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hilary89's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.75
I listened to this since it is included in my Audible subscription. I liked the narration and the story was fine - not very original and totally predictable. But despite that, I really enjoyed it. The characters were charming and I especially loved Eva's tight knit group of friends which I'm looking forward to their stories next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide
Minor: Violence and Stalking
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.
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
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 —> (
There were lots of cheesy things that I didn’t buy would happen for a single second
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
megs_k's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Pretty words and pretty faces don’t equal pretty souls. ~ Ana Huang
Sometimes you just want to read a toxic red flagged romance.
Sometimes you just want to read a toxic red flagged romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
hannahcheney97's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
jiobiee's review against another edition
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.
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.
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?
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
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, and Gaslighting
phena223's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
jordanmorris13's review against another edition
3.0
I can take a morally grey character but for some reason I can’t get over the stalking aspect. Like she doesn’t want you bro grovel like a normal person.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder
thea_maarup's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It was entertaining, but it was also very unsurprising and corny. Some plot points I felt weren’t fully explored so it wasn’t as satisfying a story as it could’ve been. Also I had trouble taking Alex seriously… -same goes for both of their trauma/issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Torture
camillarossi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury
shinyfox's review against another edition
dark
fast-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? Yes
3.0
I liked Alex in the beginning. He was broody, dark and mysterious. I read dark romances, this isn't even dark compared to some stuff I've read. I usually want the villain to get the girl but I ended up really disliking Alex by the end of the book. Honestly I was rooting that he wouldn't get Ava... and then he stalks her for like.... 6 months-ish? And then sings in front of a crowd and suddenly she wants to take him back? Blech. I enjoyed the banter and dialog. I also enjoyed Ava's character development and what she was able to face down and overcome. Ava was honestly what kept me reading.
There were times that I felt the plot wasn't very believable or the characters actions made me raise an eyebrow in disbelief. Also there was a certain point in the book where it was very obvious (to me at least) what the upcoming 'twist' was and where this whole thing was headed.
There were times that I felt the plot wasn't very believable or the characters actions made me raise an eyebrow in disbelief. Also there was a certain point in the book where it was very obvious (to me at least) what the upcoming 'twist' was and where this whole thing was headed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Kidnapping and Alcohol