthrob of Laurel Creek, only wants one a peaceful life tending to the Silver Pines ranch and his beloved horses. So when the stunning, free-spirited Cassie arrives in town causing chaos, his world is turned upside down. At first, Cassie and Haden seem worlds apart. Yet, as they… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder & anxiety attacks (on-page)
  • Animal death mentioned

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star. Dylan Monroe has… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Parental abandonment & neglect recounted
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Injury mentioned (parent)
  • Panic attacks

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

It’s been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homophobia mentioned
  • Parental estrangement & neglect
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Panic attacks
  • Emesis