I was quite surprised by this novel, it's quite a strong romance, it's full of heartbreaking phases, it makes me have quite a few mixed feelings.
Told from both points of view, it is quite raw and realistic. It touches on issues of mental health, addictions, etc.
It tells the story of Leilani and Logan, who are seniors in college and have been dating for over a year. From the beginning you can tell it's a toxic couple, Logan is practically a fuckboy who is always in and out of a relationship, and this is mostly when things start to get a little more difficult. On the other side we have Leilani, she suffers from anxiety and panic issues, which brings her some problems. Our story begins when Logan asks Leilani to take some time off, as she is now suffering from an addiction. And he tells us how his whole story went until he reached the end point.
I think it was a good book, although the plot advanced a bit slowly for my taste and the jumps in time confused me a bit. I almost don't like books with a double perspective, but in this case I liked it, so I could get to know the story of both protagonists.
It was a complete trip to mental health, the truth is that there are few books that touch on this type of subject, and many times they only do it superficially, but with this book we go a little deeper into the subject. And the truth is that to a certain extent I understand Leilani, I also suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, so for that part I did understand, and I feel understood at the same time.
One thing that I should point out is that this book is full of toxic couples, from the main characters to the secondary characters, they were so toxic that they brought me to the point where I felt quite uncomfortable. This is something I don't like at all in the books, because many times instead of saying "don't do this" it's as if they encourage people to do it. I know that many people who read this book will give it a low grade because of this. But you still have to look at the other side of the story and the other issues it addresses. Not just the toxicity.
I must admit that, in spite of everything, it's quite a peculiar novel, I liked the way it developed the different themes. If you have any kind of problem with any of these topics, either you don't like them or you are against them, I suggest you don't read this book. It might go against what you think. But if you are open-minded, I recommend that you read it. It touches on some pretty interesting topics, and may even be helpful to you or someone you know.

I thought this book was going to be a cute and fun romcom but it was actually filled with anxiety, panic attacks and other serious issues. While I can be wrong about my initial impression and still enjoy the book, this was not one of those times

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Relationships have their ups and downs but known more so Being in a relationship and having anxiety can be tough and this book did a good job of dealing with it.

I was given this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was so good. All the drama. I loved it. I loved Logan and Lani. I enjoyed getting to see both sides of the story. I would recommend this book.

I really don't know how to think or feel about this book, or how to rate it.
Because I skimmed the synopsis, I didn't realize it would be so heavy on mental illness, and I definitely think this book could be triggering for some people.
TW include: substance addiction, anxiety disorder, emotional and physical cheating.

This book is told in dual POV of both the main characters, and alternates between past and present. I really liked this aspect of the book. I liked that I learned what was going on in both characters heads. It was fun that the chapters alternated into the past, which was the start and downfall of their relationship, and the present, which was after their break up. Both the main characters were unlikeable. Logan was a needy, "relationship whore" who jumped from girlfriend to girlfriend. Lani was cold, distant, and suffered from severe anxiety. Because I too have anxiety and panic attacks, I related and understood some of her fears. Her fears of a partner never being able to understand the mental illness and leaving her because of it. I understood her reservations about being with Logan because I would have done the exact same thing. I really can't decide if I am happy or not that they ended up back together in the end. On the one hand, their relationship was extremely toxic on both their ends. I don't know if I would've been able to get over the broken trust. On the other hand, I feel like what they went through could really strengthen their relationship and Logan just "gets* Lani now. He understands why she did what she did. So I am very torn. Part of me wanted Lani to go off to graduate school and continue living her life for h e r. But I really do think that Logan can be good for her.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, this book could be very triggering for some people. If you have any reservations about reading a book with cheating, panic attacks, and substance abuse, then I would say this book isn't for you. All the relationships in this book are toxic and unhealthy, even down to the side characters. I don't think there is a single likeable character in this book. I really don't have any triggers and can pretty much read anything, even it if makes me uncomfortable. As someone who struggles with mental illness, I felt seen in some of the thoughts that Lani had and made me feel not so alone. Yes, some of the things she thought and did were toxic, but when you have a mental illness, sometimes you can't think rationally or see things how they really are. I understood her Ativan addiction and loving the way it made her not feel anything anymore. Sometimes, the world is too much to bare and your thoughts are your own worst enemy. I relate to wanting to shut off your brain and not feel for awhile.

I'm sure many people will read this book and give it a low rating because of the toxicity in it. However, I love when authors make readers feel uncomfortable and write outside of the box. Relationships like Logan and Lani happen all the time. I'm sure most of us have even been in something similar or know of people who are in this exact relationship. I know people who have the exact toxic relationship of Brenna and Aarman. Why do we rate books low just because it goes against our moral compass? It is a work of fiction. It's a story. And for many people, it's relatable. This is one of the more unique reads I have ever read because of the dark, mental illness nature that I feel like a lot of authors are afraid to write about because of the negative reviews they will receive. Writing this as a debut novel takes guts and I love that the author took us on this journey. I read this book in one sitting because I literally couldn't stop and needed to know how it would resolve.

I gave this book the review of 3 stars because I did not finish it because the book did not appeal to me as the type of read I am but it may appeal to others. I also did not do reviews on Instagram or TikTok because I did not want me not finishing the book to discourage others from reading and giving it a chance.

I read/skimmed 46% of the book and found it to be slow and dragging. Even with the revenge aspect it did not hook me and make me want to keep reading.

Sadly I did not find the break of these two to catch my attention, I think it was because there was too much jumping to the past. If the book focused on the further with a few memory jumps.

I wasn’t a big fan is this book and took a lot for me to finish to see the ending through! The story didn’t capture me about two college students having relationship issues. I couldn’t relate to none of the characters

As someone who struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, it was interesting to see someone else’s take on what they feel and experience. Kudos to Skyler for that!

This book sucked me in from the beginning. Both Lani and Logan had some major flaws, but they were somehow still likable characters. Logan, the guy obsessed with relationships and love, was refreshing to see in a story line, especially when typically we see men portrayed completely opposite. Lani, struggling with her mental health and prescription drug dependency. The two were sometimes perfect together, but also sometimes a perfect hot mess.

Something I would have liked to have seen more of was Lani’s journey through her Ativan recovery. I felt like it was very short lived and kind of glossed over.

The book was great and I am definitely recommending checking it out.

So cute!

I loved this book from start to finish, It had fun, romance and friendship. I like the way it dealt with the anxiety of the main character. She really did seem like a mess in the beginning, and I love her transformation and self discovery.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the advance copy, which did not impact my review.

An angsty, steamy, emotional rollercoaster of a second chance romance, Revenge Cake is the debut novel of one of my new favorite romance authors, Skyler Mason. Revenge Cake follows the story of Leilani and Logan's relationship before, and after Leilani's addiction to her anti-anxiety medication. It doesn't romanticize the reality of addiction and mental health issues, instead it depicts the darker realities of living with mental illness. You'll root for revenge, and you'll root for reconciliation, either way you won't be able to put it down. I highly recommend this book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this debut novel. It is a heartbreaking and thought provoking second chance romance, dealing with mental health issues and pills addiction.
Told from dual POV, it is very character driven, raw and honest and a breath of fresh air for me, after reading a lot of dark romance.
Leilani and Logan are seniors in college and have been together for over 1 year. From the start, you can see this is an imperfect, sometimes toxic relationship. Logan is used to jumping from one relationship to another when things get hard and Leilani is battling with anxiety and panic disorders.
The book opens with Logan asking Leilani for a break as she has developed Ativan addiction and it has taken a big toll on their relationship. As the story unfolds, jumping back and forth between the start of their relationship and the present, you get to piece together how they got to this point and how they get to their happy ending.
I found the pace a bit slow at times and the jumping back and forth made it a bit difficult for me to stay focused all the time but, looking back, what I am left with is an eye opening, painfully raw story that I will be thinking about for quite some time.
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Revenge Cake by Skyler Mason a three-star read that takes the biscuit. I really liked the way this story deals with mental health, and enjoyed that aspect, but I got so annoyed at the whining. There are parts of this story that blew me away and others where I had to force myself to keep reading as I really couldn’t be bothered to read any more. This has taken me so long to read, I went for a three-star over all as most parts were good, but when it was bad it was so bad I even cringed at times and I have looked like a shar-pei dog since I was a kid so I never cringe!!!

Okay so. This novel is relatable in so many ways which makes it quite hard hitting to read. I can't relate the the anxiety related issues but I appreciate the struggles of dealing with it. What I can relate to is dealing with an ex that has issues such as what he had. I don't know if it should have a content warning because of this because I did have a few flashbacks but nothing major. I enjoyed the plot and it was well written but the switching between past and present at the start is something I wasn't a fan of. Good read, finished in a day.

Posted on goodreads

As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, I did find the book to be a little triggering but not too overwhelming. BUT I think I may be a part of the minority in saying that I'm not a big fan of this book. It was just one big yikes after another.

Lani and Logan are both truly unlikeable characters, and there's no real redemption or character growth for either of them. They're both incredibly toxic and could benefit from some therapy, but whatever. Revenge Cake is chock full of angst and drama, which I loved, but spoiler alert:
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These two miserable fucks get back together in the end!
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Ughhhh.

Revenge cake was the most perfect mix of romance and mental health.

It lured you in from the start and took you on an emotional rollercoaster you won’t forget in a hurry.

Lani and Logan’s journey together through mental health and narcotics abuse was so beautiful written while hitting home just how serious it is and how easily you can lose yourself or the person you love if you dont get the help you need.

I adored every single part of this book and don’t have a bad word to say about it. It was, in my opinion, perfect.

Yikes. What the hell did I just read? A toxic relationship between two college kids. She has an anxiety disorder and he has mommy issues. He was clingy and desperate and she was distant and cold. This was just a big no for me. The characters were horrible, immature and all out ridiculous.

Honestly... I'm not quite sure how i feel about this read. The relationship is kind of toxic and unnerving on both ends. Logan is a man who cannot not be in a relationship and often forgets the woes of his past relationships. Lani knows this and while is extremely guarded falls in love with him even though trying her hardest not to. She admits to having panic attacks and anxiety and when it comes to much she falls down an addiction of her anti-anxiety drug and Logan doesn't know how to deal with that. She is revengeful and spiteful and after she said some truly heinous things Logan goes to kiss another woman. Lani takes that as breaking up and creates a plan to get back at him for it.

I like that the story isn't linear. It goes back and forth between the past and present until we find everything out. I liked the beginning when they fell in love and how Logan tries so hard to get this little shy girl to like him. This read was definitely interesting but a good chunk of the time I was like "WTF AM I READING" I struggle with anxiety on the daily and don't really put myself out there to relationships the same way Lani does so I felt akin to that, but I am also willing to learn and find strategies to make it less of a hinderance which it seemed like she just wanted an easy fix not something that would help her lessen the severity, which was annoying.

I got this stupid story from Netgalley and I fell in love with it.

It actually starts kinda confusing yet SO good and angsty. The story goes from past to present during the whole story, explain the couple's relationship. We get to know that something bad happened but we don't have confirmation, so it's a guess-only there.

Lani is a problematic yet awesome and strong woman. She has lows and ups and it got to me how Logan wasn't all there for her. It's probably due to the narrator not being trustworthy at those chapters, but I still felt her.

I tried to hate Logan for what I thought he had done, but it's kinda difficult. He has such a kind vibes coming from him, even if he also fvcks up quite big. I liked him and I liked him with Leilani. I'm feeling off because I want more but this book is not even out, imagine a next one *sobs into spoiled-reader own hands*

I can't recommend it enough. I see lots of people talking sh1t about this story, but I got the message that nobody is perfect. No relationship is a sea of good times and laughter. There are tears and the important thing is that you learn from mistakes. I loved how it was shown here. Read it!

When I seen this was available I hurried and clicked request!
So this was a thrilling, quick, can't stop reading book!
Packed with thrills. It started a bit slow..... But picked up quickly.
Great book. Wonderfully written!

This book features a character with a generalised anxiety disorder. So it may be triggering to people. As someone with GAD, I was able to read this 'unscathed'.

This book is not for you if you don't like unlikable characters. Both Lani and Logan are kind of the worst. I am incredibly torn on what to rate this book. On one hand, it was very entertaining and I absolutely flew threw it. On the other hand, the relationship in this book is incredibly toxic and spoiler alert

it ends with them getting back together.

Logan and Lani both need fucking therapy and some time single to get to know themselves.