Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

78 reviews

501_loulouise_212's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

For everyone who likes strong, possessive love interests: this book might just be for you. However, be aware that the plot isn’t so big and the focus is also mainly on the interactions between the ‘couple’. 
It’s kind of cute and all, but that’s about it. 

I don’t know if this might be helpful: I kind of had to motivate myself going through the last third of the book. (It’s kind of longer than necessary.)

Personally I’m more into romance books with a bigger plot. 
So maybe read this when you want something less challenging for in between other books. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing and Kidnapping

Minor: Gore

ashleys_endless_tbrlist's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book was SO unexpected and not at all what I thought it would be. 

Was it a billionaire romance? Yes 
Was it little sister and older brothers best friend trope? Yes
Was it enemies to lovers? Yes
Was it grumpy sunshine? Yes
Was there spice? Yes
Did it discuss trauma? Yes
Did it discuss panic attacks? Yes
Did it involve a family member unaliving? Yes
Did it involve people unaliving others? Yes

And the list goes on… this book was more than just a romance with all of the tropes. This book was SO heavy and I urge you to check your trigger warnings. 

I really am so glad I finally started this series. It was such a pleasant surprise. Is it true it is being made into a Netflix series? I certainly hope so! 🥰

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

kgatz's review against another edition

fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

shellswithabook's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

zoedonn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

bethlouiseex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

Minor: Stalking

snoopysb00ks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

katie0528's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I'm a fan of Anna Huang's other books, especially her Kings of Sin series, but this was really dark for my taste. Ava's brother Josh asks his best friend Alex to look out for her while he's abroad for a year. The two fall in love, but little do Ava and Josh know that Alex is plotting his revenge against the people who murdered his family, and his emotions are getting in the way of his vengence. But at the same time, the mere thought of Ava being with another man is enough to tilt Alex toward violence. I don't mind a morally gray love interest, but Alex leans a little too hard into violent stalker territory for my taste.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicide

Aquaphobia

kaalah_'s review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death of parent and Murder

Minor: Drug use

neekoshimmer32's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Was a fun, light-hearted read, despite all the not-so-lighthearted material sometimes. It was a bit cheesy, like a rom-com movie

(Like near the ending chapters, there was a stalking in the rain scene, the run-away airport scene, the long monologue Alex gives on a stage and the casual interruption to another guy asking her out bc she’s *his*)

but I didn’t mind it too much.

I personally loved seeing Ava talk about her cultural background through the foods to the minute interactions. It really felt like she could’ve been a self-insert for the author. I also didn’t expect the struggles Ava goes through

Aka, her panic attacks and fear of water

And I loved that aspect. The blurb hints at this at the back, but I really didn’t predict the details. Also, I wonder how Ava manages to be so optimistic all the time with her tragic background? She must have overcome a lot to get herself there. Also, talking about the little things she liked, from red-velvet cupcakes to her photography, her interests were very well explored. 

Her friend group is talked about a bit, mostly Ava just vents to them about her problems. But Bridget, as the matriarch, or female lead in the next book is mentioned just a smidge a bit more. She’s also a bit more impactful in the overall solving-the-third-act-conflict part.

As for Alex, he also seemed a bit cheesy at the beginning. The typical dark, brooding male, who is a CEO and loves and craves VIOLENCE, (at least as a means of getting whatever he wants bc his pockets are so deep) while somehow keeping said company afloat. I guess he sacrifices the finer things in life -aka his social life- for that. Jokes on me though, because I don’t hate this kind of men (in my books). And despite his last name, I hadn’t predicted his Russian heritage. He uses a few Russian words around the start of the book, though maybe if he’s Russian he could’ve called Ava something sweet in Russian? (I can’t remember if he did). I found ‘sunshine’ wasn’t really my thing.

My personal favorite part of the book is when the couple gets together around the half of the book, and even do normal couples stuff together, (So much so, that Ava’s friends are in on it), and yet aren’t official? At some point Alex says they’re exclusive, but they didn’t seem to call each other boyfriend or girlfriend. Somehow, I enjoyed this better than they’re typical selves before this part. That was also because they seemed to bicker a bit and the not-really enemies-to-lovers thing didn’t really do it for me. After that, they went through the third act where they separated for a bit, and it was all resolved in the last chapter before the epilogue. I’ve read other books where something similar happens, but I wish they ending was less rushed and more neatly tied up.

During this ideal period for me, the two acted more like a real couple and were giddy and in love. I didn’t like the after part as much, probably because of the third act conflict. Consider this a more detailed version of content warnings —> (

Alex enjoyed being in charge of Ava, calling her names in certain situations.

) 

There were lots of cheesy things that I didn’t buy would happen for a single second

For example, Alex being invited to and attending a PICNIC, when the two weren’t getting along

. Alex also seemed a bit controlling, like him getting upset with Ava wearing more revealing clothing. Especially because this was early on when they still didn’t get along, so who is he to say so?

Also, he slept in the same bed as her during this time, which as a girl is not really endearing. It’s fine if the couple are close or feel safe with each other, but doing so without Ava’s okay and when they’re still bickering isn’t really a safe feeling for me.

So overall, this book went from the brother’s best friend trope to bickering, to getting along. Then it became a bit of a mystery (and that part also kept me going), solved Alex’s problems, and then they had to find each other again. It was a whirlwind and any of those separate parts could have been different books. But I enjoyed it as a fun read. I would like to read more about them as a couple in those happier times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, and Murder