Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Twisted Love

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

99 reviews

risseandshine's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted 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

5.0

Fans of this book, I get you. And I am now officially one of you.

The whole experience of reading this book, witnessing Ava and Alex fall in love and come to terms with their pasts, was just something else. The amount of times I paused the audiobook to cackle, squeal, and scream out loud!!!

That said, I also understand the other end of the enjoyment spectrum. I get why some people dislike this book—some parts did go a bit over the top. But I guess I'm just a sucker for a morally gray, 'I have no emotions' hero who softens for his ray of sunshine. I'm not mad at a sprinkle of dominance in the bedroom either.

Sorry not sorry.

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tw: drowning, PTSD, depression, suicide, panic attacks, murder, death, blood, gun violence

Content Warnings

miss_cr's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

2.0

Poorly written. Full of cliches. Generally frustrating. Honestly only finished the book for the spice. A cheap read. Several parts of the book are unrealistic, such as the FMC's friend group (

ONE OF THEM IS A PRINCESS FOR GOD'S SAKE

). The twist for the FMC was good and well executed, but the twist for the MMC was predictable. The fact that there were still 12 chapters after the climax was wayyyy too much. Also the ending is extremely unrealistic. The portrayal of FMC "getting over" her PTSD and phobia are EXTREMELY unrealistic. That is not something a bf can help you through. She needed PROFESSIONAL HELP. If he really cared about her, he would've set that up for her or helped her through it. Spoilers Ahead:

IF ANYONE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN EX BF FOR OVER A YEAR, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN POLICE, A RESTRAINING ORDER, THE WHOLE 9 YARDS. LIKE THIS GIRL NEEDS HELP. STALKING IS NOT OKAY. Just... so so frustrating. ALSO sooo mad at the princess for telling MMC (FMC's ex) that she was moving countries!!! Just let her continue her life in peace and meet someone else better!! She should've ended up with the Australian guy and worked for National Geographic and lived the life of her dreams. F the MMC. He's not worth it. ALSO ALSO the portrayal of her "getting over" her PTSD and aquaphobia infuriated me. It was like 2 paragraphs and poof, hardly afraid of water. Like no, that's not how this works AT ALL. Take it from someone who has childhood PTSD: this is not written correctly. Especially since her 'therapist' was also orchestrated by her dad, like her life should've been way worse, way more depressing, way darker. Yes, you can put on a mask and appear happy around people, the your outlook on life is not going to be good. Okay, I guess I've ranted enough.

Honestly, not worth the read. ALSO ALSO ALSO, the girl in the audiobook freaking whispers the whole time. I don't want a girl whispering in my ear for 12 hours!!!

Content Warnings

jiobiee's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

OVERALL: 3/10, or 1.5/5

This was my first foray into full, novelized smut. Not just that fanfiction shit, real face-in-ass, nuts-to-butts kind of shit. And to be perfectly honest? I was enjoying it for what it was. Nothing fancy, just a slow burn romance fraught with sexual tension, that should have some satisfying release. Everything else is just a bonus. I was surprised when the drama and crime elements took as much of the focus as they did, but I didn't mind- I found it interesting enough. When I got to the last 10% of the book, though... it fell off and it fell off hard.

Twisted Love follows the relationship between our main characters Ava Chen and Alex Volkov. When he leaves for a year-long medical trip to Central America, Ava's overprotective brother Josh leaves her under the "watchful" eye of Alex, his grumpy CEO billionaire best friend. Despite rocky beginnings, Alex and Ava begin to pine for one another, as Ava tries to crack Alex's icy exterior while Alex tries to keep himself composed. And then there's friends and business and childhood trauma- you get the picture.

I was not expecting the prose in this book to be good. I still don't consider it good, but it isn't terrible, either. Ana Huang has a distinct writer's voice as both characters, and the flow from word to sentence to paragraph is (usually) very smooth, which makes for easy reading. It really does feel like I'm listening to these two recount their experiences, inner monologue and all. The dialogue between the main characters and their friends (Ava and her friend group and Alex with Josh) feels believable. Whether or not I like what they're saying, I've heard people talk like that before, and it feels very natural. I commend Huang for that, that is not an easy feat. And the events of the plot, ridiculous and melodramatic as they are, had me glued to my Kindle shoving fistfuls of popcorn down my throat.

These main characters suuuuuck. Ava is quiet (but not too quiet), beautiful (but not like a movie star, like the girl-next-door), bubbly yet shy, emotional, fun-loving, creative, caring- way too trusting and the most millennial [derogatory] woman I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. Alex is a dick. Full stop. He is, to me, a little more tolerable than Ava, but then he digs his heels into his stupid Sasuke-esque revenge shit and I can't help but laugh. Did I mention he has an IQ above 160? And is a billionaire CEO? And has houses in every major business hub? And practices martial arts? And has an incredible autobiographical memory? And he's got a massive cock (FOR DAYS!)? These two have some really sweet moments that, in all fairness, I did enjoy- when the story was more romance than smut, crime, or drama, these two showed that they care about each other in ways that... I'll admit, I thought was sweet. And then one of them would ruin it. Alex's possessiveness goes from tolerable (never okay, but given his trauma... alright buddy, we can work through it) to absolutely fucking insane.

When a woman tells you to never talk to her, look at her, see her again, and you follow her to a new country to stalk her and send her gifts AND THEN SING AT THE MOST EMBARRASSING OF TIMES, STOP!!!!

Other characters aren't much better. While I praised how natural the dialogue between friends could be, I did not like any of them. They did not feel like real people. They felt bare-bones in comparison to the main two, but had too much focus to justify the level of detail we got about them. Jules in particular is terrible, she's a bitch 'cause... y'know. Just 'cause. The others were unremarkable but similarly meh.

I was not expecting Alex and Ava's trauma to play a major part of the story. Specifically, being the focus of the story. A lot. More than the romance, even. Which, I don't mind, except I don't really... care?

When they revealed Ava's dad as being the one who had tried to kill her (TWICE!)- well, I wish he succeeded-, I was not surprised in the slightest. That being said, how quickly the man switched from awkward father to mustache-twirling villain was not shocking, dramatic, or clever- it was hilarious. I couldn't stop reading him like he was Skeletor or some shit. I could not take it seriously. Even less so when Alex experiences the same kind of betrayal not too far later in the story.

Tell me how this series is called the "Twisted" series if the SEX IS MEDIOCRE? There is only ONE ACTUAL SEX SCENE in this ENTIRE FUCKING BOOK, and we're fed all this BULLSHIT that Alex fucks like a goddamn MANIAC, and we get to this ONE SCENE- AND THEY JUST FUCK LIKE NORMAL! Where is the BDSM shit? Where's the freaky fetish shit? Do you mean to seriously tell me that his sex is "crazy" because they do more than missionary? Are you kidding me? And I swear to god, if I have to hear more about how the "tang of her [Ava's] arousal" smells, I'm going to vomit. Do NOT talk to me about pussy stank, PLEASE.

So, yeah, that's the book. Cringe at times, but it's good for a laugh. Sometimes. Almost makes me want to sing straight from the heart, to prove I'm deserving of your attention. Almost.

Content Warnings

phena223's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad fast-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

4.5

Content Warnings

sanskritig's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

Content Warnings

agw622's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

This is a pretty good grumpy/sunshine. It does get messy and resolved very quickly in the 3rd act, but it was alright.

Content Warnings

gabbystokes's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No

0.25

I don’t think I am the target audience for this book. Hate Alex and the whole love story. He’s a possessive creep.

Content Warnings

reminiscences's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

1.0

Content Warnings

plotwaffle's review against another edition

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dark mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

2.75

Ana Huang's "Twisted Love" is a contemporary romance that captures attention with its emotional intensity but falls short in key areas, particularly in character development and believability.

The story revolves around Alex Volkov, a tormented and controlling man, and Ava Chen, his warm-hearted neighbor. As they navigate a tumultuous relationship, the book delves into themes of love and redemption.

While the chemistry between Alex and Ava is palpable, Alex’s behavior is often manipulative and off-putting. Despite his tragic backstory, his actions make it hard to root for him, and his redemption feels unearned. Ava’s forgiving nature can come across as unrealistic and frustrating, leading to an imbalanced dynamic.

The book is engaging and well-paced, but the resolution feels rushed and unsatisfying.

Alex’s happy ending seems undeserved, undermining the story's impact

. "Twisted Love" may appeal to those who enjoy intense romances, but its flawed protagonist and unrealistic resolution make it a less compelling read overall.

Content Warnings

kxjschw's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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