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64 reviews for:
The Twisted Mark: An unputdownable dark fantasy romance that will have you hooked
Sophie Williamson
3.56 AVERAGE
64 reviews for:
The Twisted Mark: An unputdownable dark fantasy romance that will have you hooked
Sophie Williamson
3.56 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
Enemies to lovers
Rival Families
Rival Families
Forbidden Lovers
Okay! Let's just go ahead and set up what is sure to be an amazing series! Witches, Magical Cities, Good Guys, Bad Guys, Romance, Heartbreak, Betrayal...it's all here! If any of these are your jam then get to this book immediately! I was completely enthralled through the entire book. There were two points that I actually gasped out loud in shock.
Sadie Sadler is a bad a$$ without a doubt. I love how strong and self aware she was through the book. She knows what she wants and she knows what she has to do and she doesn't allow herself to compromise.
Big thanks to NetGalley, Sophie Williamson and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. Polly Edsell did a FANTASTIC job narrating this one.
This ended up being more uninteresting than anything else.
The plot was uneventful.
The characters were confusing. We're told Gabriel is charismatic and, like, where? Is the charisma in the room with us right now? I could not understand what Sadie saw in him.
And with a plot this unimaginative, I need the character to pick up the slack but, for me, they don't.
The plot was uneventful.
The characters were confusing. We're told Gabriel is charismatic and, like, where? Is the charisma in the room with us right now? I could not understand what Sadie saw in him.
And with a plot this unimaginative, I need the character to pick up the slack but, for me, they don't.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me this an an arc!
I feel like this is a lovely modern/fantasy take on Romeo and Juliet, it captured the family rivalry and forbidden relationship between the two characters perfectly and seeing the way everything unfolded in the story was amazing.
The twists being revealed through the story were some things I can honestly say I did not see coming at all and I loved it. As well as seeing how the different characters interacted with each other and how their views on things impact how they interacted with other characters.
I feel like Sadie was such a well written character too, the way she stuck with her gut and stood her ground not letting others deter her from what she truly wanted to do, a strong independent woman.
I feel like this is a lovely modern/fantasy take on Romeo and Juliet, it captured the family rivalry and forbidden relationship between the two characters perfectly and seeing the way everything unfolded in the story was amazing.
The twists being revealed through the story were some things I can honestly say I did not see coming at all and I loved it. As well as seeing how the different characters interacted with each other and how their views on things impact how they interacted with other characters.
I feel like Sadie was such a well written character too, the way she stuck with her gut and stood her ground not letting others deter her from what she truly wanted to do, a strong independent woman.
3.75 stars
I love a good enemies to lovers trope - add forbidden love, family rivalry, a murder mystery, and betrayals and you have "The Twisted Mark".
I enjoyed watching things unravel and the tension that Sadie's brother's trial added. I honestly had no idea who did what or how things were going to end - there were quite a few surprises that popped up along the way.
My main struggle with this book, was Gabriel and Sadie's relationship (or lack thereof). While the tension between them was insane because we had a backstory as to why they were enemies, there wasn't enough time for me to believe they should be more and their time together often felt rushed (or forced). Some of the dialogue (Gabriel's specifically) often was cringey and felt like it didn't align with his character.
Overall, a really fun book, with a little spice for those of you looking for it. I think this is a great starting point for a really fun world and characters, and I am looking forward to seeing Sadie and Gabriel's story continue.
I love a good enemies to lovers trope - add forbidden love, family rivalry, a murder mystery, and betrayals and you have "The Twisted Mark".
I enjoyed watching things unravel and the tension that Sadie's brother's trial added. I honestly had no idea who did what or how things were going to end - there were quite a few surprises that popped up along the way.
My main struggle with this book, was Gabriel and Sadie's relationship (or lack thereof). While the tension between them was insane because we had a backstory as to why they were enemies, there wasn't enough time for me to believe they should be more and their time together often felt rushed (or forced). Some of the dialogue (Gabriel's specifically) often was cringey and felt like it didn't align with his character.
Overall, a really fun book, with a little spice for those of you looking for it. I think this is a great starting point for a really fun world and characters, and I am looking forward to seeing Sadie and Gabriel's story continue.
Wow the way this book hooked me. It started off slow, I wasn't sure if I liked the first person tense but once Sadie was Sadie in the court room, I was all in. I could not put it down.
First, the magic system is playful, simple, and easy to understand, but powerful and, cooly, connected to the earth. I think if I were able to choose a magic, from a book series (you know, to live with and use) it would be this one. Second, I love when a book makes me root for someone but also want to punch them in the face. The characters are wildly imperfect and it made me giddy and frustrated at the same time. Third, the romance is enemies to lovers in a way that is predictable but still had me gasping. They flip-flopped from enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers so much that while its obvious they love each other, I truly don't know what is going to happen with them.
I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this and can't wait for the next one. Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
First, the magic system is playful, simple, and easy to understand, but powerful and, cooly, connected to the earth. I think if I were able to choose a magic, from a book series (you know, to live with and use) it would be this one. Second, I love when a book makes me root for someone but also want to punch them in the face. The characters are wildly imperfect and it made me giddy and frustrated at the same time. Third, the romance is enemies to lovers in a way that is predictable but still had me gasping. They flip-flopped from enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers so much that while its obvious they love each other, I truly don't know what is going to happen with them.
I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this and can't wait for the next one. Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I was lucky enough to get to read this book. This book is great! It’s about a witch name sadie, she left her home town in order to protect her powers and soon has to come back to save her brother as well as facing the very man who wanted her powers. The chemistry between Sadie and Gabriel is great! I was rooting for Gabriel the more I got to know him in the story and I couldn’t put the book down during anytime they are together. There is a bit of world building in this story just not a lot however the overall story had me hooked.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
+Had a decent time reading it
+ Good spice
- Romance was sexy but lacked substance in terms of the "love" angle although this is called by sadie
- sadies legal prowess was really not evident very disappointing and basic courtroom scenes.
+ Good spice
- Romance was sexy but lacked substance in terms of the "love" angle although this is called by sadie
- sadies legal prowess was really not evident very disappointing and basic courtroom scenes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Although the main character is never assaulted she does have fantasy's elated to it and there's of dubious consent as she's in a magically binding debt to the romantic interest,
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wanted to like this book - I really did. I enjoy spicy, witchy, dark fantasy romances with enemies to lovers vibes (like Kingdom of the Wicked), but the writing just wasn't convincing enough.
Sadie defends her family not the way an adult would, knowingly turning a blind eye, but the way a child does, telling the reader over and over again that her father is a "good" man to justify his actions. It felt more like a teenager realizing her parents were human for the first time rather than an experienced lawyer. Some characters make decisions that could be justified but we don't get enough build up or explanation (I have endless questions about Leah's motivations). For other characters, decisions they made felt inconsistent and out of character.
And at the end of the day, the key to a good enemies to lovers plot for me is justification: I prefer to feel like there was justification to the enemy actions and subsequent shift into romantic territory. Here, Sadie constantly seemed overpowered by her desire for Gabriel in a way that undermined her character arc as a strong, independent witch learning the truth about her family. It was just hard to believe the sex scenes and romance when she's in the middle of her brother's trial.
I would consider reading the sequel because there were definitely parts of this book I enjoyed - inconsistent characterization was an issue for me but I really loved Sadie, Gabriel, and Nikki and would love to see more of them.
Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!
Sadie defends her family not the way an adult would, knowingly turning a blind eye, but the way a child does, telling the reader over and over again that her father is a "good" man to justify his actions. It felt more like a teenager realizing her parents were human for the first time rather than an experienced lawyer. Some characters make decisions that could be justified but we don't get enough build up or explanation (I have endless questions about Leah's motivations). For other characters, decisions they made felt inconsistent and out of character.
And at the end of the day, the key to a good enemies to lovers plot for me is justification: I prefer to feel like there was justification to the enemy actions and subsequent shift into romantic territory. Here, Sadie constantly seemed overpowered by her desire for Gabriel in a way that undermined her character arc as a strong, independent witch learning the truth about her family. It was just hard to believe the sex scenes and romance when she's in the middle of her brother's trial.
I would consider reading the sequel because there were definitely parts of this book I enjoyed - inconsistent characterization was an issue for me but I really loved Sadie, Gabriel, and Nikki and would love to see more of them.
Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!