Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang

55 reviews

sou_readings's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief and Gaslighting

lynnegweeny's review against another edition

emotional relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I had to do it: I read the next one in the series. Also partially because the friend who introduced this series to me (I'm not on BookTok) told me that this was her favourite.

It made sense - this book actually could be the best of the lot, so far. But this is relative to the first two, though! (Writer growth, maybe?) I'm not a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, but this was done pretty well. And there was also a slight Scooby-Doo plot involved but also not completely ridiculous that it was unbelievable.

It was the most realistic of the lot so far - repressed emotions due to trauma, working up the courage to face the things you're avoiding because of said trauma which includes opening your heart up, even if it means to someone you actively dislike. 

Also, it was nice that other parts of the main characters' lives were involved in this story. For Josh, the MMC - it was his relationship with his best friend (Alex, the psychopath from the first book) as well as his father. For Jules, the FMC - it was her relationship and past trauma with her mother and the life she left behind. Both of them felt like they were written like real people coming from hard places as they grow from adversity etc. Also, the enemies part of things really lent itself to the foreplay which really worked with the sum of parts.

If I had to recommend a book from this series, it would be this. But truthfully wouldn't recommend this series at all lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

jehansen127's review

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Abandonment, Grief, Medical content, Violence, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Sexism, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

funny sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Vomit, Cursing, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Violence

meriss's review against another edition

emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Sexual content

Minor: Emotional abuse

b00kl0v3rastro's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual content, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Violence

Minor: Car accident, Deadnaming, and Stalking

catnip159's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So, I've read the third one. Going into this one my expectations were a bit low and I was really only reading it to get to Twisted Lies. Riding off the high Twisted Games gave me and hearing such great things about Twisted Lies, Twisted Hate just became "the book in the middle" in my mind if that makes sense. Safe to say my expectations were exceeded. Not to say this is better than Twisted Games, I enjoyed that book wayyy too much. However, I had a lot of fun. I didn't really love Jules or Josh as characters in the past two books but this book somehow molded my mixed feelings with them into them becoming really interesting and cool characters.

I liked the Jules ex-boyfriend plot even if I was screaming at her to just tell Josh the whole time. Josh was just Josh but even with him not seeming very interesting compared to his other two love interests in previous books I still found him compelling and I even ended up liking him by the end. I've got a billionaire, I've got a Bodyguard, I've got a CEO, and I've just got Josh is real in this book though, I feel bad for Jules when her friends invite her out and she probably has to decline due to money reasons lol. Anyways, enough jokes, genuinely liked this book, not as much as Twisted Games but more than Twisted Love. I've leave you with this, as always, Alex saves the day in this book too which is too funny, I bet he'll do the same in Twisted Lies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Gun violence, and Grief

briony_2010's review against another edition

emotional hopeful relaxing tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Cursing, Gaslighting, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Kidnapping and Grief

essie__reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 stars

⚠️⚠️⚠️This review contains spoilers!! Spoilers below ⚠️⚠️⚠️



Somehow, each book in this series continues to get better!

I thought for sure this book because it is enemies to lovers, and that is typically not my favorite trope, wouldn't be my favorite Twisted book. But so far, I think this is. Ana Huang might be becoming a new favorite author for me.

I love that these books have strong friend groups, enjoyable steamy scenes, but also captivating plots aside from the romance.
I felt for Jules and Josh as they navigated their traumas and daddy/mommy issues and how they ultimately made those hard decisions and handled things, in order to help them grow and be able to move on without letting those truamas control them. I also enjoyed seeing more of the softer side of Alex and how he and Josh talked and worked on repairing their broken friendship. Jules acknowledgment of growing up and how it feels to be an adult and have less time for friends and friendships changing as people marry was so relatable and described very well. 

I would definitely recommend this series! It can be a bit corny at times, but so can any romance book, but these books leave me hugging the book against my chest and believing in love. They also make me reflect on my own friendships, parent relationships and traumas- in a good way I think- and I think that says a lot about the author's ability to write relatable and complex life-like characters/relationships. 

And I love how Ana tied in Christian- the love interest in the next book-into this series as well. I am definitely intrigued to learn more about Stella and Christian!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Grief, Abandonment, Violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Car accident, and Gaslighting

kiwi198's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual harassment, Blood, Murder, Stalking, and Toxic relationship