Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Twisted Games

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Twisted Games by Ana Huang

135 reviews

pooj_b's review against another edition

3.25

tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved the ending of Bridget and Rhys’ story, but Book 1 & 2 of this series just felt like obsessive/possessive relationship dynamics.

I wasn’t prepared for all the spicy scenes, but it made sense due to their literal years of built up sexual tension.

I had a feeling that Rhys and Andreas were brothers somehow and thought he was 100% scheming against Bridget and Rhys! I was NOT expecting that the two women were the ones to leak the photos and blackmail Bridget with the video. That was the only thing that wasn’t predictable to me.

I like how Bridget and Rhys’ personalities started rubbing off on each other, making Bridget a little more cautious about who she trusts and Rhys began to trust people, like Andreas.

I know Rhys didn’t act much on his violent impulsive threats to men, besides the club scene in Part 1 and when he pinned someone against the wall in Part 2. But I just didn’t like how he was constantly telling Bridget he would basically be violent for her.

Content Warnings

yazmin_ali's review against another edition

2.5

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

"You and me against the world, princess."

This book felt like it was trying to emulate the second Princess Diaries movie and failed.

Twisted Games had an interesting premise, and the idea of a princess (to-be queen) falling in love with her bodyguard was wonderfully appealing. It should have been a delight to read, but it was very underwhelming. There were far too many time jumps, unnecessary and ridiculous conflicts and entirely predictable plot twists. I've realised that Ana Huang's writing style is more telling as opposed to showing, and while that can work, in this book, it made it feel shallow.

Bridget and Rhys should have been compelling characters, but they felt underdeveloped. At times, they were sweet, but they were also flat. The romance was pretty much not there - there was a focus on lust and sex, and honestly, beyond their physical attraction, I'm not sure how the two of them fit. Maybe we're supposed to believe they love each other because of all the time they spend together (courtesy of the multiple time jumps), but it would have been better to actually spend time with them rather than glossing it all over.

That being said, Rhys was nowhere near as cringey as Alex, so he gets points for that.

Content Warnings

sirquedusoleil's review against another edition

2.0

reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Unfortunately I wasn’t swooned by Rhys Larsen as much as everybody else. The relationship leans more towards lust after the initial “I can’t stand to be around him” charade. His story is tough and allows the audience in to feel everything he has to make peace with but the twists near the end are quite predictable. This is the second book in the twisted series and while better than the first, Huang’s writing is sometimes lazy compared to her Kings of Sin series. Maybe I just haven’t found one to like more between Alex and Rhys but I do enjoy the characters from other stories being involved and showing up for their friends throughout the books.

Content Warnings

lisa_ella's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Twisted Games is an engaging read that brings so much character depth and development to its leads, Bridget and Rhys. Both characters are given incredibly detailed backstories, which are explored really well, adding layers to their personalities and making their connection feel genuine and meaningful. The romance between them builds at a good pace, pulling you in deeper with every chapter.

Rhys's loyalty and protectiveness are especially memorable, and his quote, "Trust me, princess. I would rather end my own life than ask you to do anything that might hurt you," just hits perfectly and sums up his dedication to Bridget.

I also loved seeing Alex reappear in this book having Bridget help him out in Twisted Love and then seeing him back here made it feel like a perfect follow-up and shows his character growth beyond his own story.

The only drawback for me was the excessive time jumps. There are around four by the time you’re 100 pages in, and that broke the flow a little for me. I think a different approach would’ve made this an almost flawless read. Overall, though, Twisted Games is definitely worth the read for the character growth and the chemistry!

Content Warnings

rosamaria's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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: Yes

Content Warnings

gothmiku's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny mysterious 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

Content Warnings

kim_104's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Maybe I read this in an rather emotional state but I even cried at some point,, which I never do lmao idk what that was.

Overall, this was pretty enjoyable if you're able to put aside that this isn't your super relatable kind of book. None of us are gonna become royal suddenly but the emotional aspects? Growing up with obligations that don't allow you to become whatever you feel like? Being forced to grow into something due to unforeseeable circumstances? Betrayal, hurt and trust issues man I do like quite a lot of these topics in my books. It had a not too surprising plot twist imo, that I lowkey wish it didn't have for many reasons, but even though it did hit many clichés it was a fun light hearted read.

Content Warnings

hristi's review against another edition

4.25

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

eva_myt's review against another edition

4.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I actually didn’t expect this to be so good. It was MUCH better than Twisted Love and Rhys was an amazing male protagonist with fears, feelings and thoughts that did him justice. Bridget was everything and i loved her. A spicy book with an interesting narrative, a hot story with so, SO much more

Content Warnings

smugtoaster's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

Content Warnings

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