What is a Trigger Warning?
A trigger warning is a statement use to alert the reader that content contains potentially distressing material. Not all trigger warnings apply to all readers, and many people may not realize that certain content can be upsetting to others. Having a Trigger Warning or Content Warning does not mean that a book is necessarily a dark romance story although they are more frequent used within the genre.
Why Do Some Authors Include Trigger Warnings Now?
We want to protect our readers! While some consider TWs to be spoilers, it is very simple to skip over them if you wish to dive into a book blind. However, many readers enjoy the escape a book can provide. A TW allows a reader to choose whether they wish to consume certain content if they know certain things upset them.
Of course, it is impossible to guarantee all triggers are listed perfectly every single time a new work is released, but it helps to list as many as possible that are present in the work. If you’re an author and don’t know what to include in a trigger warning, there are several lists online to help you start.
Below are the Trigger / Content Warnings for books by Vicki Sweets. If you do not need a trigger warning and wish to “go in blind,” turn back now. Some warnings may be considered spoilers.
Content Warning for Who The Hell Is Jackson Pell:
This book contains content that may not be suitable for all readers including explicit sex, mention of infertility, alcohol consumption, and mention of statutory rape.
Content Warning for The Problem with Pell:
This book contains adult content and triggers including:
verbal and emotional abuse (briefly mentioned), infertility, alcohol, assault or violence that mentions blood or guns, mention of the sale and use of illegal drugs, stalking (mild), explicit sex between consenting adults.
Content Warning for The Darker Side of Mr. Pell:
This book contains content that may be triggering for some readers and is significantly darker than other books in this series. This book contains:
Violence (including gun violence, blood, and fire); auditory hallucinations; sexual coercion; explicit sex between consenting adults; a brief scene with the start of attempted sexual assault; verbal and emotional abuse; manipulation; stalking; alcohol; the sale, use, and mention of illegal drugs; anxiety; traumatic death.
Additional Disclaimer for The Darker Side of Mr. Pell: One or more characters in this story experience auditory hallucinations. This is in no way representative of any diagnosed medical condition, disorder, or disease. Please do not take any part of this book as representation for people who may experience auditory or visual hallucinations in real life. While it has been documented that stress and anxiety can cause hallucinations, please always seek advice from a medical professional if you experience any sort of audio or visual hallucination or impairment. Please never use fiction to explain reality, and please never try to treat real symptoms with methods seen in any form of fiction or entertainment.
Content Warning for Tricks So Sweet:
This book contains adult content and triggers including:
sex, sexually explicit scenes, alcohol (including the mention of underage drinking), a brief mention of police corruption, foul language, death, the mention of suicide and drowning, blood, the consumption of blood, fire, supernatural beings, a scary monster, magic, spiders, and the mention of (a) missing child(ren).
This is book not considered a dark romance – it is relatively light and fun with plenty of humor.
Content Warning for Christmas Is Doomed:
This book contains adult content and triggers including:
sex, sexually explicit scenes, a comical death, mention of loss of loved ones/ family, and foul language.
Please note, this is an open-door romantic comedy set on Christmas Eve. Although it is centered around the Christmas holiday, this is not a Christian Romance story. Both main characters are on Santa’s naughty list, and Santa may or may not make it to the end of this story.
VICKI SWEETS 