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dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I hate to trash a book, but this one really irked me. The last 10% of it felt like straight-up Stockholm syndrome shit. Ava had already made the safe and correct choice to move on from this psycho stalker killer man who lied to her repeatedly, murdered multiple people, and controlled the ever loving shit out of her, and he literally stalks and tries to bribe her for A YEAR until she gives in. Don't get me wrong - I'm all for a sexy, smoldering, morally grey MMC, and I even like to read about some power dynamics during sex scenes. But holy hell, the absolutely disgusting non-consensual power and control Alex exerts over Ava before they ever even start dating? The whole "you can't even be friends with another man," bullshit? The fact that Ava, a GROWN ASS ADULT, "needs to be watched and protected," by her brother and then his random friend (??!) is gross. Miss me with that trash.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Stalking
Minor: Drug use, Suicide
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ava Chen is a sunny and optimistic 22-year-old college senior who suffers from a childhood she can’t remember. By day, she’s a photography major with a gallery job and a supportive friend group. At night, she’s haunted by nightmares of moments she can’t recall. When her brother, Josh, leaves for a gap year in South America he asks his best friend to look after her. Alex Volkov. Her brother’s gorgeous best friend. Her new neighbor. The icy and successful man she’s convinced there’s more to. After reluctantly agreeing to keep an eye on her, their chemistry heats and Alex’s icy heart starts to melt for her. But he’s haunted by his own past and can’t forget his plan for vengeance. Will Alex’s and Ava’s secrets cause destruction when they come to light? Can they survive this twisted love?
⚠️MILD SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️
I will say I didn’t love this book and I didn’t hate it. To me, it felt like there were just too many tropes trying to be portrayed all at once. It felt a little over-clichéd and emotionally dry to me. The escalation of the relationship between the MC’s went from 0-100 so fast. I felt the attraction but didn’t get the feeling of any true emotional depth. I got whiplash from the back and forth between them - especially at the end.
There were a lot of things that just felt so unrealistic to me in this book. Some of the events/locations (the fire scene specifically) just seemed unfitting for the modern day setting. There’s nobody that wouldn’t notice that fire for days on end near a city area as big as Philly with all the surrounding suburbs. 😅 Everything about Alex was also just too unrealistic. There were so many book boyfriend tropes wrapped into one man here. While we saw a variety of emotions from him, the depth just wasn’t there. His attitude felt forced - as if he spent every fiber of his being trying so hard not to care when in reality he’s incredibly emotional. His personality just felt like a facade to me rather than the cold and fearsome person he’s described to be. 🤷🏻♀️
I can’t say I honestly believe this is an enemies to lovers story because Ava has no clue what’s going on for most of the book so she never viewed Alex as an enemy. Even afterwards, I wouldn’t say that she considered him an enemy as much as someone she loved who hurt her very deeply. She still cared for him at that point. I also don’t think he ever truly viewed Ava as an enemy - especially after they started spending time together.
I did enjoy the banter between the characters and the little moments that built their relationship. I enjoyed Ava and her friend group. After the events in this book, I just wish there was a follow up to Alex & Ava to explore their relationship when they’re not surrounded by turmoil. In my honest opinion, this one was overhyped. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series though. Especially Bridget and Rhys! 🫶🏼
⚠️ Please research all trigger warnings before reading this book! ⚠️
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Suicide
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is the worst of the twisted series. The circumstances are unrealistic in a why that takes you out of the reading flow instead of sucking you in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Suicide, Murder
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first book by Ana Huang that I've read after seeing the series floating around on tiktok, and with a title like Twisted Love I was expecting something...darker? I am not a dark romance reader by any means, but when I hear "brooding billionaire with a mysterious past protecting his best friends sister by any means necessary." I'm expecting more than we were given.
It feels like Huang really wanted to write a dark romance but pulled back at every turn. It feels like "Alex may or may not have blackmailed and murdered someone in the past, but don't worry about that here's a glossed over swim lesson." It feels like drive by story telling, every moment should be punctuated with an "oh btw [spoilers] but now we're good."
Even the romance and sex feels like she's just trying to get it over with, like Huang wanted to write a novella but was contracted to write 500 pages so she threw in what she could.
I listened to the audio book and Alex's voice felt like I was listening to batman enter a mildly toxic relationship. I've already started Twisted Games so we'll see if the writing improves but it doesn't seem too hopeful.
If you're looking into getting into dark romance this feels like a beginner friendly entry point but there are probably better places to start.
Sidenote: I need this book title to be changed to something else. Like Sunshine or Hidden Depths or His Sunshine. It can have the title Twisted Love when it actually has something twisted happen.
It feels like Huang really wanted to write a dark romance but pulled back at every turn. It feels like "Alex may or may not have blackmailed and murdered someone in the past, but don't worry about that here's a glossed over swim lesson." It feels like drive by story telling, every moment should be punctuated with an "oh btw [spoilers] but now we're good."
Even the romance and sex feels like she's just trying to get it over with, like Huang wanted to write a novella but was contracted to write 500 pages so she threw in what she could.
I listened to the audio book and Alex's voice felt like I was listening to batman enter a mildly toxic relationship. I've already started Twisted Games so we'll see if the writing improves but it doesn't seem too hopeful.
If you're looking into getting into dark romance this feels like a beginner friendly entry point but there are probably better places to start.
Sidenote: I need this book title to be changed to something else. Like Sunshine or Hidden Depths or His Sunshine. It can have the title Twisted Love when it actually has something twisted happen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Litterally what the fuck was that.
This is what's wrong with the world. Alex literally SUCKS, and Josh isn't much better. The only characters I liked are Ava's friends.
I've read fairytales more realistic than the plot.
2⭐️
This is what's wrong with the world. Alex literally SUCKS, and Josh isn't much better. The only characters I liked are Ava's friends.
I've read fairytales more realistic than the plot.
2⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder
Minor: Suicide
Litterally what the fuck was that.
This is what's wrong with the world. Alex literally SUCKS, and Josh isn't much better. The only characters I liked are Ava's friends and Booth.
Justice for Booth, he was easily the best character.
I've read fairytales more realistic than the plot.
The writing is ok I guess, doesn't stand out much though.