Reviews with content warning for Stalking - Twisted Lies

This was one of her first books that I felt as though it was very slow. I didn’t like that the characters pretty much have the same backgrounds (troubled parents or broken homes), especially Stella’s. I thought the writing, again was well developed, but also the Christian Harper was very, intense. In a good and bad way.

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hunny_bee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

This is a case where I think if I read it vs. listening to the audiobook, I would've enjoyed it way more. I found myself struggling with the voice actors that were chosen (specifically Stella's), and there was something about it being said out loud vs. being read that felt more cringey for me. The "she's mine" and "his whiskey eyes" were kind of a lot after 1-2 hours into the audiobook.

I feel bad because it does taint my ability to give a well-rounded review. Overall, it was a fun book. It follows the typical billionaire tropes and notes, and the characters were likable enough to keep me invested. There was nothing that particularly surprised me or resonated with me, but that was okay! It was a good fluff read for me, and I like the cast enough that I would be interested in reading the other books in the series.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

This is the one I’ve been waiting for since the beginning (ok well, since getting to the end of the second book and realizing that's what it was setting up for, but still) and it deliveredddddd. Definitely my favorite of the series; last one best one! Like, there was something about this one that hit all the right notes for my preferred dark romance: the truly reprehensible (and normally male) MC who develops an unbending soft spot for their romantic interest. I honestly can't get enough of reading to what lengths they would go to defend and support their person. And in this case, it was extra wonderful because of how much Christian's (frightening levels of) did for Stella's own confidence and self-perception. Maybe it wasn't always the best way to go about it, sure, but the result made my heart happy. Similarly in reverse, while it was just in relation to her, Christian's realization of his own remaining humanity, seeing himself through Stella's (optimistic, but not stupid - in her own words) eyes, is the kind of character "growth" I love in a situation like this. And of course, the levels of drama not seen in typical human life (high stakes security stuff, obscene amounts of money, stalkers and kidnappings, etc.) were as unbelievable and entertaining as always. Side shout out to Stella's lower libido and ace spectrum vibes (demi-ish) that were really mentioned openly and often on page - I don't see that a lot (ever?) in these kinds of mainstream spicy romance series, and I really appreciated it. It made me like what was already my fav of the four even more...though when the spicy scenes came, they also matched up with what Huang has provided this whole series (thumbs way way up for that). I knew I wanted this one and it hit the spot. I don’t even care how long (and perhaps sometimes repetitive) it was because I really did want to spend that much time with Stella and Christian.

“We always expected our external world to reflect our internal one, but it was situations like these that reminded me the world would go on no matter what happened to us individually. It was equal parts reassuring and depressing.”

“That was the thing about humans. We were hard-wired for survival, and we took every opportunity to convince ourselves that our problems weren't as bad as we thought they were. Hope and denial. Two sides of the same coin. They kept us from falling into a well of despair even in the darkest of times.”

“But he makes me feel like I can be anyone I want to be. Better yet, he makes me feel like I can be who I am.”

“But our lives were our own. There would always be people who were better and worse off than us. That didn't make our feelings any less valid. We could acknowledge how good we had it in some respects while criticizing other parts.”

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jessicanicoleyee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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saraunderthetree's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Christian and Stella’s relationship was one of many twists and turns! Christian had his morally grey complexities that Stella saw as only a portion of his character. Stella, while a tad naive, always hoped for the best for everyone, but was always a tad weary of herself till she met Christian. These two have tension that builds into something that’s worth fighting for. I was hoping for a little more spice than was given, but the book was well written!

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phoenixsparks's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

2.75

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